Happy New Year

Dear Friends and Family: Happy New Year! We hope that 2013 is off to a good start for you and that you are experiencing God's blessings. We had a nice break between the holidays. Zach got a chance to make a dent in his to-do-list by painting the bottom level of our rented house. It looks a lot better.  Sharon led the children Quisqueya Chapel, our church home in Haiti, in a Christmas pageant which was very well received.  We did some gardening and spent time with the kids as well (who got pretty board without having to go to school for two weeks). We also took a trip to Jacmel and spent two days at a beach hotel. This was a great opportunity to relax and we went out to the Cayes Jacmel beach, which is a nice strip of sandy beach just east of Jacmel.  We have a prayer request to mention as well. Zachary has been having a lot of problems with his left eye and has developed a condition called anterior uveitis which is inflammation of the iris and surrounding tissue. This can be a serious condition that can cause permanent loss of vision. We don't know why this has happened, but it could be a infection that Zach developed in December that, though long since disappeared, has caused the inflammation. Please pray that the course of treatment prescribed by the ophthalmologist here will be effective (high doses of steroids to lessen the inflammation response).  Also, pray for patience as the quality of Zach's vision has been degraded considerably and it is difficult to even write this blog, read and do other work-related activities!  Thanks for your prayers.