Dear Friends,

Last Monday Katherine got home from her trip to the Danda clinic earlier than usual (that is before dark). The old Isuzu trooper eased into the yard slowly, roaring like a truck. I made a mental note it was time to fix the muffler.Jonathan ran out to meet her and help carry in the plastic milk crate that contains stuff she always takes to work: her reference books, lab coat, water thermos, and stethoscope.As they approached, I was concerned that Katherine seemed to be limping, so I went to find out what happened.

As I drew near, I was relieved to see she was not limping. The sole of her tennis shoe was flapping from her heel, forcing her to carefully step very high with one foot in order not to stumble.A dirty strip of cloth hung where she had tried to wind a strip of white cross bandage around the shoe, mid-foot.Flap, flap, flap.

"How was your day?" I asked.
"Oh pretty wild."
"What happened to your shoe?"
"I was using my foot for a brake and ripped the sole loose."
"Using your foot for a brake? How, like the Flintstones in the trooper!"
"No, I was riding a bike I borrowed to get to Danda, and when I began down the first hill, I discovered the brakes were bad."
"Why were you on a bike? Where was the trooper?"
"The trooper clutch was too far gone.There's no way we could have made it up the hills coming back from Danda. Therefore, I stopped in Colonie (the little village before Danda) and borrowed a bike.I pedaled the rest of the way to Danda. You know, you can get to Danda faster on a bike than in a car?The old bike I borrowed didn't have working brakes or gears.I stood up on the pedals to get up the hills, and had to slide my foot on the ground going down to keep from bouncing wildly over the rocks.On the first hill, I must have hit a stump that tore the sole of my shoe loose.So much for Reebok's!"

We knew the trooper needed a new clutch. It had been showing serious signs of wear.We had planned to do the job this week, after the Monday run to Danda.Unfortunately, it seems the clutch was too far-gone already so Katherine abandoned the car about five miles out.The village of Danda is by a river that has carved a shallow valley.As the road descends, it fords two streams, and otherwise alternates from rocky out croppings, to slick mud wallows.

When the car gave up, Katherine had no trouble finding a bike to borrow; everyone along the road knows her. Although the team of nurses and lab techs were with her, she being the most agile (read lightest) took the bike.Since there were patients at clinic waiting to be seen, the sooner the team got there, the better.A couple guys at Danda have little motorcycles that she immediately sent to fetch the nurses and lab techs one by one while Katherine began work.The bike ride reminded Katherine of old times, before we were married.She had spent two years supervising clinics in the Congo, covering an area about one quarter the size of Haiti, with only a one-speed bike for transportation.She and her Congolese colleague often pedaled 30 miles on sandy roads to visit a clinic. They would spend one day traveling, one day visiting, and the third day pedaling home.

So, pedaling into Danda was no great a hardship for Katherine.The real trial was spending the rest of the day goose-stepping around the clinic with a floppy shoe. She tried taping it, but the clinic has only paper bandaging tape, and it didn't hold (It doesn't hold for bandages either!)What worked best was a strip of White Cross bandage, wrapped around a couple times and tied with a bow. So adorned, her sneaker made an impression (!?), but the clinic day proceeded without further delay as the rest of the clinic team arrived on motorcycles soon afterwards.

In God's mission around this world we never know what is in store.An otherwise "routine" day for Katherine produced an unusual set of circumstances leaving her no choice but to borrow a bicycle and bind up her sole to be able to carry on.We thank God for your prayers, and your faithful support for us in Haiti through International Ministries.Your prayers help us bind up our soles and carry on when the going gets rocky.In this World Mission Offering season, we also thank you for your support of the work of all American Baptists and their partners throughout this world.We know times are financially difficult now, but please do your best to give generously to the World Mission Offering under your circumstances, as we are doing our best under ours to reap a harvest for the Kingdom of God.

God bless you,

Wayne, Katherine, Christopher and Jonathan Niles