Where do Haitians get their drinking water????

The outbreak of cholera in Haiti is a very real and scary thing. It is hard enough to take all the precautions to drink clean water, cook with clean water and bathe with clean water on a normal day. Well, what would you do? Walk an hour farther both ways to get clean drinking water or just take your chances with the water that is closet? I know your answer but if you were in their situation you might choose differently. Tons of children like these get there drinking water every day from sources like those in the pictures I have shown below. Tonight, many are
dead. The cholera acted so quickly, no one even had time to warn them. The voodoo beliefs cause them to question seriously whether someone is out to destroy Haiti by poisoning their drinking water. This is a common practice to get
rid of the enemy in Haiti, poisoning food or drink. Needless to say there are many who are
suspicious and can't understand how or why many are sick and dying.
We are told that if you act quickly and get the person started on an IV and antibiotics that it can be treated rather quickly. The hospital at the town of St. Marc is the one we would normally go to. It is about twenty-five miles from Carries. The doors of this hospital have been closed and police are guarding the gates. This is for three reasons: they don't have enough space to put people and they are laying people on the floor because there aren't enough beds, they don't have enough staff, IV fluids and medicine to treat everyone and they don't want those who aren't contaminated coming in and running the very high risk of contaminating themselves and others.

We do not use river water or water from the canal at Carries. Our source comes from the mountains. However, on both sides of us, they use the river and canal water. Preparing, we have bought IV fluids to have on hand and antibiotic injections. We told our school children about all the precautions to take in washing their hands and boiling their drinking water. Please, I am asking your prayers, once again for the people of Haiti. We ask for God's hand to remain on us. We pray for protection against this and that God would keep us all in good health. We pray that this would be contained very soon and that there would be an end to the suffering.

If you could just pray about this tomorrow, maybe everytime you go to do something that involves water, drinking, taking a shower, etc. it would be very much appreciated. May God bless and keep you . dee

"Running water", Haiti style...

"Running water", Haiti stlye is the talk of the village, when I, Mdme Kiki come flying down the path on my red, Yamaha Rhino!!! Dogs, people, goats, cows, horses, guineas, and a duck with seven little ducklings behind her, scatter like flies with my approach. The boys, Bob and Lele, quickly fill the gallons with water from our huge reservoir that Wilckly built and that provides water for most of the community. Today my task was to carry water up the hill for the masons who were laying some cement blocks in preparation to cover one of our buildings. Fortunately I only had to make two trips.

Maybe you are wondering why in the world would I be carrying the water in these gallons. Our water truck is broke down at the moment. We have no source of water up the hill where we are establishing. We will have it we just have to "hurry up and wait for it", because that is what we do in Haiti. In the mean time, any water I need for washing dishes, mopping the floor, taking a bath or flushing the port-au-potty, has to be carried up from down the hill.

You could say there are things in Haiti that are a little less than convenient. For example, imagine the misery of watching people take hours, days and weeks to cut some weeds or clean the whole yard by hand instead of mowing. Now, however, thanks to my husband seeing the need, we now have a push mower. If you saw what we had to mow, you would say, "She's kidding, right?". No, I am not but I thought you would at least enjoy hearing about how I mow my "yard". I have five of our boys/young men, who are 15 to 20 years old. They walk in front of me with a long machete and hack at the tall weeds. Another one is responsible to remove any sizeable rocks from my path as to not ruin my mower blade. Another is responsible to remove any plastic, trash, bottles, cans or other unidentified objects from my path. It's quite a sight to see the line of us "mowing" as I come along from behind with the push mower. I must say that it is looking pretty decent around here. The boys are hard workers if I can keep them on the task and they've been doing a good job of it lately.

Just another day in Haiti. dee

New shoes for the Ilris family

Elves, pronounced Elvis, is our hired driver. Many times Wilckly is occupied with the mission work and is not able to stop and drive people where they need to go to take care of important things. For example he may be meeting with preachers who have traveled from the mountain churches, sometimes eight hours or more walk from Carries and even though they didn't have an appointment he can't just tell them to come back tomorrow. It is necessary then for us to have someone who can drive the truck and do other things. He has been a faithful servant. He was in the back of the truck when we had the accident. He injured his collar bone. He is doing fine now. He came home from the hospital and Wilckly brought him straight to our house to make sure he was taken care of, had his medications, had plenty to eat and was able to go back to the doctor for follow up. He was an okay worker before but he has become one of the main people we can depend on now. He said the way he sees it, God preserved all of our lives for a reason. He says if there is any way for him to help us keep serving this God who cares and provides for us, he will do it.

All of his children attend our school. He told me it was pretty rough to buy uniforms, shoes, books and all for such a big family. Some of his children are sponsored already and so he knew he would have some help there. He asked if there was any way I could help them all have a pair of shoes. Thanks to all of you who helped provide earthquake relief, we are still separating, sorting and giving to those in need from all of the things sent in the containers. This is how I was able to help each one of his children find a new pair of shoes. Thank you so much for making this possible. Their smiles were worth a million bucks to Wilckly and I as they each came, one by one and thanked us with a kiss on the cheek and a sheepish grin. Another day in Haiti concluded. I'm gonna get some much needed rest.

Today in Haiti...

Marc had the x-ray which confirmed his arm is broken again in the same place. It is in a cast that he will have to wear for a month. Praise God they didn't have to put the metal fixation back in.

Amos and Ti-Bonhomme both have fever, chills and vomitting. Djouvensca escorted them on a tap-tap to the hospital at Pierre Pyen. They hospitalized both of them and put them on IV's. They said one has malaria and the other one they aren't sure because the tests were negative. It was a busy day dispatching one group to PAP with Marc to see about his arm and the other crew in the other direction by tap-tap. I had to co-ordinate everything needed for the hospital stay not only for the two patients but for the two people staying to assist them. We sent bottled water and a thermos for ice. We sent cups, bowls, silverware and food. We sent sheets, pillows, towels and laundry soap for the girls to wash them by hand at the hospital. We sent toothpaste, toothbrush and soap. We sent a plastic tub to be used as the urinal. Well, that's what it's like in the hospitals here in Haiti. Fortunately, Djouvensca is so used to being sent to the hospital to take care of people that she was able to remind me of everything that needed to be sent. Don't forget, more money and calling cards for the phone to be in contact.

Please pray for these young men. They aren't sick very often. I know it is serious when they don't even get up out of the bed and don't eat.

School started Monday with 26 students present, which is actually an all time high for us on the first day. They most we've ever had is twelve and that was twelve of our own kids. Today there were 38. We will keep you updated.

We are proud that 7 of the 12 sixth graders from our school, took the state test and passed it. They worked very hard to accomplish this. We will miss them as they move on to another school as we are not yet able to start our secondary school but we are praying it will be in our near future. I am sending pictures of some that passed and their proud parents.

Harder by the day...

It was predicted that it would happen this way because it always does. What is it about trauma and disaster that fascinates us so but as soon as the hype is gone, so is our interest. I believe at the Emmy awards they gave one to someone who had helped a lot in Haiti. He said the award should go to the person who can keep our attention focused on Haiti and the enormous amount of help that is still needed, whoever can keep the need alive derserves the award. I don't know, but I do know there were several missionaries here living among the people before the tragic earthquake, they were here during the earthquke and they are still here doing the same thing they were before, helping the Haitian people in an attempt to save their souls.

We appreciate all those who gave over, above and beyond after the earthquake. However we have such gratitude for those who were faithful in their giving before, during and after. We know without your comittment and dedication to the Lord and to our ministry we would be totally helpless. Thank you.

Many of you have asked the question, "Is there any improvement, are things changing for the better?" It's a loaded question. Especially as nine months after the earthquake "some" of the people have just now moved into "temporary" housing which isn't even rain and wind resistant. Temporary, what does that mean? How LONG does that mean? In the mean time the tent cities continue to spread and cover the countryside near Port-au-Prince and the empty spacec in Port-au-Prince.

Blessing Hearts International feels like she is making improvements. Our church under the banana plants after the earthquake has moved into a building. The school is being moved to its new building also. The containers we shipped and empty ones we were able to purchase to sort and use for storage are place strategically on the property. The backhoe has been put to work clearing the land and preparing it for more buildings such as housing for employees, cafeteria for the school kids, workers and families to eat, different buildings for a carpenter shop, welding shop, mechanic shop and the list goes on for our dreams are gigantic, hunormous ones but we know that our God is BIG ENOUGH!

I have put the rhino to good use carrying anything and everything, people, water, clothes, wood, rocks and more. It works great as I can drive where ever the boys and I are working, picking up rocks and sticks out of the way so that we can use the pushmower to mow the grass. Many places it is way to high so they have to walk in front of me with their machete's, wacking the weeds off so I can mow over them. It's quite a site to see. We are physically making tons of progress but it is still ever so slow. We are so thankful for the backhoe that has speeded things up by eliminating some of the manual labor that causes the construction to drag on and on.

Our main goal however remains to live among the Haitian people and live out the love of Christ among them. We are thankful that the people are spiritually awakened and hungry for the word and for answers after the devastating earthquake. Our greatest joy is still what makes the angels rejoice and that is when a sinner choses to follow the Lord and commit his or her life to Christ. It's happening! and for that we are truly grateful. Hold on strong and don't let go. Remain faithful to the Lord as He is the only one who will never leave you!

Praise!

Well, it has been quite the experience, to say the least, since May 16, 2010. God has showed His amazing power, watchcare over us all and His amazing healing power in all who were involved in the accident. This is Marc Dorce after the accident when there was so much gravel embedded in his arms that they decided to amputate both of them immediately because even if he survived without the amputaion of them infection from all of the embedded gravel would cause gangrene to set in. BUT, OUR GOD IS BIGGER THAN ALL OF THAT! The last thing Marc told me is don't let them cut my arms off Mdme Kiki. Insistance from me, his wife Monique, and an American nurse named Stefanie led them to the decision to leave them on. Every day for a week, Dr. Halpern from Tampa, Florida and the team, carefully cleaned and debreeded the wounded arms and hand. The back of his hand was a complete blow out. They took a piece from his forearm and grafted it into place. He is doing well. He was in the hospital from May 16th - June 22nd. He has movement that they never expected. He is determined to feed himself, dress himself, bathe etc. Yesterday, October 7th, he went to the Medishare hospital to have the metal fixation removed from his arm. He came home yesterday and is doing quite well. His daughter, Alexandra, who is three said, "Now you can clap your hands when we sing daddy!"

Marc is a faithful servant. He is Wilckly's cousin but we have raised him since he was 12 years old. He is a strong, dedicated Christian young man. He would go around every Sunday visiting one of the 15 different churches in our ministry. He would take a tap-tap to PAP to run errands for us at a moments notice. He walked the 9 hours to the Terrible Mountain and back instead of riding a mule. The bottom line is, with everyone he meets, he wants to know if they have their life right with the Lord and know where they will spend eternity. Thank you so much for the millions of prayers that have been lifted up for this young, faithful servant. dee

Thanks! Praise God! and Thanks again...

WILCKLY FINALLY GOT HIS PASSPORT RENEWED AND HE DROVE TO PORT-AU-PRINCE AND CAME HOME AT 11PM LAST NIGHT PASSPORT IN HAND AND GOOD UNTIL 2015!!!! He has been trying to get it since June 23rd. It has been very crazy and very frustrating to say the least but now it's over and he holds freedom in his hand. He said it was almost worse than being in the real prison just knowing that he couldn't leave the country and go see his wife and kids while we were in the States. He hasn't seen them now since January when I took them out after the earthquake. We are making plans to go see them now. We will let you know when things are finallized! Thank you so much for praying these three and a half months for him to get his passport!


EXHAUSTED WOULD BE THE WORD FOR THE PAST WEEK AND A HALF!!! The morning prayer meeting which is called, "Tas Kafe Cho" or a hot cup of coffee, just celebrated its three year anniversary. Let me explain that. It means 3 years straight, rain or shine, in sickness and in health, in the face of calamity or great joy, up every day to start the service at 4a.m. This is the faithful dedicated woman Bioude Dorce is. She is also known as Mdme Francois. She is the one who would wake up, rally everyone in the house, grab her megaphone, Bible and song book and head out to start the service. This lady doesn't play around with anything and especially the work that the Lord has laid on her heart. We can't thank her and praise her enough for her dedication.


She has four daughters. The youngest one, Yoka, passed away with malaria on June 3rd of this year. She was only 20. She was raised in our home since she was 3 and is just another one of our kids. This, as you can imagine, was devastating to her and to us. Life has not made much sense since then. She has clung to this morning prayer service and it has been a source of strength and encouragement to her when nothing else really mattered. This is why this past week it has been such a blessing to see a smile on her face once again and to hear her laughter.











I saw joy on her face and in her heart as she carefully planned all the details. We had a revival that began on Sunday evening and went through the next Sunday evening. We invited all the churches of the area. No, you are not mistaken. It was eight days of revival! It rained all most every night. The first two nights we had around 90 in attendance. The next two nights we had 160. The next two nights we had 254 each night and the last two nights 165. Each church was assigned a different night to lead the singing. There were seven churches that participated.







Tuesday was the actual anniversary, complete with a special program of different singing groups from each church and lots of praise and adoration together. All of this culminated in a special meal, prepared especially to share with all of the people. We fed over 450 people, children and adults. Each plate was filled with beans and rice, a piece of fried chicken, fried plantane, pickles (like cole slaw, only it is piping hot with hot peppers they put in it), macaroni salad and beet salad and a coke. The cooks really got a work out and nobody likes the job of separating it. It was a good day though and everyone was fed and happy. If you have ever been to Haiti then you know what a big deal that is, to feed everyone without a fight or a downright brawl over the food where food is wasted and hoarded and many people don't get fed. Praise God for the smoothness of this endeavor and a huge thanks to those ladies in the "kitchen". They cooked all this food over a charcoal fire and the rice was cooked in huge pots sat on three rocks over a wood fire. It is quite an amazing feat in my opinion every time I see it. Maybe some day you will join us and witness one of these celebrations.

THANKS A MILLION TIMES!!!

and it's still not enough to say how thankful we are and how blessed to finally have this New Holland backhoe on the ground, in Haiti, and finally out of customs!!! This is the newest member of our team and it is getting a workout. Cleaning trash, clearing the land of brush, cactus, and rocks is a full time job. It has been put to work clearing a place for the children to play at recess and digging foundations for more classrooms. We want you all to know how much we appreciate having this piece of equipment. There are people are missionaries where everything is already established. Our mission, especially starting new at Carries, started at ground zero, with nothing except some Christian people who were looking for some help and some leadership. We started by living in a small two room house, similar to that of the villagers. Fortunately, it had a cement floor but it had a tin roof. Our kitchen was outside like the natives and we cooked with charcoal in our outdoor kitchen. We had no electricity and no generator so we used a home made kerosene lamp that was made out of a small tin can. Every morning all my stuff was covered with soot. What a mess!

Eight years later and after the earthquake it is like starting over. Grant it we do have a generator for some electricity and I have the internet right at my house. However, we are expanding up the hill and the earthquake was the perfect time to move that project forward. We are constantly under construction. Please pray for us as the funds come in that we would build it into the mission that God has planned and designed. Come visit us. We're waiting for you.

A chain of events...

I read a book before going to Haiti, written by two veteran missionary women who served in India for years, with Kulpahar Children's Home. Looking back at their experiences and difficulties in ministry they said, "Had we known the things we would have to face, we would have never gone!" Praise God for His wisdom in not letting us know the future. Living in Haiti for seventeen years, there are many situations I would have backed out on and chose not to experience. Those are also probably all the situations which have strengthened and challenged my faith and made me into the person, the missionary, who can live and serve in Haiti and love it. It's what I've been called to do. I know I am where God wants me to be in spite of all the difficulties and tragedies brought forth for us to face. The thing that sets us apart from non-Christians is that in spite of all these struggles that we are able to find joy.

I want you to know some of the things that have happened this year, some of which rendered me incapable of writing or organizing my thoughts at times. Bare with me as I want to share some of them with you. I am not asking for any one's sympathy. I want you to know that we are finding our joy in the Lord through these struggles. I want you to instead, continue bathing us in prayer and I pray that you would be encouraged and strengthened in your faith by seeing God's faithfulness demonstrated. Our joy is overflowing and our blessings....well, nothing can surpass the blessings God has lavished upon us in the midst of our struggles. What an amazing , loving and caring God He is! He is a God of such intricate detail and we can never fully comprehend the magnitude of His love for us.

Jan. 12 - Devastating earthquake in Haiti registering 7.3 shatters life as we know it

Jan. 20 - Crash and Shaina return to Haiti as I escort my mom and my three children, Ashley 10, Kelsey 5 and Josiah 1, to Iowa for health and safety reasons. I returned to Haiti without them.

Feb.- Picking up the pieces, sheltering 200 people in our yard under tarps, feeding as many as possible, hours spent back and forth to PAP in search of food and tarps to help the people

Feb. - Crash, Shaina, Crystal, Wilckly and I orchestrate some orderly distribution of supplies to those in need

March - We received our 1st container of supplies and earthquake relief materials

Jan. - May - We experienced SPIRITUAL REVIVAL in Haiti! Pray it would remain.

March - Crash, Christine Stevens, left Haiti after fulfilling the two years she promised to spend with us in Haiti. She was a great help and made a great impact on our ministry. She is now studying in Canada to continue her life of Christian service. Words fail me. THANKS FOR EVERYTHING CRASH!

May 10 - Team of 15 arrives from Hannibal LaGrange College in Hannibal, Missouri. Visited schools and churches run by the mission. Delivered backpacks full of food, candy and other surprises. Cut tarps and walked to different homes in the village of Carries to distribute to those in the community whose homes were damaged in the earthquake. We also sorted items sent after the earthquake.

May 15 - Baptized 9 young people from my Sunday school class, two of them young men living in our home, Amos and Ti-Bonhomme, and other children of Carries, including Ti-Liline, whom I have been praying for since coming here eight years ago. Praise the Lord for these new babes in Christ! Please pray for them!

May 16 - Travel to visit new church in the mountains at Kamicho. We want to start a school there because the children have never attended school. Shared worship service, fed everyone (around 200 people), did about 2 hours of makeshift medical clinic, with two nurses who had just been pinned before coming to Haiti. Headed back to Carries to pack and fly out the next day. Shaina and I would accompany the group to the States and I would finally be with my children.

We were returning down the mountain, almost to the main road, when the brakes went out on our truck at the top of the hill. We had a horrible accident. There were 30 people in our open stock truck. All thirty of us survived the accident, Praise to God in Heaven above! Praise the Lord for His mighty power and watch care over us and provision for help. The Lord kept Wilckly and I safe without a broken bone or even a scratch so that we could get our wits about us and help get everyone to the hospital. Injuries varied from road rash, concussions, broken bones, severed ear, stitches, head trauma and amputated legs of two Haitian young men.

God orchestrated all the details that saved all of our lives. From my front seat position, it was very clear that God alone could keep us on the road and not let us go over the edge and tumbling down into the valley below. We were near the main road about four miles from it. We were close to a mission that sent two vehicles to pick up the wounded. They were staffed for emergency because of the earthquake. They had an ambulance (unheard of in Haiti unless it's to carry the dead). They had an ambulance to get us to PAP because of the earthquake. They took us to the University of Miami field hospital (at no cost to any of us, unheard of in Haiti as all medical services are cash up front). The field hospital was set up because of the earthquake. They had weekly rotations of fresh, volunteer doctors and nurses from the States because of the earthquake and a fresh new team had just arrived. THANK GOD FOR THE EARTHQUAKE....IT SAVED OUR LIVES!!!!!

May 17 - I flew with eleven of the students on the regularly scheduled flight to Miami and sent them on to St. Louis. I WAS NOT TRAVELING TO IOWA AS PLANNED TO SEE MY CHILDREN. Instead, I remained in Miami at Jackson Memorial Hospital with four of the team members who had to be medically evacuated and brought in on separate planes. Two of them were sent home after a couple of days. One had to stay a week because her ear had been severed and they wanted it to heal and make sure there was no infection before sending her home. My friend and forwarding agent who was the sponsor for the group, remained at Jackson Memorial Hospital for 6 more weeks because of the severity of her injuries.

May 17 - June 3 - I stayed with Chris in Miami for 2 1/2 weeks when she was finally moved out of ICU. Then duty called in Haiti because I had left so abruptly after the accident and there was plenty for Wilckly to deal with on that side. Marc is our right hand man and both of his arms were severely damaged. They were going to amputate both of them. I told them he didn't want that and the nurse, Stephanie, bless her heart, was adamant about it with the doctors. Dr. Halpern did surgery every day to clean Marc's wounded arms, which saved them. He still has a metal fixation in one. He is able to use the other one to eat, brush his teeth etc.

June 3 - While I was in Miami and Wilckly was taking care of all the injured Haitians, some in the hospital and some in our home, Yoka, Reginal, Mdme Marc, Alexandra and Jhemson all contracted malaria. Yoka ended up on a ventilator as the malaria went full blown into her lungs. She remained on the ventilator and died in her sleep around 2 a.m. She was only 20. She was raised in our home like our own daughter since she was three. We lost a precious daughter in Yoka. She is Bioude's daughter. She is like a sister and best friend to Ashley. Although the news was more than I could handle, I couldn't share it with anyone Stateside because I didn't want Ashley to find out before I could tell her myself. I returned to Haiti to prepare her funeral, by far one of the hardest, awful est things I have ever done in my life. Any of you who have visited us in Haiti would have been served by Yoka. You will remember, as we do, her bright flashing smile and her laughter. She is greatly missed by us all. We comfort ourselves knowing she is in a much better place and resting in the arms of Jesus. We praise God for her life and the blessing she has been, not only to us but to all who have known her.

June 10 -The night before the funeral, I got a bug in my ear while I was sleeping. It was a terribly painful ordeal. It ended up getting infected and my face and jaw were swollen. I had to spend 48 hours in the University of Miami field hospital with antibiotics being given to me in an IV. The swelling went down and the pain diminished. The bug, however, remained in my ear for fourteen days until I was able to return to Iowa and have it removed. It was a june bug.

June 11 - Ashley's 11Th birthday, which I missed but dear friends in Bedford threw a surprise birthday party for her! You all are amazing! Thanks so much for making her day so special!!!

June 13 - Marc's wife, Monique, started hemorrhaging. They had to take her baby by C-section. She was 6 month's along. The baby was born dead. We praise God again for preserving the life of Monique and Marc and their three year old daughter, Alexandra.

June 19 - Marc came home from the hospital before I left Haiti, leaving only one young man named Judenel, whose leg had been amputated and he had an outer metal fixation on his other leg like Marc has on his arm.

June 23 - The thing I had been anticipating and longing for finally happened. I finally got to be with my children and nothing else really seemed to matter except being with them and spending time with them!!! Unless, of course, it would be all of us being back together with daddy!

June 28 - Wilckly finally brings the backhoe, the rhino, and the 2nd container of relief supplies out of customs and home to Carries.

July 27 - I sent to get Kelsey's passport renewed. Wilckly was trying to get his passport renewed since June 23rd.

September - Finally received Kelsey's new passport!!!! Thanks for praying!

September 13 - I flew to Haiti because Wilckly hadn't received his passport to come join us. He was run down, tired, almost sick and very discouraged not being able to be with us. The kids are still in Bedford with grandma Reta and they are in school. Wilckly and I are preparing for the opening of school in Haiti on Oct.4th. There is a lot to be done to open all six schools on time. Crash is studying in Canada to work with Wycliffe and Shaina will be joining us again shortly. Please pray for us as we are separated as a family. Pray for grandma as she takes care of the kids. Thanks in advance to so many of you who have helped make our time apart bearable by bringing meals, diapers, clothes, grown up conversation for grandma and so much more. Thanks from Wilckly and I. We appreciate you all so much.

WE WILL NEVER CEASE TO SAY THANK YOU, THOUGH IT OFTEN SEEMS SO SMALL. WE LOVE YOU AND APPRECIATE YOU. WE APPRECIATE YOUR FAITHFULNESS IN PRAYER AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF OUR MINISTRY. WE WILL CONTINUE PRESSING ON TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD IN HAITI.

Wilckly, Dee, Ashley, Kelsey and Josiah Dorce'