Haiti update Mon/Tues

The last few days in Haiti were heavy and long, but probably the greatest days. We went back to clinic Monday at the same church as Saturday (across the street from the orphanage). Our contractor and his son went to the orphanage to work there, while we set up clinic for 2 projects at the church. We saw all the project kids and were done by 3, which gave us time to work at orphanage. We were greeted with smiles and laughter from the orphans. They definitely warmed up to me today—I was playing ball with them, swinging them around, singing songs and playing games. Today was my fun day = love tank full! We had several projects going. Some were doing laundry (still! It’s never-ending with how dirty those kids are). Some doing construction projects (we cleared out the rooms and the kitchen and pantry, so we could make concrete flooring and Lon set up electricity!). Some teaching the kids to wash dishes and clean up after themselves, some cleaning and re-contructing the kitchen, our dietician educating the caretaker on Medika Mamba nutritional supplement and good nutrition, and some playing and loving on kiddos. Side note on kitchen-we found worms, bugs and rat droppings in this area and realized nothing was packaged or put away properly, so we bought storage containers for safe food handling. I can’t believe the progress we made. I mean complete Home makeover! You could see the kids were interested in what we were doing, and excited for the change. I know they can see Jesus in us! I gave one boy my gloves and shovel and he went at it for a while. I think he felt good that he could help. We had the kids retrieving water for laundry and even making clean water (bleach + dirty water). They put it in their water bottles and walked around with them. I think even the workers we hired were surprised by our productivity. The power of the Spirit was in us and nothing could get us down. We stayed late at the orphanage both Monday and Tuesday. There was and is so much to be done! But as I walked through our last day, I was astonished at what had been done. I have some before and some after pictures to remember, we did make a lasting impact. The kids had safe concrete flooring for their rooms and play area, not the rumble and dirt and garbage that was there before. Our contractor set up electricity for the kids!! I don’t know how he did it, but it was amazing! And God said “let there be light.” How those kids got around at night, I do not know. When I was there, I could not stop thinking about how unsafe the living conditions were. I wanted to interject my thoughts and change things to make it a safer environment; but then I realized that I’m not in America. Our standards are not the same as in Haiti. That is the beauty of culture and adaptability. The kids run around and play in dirt all day, some not wearing clothing and exposed to all sorts of things, but are happy and content because that’s what they know. Like I said before, a simple tennis ball or soccer ball makes them happy. I saw a make-shift hacky sack made from potato sack and rice. I thought that was such a cool idea. It’s no Fisher Price, but it serves its purpose. We ended the day, and went to dinner. When we got back to the hotel, another aide group called Merlin, told us of the election. I guess it was that day and the candidate that the people wanted was out. Pastor Bob told us that if the candidate was out, there was going to be political turmoil and riots. Not all votes were accounted for and who knows who is behind the scene. To get to the point, Cap Haitian was not going to be safe and we were flying out of Cap on Wed. We were told to evacuate Haiti from the Dominican Republic Border ASAP. We still had a day’s work left where we were. As the leaders figured out a plan, we started praying. And prayed more. Later that night, we heard that Cap was safe and there was not rioting. Praise God!! Although it could have been fun leaving through the DR, God had other plans for us and wanted us to complete our task. It was very evident to me that God wanted me to trust Him. And He will protect me. Will talk more about tues in another blog.

Sunday

Today was supposed to be a day of rest... Plan was to go to morning church at the project site we were at yesterday and visit the orphanage after. Turns out we have a new Mission of Mercy project at the orphanage across the street. I didn't realize we would be helping start the foundations of building an orphanage and managing it. To be honest, I was excited for a day of rest, but as I heard more about the vision and plans for this orphanage, I wanted to be put to work. A few of us decided to go to church and meet up for work later. We sat in the back pews and watched as the different Sunday school groups read their passages and danced and sang songs. The kids were all very well behaved and engaged. I'm not sure they understood what they were reading, but the desire was there. My translator Rick sat beside me and explained what was going on. As we were singing and praising, I was thanking God for this opportunity to share in His glory with these people, who speak a different language but love the same God. What an amazing God! He is present everywhere. I watched the Haitians raising their hands to God with a thankful heart and wondered if I could ever be that thankful. I wondered how they could see His glory in such a desolate place. And then it hit me...I have little faith. These people have a big faith! They see the big picture-there is a God that loves them and cares for them despite their circumstances. Despite whether they got a meal today, despite whether they have clothing or shoes, despite sickness and poverty, despite a corrupt nation...

The orphanage had a lot of work. There is so much to say about this. I don't really have time now, but I will briefly describe what i saw. There are about 50 orphans living in broken down cement rooms, all being cared for by ONE woman. She makes the meals, does the laundry...We helped with daily tasks-laundry, dishes, cleaning, organizing the buckets of food and food preparation area. We went to the market and bought them rice, beans, oil, vegetables, containers, clothing and shoes. We educated the caretaker on sanitation, nutrition and managing the needs of the kids. The construction part included tearing down a wall and shoveling excess gravel out, in order to lay cement tomorrow. We hired 4 guys to help w the manual labor and our contractor Lon managed them. But we all joined in w the work. We all had a task, and when we were in between tasks, we were playing with the kids. They really took to us today!! They jumped in and were helping out and wanted to learn. Really they just wanted to be with us. God was so BIG today! My love tank was full just seeing the passion and devotion in serving the Lord with a joyful heart. Our translators did not have to work today, but they showed up to the work site with joyful hearts, ready to serve. They are such a blessing. So even though it was a long day, I saw God's hand in every project and every task. I am thankful to be used. Tomorrow back to clinic projects, and work more at the orphanage with whatever time left. Please pray for rest, health, safety, and the ability to everything we need to get done done.

Haiti Day 5

We visited 2 projects today, the last being close to the Dominican Republic border. I recognized it as we pulled up, and remembered how sick the kids were here back in March. Many of these children are not clothed, walk around naked, shoeless and dirty. Could you imagine that kind of life? And they don't know any better. Many of these kids have Staph infections and open wounds on their legs and feet from walking in rough conditions. Tinea has been pretty dominant in this area. (Tinea is like ringworm, a fungal infection usually on the head.) Many were mildly dehydrated, had not drank any water all day and battling cold's. I distinctly remember my last child who had severe pneumonia for who knows how long. She had very little air movement, wheezing, and what sounded like fluid on the right lower lung. And no parent was with her. Dad is in Dominican R and mom works all day. I had to teach the project director how to give her the antibiotic and to drink fluids and take it easy. It was so sad. I was not sure how she was hanging on, but it reminded me of the resiliency of our bodies. She will be just fine. God created every organ and every system of our body, and allows for them to compensate when we are compromised. Amazing! On a joyful note, the 24 hr radioathon going on in the states for Medical Mercy got 50 Mission of Mercy children sponsored, 40 of which are from Haiti. This is wonderful news! Especially after working with sponsored children all week. What a difference this will make in their lives. Thank you for prayers. Please continue to pray for safety. WE moved hotels and are staying in a less safe area with less resources and food not provided. Pray God will provide.
In all things give thanks,
Michelle

Haiti--thursday

It was another productive day in Cap Haitian. We see 2 Mission of Mercy (MOM) projects every day; each is tied to a church community where MOM sponsors and provides for the needs of their children. The first project was in Cap and the second was a much farther away, in rough terrain. The first project was a little chaotic but very efficient for the space we had. We saw about 90 kids in the am and 100 in the pm. The sun was hot and beating on our faces, but we were able to wrap things up quickly with the amount of help we had. Fortunately the flow of things is going well and our team is meshing together nicely. We have 15 team members, mostly medical, but also a dietician and about 6 laymen. And I can tell you the nonmedical have been just as important as the medical. That’s why you need a whole team! I really enjoyed the afternoon group. As we walked in, we were greeted with smiling faces and “bon jor.” It’s not as easy as you think getting a friendly greeting from a Haitian; they are very stoic and proud people. It can be discouraging when you are trying to love on the kids in medical and they just stare at you and don’t respond. It’s amazing how well mannered and mature they are; they have learned to grow up and take care of themselves. But when they get in their environment, you can see the joy and hope in their faces. After we saw all the kids I was able to kick around a soccer ball with them and see how they play. They all took their turns kicking the ball and made sure to include me. It gave me a new perspective. If just a ball can bring this much joy to a village of children, do I really need all the things I have to bring me joy? I think of all the things that make me happy and it’s nothing compared to the joy that comes from community. And that is what I saw today. Kids communing with other kids and loving on each other. Our devotional tonight was about serving God with love and not relying on the things that are tangible or visible. Because as long as we are serving our God with love, He is using us. I struggled with this on the last trip. I didn't understand how I could make a difference when I knew the people were going to struggle with the same illnesses and ailments I'm treating after I leave...and changes in the government may never happen. But the cool thing is God always starts on the inside, changing the hearts of the people, providing hope for the hopeless. And that inward change will produce outward effects....We are moving hotels again, a few hours away. Going back to a project that was very devastating last time I was here. Please pray for safe travels and continued hope. Thanks.

Day 4 Cap Haitian/St Michel

Today was a long day but fortunately my Café Via kept my energy and my spirits up. We packed up and left the university in Limbe at 700 am to head to Cap Haitian for our first project (Project 4) an hour away. Memories flooded as we entered the church where I was just 10 months ago, dealing with the after math of the earthquake. WE saw many refugees and were deeply saddened by their stories. But as Michael recalls many came to the Lord that day. Today was very different, but in a hopeful way. We saw only Project kids (sponsored by Mission of Mercy). Many of them looked well nourished with minimal medical issues. We had the same lay out: cholera education, nutrition assessment, medical assessment and pharmacy. Only 45 kids showed up so we were finished in 2 hours and were able to check into hotel early and get lunch. The hotel is nice—has running warm water for showers and we don’t have to share with 9 other girls. With that said, we were very happy.

The next project was in Fort St Michel, also called the “slums” of Cap Haitian. We went there last trip to meet the Pastor and pray for His church. I remember longing for the resources to help this community, many of which are refugees or orphans. David gave us a tour of their stomping grounds-which consisted of huts surrounded by muddy swamps mixed with garbage and toxic waste. It was devastating! How anyone can live in these conditions I don’t know. But I must say the kids were my favorite group yet so far. The smile on their faces and yearn for touch and attention made me see the kind of impact we make. My translator told me “I like the way you talk to my people.” He said I care about them and it shows and he wouldn’t change how I do it. That is how I yearn to be viewed and I believe that is why God has me here. My gifts may not necessarily be limited to medical, but how I interact and show love. The children of the slums have more joy and more gratitude than any American child would or could ever have. And that’s the reality. It puts my ailments and my necessities into perspective. When I see these children laughing and singing to the Lord, my heart leaps with joy. They can take pleasure in the simplest things. God will reward that someday I know. I have already seen so much progress from the last trip in the kids but also in the flow of the team. The more efficient we are, the better we can care for kids. I have a feeling this week will be very efficient. On a side note, we got to meet the President of Mission of Mercy tonight and a baseball player and his agent. They are here to check in on us but also visit the Dominican Republic MOM project. I talked with him for a while at dinner and it turns out he is a radiobroadcaster, I think the same one my mom heard on the radio when she first told me about Medical Mercy. What a pleasure to have him. He reminded me that impact may only start in one child but will be passed on from generation to generation. And we may never see much change in the country, but God transforms in the hearts of the people. And that’s where the hope lies. Another long day tomorrow. Thank you for reading and please consider helping me fund my trip or sponsoring a Mission of Mercy child. “One Child Matters.”

God Bless!!

Michelle

Update Day 3 Limbe

Hi everyone,
We made it safely to Cap yesterday afternoon. The flight was surprising very smooth and very beautiful. WE stopped at Exumel, a Caribbean island to gas up. On the way up, I was enjoying God's beauty, the green blue oceans and islets of land, uninhabited but full of life. I was thinking now would be a good time to vacation! haha, just kidding. We have much work to do. We are staying at Limbe University, an hour away from Cap Haitian. Pastor Bob welcomed us with a warm smile and we dropped off luggage, then on our way! We went to one project to see kids for half a day, actually only 2 hours. We got a lot done. We saw 90 projects kids in about 3 hours. Unfortunately we were out on the road at night, but were happy to service the whole community. The flow was a little chaotic, but we got everything done. The focus of this trip is very different than the last. WE decided to split into 3 stations this time, focusing primarily on nutritional assessment (height,wt) and malnutrition score which indicates whether the kids need Medika Mamba, a high calorie supplement. Our dietician input everything to out database to follow up with. After inital assessment the kids move to medical. That's me! We do a basic head to toe assessment and basically look at immediate needs. Determine if the kid has cholera, infections, abscess, dehydration, worms, fungal infections...And prescribe accordingly. The focus of this trip is not medical so we are treating only severe case. The fortunate thing is most the kids we saw looked well!! This was encouraging to see that the kids that are being sponsored are being well taken care of. This time I'm just looking at kids, not the family members and non sponsored kids. What a relief!! I know kids! I'm working with a really nice Peds ICU doc and a few other nurses. Its a good team so far. The third station is pharmacy where they pick up their meds--everyone gets a multivitamin and worm pill. The cool part of this team is the education. WE have a few people designated to teaching cholera prevention and treatment--infection control, clean drinking water and bathing. I love this part, because we are giving the people a chance to be proactive in their care and treatment. I think its been pretty effective so far. WEll, I have a friend waiting for me so I better go. We are moving to hotel tomorrow. Turns out 10 girls and one bathroom isn't going over well. But the home cooked food is great! There is internet there but its very spotty. Hopefully be able to post a quick blog. Thank you for prayers. I would like specifically prayer for a humble heart and for the Lord to speak to me, show me where He wants to use me, and for patience with this.
Thanks! God bless
Michelle

Day 1 in Fort Lauderdale

Hi everyone,
I made it to Fort Lauderdale tonight safely. Sadly enough, internet is not free, so I'm on a time crunch. Sorry if my thoughts are jumbled. First, I would like to thank those who prayed for me or over me yesterday. I can't tell you how much that meant to me. So thank you Mandy, Caitlin, Kellie, Drew and mom. This is been a rough week, but the battle has only begun. It started with getting sick Christmas eve, turning into a cold and worsening congestion/cough yesterday. And having insomnia since last Sun when I started my Malaria med. Yea, seriously I didn't expect any of those things to happen. I started pitying myself for all my ailments, aches, pains and just not feeling emotionally and physically prepared for this trip. That downward spiral of negative thoughts lasted a few days, having yesterday been the hardest. But God always shows His great power to those who trust in Him. When I thought I was too weak, He picked me up and carried me. Today I woke up at 5 am and just barely made it to my flight. Yes, I was running to the gate. I'll save that story for later. But I made it with all my things. I felt much better this am and regained a lot of my energy. I think I slept 4 hours, but it gave me just enough energy. My congestion almost entirely cleared up and I did not get the headache/ear pain that happens from sinus pressure. Thank God!! That's my biggest praise, but also just feeling better all around, physicially and mentally. I was reminded yesterday that anytime you are prepared to do God's work and serve Him missionally, there will be some sort of attack. I think that's what was going on with me. I was consumed with myself and not feeling ready or prepared, when all God cares about is that I show up. So I showed up today and I already feel Him providing for my needs. I made it to the hotel and met up with one of the team members. I guess the rest of the team is coming in late and we have to be up for shuttle at 4am!!! I love mornings! haha. God reminded me of why I loved the last trip so much. The woman I met was a missionary nurse in the Congo and just retired in 94. WOW!!! Could you imagine? She got one year experience in US, went to Midwifery school, learned French and moved to the Congo where she worked her WHOLE career. I found myself drawing into her every word, every story, and every experience that she would talk about. I love learning about why people do what they do. She "wanted to do God's will." That is how she answered me when I asked her why. I love that. Understanding what is God's will seems so impossible sometimes. But she took a stab at that life and never looked back. Sometimes that's what it takes, taking action and trusting. I feel that way too. I hate change, anything that is uncomfortable or risky makes me anxious. But that is my challenge this week- submitting to Him and trusting His lead. Letting go and allowing Him to work in my life. Using my gifts and talents to bring His kingdom to Haiti.

Okay, I should probably tell you what I know so far. We are flying into Cap Haiten tomorrow morning. We will be staying in dorms at a university for the first 5 days and traveling an hour or so to where we are working. WE were planning on working at a camp with treating Cholera, but Doctors Without Borders took it over. So our other plans...we will work mostly at orphanages assessing the needs of the kids. We will probably do nutritional assessment, referral and education about infection/water. I was looking forward to the other plans, but either way there is much work to be done. The last part of the trip, we are doing some sort of building or construction. That should be interesting! I am excited to see the kids and love on them at the orphanage. I'm actually getting tired, so I think I'll say goodbye for now. Please continue to pray for safe travels, my team, my wellness, and for the people of Haiti.
Blessings,
Michelle