tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82636484721063051192024-03-27T16:55:00.861-07:00The Sheppard Family~Living and Loving Haiti Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11584244552979131683noreply@blogger.comBlogger181125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263648472106305119.post-38972750937155855552024-02-05T13:56:00.000-08:002024-02-05T13:59:38.685-08:00Happy New YearAs we enter the new year, I wanted to provide a brief update on our family and also take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support and generosity towards A Chance to Dream.In recent months, Ron, the children, and I have completed the emotionally challenging task of packing up our family home in Haiti and have safely returned to North Carolina in the United States. Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11584244552979131683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263648472106305119.post-88594943594219185002023-10-10T12:04:00.002-07:002023-10-10T12:04:16.961-07:00A New Chapter Hello! It’s Keely again with an update on the Sheppard family's journey as they navigate a period of transition, alongside Linda's ongoing health challenges.After a return to Haiti to pack up their home and the gymnastics school, Linda has safely returned to the United States. Her journey was marked by unexpected twists, as her back deteriorate in Haiti and had to divert through the Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11584244552979131683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263648472106305119.post-82126988860099400792023-07-31T06:07:00.003-07:002023-07-31T06:15:41.507-07:00The Sheppard Family TransitionGreetings! My name is Keely, and today I'm honored to share an update on behalf of the Sheppard family. Recently, I've been in close contact with Linda, offering my support as she faces the incredibly challenging transition of leaving Haiti and returning, full-time, to the United States. Having experienced a similar move myself, I understand the difficulties involved, and my aim today is to Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11584244552979131683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263648472106305119.post-19161371063738719372023-05-04T14:26:00.000-07:002023-05-04T14:26:50.508-07:00Therapy in GuatemalaYes, we are still very active in Haiti. We have not given up HOPE for the people of Haiti and we appreciate everyone's continued prayers for the unrest and continual crisis in the place we call home. We would like to give more updates, but it's very depressing and continues to get worse and worse. Please keep praying for our staff in Haiti, their families, and that they will be safe. We still Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11584244552979131683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263648472106305119.post-54269413124201671832022-12-31T17:54:00.000-08:002022-12-31T17:54:50.451-08:00Trusting in Transitions
The Sheppard Family December 31, 2022
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Time sure has flown. It has been almost ten years since our family moved from Oregon into Haiti. Little did we know what the Lord had planned! We Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11584244552979131683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263648472106305119.post-85727993771350773202022-10-03T21:39:00.000-07:002022-10-03T21:39:09.906-07:00Oh Haiti, My Heart.... County of ExtremesI don't even know what to say at this point. Just when we think it cannot get ANY worse, Haiti just goes downhill even further. I have been traveling to Haiti for nearly 20 years. I began working in Haiti way before our five Haitian kids joined our family. In fact, I remember families that I was working with would ask if we would Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11584244552979131683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263648472106305119.post-65928372919606945552022-07-04T17:52:00.000-07:002022-07-04T17:52:40.526-07:00Documents and Dogs We have made it half way through 2022. Sometimes, this is all we can ask. The year seems to be going fast in some respects and very slow in others. Linda has been in Haiti and I have been in North Carolina with the kids. Linda has been working with the gymnastics kids to get them ready for the trip to compete in the US, however the trip has been delayed due to Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704986938197682263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263648472106305119.post-35392551942820664472022-03-31T05:37:00.001-07:002022-03-31T05:40:44.965-07:00 We are quickly approaching the end of March 2022. How time flies. Linda and I continued to trade places for the first part of 2022. I was fortunate to be in the US to watch the Super Bowl. That was a treat for me. I was also able to see Maliya on her birthday. Linda was able to be with the kids for New Years and Valentines. As we finish March,Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704986938197682263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263648472106305119.post-29995371705077234572022-03-09T07:56:00.000-08:002022-03-09T07:56:14.195-08:00Better Late then Never To all of you who follow our happenings here in Haiti, we apologize for the lateness of this year-end post. The last Quarter of 2021 was crazy for us. Due to the security concerns and difficulty in getting supplies (mostly food, gas, diesel, propane) we decided to evacuate the kids to the US. They are all in North Carolina and Linda and I have been trading back and forth Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704986938197682263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263648472106305119.post-77589757639197137112021-10-01T17:27:00.000-07:002021-10-01T17:27:31.835-07:00Wow, a lot happening. I can't believe it is October.As many of you will remember from our last blog post, the president of Haiti was assassinated on July 7th. This created a power vacuum, with no clear direction for the power to be assigned to a successor. The acting Prime Minister had resigned (or terminated...not sure) and the president had appointed a replacement, however he had not been sworn in. The next person in the Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704986938197682263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263648472106305119.post-40334586353291504382021-07-07T19:26:00.001-07:002021-07-07T19:26:56.796-07:00Haiti Politics Good Evening everyone,Today has been a very busy day, with not much accomplished. Since I first looked at my phone a 6 am, I was jolted awake. Most mornings I have no messages or advertising from Digicel (the cell phone service provider). This morning I woke to multiple messages. Most only saying "have you heard?" or "don't leave your house". This wakes you up Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704986938197682263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263648472106305119.post-52318754285868411022021-07-01T09:20:00.000-07:002021-07-01T09:20:28.049-07:00Cars, Covid, and KatanasIt seems the cars are on a rotation. As soon as one is fixed another breaks. A couple of weeks ago Linda called me from across town because her car would not start. I packed up some tools and a tow strap to come to the rescue. After checking for a spark and gas I realized the fuel pump was not working! I checked the fuses and relays (which all worked). It was Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704986938197682263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263648472106305119.post-14529136651905051562021-04-03T12:44:00.001-07:002021-04-03T12:53:44.885-07:002021Better than 2020?Like just about everyone, our hope for 2021 to be better than 2020 was high as the year began. Since this year began, we have seen some of both. With God all things are possible. The US government is now requiring a negative covid test to enter the US. Haiti has been requesting negative tests for a while, but has begun requiring them for entry into Haiti. There Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704986938197682263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263648472106305119.post-55459044257347594202021-01-01T06:36:00.000-08:002021-01-01T06:36:25.455-08:00New Year New Haiti ? As we wind down 2020, many thoughts to look back on and many more for the future. In the beginning 2020, the kids were in Oregon and Linda and I were trading places every few weeks. The kids and I spent most of the year in Oregon trying to get back to Haiti, before finally arriving in August. Once we arrived, most of my time has been spent repairing things that had issues; Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704986938197682263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263648472106305119.post-85440347151265205812020-12-19T12:00:00.000-08:002020-12-19T12:00:00.558-08:00Haiti "Normal" I just thought I would share a few observations about "normal" life
in Haiti. This is by no means comprehensive, just a few thoughts.Driving
In Haiti: As more of our kids reach driving age, we face the dilemma
of deciding whether or not to teach them to drive in Haiti. In addition
to the normal driving lessons to consider (which is already enough for
any parent), we also Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13704986938197682263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263648472106305119.post-8206438538473568752020-10-08T10:11:00.000-07:002020-10-08T10:11:21.260-07:00We're back in Haiti and getting settled! Boy, are we glad to be back too. Don't get me wrong, it was wonderful to spend so much time in the States especially for the holidays. Still, Haiti is home now and Dorothy was right; "There's no place like home". True, we got back almost two months ago...but we're still a lot of people so getting back into the groove takes some time. WhileLindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11584244552979131683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263648472106305119.post-28887128563075515552020-08-04T08:08:00.000-07:002020-08-04T08:08:21.722-07:00Last November Linda and I decided to bring the kids to Oregon, due to
the growing unrest in Haiti. Linda and the kids arrived expecting to spend a
few weeks waiting for the protests to pass. Then we traded locations
back and forth for the first few weeks (keeping one of us in Haiti). It was great for the kids to
spend Thanksgiving and Christmas in the US, especially since Naomi Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11584244552979131683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263648472106305119.post-81239905795240759282019-03-15T20:24:00.000-07:002019-03-15T20:24:30.479-07:00Midwife TrainingGreetings !
Living in a rural village like Sonis or Belot means you don't have easy access to basic medical care. Sonis, Nouvelle Terrain is a 3 hour hike from the nearest road (well, maybe a 4.5 hour hike if you're carrying a bunch of stuff....or you're Dad). We sometimes have mobile clinics to provide medical care in rural areas of Haiti. Sometimes we have trainings about the importance of Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00697863849629004159noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263648472106305119.post-83034545501853337162019-03-06T09:53:00.002-08:002019-03-06T17:30:34.968-08:00Our Work in Nouvelle TerrainWoah, life's been busy since I've been gone. Hi everyone, my name's David and I'll be writing a few blog posts to update you on the goings-on here in Haiti :) Looks like the last post was about the volcano erupted in Guatemala and Linda (Or, as I call her, Mom) went there to help with the relief work. That was last June ! Sorry for the long wait between posts...I'll try to get the next one out Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00697863849629004159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263648472106305119.post-40705259427631208282018-06-04T14:06:00.001-07:002018-06-04T14:06:02.758-07:00Devastating Volcano in Guatemala
On Sunday morning, Volcan de Fuego in Guatemala erupted 30 miles from Guatemala City, the capital of Guatemala. It's been devastating for the country with crops burned, people buried and or cut off from rescue parties, and lives lost (ABC News article covering the eruption).
The Chance to Dream has been working in Guatemala to promote education, provide medical services to remote areas,Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00697863849629004159noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263648472106305119.post-62723794215229382172017-12-30T08:57:00.000-08:002017-12-30T08:57:02.946-08:00Eight "Teens" is Enough
Julia with Billy's niece
November was National Adoption Awareness month and as our life functions, we are generally a couple of months behind with just about everything in life! I can honestly say, we have been blessed to be the parents of 14 children, 12 of whom joined our family through adoption.
Domestic Adoption: Kenneth (24), Julia (19), Talitha (17)
Talitha with Naomi
Kenneth
Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11584244552979131683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263648472106305119.post-32240062283207172652017-12-15T13:06:00.003-08:002017-12-15T22:15:28.379-08:00What's Up, Doc ?
I'm sorry that I don't get around to posting on the blog very often. It seems as though we're only posting when we travel or something...just from time to time. Life is a bit hectic and looney sometimes. We haven't been great at just posting the day-to-day happenings in Haiti. It feels somewhat cold and distant to pull out a phone and snap pictures with the people we're around day-in and Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11584244552979131683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263648472106305119.post-76937842155265744062017-10-07T13:15:00.001-07:002017-10-07T13:15:43.079-07:00Juggling Multiple Roles as a Missionary
Office in Petionville, Haiti
Hmm...people keeping asking me to outline what a "typical" day in my life looks like. Oh my gosh. It kinda makes me want to laugh because I don't know that there is a "typical" day in my life or a "typical" day in the life of really anyone that lives in Haiti, or a typical day in the life of a missionary, but I'll give it a try.
Our life is very complex. We wear Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11584244552979131683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263648472106305119.post-48672908706248846572017-09-11T06:54:00.003-07:002017-09-11T06:54:57.511-07:00Naomi's milestone and oursAs any parent can tell you, there are certain milestones in the life of your child that are more difficult than others. First words, and first steps are joyous occasions, but happen at unexpected times with little to no warning. Other times are well planned, like a wedding. One of the most difficult days for a lot of parents is the first day of school. For many children, Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11584244552979131683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8263648472106305119.post-25854595550477724692017-09-07T08:32:00.000-07:002017-09-07T08:32:46.480-07:00Hurricane Irma PrepAs I sit here typing this, we are waiting for the arrival of Hurricane Irma. The traffic is much lighter than normal, and a strange calm. I have seen reports of the devastation this storm has already caused. They are reporting that this is the most powerful hurricane to ever come out of the Atlantic. The last report I saw, it has sustained winds of 180mph and gusts to overLindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11584244552979131683noreply@blogger.com0