NEWS FROM NORA

Communiqué #061

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

June 2, 2009

It has been several months since I last wrote.  The months have been packed full of blessings and events.  It seems there are too many to recount on these few pages.

At the end of March, Léon and I returned to the states for a two month period of time.  We had many speaking engagements and fundraising events.  These took place in Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan.  We also traveled to Ohio for a weekend conference with several of the team leaders/team members/future team members who have come, or wish to come, to LesCayes on various mission trips.  What a blessing it was to me to see all those people gathered together in one room.  Many times I feel alone in my efforts, but after seeing all of the faces of those gathered, I received a renewed strength in knowing how many people are actively involved in making a commitment to the work here.  Born from this group were several task forces to help make things happen!  The group chose a name for themselves…Building Hope in Haiti!  We are now hoping that this initial weekend meeting will be an annual event.  Already, several blessings have been bestowed upon us … of which you will hear more of in a future communiqué.  A special thank you goes out to Tim Kaufmann and Jackie Rychel in the planning of this inaugural event!

Some of our time in the states was used to thank the faithful donors to Caribbean Children’s Foundation.  We had time to visit a 91 year old man who regularly contributes to our ministry.  I was able to present him with a small gift of a metal cross that was hand crafted in Haiti.  We were able to visit some of the churches who financially make it possible for me to live in Haiti!  Each and every donor is precious to us!  We thank God for you and assure you that we take seriously the use of the money that you have entrusted us with!

We met with new groups of people who are now interested in helping too.  Some will send teams to Haiti.  Some will help in other ways.  The upcoming Building Hope in Haiti website will be useful to those wanting to know how they can help.  For those wishing to come to Haiti, there will be hints on the logistics of how to make that happen.  For those wanting to help, without leaving their homeland, there will be other ways listed.

My thanks go out to the persons who are putting the website together.  It will be a helpful tool for many!

While home in the USA, we were blessed by the many families who took as in under their roof, gave us financial gifts, those who fed us meals, showed us their cities, transported us from here to there, allowed Léon to job shadow with several veterinarians, and most importantly shared their friendship, their encouragement and their prayers!  For all of you, we are VERY grateful!

Near the end of May, Léon and I, once again, arrived back to flood damaged country.  It was questionable whether or not the plane would be flying from Port-au-Prince to LesCayes, so we decided to try the new bus that is running between the two cities.  Just as we were approaching the city of LesCayes, we could see the huge areas where banana trees and cornstalks had been flattened by the rush of the water.  The torn up river banks, on the normally small river at the edge of town, indicated the might of the recent flood.  This time, the water rose up in homes in an unexpected manner.  It had not been raining for long, when a retention wall gave way and resulted in families leaving behind everything in order to save their lives as the waters barreled through their homes.  Trying to make light of the situation, I joked that maybe Léon and I had better not return from the states because each time we do, we come home to flooding.  Schools had been cancelled for a week.  The road to the boys’ orphanage was covered by an impassable lake of water.  The marketplace was empty, as buyers and sellers were dealing with other flood related problems.  Rain is always expected in May because it is the rainy season, but rarely is flooding like this seen when it is not hurricane season.  As we head into hurricane season, please pray for a summer of calm.  Haiti and the rest of the Caribbean nations need a break!

I was home for only a few days before I felt like it was time for another vacation.  Water not only flooded the area, but people’s needs came flooding out as well.  The first day that I was home, endless knocks came to our door.  The requests for money for food, for medicine, for school, for sandals and a multitude of other things came tumbling my way.  Two of the children that had previous medical problems were now experiencing complications.  Another mission asked me for logistics help with a young lady who had been thrown from a horse.  It was probably a blessing in disguise that we had previously planned for a trip to Cap Haitien, on the northern most coast of Haiti, for less than a week after our return to Haiti.  Although we would be traveling with a group and doing some sightseeing, my hope was also to visit a Lutheran Church in Cap Haitien and the House of the Lambs of God Orphanage in Ouanaminthe, on the northeastern border of Haiti right next to the Dominican Republic.  Caribbean Children’s Foundation has been financially assisting this orphanage for quite some time, but it would be my first time to visit the site of their new orphanage campus.

The travel, itself, was quite an experience.  Fifteen people, with all of their luggage, piled into one pickup truck and one SUV for the long, hot, interesting trip to the north of Haiti.  Most of the seats meant for three people squished four people into place.  The road from Les Cayes to Port-au-Prince was an accustomed 4 hour ride for most of the travelers.  It was the road from Port-au-Prince to Cap Haitien that brought on new memories.  Just outside the city of Port-au-Prince, we were met with newly asphalted, lovely wide roads.  Wow!  If the road is this way all to Cap Haitien it would be a dream of a ride!  And a dream it was!  After one short hour, the roads turned to gravel as we entered the dusty, dirty roads of the desert, where we were greeting by towering cactus on all sides.   The air conditioning had burnt up and it was far too dusty to have the windows down, so we sweltered inside the steamy interior of the car. We periodically made stops to fill the radiator with water from jugs tucked in the back of our vehicle.  When traveling through the Gonaives area, the evidence of the 2004 and 2008 floods still remained.  People were still living in tents, complete sections of the road had been swept away with the swollen river and new roads were just starting to take shape, with the remnants of the old asphalt teetering out into open space at the top of the open river bank.   It was somewhat of a relief to come to the mountainous area, where the roads were again paved and allowed us to re-open our windows.  But to our dismay, the roads were pocked with numerous, deep potholes where cars would sink up to their chassis unless your driver zig zagged down the road.  Our chauffeur delighted in taking these zigs and zags at 80 mph.  If you have ever traveled on the Road to Hana on Maui in Hawaii, you have a 50% chance of knowing what this road was like.  The Road to Hana is like a merry-go-round ride compared to the ride to Cap Haitien.  Our chauffeur gleaned enjoyment from challenging everything on the road from a chicken, to a goat, to a motorcycle, to a 14 wheeler.  His passengers were none too delighted as they shouted at him “Go slowly”, “Sound your horn before going around this hairpin turn” or “Pay attention!” as he looked at the beautiful women walking alongside the road.   The only thing that finally slowed him down was the mountain top cloud burst that resulted in heavy

The next day we would head east to the towns of Fort Liberte and Ouanminthe. 

Fort Liberte is the site of an ancient fort perched up on a hill on the coastline.  A common sight in this area is small wooden carts being drawn by three small donkeys.  Many times, the carts were driven by young boys sitting on a small bench on the back of the carts which were transporting loads of rock or dirt. 

Ouanminthe brought us a chance to visit the border crossing on the river dividing Haiti from the Dominican Republic.  On Mondays and Fridays, both countries allow their people to cross over to the other country in order to buy and/or sell items.  We had arrived on a Friday.  The crowds were unimaginable.  The pushing and shoving and trampling over of others was prevalent everywhere.  Heated disputes erupted all too often.  One man holding his partially consumed bottle of alcohol was just being rotated in place by those pressing by him on all sides.  People on foot, people with wheelbarrows, people with large wooden pull carts, semi-trucks all converged onto the bridge and narrow tunnel of the adjoining country.  One could easily have been trampled or packed into the crowd like a cork in a wine bottle.  Alcohol and cocaine smuggling is very prevalent in the area and just adds to the mixture of chaos.  I made my way only about 10 feet into the Dominican when I decided I had no need to go further.  I could say “I’ve been there, done that and I am ready to leave!”  I did snap a few photos along the way.  Some met me with angry shouts.  Others hid their faces from the camera.  I found the river below to be one of the most interesting sights there.   People, who wanted to avoid the “push and shove” of the bridge, forged their way through the waters instead.  Some were neck deep in the river, carrying their goods in a bundle or basket on top of their heads.  They would fight the current and would arrive wet, but safe, on the other side of the river!   What a life!  What a hot life, under the baking sun, amidst the foul smells and rising tempers of the people at hand.  All this to just survive!!!

We would return to the same area a day later on a non-market day!  The difference was quite a contrast to the day before as people were now leisurely sitting under shade trees or doing laundry in the river.  Both visits, however, got me stopped by police.  My first impression was that I was seen as doing something wrong.  Léon explained that quite the opposite was true.  I was being protected.  As the only white woman there, they wanted to be sure I was there of my own will and that nothing was going on that should not have been.  .

We parted with the group to spend some time at the nearby orphanage.  It was a joy to see the work of Pastor Daniel Paul and his wife Clynie!  The House of the Lambs of God Orphanage is home to 24 girls, ranging in ages of 2 ½ to 14 years.  The Paul family has three young daughters that add to the mix.  One lone boy tops off the group.  Wilson came to live with all those girls by default.  It seems that while the orphanage was being built, he would hang out at the property.  He ended up never leaving.  He has no father and life was too difficult for his mother following the 2008 flooding in Gonaives - an area that suffered even more severe flooding in 2004 that they still had not recovered from.  He now is going to school and helps in the three huge gardens that the orphanage has.  When the Paul family learned that he also had a 13 year old sister, she was invited to join the orphanage family.  For the first time ever, in September, she will be attending school.

I met and interviewed all but two of the children living at the orphanage.  Two of the older children were still away at school, so I would not have the chance to meet them.  Most of the orphanage children are young enough to attend school on the orphanage property, where Pastor Daniel Paul holds school for grades kindergarten through 4^th grade.  Some of the children have sponsors from a church in Washington and a church in Oregon.  I am hoping that the upcoming posting of the children’s photos on my website will help generate more funds for this orphanage.   www.CaribbeanChildrensFoundation.org

A guesthouse is also located on the orphanage property.  It can house a small team of five people, those willing to bathe by the well and endure very limited generator powered electricity.  The need is for construction teams to help with an addition to the orphanage!

We rejoined the group that we were traveling with in time for an evening meal in the city of Cap Haitien.  The little café even served chocolate ice cream, so, of course, I indulged!

On Saturday, we traveled to the town of Milot.  This is home to the Presidential Palace and the Citadel, back in the days when Haiti had three presidents (one in Port-au-Prince, one in Les Cayes and one in Cap Haitien).  The Presidential Palace grounds were enormous.  The grounds included the President’s residence, a residence for his wife, a church, a botanical garden, soldiers’ quarters, stables and various other buildings.  Higher up in the mountain sits the Citadel from the days of Napoleon.  We took our vehicles up a narrow rock bed path to a landing where one could chose to walk the remainder of the trail up to the Citadel or take a horse.  I was determined to walk up, regardless of the fact that the midday sun was beating down on us.  I wanted to prove that I could!  I wanted to see the sights along the way!  And, I wanted to have the time to take as many photos as I wanted.  Léon was very patient with me as I stopped under every shade tree and huffed and puffed my way up the steep incline.   An elderly tour guide insisted on following us halfway up the mountain to tell me horses were available, but leaving when he realized that I was determined to walk to the top.  The tour of the Citadel, perched high in the mountains, was very interesting, the view breathtaking.  The original cannons and cannonballs were still in place.  It took quite a genius to build these magnificent buildings back in the day when no modern equipment or materials were available and everything had to be carted up to this high point in the mountains.  Much to my relief, the return trip down the rock bed foot path was much shorter than the journey up had been.  We arrived back at our vehicles where vendors were waiting with their wares and where the purchase of cold drinking water was irresistible.

Sunday morning greeted us the next day.  Léon and I would worship at the Lutheran Church in Cap Haitien.  Pastor Eliona Bernard lives and works there with his wife and two young sons.  The worship service is held in the school.  The site also boasts of a nice medical clinic, that is financially self-sufficient and a sewing and baking school.  The grounds are well kept and a garden flourishes in one corner of the property.  Pastor Eliona and I talked about his work and the desire for a construction team to come help with finishing the addition to the school.  A foundation has been laid but the exposed iron rods are oxidizing and will be unusable, if they are left to the open air for much longer.  A combination construction/medical team would also be of great service to him.

The time for leaving the area came.  I was happy to have had the opportunity to visit the sights, but more importantly to visit the people who I know who are doing the Lords’ work in this area.

Ahhh!  But now the road trip home to Les Cayes!  It is true the road you travel one way, must be traveled back upon your return.  Sigh!  Here we go again!  Another eleven hours!   I once again tried to concentrate on the scenery and the people we would encounter on the way.  Probably the most striking sight to me was the pickup that was ahead of us during part of the journey through the mountains.  Through the mud splashed glass of our windshield, I watched at what I assumed was a family.  Many of them were piled in the back of the pickup.  An elderly lady, in particular, caught my eye.  She was finely dressed and with one hand was caressing the coffin that was tilted into the back of the pickup.  I could only assume the coffin was being carried to its final resting place at either a cemetery or more likely to a family plot on the property of one of the relatives.  No fancy hearse to carry the coffin.  No grave digger to prepare the final resting place.  It was only the family and the body of their loved one traveling this final journey together.

Further on, we encountered not one, but two, other funeral processions.  Mourners dressed mostly in white, followed on foot the flowered wreaths being carried by children at the front of the procession and the coffin of a loved one being transported in a vehicle!  Death is such a part of life, especially here in Haiti!

I am back in Les Cayes and again answering the knocks at my door and preparing for our next mission team that arrives on June 20^th!    Thank you for remembering the work here in your prayers!

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                                 Until next time ………….

Communiqué #060

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

March 2, 2009

I admire those who are great gift-givers, especially since I never have considered myself good at doing just that.  When I was a child, I had a special aunt who always knew just the right kind of gift to give to each and every one of her many nieces and nephews.  She would search and search for just the right item and then take great pleasure in wrapping it in the most precise and neat fashion.  That indeed is a special God-given talent!  My brothers and I always looked forward to gifts from that special person in our lives!  It made me want to be just like her!

In my four and a half years of living in Haiti, I have received many gifts, most of which most Americans would consider unusual gifts.  I have received a stalk of plantain, a live goat, a live chicken or two, fresh-caught shrimp, crabs, colorful saltwater fish, coconuts, raw cow’s milk, homemade Haitian candy, and fruits of many varieties.  One of my most recent gifts was a bunch of bananas.  It was not a large bunch, but it was a ready-to-eat bunch!  At first glance, one would say “Bananas?  What kind of gift is that?”, but as I reflected on that gift, I realized what a special gift it really was.  It was brought to me by someone who I had been able to help with some medical problems.  She had traveled to her “home country” to visit family.  This trip meant riding in a truck for about 90 minutes, then getting out and walking across a wide, rapidly flowing river and then climbing for about 4 hours up a mountain to her hometown.  During her visit, the bananas were freshly picked and packed into her backpack.  She would carry them for 4 hours down the mountain, and would keep them high above the splashing water as the river was once again crossed and then transport them with her in the back of an overcrowded pickup truck where all the passengers would stand for the final 90 minute rough ride home!   NOW THAT IS SOME GIFT!  

I have been given another gift in Haiti…the gift of a hobby!   It surprised me to actually find a hobby in Haiti, especially because I really never had any hobbies in the USA.  I live close enough to the ocean to walk there early some mornings or just before sunset on some evenings.  The beach that I walk to has turned out to be a great place to find sea glass (or beach glass).  As I search for shards of broken jars and bottles or bits of broken china, I fantasize about what those pieces were once a part of.  Since this stretch of the Caribbean Sea is famous for its periods of pirate ships and famous pirates like Captain Morgan, I can imagine that some of my finds are rare and of historical significance.  In reality, of course, most of my finds are from soda or beer bottles, but it is fun to fantasize nonetheless.  On these excursions, I have had several opportunities to capture some of the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets on camera.  I have to pinch myself knowing that on some of those days, my family and friends are shoveling out of several inches of snow!  

Having a hobby is one small way for me to “get away from it all.”  Sometimes, though, even a walk to the beach is not an escape at all.  Anywhere and everywhere that I go there are people in need, many who come up to me to ask for some kind of help.  It really is a breath of fresh air when someone just comes up to me to watch what I am collecting and then proceeds to help me find what I am looking forward and proudly hands it to me simply to add to my collection.  No expectations!  No asking for something!  Just the simple act of giving!  There it is again … the God-given talent of giving!

That of course brings us to the greatest gift of all – the Gift of God’s Son!  Thank you God for being the best gift-giver of all!

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                                  Until next time ………….

Communiqué #059

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

March 1, 2009

Mark down this historical fact!   Les Cayes Haiti had two and one half FULL days of electricity, with NO power outages!  I cannot tell you how weird that seems.  Day or night we could turn on a light switch and actually have lights!!!  The fans lazily whirred continuously.  My little dorm-size refrigerator consistently kept drinking water ice cold!  Wow!  The simple pleasures in life!  When Day #3 arrived, I realized I had been over optimistic about the possible longevity of this power gold mine.  We have a new electric company and I guess they just wanted to give us a little present on their first few days of operation.  Oh well!  It was nice while it lasted!  It just may be another 3 years until we have around-the-clock power again!   “Count your short-term blessings Mommy Nora!”

This week I have been working on getting all the heights and weights of the children in the orphanage.  You never saw such an excited bunch of kids fighting over who got to stand on the “balance” next.  I had to be sure that ten little feet did not climb on all at once so that I could get an accurate reading!   I actually needed this information for a medication that we will be giving the children, but while I am at it, curiosity has me researching how their heights and weights compare to children living in the states!

Since the dawn of the new year, we have been blessed with four mission teams!  This week there is a short break between teams, with a team arriving in early March!   My time spent between teams has been filled with sick children.  I have spent hours at the hospital as an advocate for the young mothers who would be virtually ignored while trying to get medical care for their babies.  A combination of underpaid, understaffed and overworked staff and medical supplies in short supply leave the staff struggling to save the critically ill, while putting the not-so-critically ill children on the back burner.  For one of the babies, her teenage mother came

crying to my door late one night.  IV fluids had been given to her baby, but when the staff found she had no money, they ripped the IV out of the baby’s arm.  A visit from me the next day resulted in the bill being paid and discovering a prescription that had been left for almost two days on the second baby’s clip chart.  After discovering the prescription, while insisting that the second baby needed medication for her fever, I proceeded to three different pharmacies before finding all of the medications that were needed.  These were not the only needs of the families.   I soon discovered that one mother and child had gone two days without eating.  They had no money for that either! (The hospital does not supply food to its patients nor to the mothers who stay with them.)   When the time came for the baby to be discharged, once again, there was no money for the taxi ride home!  Each night, I would go home with a heavy heart wondering how in the world these families survived!  No wonder these babies get sick with diarrhea, fever and vomiting when all they eat is soda crackers and all they drink is unclean water!  The parents’ physical state is not much better.  They, too, are terribly thin with gaunt eyes and a hunger in their bellies!

One of the pastors visiting us from the United States had a discussion with a group of Haitian lay pastors about what Heaven will be like.  One of the questions got him (and me)

to thinking!  The question was “Will there be food in Heaven?”  For a people who never have enough food to eat, Heaven would most certainly be a place to look forward to if abundant food was going to be there!  How unlike a question about Heaven that an American might pose!  Our priorities seem to be quite different!  We might be wondering if our pets will be in Heaven!   What an interesting contrast!   Think on that for a bit!

Another event got me to thinking.  Mardi Gras has just ended with all of its colorful costumes, face masks, dancing and satanic worship.  It is an activity that Christians in Haiti do not attend.  I recently heard that on the day after Mardi Gras (Ash Wednesday) all the costumes and masks are burned up in a fire ceremony to symbolize the burning up on one’s sins.   Hmmm!   Isn’t that somewhat like hell, where sinners will be thrown?   The Christian can celebrate that their sins were “burned up” long ago on the cross of Jesus!  The Passion season will not leave us at a low point of destruction, but rather a high point of victory over sin and death on Easter morn!

Please continue to pray for those still trapped in the grips of Satan.  His chains are not only tight around Haiti, but they are also tight in many other parts of the world!  Pray that the chains of the devil will be broken apart by the saving grace of God!

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                                  Until next time ………….

Communiqué #058

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

January 21, 2009

The harshness of life in Haiti is evidenced everyday.  In the last few days alone, two tragedies were brought to my attention.  The first involved a young mother who lives near the boys’ orphanage.  She strangled to death her 3 day old infant.  The neighborhood rumor mill reports the young mother killed the child because her current boyfriend was not the father of the child and he did not want the child of another man.  Similar scenarios happen throughout the country to children of peasant people.  Many times a woman here must depend on a man to provide her a home to sleep in and food to eat.  If the man threatens to walk out on her, the woman will take drastic measures hoping to insure that she will still be provided for.  Sadly, this way of thinking many times backfires because the man eventually moves on to another woman anyway and leaves his old girlfriend with one or more of his babies.  Now, rather than having just herself to think about, she needs to find a way for her AND her children to survive.  It usually means she gives herself to yet another man who will repeat the cycle.

The second case was brought to my attention when I was touring the general hospital with some of the members of a mission team.  The father of the baby spoke enough English to strike up a conversation with one of the Americans.  He proceeded to follow the group throughout their tour, until we stopped long enough for him to engage me in a conversation.  With him he carried a set of xrays.  The xrays showed that his 2 month old son had a broken leg – not a slight fracture, but a complete break.  He was distressed because no doctor was available to see his son.  Upon questioning about when and how the break happened, he was very evasive and could not recall the date that the injury occurred.  Already a picture was forming in my mind, that the break was a result of abuse by the mother. When I learned that no one was attending to this child, I called a local doctor, hoping that he would see the child.  The doctor was out of town and referred me to an orthopedic doctor at a private hospital.  Our little group had arrived at the hospital on foot, thus taking the baby to another location meant walking there.  I asked one of the missionaries to carry the baby, as the father was awkward in his handling of the broken leg.  I wanted the broken leg well supported as we traveled over uneven and rocky roads.  Upon arriving at the second hospital, we learned that the orthopedic doctor only comes to the hospital one day a week on his work rotation throughout the country.  He had been there earlier in the day, but had already departed for the next village.  It would be one week before he would return.  No one else at the hospital had any expertise in the setting of a broken bone.  We were, however, given the address and telephone number of a Cuban orthopedic doctor who lives in town and is usually on duty at the general hospital.  I then had to make arrangements for a vehicle to transport the baby, the father and me to the home of the doctor.  An old beaten up white pickup truck arrived, with only fumes in its gas tank.  No gas was available at the gas station, due to our continuing saga of lack of fuel.  I handed the driver the equivalent of $25 US.  He was able to find a gallon of fuel being sold on the side of the street in a plastic jug.  He returned to the hospital to pick us up.  The baby and father sat in the cab of the truck, after first offering me that seat.  Refusing, I rode in the bed of the pickup that chugged and sputtered and stopped more than once on our search for the house of the Cuban doctor.  After a failed attempt of locating the correct house, we were given directions to the home where the doctor resided.  Barking, growling dogs met us at the gate, along with a Down’s Syndrome child who was being whipped by an elderly man for being disobedient.  We filed down a narrow passageway to a home located in the back of the property behind other homes.  A rock was used to rap on the metal door to get the attention of people inside.  A large Hispanic man answered the door.  So here we have a Creole-speaking man, an English-speaking white woman and yet another man speaking Spanish!   Quite the combination!  We were offered chairs to sit in on the small porch of the home.  As the fussing child teetered on the lap of the father, we used the combination of the three languages to try to explain why we had come.  The xrays were given to the man at the door and he asked us in a rude manner who had told us the location of this home and why did we come to bother him at his home.  After we explained that we were desperate for the baby to be seen, he closed the door and went to talk with others in the house.  A second man returned with him and they explained that the doctor we wanted to see indeed did live at this home but that he was very, very sick.  Could we not understand that he was too sick to see patients?  He demanded that we return to the first hospital and find someone there to put the baby’s leg in traction until the doctor could return to work in a day or two or three or four!  We reiterated that there was NO ONE at the hospital that would even touch the baby, as they had no expertise as to what should be done.  He did not care.  He essentially sent us away telling us to seek help at the emergency room of the hospital.  With no alternatives,  we left the home and once again carried the baby who had not eaten or drank anything during this whole event into the emergency room of the first hospital where the complete saga was retold to the nurse on duty.  She was sympathetic to our story, but told us that realistically it could be up to a week before the baby would be treated.  The mother made an appearance, but held the baby indifferently, never offering to breastfeed the hungry child.  The father was offered the choice of remaining at the hospital with the baby or returning home with the baby and coming back on a future day.  The only other hope would be for the nurse to contact another orthopedic doctor from a far away hospital to see if he would see the child.  This would mean the father would need to hire a driver to take him and his baby to this faraway location to the hospital that is known to be a better hospital, but also a much more expensive one.  Even the transportation was more than the father could afford, so considering the additional fees for a more expensive treatment seemed a virtual impossibility.    The father made the choice to wait it out at the general hospital.  I returned home, in the dark, riding in the same pickup truck that I now realized had no working headlights!

The father showed up the next day at the church compound where I live.  He had come to ask me if I could pay for the cost of transporting and treating the baby at the faraway hospital.  I told him that until I knew how much money it would all cost, I could not give him a definite answer.  I told the father that I would pay at least some of the costs, but I could not commit to how much until I knew what the actual bill was.  He made the choice of finding a way to this third hospital.

A few days later, I was told that the father had returned and he had the baby with him and he wanted to speak to me.  I found him with the baby in a cast.  The cast completely covered one leg, and covered the thigh of the other leg, and was halfway up the torso of the child. The broken leg was stabilized by a small tree limb embedded into the full leg cast and anchored into the cast on the thigh of the other leg.  The stick was then covered with the white plaster material that engulfed the whole contraption of a cast.  It seems some doctor, I do not know which one, showed up at the hospital and had taken care of the child.  The father now handed me a stack of bills, explaining that in about one month another xray would be needed to determine how well the bone was healing.  What a saw before me was a man desperate to help his child, even though the mother did not want to be any part of this child’s life.  How sad!  What kind of future will this little guy have?  At least this parent chose life over death as a way to solve the current problem!

The last week has been filled with sick baby news.  The baby of my last communiqué is scheduled to go to Port-au-Prince for the long awaited CT Scan.  But I was informed that the machine is still not working.   Another baby will see a US Doctor who is coming to the LesCayes area.  She has a condition that normally requires the amputation of a limb or two.  This doctor has performed a similar surgery that successfully saved the child from amputation, but proved to be a very delicate, difficult surgery.

Please pray for all this babies and their families!  If they live or if they die, the family is faced with a difficult life ahead!  Only God can make sense of these hardships!

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                                  Until next time ………….

Communiqué #057

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

January 14, 2009

Probably the biggest news in Haiti right now is the diesel and gasoline fuel shortages.  It is not that there is not fuel in Haiti, but it is that it is not being distributed or sold because there is a conflict over the pricing of the fuel.  This leaves a variety of problems in the hands of the common people.  Adults cannot go to work or children cannot go to school because the motorcycle taxis cannot find gas to transport them.  Schools have had to delay the start of classes following the Christmas break for the same reasons.  Certain foods cannot be found because the delivery trucks have no fuel to bring the products to the market.  The threat of less electricity exists because the city power needs diesel to operate its generators. 

For me, personally, I just end up walking to places that normally I would take my motorcycle to.  If we can find fuel, it is on the side of the road where someone has it in a plastic gallon jug, having purchased it at an earlier date awaiting the time of a fuel shortage to sell it at a VERY profitable rate.  We have recently paid $18 US for a gallon of gasoline.  We take a risk in purchasing that fuel.  Many times water has been added to the fuel to make it stretch further and to make an even larger profit.  This can result in damage to the engine due to the added water!

A few fuel trucks have finally made it to Les Cayes.  However, with the fuel delivery, come the LONG lines at the pump.  At times, fights will break out among customers vying for their rightful place in line.  At other times, the traffic on the road will come to a complete standstill, for 30 minutes or more, because the road is blocked with so many vehicles waiting their turn at the pump.

January and February of this year, our ministry is very blessed to have several mission teams.  During a 10 week period of time, five teams will visit here.  They will be doing a variety of things, such as construction, evangelism, dental clinics, medical clinics, eyeglass clinics, soccer camps, orphanage interaction, Vacation Bible School and handyman projects!

When they come, they also bring with them some much needed supplies, like batteries, light bulbs and items for the kids of the orphanage, such as clothes and sandals.  It is just like a birthday party when we unpack all the goodies that they bring to us.  Someone even seems to remember to smuggle in some chocolate for me!  Yum!

January also brings a couple of trips to Port-au-Prince for me.  Early in the month, I traveled to get medical physicals done for two of our children who are in the final stages of the adoption process.  With us traveled a new hydrocephalic baby and her mother in the attempts to get a CT Scan.  After the six hour road trip to the capital city, we learned that the CT Scan machine was broken with no promises as to when it would be repaired.  They told us it could be the next day, if all the parts spread all over the room fit back into place AND worked OR it could be weeks if a part needed to be ordered from the states.  Thus, a second trip to Port-au-Prince later this month will determine which scenario produced the desired result in making the machine once again useable.  On the second trip, we will be joined by a three year old child who we discovered, on the way to Port-au-Prince, who has the same condition.  The two little girls will receive a consultation visit and, hopefully, each a CT Scan!  I will not be totally surprised if the CT Scan machine is still out of order and a third trip to the big city will be required.

As usual, NOTHING in Haiti is easy!  Every delay results in time lost, more money spent, and another lesson in patience!  Haitian people seem to take it in stride, as for them this is the norm.  Those of us who are not Haitian have to learn time and again “that we are not in Kansas anymore!”

As I head into the new year of 2009, I am blessed with anticipations of another year to serve Him!   May we all brighten the corner where we are!

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                                  Until next time ………….

Communiqué #056

TO MY PARTNERS

in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

December 29,  2008

Check out our newly revised and still-more-to-come website.  You can find us at www.CaribbeanChildrensFoundation.org   There you will find photos of all our current kids, including our newest children Anise, Stephenson and Samuel.  The website contains a link to my blog site, so you can just pop from one to the other.  It is an easy way to read my latest communiqués and see new photos.

Winter news from back home in Michigan brings me the report of 48” of snow, so far this season.  I can’t say that I am missing driving in that stuff, but a part of me longed to be with family this Christmas!  I tried to console myself in the fact that Haiti has its perks this time of year with temperatures in the 80s and low humidity.  It was only a couple of weeks ago that we were swimming in the Caribbean and enjoying a beautiful sunset at the beach.   Hmmm!   I guess I better concentrate on being content where I am planted!

I had a wonderful phone call the other night.  The call came from the parents of a little boy whom I had sent to the USA for open heart surgery.  The parents were very excited because they just had a new baby – a little girl – after having three sons!  They wanted me to know that they want me to be the godmother to their daughter at her upcoming baptism!   How special is that?  Little Kerly, the now “big brother”, and his papa came to visit me.  They came bearing gifts of grenadia, corn, oranges and congo beans.  I was able to present them with a baptismal gown that a lady in the states had given to me.  The donor had bought the gown in England before her and her husband had children.  As it turned out, they never had children and she gave me the gown in hopes that children in Haiti could benefit from it.  I have loaned it to more than one mother.  I dream that the gown will be used by many babies as they receive the sacrament of Baptism.   Wanting to know more about the new baby, I asked what day she was born.  I learned that she arrived on Monday, December 15^th and that she was born at home.  The mother and baby are doing fine.  When I asked about her name, I was told that she did not have a name yet and, if I would like, I could name the baby!  Hmmm!  Kerly and his papa soon said goodbye.  Kerly would take home with him greetings from me to his mama and baby sister, some lollipops for him and his family and a bottle of liquid Tylenol for the fever he was running. 

More good news arrived when we learned at Leon’s graduation from Business Technology Institute, on December 21, that he was being awarded a trip for being #8 in his graduating class.  The trip will be to Cap Haitien, on the northern coast of Haiti.  Neither of us has been there and we are looking forward to exploring the historical sites and seeing a new part of the country.  We are also hoping to take a side trip to visit the other orphanage that Caribbean Children’s Foundation sponsors.  A newly completed road makes the trip only one hour away from Cap Haitien.  I have wanted to visit the “House of the Lambs of God” Orphanage for a long, long time.  Perhaps this will be our chance!  Pastor Daniel Paul and his wife Clynie are the founders of this orphanage that currently houses 15 little girls.  Pastor Daniel Paul, himself, grew up as an orphan.  He was inspired by Pastor Israel to reach out to the orphaned children of Haiti.  What a privilege it will be to finally see firsthand the new building and to actually be able to meet the children in person!

The new year of 2009 gives all of us another year to serve Him!  Please join me in praying that His will be done in the work in Haiti!

Please pray

-                      that GRACE School will be able to have completed classrooms before the beginning of the next school year

-                      that more sick children will find avenues for needed treatment

-                      that mission teams coming to Les Cayes will not only be a blessing, but will also be blessed

-                      that the economic situation will ease, resulting in less hunger & hardship

-                      that the school children who are sponsored will come to know Jesus and will learn skills to improve their future

-                      that the orphanage children will grow up to serve the Lord and to be pillars of light in their community

-                      that the children who have been adopted will adapt well to their new home, but will also remember to pray for their orphanage friends and their birth families

-                      and that God will surround all of the Christian workers, not only in Les Cayes, but around the world, with his love and protection and encouragement!

Thank you for being a faithful part of this ministry throughout this past year!  May God also grant YOU the love, protection and encouragement that you need to “brighten the corner where you are!”

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                                  Until next time ………….

Communiqué #055

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

November 26, 2008

With the month of December fast approaching, the time of reflection of what has been accomplished in the last year begins to formulate in my mind.   Successes in Haiti are not the same as in the United States.  With one stride forward, many times, four strides back are a result.  Regardless, I must focus on the little successes to keep from becoming too discouraged.

° ° ° During the Last 12 Month Period ° ° °

° thirteen mission teams came to work with the ministry here °

° one of our mission teams also began working in the Jacmel area °

° three of our boys were adopted into the United States °

° two of our boys and one of our girls are in the final stages of adoption °

° two new boys and one new girl have entered the orphanage °

° one little girl of our community traveled to the U.S. for life-saving surgery °

° two girls returned to Haiti following surgery and recovery in the U.S. °

° one toddler from the community was adopted into the United States °

° construction began on a school building on the little island of Ile-a-Vache °

° 93 students in the Les Cayes area received financial assistance to attend school °

° A cow was added to our agricultural program of goats and chickens °

But to keep those “successes” in perspective, I cannot forget the multitude of school children who were turned away because there was not enough funding for everyone.  There was the heartbreak of a baby returned to his family after life-saving surgery in the United States, only to be rejected by the mother after a few short weeks.  In addition, several children and adults came to me for medical help.  Some of them are on a waiting list for help.  For some it was too late for medical intervention.  For others, death came while waiting for medical care.  Adoptions have become more and more difficult and, at the present, we have had to put adoptions on hold at the Children of Israel Orphanage.  Requests for shoes, clothes, medicine and food needed to be denied when we had none of those commodities to offer.  The aftermath of the multiple hurricanes that hit Haiti in 2008 continue to have long term economic effects on the people of Haiti – lost homes, lost crops, lost livestock, lost jobs, less electricity, higher food prices, higher fuel prices (also accompanied by a shortage of food and fuel).

How does Haiti continue to survive?   How do the Haitian people continue to rise in the morning and put one foot in front of the other?  What gives them any kind of hope?

For me personally, how do I not give up and just move back to the comforts of the United States?   How do I feel that I have made any difference when I touch the face of a child who I know will die from either starvation or the lack of medical care?

Sometimes it is the simple things that keep me going.  As I sent off one of “my” hydrocephalic babies and her mother on an airplane to Port-au-Prince for her life-saving surgery, I bent down to kiss her goodbye.  Her little hand reached up and caressed my cheek.  I just about melted!  Indeed, this little hand was the touch of God!  It gave me hope!

When I am ready to “pack my bags”, a friend emails me to let me know that I am being upheld in prayer.  Words of encouragement and reassurances of prayers REALLY do sustain me!

God is the ultimate encourager!!!  What better boss could one have than the One who is the Advocate and Sustainer of the poor and orphaned?  I am NEVER working alone!  He is there as my shield against the storms of life!  It is in Him that I must draw my strength to carry on! 

Thank you God for ALWAYS being there for me!

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                                  Until next time ………….

Communiqué #054

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

October 25, 2008

I try not to judge people by first impressions, but recently in the little airport in Port-au-Prince, I caught myself doing so.  I was waiting for my return flight to Les Cayes, after traveling with five hydrocephalic children and their moms to see an American doctor in Port-au-Prince.  There are only two flights each day to Les Cayes and usually lots of “people watching” time while waiting for those flights.  On this particular day, I saw a man with an odd hat on.  He had dreadlocks and looked disheveled.  I watched as the man seemed to stand out in the crowd, not quite fitting in with the rest of the waiting travelers.  All kinds of thoughts were

running through my mind as I watched the man meander through the airport.  The time came for me and the children and their

parents to board the plane.  We had an uneventful trip back to Les Cayes.  Once inside the airport, I got all the children and mothers together to have a photo taken with them.  Little did I realize, the strange man had been on the flight with us and he had been watching us.  He motioned to me.  Taking me aside, he started rapidly talking to me in Creole.  I understood very little of what he was saying and explained that to him.  I told him that I worked with sick children.  He acknowledged that he knew that and

started rummaging through his backpack.  At first, I had thought he was approaching me as a beggar.  But as I watched him, I was amazed that he wanted to GIVE me money.  Wow!  That is an unusual sight in Haiti – especially coming from a man that looked like he needed a handout.  The man looked through several envelopes until he found what he wanted.  He handed me 20 Euro (the equivalent of about $23 US - which is a lot of money for most Haitians) and thanked me for helping the children that he had seen me with.  I was instantly silenced in my thoughts about this man!   I had misjudged him!  Forgive me God for the thoughts that had run through my head!  He was actually an exception in more than one way.  Not only had he given me money, but he also had a true sense of compassion that I had not seen evident in many people as I traveled with these children.  Most others openly stared and pointed at the babies “with the big heads.”  Or, they looked at the mothers and laughed at them and their “ugly” babies.   It was now I who was ashamed for acting much the same way with this man that I knew nothing about, until he opened his wallet and his heart to these precious children.  God bless him for his compassion and his example!

I must admit that I myself used to barely be able to look at hydrocephalic children.  They actually kind of scared me.  I remember seeing one such baby when I was less than five years old.  That memory stuck with me and from then on I avoided actually looking at children like this.  God had a way of changing that in my life.  Now, I actually take joy in looking at these kids.  I now rejoice when I see some potential in them, when they respond to my voice or laugh when I laugh.  I praise them when they wave “bye bye”.  I try to offer encouragement to their distressed parents.  What a joy it has been when a doctor and/or hospital notify me that they can help one of these children.  The chance for a real future for them is the best gift that I can present to the parents.  To date, that gift has been given to two of “my kids” and a promise of surgery for three others is close at hand!

I have witnessed the children following surgery.  I have seen them be able to sit up, to start talking, to play jokes on me and to shine!  That’s what my work is all about.  Being God’s instrument to make a difference in the lives of children – one at a time!

Thank you for making this possible through financial donations to our “medical” mission.  Thank you helping me to find people willing to treat the children!   Thank you for being that doctor or nurse who played a vital role in the child’s treatment!   Thank you for being a caregiver during the child’s recovery!  Thank you for praying for the children and their families.  Thank you for remembering the families of the little ones who die before help becomes available.  Your petitions to God are vital to the work!

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                                  Until next time ………….

Communiqué #052

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

August 9, 2008

After living in a place for some time, one stops seeing the things that were once shocking or unfamiliar.  I have been thinking about some of the unusual sights, sounds and smells in Haiti!

Here are some things you may never see, hear or smell in the U.S.A.

           •           A ten year old boy “mowing” the grass with a machete

           •           An eight old girl carrying two cords of wood in a huge stainless bowl on her head

           •           A women bathing in the local river, after hand washing her family’s clothes there

           •           Customers standing in line for 4 hours at the local bank

           •           A four year old girl bringing her 1 year old sister to church

           •           Thirty people standing in the back of a pickup truck for a 120 mile ride to work

           •           A boy wearing tennis shoes held together with duct tape and wire

           •           A fifteen year old in the 1^st grade

           •           The smell of urine at the foundation of most buildings – churches, schools, airports, restaurants

           •           The smack of a leather strap across the hands of a disobedient school child

           •           The buzzing, fluttering sound of a home-made kite soaring overhead

           •           The scraping, whining sound of metal re-rods as they are pulled through the streets by someone on a bicycle on his way to a construction site

           •           Two or three children balanced somewhere on the bicycle of adult taking them to school

           •           The smell in your yard of decaying food waste and the snort of the hogs eating it

           •           The chorus of barking dogs at 5AM when their night time guard dog chores are over

           •           Bare-bottomed babies, as diapers are a luxury and hand washing soiled clothes is an endless job

           •           Fresh butchered goat delivered right to your door, a machete used for the portion you want

           •           The plink of a stone being thrown at a goat trying to eat your sister’s bowl of rice

           •           Sitting under the only street light to study your school lessons, as you have no electricity at home

           •           Children playing, in the front yard of their home, on the crypt of a loved one

           •           Late at night, using the one latrine that is shared by ten neighborhood families

           •           Shopping at the local market, on a hot & humid day, where the butcher shop has no refrigeration and more than its share of flies and urine

                       runs freely in the trenches at your feet

           •           No dent-free automobiles

           •           Toy trucks made from plastic juice bottles and other discarded items

           •           Fresh mangos sold by the open sewer in front of your home

           •           Walking and bicycles as the main modes of getting from here to there

           •           Prized cock fight roosters being carried under the arm of a man, a sock covering the head of the   valuable bird

           •           A church full of men, women and children singing praises to God at the top of their lungs, while dancing with joy

           •           A family of six sharing one bowl of rice

My list could go on and on.  I am grateful to first time visitors to Haiti whose “wow!” observations remind me that my eyes need to remain open to the needs here.  I ponder … “Why I was born in the U.S.A. and not in a country like Haiti?”  or  “What things do I need to attempt to change?” or  “What things are best left alone as they may actually be better than what I see or have in the U.S.A.?”

I pray that God will soften my heart to the things that I have become callused to and the times I judge the people who come to me for help!   I pray for discernment and patience and compassion.  I pray for encouragement in an often times discouraging line of work.

I thank God for people like you who faithfully pray for me and all other workers on the mission field!  You sustain us in our work.  Thank you!

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                               Until next time ………….

Communiqué #051

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

July 11, 2008

A walk down Memory Lane can do a soul some good sometimes.  My walk began today.  We have had a scant amount electricity in the last few weeks and so some of our plans are restricted when the tasks require electricity. 

The girls’ orphanage choir has an upcoming concert.  The girls are preparing for it with daily vocal practices and wardrobe planning.  A couple of years ago, the girls had matching dresses made.  As happens in third world countries, when a dress gets too small, a new one does not automatically take its place, but rather, the side seams, the waistline and the hem are let out to allow for another year’s worth of wear.  That fact alone reminded me of my childhood when money was tight and my mom would let out the hem of my skirts to keep up with my growth spurts!  I remember being embarrassed by having that alteration. The longer hemline always had a very distinct crease where the old hemline used to be.  There was also a distinct color difference in the previously upfolded fabric that now was exposed to everyday light and washing machine wear!  I remember thinking that I was probably the only girl in my class that had to endure such embarrassment.   Here in Haiti, it is the norm.  One does not question if there is any other choice!  Money for a new outfit is simply not there!  The current garment is certainly good for two or three years of adjustments!  Thus, when it became obvious to the girls that these alternations were needed for their choir outfits, they turned to Mommy Nora asking if I could perform the garment transformations.  It has been quite some time since I have done even the simplest of alterations, but I promised the girls that I would give it a try.  The first challenge was to have electricity long enough to get the job done.  Well, the power eventually came on, but I spent over one hour trying to get the old sewing machine on my balcony to work.  I finally gave up, when the muscles in my neck had had enough straining.  Alas!  Maybe another machine we had around here would work better.  When the power returns, I would need to go in search of another machine. 

As it turns out, Leonie Izidor had decided to haul several donated used sewing machines out of storage and has plans to start a sewing class for the ladies of the church.  Amongst those machines was a very old non-electric Singer treadle sewing machine, much like the one that my mother taught me on when I was a little girl.  Talk about memories!   The smell of the lubricating oil filled my nostrils.  The oil stains on the girls’ dresses that I was working on, from an over eager repairman squirting in too much oil, also quickly reminded of those sewing days of my childhood.  But what a fine straight stitch that old treadle machine can make!   The ease of the pumping the treadle is so freeing – no need to worry if we have power or not!

One of the ladies of the church stopped by to watch me work.  She asked about how I learned how to sew.  I explained to her that my mother had taught me when I was a little girl on an old Singer machine, almost exactly like this one, that had belonged to my grandmother.  Those are good memories!   My mother loved to sew!  I joked with the lady from church saying that since my mother is now in Heaven, she is probably sewing clothes for Jesus and the angels.

When it came time to ripping out the old seams, I employed the help of some of the girls from the orphanage.  I remember those days too … tearing out my incorrect stitching!  It was fun to watch the process come full circle.  Now, instead of my mother giving me that assignment, I am giving the assignments to “my little girls.”   Their eagerness to help made short work of getting those seams apart!   And to my surprise, I’m not too bad at alterations!

I cannot help relate this alteration story to what Jesus does for us!  He takes us – people who are in need of repair – and makes us into something new!   When I am feeling that I am no longer useful, He gives me some new work to do!   When I am feeling sorry for myself, He shows me someone else who has it much worse than I!   And when I find myself missing having a mother here on earth, He sends me down Memory Lane!  Thank you God!

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                               Until next time ………….

Communiqué #050

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

June 15, 2008

Has someone in your life ever done something so incredible for you that you wondered if ever in your lifetime you would be able to find a way to repay them?

I am struck by how God has given Léon and me the possibility of a chance like that!

Just yesterday, Léon had a visitor.  I had never seen this man before and had no idea what he had come to talk to Léon about.  Later, I learned that this man’s 16 year old daughter is in need of heart surgery that is unavailable here in Haiti.  Someone had told him that maybe I could help and upon arriving at our home, he had encountered Léon first.  After his departure, Léon told me that he would be returning with his daughter so that I could go over all of the necessary information with them in hopes of obtaining help for his daughter.

Only a couple of hours passed before the man returned with his beautiful, young daughter.  While I took down the necessary information, I learned that the father had been one of Léon’s teachers in elementary school.  I couldn’t resist asking him if Léon was a good student.  He answered my questions with only a smile.  We continued filling out the paperwork and soon afterward they left.

Today, Léon and I were talking and he said that he didn’t know if the father of the girl remembered it or not, but it was the father who prayed with Léon right after he took Jesus into his heart one day at elementary school.  Léon said that gesture is something that he will never forget.  And then a year later, the father proceeded to ask Léon to be a Bible teacher at school.

I cannot wait to see the father again!  I want him to know how he forever touched the life of my husband and helped in preparing him to be the person that he is today.  How can you thank someone for something like that?   By some great miracle, I pray that we can help by finding someone to perform the life-saving surgery for his daughter!!!!   Who would have ever guessed that years and years later God would give us this chance!

I would cherish your prayers, not only for this 16 year old girl, but also for a 7 month old girl, and an 8 year old girl who all have come to me in the last week seeking needed surgeries for heart problems, as well as a 4 year old boy needing treatment for severe burns.  As we know, God hears and answers prayers!

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                               Until next time ………….

Communiqué #049

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

May 25, 2008

Today, as I write this, it is Mother’s Day in Haiti – not the second Sunday in May as in the United States, but the last Sunday of May. 

For weeks now, I have been trying to wrap my mind around what happened to me in the weeks preceding Mother’s Day and the actual weekend of Mother’s Day in the United States.  What started it all was my daughter entering me into a contest that she hoped might win me flowers for a year.  What resulted was quite different than we could ever have imagined!  Through it all, we were certain that God had orchestrated the whole event to bring attention to the needs of the people in Haiti.  We never imagined that He would use National television to achieve this!  Through it all, I prayed that His name would be glorified!  I prayed that one person would be touched by my story!

I had come to the states to do my income taxes, a few speaking engagements, and to visit my daughter, son-in-law and two grandsons.  Only a few days before my return to Haiti, my daughter and I received a confirmation phone call that I was one of fifteen finalists to be featured on the TODAY Show for Teleflora’s America’s Favorite Mom Reality Show, in part due to the missionary work that I do with the poor and orphaned children of Haiti!  I postponed my return to Haiti and got ready for the ride of my life.  Soon, I was whisked away to a whirlwind trip of pampering and jet setting!   I arrived in New York City on Wednesday, just in time to be treated to a show on Broadway.  Thursday, I was up bright and early, chauffeured to Rockefeller Center, where I found myself in the make-up room of the Today Show, preparing to be on Live National Television for a short one minute or two! 

Delays in my return flight landed me in Denver at 2AM on Friday morning and then on to Los Angeles, a few short hours later, where I met up with my daughter and two other guests who I was allowed to invite for a short weekend of star treatment.  A beautiful hotel, a free rental car, and dress rehearsal at the renowned Sony Production Studios were all part of the dreamlike weekend.  I met several incredible mothers, who were also a part of the “competition.”  In reality, it was not a competition at all!  It was a celebration of the many ways women can be great mothers.  There was lots of love being shared amongst the “contestants” and a mutual respect for the talents that each mother brought to the lives of their families!  We all enjoyed our time on the set – visiting the make-up and wardrobe trailers, having a dressing room, meeting Donny & Marie Osmond, filming in the studio where the original tornado scene of the Wizard of Oz was once filmed, and taping the Mother’s Day show before a live audience.   My daughter’s dream of being able to financially help the people of Haiti through this contest came true when I was voted the winner of the Adoptive Mom category.  The cash prize that was awarded will go a long way in helping with some of the many projects that are in the works in Les Cayes and Ile-a-Vache!   THANK YOU GOD!  THANK YOU TASHA!

For those of you who watched the show, you already know what the biggest surprise was for me – the surprise guest appearance of my husband Léon!!!  I was totally blown away!!! After 6 weeks of being apart, there he was!  He was able to share in this unbelievable weekend that I knew I would not have the words to explain to him when I returned to Haiti, as he knows nothing about the world of national television in America and the shows that are so much a part of the American way of life.  It was not until we were both back in Haiti that we could talk about the experience that still seems like a dream.  The production people had called Léon at 11PM on the Thursday night before Mother’s Day and told him to be on a plane to Los Angeles the next morning in Port-au-Prince …. no small feat (as those of you who have ever traveled in the uncertain transportation of Haiti know) let alone that it was asked of a person who had only been to the United States one other time and had NEVER traveled alone through the airports of the U.S.A!!!  Léon explained to me that until he arrived in LA and talked to my daughter on the phone, he was not sure that the whole trip was just not a hoax.  He said he trusted strangers and took the chance.  He thought perhaps I was very sick and people did not want to frighten him, but rather asked him to come to LA with a different explanation OR maybe he was taking a chance that he would be sorry for.  What a joy it was for him to realize it was a “good thing” that he was traveling to LA for and that good people had helped him make a BIG surprise for his wife.  I was so proud to learn how he had been able to maneuver through the airports, change his flights to standby and actually make it to LA with little or no problem.  Upon leaving Miami, he had thought that LA was probably about 1 hour away from Miami.  He said after two hours passed, then three hours, then four hours and finally after five hours, he decided to ask the person next to him how far LA was from Miami.  When he learned it was about six hours, he finally relaxed and took a nap.  He had NO idea it was so far away.  The surprises continued for him as he learned about television in the United States and the huge amounts of money spent on us.  We were even given an extra day together in LA, where we enjoyed the beach and watched someone catch a shark on the pier!

Too soon the weekend was over and Léon headed back to Les Cayes and I returned to Casper Wyoming to pack up my things and say goodbye to my daughter and her family, returning to Haiti a few short days thereafter!

The true reality of all these recent events settles back in when I have the kids of the orphanage in my arms.  The kids here know nothing about TV Shows and celebrities.  To them I am just plain Mommy Nora and they tell me that they do not want me to be gone so long again!  These are the kids that the excitement is all about – kids that need love, kids that deserve a chance in life!

God has been doing some incredible things for their future through the ripple effect of the television exposure.  I have received some interesting and promising telephone calls and emails.  I now await what God has in store for the future!  Don’t we have an INCREDIBLE God?!?!?!  Can you wait to see what His next plan is????

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                               Until next time ………….

Communiqué #048

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

March 31, 2008

On a lazy Sunday afternoon, Léon and I decided to visit a newborn baby and her family.  As an after thought, we also decided to stop in to see the boys of the orphanage.  Usually our visits are greeted by a scurrying of little feet over the gravel of the front yard, before little bodies pounce into our arms because of our welcomed visit.  On this day, that was not the case.  All was quiet.  The courtyard was empty.  Soon we discovered several little guys on their beds, sentenced to this confinement for some misbehavior that had occurred.   The caregivers explained the behavior that had prompted the confinement and now Poppy Léon immediately went into “father mode.”   All the boys were called into one room.  Each boy knelt on the concrete floor and listened to the virtues of being respectful to your elders.  Poppy Léon explained that the caregivers do many things for the children, like feeding them, bathing them, clothing them and in return the boys must show respect to them by obeying.   A somber group got to their feet and headed outside to play.

Those few moments of soberness quickly gave way to squeals of joy when Poppy Léon discovered that the coconut tree was overflowing with ripe coconuts.  A machete was called for.  Poppy Léon promptly chopped 20 coconuts from the tree, whacking a slice off each one to expose the coconut milk.  3 caregivers and 17 little boys eagerly tipped the milk into their mouths, down their shirts, and onto the dirt below.  The ripples of happiness were everywhere.  A pure, simple joy only known to kids in tropical climates!   Even the littlest tots were enjoying the sticky, sweet nectar!   When all the liquid had been consumed, Poppy Léon again manned the machete to cut each coconut in half, exposing the fresh, rubbery meat.  Spoons appeared out of nowhere, as each child carved out pieces of the white flesh!   I sat back and just soaked in all of the smiles.  A simple treat!  A sun-shiny day!  A savored moment!  Joys this simple occur even in orphanages!

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                               Until next time ………….

Communiqué #047

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

March 12, 2008

It has been a busy time here in Les Cayes!  Mission teams love the cooler temperatures in Haiti during the months of January and February.  Thus, we have been blessed with a multitude of teams providing a variety of services to our ministry here.  In January, we had an orphanage interaction team, an evangelism team, and a dental clinic.  In February, we had a medical & eyeglass team, a handyman team who did repairs for us and constructed a chicken coop for the orphanage, an exploratory team for future mission outreach and a youth interaction team!   Not only do mission teams bring people eager to help the Haitian people, but also they are a great source of encouragement for the church community here.  For many of the team members it was their first visit to the country of Haiti.  We love when this happens as it just adds to the number of ambassadors that we will have who will be talking to friends and family back home about the many needs here!

March, April, May, June and July also will greet us with more teams who have promised to come!  Wow!  What a blessing these many teams are in the year 2008!   With all of the teams that have or will have blessed us with their presence, one might think that they leave no work undone!  On the contrary, the tasks here are countless!  We are just making a small dent!

In the midst of the teams, other matters continue to need our time and attention.  Five of the kids at The Children of Israel Orphanage are in the final (hopefully!) stages of their adoptions to families in the states.  Five children, from outlying villages, are in the process of getting medical visas to travel to the United States for surgery that is unavailable here.  Almost daily, people continue to come asking for food, medicine, clothes, shoes, school tuition assistance or to take one or more of their children into the orphanage.

Small reminders of the starkness of life in Haiti surface at the least expected times.  As I was waiting outside the bank for a ride home, I noticed an old man squatting by the curb.  He was reaching into the gutter to wash his hands in the water that contained tadpoles, feces, urine and green slime.  Following his hand washing, he crossed the street with a few rags in his hand where he received a few coins to clean someone’s car headlights and windshield.   Imagine having to live like that!  Imagine how little food he must eat with the few coins that he is able to earn each day.

Some of you have recently read in national newspapers about the cookies that are made from dirt and are being eaten by people in Haiti who do not have enough money for real food.  It may seem like an impossibility, but it is very true.  One of our medical mission teams was screening a young patient prior to his seeing the doctor.  He was complaining of sores in his mouth.  He went on to tell the interviewer that he is so hungry that he has been eating dirt – not even dirt cookies, just plain old (contaminated) dirt!  Can you imagine a hunger that severe???

How blessed we are!  Not only do we have clothes to wear, schools to attend, jobs for employment, but we have an abundance of delicious, nutritious meals!   Please pray for the people of the world that do not have any of these luxuries!   Please continue to help us make a difference in the lives or the poor and orphaned!

NOTE:  Check out the new photo albums where I am beginning to post photos of sponsored school children and

children needing medical treatment in the states!

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                               Until next time ………….

Communiqué #047

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

March 12, 2008

It has been a busy time here in Les Cayes!  Mission teams love the cooler temperatures in Haiti during the months of January and February.  Thus, we have been blessed with a multitude of teams providing a variety of services to our ministry here.  In January, we had an orphanage interaction team, an evangelism team, and a dental clinic.  In February, we had a medical & eyeglass team, a handyman team who did repairs for us and constructed a chicken coop for the orphanage, an exploratory team for future mission outreach and a youth interaction team!   Not only do mission teams bring people eager to help the Haitian people, but also they are a great source of encouragement for the church community here.  For many of the team members it was their first visit to the country of Haiti.  We love when this happens as it just adds to the number of ambassadors that we will have who will be talking to friends and family back home about the many needs here!

March, April, May, June and July also will greet us with more teams who have promised to come!  Wow!  What a blessing these many teams are in the year 2008!   With all of the teams that have or will have blessed us with their presence, one might think that they leave no work undone!  On the contrary, the tasks here are countless!  We are just making a small dent!

In the midst of the teams, other matters continue to need our time and attention.  Five of the kids at The Children of Israel Orphanage are in the final (hopefully!) stages of their adoptions to families in the states.  Five children, from outlying villages, are in the process of getting medical visas to travel to the United States for surgery that is unavailable here.  Almost daily, people continue to come asking for food, medicine, clothes, shoes, school tuition assistance or to take one or more of their children into the orphanage.

Small reminders of the starkness of life in Haiti surface at the least expected times.  As I was waiting outside the bank for a ride home, I noticed an old man squatting by the curb.  He was reaching into the gutter to wash his hands in the water that contained tadpoles, feces, urine and green slime.  Following his hand washing, he crossed the street with a few rags in his hand where he received a few coins to clean someone’s car headlights and windshield.   Imagine having to live like that!  Imagine how little food he must eat with the few coins that he is able to earn each day.

Some of you have recently read in national newspapers about the cookies that are made from dirt and are being eaten by people in Haiti who do not have enough money for real food.  It may seem like an impossibility, but it is very true.  One of our medical mission teams was screening a young patient prior to his seeing the doctor.  He was complaining of sores in his mouth.  He went on to tell the interviewer that he is so hungry that he has been eating dirt – not even dirt cookies, just plain old (contaminated) dirt!  Can you imagine a hunger that severe???

How blessed we are!  Not only do we have clothes to wear, schools to attend, jobs for employment, but we have an abundance of delicious, nutritious meals!   Please pray for the people of the world that do not have any of these luxuries!   Please continue to help us make a difference in the lives or the poor and orphaned!

NOTE:  Check out the new photo albums where I am beginning to post photos of sponsored school children and

children needing medical treatment in the states!

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                               Until next time ………….

Communiqué #046

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

January 17, 2008

Joy can so quickly be changed into sadness.  I was joyful when I learned that one of the babies that had been brought to the states for surgery was well enough to return to his family in Haiti.  Even though I was in the states at the time when he returned, I knew that I would be able to share in his family’s joy when I returned to Haiti and was able to visit them and see their recovering son!

Upon my return, I made plans to visit the family with my translator.   It was then that the sad realities began to be revealed to me.  The mother and father had been fighting bitterly.  The mother (who is pregnant with another child) had kicked the father out of the house.  The mother had rented a home where she lived with the baby and her two other children from a previous relationship.  She refused to let the father see the baby that he adored so much.  When I arrived, I was told that the mother did not want the baby.  The baby’s environment was dirty.  He was not being exercised as required following his surgery.  He was not being properly fed.  The father would have taken the baby in a heartbeat, but he had no home and no one to care for the baby. 

The father arrived at the home to greet me.  He remained outside with tears streaming down his face.  The mother did not want him to enter the house.  I explained to the mother the importance of the baby receiving love from both the mother AND the father.  I swooped the baby up in my arms and brought him to his father who wept over him and cradled him in his arms.

Eventually the family gathered on the porch of the home and I talked with them about the miracle of their child’s survival.  I talked about him being a gift from God and that it was their responsibilities as parents to take care of the child that God had blessed them with.  I prayed with the family and left the home with a heavy heart.

Over a period of several days, I talked with the parents about the future of the baby.  It was decided that the baby would be removed from the home and placed in temporary care until an orphanage could be found for him or until he could return to the states for follow-up therapy, which will only be possible if he can be granted another medical visa.   The mother consistently stated that she did not want the child.  The father continued to express his love, but was adamant about his inability to care for him. 

During these conversations, the father said something very profound, especially if you have an understanding of Haitian culture.  The father stated that he is a father to his son, but more importantly his son has been a father to him.  He said this because it is because of his son that the father now has an identity.  Prior to his son’s need for treatment in the states, the father had no birth certificate and no identification card.  He had to get those documents in order for his son to obtain a passport.  Many peasants here are people with no identity.  This son gave his father “papers” to show that “he is somebody!”  Culturally speaking, this was a HUGE gift from a son to his father.  The father stated that he will never forget what his son did for him!

Isn’t it ironic, that as Christians, Jesus in essence did the same thing for us!  Because of His love for us, He made US SOMEBODY!  He gives us our identity!  The sad difference is that this father cannot continue to care for his son, unlike God who is able to continually supply all of our needs.  I pray that one day, this father and mother will know in their hearts that God not only cares for their son, but that He also intimately cares for them!

NOTE:  Check out new photos in the “House of the Lambs of God” Orphanage Kids Album!

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                               Until next time ………….

Communiqué #045

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

December 18, 2007

During a three month period of time, many things can change and many things can stay the same.  I have found both statements to be true as I find myself back at home in Les Cayes after three months in the states.

One of the joyous changes is the addition of four little faces at the Children of Israel Orphanage.  The first two little ones to arrive were siblings, Raphael (Age 3½) and his sister Loriana (Age 6).  They came from a family of seven siblings.  Their parents knew that their children would die, as they are too poor to keep all of them fed.  It was out of love for their children that they traveled a long distance to plead with the orphanage to take their two youngest children.  The next to arrive was Cassandra, who is now 22 months old.  Her mother had abandoned the family, leaving her father to care for her.  Since he had no one to watch the baby, he could not go to work, thus he had no income with which to feed Cassandra.  She came to us very malnourished!  She will be on a special diet for a long time to help her re-gain the nutrition she was so desperately lacking.  Four year old Peter was the last to arrive.  His mother has died and he was living with a maternal aunt who could no longer care for him.  Although Peter has a father, he was not an active part of Peter’s life.  We welcome these little ones into the fold!  Please pray that they will soon feel loved and a part of our family.  The early transition times are very difficult for these children.  We rejoice that they will learn about the love of Jesus in their new home!  They will learn that He is a loving Father who will never abandon them!  (To view photos of our newest children …  pull up the Children of Israel Orphanage photo album)

Léon and I arrived home to find that our dog Wilips had died from rabies.  We were saddened to learn that, when she became ill, our dog killed two other animals and bit one of the orphanage workers.  We are thankful that the expensive rabies shots were available in Haiti for this worker.  She must endure a series of five shots!  Please also keep her in your prayers.

Tropical Storm Noel also took its toll!   In addition to destroyed homes, lives lost, and epidemics of malaria, typhoid, and pink eye, our goat herd on Ile-a-Vache also sustained losses.  2 female goats and 5 of 6 newborn goats died during the storm.  Constant rain for almost 30 days, left the pasture land flooded, resulting in no grass for grazing.  Parasites infected the herd.  We are thankful that 10 of the goats were survivors!

Whatever disaster we face, we are happy to know that through it all God is with us!  He knows our sufferings and our needs.  He supplies us with people to uphold us in prayer.

Being back in Haiti, gave Léon and I time to reflect back on his first trip to the United States.  One thing that left a big impression was the orderliness of our traffic flow.  Interestingly enough, the other thing that stood out most was the fact that American families are too busy, too busy for even their own families.  Wow!  That message came through loud and clear and very quickly.  Is it true that the American family has become numb to their lack of time for their spouses and children???  What a sad fact that is!

It was a joy for Léon and me to spend time with my family.  Léon was concerned if our two little grandsons would be afraid of his dark skin.  But children have a way of seeing right past that!  Within minutes, the oldest was handing him a truck to play with and kissing him right on the mouth!  So much for that worry!   Léon was able to finally meet my father, my four brothers and their spouses and several of my nieces and nephews.  He was able to tour workplaces with a couple of my brothers and see the sights of modern technology that is non-existent in Haiti.  Léon even was able to visit with two of the girls who were originally from the orphanage and are now settled into life with their new families in the states.  It was a long awaited trip.  Finally, I had proof that my husband really did exist, after the long process of trying to get him to the states!!!

Léon has also shared with me the many aspects of his 10 week time of study at SIFAT (Servants in Faith & Technology).   I was able to get a small glimpse into his experience when I visited the campus in Lineville, Alabama for the last few days of the session and for the graduation of students from over 20 countries.  What an awesome ministry this is!  The goal is to bring together students from third world countries and in 10 weeks teach them at least 10 different ways that they can go back and help people in their country by applying their newly acquired skills and teaching other people to teach these same skills.  So much more can be accomplished in a short amount of time versus sending one missionary to one country to teach one skill.  The session taught water purification methods, alternative cooking methods, how to deliver a baby, HIV education techniques, how to make compost with worms, how to make (yes, make!) eyeglasses and test people for the correct prescription, how to construct various water pump systems and a myriad of other vital skills.  You can learn more about this program by visiting www.sifat.org.  Their campus also offers young students in the United States an opportunity to spend time during the summer “seeing the world in one week.”  A global village is constructed on the campus, where you can see “working models” of homes in countries like Uganda, the Philippines and others.  I would highly recommend either course of study to anyone interested!   Scholarships provided by area churches make the cost of tuition affordable to anyone!

While Léon was busy studying, I was busy globetrotting!   It was my privilege to visit people in Oklahoma, Ohio, New York, Michigan and Wyoming to speak about the ministry work in Haiti.  Everywhere I went I was welcomed with open arms.  Old friends and new friends alike welcomed me into their homes, gave me a place to sleep, food to eat, scheduled speaking engagements and other activities for me and transported me from here to there.  There were those who even found time to help me celebrate my birthday while I was apart from my family!   I was touched by the interest of so many from the primary school student who couldn’t wait to ask me after class time, “Where do you send donations to help the children?” to the elderly lady on a fixed income sending me a huge grocery bag full of jars of peanut butter and bags of beans and rice for me to bring back to Haiti to help feed the hungry people.  Wherever I went, people were touched by the needs in Haiti and I was touched by the generous spirits of those who took the time to listen to what I had to say!   God is alive and well in the hearts of so many people!  Together, He can use us to make a difference in the lives of the poor and orphaned!

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                               Until next time ………….

Communiqué #045

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

December 18, 2007

During a three month period of time, many things can change and many things can stay the same.  I have found both statements to be true as I find myself back at home in Les Cayes after three months in the states.

One of the joyous changes is the addition of four little faces at the Children of Israel Orphanage.  The first two little ones to arrive were siblings, Raphael (Age 3½) and his sister Loriana (Age 6).  They came from a family of seven siblings.  Their parents knew that their children would die, as they are too poor to keep all of them fed.  It was out of love for their children that they traveled a long distance to plead with the orphanage to take their two youngest children.  The next to arrive was Cassandra, who is now 22 months old.  Her mother had abandoned the family, leaving her father to care for her.  Since he had no one to watch the baby, he could not go to work, thus he had no income with which to feed Cassandra.  She came to us very malnourished!  She will be on a special diet for a long time to help her re-gain the nutrition she was so desperately lacking.  Four year old Peter was the last to arrive.  His mother has died and he was living with a maternal aunt who could no longer care for him.  Although Peter has a father, he was not an active part of Peter’s life.  We welcome these little ones into the fold!  Please pray that they will soon feel loved and a part of our family.  The early transition times are very difficult for these children.  We rejoice that they will learn about the love of Jesus in their new home!  They will learn that He is a loving Father who will never abandon them!  (To view photos of our newest children …  pull up the Children of Israel Orphanage photo album)

Léon and I arrived home to find that our dog Wilips had died from rabies.  We were saddened to learn that, when she became ill, our dog killed two other animals and bit one of the orphanage workers.  We are thankful that the expensive rabies shots were available in Haiti for this worker.  She must endure a series of five shots!  Please also keep her in your prayers.

Tropical Storm Noel also took its toll!   In addition to destroyed homes, lives lost, and epidemics of malaria, typhoid, and pink eye, our goat herd on Ile-a-Vache also sustained losses.  2 female goats and 5 of 6 newborn goats died during the storm.  Constant rain for almost 30 days, left the pasture land flooded, resulting in no grass for grazing.  Parasites infected the herd.  We are thankful that 10 of the goats were survivors!

Whatever disaster we face, we are happy to know that through it all God is with us!  He knows our sufferings and our needs.  He supplies us with people to uphold us in prayer.

Being back in Haiti, gave Léon and I time to reflect back on his first trip to the United States.  One thing that left a big impression was the orderliness of our traffic flow.  Interestingly enough, the other thing that stood out most was the fact that American families are too busy, too busy for even their own families.  Wow!  That message came through loud and clear and very quickly.  Is it true that the American family has become numb to their lack of time for their spouses and children???  What a sad fact that is!

It was a joy for Léon and me to spend time with my family.  Léon was concerned if our two little grandsons would be afraid of his dark skin.  But children have a way of seeing right past that!  Within minutes, the oldest was handing him a truck to play with and kissing him right on the mouth!  So much for that worry!   Léon was able to finally meet my father, my four brothers and their spouses and several of my nieces and nephews.  He was able to tour workplaces with a couple of my brothers and see the sights of modern technology that is non-existent in Haiti.  Léon even was able to visit with two of the girls who were originally from the orphanage and are now settled into life with their new families in the states.  It was a long awaited trip.  Finally, I had proof that my husband really did exist, after the long process of trying to get him to the states!!!

Léon has also shared with me the many aspects of his 10 week time of study at SIFAT (Servants in Faith & Technology).   I was able to get a small glimpse into his experience when I visited the campus in Lineville, Alabama for the last few days of the session and for the graduation of students from over 20 countries.  What an awesome ministry this is!  The goal is to bring together students from third world countries and in 10 weeks teach them at least 10 different ways that they can go back and help people in their country by applying their newly acquired skills and teaching other people to teach these same skills.  So much more can be accomplished in a short amount of time versus sending one missionary to one country to teach one skill.  The session taught water purification methods, alternative cooking methods, how to deliver a baby, HIV education techniques, how to make compost with worms, how to make (yes, make!) eyeglasses and test people for the correct prescription, how to construct various water pump systems and a myriad of other vital skills.  You can learn more about this program by visiting www.sifat.org.  Their campus also offers young students in the United States an opportunity to spend time during the summer “seeing the world in one week.”  A global village is constructed on the campus, where you can see “working models” of homes in countries like Uganda, the Philippines and others.  I would highly recommend either course of study to anyone interested!   Scholarships provided by area churches make the cost of tuition affordable to anyone!

While Léon was busy studying, I was busy globetrotting!   It was my privilege to visit people in Oklahoma, Ohio, New York, Michigan and Wyoming to speak about the ministry work in Haiti.  Everywhere I went I was welcomed with open arms.  Old friends and new friends alike welcomed me into their homes, gave me a place to sleep, food to eat, scheduled speaking engagements and other activities for me and transported me from here to there.  There were those who even found time to help me celebrate my birthday while I was apart from my family!   I was touched by the interest of so many from the primary school student who couldn’t wait to ask me after class time, “Where do you send donations to help the children?” to the elderly lady on a fixed income sending me a huge grocery bag full of jars of peanut butter and bags of beans and rice for me to bring back to Haiti to help feed the hungry people.  Wherever I went, people were touched by the needs in Haiti and I was touched by the generous spirits of those who took the time to listen to what I had to say!   God is alive and well in the hearts of so many people!  Together, He can use us to make a difference in the lives of the poor and orphaned!

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                               Until next time ………….

Communiqué #045

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

December 18, 2007

During a three month period of time, many things can change and many things can stay the same.  I have found both statements to be true as I find myself back at home in Les Cayes after three months in the states.

One of the joyous changes is the addition of four little faces at the Children of Israel Orphanage.  The first two little ones to arrive were siblings, Raphael (Age 3½) and his sister Loriana (Age 6).  They came from a family of seven siblings.  Their parents knew that their children would die, as they are too poor to keep all of them fed.  It was out of love for their children that they traveled a long distance to plead with the orphanage to take their two youngest children.  The next to arrive was Cassandra, who is now 22 months old.  Her mother had abandoned the family, leaving her father to care for her.  Since he had no one to watch the baby, he could not go to work, thus he had no income with which to feed Cassandra.  She came to us very malnourished!  She will be on a special diet for a long time to help her re-gain the nutrition she was so desperately lacking.  Four year old Peter was the last to arrive.  His mother has died and he was living with a maternal aunt who could no longer care for him.  Although Peter has a father, he was not an active part of Peter’s life.  We welcome these little ones into the fold!  Please pray that they will soon feel loved and a part of our family.  The early transition times are very difficult for these children.  We rejoice that they will learn about the love of Jesus in their new home!  They will learn that He is a loving Father who will never abandon them!  (To view photos of our newest children …  pull up the Children of Israel Orphanage photo album)

Léon and I arrived home to find that our dog Wilips had died from rabies.  We were saddened to learn that, when she became ill, our dog killed two other animals and bit one of the orphanage workers.  We are thankful that the expensive rabies shots were available in Haiti for this worker.  She must endure a series of five shots!  Please also keep her in your prayers.

Tropical Storm Noel also took its toll!   In addition to destroyed homes, lives lost, and epidemics of malaria, typhoid, and pink eye, our goat herd on Ile-a-Vache also sustained losses.  2 female goats and 5 of 6 newborn goats died during the storm.  Constant rain for almost 30 days, left the pasture land flooded, resulting in no grass for grazing.  Parasites infected the herd.  We are thankful that 10 of the goats were survivors!

Whatever disaster we face, we are happy to know that through it all God is with us!  He knows our sufferings and our needs.  He supplies us with people to uphold us in prayer.

Being back in Haiti, gave Léon and I time to reflect back on his first trip to the United States.  One thing that left a big impression was the orderliness of our traffic flow.  Interestingly enough, the other thing that stood out most was the fact that American families are too busy, too busy for even their own families.  Wow!  That message came through loud and clear and very quickly.  Is it true that the American family has become numb to their lack of time for their spouses and children???  What a sad fact that is!

It was a joy for Léon and me to spend time with my family.  Léon was concerned if our two little grandsons would be afraid of his dark skin.  But children have a way of seeing right past that!  Within minutes, the oldest was handing him a truck to play with and kissing him right on the mouth!  So much for that worry!   Léon was able to finally meet my father, my four brothers and their spouses and several of my nieces and nephews.  He was able to tour workplaces with a couple of my brothers and see the sights of modern technology that is non-existent in Haiti.  Léon even was able to visit with two of the girls who were originally from the orphanage and are now settled into life with their new families in the states.  It was a long awaited trip.  Finally, I had proof that my husband really did exist, after the long process of trying to get him to the states!!!

Léon has also shared with me the many aspects of his 10 week time of study at SIFAT (Servants in Faith & Technology).   I was able to get a small glimpse into his experience when I visited the campus in Lineville, Alabama for the last few days of the session and for the graduation of students from over 20 countries.  What an awesome ministry this is!  The goal is to bring together students from third world countries and in 10 weeks teach them at least 10 different ways that they can go back and help people in their country by applying their newly acquired skills and teaching other people to teach these same skills.  So much more can be accomplished in a short amount of time versus sending one missionary to one country to teach one skill.  The session taught water purification methods, alternative cooking methods, how to deliver a baby, HIV education techniques, how to make compost with worms, how to make (yes, make!) eyeglasses and test people for the correct prescription, how to construct various water pump systems and a myriad of other vital skills.  You can learn more about this program by visiting www.sifat.org.  Their campus also offers young students in the United States an opportunity to spend time during the summer “seeing the world in one week.”  A global village is constructed on the campus, where you can see “working models” of homes in countries like Uganda, the Philippines and others.  I would highly recommend either course of study to anyone interested!   Scholarships provided by area churches make the cost of tuition affordable to anyone!

While Léon was busy studying, I was busy globetrotting!   It was my privilege to visit people in Oklahoma, Ohio, New York, Michigan and Wyoming to speak about the ministry work in Haiti.  Everywhere I went I was welcomed with open arms.  Old friends and new friends alike welcomed me into their homes, gave me a place to sleep, food to eat, scheduled speaking engagements and other activities for me and transported me from here to there.  There were those who even found time to help me celebrate my birthday while I was apart from my family!   I was touched by the interest of so many from the primary school student who couldn’t wait to ask me after class time, “Where do you send donations to help the children?” to the elderly lady on a fixed income sending me a huge grocery bag full of jars of peanut butter and bags of beans and rice for me to bring back to Haiti to help feed the hungry people.  Wherever I went, people were touched by the needs in Haiti and I was touched by the generous spirits of those who took the time to listen to what I had to say!   God is alive and well in the hearts of so many people!  Together, He can use us to make a difference in the lives of the poor and orphaned!

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                               Until next time ………….

Communiqué #044

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

September 27, 2007

Grandchildren have to be one of the most precious blessings that are given to the human race!   I am now the proud grandmother of two little boys – Coda Jason who turned 2 years old on September 19 and little Caiden Jacob who arrived into this world on September 4.  What a joy it has been for me to arrive before the birth of Caiden and to be able to spend time with not only my two grandsons but also with their mama and papa!  I will treasure this time in my memory forever!  One cannot help see the miraculous Hand of God when touching the tiny hands and tiny feet of a newborn!  Each new birth is a marvel to behold!

My love for my grandchildren carries over to my love for the children of Haiti.  I am especially drawn to the critically ill and the orphaned and poor children of Haiti.  At times, I wonder if I can be of more help to them when I live in Haiti OR when I am visiting in the states.  My most recent visit to the states reminds me that both are equally important. 

I have been trying to get several children and a couple of adults to the states for medical care that is not available in Haiti.  For some of the cases, I have been working on them for over nine months.  No progress was being made.  My hopes for them to receive care before they die were becoming slimmer and slimmer!   Then, my trip to the states allowed me to make some more intensive phone calls to see if and how I could jump start the process.  Much to my delight, one critically ill baby with a heart condition has been accepted into a program in New Jersey.  One lady has now been accepted for treatment in Michigan.  A second child is now one step closer to getting treatment in Illinois.  All this has happened, in part, because I was able to be in a location where the internet actually works, a postal system can actually deliver packages containing test results next-day and numerous phones calls can be made with clear and instant connections!  Thank you God!!

Even more exciting than finding help for sick children is learning that kids that have come to the states for treatment are healthy and ready to return home to their families!!!!  In early September, one young man returned to his family in Les Cayes after having an enormous tumor removed from his leg.  In November, two babies are scheduled to be reunited with their families following surgery for hydrocephalus.  What a story of God’s love these families now have to share with their family and friends in Haiti, a place where good news is so hard to come by!

ONE CHILD SAVED is worth all the time and effort it takes to make this happen!  I thank God that He has allowed me to be a little part of His great plan.  I thank everyone who has helped make the treatment possible – everyone from the host family, the doctors, the nurses, the translators, the prayer warriors, the transportation people, the lab technicians, the hospital, the sponsoring organizations, the encouragers, and the birth families who entrust their “babies” to complete strangers in a completely different culture.  In every case, there are also people involved in the process that I have no knowledge of!  I am thankful for those people too!   It takes an army of people to help make a miracle happen in the lives of these children!!!

Caribbean Children’s Foundation is now looking at expanding its wings even further!  We have received a request to help find sponsors for children living at an orphanage in the Santo Domingo area of the Dominican Republic.  I hope to travel to the orphanage in December to access the orphanage and its needs.  If we forge ahead with this venture, it will be a leap of faith to take on the financial commitment of adding a third orphanage to our sponsorship portfolio.  Please pray that God’s wisdom will be bestowed on us as we consider this new undertaking!

In closing this communiqué, I want to thank the many people who responded to our plea for help with sending poor Haitian children to school.  Your outpouring of love was evident in the funds we received for so many children!  I thank God for each and every one of you!!!

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                               Until next time ………….

Communiqué #043

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

August 21, 2007

It is sad to say, but true, after spending enough time in Haiti one stops seeing so many of the realities here.  And then, one day a scene will slap you in the face with its harshness.  That is exactly what happened to me one morning when I was walking through the overcrowded streets in the business district of Les Cayes amidst the cars, trucks, bicycles, motorcycles, wooden pull carts, people and dogs all headed in a multitude of directions, all busy with the task at hand.  In the midst of the chaos, I noticed an old man in a dilapidated wheelchair.  He was stretching his arm out, barely avoiding tumbling from his chair.  In his hand was a used plastic pop bottle.  He was reaching out over the sewage water that was laying beneath the curb of the street trying to catch drinking water from water that was dripping from the roof from the previous night’s rainfall.  Most of the drips missed the small opening of the bottle and splattered on the man and on the ground instead.  No one seemed to notice.  No one came to help.  No one was there to offer him some clean drinking water.  It was just another person trying to survive as best he could in a cruel, difficult environment.   Oh how we take the basic things in life so for granted!   Something as simple as a drink of clean water!  I could not erase the image of that man for my mind for the remainder of the day!

One of the boys of the orphanage reminded me of another fact of life … We all need someone that loves us and cares about us!  Over the past several months, many missionaries have come to know and love the different kids of the orphanage.  Some form a one-on-one bond with one particular child.   From that time on, the child has a special person in his/her life … someone who will send cards, offer prayers, or a variety of other small gestures to remind the child that they are loved.  But, not every child in the orphanage has that kind of friend!  One of the little boys who does not asked me the other day if I would be his “white mama.”   He pointed out to me which of the boys have a special “white mama” and explained that because he does not, could I please be HIS white mama?!?!    I gave him a special hug and said, “I am your white mama and I am the white mama for every boy here!”   He smiled a big smile and said “YES!”  It is just as simple as that!  A little love goes a long way, especially for a little child living in an orphanage!

In the midst of writing this communiqué, Hurricane Dean made his appearance in the waters off the coast of Haiti.  I wish to thank all of you who were praying for the people of Haiti and the others who are/were in the path of this storm. The skirts of Hurricane Dean have now passed us by.  We received high winds, but not nearly as much rain as expected.  In Les Cayes there is a loss of power that is expected to last at least one week, downed limbs, and people with water in their homes.  Families with inadequate housing stayed at the church and school until they could return to their homes.  Relief workers brought food and water.  Early reports tell us that five people died in the Miragoane/Petit Goave area, two in the Les Cayes area and two in Jeremie.  At Pointe Est (on Ile-a-Vache) the winds and rain were much worse.  Four homes were swept out into the ocean.  Two other homes are now only half-houses!  Pastor Bertrand’s home and the newly constructed church structure remain undamaged!   We are thankful to God that we were spared from more serious damage!

Due to the hurricane, my trip to the U.S. of A. with Léon and Lionel has been delayed by nine days and with it comes great disappointment.  I will now only be able to spend a few short hours, watching the reactions of Léon and Lionel as they see the awes of the United States for the first time.  The guys will arrive late to the training seminar in Alabama, missing the orientation and I will miss my daughter’s birthday and possibly the birth of her child.  I must keep reminding myself that in the greater scheme of things this is not as bad as it seems.  In this too, God is in control.  Léon is a blessing to me in that he has learned how to let go of things like this and leave it in God’s hands.  He is coaching me on how to do this!  I thank God for placing Léon in my life!

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                               Until next time ………….

Communiqué #042

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

July 25, 2007

Invasion of the frogs!  It was dark!  As I headed into my bathroom, before reaching for the light switch, I felt a thud on my chest.  Much to my surprise, when I turned on the light, I discovered a large frog on my bathroom floor that had used me as a spring board.  I tried to capture it, before it disappeared somewhere in my bathroom.  You can be sure that from then on, I was sure to reach for the light switch, BEFORE I entered the bathroom.  No more surprises!  

The following day, I was moving the furniture on my balcony, when my friend re-appeared.  This time Léon was nearby, so I called him to the rescue.  Comically, he chased the frog around.  It skillfully avoided him while jumping around the balcony and into one of the vacant rooms of the guesthouse.  Léon ended up opening the entrance door of the room, allowing the frog to jump to its freedom!   I had to catch a photo, before I let Léon issue the frog down the exit stairwell.

It was only minutes later that the girls of the orphanage scurried up the stairs to come to ask us about something.  But of course, they did not make it up the stairs.   We could hear the screeching from our room, knowing exactly what was causing it.  People here (not only children) are terrified of frogs.  It is similar to some people’s fear of snakes, but seems so much more unreasonable to me.  I have tried to explain to the kids that they should not kill the frogs, but rather let them do their job of eating mosquitoes and other unwanted insects.  They want nothing to do with that plan!  I explained to them that some people in the states actually eat the legs of the frogs.  That grosses them out even more.  They shudder when I explain that to them.   After much to-do about this particular frog, the girls went about their day, until another, smaller frog was discovered on the screen of the bathroom window of the orphanage.  Once again, Léon removed the frog amidst the screams of the girls!  Funny thing though, the girls who hate to brush their teeth, scurried to do so, when Léon jokingly told them if they did not brush their teeth, they would find the frog in their bed that night!  The orphanage boasted of the cleanest teeth in Les Cayes that evening!

One would have thought that would be the end of the saga.   But alas!  It was not.  During the early morning hours of the next day, while I was beginning to stir from my sleep, I felt a tap on my pillow.  I raised my head quickly enough to see a smaller frog leap from my pillow to the side of my filing cabinet.  I turned to Léon and said, “Krapo anko!” (“another frog”), but he was too deep in dreamland to hear me.  Sigh!  No more sleep for me!

We have had a lot of rain in the last couple of days.  I think that has caused all the tadpoles in the sewage ditches to turn into frogs and seek higher and drier land.  I had forgotten about this type of occurrence, until all of these recent visitors had paid me a visit.  Memory lane helped to recall the time that I came to Les Cayes with Pastor Israel on a night after a weeklong rainstorm had buried Les Cayes under water.  As we arrived at the church compound, during a power outage, we entered the church.  I felt something on my legs.  In amazement, I looked down and there were dozens and dozens of frogs in the church, some of whom had been captured by upside-down Dixie cups.   I guess that explains why people here do not like them.  The frogs can appear in droves.  It kind of reminded me of the plagues in Egypt!  It is just another one of those Haitian adventures!

The “frog event” was not the only reason the month of July brought lots of smiles and laughter.  On July 22, Léon and I celebrated our ONE YEAR wedding anniversary.  What a year of blessings it has been!!!   And then, on July 24, Léon traveled to Port-au-Prince and is now the proud owner of a VISA to the United States, after 2 ½ long years of filling out paperwork, attempting to get hard-to-attain documents, repeated trips to Port-au-Prince and delay after delay.  July 2007 has become a month of celebrations!   We are so very happy that now we can travel to the United States TOGETHER!

Léon has been accepted to a 10 week training program in Alabama.  While he is there, I will be traveling to Wyoming to await the birth of my newest grandson.  Following some time with my daughter, son-in-law and grandsons, I will head to speaking engagements in Oklahoma and Ohio.  Léon and I will reunite in early November and finish our time in the states together!  We are really looking forward to Léon’s adventures in the U.S. – first time meeting of family members, seeing missionary friends and exploring the sights that Léon has only heard about, read about or seen on TV.  We are so thankful to God that finally this will be a reality!

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                               Until next time ………….

Communiqué #041

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

July 15, 2007

Another child comes!  More questions flow!   Such is the case when a new child arrives at the orphanage as happened on Friday, July 13.  It was my privilege to escort the mother and her son from the church, down the street to the boys’ orphanage, only a short walk away.  The questions instantly start flowing.  How is this mother feeling knowing that she is taking this final walk with her son?   What is this little 4 ½ year old boy thinking as he walks hand-in-hand with this strange blan (white) lady?   Where does he think he is going?  Have his parents explained everything to him the night before?  As we approach the orphanage and open the gate, the eyes of Jean Winchell stare straight ahead.  We enter the courtyard where one sole boy sits near the building.   We walk towards him and I introduce Jean Winchell to him as his new friend.   We enter the cooking area and find several more boys there, along with the caregivers.   They all stand up and stare.  Who is this newcomer?  Which caregiver will be his?   Which bed will be his?   Is he a bed wetter?   Will he cry tonight?   Does he eat a lot?  One cannot help to think about what the boys of the orphanage are recalling of their own first night in the orphanage.  Jean Winchell is shown which bed will be his.  He is given food to eat and a tall glass of cold water to drink.  His mama sits down in her son’s new bedroom and discusses matters with the caregiver.  No smile appears on Jean Winchell’s face.  He sits on the edge of the bed, staring down at the little red truck that he had brought with him from home.  The other boys, curious about the truck, politely refrain from asking to play with it, knowing that at this moment Jean Winchell needs it more than they do.  As I watch the scene unfold, I start asking myself, “What is an appropriate length of time to allow this mama to spend at the orphanage before she says her final goodbye?”   She made the decision easy for me because soon she said it was time for her to go.  A short goodbye, with no hugs or kisses, and we left the orphanage campus.  On the road back to the church, I give the mother a hug, trying to convey to her that I understand what a big sacrifice she just made for the sake of her child.  The mother turns to me.  She asks if the older boys will beat up on her son.  She asks if he will go to church and how will he get there.   I explain to her that the caregivers will be sure that the other boys are good to her son.   I explain that all the boys walk together to church, accompanied by a caregiver.  They come on Wednesday nights, Friday nights and a morning service and an evening service on Sundays.   The mother’s thoughts then turn to the remaining children at home.   Would it be possible for us to pay the tuition for her daughter to go to school?  She reminds me that she has eight other children at home that she cannot send to school or feed.  I explain to her that we will send her son to school, but we are unable to help her other children.  What a mixture of emotions she must be feeling right now.   Once again, as is the case with so many of the scenarios in this country, I can only imagine the ache in her heart! 

Summertime here brings worries of its own.  Although the schoolchildren are on vacation and enjoying flying kites or munching on mangos that are plentiful at his time of year or playing with their friends, parents thoughts are already turning to the question, “How am I going to be able to send my children to school?”  I have lost count of how many parents have already knocked on my door or stopped me in the streets asking me if I can help pay the tuition for their children for the upcoming school year.  Should life have to be filled with so many worries?  Every day in Haiti is filled with these types of concerns.  It is amazing to me that the people here are still able to find something to smile about!   Somehow they find the strength to leave it in God’s hands, a lesson I need to keep learning!

The bulk of my time in Haiti is consumed by three things – helping children who need a home, helping children to attend school and helping children who cannot get the medical treatment needed here in Haiti.  You are such an important part of my ministry here in Les Cayes.  Your prayers, your encouragement and your financial gifts all help to make the work that I do possible!   Thank you for being so prayerful, so faithful!

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                               Until next time ………….

Communiqué #040

TO MY PARTNERS in MINISTRY

to the PEOPLE of HAITI

June 20, 2007

One never knows under what circumstances God may use us to bring someone to Christ.  I was recently humbled by the way in which God allowed so many people to play a small part in such a dramatic event.  You may recall hearing me talk recently about a Haitian lady that I brought to the states, in February of 2007, for surgery in Michigan.  God used so many people to make this surgery possible.  A registered nurse in Michigan coordinated all the medical staff that would be needed to care for the patient.  She also made arrangements for low cost or donated medical services.  She wrote fund raising letters to meet the unpaid medical costs.  Then, there were the generous financial donations that were given to make this undertaking a reality.  Next, a Haitian family living in the Grand Rapids area opened their home and their hearts to the patient.  The pastor and congregation members of the Haitian church where they attend also opened their hearts and homes to her.   Volunteers drove her to doctor appointments.  A dentist gave her free dental care. New friends were made!  It took a whole community of people to bring about the care and love that this patient would need before, during and after her surgery.

Medical miracles just seem to keep unfolding!   I have been working on a case for over six months for a 16 year old boy who has a HUGE tumor on his leg.  I had done all the paperwork and testing that was required.  The only thing left was to find a doctor or hospital that would accept him for treatment in the states and then I could take him to Port-au-Prince to file for his visa.  His case waited and waited some more.  Every so often, I would send a reminder prayer up to Heaven, letting God know that Ricardo still needed help!  Nothing!   Then, God sent a medical mission team to work with us in Les Cayes.  I mentioned the case to the doctor on the team and immediately she said she wanted to go see him.  She and some of the team members walked with me to visit Ricardo.  To reach his home, we had to walk to the outskirts of the city.  Then, we had to board a small boat and pay a few gourdes to cross over to the other side of the river, and then travel on foot a little further.  Upon arrival, it was clear that his condition had deteriorated.  He now had open sores that could easily get infected in the environment in which he lived.  If infection should set in, he would surely die!   It was obvious to the doctor that this young man needed treatment immediately!  Upon returning to the church compound the plan was set in action.  People were contacted in Indiana and the ball started rolling.  By the end of the week, all approvals had been received for the team to bring Ricardo home with them to the states where he would receive medical care.  Two days prior to the team’s departure, I traveled with Ricardo to Port-au-Prince to apply for his medical visa.  God’s intervention, all along the way, broke down any obstacles that would have prevented Ricardo from making the journey!  God is SO good!

Please pray for Ricardo now as he endures homesickness, new surroundings, and medical procedures that are scary to a young man who only knows the tiny village from where he came.  Pray for a miracle in his medical treatment which includes health issues other than what was easily visible.   Join me in thanking God for the many people who helped make his medical care available.  Once again, God used a community of people to be His hands and feet.

In closing, I would ask for your prayers for myself and my work here in Haiti.  It is easy for me to ask for financial help for the orphaned and sick children.  It is difficult to ask for myself.  Since September of 2004, I have lived on the generous donations of family, friends and church congregations.  It was not until May 2007 that my funding went to an all-time low.  I began to wonder if God was asking me to leave my work in Haiti.  Was I not trusting Him enough?  Was I letting worry be my lord?  The situation prompted a return to Michigan for a meeting with the Board of CCF.  Up to this point, we had been able to say that none of our funding went to salaries.  It became obvious, however, that in order for me to stay working in Haiti, that would have to change.   After hours of discussion, the board voted to give me a small salary, a scary and new undertaking for our foundation.  In order to keep my mission work a reality I am in need of more donations.  If you are not currently supporting CCF, I would ask for you to pray about becoming a new donor (donations are tax deductible).  If you are already a donor, I am very grateful to you, and would ask you to pray about increasing your donation.  Without new donors and continued/increased support from my present donors, my position will remain in a delicate balance.  This was something I was dreading to bring to your attention, but it is something that I need to do.  Thank you for making my concern, your concern!  We truly cannot do the work in Haiti without your help!

Nora Léon

Missionary to Haiti & the Dominican Republic                               Until next time ………….