Cape Fear Haiti Help

It has been several weeks since we returned from Haiti, and so, perhaps it is time for reflection on what happened there. As you’ve heard, we had a small part in helping distribute Chlorox to fight the cholera epidemic. We had a small part in providing a house for a desperately needy and thankful family. We helped hundreds of school kids with medical and basic health needs. We witnessed the work that the church is doing there, and had a small part in supporting and laying the foundation for future such work. And, of course, the blessings we have received for our meager efforts demonstrate the truth stated in Acts 20:35. It is, indeed, more blessed to give than to receive.

We were also blessed by an opportunity to share our time in Haiti with Bill Glass, the President of Haiti Outreach Ministries, and his wife, Linda, as well as a cadre of long term volunteers. These are dedicated, loving people who have essentially put the rest of their life on hold to do the Lord’s work in Haiti. And, they are not just loving and dedicated, but well structured, diciplined and wise. They work hard to avoid a “handout” approach, in favor of a “helping hand up” approach that results in longer term improvement. Witness, their support of a sewing school. Witness, their policy that those who get new homes must participate in their new homes, to the extent they can, to build “ownership”. Witness, their seminars educating the public about how to avoid cholera. Witness their efforts to teach the public how to avoid problems with latrines by sourcing and using local lime deposits. The list could go on, but the point is this…HOM is an organization that can be depended upon to give thoughtful help for the maximum long term benefit, rather than just a handout. They are a great partner for those who want to help in Haiti, and want to do it with an organization they know and trust.

I’m happy to report that your generosity not only supported our Cape Fear Haiti Help team in our work, it has also made it possible to support HOM in more general ways like contributing to support of long term volunteers and other future teams. Thank you.

And, while our team has returned, the opportunities to help have not ended. One great way to help, that you’ll be hearing more about, is to sponsor a child. We hope you’ll take advantage of this opportunity to help educate a child and make a difference in Haiti, one person at a time. You can find more information about this and other HOM programs at http://www.haitioutreachministries.com/, or you can see more details about our trip at our blog at http://www.capefearhaitihelp.com/.

Port Au Prince, Haiti

Welcome friends. Just wanted to let everyone know I am in Haiti, trying to help with reconstruction. For updates, visit our blog at  http://www.capefearhaitihelp.com/

Papa, Mr Fixit and Haiti Helper

Papa-

Ah, time for some fun. One of the great things about living here in Wilmington is the opportunity to spend time with Myles. So, it's time for a first fishing trip here at "Papa's Lake".



Mr Fixit:
With my new house, I also have the fun of nearly unlimited projects. Here are before and after pictures of a couple of the bigger ones, moving a wall to create a laundry room and closet, and repairing badly rotted exterior doors in the back of the house:




Haiti Helper:
But, probably the biggest thing I've been doing is leading a team on a mission trip to Haiti. So far, that has meant leading meetings, organizing support, communicating with associated organizations, obtaining materials and general preparation. Things like our Applebee's Flapjack Fundraiser. Below are pictures of our team, as well myself, mingling with customers Bill and Catha.


But, in less than 2 weeks, we will be travelling to Haiti for an 8 day working trip. The problems in Haiti are big and well known, and the challenges are big as well. But, we couldn't stand by and watch, when the possibility of helping was within our grasp, and so, we'll try our best to help.

If you've watched the news reports and wished there was something you could do to help, this is your chance. If you want to know more about how you can help, with moral support, prayers or donations, visit our website at
http://www.capefearhaitihelp.com/
For more visuals on the situation there, visit:
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/11/haiti_ten_months_later.html

See you on the other side.

North Carolina, Texas, Haiti

It seems at least a few people are still interested in what I'm up to, despite the mundane nature of most of it. So, here is the latest report.

Since purchasing my house, I've spent a good bit of time getting a few improvements done. But, in between, I've made a couple of trips to God's Country (Texas, for the uninitiated). One, to Houston to clear out my storage and drive the big yellow Penske diesel back to Wilmington to deliver my household goods. Yay, I'm no longer camping! There are even light fixtures and A/C registers in the living room.
Then, we celebrated my parents 60th wedding anniversary with a little party in Rhome. It was good to see everyone from family to friends I grew up with and to celebrate that accomplishment.

As for my time in Wilmington...most things are unpacked and in place! And, I've managed a few projects. I've planted a bit of landscaping and replaced the column on the front of the house, not to mention pounding the front door back into alignment with its opening.

Gail and I doubled up on the insulation in our houses. I procured a new cook stove and repaired the kitchen cabinets so that doors don't fall off when you open them. The biggest project I've tackled, still ongoing, is moving a closet and laundry room back to their original location. This required relocating some walls and doors and adding to the laminate flooring in the den.
I pulled out all the copper pipe for propane heat. It was poorly installed, and propane is prohibitively expensive here. I'm going all electric, at least until I can add some alternate systems, perhaps solar or ground source.I've managed to grow a reasonable garden, despite getting a late start. I've been supplying the whole church with cucumbers for the past month or so. I've been picking more okra and blackeyed peas than I can eat lately. Fresh green beans, zuchini, tomatoes and sweet corn have also been making a regular appearance, keeping me in pretty good supply of fresh groceries. Maybe I should start late every year. And, more exciting things are in the future. I've agreed to lead a reconstruction/medical team to Haiti in November. I'm excited with the prospect that we can make a difference there. If you would like to read more, or are interested in participating or supporting this effort, see our website at http://www.capefearhaitihelp.com/ . All help is welcomed and can make a difference in a devastated Haiti.

Well, back to work. Seems like I'm as busy now as when I got paid.

First Time Homeowner

As several have observed, it has been a long while since I've posted. And, for those who've asked...no, I'm not still in Ireland!

After almost 4 years in motion, I've decided to settle down a bit in Wilmington, NC. After a few months of toying with the idea of developing some rural property, I finally settled on buying a house in a subdivision. I bought a fixer upper, a foreclosure, and have moved in. So, I've gone from world traveller to Mr Fixit.

The work has just begun, but here are a few pictures of the place when I moved in. As you can see, I'm still camping out. Later this week I'll travel to Houston to move my furnishings from storage.

Note, the column laying on the porch.

After a few days of cleaning, my first order of business was to add a new microwave over the stove replace the vent hood which had been ripped out. I'm still working getting a new stove installed.

Then, I decided I couldn't live with the dark green/chocolate brown color of the dining/living area. Here is a picture of the original color and the new one.

And, best of all, according to the government, I'm a first time homebuyer. So, thanks everyone for chipping in on my home purchase.

Ireland

I'm back from a quick trip to Ireland, with Jon, Ryan and Nicole. It was a great trip. We arrived in Dublin on Thanksgiving day, and immediately hired a car and drove north to Newgrange in County Meath. Newgrange is a Celtic burial site from about 3000 BC. Not much is known about the how or why of these sites, which are ubiquitous in the area, but it is pretty amazing to see them rising above the Irish countryside and they are amazingly preserved. Interestingly, the inside of them is built in the shape of a cross, even though they predate Jesus' time here on earth by 3000 years. The opening above the entrance is a ceiling window which lights the inside throughout its 65' length at sunrise on the winter solstice. And, I've included a picture of Ryan, Nicole and Jon as we crossed the nearby river on the way to the site. The river was swollen from recent floods, but it did not affect us.

The next day we drove further north to Northern Ireland, still a part of the UK. There we visisted the Giant's Causeway. These are Basalt columns on the north coast formed when volcanic lava pushed up through the earth, then cooled and cracked into octagonal columns. According to legend, Cool McFinn built them as a bridge to a Scottish Island. When he arrived, he realized the people were bigger and stronger than himself, so he retreated back across the causeway. When the giants followed, he was dressed like a baby, so they thought if a baby was that big, the adults must really be huge, so they retreated across the causeway and demolished it behind them.

We also visited the Bushmill's distillery, the oldest distillery in the world, and drove along the coast a bit while there. Here are some pictures of the area.

Of course, along the way we got to see lots of beautiful Irish country side. Below are pictures of sheep grazing the a pasture along the coast, a castle which partially fell into the sea while still occupied, and the village of Bushmills.

Then, we spent two days in Dublin. We visited the Killmainham Jail, where much of 17th, 18th and 19th century history is revisited. Prisoners there were largely political prisoners who revolted agains English rule, but some were imprisoned for crimes like stealing a loaf of bread. Men, women and children were all thrown in together and they had as many as 2500 prisoners in the prison, which included only 112 small cells, so overcrowding was unbelieveable. One notable inmate was an American sentenced to life in prison, but after Ireland gained independence he was released and later became President of the Republic. They had a problem with disease in jails built in the city at that time, so they built this one outside of town, where they would be away from the population and have a nice fresh breeze. But, it had no heat and open windows and was built of limestone, which leaks heat but retains moisture. Prisoners were given only a light blanket, so you can imagine that disease was even worse here, between the damp, cold Ireland conditions and the overcrowding. Of course they eased the overcrowding somewhat by hanging prisoners on the gallows nearby, or taking them from their death bed to face a firing squad, making sure they were punished before they could die of disease. Here is a picture of a cell, taken through an opening in the door, Each cell was about 8' by 10'.We also visited the Guiness brewery and a Musical Pub Crawl.

Finally, we visited Trinity College and the Book of Kells, a few gardens, shops and churches and had a some nice walkabouts in the city. It was a great trip, if short and hectic.

I'm back in Texas for a few days before heading off to North Carolina and more adventures. I'll try to post occasionally to keep you up to date.

Lost Maples, Cool Water Acres

Today I made my annual pilgrimage to Lost Maples state park. I hiked the Maple trail, the East trail and part of the West trail, a hike of a little over 5 miles.

Maybe the new is wearing off after visiting for each of the past several years, or maybe it was the drought, but the scenery didn't seem quite a spectacular this year. Even so, the weather was great, sunny and upper 60s, and it was a nice hike.

Of course I took a few pictures. After looking at them I realized I should have had my date stamp on to prove that these were new. They are almost identical to ones I've taken before. Honestly, I really did go again. Here are a few pictures from the Maple trail.

Then, the obligatory one overlooking Can creek from the top of East trail.

Yes, it is a bit strenuous getting up there. About 2 miles of the trail looks like this. I've done it before with a full pack, so fortunately with no pack today it seemed a bit less difficult than I remembered.

It was a nice trip overall, but I'm hard pressed to say it was any nicer that strolling around Cool Water Acres. Here is a picture I took a few days ago of my cabin here. You can see why it is so tempting to just sit on the porch.

This is probably my last report from here, but I hope to be back on line with a report from Ireland in a couple of weeks.

Aggies 5, Texas 1

Once again I was fortunate enough to be in the area for the Big 12 soccer tournament, so I went into San Antonio for the semifinal round. It was enjoyable, as always, but this time even more so, as I got to watch the Aggies destroy the Longhorns.

Meanwhile, I've been following Gail and others on a mission trip to Thailand, which I could, and perhaps should, have been on in this time slot. You can follow their adventures at www.hellomaesot.blogspot.com .

Since this is my 3rd visit to Bandera, I'm having a hard time getting motivated to revisit places I've been before. I'm happy to just stroll around the property and enjoy the exercise, views and air.

The weather here has been beautiful. The weatherman remarked this past weekend, that the few clouds we were experiencing put an end to 8 straight days without a single cloud in the sky. Meanwhile, the temperatures were consistently in the 70s for highs, with lows in the 30s and 40s.

With the low temperatures, the trees are finally starting to change. I took this picture of the Medina river near the Bandera city park.

The color now is mostly cypress, with the best maple and red oak colors still a few weeks away. I'm not sure how the recent drought followed by a wet fall will effect things, as I've heard conflicting stories from various people. I have seen fewer deer this year, likely as a result of the drought. But, for the first time in this area, I've seen 3 different flocks of wild turkeys. As you can imagine, they are hard to photograph, but I did manage this picture of a flock disappearing into the brush, taken while heading over to Leakey for a singing at the local church.

My time here is nearing an end, which is probably a good thing. I need a new adventure to get me out of my chair. As luck would have it, I'm planning a first ever trip to Ireland with Nicole, Ryan and Jon over Thanksgiving. So, stay tuned...I'm looking forward to reporting on things I've wanted to see.