The photo is one of a garden / farm planted by a young man who has attended agronomy vocational school, sponsored by the Haitian Methodist Church. This is a typical garden on an island that is primarily mountains of coral rock and limestone. Crops are planted around and in between the rocks that can not be dug out.

There are protected trees on the island and some with valuable wood. An agency at Zabricot that is affiliated with Heifer Project gives hundreds of trees away each year for planting. Many are fruit trees that grow only in the higher elevations, but some are good sturdy trees that can survive pruning for charcoal and hold what little top soil is left.

Many gardeners use rock to terrace their gardens rather than the precious soil. Large rock walls also work to redirect water from roadbeds that become raging rivers in heavy rains. There are a couple of schools on the island that include farming and fishing in curriculum along with other practical classes. Information is not readily available to the general public without TV as 80% can not read.

Seeds are extremely expensive and sold only on the mainland. Main crops are peanuts, corn, melons, manyoke, sweet potatoes, carrots and beans of various types. Livestock must free range or they have no food and gardens are often targeted. In that event the goats are occasionally found sans head and hooves! That is the primary justice system that works.

We would like to see fenced range land as an industry but aren't smart enough to get that concept across. This year with no rain the forage is sparse, livestock are starving and dying from lack of drinking water. Our concern? Not only will livestock die if gardens do not thrive and cisterns are dry.

Haitian Prayer Angels - Industry for sud la gonav

As we look forward, as many third world countries, to a very lean year we ask for prayers for all God's hungry and thirsty. To help with that a young wood worker on sud la gonav has hand carved Haitian Prayer Angels. Others then spend many hours hand sanding them to a designed shape with each a bit unique.

The angels are made from a protected native tree that must be replaced when cut. The wood is expensive but hard and beautifully grained. Each angle takes over 6 hours to sand and are completely hand made. Workers will be paid daily for the angels completed.

Each Haitian Prayer Angel is intended to be hand held rather than hung on a wall. We ask on the tag that those who purchase one, hold the angel each day and pray for the millions who face a year of hunger and starvation. The original intent was to ask prayers for the people of south la gonave, who have no gardens, fish or water this year. Now, the famine will affect millions in Africa, Australia and so many other countries, including the US.

The cost per angel is $20.00 and we ask $5.00 postage fees if they need to be mailed. Any donation above that amount will be used for food for the poorest and unable to work.

As orders increase for angels we will expand the work opportunity along the south side of the island to involve as many workers as possible.

A voluteer will return to the US late May with angels to be distributed to churches and individuals. Another order of angels will be available for a Kansas team to take to the US in late June.

Any church that would like to take orders and collect money is invited to send us the number of angels needed and the money can be mailed to our Advance Special with "angel" on the memo line of the check.

Make checks payable to : Central UMC Advance #982465-6

Mail the check to: Lawrence Central UMC, 1501 Massachuettes, Lawrence KS, 66044

Email us at sjelagonave@yahoo.com to order if not ordering through your church.

No Steeple

Here is the church as it looked over a year ago. Before the storms. We didn't get photo's this year as we attended the Harvest Festival but the ceiling in still damaged from the storms and precarious for the many children who meet for school each day. Of course if the singing and preaching of Sunday didn't bring it down...probably nothing will!!

This community far to the west end of La Gonave is served by a young pastor who has compassion and charisma enough to serve a mega-church in the US! All at one time he is leading a rousing hymn, picking up money and paper that has blown off the make shilft pulpit/table, listening to the lay leader trying to speak in his ear and picking up his adorable 18 month old who is fasinated by the two blans in the congregation.

This community waits for the first water well to be drilled on the west end of LG; waits for some miracle to repair the collapsed roof from last years storms; and, waits for a team to rebuild the wall on the left "that left" during the storms. While they wait they praise God with drums, guitars and great rhythmic harmonies, joyful prayers and upraised hands!

Sunday we dedicated 5 young children, one reformed young man and his new wife, 9 new church leaders, and gave thanks for an offerning of $65 H dolas, 2 goats, 3 cabbages, one bag of cement and the presence of 14 visitors and the Holy Spirit! What an experience.

We welcome any team or sponsor who would like to help this delightful young pentacostal pastor and his church, repair their house of worship and learning institution, plus share the joy of living "high" on La Gonave. Send us an email for more information!
sjelagonave@gmail.com Peace, Shirley

Starthrower Scholarships

The Haitian Methodist Church offers a scholarship program but generally for children of ordained clergy..of which there are not very many. For most Haitian young people education beyond sixth grade is nearly impossible. Only about53 percent on the island of La Gonave even attend primary classes. This year the numbers are way down because money is so scarse following the storms of September.

The young woman pictured, is the daugter of a former mariner who died at sea when she and her older sister were still in primary grades. The older sister, Weslene was the nurse here when we came and Kathia was completing her High School classes. Kathia wanted medical school but her mother who had worked so hard to get them both through school could not swing that.

Kathia paid the first semester of a diploma nursing program but the hours were long she was traveling late at night in Port au Prince. She dropped out and came home, discouraged. We were introduced to her by a young man who asked for help to attend English school. He plans to work through university as a translator. We interviewed Kathia and she happily enrolled in a 5 year university nursing program. She says she will be happy to deliver babies.

We have sponsors for eight students in university and vocational school the last two years. University costs have risen in Haiti but compared to the US are very small. Schools offer only academic studies and science, medical and engineering students must work while in school. The study is intense.

There are a variety of vocational schools with programs 3 months to 3 years and cost $100.00 for 3 months to $325.00 a year for a 3 year technical program such as diesel mechanics training. University courses cost $500.00 per year to 1500.00 per year for science courses. There are book expenses on top of the tuition for some but most are covered by the tuition.

We have named this project the Starthrower Scholarship Program. It is a big committment of those who chose to help a university student. The students who actually jump through the hoops we set before we try to find a sponsor are the Haitians of the future we feel will touch more lives than we ever will. Now there are many children longing just for primary school and can't have it. These educated young people will understand the critical importance of education in this country, we believe.

We and the young people like Kathia, are grateful to all who support the scholarship program. When we leave the program will continue through a partnership program between participants in the US and a couple of scholarship recipients in Haiti. To participate in some way just email us at sjelagonave@gmail.com.

This is a recent shot of the windmill that was put up at Dent Grien in 2002 and damaged within a year, then suffered severe damage in a hurricane later. This well will stand as we pull the pump from the first well and replace with a solar pumping system and small wind generator to pump at night.

The west end of sud lagonav has no wells but hopefully one will sprout near Picqua-maby, very far west. Many communities will be served by a good well as the 4 storms of last year damaged most cisterns.There are some spring fed wells in the mountains but most are dependent on generators and / or hand pumps if shallow enough. Water is a precious resource since the dry season is brutal.

A major commodity is health care. The nearly 100,000 thousand on lagonav are served by one small hospital and a half dozen clinics, mostly in the northern district. The many have been waiting many years for surgery to repair hernias or remove tumors. Most clinics charge small amounts for examinations and a bit more for medications that are difficult to procure on the island. Travel to the mainland and cost of surgery prohibits most from ever being treated if it is other than a sim;le treatment. The lady pictured here waited 19 years with a large goiter that obstructded her breathing before surgery was made possible by a South Dakota team.

She was prepared at one time then her husband died leaving her with 7 children to raise on her small garden. Many trips to clinics became an issue as she could not read and repeated testing was done rather than simply removing the tumor. Several scholarships were spent before the tumor was finally removed and she could breath easily.

She is now grateful to be breathing and finished with a problem she thought would never go away.

foo foo fish

At long last the wind is down to a nice breeze. Some have even shed one layer of clothing!

Yesterday afternoon we wandered to the beach to see what was happening just as a fishing boat arrived with a rather strange variety of fish.

The fellow in the photo is a foo foo fish and someone bought both and said they are very good to eat. To me they seemed very large but apparently they get much bigger. Everyone was careful to stay away from the pointy things all over the body.

The rest of the "catch" was very impressive and much appreciated as many have not eaten much this week. People were purchasing anywhere from one to 10 fish of various sizes for very small amounts of money. Some tiny fish were sold by the pan full to be deep fried and eaten head, tail, insides and all!! I haven't mastered that yet.

It is still calm today with a balmy temp of about 91 degrees and light breeze. We will walk to Port a Bonheur after our breakfast of bread and lobster.

We are in search of a location for a clinic where we can provide nurses, doctor, lab, health education and local management. The clinic will be available to 10,000 plus people in more that 7-10 communities who now walk many miles for health care. Three have died because they could not reach a health facility in time.

Well, balmy days, foo foo fish and work to do on the second Sunday of Lent. Shirley

Huddle Together

The wind is blowing as a hurricane without the rain and thunder stuff!
Has been bending trees, rattling the seed pods and roaring until you can't hear!

Our metal doors are wired back but occasionally a strong blast comes along and rips the door loose and the explosion causes ones heart to skip a beat or two. Fun to watch the dogs jump straight in the air and run for cover. Goats must be deaf.

The children are all of course in t-shirts only (naked and exposed from belly button down) and hunker down to keep warm. I have some sweat shirts for little ones but there are more timoun than sweat shirts and I don't know how to handle that. So far I just give one to any kid that happens to be freezing and alone. They play then pull their t-shirt down to their toes and make themselves as small as possible and huddle together.
Adults are wearing multiple layers and
stoking caps with long pants many
with legs turned up 6 to 8 inches.
Who cares? It's freti!!
Went to take my bucket bath, with all
the little critters wiggling in the
water. Wind in the window is a bit
refreshing.


Not sure how long the wind will blow and neither is anyone else. Some boats go fast across the bay!

Photos don't do justice to the way the palms look twisting and flapping. At least cooking is now in doors or between buildings...to keep the fire going. This, I'm told is just another bit of Haiti to be endured. I wish I had a few more sweatshirts. All the kids could be in blue!