BUSY DAY

The last few days have been very busy. Today Tim, Levi, Rob, Bill and Coram Deo workers built a school shelter to house another of our classes. The cement bosses we hired are working on cementing the back corner. They will do the fine parge tomorrow. Today was Pastor Pierre's turn to host a medical clinic with Dr. Ed and the medical team from New Hampshire. They sort of had the same situation as we had here at Coram Deo on Saturday, but up in the mountain they didn't have the same ending. It was frustrating for the team because all the Haitian people who wanted to be seen wanted to be first :) Dr. Ed ended up having to physically "remove them" from the clinic building. Part of the problem was that Pastor Pierre wasn't able to be at the clinic. His wife has been sick for two weeks since her delivery of her child. The doctors at the clinic said she had eclampsia and was probably septic from infection. She is now in the Baptist Mission Hospital in Fermathe. Pray for Pastor Pierre and his wife. It sure is a challenge when a crowd doesn't respect the one at a time rule :)

Today was also a day for a press conference where President Martelly would speak about his nationality. The press conference was announced for 4:00pm. There was sort of a panic situation as businesses closed down early and street vendors headed home. People were running thinking that there would be problems. It was a tense hour before the president spoke. People were discussing the upcoming speech and what might happen out on the streets after Martelly finished speaking. All possible scenarios were discussed and when the President showed on national television all his Haitian passports and the American Ambassador, Kenneth Merten saying that Martelly is not an American citizen, everyone was relieved. It is sad that this nationality question has gone on for a couple of months taking attention away from rebuilding the country. Pray that now, the whole country can work together in the rebuilding effort and let Martelly complete his term. Pray for the political situation. Unstable politics leads to an unstable country.

Tomorrow is supposed to be a clinic day in Canaan hosted by Pastor Marcelin. But there is still uncertainty of what might happen tomorrow. Pray for tomorrow. We are not sure what is going to happen.

Marie's sister Chrismanie is staying here with her family while they can arrange other housing arrangements. We gave her some money to hire a carpenter to take down her temporary shelter. She is worried that her shelter will be burned by some angry people. Chrismanie is fed up with life in Bois Neuf and is trying to find a place in the La Plaine area to put up her temporary shelter again. Pray for a calming in Cite Soleil as well.