Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Update from Mom (Phyllis Schmid)

Greetings from Haiti!

I know I've not sent an update for a while. My mind writes one but then my hands never catch up with the thoughts running around in this brain of mine.

Roger, Duane and Bryon all have returned to their homes - weary I'm sure buthopefully content with ALL the work that was accomplished. We have two men still here now. One is working with organizations to get aid and the other is a structural engineer (Tom). Tom has evaluated our original STEP building and confirms it continues to move and is very unstable. David and Bruce's offices are at the end of the hallway near an exit door so they were able to get in and get things out of their offices last week. The offices more towards the middle of the building are not safe to go into. Tom set up a way of measuring the movement of the building and just as they thought it is moving each day.

Yesterday, he and David went out in the neighborhood and evaluated houses there. David said he saw some really sad situations and prayed with people though his emotions were hard to control. For the most part though they found homes were stable but in need of repairs. That is one of the things we hope to see happen next.

Mme Lucien and family have been living rightoutside our dining room under a big blue tarp. She had been eager to move back to her house and yesterday after David and Tom visited the house and said it was stable they came and moved everything back to the house even though it was already after dark. With rainy season upon us it was only going to get more miserable to be sleeping outside even if they were coveredby a large tarp.

No major "shocks" or tremors this week yet and we hope it stays that way.You think it is over and then when another one comes along it is just disconcerting. The other night I had a nightmare. I thought it was interesting that with all the political turmoil and violence we've experienced here I didn't have nightmares about that but since this earthquake I've had several about earthquakes!!! Actually after the second 4.7 one last week I had a hard time sleeping one night thinking there would be another one. Maybe it's my age but whatever the reason this has had an impact on me. I'm doing better now.

A team that planned to come in early February to work on Jehu's new building are now coming this weekend. Then a medical/dental team are coming the lasttwo weeks in March to do mobile clinics in our area. These teams are both contacts of Bruce and Cindy's from Washington. We will be involved as much as we can but the teams hope to be pretty self sufficient.

By the beginning of April both McMartins and Schmids plan to "get away". We've been encouraged to do this before April but things just have not worked out for that. We may be able to sneak away to a beach between teams but that remains to be seen.

David will be teaching a modular class for 4th year STEP students in eschatology April 5 - 12. He will teach 4 hours each morning for 5 days. They are doing this to enable the seniors to graduate this year. Still lots of decisions need to be made for the future but we praise God for His leading and direction and for strength that can only come from Him during these busy days.

We praise Him too for all of you who are praying and have given sacrificially and abundantly to help meet all the needs atthis time. Thank you seems so little to say to express our appreciation. As our friends here often say to us "we can't repay all you have done but God will repay you abundantly"!

Love,
Phyllis

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