9 Years Old

Yesterday was Renerlande's Birthday. There was hot dogs, sodas, popcorn, and a cake. The big attraction was when each child received a big red apple. This is something they have never had before as they are imported from the states and cost too much. They were really thrilled to get one.

Hurricane

Hurricane Emily passed us by. Many people were praying and once again God answered prayer. We are all safe and sound.

School

Here are the three little children of Kikit. With your help I am going to send them to school. There are no public schools here so someone must pay for tuition, uniforms, books, and other supplies. I am trusting God to speak to someone's heart and that they will sponsor these three precious little children by providing the funds necessary so they can attend school. If you are interested please leave a comment and the information I would need to contact you.

Cholera

Kikit became sick on Friday and died Sunday morning with cholera. Now the little children will have to suffer even more. I am going to try and help them as much as I can.

Adelle

It is with great sorrow that I must announce to you the passing of a great worker and friend of the Royal Palm Children's Home here in Haiti. Adelle has been with us for many years working in the kitchen with Madame Jordanny. To the many visitors that have visited us over the years I am sure you will remember her. She passed away yesterday after a lengthy illness. She will be greatly missed by all.

The Story of Kikit

Kikit did not know when he left his three little children and boarded a truck on that fateful morning that their lives would never again be the same. At 4:53 p.m. on Tuesday January 12, 2010 a 7.0 earthquake stuck Haiti. 316,000 perished and as many as 4,000 had arms and legs amputated as a result of their bones being crushed so badly they could no longer be saved. The truck Kikit was riding in overturned and was badly damaged trapping his left leg. He almost succeeded in escaping the truck but his leg was smashed leaving him standing on his right leg. Because there was so many horrific situations that people were attending to, he stood on his good leg for 3 days before he was freed. Now he lives in this little hut, no electricity, no running water, and no bathroom. His little children suffer because there is no food or money to buy food with. Because you care I was able to give Mirlande the money this morning and she went to the Marchee and bought food. Tonight his three little kids (pictured below) will have a good meal.

Kikit's three little Children

Fire

God is still good and watches over us; otherwise I might just be a “Crispy Critter.” As you probably know by now I live in the little room which is above the generator house. The other night while the generator was running an electrical fire broke out in one of the breaker boxes, the flames were shooting up against the ceiling which is cement. Had it not have been made of cement my place would have caught fire with me in it as it was sometime before they were able to extinguish the flames. We have no fire extinguisher and they had to use water once the power was shut off. Any way I am still here and the damage was minimal for which I am thankful.

Little Girls

Here is the tragic story of two little girls, Watchaline and Obnerline. Their father is deep into Voodoo and drinks Clairin, a form of “White Lightning” made from sugar cane, and stays drunk most of the time. When he is not too wasted to stand he beats their mother unmercifully. Any money he has goes for Clairin and the mother and children go hungry. Their mother and the two little girls are now staying in a little hut behind my house. She has nothing and here in Haiti that means nothing. No welfare, no food stamps and other means so the mother can find help for the little girls. The police will do nothing and there is no such thing as CPS so the mother had no one to turn to. Obnerline, the older of the two cannot finish this year’s school because she cannot pay the rest of the money she owes the school and the school won’t pass her into the next grade until it is paid.

St John's Hospital Joplin, Missouri

On March 20, just two days over a month ago, I asked you to pray for a friend of mine who was in this hospital on life support. She regained consciousness, had a chance to make everything right with the Lord and after a couple of weeks went to be with the Lord. A tornado ripped though Joplin yesterday and the Hospital is now in ruins. Just look at the cars in the parking lot. Folks the signs of His coming are all around us.l

Birthday

On Sunday May the 22 I will be 74 years old. When I was young I never thought about being old and that someday it would be hard just to get around. We take so many things for granted in our youth and never stop to give God thanks for the simple things that mean so much to us when we get older. One thing that being older has blessed me with is that I no longer have a desire for material things. My only desire in the time I have left is just to please the Lord. I remember Bud Chambers wrote a song one day entitled, "I wonder have I pleased the Lord." After all, that is the only thing that counts.

Haiti's New President

Today Michel Martelly, better known as "Sweet Mickey" takes over the reins of the leadership of the Haitian Government as he is sworn in as the new President of Haiti. Shaven-headed, energetic and extroverted, musician Michel "Sweet Micky" Martelly swept into the presidency by wooing Haiti's mostly poor and uneducated electorate with a potent promise of change.

Happy Birthday

Lindaelle (Baby) turns 14 today. A terrific singer and a sweet little girl who can always be counted on to do her part. She is a great little Christian and a helper to Poppa Bob. Happy Birthday Baby and God bless you with many more.

The only hope for the U.S.A.

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14

Signs of His Coming

Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.” Luke 21:10:11

Rain

I sent out a newsletter telling people of the drought we have been having. There was hardly any rain and the gardens were not producing. Then, after I sent that newsletter out, that night it rained the hardest it has rained in a year. Last night it was the same thing. Now, you tell me that God doesn't hear us when we pray. Thank you Lord.

Where are they now?

38 years ago I arrived in Haiti on M.S. Starward out of Miami. I was met at he dock by Sis. Hodges who informed me that she had a young lady who would begin working with me the next day as a housekeeper and cook. That young ladies name was Lena. Later she married a young man named Archange and they had Jimmy. Lena and Jimmy continued to live with me for a while and one day he was struck by a car. God was good to him and he recovered nicely. After a while I helped Archange get to the States where later he was able to send for Lena and Jimmy. Jimmy did well in school, learned Spanish and English, he already knew Creole and French. He got a scholarship and went to West Point where he graduated with top honors. Today one of my little boys is serving as an Officer with distinction in the United States Army.

Ice

This is the first ice I have had this year. Thanks to the "Tharps" of Illinois I now have a gas refrigerator and I can now have ice in my soda. Now my food doesn't spoil and everything is kept cold in spite of the fact we have no electricity. Thanks so much for all your kindness and help in making this possible.

Solar Panel/Module

This is a Solar Panel that produces 135 watts of electricity. While in Haiti we do not have much wind, we do have plenty of sunshine. Therefore, wind turbines which are very efficient in some places, are not the answer the answer for our electrical needs. However, Solar Panels work quite well in converting sunshine to usable electricity. I already have installed a 12 volt 1200 watt inverter and a solar controller/regulator. I have the money to purchase two six volt batteries that can be wired to operate as 12 volts but I do not have a solar panel. I can purchase a 135 watt Solar Panel/Module for $600.00. I would like for you to add this to your prayer list as I have to sleep with a Cpap machine every night and since we do not have electricity sometimes the charge in batteries run out. This would give me protection against electrical failure and guarantee me electrical backup that I so desperately need.

Haitian Rice and Black Beans

Haitian Black beans and Rice

1 quart water, 1 cup dried black beans, rinsed, 1/2 tablespoon salt, 8 parsley sprigs’ 3 scallions or 3 green onions, chopped, 2 garlic cloves, 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 cup rice

Bring water to boiling. Add beans and cook covered for 1 1/2 hours. Drain beans, reserving liquid, and set aside. Add enough water to bean liquid to equal 2 1/2 cups of liquid. Set aside , in a mortar, pound together to form a paste the salt, parsley, scallions, garlic, and rosemary. Heat oil and seasoning paste in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Put rice in Dutch oven and stir until well coated with oil. Add reserved liquid and bring to a boil, stirring. Add beans and again bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook undisturbed for 20 minutes. Remove cover, stir, and cook about 5 minutes longer, or until no liquid remains. (serves 4)

School Lunch

Rice and Beans are on the menu for today as the Children get ready to have lunch. While so much is said in the U.S. about nutritious lunches for kids at school one might question rice and beans, that is unless you know that rice and beans together has the same protein value of meat. Not only is it good for the kids but they love them as well. There are no snack foods so they really look forward to lunch.

Meat Market

When was the last time that you slaughtered a cow in your backyard so that you could have some meat? We do not have a Safeway, a Publix, or a Krogers to go to when we get a craving for some hamburger meat. Here the men are shown dressing out a cow as Violine had just given them instructions as to how she wanted it cut up. Because now we have no electricity it presents a problem as we have no way to keep this quantity of meat without it spoiling.

Petit Goave

When I mention in my blog or an email that someone has gone into town, it probably means the town of Petit Goave which is about 10 miles from us. For them to go into Port-au-Prince is quite an ordeal. True it is only about 50 miles but a round trip can take up to 6 hours and a $100.00 U.S. in gasoline. Someone asked me recently if we had a Walmart in Petit Goave. The closest Walmart to us is 700 miles away in Florida.

Leno's Birthday

Leno is a young man who has no father or mother. We give him a place to sleep, feed him, and see that he has what he needs. He runs errands and is always ready to do his part and more around the place. Poppa Bob is purchasing him a flashlight for his Birthday as he told me he needed one to release the guard dogs after the generator is turned off at night. Happy Birthday Leno.

Happy Birthday

Today is Malissa's Birthday. Poppa Bob wants to wish her a "Happy Birthday." She is a precious little girl who is a great singer and helper around the house.

The View

God is so good to me. This is the view from "The Upper Room" that I have the privilege of seeing each morning as I awake from my bed and I never fail to thank him for His blessings. To have the necessities of life is enough but this is just an added blessing.

Day after Tomorrow

The Lord willing Mommy is scheduled to arrive at the Port-au-Prince airport day after tomorrow at 3:00 p.m.. She leaves behind Stephanie, her little family, and Marvick. I know that it will be a sad day in Atlanta as she leaves however everyone here is so excited to see her.

Eating the Mongoose

Well, this morning they cooked the mongoose. They brought me a piece and the nearest thing I have ever ate that tasted similar was squirrel. Tasted pretty good but it didn't taste like chicken.

Mongoose

This afternoon I heard a loud commotion and people were running up and down the mountain behind my room. I asked the kids to go see what was going on. It seems they were after a mongoose that had been eating their chickens. I heard a loud cheer and realized that they had caught him. Right now they are preparing to cook him over a charcoal fire and they are supposed to bring me some of it. They say it is real good. I will find out.

Powdered Milk

With the exception of evaporated milk, milk in the form of powder is all we are able to get. The children love it but it is so terribly expensive ($210.00 Haitian dollars or $26.25 U.S. for this tin) that it is a rarity when we have it. The next time you pass the dairy section, in your local Super Market, just remember how thankful you should be just for the availability of milk and remember the Children here.

Haitian Rice and Black Beans

Ingredients

2 cups of long grain rice

1 cup of black beans

1 finely chopped onion

1 chopped green pepper

1/4 cup salt pork or bacon cut into small cubes

1 tablespoon of butter2 chopped cloves of garlic

2 tablespoon of vegetable

oil,salt, and pepper to taste

Cook the beans in 4 cups of water for 2 hours or until tender.

When the beans are cooked add the rice and cook until done.

Mr. Bwalo

God has people all over the world that loves him and lives for him each day. Mr. Bwalo is one of those people. He is 93 years old and almost completely blind but he manages to climb our mountain every once in a while and pray with me. He begins by singing a little chorus and then he begins praying. At the end of his prayer he quotes some scriptures and then finishes by singing a little song. When he reaches out to shake hands you have to take hold of his hand as he cannot see well enough to take yours. God bless Mr. Bwalo and one day, if you live for God, you will have an opportunity to meet him.

Coconuts

Jordanny is shown here preparing a coconut so we can drink from it. One thing you can count on at all times is that the coconut water is pure and not contaminated. It is refreshing and very satisfying when you are thirsty. After the water is gone, one can eat the fresh coconut on the inside which is delicious. Years ago I used to leave the house and be gone all day visiting churches or places where I was working and I never carried water with me. When I got thirsty I could always find a coconut to quench my thirst.

Watermelon tree?

Did you ever see a watermelon tree? Have you ever heard of one? Probably not as they do not exist. This is a picture of a Calabash tree with two gourds hanging from it's branches. Under King Henry Christophe, Haiti's only king, they were so valuable that they used them for currency. Today, the Haitian money is still listed as gourds or gourdes. $5.00 is 25 gourdes, $10.00 dollars is 50 gourdes,m $20.00 is 100 gourde and so on. We have a lot of fun with first time visitors showing them our "watermelon trees."

Mommy's trip delayed

Everyone here is disappointed that Mommy won't be coming home tomorrow. Things beyond our control such as flight cancellations and overbooking has delayed her trip home until Wednesday the 13th. Though we were so looking forward to seeing her tomorrow, I have learned over the years to not question events that befall us. You can find patience and understanding if you believe in Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." So with that in mind we will be looking forwarde to seeing her next Wednesday.

My little friends

God is so good to me. Bugs hang out around a light and therefore present a problem in your home. However, there are enough cracks in my house that "my little friends" come in and control the bug and mosquito problem. Here you will see one of them, a tiny lizard, as he is keeping my room bug free. I do not have to feed and water them and they come and go as they please. A tiny four legged blessing that God has sent to make my life better and I thank Him for it.

Mommy is coming home.

Every one here will be looking up in the sky on Thursday as Mommy is expected to return. While everyone here will be excited and happy to see her, I know that there will be those in Atlanta that will be sad to see her leave. She makes our home here complete and without her it just doesn't seem right. Pray that she will have a safe trip and arrive home feeling good.

Renerlande

My little "Haitian" sweetheart Renerlande is shown here as she looked when she returned from a wedding last Thursday. She has a special place in Poppa Bob's heart. She will climb the hill several times a day to help me around my place. One time I asked her what her favorite food was and she replied, "Cornflakes." That is a special treat here as they are quite expensive once you figure in the powdered milk and sugar as well. Poppa Bob has them for the kids as often as he can as nothing makes me more happy than to fill their little tummies with good things.

Oui or no

This is my pig and the only livestock I own here in Haiti. I purchased her about 6 months ago and was planning a feast when Mommy came home from the Hospital. Well, Mommy is coming home on the 7th. and now I don't know if I will have the courage to slaughter her. How could you not get attached to a face like that. Some people said she was ugly but maybe I have been in Haiti too long as she looks pretty good to me. What do you think?

Exampt's little tent

Would you like to do something today that you would feel good about? Here is someone you could help and not only would it make you feel good, but you could help change a life forever. Exampt is a good little Christian boy who lives in a little tent out behind his Mother’s house. His Grandparents are deep into Voodoo and his Grandmother is a Voodoo priestess. His Mother, who is very ill, is not able to send him to school. He came to me this morning and told me that unless he pays for his school tuition he will not be able to take his examinations and consequently lose everything he has struggled for this past year. The past month has been difficult for me and I do not have the money to help him. He needs $50.00 to finish out this semester. If you would like to help him you must do it this week end so he can go back to school this coming week. If you would like to help please email me at: missionarybobjones@hotmail.com

Birthday

Today is Exampt's birthday. He is now 16 years old.

Happy Birthday Son.

Mirlande's New Baby

Here is a picture of Mirlande's new baby girl born just this morning. She was about 6 hours old when this picture was taken.

Updates

Mirlande .... The latest report is that she is coming home with a new baby girl. Though it is not confirmed I believe that both mother and baby are doing just fine.

Joyce Mitchell ... She is in St John's hospital in Joplin, Missouri. She has been taken off the respirator and moved from ICU to her own room. This is a miracle from God and we are asking you to believe with us for her complete healing.

Mirlande

Remember Mirlande? She is the young lady next door who is such a prayer warrior and full of the Holy Ghost. She is the one who spoke the words to me, "Pastor Bob,they are just things." (see previous post January 28th. 2011) I want you to remember her in prayer this morning as she went into the hospital this morning to have her baby. I know she needs not only our prayers but help as well to help her pay some expenses. Every penny you send will be given to her for this purpose. Please let God speak to you heart as she is such a precious person that loves God with all her heart. Let me know in the comments and I will let you know how to send it.

Wilson, Then And Now

When Wilson came to us a few years ago he had just lost his mother and father and had no where to go. Taken in by some people who used him to get mone for their own needs he was scared, hungry, had never been to school and knew nothing about prayer. Now he is a great little prayer warrior and is happy all the time as this picture that was taken of him yesterday shows. Before he goes to bed at night he comes to me and we say our prayers together. He is a precious and sweet little man whom Poppa Bob Loves very much.

In Need Of Prayer

Joyce Mitchell a dear friend of mine whom I have known for over 50 years is lying in the ICU unit of the St. John's Medical Center in Joplin Missouri this morning on a respirator. I am praying and believing God for a complete recovery. I am asking you to stand with me in prayer for her as our God is a God of miracles. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family as well.