Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to work they go...

Here are some more pictures of the work going on around here. Troy has been busy trying to finish everything he is working on. Here are some shots of him and various helpers.

This is Wydlinn. (It's pronounced Woodlan.) He is an orphan and a permanent fixture around here. He lives in a Foster home that Judy has arranged for him. He comes here every night for his evening meal. For all those of you with children I have really bad news. Starving children in third world countries are just as picky eating as your kids. I know, I know, this can never get out. What would we do if they found out what we've been telling them about the starving children isn't true. No matter how hungry he was Wydlinn wouldn't eat it either.

Here they are sifting through the dirt to remove rocks so they can use the sand to make cement. Actually, Troy is sifting and Wydlinn is looking in the bucket for no apparent reason. This is pretty much how it is with him. We call him "the waterboy" because he really only excels at anything with water involved. He'll get it all over himself and all over everyone and anything around him, but he has fun. Isn't that what counts?

Here is a shot of another orphan who is a regular here. His name is Steven and he is an exceptional helper. Troy would take him with us if he thought we could. He is shoveling the dirt into the sifter for Troy here. I know they look like they are posing, but they were doing this so well together I had to get the camera and take a picture. He shouldn't have been here this day, and usually isn't here without Wydlinn, but He was sent home from school because he is behind on tuition. His schooling is paid for by the family he lives with. They have a house full of orphans and no children of their own. They are a little behind right now. Wydlinn isn't here this day because his tuition was paid in full by Judy so he was in school. She has an entire motley crew of children she supports through tuition payments. These children would not have the luxury of learning to read and write without her help. She helps Ti Jean, Steven's caretaker, with financial assistance whenever she can. The needs are many and the resources are limited. That is the story of Haiti, my friends. Steven will be back in school when Ti Jean is able to get caught up. He is a good student so he will catch right up once he is back. It is an unfortunate circumstance, but it is what it is.

The bicycle above belongs to one of the construction workers, working on the house. This is his mode of transportation to and from work. It reminds me of a story Judy told me about a Haitian friend of hers who applied for a Visa to visit the United States. He went in for his interview and explained that he was going to the U.S. to visit friends in Florida, New York and Chicago. The interviewer asked him how he planned to get from place to place. He said that was no problem, he was going to ride his bicycle. He was applying to go in the winter. Needless to say, he was not granted his visa. Thank you, come again. He had no idea what the problem was. He travels all over Haiti on his bicycle, it was a good answer he thought. It is what it is.

Here is the project that Troy and Steven were working on. He is building a new layer on a rock wall that is supporting an entire level of the front yard. The previous wall was breaking down. Troy has simply built the new section in front of it and filled it up between them. He has already finished this. It follows along and blends right into the existing wall. He is so awesome!

Here are some more shots. This is the army of children who were sent home from school with Steven. They are from all over the neighborhood, and believe it or not they were having a blast carrying rocks from the back yard to the front yard. It's amazing what passes for fun when there is no Nintendo. Any given trip into town you will see a child pushing a tire rim with a stick. Running behind it as it rolls. It's great fun. There's something that you can tell your kids that is true!

I know it looks like there are child labor issues here, but we could not stop them if we tried. Actually, we did try. They just kept going, so we made sure they were not loading their pales to heavy. We also fed them a good lunch. This went on for three days and they had a great meal every day. It was for a good cause as well. This dirt and rock is going to be used for the building of a house for a Widow and her family. She is being asked to leave her current place of residence, which is nothing more than a tarped enclosure. The original house she rented fell down in a hurricane and her rent had already been paid for the year (by Judy). The landlord couldn't give back the money so he put up the temporary structure for her and her family to live in until her year was up. Here is a picture of them and their current home. Her sister has moved in with her because she had no place to go herself. Her Mother was already living with her, so here they all are. Tisienne is the one in the green outfit. She actually changed her clothes for this picture, she wanted to have on her best outfit.



Judy managed to get a benevolent soul from the U.S. to send money for a new house on the property that belongs to her family, which till now was a field of banana trees. The church we attend here has offered to take on the project of doing the construction for free. The money being sent will pay for the supplies. I am just sorry that we will not be here to help with it or see it accomplished.


While I'm at it here is a picture of Ti Jean, his wife and the children that live with them. Well, not all of the children a few of them were not home from school yet. Ti Jean is in the hat and his wife is the one with the curlers in her hair. Judy is the one on the end.




Here are the others. We took their picture when they got home from school. Do you recognize anyone in this picture? Picture her with rocks in her hands. Picture the third one from the left with a pale on his head and a smile on his face. Picture the little guy in red with a shovel in his hands. See the pictures above if I have stumped you. I gave them the lolly pops, so I take credit for ruining the picture. Only one of them is in Uniform. This picture was taken at the very start of the school year, and it was during the grace period for uniforms to be purchased.






And this is Ti Jean's home, which he and his wife have opened to all these children.

In psalm 127 verse 3 it says "Behold children are a heritage from the Lord." In verse 5 it says "Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them." Ti Jean is truly a happy man, how much more is he blessed when he's filled his quiver with orphans and raised a house full of children that are not his own. These are incredible people. As Judy always says "Haitians know how to help Haitians." Thank God for that, but they can all use a little help from those of us who can and are willing.