ELECTION RESULTS

Sunday May 20^th the federal elections cumulated with a great voter turnout… a whopping 69 percent of the eligible voters cast their ballots to re-elect the ruling PLD party by a slim margin of 51.24 percent. The socialist opposition party (PRD) received 46.93 percent in a very close race and it went right down to the wire to declare a winner.  We encountered such passion & patriotism that was demonstrated in their rallies as we have not seen in Canada for many years.

 It troubles me to read that in the tourist district of Las Terrenes, a small community on the extreme northeast portion of the island a fire destroyed 16 businesses 2 weeks ago, putting 250 people out of work. The cause for the great loss was due to the fact they did not even have a fire truck in their district. The mayor and 27 local firemen have been campaigning for 7 years to receive a one and have used strictly their own resources to do their job.

When I hear that $1.6 million has been spent by the incumbent party on their election campaign but there were no funds available to give this community a fire truck this gives cause for great concern.  We ask that the Lord will bless this government and pray that they will do their utmost to help their fellow countrymen as they rule for the next 4 years without the corruption so evident in the past. The statement heard many times over was that “they could not eat cement….the people need social programs to assist their fellow countrymen, not fancy buildings & cathedrals”.

Charity begins with homes

Our newest village called Zion, which was started in January 2012….is growing again. Through an extremely difficult and long process…Mr. Medina has been able to secure water for the residents of Zion…but we are still waiting for the final confirmation that the electric lines can be installed.

The 20th home was built and dedicated by the most recent team from Toronto, Ontario. They were the hands and feet of Jesus throughout their week….not only on the construction site…but also in their ministry outreaches. Charity begins with homes but goes so much further.

By packing just the barest essentials for the week in their suitcases…they were able to bring over 100 new sheets to be distributed to patients at the local hospital. Many improvements have been made in the last few years at the hospital….an updated children’s ward, new nursing stations and most of the building has been repainted. The patients however, are still responsible for even the basic necessities of food and bedding…which created the idea of giving the patients a new sheet for their bed.

It seems like each week we come…the hospital has implemented new rules for visitors. The hours are now restricted from 10 – 3 daily, and appointments are necessary for groups to visitor…but a guide is also supplied. The latest rule that we discovered was that there is now a proper dress code in place and flip flops or sandals are not allowed as well as children under 16 years old.

All in all…we can see they do have the best interests of the patients in mind for which we can give thanks. Sharing a moment in prayer and giving a kind word would brighten any patients’ day.

Thank you for coming back and making a difference in another family’s life.