update from bobi and marcus

Here's an update from Marcus and Bobi Throneburg (Marcus helps operate Canaan's school, Bobi the nutrition program). Anything from these two beats anything I could write. Let me just say that they are unbelievable. They are Godly, wise, compassionate and committed. We love them.

I will say this - please pray that we can solidfy a shipping connection. In many ways, our relief efforts are somewhat stuck until we can figure this out.

From Bobi (note: "medika mamba" - creole for peanut butter medicine; this is our nutrition program):

So I wanted to comment a bit on our trip to Port and Leogane on Monday. Lets just say that you all see the pictures at home - but to experience it and walk through the rubble yourself....is another story. To see the people and how it has effected them.....is another story. I truly am amazed at how strong the people appear and how even some of their faces have peace. I wonder how I would be reacting if I were in their shoes - to have lost so many family, to not know where my next meal would come from, to have lost nearly everything.

As Marcus mentioned the tented communities from our last blog, I wanted to go into a bit more detail. These tented villages seriously look like refugee camps. We walked through one in Leogane. I felt very intrusive, but we were following the Pastor of the area and he led us right through one. A huge group of people have settled on a soccer field and taken anything they can from their houses and the remains of construction material to make shelter and possibly an area of protection. Please see the picture below of an example of one of these communities.

I love Pastor Henri and Sister Gladys vision to reach these specific groups of people. I also like her idea of meeting their physical needs, while trying to meet their spiritual, mental, and emotional needs by setting up a P.A. system or using a megaphone to just read scripture or lead people in singing.

MEDIKA MAMBA:

So many of you know that we were ready to buy a truck for Medika Mamba and get going on the expansion work of setting up stations within a 2-4 hour radius of Canaan. I was pumped up to reach more malnourished kids. We had the money raised and ready. Well we still do, but now since the quake, that plan is a bit on hold.....

Please pray for wisdom and timing. It is inevitable that more kids will become malnourished within the next month or two, possibly after the relief work and aid are pulled out. We will be here....ready to go.... I am not sure how it is going to look, but I will keep you all posted as things change and we have a leading on direction.

Yesterday (Tuesday) we had our regular Canaan Clinic MM program. It was wonderful to be back to work with the kids! We had 25 regulars come, 3 graduated and 1 new one admitted. I am so thankful for the long and short term workers who helped with MM while I was in the States. It is great to have people like Leslie Rolling helping in there!! It is also good to see our Haitian nurse we hired for MM in September still smiling when we talk. I am so grateful for how God is sustaining this program. I have also posted a picture of a cute little guy named Luckson. He entered our program a couple months ago and is about ready to graduate.

God bless you all - thanks for your prayers and love and support. It means SO much!

Keep on keeping up. Help us spread the word....