E.G.O.'s faithful friend and former employee, Fifi

In the March 2010 newsletter, the Peavey's shared an update on their previous employee and friend, Fifi. It went as follows, "Do you remember Fifi? She used to work for us. Her husband ran around on her, then gave her HIV/AIDS before he passed away. She is now taking care of her grandchildren as well as her own children, because her daughter also passed away. She recently brought her 6 children/grandchildren in from Port-au-Prince and they have been staying together in Dessalines on someone's porch. However, the owners have just requested that she and her children leave. She told us that she has a small lot, but didn't think that she had enough galvanized sheeting to build."

Shortly after that update, E.G.O. purchased a tent for Fifi & her family. However, they are still in need of a home.

Following are some photos recently taken of Fifi, her family and the tent they have been living in. If you are in any way able to help, stateside contact information for E.G.O. is:
E.G.O. , 3572 Quebec Trail, Wayland, MI 49348, or by phone: 269-792-0444. E-mail at: ego2haiti@sbcglobal.net

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Fifi, with her beautiful & ever-present smile!
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Fifi and her family

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The family next to the tent they have been living in since March

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2 of Fifi's children

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Doris visiting with Fifi and her youngest

Summer of 2010 continues…

Hello!

The summer of 2010 has been a crazy busy one with several teams visiting and working at EGO. So much has been accomplished and we are so grateful to all who came, those who contributed so others could come, and those who are our faithful prayer warriors.

To give you a better feel for what has been happening, following are two posts written by team leaders heading up teams to EGO this summer. The first is from dentist, Dr. Jeff Haw, accompanied and assisted by his 2 adult children, Tim & Katelyn. They spent 10 days in Haiti this summer, mostly at EGO--praise the Lord for them! Doris herself stated, "I have never seen two siblings be so close and polite with everyone and with each other. They never got discouraged and worked right alongside their father, assisting him with every patient. With Dr. Haw, Don and I had the opportunity to talk about old times when he and his father came to E.G.O. and worked on many people. We were so blessed to have them with us and may we say for too short a time! Also, along with what we already had, they left some of their equipment, trusting that sometime in the near future another dentist will make his/her way here. There were so many people yet that need dental work done".

The second post is from Steve Scheib, an experienced builder from Iowa who has spent all summer at EGO coordinating 3 teams and the construction work on the school--a second story addition and an extension of the first floor. Again, we can't begin to say enough "thank you!'s" to Steve and everyone on the 3 teams.

Also, "Food for the Poor" has agreed to ship another large container for us (one holds roughly 50,000 lbs!). It is being loaded with many, many pounds of beans and corn, as well as 30 solar panels that were donated by DTE Energy. There is still room for approx. 14,000 pounds of product, so if you are wanting to send something to EGO, this is your chance! You can send it to:

Brian Hulber

20130 County Road D

Archbold OH 43502

(phone number--419-446-2582 for availability)

Jonathan School Update

JONATHAN SCHOOL UPDATE – August 2010: from Steve Scheib

Team 3 from Michigan arrived at EGO late Monday evening. On Tuesday morning, they hit the floor running. And, running we did. The 2^nd story bond-beam forms had to be installed, along with all the 5/8" re-bar, snap-ties, 2" x 4" support brackets, and whaler wedges. PRAISE GOD for the effort produced. On Saturday, we poured 220 lineal feet of concrete 12" wide x 20" deep in just 6 hours of 105 degree heat. The concrete is finished for this project. Now the steel roof rafters have to be installed this week, along with all the galvanized roof sheathing. Most of the rafters have been built this week in the shop and late Saturday afternoon, 2 were painted with a rust-proof oil base paint. Pray for us this week as we work hard to finish this summer's work team project.

After the cement is hauled up the ladder, it is poured into wheel barrows where once again it is put into a bucket to be hand fed up to the one man who dumps it into the bond beam form. The man with the backpack is the finisher or leveler. Take this effort x two teams of men who duplicate this effort for over 6 hours straight on the cement pour on Saturday morning. We started pouring cement at 7:15 am and finished just 6 hours later at 1:30 pm. Then all helped clean-up equipment & tools. Once this was finished, everyone enjoyed Gator-aide and a big plate of rice & beans! And, then each was paid their wage agreed upon.

Thank you to Teams 1 & 2 for your hard work that precipitated this final effort before the steel roof rafters and roof sheathing is installed this week. Without your earlier commitment of hard work, Team 3 could not have finished this project. Over 400 bags of cement and thousands of feet of steel re-bar were used in this entire effort, not counting the many hours of labor.

Jonathan School - August 2010

Haw Haiti Team Pics

Dr. Haw and Don Peavey at work!
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The Haw Family

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The Haw team, Doris Peavey, Joceline and a very happy patient!

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this is the ever-precious, Carla!

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this is Ketla (one of the older girls) with one of the newest additions to E.G.O.

The Haw Haiti Team

From Dr. Haw--8/9/10

It has been just a week since we returned from a twelve day mission trip to Haiti and Ebenezer Glenn Orphanage. It already is starting to feel like a dream, something so foreign to the comfortable rural Iowa we call home. Although this was my third visit to EGO and Dessalines, and my seventh trip to Haiti it had been over 25 years since I had "visited". I was first introduced to Haiti as part of family short term mission projects, assisting my father, also a dentist, working in many missions throughout Haiti. It was now my turn to introduce the next generation to missions and to Haiti. I was joined by my 21 yr. old daughter, Kate and my 18 yr old son Tim, both had crash courses in field dentistry, sterilization and infection control, and many, many stories from my wife and I and their Grandparents on the Haitian experience.

I was shocked by both how much has changed and how much has stayed the same in Haiti. A country that I once knew like the back of my hand has changed; I could barely make out landmarks and locations. The increase in building and the numbers of people was most evident, yet in the background the tell tale signs of last winter's devastation. A somewhat familiar street corner is now camouflaged with layers of debris, tents and makeshift shelters. Even on the road to Dessalines the familiar barren hillsides now dotted with blue and white tents . And then the people.. mile after mile, in the dark, people on the roadway, people in doorways and windows.. and motorcycles now clog the roads and towns, weaving and bobbing in and out of traffic. Yet the feel, the sounds and faces of the people are oh.. so familiar. It takes no time to remember why we are here, the people.

Our tip although a long time in the wishing stage was quickly confirmed and put together and despite the haste our travels went oh so smoothly. We had prepared for the worst and were blessed by the best, clearing customs and getting to EGO in near record time. Walking into the mission home of Don and Doris was like coming home to visit long missed family. Although we all are a little older and the compound a lot bigger it was like being home.

EGO has been Blessed with wonderful gift of a top notch dental unit and compressor—wonderful A-Dec package that included all the necessary repair parts and tools to field strip and repair. To those who made this gift possible a big thank you! Our mandate was to screen and assess all the children, prioritize and treat. Then do the same with the staff and the workers. Dental disease is a complex animal, the rate of decay, its' aggressiveness and even that of gum disease is greatly affected by the host and is a mirror of their overall health, nutrition and wellbeing. What we had reflected back to us in the smiles of these children and young people was a picture of health! with decay rates that would put many school agers in the states to shame. Even when we found decay it was far less aggressive than what is often seen in Iowa and elsewhere. In strict clinical terms it points to the excellent care and nutrition that is provided the children and their overall health. I am sure that Doris's strict soda and candy rules play a big part too. After putting the dental clinic and equipment to a full test we met and exceeded all of our goals and expectations, yet our seven days of clinic barely scratched the surface of the overall dental need. The children's needs were met and the emergency needs of the staff were addressed but the need for continued care remains and the need and outreach for those outside the compound is staggering. So if you are a dentist or a hygienist and you are wishing and praying for an outreach…….. EGO has a clinic and a need for you!

In addition there was some good discussion on how the existing dental clinic could be enhanced and expanded and improved. The basic structural bones of a clinic are there with the ability to do basic restorative and oral surgical care but with just a little effort and a little investment a comprehensive care facility could be established. This is something worthy of prayer and consideration.

Jeff Haw D.M.D.