July has always been a favorite month for the Lands-county fair, green beans and sweet corn, birthdays and family reunions, and of course the Fourth of July parade. 43 years ago we made the 4th of July the day for our wedding. Wow, how time flies when you are in love!

We just returned from Indiana and are happy to start another 5 months of ministry with CODEP and HFI. Flying isn't as much fun as it used to be when flights were on time, planes didn't break down, and they served hot food. We arrived 4 hours late well after dark. By the time Mimi and Clement arrived to pick us up, we were standing on the curb outside the airport in the dark with our luggage and a big boxed weed eater watching them shut the place down for the night. We were, by all conventional wisdom, supposed to be afraid, but a wonderful warm breeze was blowing, the sky was clear and full of stars, and a nice guy named "Cola" waited with us as our security. Truly, God has blessed us with a peace that passes all understanding. God is so good!

We returned to find L'Acul in great shape. Paul had all the grass cut and Guytau had the garden weeded and planted. Clement reported that the groups in CODEP were working hard on their fish ponds and nurseries. There had been several rains, so the mountainsides are green and not at all looking like the usual August landscape.

The beach kids had spent two days camped out back waiting to greet us when we arrived home. It was a great reunion with them and all the neighbors up and down the beach. The Cadets* could hardly wait to tell us about the concert they attended at St. Croix while we were away. We had arranged to pay for Pastor Gabriel and the group to go to Léogâne to the annual symphony at the amphitheater on the school grounds. The kids dressed up, rented a tap-tap, and mingled among the elite for their first exposure of fine music. We hope to take them to Port au Prince at Christmas time to hear the symphony at the Episcopal School of Music.

We are now preparing for VBS at Siloe School up on the mountain road. A mission group from Virginia will be coming to help with that. It looks like we are on schedule for reaching our goal of 20 cisterns this year. We would like to thank all of you who support this ministry. What a difference a cistern can make to a mountain family!

Finally, we want to thank all who sent condolences for the passing of Kathy's mother on July 7th. She was a special lady who loved and served the Lord with her whole heart. She was ready to go and desired to go while we were close by. Her funeral was a happy occasion for the family. Rick preached the service as she had requested. He spoke about how glorious our reunion with God will be someday for those who love and serve the Lord here on earth. This reminds us of our personal motto for life:

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intentions
of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body,
but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up,
totally worn out for Jesus, and loudly proclaiming
WOW! What a ride!

Love to everyone, Rick and Kathy

* See Flag Day article