March 10, 2010

Posted by admin on March 10, 2010 under TLC Updates | Be the First to Comment

Hi to everyone,
School continues to function here in Haiti. We do have far too many absences. We have 4 students that continue to be absent every week. They may come a day then miss two days, and their parents are allowing them to do this. We have sent notes home stressing the importance of attendance and the completion of school work, we even had a parent meeting and we have also had another report card day just last Friday. All parents are supposed to attend parent teacher conferences to discuss the progress or lack of progress of their child or children. Almost all children are staying after school, and this week we will begin extra classes on Saturday for any child that would like to try and catch up.

Most of our TLC graduates continue to help at the school everyday by grading pages for the children to move ahead and not be held up waiting for corrections. Benita, the oldest of our graduates is teaching math, with just a little help from Mr. Nickson, she is doing a good job too. It seems the Minister of Education is attempting to set up schools in tents, so we anxiously await more on what high schools will reopen.

We continue to prepare food for the community on Saturdays. We feed approximately 300 children and adults. We are also still distributing rice, beans, oil, fish, and tomato paste on the weekends within some of the smaller tent communities.

Mr. Ivens is doing a wonderful job helping Mr. Nickson and overseeing the happenings of the school. Imagine the Lord moving me to promote him at the same time Mr. Nickson’s wife was going to have the baby, not a coincidence!!!!! I consider all things “Godcidences.” By the way the baby weighed approx. 8 lbs. Nickson could not tell me for sure. Please lift all of them to our Father, the baby is having extreme gas, and Sophie is having a hard time nursing. Mr. Nickson has lost alot of sleep.

Our student, Ernst Noel has had hernia surgery, and has missed over 10 days of school. Mr. Ivens spent over 3 days just trying to find him and his father. Seems he is too ill to walk to school, but he is out and about everyday with his father. The mother is telling me he needs two months off to recouperate. I have insisted for a doctors excuse stamped with the hosptial’s name. Mr. Ivens saw Ernst and he appears to be walking just fine, just a little slow. Larsen, our other student that we were very concerned about is doing great. Most of his problem is fear and we were blessed to have Pastor Carla, from Heart Cry International come to the school and spend a few days in each class and with some students individually, Larsen being one of them, to help them talk about their fears and what to do. We thank you so much Carla, and we look for your return. She has promised to do a follow up with the school next month.

The country is still a pile of rocks, and now tents, everywhere. It seems that food is getting out to the people, praise the Lord. However, we here at TLC have never received anything from the larger organizations like Unicef, Red Cross, World Food Program or the 82nd Airborne to help with our projects. We praise the Lord He continues to meet our needs even for the extra things He is guiding us to be part of for HIM.

Our mail is up and running for anyone that does wish to write to their sponsored child or even to one of our teachers.

Most of the community and many, many parts of Haiti have the city electricity restored, praise the Lord the school has it as of last night. However, please pray for me to receive it quickly here at the Guesthouse. I am spending over $160.00 US a week for diesel fuel to run the generator, this has more than doubled my usual expenses. The city water is beginning to be restored in most areas, another praise the Lord as we were all buying truck loads, in fact I need another one tomorrow.

We all, Nickson, Ivens, myself, most of the staff, and most of the teachers, all know that God is in control, our faith is strong, and we continue to serve HIM the very best way we can, as we listen to the still small voice within.

God bless each and every one that reaches out with HIS love.
In Christ,
Dottie