Up the Mountain...

Doris & Swe on the trail to the school...


Well, we’re back. Thank you, Jesus! I know you thought we were gone for good!
I didn’t want these pages to stay blank, but there is so much going on….

The fourteenth of October we went up the mountain for much needed rest, not only for our bodies but for our minds too. There is nothing up there but an old card table, 2 straight chairs, a couple of old mattresses and a hospital tray table. They are the only things we could hide away in the closet. Don built the little two room cabin over 25 years ago. It has been broken into several times, but Praise God, the house still stands. We brought with us some water, food and the “gas plate” we cooked on when we first came to Haiti. One large and one small burner still work. We came prepared to stay two weeks.

The road up to the cabin is so very bad - it’s unexplainable - so I won’t even try. We were tired when we finally arrived, but so very happy. We praised the Lord and danced around the little house, what peace and serenity. I always have to cry a little bit at God’s goodness and His wonderful presents to us.

We had to call Swe, Denise’s brother, to help move a couple stones. He had placed them in front of the one gate that had remained following last year’s hurricane. The hurricane had left much of the wall lying on ground. He took care of the stones and we drove into our little paradise. Even Therapy [our cat] was happy!

Since his conversion last year, he [Swe] has grown so much in the Lord! He wants to be baptized. Praise God! He had asked me for a Bible so we brought one with us. He held it, and beaming all over said, “someday I going to be able to read this.” He showed us his little note book in which he had learned to write his name. He can now read at a first grade level. When he was younger he spent all his time hopping on back of trucks and riding them down the mountain then hopping on another to come back up. He is now in his middle twenties. What a transformation!

After cleaning and unloading the car we were just enjoying ourselves--- Oh what bliss! Then the phone rang and it was Denise. She was in Cap Haitian at an orphanage. The Pastor said she could stay there while attending an agricultural school. He wanted to ask me some questions about her and inform me of their policies. He said, “We don’t allow the girls to wear pants or “tight” clothing. There is also no leaving the grounds without permission and even if I am not here I’ll hear about it.” I replied, “Praise the Lord! That is how we believe too.”

Denise & Swe’s cousin, who lives directly behind our wall, came to visit. He told us that he had moved his school closer. “Where?”, I asked. “Oh just over the wall beside my house”, he said. HUM. We reminded him that we bought this property to get away from things for awhile. “Oh!”, he said, “the kids are not loud, we have good discipline!”

Well, we have to admit he does have good control over his students. Later, with the help of Swe, Dad and I followed them down around our wall to see the school. I wanted to take pictures because we had given them some little notebooks and pencils from Food for the Poor. On our way back, we decided to go down the mountain and take the road back, thinking it would be easier. Well, we had quite a time walking over the slippery rocks. At least I had Swe’s shoulder to hold onto, as it was so steep. It was quite the excursion.

After arriving back at our little cabin, the phone rang and it was Amos [one of our original boys, who now works for the Haitian government]. “Mother, I am here with a person from Social Affairs and she wants to speak with you”, he said. “Hello Mother”, she was very pleasant, “I am coming up with the President for the big holiday and would like to see you.” They wanted to honor us. They have tried for two years and for one reason or another we have not been able to get together. “Oh, we will not be able to be there”, I said. Amos again, “But MOTHER! You’ve GOT to come!” “ Amos, do you realize our age and how very bad the roads are?” He said, “We just arrived. I’ll send a helicopter. He is a reporter and works for the UN”. We told him it was impossible. But that night I couldn’t get it off my mind. SO, of course you know the rest of the story... They presented us with a huge certificate, beautifully framed in gold, signed by the President and his cabinet.

We stayed all night and the next day and then returned to the mountain. I had picked up some tapes and in them were some that were taken from our old records. What memories, and to hear little Brian singing with his clear little voice and with perfect pitch and pronunciation!

What an awesome refreshing time with the Lord. All too soon it was time to return home.