Well, today, Sherry and I were supposed to be on our way to Haiti, but as some of you know, we had to do the Covid test before flying. Sherry’s test came out positive. She was not feeling sick or anything, but we were “grounded.” We have a little place of our own in the country, so we are going to be quarantined here for 10 days. We are used to moving and doing Food Distributions, and always being busy up at 3:30 am, so for us to be “inside” and not “busy” with a Food Distribution, or the Orphanage, etc., was going to be rough.

Sherry decided to make something special today because when we are in Haiti, we have “mission-critical people” coming in and out and we all eat together because we are all busy and it’s usually chicken or hamburger from Farmer John’s. We have had Nini as our Haitian cook for over 30 years. She has cooked for all our visitors and teams and she is like family to us. Well, Sherry sent me out today to buy some food and things that we never usually buy in Haiti, because we are limited in going shopping in a grocery store. I came back with a bunch of stuff!

She sent me out for things to make a salad, fried squash and onions, and two nice little steaks. (We never buy steaks in Haiti.) But, Sherry saw a new recipe she wanted to try… “seared steaks.” Since we don’t have a grill, she was going to fix it a special way so it wouldn’t be tough, and then “sear it.” She made me buy a cast-iron skillet. She started making it and the recipe said, “there will be a lot of smoke, so open your doors and turn off your alarm.” We did that. She turned on the stove vent, we opened our door, and I unplugged the ADT alarm system. Man, that steak smelled so good, but there was a LOT of smoke! As we ate the “best steak I had ever eaten,” I got a phone call but didn’t want to answer it. Sherry said, “Better answer it,” but I said, “It’s just a salesman and this steak is SO GOOD!”

All of a sudden, there were two firemen at our front door! As we were talking to them, through our “country gate” came two of the biggest firemen I had ever seen! Then, in came two of the biggest firetrucks I had ever seen! Three more firemen jumped out and said, “Where’s the fire?” Sherry was almost in tears, apologizing. I told them that I had unplugged the ADT alarm, but it still went off, and “We punched every button to stop it!” Then, one of the firemen came over and said, “Next time, we need your gate code because we almost had to take the gate with us to get in!” We apologized to them over and over but they were so kind.

Well, Sherry told me that today was the “last seared steak” she is making… it’s back to chicken, hamburger, and Keto. This is what happens to missionaries who are used to being on the go 24/7, and now have to be “quarantined” inside!!! We are counting the days to get back to Haiti.

 Bobby 

Everyone is working very hard building the Gabion houses for those who lost everything in the earthquake. What I love about the Gabion house is that it’s about all built from local materials and all local labor.

Haiti has an 85% unemployment and things are much harder now since the earthquake, political unrest, gangs, etc.

It doesn’t take skilled labor to build the house. We have a skilled foreman who is overseeing each house being built by the locals. The earthquake survivors need their houses built and the locals need jobs. We hire local people to gather rocks for the houses and this helps employ more Haitians.

Here is another Grandma praising the Lord for her rocks coming!

The walls are made from rocks and cement inside galvanized wire and are “two feet thick!” This is a “very strong house which can withstand the “next earthquake” and will help “withstand the next hurricane.” We are in the process of building 10 houses now and this month we will start more. By faith, I know the funds will come in.

The cost of each house, which has “three bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen” is $9,000. You may be led by the Lord to provide one or more houses for the earthquake victims. You may only have very little. Every penny counts!

You will receive pictures of your family moving into their new house. Please go and give on our website or call and give on your credit card or by mail…

To donate online, visit: https://loveachild.com/

Please mail letters and contributions to:

Love A Child, Inc.
PO Box 60063
Fort Myers, Florida 33906-6063

If you would like to speak directly to one of our staff members, please call: 239-210-6107

By faith, we are building in southern Haiti. We are thankful because there are “no gangs there” and southern Haiti has fuel in most places. God bless you and thank you again.

PTL! The funds for another house just came in…

Bobby

We had been so excited about returning to Haiti after our family Thanksgiving vacation. We promised all our kids in our Love A Child Children’s Home that when we came back that “Christmas presents” would be coming with us! (Smile.) We had never seen the boys, especially, on such good behavior! They picked up trash and did their chores, and they even “brushed their teeth three times a day!” We got everything packed into “very large” black suitcases, with presents, already to go!

We put all our suitcases, packed with Christmas presents, in our truck. We were going to drive to Belleview, Florida, because we have a speaking engagement at Townley Engineering there at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow. They have been partners for many years. Then, from there, we were going to head for the airport in Orlando, Florida, to fly into Haiti.

But, before we left, we had an appointment at the doctor’s office for a COVID-19 test. (Anyone traveling to international areas must have a “negative COVID-19 test.”) On international flights flying from America, you must have a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of departure. So, before we left for Ocala, we swung by the doctor’s office for the test. My test came back negative, but Sherry’s test came back “positive for COVID-19.” We were in shock because we both had our two “vaccine shots,” plus the booster shot. The doctor quarantined Sherry for 10 days, including myself, because I’ve been with her. We were so disappointed and let down.

Sherry is doing fine and not showing any type of sickness. Of course, we are crushed about not going to Haiti. The workers are waiting on us. The children are waiting on us. And Sherry’s dog, “Sampson,” a large Rottweiler, has been in depression since we left. If the Lord wants us to be “still” and “wait on Him,” this is what we will do. The Lord has His plan, and we are walking in his peace.

Sherry is glad that she had to take the test. She would have felt really bad if she passed this on to someone else without knowing about it. So, we are “waiting on His orders,” and will be going home to Haiti soon.

Bobby

Peyi Pouri, Haiti, is a huge area in the mountains and not far in distance from Love A Child. But, because of the dangerous mountains, it can take hours to get there, when the roads are good.

Inside Peyi Pouri are many smaller villages. The families here are poor, very poor. The majority of the children don’t go to school and never will go to school. Most of them have no shoes, no clean clothes, or any clothes to wear to church.

These little boys have never had a soccer ball to play with, and the little girls have never had hair ribbons in their hair or a doll to play with.

They are precious children… The roads in this area have washed away, making it impossible for our trucks to get up there. We sent money to Pastor Souffrance to buy coffee and bread for the “road crew” in the morning and lots of Feed My Starving Children food for lunch!

Many children help work on the rough mountain roads. These are just some of them. We hope that they can finish the road before Christmas so that we can take food, and toys, and dolls, etc. to these precious children.

Thank you, partners, for your love, and for all the times you have sacrificed to help the poor.

“Great is your reward in Heaven!”

Sherry