Decompression

OK yes I (Cheryl) am still in Canada for those that did not know. I have had more to pack in than expected so I am here for a few more days.

I can't explain how strange it is to be here. There are many things I notice. The streets are so clean, the traffic orderly, the houses colourful. The people have so much free time.

What I mean by this is, people sit down after supper just to do....nothing! Watch TV, surf the net, share a cup of hot chocolate, talk. I realize that after the earthquake there is not a lot of this going on in Haiti. You just don't do nothing just to do nothing! It reminds me of the story Joel Percy told of the time he climbed a hill in Africa just to see what was at the top. The locals thought he was crazy that he did not have a "purpose" to climb that hill.

This serenity, this lack of concern, this worry free time, is something that I envy, but also something that makes me concerned for the blindness of many. I am not sure if that is good or bad. The bible promises us suffering if we pick up our cross and follow him. It is this fact that I have held on to through the past 2 months and for that I rejoice and miss Haiti.

I have been slowly decompressing over the past 2 weeks. The other day I thought I was ready to take a look at some of the internet videos and news coverage of the earthquake. For 30 minutes I sat glued to the screen and relived the moment. I saw videos of the inside of a house shaking that reminded me of what I went through, I saw video of people trapped in a grocery store which reminded me of my grocery store that collapsed killing everyone inside, I saw video of people flattened by buildings that I knew, I saw people being pulled out of rubble like patients I treated. I saw hundreds die like the stories I have seen and heard all around me. I held it together and went on with my day.

Later that night I was driving home and for no certain reason for no certain rhyme, I started to cry. Not just cry, but weep. I have not wept since I was 16 years old. I wept hysterically for about 20 minutes. I had difficulty catching my breath. I let a lot of anger out but mostly sorrow, pure sorrow. It felt good. I needed it. I still have tears in my eyes as I recount this, but I am slowly healing. It is not over yet.

In Haiti, rebuilding people's lives at Mission of Hope is just starting. We are moving forward regardless of the destruction. We are staying true to the plan of reaching Haiti for Christ.

Just like Job

NEWS: Cheryl will be coming back to Oakville for business next week and she will have a time to "chill and chat" with everyone:

When: Sunday March 21st

TIme: 12:30pm 

Where: The Meeting House 

2700 Bristol Circle

Oakville ON

What will we do: Cheryl will share the story of the earthquake and what the van der Mark's have been through. She will try to have some pictures too. After that we will just hang out and chat......nothing formal (although some snacks are provided). Please if you have earthquake questions or just want time to chat with her, come to TMH that day. It will be hard to tell the story over and over again so this will be a great opportunity to tell it once to everyone who is interested in our mission work and us personally. She would love to see you there.

If anyone has extra wheels to lend for the week, please let us know...and a winter jacket....burr!!

OK now for the blog:

Job 38 - 41 is God challenging Job with His awesome power. Job is a man that God lets horrible things happen to, as a test of his loyalty and faith. We often ask God all these dumb questions about why things happen to us and why God lets things happen to us and others even when we are following God's will. This passage comes after Job asks questions such as this. 

It takes God 4 chapters in the bible to give "Job" a serious talking to!! He "blows" up at Job and everyone talking about all the things He does as God and how dare we even remotely think that He does not have it all together. That we are essentially crazy and big headed to even think we know more than Him with our little tiny human brains. 

We kind of take comfort in this big "talking to" that God gives in these passages. It reminds us that He is in total control. Something that we need to remind ourselves of a lot to keep on doing His work.

We are now back from a well needed break week and back into the swing of things. We have been putting things in place with the help of many people to ease everyone's loads and get into a routine. We have developed a reputation in the greater PAP area of having one of the best medical facilities around and the site development/construction management is crazy busy for Laurens.

Tent cities are everywhere. There is actually a new "town/city" forming not far from here as people look to set up new homes outside of PAP. Most homes are created out of 4 sticks up and 4 across with bed sheets draped over. A terrible thing to live in in the rain. Those that are luckier have cardboard or a tent or a tarp. It is amazing to see the hundreds of people setting up little plots and sheet houses everywhere. It really is the definition of homeless. We do not yet have a picture of our new "city" but this is a picture of a typical tent city in PAP. These are everywhere. 

As far as the kids go, all are doing good and are back in school plugging to the end of the school year. Please pray for Grayden as he is having the hardest time "shaking" the earthquake off. It has helped that we have had no aftershocks for the last almost 2 weeks. 

We are amazed at how God is providing for us and everyone at Mission of Hope. Thanks for your continued support, our hospital and orphanage need it more than ever. There are so many great things going on out of such destruction.

the van der Mark's