We finished off 2007 with a wonderful visit from our family. The grandchildren adapted to Haiti like bees to a hive. They loved the Haitians and were loved in return. Little Molly found a new friend in our neighbor Joanna. They developed a language all their own and never stopped talking and playing. They were there when Rick was showered with gifts on his 63rd birthday.

We all returned to Indiana late on January 1st. After just a few days, we were back on an airplane to attend the annual Haiti Fund board meeting and to speak about CODEP to several churches in the south.

CODEP ended the year with remarkable results. The over 700 peasant farmers planted 140 miles of hedgerows and over 900,000 trees in only one year! We ended our first full year with Haiti Fund with lots of new friends and a better understanding of the goals set forth by the Haitians who make decisions in CODEP. Oh, how we love to go to the monthly animator meetings and listen to the men and women discuss their future. We remind ourselves that we and Haiti Fund are merely the facilitators to help them accomplish their dreams. We appreciate the fact that we belong to a mission that is more concerned about people than projects. Last year 17 families re­ceived cisterns which will drastically change the quality of life for the woman of the house. Other families earned CODEP-built houses. Many, many more were able to put their children in school, buy or rent ground, bury a loved one, or get married because of their involve­ment with CODEP.

Our intern in the mountains, April Lesse, has been a true blessing and has won the hearts of her new Haitian family. She returned with us in January to begin another term walking the mountains and gathering information that will help us know the full impact of the CODEP project.

We have had opportunity to visit in some beautiful churches in North Carolina and Florida that were full of warm and caring people. We stayed in homes that received us like old friends and made our stay on the road so enjoyable. The Haiti Fund board has treated us well and has supported us completely. God has richly blessed our first full year back in Haiti, and for that we are so grateful.