StephenByxbe.com

Yesterday went by so fast I forgot to type a blog. We brought in 400 bags of cement on the new truck, so we spent a pretty good time last night unloading cement. I was worn out.

This morning was a little crazy. I was up and showered and ready early because I had workers all over the place. We are getting the school ready for the kids to come back so there is a lot of work going on. Also, I have 3 different welders working for me right now so they are all working non stop. We are in the middle of building 14 houses right now, with 8 more in line, so it is non stop work all day.

After I got everything figured out at the depot – everyone was begging for supplies – I made it to Cite Soleil to get one of the American teams started. I quickly headed back to Blanchard where clean up at the compound was wide open. I started bashing out some windows in the dorm to allow for more air flow. It was a lot of fun. I had to set up some scaffolding in the neighbors yard and on top of their houses to finish the project, but it was a lot of fun. New windows are in now. We will finish them tomorrow.

Around 9 am we had 30 people join us from Mission of Hope to help paint. They did some great work. We almost finished the primer on the entire 3rd floor. It looks really good now.

We are running a huge shop now. With the new depot we have iron workers, welders, people moving cement, boards and all kinds of things every day. It is fun to see all that is going on. I love working here and seeing everything take shape.

Time for sleep.

Always with Love,
Stephen

I missed my blog last night – due to movie night. That doesn’t happen very often.. so I took part. Bad news is… I slept the whole time.

So for Saturday’s story.

I was riding on the back of the motorcycle. Headed to Terre Noire from the job sites at Ibo Beach. I was enjoying the ride but it was dusty so I was closing my eyes. Naturally – I was tired so I started to doze off. All of a sudden we are slamming on the breaks and sliding to a halt. I am kinda scared but as I open my eyes I see that a cow has QUICKLY jumped from the ditch into the middle of the road. He finally moved out of the way. We were about 6 inches from being catapulted 40 feet into the air! That was pretty crazy.

Today’s random story.

Today we went to church at Cite Soleil. There was an American guy there preaching… IN ENGLISH. This sounds exciting and all, but I think it was harder for me to understand what was going on in English and Creole than just in Creole. The speaker system has so much of an echo and is so loud that it is hard to understand. Also, I am listening in English and interpreting in my head so I was having a hard time following along. It was fun tho.
After church we took a trip to the beach with a group that is here. We stopped at E’pidor and ordered pizza and then headed to the beach. It was a relaxing day off.
When we pulled up at the beach there were 30 UN vehicles there… we all sighed because we wanted to be the only ones there. No such luck this time.
The UN guys told us that the UN is pulling out of Haiti on February 12, 2011. So we will see what happens then.

That’s all for now.

Always with Love,
Stephen

This was my devotion for today. I love this passage, how it talks about God pruning us… even when we produce fruit, He prunes us so that we can bear even more.

1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine dresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

12 This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

As I read this it shows how amazing our God is and how much He cares for us. Our calling is so simple. Love one another… share God’s love. The fact that there is no greater love than this… who wouldn’t want it… when it is right in front of you!! Also, when it says that we did not choose this, but God chose us. He did not only choose us but He commands us to spread the gospel.

I hope that people here can see God’s love through me and that everything I do is for God’s glory, because without Him I can do nothing.

Always with love,
Stephen

Today was a day of coordination. With one of the groups here, they are building a house that has required a lot of time and thought. The trusses for the roof were ready today. They were not exactly what we were thinking so it took a some rearranging. I scrambled to get everything they needed and managed to do it just in time. We hit hurdle after hurdle but the Lord continued to work everything out.

Earlier that day, one of the job sites didn’t have gravel or cement so I backed up Pastor Leon’s truck and helped them move a little bit of supplies so they could continue to work.

This is going to have to be the end of the blog. I just got caught up in a 2 hr meeting so now it is midnight.. I’m heading to bed.

Always with Love,
Stephen

What happened today.

Let’s see… I dropped Pastor Leon and fam off at the airport for their trip. After that it was immediately off to the job sites. I started in Terre Noire, then to Cite Soleil, after that I ventured off to Ibo Beach to check on everything. It was a fast morning… here there and everywhere.

Around lunch time we had a team come in that wanted the full overview of HOM, so I took about an hour and gave them the history. Then we loaded up the car and started visiting all of the job sites. We visited Repatriote and some job sites in Cite Soleil. I then took them up Delmas to see the destruction and also to take them to E’pidor for ice cream. It was a nice get away.

Once we made it back it was time for dinner. Today flew by – so fast.

Off to bed now. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.

Always with Love,
Stephen

Actually… Jordan is here every day. Just thought I would throw that in there.

I am venturing away from explaining the whole day today in this blog. You will instead get a short clip of what I just experienced.

In the states, when it starts raining, what do we do? Open our umbrella, turn on the windshield wipers, or just don’t go outside. Well, I am at Pastor Leon’s house a few minutes ago loading up a bunch of boxes that just got shipped in. We are loading Ronic’s big truck but I am on the motorcycle. As we start to leave and pull out on the main road you see people running like Godzilla is around the corner. The clouds are starting to get dark but these people seem like they are in the movie “The Day After Tomorrow” – they are running like CRAZY…

Needless to say.. the rain is coming.. and I am on the motorcycle You know where this is going. The rain comes pouring down… I am cold and soaking wet, but laughing. All the Haitians are looking at me and staring. It was funny.

Then… on top of this… the motorcycle breaks down. So now we are pushing the motorcycle down the side of the road. The white guy is now making a big scene.

I finally took another motorcycle and made it home.

Feels good to be dry.

Always with Love,
Stephen

Today. Let’s see where to start. Upon waking up it was like I was *still in a bad dream. My name was being shouted from every direction. I tried to crawl under a desk and hide but it didn’t work. “I need this.. I need that.. where is this… where is that… why is this not here.. I need money for this… where am I supposed to go.. what if we get the truck stuck again (ha)…” It went on and on. My answers “I don’t know… I’m still asleep… it’s where you left it.. you had it last… i’m not real sure… I don’t have any money… if you get it stuck just leave the key in it with a note that says Merry Christmas – it’s your problem now!”

Haha.. ok. So it’s not really that bad, but that is what is running through my mind because I am not really a morning person. I got up and got going… played strategy with the group of Americans going to Bon Repose to build the house. Actually my game of strategy lasted 3 hrs. I was worn out afterwards. It was like a real life game of risk.. without the war part.. just the stress.

I had to load up a lot of rebar and drop it off at the welder’s house so he could start on the trusses for the house and then I changed and headed to the bank.

The bank today was extremely busy. Normally I am able to run in and run out in about 20 – 30 mins. Today not so much, but not because of the line! I have become good friends with the people at the bank now so we sat and talked and laughed and had a good ‘ole time. They asked me where my driver/interpreter was. I said he also works as the mechanic so he is fixing some stuff right now. They are good people… so I had a fun time with them today.

After the bank I needed a little treat so I swung by and got some ice cream… I needed it. I had been having a rough morning so the ice cream helped. When I made it back to the compound everyone wanted to go out to eat lunch at a new little restaurant. I said sure.. let’s go. It is like an American cafe. The food was great. Nathan, Byambison, Autumn and I all went and talked for a while and relaxed. It was a nice break.

Pause in story. There is a sour smell that passes through here every now and then that is AWFUL… it’s beyond awful. I can’t even explain… lots and lots of puke.. It is passing through now. I have a t-shirt wrapped around my head working as an air filter.

Back to the story. We made it back to the compound and started working on 400 tickets for Soles4Souls, the group that distributes shoes, because they are coming back next week. It took us awhile to finish the tickets.

That was about it for today. Just a reminder, I am coming home soon. Less than 1 month and I will be visiting the U.S. I would love to meet with everyone, if possible. Hope everyone is doing great! Miss you all.

Always with Love,

Stephen

This morning we were planning on going to an English speaking church up on Delmas.. but at about 6:45am we found out the church we were thinking about isn’t in English. We ended up going to Cite Soleil church instead. After church Pastor Leon, Mrs. Jacky, Nadege, Autumn and I went to lunch. Pumpkin soup… sooo good.

We had a good time at lunch laughing and catching up. I haven’t seen Pastor Leon in a while. After lunch I went with Pastor Leon to look at 6 new job sites in Bon Repose. It is about 30 minutes away. It is gonna be another difficult time working on these houses due to transportation. However.. it will be fun.

Pastor Leon, Ronic and myself spent all afternoon driving around looking at houses. We arrived back at the compound around 5 or 5:30pm. It was a long day.

I am looking forward to a good nights sleep.

Always with Love,

Stephen

O Yeah. They got the truck out of the mud finally.

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This morning started early with unloading the truck. 56 pieces of scaffolding, all the accessories, walk boards, tons of plywood for concrete forms, tools, generator, welder, the list goes on and on. Glad I finished with the depot. Come to think of it… maybe if I would have finished the depot earlier we wouldnt have had any problems getting the truck who knows.

This project lasted quite awhile. I helped facilitate while shipping groups out to the airport and site seeing. After we got everything settled, I headed to the store to try to find something for the cap on a roof in Cite Soleil that the team was finishing. 3 stores later I find something that totals about $400… a rip off is what it is.

I finally got back to the compound and was worn out. I have been trying to GO GO GO.. without getting well first. I sat down for a little while but then I was back up checking on some of the work. I was rapidly draining throughout the day.

I tried to arrange some last minute sand and gravel for the team that just arrived. They are going to build a house for some family members of theirs. All the gravel “stores” were shut down this morning, so we were facing some serious difficulties. I arranged the sand and the miraculously the gravel showed up. The guys called and said they needed 10 bags of cement. I hopped on the hood of the big dump truck and loaded 10 – 100lb bags of cement into the truck. I was getting kinda dizzy and tired… but I survived..I also felt lunch coming back up, but I managed to keep it down.

I got a call not too much longer saying the big truck was now stuck so the dump truck needed to come pull them out… long story short, the dump truck broke down after it dumped the sand and the little dump truck had a problem with the clutch so it couldn’t help. So.. as I type, the big flat bed truck is axle deep in mud – All axles that is – sitting in the middle of the road. As well as our large 14 m2 dump truck. Glad tomorrow is Sunday and we don’t have any work going on!

Other than that, I have been working on updating addresses and getting ready to send out an update. So if you would like to be on the mailing list, please send me your mailing address. Email me at stephen@stephenbyxbe.com

Have a great night,

Always with Love

Stephen