Haiti (day 2)

Day 2:

All is well. Rick has sent me lots of pictures via his blackberry. I cannot wait to see the pictures that he is taking with the camera. I'm sure the quality will be much better. He said that Ryan is in "shock and awe". I guess there is no way to describe what they are seeing.

This was yesterday afternoon in the airport. Rick said it was an old metal building that was a complete zoo. People were everywhere, pushing and shoving for their luggage. Good thing I have tall men. They are usually easy to find in a crowd. Of course, Rick and Ryan's bags were last to be unloaded.

Hunting for crabs

These pictures were ones I woke up to this morning. I'm not surprised that he was already near the water. The boy should have been a fish.

As I mentioned yesterday, the village has had some major flooding this week. Rick typed "houses destroyed by flood" with this picture.

This WAS their soccer field until the flood waters came.

The families that have lost homes were relocated to a tent village.

They went to a school that the team has sponsored for the last two years.

They also visited an orphange. My eyes welled up everytime he sent me a picture from here. He said that they hadn't eaten anything for two days. The days that they do eat, they only get one meal. God bless them. Can you image? It breaks my heart.

Ryan bought a bag of candy before he left. He was able to pass it out to the children. I'm sure that this was a MAJOR treat for them.

This is the hardest picture of all. This little girl was singing, "Here I am to Worship". For heavens sake. Can you imagine a child worshipping in her condition. I need a humble pill right now.

They gave this little one an Oreo.

This guy is in several photos. I'm not sure of his name. It might be Alex (I will correct this if it isn't right)

When the team realized that the children hadn't ate in two days, they went to market. This is a picture of sugar cane.

Rick used the word "awful" several times. As you can see in the below pictures, it isn't like our local grocery stores.

Tonights dinner looks a little better than the Barracuda from yesterday. I'm afraid to ask what the meat is. However, I'm glad to see french fries on the plate. I know that Ryan will eat at least one thing tonight.

I thought I would close with a silly picture of Ryan laying on the patient bed in the clinic. Rick labeled this photo, "Our first patient".

Bon Voyage and Blessings

My day started a little earlier than usual. Rick and Ryan had a 6:00 a.m. flight out of K.C.I. this morning. I got up to see them off. I told them that I love them at least a dozen times each. Hugged and squeezed them extra tight.

Then, just like that, they were pulling out of the driveway. I'm not sure if it was the last hug or watching their headlights as they drove off, but I was choked up.

I'm so proud that Rick has always wanted to do this. I'm proud that he is such a good Daddy and took his son with him. I just have a really good feeling about this. A feeling that so many lives will be touched somehow. I'm certain the most touched will be my boys!!!

Several months ago a lady gave Rick a $100.00 check to purchase supplies and medicines. She passed away three weeks ago. Rick contacted her daughter and asked her what he should do with the check as he hadn't cashed it. I think that he fully intended to return it to her. She begged him to cash it and added another $20.00 from herself saying, "that is what mother would want." The same day we heard from the village in Haiti that they were having an outbreak of Typhoid and Malaria. No one had expected this and they didn't get any donated medications for them. With that money the lady gave, along with her daughter, he was able to purchase those meds.. I'm sure that God had that all planned out. I'm also sure that this will be one of many amazing stories I will hear in the coming week.

I thought it would be easier for you to visualize if I introduced Rick and Ryan's fellow team members.

This is Sue Bachman. I met Sue several years ago in a Beth Moore bible study. It was called "A Heart Like His" and she was the facilitator. We have been friends since.

From left to Right:

Lynn Lyon: Father-in-law to Lori Lyon

Keith Bachman: Son of Sue Bachman

Lori Lyon: my A+ Mary Kay consultant and friend

This is Mama and her family. Mama does all the cooking for my boys while in Haiti. Wow, that's a tall order. My boys can put it away!!! Especially my red-head. I have no idea what her given name is. Sue, Lori, and Lynn have always called her "Mama".

This was their supper tonight............ barracuda. I'm not even joking guys!! I think I just threw up in my mouth. Uggh!

I may have prefered this one. At least it's pink!!!!

The village is nestled in the bottom of a mountain. They have had lots of rainfall this week. Here is a picture taken on the 19th. Two families lost their homes (Not that they were much to begin with. Can you imagine?) If you think of it, please pray about this. They are expecting more rain this week. Since most natives do not have transportation, they will be visiting Rick's clinic on foot. Flooding will hinder that. Rick's goal is to see as many people as possible. He wants NOTHING to stand in the way of that.

This is a sunset picture that Sue posted a few nights ago. Isn't is amazing that a place so pretty could have so much sickness and despair. It tears my heart strings.

I've pulled all of these pictures off of Sue's facebook photo album. I hope to post some of my boy's pictures tomorrow. They have promised me! Rick sent me an e-mail. I'm going to type it word for word...........

"Holy crap unbelievable. Ryan not even talking. Just dumbfounded. T.V. does not come close to how bad it is."

That says it all, I guess.

2010 Belton Wood Bat Champions

You are looking at a picture of the 2010 BELTON WOOD BAT CHAMPIONS!!!!!!

Ryan pitched the first game. They played in EXTREME heat. The heat index was over 100 degrees. We felt like we were going to cook. Sweat!!! Ewww!!!! We drank water, ate ice cubes, downed a shaved ice. Nothing was going to cool us down.

Ryan had four outstanding games. He was smacking the ball all over the field!!! Always to gaps too:) He got on base by a hit 7 out of 7 times. They walked him once also. So technically it was 8 out of 8.

The tournament passed out nice hardware afterwards. Each player got a tropy and then they received a team tropy.

Awww.... I'm so proud of these boys!

I love that they work so well together.

I love holding the bleachers down for them.

I love the new friends that Ryan has made.

I love the new friends that Rick and I have made.

Sorta makes me want to get teary eyed!

(In case you are wondering...... I still haven't got all the red clay out of Ryan's uniform)

Packing for Haiti

Well......... this is a first for our family. We spent one whole evening repackaging medicine for Rick and Ryan's Haiti trip. It was a complete group effort. Now let's pray that the airlines are in a good mood when they go to check-in. I'm terrified that they are going to apprehend all this hard work.

Several donations were made by local pharmacies. A few friends and co-workers of Rick gave money, and another mission team from Hondoras gave many of the supplies. I cannot wrap my brain around how much difference this is going to make to these people.

I'm not sure what Ryan is expecting out of this. Right now I'm sure it seems like an adventure to him. I hope that it gives him a respect for God, God's people and how blessed we are.

They are taking suitcases full of gauze, bandages, sterile kits, etc. Most of it I wouldn't know how to use. I'm sure that the people will utilize every single piece of it.

Even Gracie was able to help.

If I think about this for too long at a time, I get butterflies in my stomach. I'm know that 10 days from now I will be showing you their pictures. Telling you their stories. Sharing stories of the people they helped.

But the mommy in me lets her mind get carried away. I think about the distance they will be from me. The disease in that country. The natural disasters that have happened in the past year. Frankly, it terrifies me!!!!

Rick and Ryan have both had their Hep A shots and they have begun their antibiotic regime. The antibiotics will continue until a month after they return. This ensures that they won't get malaria. The #1 killer in Haiti.

I would appreciate SO MUCH prayers for both of them. Below I have listed a few things that you can pray for. It would mean so much to all of us!!!

1. safe travels

2. finding the man at the airport who is supposed to pick them up

3. good health for the mission team

4. the healing of many many people

5. the flooding that is currently happening to the people in the village. (good weather)

6. wisdom, patience, and understanding so Rick can help lots of sick people.

7. hearts changed towards God

Going Fruity!!!!

Pretty new blooms from the rose garden.

This is my ALL-TIME favorite rose. It's called double delight. I had several years ago when we lived in town. I'm so glad to finally have one blooming in my yard again. They have the best scent and they are stunning. Absolutely stunning!!! I wish you had SMELL-a-vision.

We are beginning to see the "fruits" of our labors outdoors. After 5+ years, our fruit trees are beginning to produce. We probably have 10 apple trees and only three or four are bearing fruit. One is loaded for bear, the others have less. Out of three pear trees only one has fruit.

Oh well, I'm not complaining. Any fruit is better than no fruit, I say.

I'm hoping for apple pies, tarts, and maybe apple butter (I've never tried that before. It might be an epic failure).

I only photographed the pretty ones. The worms have gotten ahold of probably 1/3 of them. We need to do a little better with spraying next year.

Pears.......... delish!!!!

Our vegtables are also coming along nicely. At least the ones that survived the monsoons this Spring and early Summer. When we built our house, we trenched the water towards the woods. We built our garden smack-dab where the pipe drains out. We haven't been able to get into half the garden all summer. Hopefully this Fall we can get that fixed. Until then, we are growing some mighty tall weeds. Some are almost head tall. Everytime we think it is dry enough to mow and till them under. It rains again. Blasted Missouri weather!!!!!!

The half that isn't flooded is producing peppers, onions, tomatoes and radishes. (The only thing that I will eat out of that list is tomatoes. That's a good thing because no one else in my family will.)

All gardening aside, I am heading to Aunt Pam's and Uncle Mike's for our annual river trip. Then we are off to a wood bat baseball tournament for Ryan. Busy.... busy, I say. I feel like my busyness is keeping me from documenting all the crazy things that are said and done around here. I hope to store them up in my rattled brain so I can share them with you when the monkeys are in school.

But I have to put first... first, right?

Middle School Mission Trip 2010

I have recently noticed that July and August are the months that I post the least. Probably because I'm up to my eyeballs in the kids schedules. My mojo has always come back around in September. So, please, bear with me.

I uploaded a few pictures from my middle school mission trip. We had an amazing time. It was by far the best mission trip I've been on. A clean shower, reasonable sleeping conditions, good food and "mostly" well behaved children.

Dale and Walker are weed-eating the yard of a non-profit thrift store in Reed Springs, MO. It is called Blessings. We sorted clothing, cleaned out a storage area, built shelves and worked on landscaping.

We stayed at a Methodist church in Reed Springs called Lifesong. We took this group photo after our morning devotion and scripture reading.

Every evening we had youth led worship. Although we were all dog-tired, I think we all learned something by it.

Our first night we went to a small amusement park called Track 5. The kids (and some adults...ahem) enjoyed go-carts, bumper boats, laser tag, ect. .

These two boys were the front of the bus entertainment. If I heard them sing "Stay Puft" once, I heard it 4,000,000 times.

The kids were banned from cell phones during the day. Kyle was making do with an Elmo phone he found in the church nursery.

I'm hoping to make a video tonight. If I can figure it out, I'll post it to my blog.

Happy Sparkler Day!!!!!

We made our 2nd annual trek to Carroll County this 4th of July. Little Texas was the headliner. I try really hard to like country music, but I cannot seem to make myself. I would describe them as country-rock.

The funnell cakes have become a 4th staple. The monkeys downed 3 or 4 of them.

We found a few long-time friends while we were there. This is one of Gracie's besties, Haley Rucker.

Ugh, more funnell cake!!!!

My husband, attractive as always.

This is Little Texas

Ryan didn't care about the band, the sweets, the city fireworks........ he wanted to explode things himself!!!!!

For me, it didn't seem like a holiday weekend. I returned on the 3rd (Rick and I's 17th wedding anniversary) from a middle school mission trip. We went to Reed Springs, MO for three nights. Two days prior to that, I spent the night in Columbia, MO with the kids (while Ryan went to MU pitching camp). Needless to say, my weeks have been jumbled together. That's why I haven't posted as much lately. That's why my brain rattles when I walk. That's why mommy has been a bit "testy" lately.

Ryan has finished basketball until the beginning of school. He has completed all his A+ hours. We only have one baseball tournament left. Whew, I'm beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.