Answered Prayer!!!

I just wanted to update everyone on a little bit of answered prayer.

As I wrote about previously, Cal's dad fell ill about a month before we left Haiti. He became very weak, had difficultly walking, eating and had headaches. In the week or so after we left, he became very unresponsive.

Praise God, in the past few weeks he has been recovering greatly! He is able to walk with the aid of a cane and is up and about visiting. Just yesterday he was walking down the street in Haut Limbe - something he hasn't been able to do for 2 months!

We are so thankful for the help of Dr. Manno, Dr. Fred and Dr. Joselie at Eben-ezer Clinic who have been caring for him. We are thankful to all of you who have been praying for him. And most of all we give glory to God for the work He has done! Amen!

2 more sleeps.

Wow! Time is flying by way faster than I ever imagined. The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind and I don't think it's going to stop anytime soon. On Friday, Cal and I will leave Haiti on the bus and head for Santiago, DR where we will spend the week until we fly to Canada on August 10.

This past weekend we held a spiritual retreat for the clinic as well as key leaders in the community. Thank you so much for praying it as it was a great success in my mind. Some major decisions were made and there was a good time of sharing. The clinic now has a new leadership (board) and I believe that God is at work and that we will see great growth in the future.

I want to ask you to keep praying for Cal's dad. He has still not recovered from his illness. We don't have a clear diagnosis, but he is experiencing headaches (less than before) and weakness in his feet and legs which makes it really difficult for him to walk. We've been spending a lot of time with him, encouraging him to eat and exercise so that he can recover. It's difficult to leave him at a time like this, but we have confidence that God will continue to heal him.

Packing kicked into high gear yesterday and today. I have all the things Cal and I will take packed into 3 checked bags, 2 carry-ons and one backpack! I'm so impressed with us! Now we just hope that all our bags make the fairly short connections we have on the way to Saskatoon.

We been enjoying time with friends and family, going to soccer games and beginning our good-byes. Please keep us in your prayers over the next few days.

The big news!

I left you hanging in June when I said that I would let you know our future plans after Cal got his visa. Well, Cal got his Temporary Residence Visa for Canada (valid until his passport expires in 3 years) and so... we are moving to Canada! Some of you have known this for awhile, but this is the first time I've mentioned it on the blog.

Our plan is leave Haiti the first week of August, go over to the DR for a few days and fly out of Puerto Plata on August 10 to Saskatoon.

This may seem sudden to some of you, but it's been a plan in the making for quite awhile. After Cal and I got married, we decided that we would continue to live in Haiti for the next year or two and would evaluate along the way how long we would stay. Back around the New Year, we began talking and praying about moving to Canada by the end of 2012. After the busy group season, we got to work on Cal's visa paperwork and praise the Lord he was granted the visa at the end of June.

Leaving in August makes the best sense to us as we do not have any groups confirmed for the near future, we can try to transition to the Canadian climate while it's still summer, I found a reasonable flight on WestJet and we get to miss some of the REALLY HOT SUMMER in Haiti.

As you can imagine, it is with mixed emotions that we are leaving. I often describe it to people as bittersweet. We are excited for what the future holds - being closer to my family and friends, getting Cal's permanent residence, settling down and working and hopefully starting our family someday. At the same time, we will deeply miss our family and friends here, our work with the clinic, Haitian food and culture and when it is January in Winnipeg - the heat!

Our hope is to settle down in Winnipeg eventually. I'm currently seeking employment there and will work on that more when we are back in country. Once we get settled, we'll start the LONG process of applying for Cal's Permanent Residence. Please pray that this will be a smooth process.

What are we doing before we leave? Spending time with family and friends, helping to plan a retreat for the clinic at the end of July and hopefully getting in a couple more beach days!

Please pray for us as we begin this time of transition!

Work at the clinic

Since I can post photos now, I thought I'd show an update of the work that has been done at the clinic in the past few months.

New, updated sign at entrance. Eben-ezer Health Centre of Haut Limbe

New sidewalk and freshly painted exterior of day clinic.

Bridge over to the wound care room.

Wound care room. No more stinking up the clinic!

View of the cholera centre.

My absolute favourite - the depot!!!

View of the yard from the cholera centre.

Thanks to everyone who helped make this happen!!!

It's June???

Seriously, how did that happen? In December when I was looking at the calendar and all that would happen between then and now, June seemed like forever away, but here it is!

One week ago we put the last group on the plane for Miami. It was a successful and HOT week, reminding me again of why we don't host groups in the summer months. In spite of the heat, the group was able to help lay the concrete for a snazzy sidewalk from the entrance of the yard up to the clinic and fill SIXTEEN rubbermaid tubs of sorted needles and syringes in the depot! Woohoo! I will be forever grateful! After 2.5 years, the depot may finally be organized and useable!

So what am I doing now? Well, first we have been working on Cal's visa paperwork for Canada. He has an appointment at the Canadian Embassy for next Wednesday so that he can drop off his application. He gets to travel all the way there just to drop it off. And, if it is the same process as last time, we get to wait a week until he goes back to see the if he is accepted or denied. Please be praying for safe travel and for my nerves while he is away! Once he has his visa, we will be able to work on our future plans - to be announced at a later time. :)

Also, the clinic together with the local pastors are planning a spiritual retreat for sometime in July. I'm on the planning committee helping make some of those arrangements.

And before too long, we'll start looking at the schedule for groups for the coming year!

Other than that, I'm trying to stay cool - very challenging in 30 plus degree weather, with high humidity and limited electricity. But I'm surviving.

Oh, and the Europe 2012 Championship is on right now meaning that Cal has "important games" to watch everyday from now until the beginning of July. Yay for soccer!

In the last month, part 2

• 1 week spent in bed recovering from GI issues
• 1 anniversary dinner and night in Cap Haitian
• 1 trip to the Dominican Republic
• 3 trips to the dentist for Cal in Santiago - 1 tooth extraction, 1 root canal and 2 fillings
• 3 different medications taken by Janelle to resolve GI issues.
• 2 trips to the doctor for Janelle in Santiago, plus lab tests.
• 1 diagnosis of lactose intolerance for Janelle (so happy to know!)
• 1 flat tire on the way home from Santiago
• 2 successful border crossings
• 5 folks from Faith Covenant Church hosted for a week in Haut Limbe!

And coming up...

• host 8 folks from Surrey at the end of May
• Cal applies for a Temporary Resident Visa for Canada
• make plans for summer trip to Canada
• try not to melt from rising temperatures and humidity!

In the last month...

• hosted 24 guests
• 2 trips to the beach
• 2 trips to the Citadelle (I hiked it once)
• 6 trips to the airport in Cap
• organized work project for 3 groups
• spent 6 days at home recuperating and fighting off some little bug that made me get way too familiar with my bathroom.

In the next month...

• go to Cap for a night to celebrate one-year wedding anniversary with Cal - dinner, dancing, hotel - oh my!
• go to the DR for a week to relax, regroup, stamp passport, get Cal's dental work done, hang out with good friends.
• host group from home church in Winnipeg!
• get Cal's paperwork done for Canadian visa

• host first time visitors from church in BC!  

This past month has been busy and the next one is going to be as well. Please pray for health, strength, wisdom, patience and joy!

Pause and a rest

Sorry for my absence! it's been busy around here. On Wednesday we finished hosting a group from the Breton church for 10 days and I'm working on catching up on all the stuff I neglected while they were here!

It was a good group and we did a lot (even if they may not think that!). The biggest accomplishment was doing a huge chunk of sorting, organizing and pitching a bunch of medical supplies in the depot! Thanks to the rubbermaid bins they brought, we now have the majority of the supplies safely stored in containers that prevent any rat or mouse from entering!! The cockroaches may still squeeze their way in, but oh well! This is a huge burden lifted and we even have a written inventory of all the supplies we have now! Thanks everyone for your help!

After dropping of the group, I've taken it pretty easy for a few days, catching up on sleep and taking some time to relax. Yesterday we took of to the beach by motorcycle with our friends the Hamiltons. 4 on one moto, 3 on the other! We were quite the attraction on the trip. It's normal to see 3 + Haitians on a motorcycle here - not so normal to 3 + Canadians. We enjoyed the beautiful ocean, ate some great fish with plantain and all got nice and rosy from the sun!

In just over 2 weeks, the next group arrives, with 4 more coming after that before the first week of June! Please pray for good health for Cal and I. We both were fighting colds when the last group was here which takes a lot of energy out of us. We want to be able to give our best when we are hosting!

We're Back!

Back in Haiti! This past Saturday we returned from the DR after a lovely holiday in which we spent a couple of days in Santiago with good friend Tammi and then a week in Puerto Plata at a resort with my parents. It was great to see my parents and enjoy a week relaxing and eating way too much! We had a number of cloudy/rainy days, but the last few days were glorious. While my parents and I enjoyed the sun, Cal got his fill of soccer on the 5 or 6 dedicated soccer channels on tv - his heaven!

I always look forward to getting away from Haiti for awhile - to enjoy some of the conveniences of life that I used to take for granted - electricity, hot water, cheese, smooth roads, reliable transportation, reliable internet, ice cream (the list could go on). But I also find by the end of my breaks, I'm ready to come back to Haut Limbe - to speak Creole, to see my family and friends here, to climb the mountain behind our house (much needed now so I can fit back into my pants!) and enjoy the slow paced life again. I know that in no time the cultural frustrations will come back again, but after a little break, I'm ready to face them again. I've come back with more energy (even though Cal and I both didn't sleep well in the DR) and a drive to get back to work and ready for the groups that are coming.

I also got my computer back! It had crashed in December, so I sent it back to Canada to get it repaired. Turns out I needed a new hard drive and nothing could be recovered - boo! But, it's repaired now and I also was smart enough to get an external hard drive as well for back up!

Cal's mom just had cataract surgery yesterday in Cap Haitian. Everything went well, and she'll be going for a check up today again. Please pray that the surgery helps with her vision which has been deteriorating a lot in the past year, keeping her from her favourite pass time - sewing! She had a cataract removed from her other eye a year ago, but the recovery was very slow.

I'll try to be more regular at posting again now with my computer back!

Where I'm at

I've been up and down and all over the place for the past couple of weeks. There's a lot going on around here and in my head.

• Cholera numbers are down! We had up to 130 or 140 at the CTC just over a week ago and now we are down to 10 or 20. Thanks for all of your prayers and support. Unfortunately, there were a few deaths, but they were due to other complications so we are pretty happy with the care that was received. 
• With the cholera literally close to home (several children who live next door to us), it was a bit more emotional to see the crisis increase. I made several trips to the CTC to check on "my kids" and to their homes to make sure the remaining siblings had enough food and water while the parents were at the centre. I'm so thankful that the CTC was here and that we were able to get the supplies needed to treat these children.
• There a lot of tough discussions and decisions to be made at the clinic. The clinic is going through some growing pains, trying to figure out how they can continue the mission of the clinic and work with partners here and abroad. Please continue to pray for the clinic.
• I've been doing a lot of communicating with groups who will be visiting in the next 6 months. We have a ton of interest (6 to 8 groups) who would like to come. It's been tricky managing the calendar to find dates that work for them and for us here, and the reality is, there is only so much time and likely not everyone will be able to come when they would like. I know that for my own sanity and health, I need breaks between groups (at least a week) so that limits the amount that can come during the "cool" season here, and I'm trying not to feel guilty about that.
• We have mice in our house. On top of everything else that is happening, it seems to be the last straw for me and my patience gets a bit thin (usually at Cal's expense). They are sneaky little mice. They have been able to eat the bait off of the rat traps (apparently they don't have mousetraps in Haiti) and get away unscathed. I've even made a homemade trap attempting to drown them, but they are too smart. Yesterday we put out poison - but they haven't taken it yet. Last night when Cal and I came home, Cal saw one go under the fridge, chased it out and killed it with his foot. I guess that works too, but I just know its brothers and sisters will be back tonight! 
• Cal and I are discussing when we will return to Canada - its a hard decision and will require a lot of things to line up. Please pray for us.
• My financial support is not at  the level it should be so that is an added stress as we make plans.
• I've been thinking a lot of how it is best to help. Poverty is such a complicated issue in Haiti and unfortunately in the past well-intentioned help has often done more damage than good. It's a tricky road to explore and creates a great tension. Pray for me and the ECCC has we navigate our relationship with the clinic and Haut Limbe.

Friday Update

The cholera situation is not improving.

Last night, the CTC received over 30 children from a local community school who appear to be suffering from cholera. It is suspected that the water at the school was contaminated. Please pray for the children and that we can discover how the water source became infected.

Up until this point, few people from the community of Haut Limbe had contracted cholera - this is hitting much closer to home. Many of you who have visited Haut Limbe will know or recognize the children who are affected.

Thank you to all who have already contributed financially to cholera relief. If you are still interested in giving, click here for instructions.

A quick update

• The Plan was a success!! I can't believe it. Everything worked out very well - we got to Cap, got a hotel room, I got my nails done, we had a delicious supper complete with ice cream for dessert, and we got on the bus to the DR the next day! Amazing! We had a great, relaxing weekend in Santiago with our good friend Tammi and arrived back in Haut Limbe Monday night. I may have to make a "plan" again sometime!
• Cholera is still here. The numbers have remained stable at 50 - 60 patients per day being treated. We were able to secure additional staff from Public Health, so that has eased some of the strain, but there is still a long haul ahead. Please continue to pray for this, and if you are interested in donating, please see this post.
• Dr. Manno was in Canada for the past week and a half visiting a number of Covenant churches and supporters in Alberta and Saskatchewan. He is currently on his way back and we are looking forward to having him here again!

Cholera Update

Just one year after it was discovered in Haiti and just shy of a year of when Eben-ezer Clinic accepted its first patient, cholera is on the rise again.

Since November of last year, the Eben-ezer Clinic cholera treatment centre (CTC) has treated approximately 3,000 patients. After the initial outbreak, the number of cases began to decrease steadily in the new year and by March or April, the CTC was treating less than 10 patients a day. Over the spring and summer months, the CTC remained open to treat 3 or 4 patients per day with staff from Eben-ezer Clinic and nurses provided by the Ministry of Public Health in Haiti.

In the past couple of weeks, the number of cases began to increase to about 20 by last week. Over this weekend, the numbers surged and we are currently treating 60 patients.

We cannot do this alone. Over the past year, we have received generous financial support from several organizations and individuals in Canada, the United States as well as Doctors without Borders and the Haitian Government and we are grateful. To continue to operate the CTC and provide quality care, we are asking again for your financial support.

We need to increase the number of nurses and support staff in the CTC to ensure quality of care for our patients. Cholera is a treatable disease if caught early enough and given the proper attention.

The Evangelical Covenant Church of Canada, one of Eben-ezer Clinic’s partners, is accepting donations for cholera relief.

To make a donation by cheque, please make it payable to: Evangelical Covenant Church of Canada PO Box 34025, RPO Fort Richmond Winnipeg, MB R3T 5T5

Please include a note that it is for Haiti Cholera Relief.

To donation online, please follow the link http://www.canadahelps.org/CharityProfilePage.aspx?CharityID=s12866 and designate your gift to “Haiti Clinic” from the drop down box and write “cholera relief” in the comment box.

Tax receipts will be provided.

Please pray for the patients and as well as the staff and board of Eben-ezer Clinic as we face this challenge again.

Happenings

What's going on???

Well, Sendie is on her way to Gonaives with Cal (for the 2nd time in 2 weeks - long story) to meet with the Starkey Foundation to fit her for hearing aids! So exciting, especially since school just started this week and these will help her immensely! I think i saw a press release saying Miley Cyrus is with the foundation in Haiti right now. Hmm - doubt many people here know who she is! Please pray for everyone making the trip as the road from here to Gonaives is quite frankly horrible and goes through 2 mountain passes.

I've been busy contacting potential groups who will be visiting in the next 6 months. It looks like we'll have a number of groups coming and it'll be busy. Pray for all those that will be coming and all of us here that will be receiving them.

The number of cholera patients being admitted has risen lately - maybe because the amount of rain we have received in the past couple of months. Pray for the clinic as they make decisions as to the future of the cholera treatment centre as our funding is almost finished.

In happier news - we've had electricity 24/7 for the past week and a half due to EDH's (Haiti's electricity company) generosity and our inverter system! Yay for a cold fridge, a fan at night and lights! Small things make all the difference here!

What I did on my summer vacation.

Okay, so as indicated in my last post, we really are back! We spent a great 5 weeks in Canada and now are settled back into life here in Haut Limbe. What did we do in Canada? Well, let's see:

Cal's first photo in Canada - Toronto Airport, just after going through Canadian customs. He's still a little ticked that the customs agent "wrecked" his visa. Since he had a single entry visa, they cross it out with a red marker - real classy!

By the river after lunch at Taste of Saskatchewan

Watching a soccer game one evening on the beautiful soccer field.

Day out at McBride Lake fishing.

Going for a boat ride at Crystal Lake

At the zoo in Winnipeg.

• After a 24 hour journey including 2 bus rides, 1 land border crossing, 1 taxi ride, 2 flights and 1 comfortable ride in my parents van we arrived in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan!
• We spent 2 weeks in Saskatoon hanging out with my family, exploring the city, shopping and enjoying high speed internet and cable soccer stations (Cal).
• For the long weekend we headed out to Norquay, Sk to the family farm to meet and visit a bunch more relatives and friends. Attempted to go fishing one day - ended up spending most of the day relaxing on the shore enjoying the beautiful day. Gave Cal the grand tour of Norquay (5 minutes) and spent a wonderful afternoon out at my cousin's cabin at Crystal Lake. Neither of us could bear to swim in the "cold, Canadian water" (we are spoiled here) but did enjoy some boating action.
• Returned back to Saskatoon for a couple of days before heading on our Alberta tour which included Strathmore, Breton, Covenant Bay Bible Camp and Malmo. It was a lot of driving but so great to catch up with many friends that we had made from their visits to Haiti.
• Came home to rest and wash clothes for 1 day before heading out to Winnipeg for a week! Spent time with Ben and Shauna (formerly of Haiti), went to the zoo, the Forks, and enjoyed a Stella's mexican breakfast. Visited still more relatives and friends and celebrated at Ben and Shauna's reception.
• On the way back to Saskatoon, stopped in Minnedosa for a night to share with the church there.
• Arrived back in Saskatoon to do last minute shopping, treat myself to a pedicure and have an early celebration of my niece's birthday.
• Left Saskatoon on the afternoon of the 19th, flew to Toronto, then Montreal, slept a couple of hours and then flew to Puerto Plata in the morning. Attempted to take a taxi from the airport to our friend's house in Santiago - ended up taking 3 different vehicles arriving over 3 hours later. Spent the night in Santiago and then caught the bus to Haiti on Sunday morning and arrived back in Haut Limbe Sunday evening! It was a good long journey! 

We are back!

Yes, we are still alive! We returned back to Haiti this past Sunday after a great 5 week vacation in Canada. We had a good mix of relaxing, travelling and visiting and by the end, we were ready to return here. Thank you for all of your prayers for a safe journey for us!

I'll write more soon!

Random Bits

• It's hot in Haiti. Duh! The past two weeks have been cloudy and rainy, so we haven't felt the heat as much. Then yesterday morning the sun came out! Hallelujah - maybe my laundry will dry in less than 3 days! With the sun, came even more heat and humidity. It gets up to about 33 degrees Celsius during the day, and down to a cool 30 degrees at night. While I have no idea what the humidity is, I can say it is high by the perma-sweat on my face. Ugh! Oh well, as long as there is water for showers, I'm a happy camper. I'll take it over -40 and snow!
• I'm getting used to being called Mme Cal (pronounced Man Cal). In Haitian culture, once a woman is married, and a lot of times even before she is actually married, she is called Madam whatever her husband's name is. At first I wanted people to still call me Janelle, but I've gotten used to answering to Mme Cal and kind of enjoy it. Even family and close friends do this - not more than 10 minutes after the wedding ceremony was finished, Cal's mom was calling me Mme Cal!
• I'm also learning that cooked meat (beef) doesn't need to be stored in the refrigerator all the time. Last week, Marlene had come over to cook up some of the beef we had bought from the butcher on Saturday and she left it in a covered pot on the stove. When we got home, I asked Cal if we needed to put it in the fridge, he said no. The next day, Marlene came, fried it up and we ate it. Nobody got sick! I know that people do it all the time here because very few people have access to refrigeration with consistent electricity, but I just wasn't used to seeing it in my kitchen! Also, did you know that eggs don't need to be stored in the fridge either??
• I learned how to make peanut butter the other day, well, partly. I came home after work and Mama (Mme Isaak) was getting ready to roast a bunch of peanuts in a big chodye (pot) over the richo (charcoal grill) on the porch, so I stayed out to watch her. We SLOWLY roasted the peanuts in the pot, stirring them almost constantly, adjusting the temperature of the pot by removing or adding pieces of charcoal). Once they were roasted sufficiently, she spread them on a large tray to cool and we started shelling the skins off. After that, she was going to take them to be ground and turned into peanut butter (of course with a little pepper added)!

That's all for today! Hope you are enjoying a sunny Saturday wherever you may be!

March Update

Dear Friends & Family,
Bonjou from Haiti where it is now summer I believe. We don’t really have four seasons here – just comfortable and then HOT! It was a pretty cool and comfortable winter, but it seemed to change overnight.

This Sunday in church I definitely needed my paper fan to give a little breeze during the service. We have now entered the season of multiple showers per day!

Weather aside, things are going well. This past month we hosted a group of 9 from Lighthouse Covenant Church in Sarnia. The majority of the group were 15-21 years old, so they had a lot of energy and a lot of questions! It was great to see them build relationships with our Haitian brothers and sisters here. They began helping construct the second floor of the depot that will be used as a residence for doctors and nurses working at the clinic. We also visited an orphanage in Limbe, had a Creole class and participated in a community English class. I think their trip was a success!

The clinic has been fairly busy, which is a good thing, but we also have some challenges as far as staffing. We have needed to hire an additional doctor for many months to help with the patient load, but we have not yet been able to. In addition, Dr. Joselie is on maternity leave for 3 months so we are under even more pressure for another doctor. Please pray for the committee as they work to secure a new doctor to serve at the clinic.

March 20th saw the run-off presidential elections here. Everything around here stayed calm and we hope to hear the results in April. Please continue to pray that the process will be fair and just and that peace will remain in this country.

Cholera is still here, but the numbers remain low. MSF pulled out of Limbe last week, so we expect the number of patients we receive at our treatment centre will increase a little bit. We are prepared to stay open to receive cholera patients needing treatment.

There has been some excitement in our household this month. Manno’s dad, Isaak, who had been living and working in the United States for nearly 20 years, retired and returned home to Haut Limbe! Manno’s mom (who I call Mama) was able to welcome her husband back to a very different house since he left. There has been a lot of work done to the yard and houses and since Isaak worked in maintenance in the US, he’s been busy everyday working on a project around the house. It’s such a blessing to see this family reunited as this does not always happen here when a spouse or family member goes abroad to work.

Also, Cal’s sister Briza gave birth via C-section to a healthy baby boy on March 15. We are thankful that everything went well.

Looking ahead, the next few months will be busy! Of course this month I will be hosting my friends and family coming for my wedding on April 23. In a couple of weeks, I’ll make a quick trip over to the DR to meet my friend who is flying into Puerto Plata (and do a little shopping). My parents, sister, brother-in-law, nieces and nephew will arrive a few days before the wedding. We’ll spend a couple of days in Haut Limbe, and then go to Cap Haitien the day before the wedding. After the wedding, Cal and I will take our honeymoon in the DR and then come back to work in May.

At the end of May, we are expecting a group from Strathmore to visit. In June, there is a possibility of a small group from Minnesota as well as a group from Randolph World Ministries coming to providing training in the lab at the clinic. The first week of July, a group of youth from the Edmonton church will be coming – right in the heat of summer! We are getting the fans ready now for them! So, it will be busy. In mid July, we hope to make a trip back to Canada to visit friends, family and churches. Please pray that Cal is able to receive a Canadian tourist visa.

For me, this coming month will be focused on preparing for the wedding and preparing our apartment. We have decided to rent a little basement apartment that Manno is fixing up in the back house of our yard. We’ll have a nice sized bedroom, bathroom and combined kitchen/living area. I’m excited to be staying in the same yard so that I’ll be close by for visiting groups and also to have my adoptive family around me.

After the wedding, my monthly expenses will increase (about double) as we will be renting the apartment, buying and preparing our own food and just taking care of day to day expenses. I want to thank all of you for the support and encouragement that you have given me so far. If you would like to continue to support me monthly or with a one-time gift, you can do so online at CanadaHelps.org. Designate your gift to "Haiti Clinic" and write "Janelle Peterson" in comment section. Cheques may be mailed to: Evangelical Covenant Church of Canada, PO Box 34025, RPO Fort Richmond, Winnipeg, MB R3T 5T5. Please include a note indicating your donation is for Janelle Peterson. All gifts are eligible for a tax receipt.

Well, I think I’ve covered just about everything. Thanks again for your encouragement and prayers. I would love to hear from you!

Bondye beni nou (God bless you)!

Janelle Peterson

Praise Items and Prayer Requests

I realize that I do not share with you nearly enough praise items and prayer requests. Here is my attempt to do that and please remind me to continue to do it!

Praise

• The solar/inverter system that was donated and installed by the ECCC a couple of weeks ago is working great! We now only need to run the generator for a couple of hours in the evening to run the water pump for the town! This will result in significant savings in buying fuel for the generator.
• The number of cholera patients has decreased dramatically! We still have a few, but it is much more manageable and the word about prevention has spread.

Prayer

• Run off Presidential elections are set for March 20. Prayer that things remain peaceful and that Haiti is given the chance for a free and democratic election.
• A group of 9 from the Covenant Church in Sarnia arrive next Friday. Pray for them as they travel and for their time here that they would build significant relationships with those they come in contact with here.
• Pray for Cal's family. His brother, Placide, has been diagnosed with anemia (it's very hard to have a high iron diet here) and has a reoccurring infection in his foot due to poor circulation. Also, his older sister, Briza, is pregnant and will be having a C-section in the coming month. Surgery is always a risk in North America, and even more of a risk here so please pray for her and her family.
• Pray for our housing situation after the wedding - we have a couple of options, but nothing is for sure yet. Pray that it will all work out for the best and that I won't get too stressed about it in the meantime!
• Pray for my friends and family that will be traveling here for the wedding in April that they would remain safe and healthy!
• Pray for Cal and I as we prepare to apply for a Canadian Tourist Visa for him to visit Canada this summer.

Thank you everyone for your prayers and encouragement!

A long overdue update!

Dear Friends and Family,

Please excuse me for my negligence in updating you as to the goings on here. It’s been a very busy few months and there are many things to tell you about.

As you all know, we have been working hard here to treat the cholera outbreak that reached our region in November. Ebenezer Clinic decided when the first cholera patient showed up at our door that we would act as a treatment centre, while many hospitals and clinics were refusing to treat cholera patients out of fear and ignorance. There was and still is much education to do about how cholera is spread and treated.  Many health professionals were afraid to touch and care for those suffering from cholera, and that unfortunately resulted in many unnecessary deaths. At Ebenezer Clinic, people knew they would be treated with dignity and respect.

Since the outbreak began, Ebenezer has treated over 2,000 patients with only 20 dying. We were able to do this with the help of many partners and volunteers including: the Evangelical Covenant Church of Canada, Medical Ambassadors, Covenant World Relief and Baptist Mission USA and several other individuals and groups. In addition, our biggest support came from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) or Doctors without Borders. In early December they arrived to help with logistics, provide medical supplies such as IV fluid, and provide human resources (doctors and nurses) to staff the Cholera Treatment Centre. Without their help, we would not have been able to treat as many patients as we did. Cholera is still here, but the numbers are continuing to decline and we are praying that it remains that way. Thanks to all of you who have supported us through prayer and financial gifts.

Haiti has also been the scene of much political unrest in the past few months. The presidential elections that were held at the end of November have been considered fraudulent. The preliminary results that were released put the current presidents’ party candidate, Jude Celestin, in the top two which resulted in violent protests by supporters of the number three candidate. Runoff elections were to be held on January 16^th, but the results of the official recount had not yet been released, so this did not happen. This past week, Celestin took himself out of the running which should ease the tension. Runoff elections are set for sometime in March.

Amidst all this, Haiti’s former dictator – Jean Claude Duvalier (Baby Doc) decided to return to his country after being in exile in France for 25 years. Initially he stated that his reason for returning was to help his country that is still suffering from the effects of the earthquake and cholera. However, it has now been revealed that his intentions are to recover money that he hasn’t had access to as he is broke. He has been charged for the crimes he committed during his rule, but it will be several months before we know if he will go to trial.

It’s been a busy and tiring few months for me personally, however I have found some time for rest and relaxation. At the end of November I was able to go to Orlando, Florida where I met my family for a week’s vacation. It was great to unwind there and spend some good family time together. The week following, my good friend Shauna arrived for her wedding to Ben, one of the clinic accountants. It was great to share in that celebration and spend time with her. Christmas and New Years were very quiet around here, and a cold kept me mostly at home resting.

In October and November we hosted two groups here – one from Breton, Alberta and another from Minnesota. The Breton group was able to help finish tiling and painting the hospital just 2 days before we received our first cholera patient! The Minnesota group arrived here in the midst of the first wave of riots against the UN, but were able to provide some much needed help in the cholera centre as well as help construct shelves and a driveway for the clinic. We’ve also hosted a few smaller groups of doctors and nurses in December and January. They have been a great relief to the clinic staff who have been working above and beyond the past few months. We are looking forward to some groups in the coming months to continue work on the clinic and hospital.

And finally, in case you haven’t heard – I’m engaged! Calvin Christolin (another Ebenezer Clinic accountant) and I got engaged in November and will be getting married April 23 here in Haiti. Calvin grew up in Haut Limbe, attending primary and secondary school here before studying economic sciences at a state university in Cap Haitien. He’s been serving as one of the clinic accountants for the past year and teaches chemistry part time at the local secondary school. As you may have guessed, I’m extending my stay in Haiti past this spring. We intend to continue to live here for the next one or two years to continue serving in the clinic and community. We are very excited to begin our life together.

As you can see, there are many things to pray for here and I’m greatly appreciative of all your support in that area. Please continue to pray for this country and its leaders, this community, the clinic and staff and for Calvin and me as we prepare for our marriage.

Blessings,

Janelle Peterson