UPDATE DEC.11/2010

I will be speaking in Assiniboia, Sask with Pastor Terry at the Apostolic Church Sunday morning.


Champions of Change update. CONNECT with Mark Kelly will be running a special about
each of the finalists Monday evening the 13th at 8 PM Eastern time on CBC. If you
have not had a chance to vote go to www.cbc.ca/change/vote2.html

CHOLERA OUTBREAK IN HAITI: REPORTS THAT I HAVE BEEN GETTING IS THAT IT IS GETTING WORSE EVERY DAY... OVER 100,000 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INFECTED WITH HALF OF THEM IN HOSPITALS...THOUSANDS HAVE DIED... WHOLE FAMILIES OF 8 TO 10 ARE ALL IN THE HOSPITAL... THEY HAVE CLOSED THE BOARDER TO THE DOMINICAN AND FLIGHTS ARE GROUNDED FROM LEAVING HAITI..STILL TO DANGEROUS TO TRY TO ATTEMPT TO GET TO THE AIRPORT EVEN IF FLIGHTS WERE ABLE TO GO... MOST PEOPLE DIE WITHIN 2 TO 3 HRS. ONCE THEY ARE IN CONTACT WITH THE CHOLERA... IT IS MUCH MORE CONTAGIOUS THEN THE WORLD HEALTH HAD PREVIOUSLY PREDICTED...
THEY ARE IN DESPERATE NEED OF INTRAVENOUS WATER AND CLEAN DRINKING WATER... ONE OF THE WAYS THEY ARE TRYING TO STOP THE SPREAD OF CHOLERA IS BY NOT ALLOWING THE FAMILIES TO TAKE THEIR DEAD RELATIVES TO BE BURIED...THIS PREVENTS THE FAMILY FROM contacting CHOLERA FROM THE DISEASED...THIS MAKES IT VERY HARD ON THE FAMILIES TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH NOT BEING ABLE TO GIVE THEIR RELATIVE A FAMILY BURIAL ... EMERGENCY SHELTERS HAVE BEEN BUILT IN MANY PLACES TO ACCOMMODATE AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE AS THE HOSPITALS ARE FILLED TO THE RAFTERS.... PEOPLE HAVE TO TAKE THEIR OWN BEDS AND BLANKETS TO THE HOSPITAL OR SHELTERS AS THEY HAVE RUN OUT OF SPACE, BEDS, BLANKETS AND HEALTH CARE WORKERS... WE KNOW OF SOME SCHOOLS THAT HAVE CLOSED AS SOME OF THE CHILDREN HAVE DIED OF CHOLERA THAT WEre ATTENDING THESE SCHOOLS.... NONE OF THESE SCHOOLS ARE ANY OF OUR locations.... WITH ALL THE RIOTING AND KILLINGS THE COUNTRY IS ON THE VERGE OF A CIVIL WAR...
PLEASE PRAY FOR HAITI, HER PEOPLE AND ALL THE RELIEF WORKERS THAT ARE RISKING THEIR LIVES TO BE THERE TO HELP THESE PRECIOUS PEOPLE... IT IS ONLY A SMALL PORTION OF THE 9,000,000 PEOPLE THAT ARE CAUSING SUCH DESTRUCTION ...

WATER PURIFICATION SYSTEMS UPDATE

Water purification systems are still needed...Received a report from New York with
the following information.....If you feel you can help with funds to purchase some
of these desperately needed water purification systems, please drop me an e-mail and
I will give you instructions how you can help....Check out their web site when you
get a chance...It works out to less than .02 cents per gallon of purified water...
This will save thousands of lives.....The cholera has spread to the south of Haiti
and we understand it is in all the rivers, streams and sea.....
Bob & Linda



A Better World is a New York-based organization which serves the public in a few different ways, from weekly educational, community radio and TV shows to offering high-quality products to support both health and the environment.
We are registered as a supplier to UNICEF and other United Nations Agencies. Our Vendor # is 187358.

We are pleased to now be offering what we feel are cost-effective solutions to providing clean water to the people of Haiti and other areas where clean water is scarce but much needed.

We are working with two Non Profit Agencies, Haitian People's Support Project (http://www.haitiansupportproject.org) and Lifeline Haiti (www.lifelinehaiti.com), in order to prevent Cholera in the schools and orphanages they operate throughout Haiti. Some rural locations do not have Medical Clinics in the event Cholera is diagnosed. Your purchase of a Water Filter on behalf of both Agencies is tax deductible.

Haitian People's Support Project started in 1990 and they have 14 locations providing services to 300 children. Lifeline Haiti started 2007 and have 51 locations providing services to 13,000 children. Both the Jerrycan and Personal Water Filter Bottle will eliminate bacteria, cysts, fungi, pesticides, heavy metals, parasites, viruses (including H1NI and Cholera) and all other microbiological water-borne contaminants and pathogens without the use of Chlorine, Iodine or any other chemicals. These represent a real breakthrough in portable, cost-efficient, water filtration technology.

Waterlocked Village In Haiti Battles Cholera With Clean Water (Video)

JerrycanBlue
The Jerrycan will produce 20,000 Gallons of safe, sterile drinking water. The Retail Price is $449.
We are offering it to Relief Agencies for $399

JerrycanBlue
Special Offer For Relief Agencies
15,000 Gallon Jerrycan for $199

JerrycanBlue
The Water Bottle will provide 6,000 Liters of safe, sterile drinking water.
The Retail Price is $229 We are offering it to Relief Agencies for $159
Additional Technical Information is available at our Website
www.abetterworld.net
Thanks,
Ed Koster,
Coordinator (914) 886-8505

SEASON OF GIVING... DEC. 1/2010

I met this little boy at our Jacmel school....It is his first year of school....He is
unable to use his legs....He walks on his hands and climbs onto the back of his brother to get up the stairs at the school.... For only $1 per day you can change
the life of a child in Haiti and give them a hope for the future....

His name is: Herby PEIRRE JN. DOB: 15 Dec. 99 ... he wants to be a Dr. when he grows up.. his favorite color is blue, he has 4 brothers and 4 sisters... both parents are still alive... just looking at his birthday being the 15th of this month.. it would be such a joy to inform him that he has a sponsor for his birthday...

If you would like to sponsor Herby or any other child.. we have thousands that need help contact... lifelinehaiti@gmail.com

Have a wonderful day..... will you be a blessing to a child in need !!!
 Bob & Linda

UPDATE NOV. 23/2010 FROM HAITI

JUST WRAPPING UP THINGS IN HAITI BEFORE MY RETURN TO CANADA... HAD A VERY BUSY 10 DAYS WITH THE LAST 3 DAYS WITH A CBC CAMERA MAN FOLLOWING ME EVERYWHERE IN HAITI... STILL HARD TO BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING WITH THE CHAMPION OF CHANGE THING.. THANK YOU ALL FOR VOTING.. PLEASE PASS ONTO YOUR FRIENDS TO VOTE ALSO... OVER THE LAST FEW SCHOOLS DAYS I GOT ALL THE PICTURES OF THE CHILDREN AT CHABIN, JACMEL, & SAVANETTE.. IT WILL TAKE A WHILE TO PROCESS ALL OF THEM AND MATCH THEM TO THEIR SPONSORS.. THERE ARE SO MANY THAT STILL NEED SPONSORS... I'LL ATTACH A COUPLE TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE...

I AM SO GLAD TO REPORT THAT NONE OF OUR CHILDREN OR STAFF AT ANY OF OUR  LOCATIONS HAVE BEEN SICK WITH CHOLERA... PLEASE KEEP PRAYING FOR THE PEOPLE OF HAITI.... WITH THE ELECTIONS GOING ON AND ALL THEIR HORNS AND WHISTLES IN SUPPORT FOR THEIR CANDIDATE, THE RIOTS AND THE CHOLERA.. HOPEFULLY THINGS WILL SETTLE DOWN SOON...

THANKS EVERYONE FOR  ALL YOUR SUPPORT.. THERE IS STILL SO MUCH NEED BUT THOSE THAT ARE RECEIVING HELP THROUGH THE SCHOOLS ARE SO GREATFULL.. IT IS MAKING A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIVES.. THE PHOTO IS OF THE FIRST YEAR CHILDREN AT SAVANETTE..THEY ARE EATING THE PRAIRIE GLEANS FOOD FROM MEDICINE HAT & RICE.. THEY ALL NEED SPONSORS... WILL YOU CONSIDER HELPING... ONLY $1. PER DAY..PER CHILD...
THANK YOU FOR MAKING A DIFFERENCE... ONE CHILD AT A TIME...
BOB & Linda

CHAMPION OF CHANGE..... TOP 10

www.cbc.ca/change/vote2.html


JUST RECEIVED WORD THAT WE HAVE BEEN NOMINATED BY THE JUDGES OF CHAMPION OF CHANGE TO BE ONE OF THE FINAL TOP 10...

OUR NEEDS ARE SO HUGE AND THE CHILDREN AT ALL OUR SCHOOL LOCATIONS HAVE BEEN PRAYING FOR A MIRACLE.. THE EXPOSURE THIS WILL GIVE WILL BE SUCH A HELP FOR OUR PROJECTS.. THE ONLY WAY WE CAN WIN IS TO HAVE MORE VOTES IN OUR CATEGORY THEN ANYONE ELSE... THEY ALL ARE AMAZING BUT AS I ASK YOU TO VOTE FOR US.. I UNDERSTAND YOU EACH OF YOU GET 10 VOTES.. TO VOTE GO TO CBC.CA AND THEN TO CHAMPION OF CHANGE TOP 10 AND THEN YOU CLICK ON MY PICTURE.. http://www.cbc.ca/change/top10.html ...I AM THE ONE WITH ALL THE CHILDREN GATHERED AROUND ME as the picture above.......

 THE MOST WONDERFUL PEOPLE I HAVE AROUND ME INCLUDING THE MOST AMAZING WIFE AND FAMILY ANYONE COULD EVER HAVE... PASS THE VOTING PROCESS TO EACH OF YOUR FRIENDS.. VOTING IN OVER ON THE 10TH OF JAN..

CLEAN WATER DESPERATELY NEEDED

Here is more information on a previous posting on the water systems. There are pictures on the web site....

Both the Jerrycan and Personal Water Filter Bottle will eliminate bacteria, cysts, fungi, pesticides, heavy metals, parasites, viruses (including H1NI and Cholera) and all other microbiological water-borne contaminants and pathogens without the use of Chlorine or any other chemicals.

Jerrycan These represent a real breakthrough in portable, cost-efficient, water filtration technology.


The Jerrycan will produce 20,000 Gallons of safe, sterile drinking water. The Retail Price is $449.

We are offering it to Relief Agencies for $399

Special Offer For Relief Agencies 15,000 Gallon Jerrycan for $199

Bottle jerrycan-aid-version.png

The Water Bottle will provide 6,000 Liters of safe, sterile drinking water. The Retail Price is $229

We are offering it to Relief Agencies for $159


Additional Technical Information is available at our Website www.abetterworld.net

1200 DEAD FROM CHOLERA OUTBREAK

It has been an overwhelming couple of weeks both back in Canada and now in Haiti...
The death toll is now at 1200 from the cholera outbreak....We have a chance to help with clean drinking water...Contaminated water is the biggest problem...

We have an opportunity to help with a filtering system that will cost .013 cents per gallon to provide clean drinking water to all our locations.....The cost works out to $10,000 for 765,000 gallons of water plus shipping which we are working out as i write this.....These containers have a filer replacement where they can be reused for even less than half a cent per gallon... When you make your donation to Lifeline Haiti please mark on the donation that is is for the water purification system. They have dropped the price in half to help with this project......This is what is needed to stop the spread of cholera....The death toll could go to the hundreds of thousands...
As we labor together.......

UPDATE NOV.12/2010

Just a short note to say hi and thank you to all those in Medicine Hat and area that came and contributed to our fundraiser..... thank you to our friends in Winkler and area also with their fundraising banquet... also to High River Full Gospel Church with your love offering for the children of Haiti.... thank you so much.. your donations are making a huge difference..

Just a short update on something called "Champion of Change" ... our organization was nominated along with over 2000 other names in Canada.. it was announced on Monday that we are one of the top 50 chosen by a panel of judges.. they will announce on Monday the 16th the top 10 of which the public will then vote to determine who the winner will be and the recipient of $25,000. for their charity... watch CBC National for the final 10 on Monday.. First it is an honor to get nominated, then to be in the top 50 is amazing.. thank you to all that nominated us..

I leave for Haiti on Sunday.. as you know I have had to cancel all team for the next couple of months.. the Cholera is getting worse... I have attached a letter I just got from the Haiti Ministry of Health about this situation...

Thank you to each of you for making a difference.. your financial support goes a long way and saves many lives... God bless you.. Bob & Linda

CHOLERA

Latest NEWS

Please visit the Haiti MINISTRY OF HEALTH for cholera updates at : www.mspp.gouv.ht



Haiti cholera toll rises
1 hour ago

More than 650 people have died of cholera in Haiti since the start of an outbreak last month, the Haitian journalist group AlterPresse reports. ...

Times LIVE - 1498 related articles

Doctors advised to watch for cholera, especially in travelers ...
MiamiHerald.com - 2 related articles

Resource: Creole Educational flyer :/pulse/data/img/uploads/Cholera_KR%255B1%255D.pdf

-------------------------------------------

NHAHA-The news of cholera outbreak in Haiti broke in the midst of NHAHA's 3-day conference in Haiti from October 20-23, 2010. (See related press release: http://nhaha.org/docs/pressreleases/Cholera_outbreak_Press_Release.pdf ). Conference presentations will be available on NHAHA.org next week. We are working on the conference Proceedings which will be available in the next two weeks.

We are very concerned about the spread of the disease due to current sanitary condition conditions worsened by the earthquake and the recent hurricane. fear that we might be witnessing one of the worst public health disasters in modern time. Follow us on Facebook at:http://www.facebook.com/pages/NHAHA-NATIONAL-HAITIAN-AMERICAN-HEALTH-ALLIANCE/248642144648?ref=ts . F

NHAHA believes supports the following:

There is, at present, no effective vaccine against cholera. The only way to prevent its spread is to interrupt the fecal-oral cycle of contagion. The ways MSF teams do this include:

* providing health education on how to prevent diarrhea including hand-washing, disposal of feces
* Providing education on boiling water and or setting up adequate supplies of safe water. The minimum quantity required in an emergency population is 10 liters per person per day.
* Provision of soap.
* Providing education on proper disposal of human waste while working on the construction of pit latrines in the whole country. The minimum number required in an emergency situation is 1 latrine per 20 people.
* Begin immediate shelter reconstruction to relocate tents inhabitants
* Begin long term reconstruction of the country's infrastructure

--------__ ____________________-----_____________________________-

OVERVIEW: In 1817, a new and terrible disease moved out of Bengal and began to spread across the world. It caused profuse diarrhea and vomiting, and its sufferers died of profound dehydration, sometimes within a matter of hours. By the end of the nineteenth century it had killed many hundreds of thousands of people across Asia and then Russia, Europe, and the Americas. Like many diseases it was given a Greek name... cholera. The word means diarrhea.

Now, at the end of the 20th Century, the world is being circled by the seventh great pandemic of cholera. More than 60 countries report outbreaks each year. In recent years, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams have battled the disease in places as diverse as Guinea in West Africa, Guatemala and Peru in Latin America, and Bangladesh in southern Asia.

How cholera kills

The bacteria Vibrio cholerae is excreted by an infected person in the stools and vomit. It can then be spread directly to other people if they touch the patient and then fail to wash their hands before eating. The germ can also contaminate food or water supplies. In the latter case this will cause an explosive outbreak because many people will ingest the vibrion in a short period of time.

Once inside the intestine, the organism multiplies and produces a toxin. This toxin causes the cells lining the intestine to secrete massive volumes of fluid and leads to diarrhea and vomiting. A patient under treatment can lose more than 50 liters of fluid during a bout of cholera.

A person who is not treated will die of dehydration well before this. In fact, death usually occurs when 10 to 15 per cent of the total body weight is lost. In severe cases this may take only a couple of hours.
Preventing cholera

There is, at present, no effective vaccine against cholera. The only way to prevent its spread is to interrupt the fecal-oral cycle of contagion. The ways MSF teams do this include:

* providing health education on how to prevent diarrhea. The messages include hand-washing, disposal of feces and protection of household water stocks.
* provision of soap.
* working with the community to ensure they have pit latrines. The minimum number required in an emergency situation is 1 latrine per 20 people.
* setting up adequate supplies of safe water. The minimum quantity required in an emergency population is 10 liters per person per day. In all of these preventive activities, MSF water and sanitation engineers and logisticians have a vital role to play - just as important as the role of doctors and nurses.

For example, during the floods in Bangladesh in 1998, many thousands of water wells across the country became contaminated by the rising waters. Cholera vibrios were washed down the pump shafts into the water table below. The greatest danger came after the flood waters started to recede, when people went home and began using their wells again. Part of the health education given by MSF teams to villagers was instruction on how to disinfect their wells.
How MSF teams treat cholera patients

Cholera is treatable. The main pathological process it causes is dehydration - therefore the treatment we use is simply to replace all the fluid being lost.

MSF treats many patients using oral re-hydration solution, called ORS. This is a mixture of glucose and electrolytes (such as sodium and potassium). The solution is stirred into a liter of water and provides the correct balance of electrolytes to re-hydrate a cholera patient. It has been said that in global terms, ORS is the most important medical discovery since penicillin.

Many of our cholera patients vomit so profusely that they cannot drink ORS. MSF therefore treats serious cases by putting in intravenous drips. These IV infusions contain fluid and electrolytes. Some patients lose fluid so quickly that they need two drips, one in each arm. Treating serious cases requires a high degree of skill and experience. In most situations MSF teams are able to limit the case fatality rate to less than 1 per cent. http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/issue_print.cfm?id=2390
Why not vaccines in Haiti? Oral cholera vaccines

There are two vaccines
that
give up to 90 percent protection against cholera - at least in the
short term. But don't expect them to get widespread use to contain
Haiti's current cholera epidemic.

Dr. Jon Andrus
is deputy director of the Pan American Health Organization
and a vaccination
specialist. He explained why cholera vaccine isn't the answer to
Haiti's problem at a Wednesday teleconference
.


NPR asked Andrus if the vaccine might be useful in targeted
populations in advance of new outbreak in Port-au-Prince. Such a "ring
vaccination
" strategy was critical in eradicating smallpox.

Andrus explained that ring vaccination worked in smallpox because
everyone who was infected had symptoms. So when a new case or a small
cluster popped up, it meant other people without symptoms were not yet
infected and were still eligible for a vaccine.

But with cholera, by the time the disease shows up, 80 percent of
people are carrying it - but without any symptoms.

"The horse is out of the barn," Andrus says, "so you can't determine
with any accuracy where that bacterium is circulating...You already
have transmission outside your ring."

There are other reasons why cholera vaccination isn't recommended
during an outbreak. It requires two doses in most people, and three in
young children. Keeping track of who's been vaccinated and getting
them back for a second and third dose presents enormous logistical
problems and a lot of personnel. And even with all that effort, it
still takes three weeks at the least for immunity to build in the
body, Andrus says.

The effort to mount a crash vaccination campaign would also surely
detract from other public health measures known to be effective, like
educating people about hand-washing and handing out safe water, soap
and oral rehydration . Such
measures prevent infections and reduce fatality rates to around 1
percent
.

"Measures to prevent and treat this disease are so effective...that we
don't vaccinate our own staff on the ground or staff we're sending
there," Andrus says.

Having said all that, though, Andrus says PAHO is discussing whether
to vaccinate some populations beyond the current reach of the
outbreak.

But one big problem is the supply of cholera vaccine. There may be
only 200,000 or so doses of Dukoral
,
the only vaccine that's been approved by WHO as safe. PAHO is trying
to find out if the other vaccine, Shanchol
, is
available in bigger quantities. (It's expected to get the green light
from WHO, but it's not clear when.)

So there may be an argument for using one or both vaccines in some
Haitians in the path of cholera. PAHO and Haitian authorities will
need to make that decision soon.

For ore about Cholera vaccine go to: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs107/en/index.html

HARD DRIVE SAVED/AND MORE NOV. 4/2010

Good news from the tech at London Drugs.. Apple sent a new hard drive and all my info was retrieved.... what a relief.. today everything will be backed up....

Haiti is preparing for a direct hit from this hurricane coming their way...please pray for their safety.. some 2 ft. of rain could hit the mountain areas which will be devastating in the lower areas..all of our schools that are made of cement will be full to protect the precious people from the storm...there are the dangers of mud slides and streams that turn into torrent rivers... in the past there have been villages buried in the mud slides with thousands of lives lost.. since then they go to high ground when there is an announcement of a hurricane coming their way...

Our banquet on Thursday evening last week was a huge success... sorry we had to turn so many people away as we were filled to the max. of 200... next one will be at a larger facility.. thanks to everyone that helped, Alexa and Crissy doing all the organizing and all the sponsors that donated items for the auction ... this was such a huge encouragement as many more children will be able to attend school this year....
 THANK YOU FOR MAKING A DIFFERENCE.. ONE CHILD AT A TIME......

UPDATE OCT.25/2010

Just after I got back home on the 20th my computer crashed so haven't been able to get to an update.. the tech at London Drugs is trying to retrieve all my info off my hard drive.... I had everything on my computer to do with our mission in Haiti.... will find out tomorrow how much he was able to retrieve.. . our banquet is nearly sold out for Thursday.. not only did we get a signed Saskatchewan Rough Rider Jersey from Keith Shologan but we got a signed Edmonton Oilers Jersey from Steve MacIntyre ... these will be hot items for the auction...

We have canceled all our teams from going to Haiti until it becomes safer not only from the disease that has broken out but the rioting that has been happening... we will probably look at the next teams going down after the Government takes power in Feb.... if things settle down before Feb. we will considering opening it up for teams again... sorry for those that had been so looking forward to going in Nov., Dec. & Jan...

Thank you to everyone for making a difference in the lives of the children in Haiti...

Take care... Bob & Linda

BANQUET ON THE 28TH (SASK. ROUGHRIDER JERSEY)

Just a reminder to everyone about our fundraiser banquet on the 28th.....

Got confirmation today the Pat Shologan family have donated a jersey from the
Saskatchewan Roughriders for the auction at the banquet....It will be Keith Shologan's
jersey #74 an up and coming star in the NFL.....He said many of the players have
autographed it also....Be sure to get your tickets.......

Thanks Keith and your family for your support...

Bob & Linda

Team helping with containers

Just to add to my previous message are some of the children that helped and we so excited to get a cap... thanks again for everyone that helped with the containers.. it is a huge job at both ends ... Take care... Bob & Linda

Update Oct. 16/2010

It has been an amazing time with lots of hard work... the team helped with unloading a sea can today ... what a challenge as the sea cans were unloaded at the port by the custom inspectors and every box was opened and everything examined... the boxes that were made out of wood were taken apart and the boards scattered throughout the trailer... then when it arrived the trailer had to be unloaded at night time at our location so they could pry the sea can off the trailer and then it reloaded still at night time... so going through them was a huge challenge... we have been building shelving to store things inside and have some kind of order.. much has been delivered to the orphanage and schools already but there is still much to distribute... and another container to sift through and organize... thank you to everyone that sent everything they could think of... in the pictures you will see we had help from the children and adults at Chabin... two team members from Coastal Church flew back home today... the rest of the team leave Monday and then the rest of us fly home on Tuesday... more to follow.. everyone is doing great.. no one sick.. thanks for your prayers and all the support for making a difference... one child at a time...
Take care... Bob & Linda

CONTACT INFO FOR TICKET FOR BANQUET THE 28TH

Here is the info to contact Alexa for purchasing ticket for our fund raising banquet for our mission in Haiti...

alexa.gossard@mhcbe.ab.ca or ph. 403-581-6385

Thank you for making a difference....If you are unable to attend the banquet but would like to make a donaation, please follow the instructions on my web site or blog....
Your support is so needed with all the children that want to attend school this year...

Bob & Linda

FUNDRAISING BANQUET FOR HAITI OCT.28TH 6PM

LITTLE ONES LIKE THIS ARE IN DESPERATE NEED OF OUR HELP.. PLEASE WILL HELP MAKE A
DIFFERENCE... JOIN US OUT OUR FUND RAISING BANQUET IN MEDICINE HAT ON THE 28TH...

 Alexa just dropped me a note to say that ticket sales are slow for the banquet in Medicine Hat on the evening of the 28th at the Shinook Village ..

No bid have come in for the paintings I have posted... we are in a huge need financially to open all our schools.. please help get the word out and lets fill the banquet room... 200 seats available ....

Contact Alexa as soon as possible to book your table... please go back on my blogs to get her contact info...

Thank you for making a difference... one child at a time...

Update Oct. 12/2010

All our schools are in session where we have been able to supply some kind of covering with tents or tarps... it has been challenging to say the least... not enough support to pay all the teachers and support staff but we are still working on that... We are in Port au Prince over for a couple of days wrapping things to do with immigration, customs and picking up Don & Linda from Brooks today... I drove our van for the first time and it runs great, has lots of power to get through the mountains... it is a diesel with a 5 speed standard... this will be a huge asset for us for picking up teams at the airport in Port au Prince...

The team has been working hard, painting and building bunk beds... the rains have let off for the last couple of days and have left us with very hot days... around 36 to 38C..

Pictured is a photo of the Coastal team with me on top of the mission house in Jacmel... thank you for making a difference.. one child at a time...

Update Oct. 8/2010

Everyone is doing well ... the team has been very busy... just some pictures show some of what is happening.. the team painted the front of our mission house in Cayes Jacmel... the tents are from Winkler that are so need for a school or ours at Carrefour Raymond where 200 children will be attending starting this Monday...... thank you Winkler team for the tents as they will be used for much needed classroom throughout the country....we put up 8 tents at this location... pictured are a couple of men cutting up a log into planks...they were cutting all day.... and pictures at the orphanage as some of the team got to spend the day there today and a I got a big hug from the children... two more team members arrive from the Coastal Church tomorrow.. we will building bunk beds and painting along with some electrical and plumbing... Don & Linda arrive on Tuesday from Brooks, Alberta......

Update Oct. 6/2010

It was a beautiful day here in Haiti with the temperature right around 36... got to the job sites and got the lumber and paint ordered.. went to each of the job sites to see what parts we needed for the plumbing and electrical... the team got to our Chabin school which is now in session.. many of the children haven't started yet as word has to travel into the mountain areas as they don't have calendar....within the next two weeks the classrooms will be full... some of the children walk up to 3 hrs. each way so it will be awhile before word gets out to their areas... pictures of of some of the children in class...the team from Coastal (Noushin) with some of the children... three of the team speak French .... tomorrow we will start painting and doing some plumbing and a visit to the orphanage... it was awesome seeing the children having a hot meal at the schools today... thanks to each of you for making a difference.....
Bob, Linda & Team

Vancourver Coastal Church and more update....

The team from the Vancouver Coastal Church arrived this afternoon ... first team to use our new 18 passengar van... we were able to purchase this vehicle from the funds we made from the work of our water trucks... this will then continue to earn funds for the high school teachers salaries.. this will generate about $1600. per month profit... the water trucks are still busy and the funds raised from them also goes towards the salaries for our high school teachers... school started at most of our schools today.. put up several tents at some locations that don't have a building to help with having classroom space... more to follow...
Bob & Linda

Update Sept. 30/2010

We have been getting lots of rain the last 4 or 5 days... the pictures attached are just a couple of items that came from our friends in Winkler... what a blessing this has been.. there is much more and I will have more pictures later...

We took two of the team from Minneapolis to Port au Prince yesterday.. I'll take you on the trip with us just to give you a glimpse how things can be down here... we were just leaving Jacmel ready to take the curve to the left onto the straightaway that goes past the Texico when we met a gravel truck, one of the smaller type, that had something under the front of his truck... there were sparks flying and smoke coming from underneath and he had the truck floored as hard as he could go but it was dragging him to a stop... as we got closer to him we could see it was a motor cycle under the front of his truck.. we went about 400 yards and right in front of the Texico was the body of the guy that had been driving the motor cycle... we were the first ones on the scene.... a few people had gathered and the body was twisted badly and he was taking his last breaths.. as a crowd gather some of the young men got tire irons and went to the gravel truck.. the driver had fled because he knew what was coming if he stuck around.. they would have beat him to death if they would have found him... he is probably gone to the Dominican... we had called the police and they arrived shortly after... talking about the police the report is that 650 people have been arrested and are in jail as a result of the police man friend of mine that had been killed last week... just giving you a glimpse of what happens down here...

We spent time in Leogane yesterday and I'll share some of the problems we are having with schools starting this year.. for example in Leogane we had 340 children attending a school in a house that we were renting for $2000. per year.. the house has been repaired since the quake but so many houses are still destroyed so now the demand for housing has gone up to where the rent is now $12,000. for the year which makes it impossible for us to open the school.. we drove down streets where every house on the street was flat to the ground... these were house in the upper class of the city... 85% of the houses were destroyed in Leogane...

On the way back the storms got strong and made the trip through the mountains very interesting to say the least...

For good news we got word yesterday that the Haitian Government is giving us $2500. for two of our schools to help with teachers salaries...this works out to about 4 month salary for the 2 schools...  they are also going to supply some desks...also the Senator from Jacmel  is having a meeting with us tonight to discuss the problems we had at the port with our containers and all the duties and taxes we had to pay..... he assures us we will get some of the money back that we had to pay... we are encouraged by these small jesters and are hoping this is just the beginning of what is to come ...

We must keep patient and keep pressing in to help the children...