This has been a year of the unexpected for many of us. We never expected to be spending the summer in the states and working remotely to keep things moving forward in Jacmel. We have so much to do as we constantly plan and implement next steps to equip and prepare the kids on our campus for next steps in life. As you can imagine, this is a constant process of evaluating the past and making adjustments for the future. We’re thankful for video meeting capabilities and other forms of technology to keep us connected and moving forward!
Haiti is still dealing with the Covid-19 virus and continues to restrict travel into, out from and within the country. There are some flights scheduled most weeks to allow people to leave Haiti, and after several months with a travel ban into Haiti, there’s talk about opening the airport again. The requirements for those traveling into the country are not clear yet, but we’ll be watching for opportunities to return.
We left Florida in early June and drove to upstate New York, with a few days in Tennessee along the way. Denise was able to see the doctor she’s been working with for a few months, and we stayed with Randy’s brother and his family. The Spring and early Summer chill had finally left New York by the time we arrived, so that wasn’t too much of a shock to our systems.
Denise’s health has improved slightly over the last month, but she continues to have a mixture of good and bad days. She’s still taking a variety of supplements to improve liver function and eradicate any parasites that she may have. She’s supposed to have further parasite testing and perhaps some medication to further eradicate them. This continues to be a very long road to recovery, but we’re trusting that God will heal her in the coming months.
Our staff in Haiti continue to operate successfully without us there. We meet with the Jacmel admin staff regularly, with Zoom meetings nearly every morning for daily check-ins and guidance, and we have planning meetings throughout the week. The work must go on! We’re continuing to plan and implement changes to better prepare the kids in our care for adulthood in Haiti. There are constant challenges and changes that we have to deal with from afar, resulting in many hours of meetings every week. We’re so thankful for technology and for the stability of the solar & battery system on our Jacmel campus! I’m sure many of you remember that we had significant issues with power the first year we were there, but the updates and improvements that were made have provided a solid foundation for working remotely.
During our time stateside, we’ve been staying with family near both coasts of Florida and now in upstate New York. We’re so thankful to have places to stay during our unexpectedly long stay i the States. Soon after arriving in the Rochester area, we enjoyed a few days at a cottage on Canandaigua Lake at LeTourneau Christian Center. We enjoyed the opportunity to work at this beautiful lakeside facility and to visit with friends and faithful supporters in the area. For those of you in the Rochester area or surrounding region, we’d love to get together to give you a more personal update. We don’t have a date for our return to Haiti yet, but whether you’re wearing a mask, socially distancing, or both, we’d love to get together while keeping our distance.
We know that this year has been a challenge for many people. We’re thankful for the faithful prayer and financial support from so many people, especially during this challenging time. We appreciate the sacrifices that each of you make that allow us to work in Haiti to give our kids opportunities for a more promising future. We pray that God continues to bless you as He has us. Our expenses in the States are a bit higher than when we’re in Haiti, and we’ve been blessed with some special gifts to help us get through this time. If you fell lead to partner with us or make a special gift, you may do so by going to https://handsandfeetproject.reachapp.co/projects/the-mcgarvey-family.
God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
– 2 Corinthians 9:8