For the last few weeks here, we have been getting a lot of rain…for the last two years, the “Rainy Season” didn’t mean much, but like the first year I was here…this rainy season is…rainy.

The rain causes lots of problems here that we don’t have to worry about in the states.  The lack of infrastructure makes some roads impassible during and shortly after the rain.  Some roads have mud puddles (mud lakes) for several days after the rain.  Mosquitoes love the puddles.  And, it is difficult for me to work in my outdoor workshop with the constant threat of rain.  I only bring out the tools that I absolutely need because of the relatively short warning before the deluge!

Victoria is a month old!

Our daughter Victoria Renee is now a month old.  She is eating well and she seems to be healthy.  We are getting her baptized on Sunday at my wife’s church…wait for some great pictures of the ceremony.  Special thanks to Jan Thompson and Jalayne Prorok for bringing some stuff down here for my wife and the baby.

When it rains, it pours…

I will use that expression to tell you about my carpentry business.  I did get the contract to build furniture for the school that CoreLuv is starting.  I told my Haitian partner that I wanted to do it on my own though, because my funds are low and I can’t afford to hire him for help on this one.  But…as soon as I accepted the contract for the school, I got a call from an orphanage in Port au Prince.  They want four of my bunk beds.  I called Jean Philippe and told him the good news.  He has built all of the previous beds with me, so he can do it all nearly on his own while I am working on the benches and tables for the CoreLuv School.

Next week I am going to a conference in Port au Prince that is hosted by a group called Partners Worldwide.  They have a goal of creating 100,000 jobs in Haiti in the next couple of years.  They work with Haitian businesses and couple them with American mentors.  They do some loans, but most of their aid is hands on.  The conference that I am going to next week is focused on business owners and those starting business in Haiti.  I hope to meet some good contacts there to help me move my dream ahead on a little faster pace.  Here is a link to the Partners Worldwide website.

Visa Update

The last time I dropped off documents, they told me they needed other stuff.  I gathered and delivered the next group of requested documents and on September 18, I will go again to see if the documents are complete.  If they are, I will have an interview scheduled with the US Consulate…this should be the last step for the Visa for my wife.  I am still waiting for Victoria’s birth certificate to come back from the National Archives…it is getting authenticated.  When that comes back, I will head to the US Embassy and start the process for her passport.

Thank You

Thanks for taking the time today to follow what is going on with my life down here.  If you would like to help out, I would really appreciate it.  You can sign up as a monthly supporter for as little as $10 a month or you can send a one time donation.  Many people have expressed an interest in sending stuff to me rather than money…if it were simple, I would welcome it, but it is not easy to get things down here.  Almost everything that I have from the US came in someone’s suitcase.  We did get a container down here from Georgia, but it took many extra months and about twice as much money as expected before we actually saw the contents of it.  Another reason to help with money instead of stuff is that I can buy most of the stuff that I need right here in Gonaives.  It is a little more expensive, but the money is injected directly into the local economy.

So, please consider joining the group of monthly supporters.  I am saving up money for land, a vehicle and building materials.  Every little bit helps.

Have a great day.