Now it feels like a bad dream

Hearing the sound of jet plans over our our house, brings mixed emotions; They sound too close to the roar of the Earth Quake so I have the need to run outside; I wonder if my children are on one of them as they are being evacuated with the American Embassy - that brings tears. I am still not able to think in complete sentences yet, so I need to ramble if any news is to be posted here. I cannot keep the days straight, we all keep asking what today is. I realized that yesterday was our oldest son's 28th birthday Happy Birthday Justin! Love you so! We were so busy just taking care of the children and others I did not have time to think - still do not.
I have not had a shower since Monday morning...ewwwww! Maybe tomorrow. We have to run the generator to pump water ( no electricity since Tuesday night) We are using the generator sparingly so to save the fuel, not sure how we will get more.
Crazy long lines - well lines are relatively speaking. Sort of chaos type of lines at the gas stations. Took us three hours to go the four miles and back to the American Embassy, all because of the panic of people to get fuel.
Still sleeping out side... funny story-- This morning at around 2:00 (oh more planes : )) relief??) anyway , this morning we had one really bad after shock, I flew out of "bed" as did many of the others i.e. nannies other adults and older children, small children and babies sleep right through it, okay anyway several of us are up and I tell my son Shane to move his blanket farther away from the house (never know if just one more ofter shock will send it down) At this point my husband gets up, grabs the metal pipe that he has by him 'for protection' and says as he is ready to fight "what what did you hear?" : )) "oh honey, are you going to beat the Earth Quake to death'? We all had a good laugh.
Laughing last night was therapy - and yes we are all going to need some of that. We have two dogs. Larry a beautiful English Mastiff, and Nora and half Mastiff and half lab. They are both so very happy that we have now decided to join them outside to sleep. So much so that they want to sleep with us, right next to us, on us and lick us and sniff us all night long : )) We love Larry so much he is very sweet dog, but so large and he has no idea of 'personal space' he really is Haitian.
We needed to laugh and we did until we hurt.. Thanks Larry and Nora!

We started out first thing this morning, Don I and Jaeda looking for our dear friend Pastor Firom and his family. They do not live far from us and with cell coverage out we had no idea if they were okay.

We found their home but could tell know one could live there. We asked around and a women took us to them. He and his wife and four children with others were 'living' under a small tree, spending the nights in the bed of their tap tap (pickup) So happy to see us, they ran and gave us big hugs. This is common, we found even strangers ask how are, how our children are- a real since of community, we have survived, we have something in common. We helped them our with some money to buy some food and water. He will have to completely rebuild his home - how will he do that? He has no job that pays, his Church is not able to pay him. Pray for Firom and his family.

Several of the nannies and others that work with Heartline have lost their homes. Several we have not heard back from since the first night, maybe they returned home to so much disaster and pain. maybe they feel they have no where to go. We will look for them and see how we can help.

Next we will start handing out food and water, and accessing what is next. But now it is time to settle down for the night, under the stars and the sky now filled with planes. I love you Jaeda, Shane, Trent and Joey. I hope you are on one of those planes - off to safety. Maybe now I have time for a good cry.

The Earth Moved

Do not have the time or emotions to write much but here are some thought.

Don and I had been in 'town' had intended to drive down in the area that was hit the hardest. I said hey lets take this road - we were having fun being lost. Saved us from being there at the wrong time.
We were going to go out to dinner (our daughter Jaeda is here) We got home about 10 min. before it hit. We did not have time to leave again and be away from home stuck.

Never felt anything like it. The whole house moved. Everything on the floors, broken. We got out side, even thought I had been changing my clothes and had nothing on...grabbed a dress as I ran out - screaming Yes I am a screamer.

The whole city seemed to be in a cry. Dust everywhere.
Then the ofter shocks.
Everyone out of their homes, many singing - praying, many hurt.

Don and I walked to the clinic, but only got to the boys home where every wall was down. all the children were safe.

girls home about the same -everyone safe.

brought everyone to our home - we still had walls, safer.

fed the children crackers and peanut butter, water and layed sheets out on the concrete for beds.
more after shocks.

Trent had a rat stalking him, so he thought, rats are no big deal now.

Of course no electricity.
No running water.

Don is off to see what rebuilding will be like, materials are going to go fast.

Pray for Haiti.

Happy Thanksgiving

Pray that you all have a great and wonderful Thanksgiving day. Our Buxman tradition followed us down here and we are hosting the feast today with at least 70 missionary adults and kids. Since we have no TV and there is no parade here we just might go out to the street and watch people, that is almost as amusing as a parade! We miss all of you and traditions we have back in the states.

Good Eats

There are some very good reasons to live on this Caribbean island, mangos, avacodos, bananas, breadfruit and acra. We love mangos here, they are huge and sweeter than western slope peaches. The avacados are as big as softballs and great to eat just by themselves. That is one avacodo on a dinner plate and I am ready to eat. The mangos are on the left.

We now have a vehicle, it is a Mitsubushi io, not sold in the US but is a smaller version of a Mitsubushi Montero. It will do for now but it is only for 5 people but already we have had 7 in it going to church and I am sure a few more could get in somehow. There are no seatbelt laws here and so we just cram in because of the cost of transportation.

Lisa has had about 7 births since she has been here and Tuesday and Thursday are prenatal days with about 20 women in the program. Word is quickly speading about the quility of care, love and compassion that is provided to these needy women who have never had that type of care and a waiting list is growing fast to get in.

We are hosting Thanksgiving here for some missionary families this year. So far it looks like 75 are going to come. Almost a Buxman family reunion.

Sunday Evening wrestling match by Don

Sitting here getting ready to write and two boys and two dogs, one big and one smaller of each, or maybe all 4 are smelly dogs. We have 2 Mastiff dogs here, the larger named Larry who is 1 1/2 years old and not yet fully grown and a mixed Mastiff/Labrador puppy named Nora. There are here as guard dogs and when clean can come in and out of the house. They do a great job of security just by the site of them, some people will not even come in our gate but wait outside to talk to us. Trent and Joey got into a wrestling match with them and as you can see who the clear winners are.

Lisa and Shane are getting haircuts by a beautician that has here for a couple of days to visit someone and some of the women and Shane go and get theirs done while they have the opportunity. We had a great morning at church, our church here is like the old time camp meetings that I remember going to. Everyone and I mean everyone is singing loud and praising God, it is a great worship time.

We are planning to go look at a vehicle tomorrow and hopefully it will be available so we can have transportation on our own instead of walking or finding rides. Lisa and I will start language classes 3 nights a week also, I was told there is a lot of homework and I want to think my brain is to full for that. But to build relationships with the Haitians, we must be able to converse well with them, so I will streach my brain. There is still a lot of issues with this house that need attention and will try to do plumbing and electrical work in the next few weeks. We would like to have a working sink, it really makes cleaning up easier we have found.

Lisa has really settled in well with the Women's Clinic and doing awesome things. Lisa, Shane, Joey and Corrie really did well surviving in this house with all that went on while I was gone. I will tell more another time what needs to be done with electric and water at this house.

My work here with Heartline will be watching over the three generators and maintenance of them and the batteries and inverters too. Also being involved in the roof top gardening and tilapia fish and the chickens. I guess I am a chicken farmer again! As of right now one of the generators is down and needs the timing belt replaced.

We will be planning over the next months for what God wants us to do with a mens program here. Please be praying with and for us to see what God's plan is to make an impact on these men here that will someday make an impact on the future of Haiti.

Thanks again to all of you that made Trent and my last days in Colorado special with your love and support and goodbyes that were hard to do. May God richly bless you this week.

Thursday - prenatal day click on pictures to enlarge

All of these women are so special! Nicole (below) will need to have her baby in a hospital because of her previous C.section. She would love to have her baby at the clinic. We love caring for her, listening to her and praying for her.

random pictures Of life here!

This is Clercine, the road we live off. We live in a 'gated' community called Village Theadot. I walk this road several times a week to the Birth center, or to meet up with Beth to run. Sometimes the foot path is just trash that has been packed down. This is where I have seen the dead rats - lovely sight!