Sunday, September 18, 2011

September news

A couple of things

1.  Please begin praying about a couple of storms that might develop in the Atlantic.   While it's way to early to know if they will do anything at all, we have seen that God can move hurricanes  (remember last November?) and so He can also quell storms.    

2.  I'm supposed to head to Haiti this Thursday and accompany a group (Vitamin Angels) out to Pestel for a site visit.   I also have a list of meetings with different groups, so I'll be busy.
3.  I got this nice update from Sisters Fidelis and Jo about the guest house that they are building!!!    Really exciting news:

Here is your first glimpse of the guest house construction. This picture was taken on Monday, the 12th of September, the first day of construction. The foreman is in the white shirt, Boss Melonm (pronounced may-LOME).

Just know the work is going very well. The truck driver is keeping us well-supplied so that the crew of 15 have been as busy as bees all week. The foundation and the cistern incorporated into it are far along to being finished.
The side of the building toward the sea will be higher because of the sloping terrain, so people on the verandas will have an even better view of the sea dotted with islands.
 
This is quite exciting, and Sr. Jo and I will try to keep you up-to-date on its progress.

Sister Fidelis


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Thriving Villages website

Thriving Villages blog
http://thrivingvillages.blogspot.com/


Saturday, September 17, 2011

Requests

Hi all,

Some last minute requests as I get ready to head to Pestel later this week:


1.  Does anyone have a good template for Inventory?    For whatever reasons, my brain simply does not seem to be able to develop one.   For starters I just need a way to keep track of what items I leave in Pestel so that when I go back down again I know what to bring and what not to bring.   Something ideally update-able.   Items like    towels...soap...shampoo....bed nets...batteries...lights....and so forth.   And the Quantity.
I'm open to ideas!    

2. Any extra stethoscopes lying around?    I'd like to leave some stethoscopes in Pestel instead of bringing one every time.  Last time I forgot one and had to use Dr. Seneque's   (and he only has one!)


Ben

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Thriving Villages website

Thriving Villages blog
http://thrivingvillages.blogspot.com/


Thursday, September 15, 2011

Educational note from Pestel

Hi all,

I just received this very encouraging report (translated from French into English by my mother-in-law, Lois Beck) from Father Parnel.  He sent this from Pestel.  You'll recall we sent some money last year to help with the education in Pestel:

We are writing to share with you our deep joy: The Ministry of Education has just published the results. All our students (This year 16 pupils from 6th and 12 pupils from 9th. ) finished with very good grades. We are all the more contented because this is the first time we have had pupils take the State exams. 
We are using this chance to renew our most enthusiastic and cordial thanks for your important participation in the education of the youth of Pestel and for the well being of the inhabitants of Pestel in general. 
--Fr. Parnel Lundy


Makes me pretty happy   :)   We're talking about the future of Pestel

Ben
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Thriving Villages website

Thriving Villages blog
http://thrivingvillages.blogspot.com/


Saturday, September 10, 2011

Maps

Hi all,

I was working on some of the mapping of villages throughout Pestel today, looking for obvious errors.   Check out the attachment.  

I am increasingly impressed with the Haitian workers (APPAS).

Ben

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Maps of Pestel

Hi all,

I was working on some of the mapping of villages throughout Pestel today, looking for obvious errors.   Check out the attachment.  

I am increasingly impressed with the Haitian workers (APPAS).

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Talents update

You'll recall that our church, Slate Hill Mennonite Church, did a really clever fund-raiser based on the parable of the talents.  Individuals received $10 and were then asked to use it to raise funds for TVI's solar fruit dryers.  


They were able to raise $1800 for Thriving Villages through this effort!!   That's 6x the amount invested!   In short, they trounced the servants mentioned in the parable (who only doubled the amounts given to them)!  

But consider the ongoing ROI (return-on-investment):   the solar fruit dryers may allow some of the villagers to sell dried fruit....and since 1/2 of the fruit they currently sell spoils or becomes damaged in transport.  This has potential to increase their income, provide nutritious snacks to school children (as an example), improve health....

And then the joy of all that returns to the giver....and to folks like Johnny Zook who spend a good deal of time thinking through practical solutions like this.

It is a good reminder that we ought to take stock of ourselves periodically to see how we are spending the talent God has given us.


Thanks to all who were involved in this!  It has been a great encouragement and thrill to see it
Ben


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Wednesday, September 7, 2011

September updates

Hi everyone,

This is the first time since I've been at the medical center that they actually closed a number of offices and cancelled medical school classes FOR RAIN.

I received an email from Sister Fidelis:  she made it safely out to Pestel!   She wrote, " just arrived Saturday to see the new road and the foundation [for the guest house] with my own eyes."

Very exciting to hear that this work is already underway! 
 

Planning for a well drilling effort in Pestel continues with a series of very clear evidences of God's hand blessing the work.

I don't think I've ever really used that word before in my emails:  blessing.  But it just seems appropriate.

There are times when I really wonder about certain directions for the work in Pestel, whether or not a given decision or line of thinking is part of God's plan.  But there have been others like this well drilling one where steps in a certain direction have been greatly encouraged, often in ways that are VERY surprising.  

I'll tell you more about what I mean by that in a little bit when I am at liberty to    :)


[Cliff-hanger....]

Ben
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