P's: Problems and Praises

Today alone has been long and interesting...I started my fourth day at work in the Clinic! I've been working Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. Today was a show of God's wonders...

Problem: Friday after two other days of work I was discouraged once again when a baby was brought in by her father. Sad story, the mother had left and the father had no formula to feed her. And we were out. For the past two months we've been out. This had made me so sad - while we could provide the medical care the infant needed we had no way to give her the FOOD she needed. Instead of turning to God in prayer as I should've, I let myself become discouraged and frustrated by this. This was the third infant this week - whom we could not provide simple fomula for. Formula IS available in Haiti but it is very expensive. When we can, we ask others to bring it in from the Dominican.

Praise: This morning I met a woman named, Linda, who is a medical assistant and X-ray tech who is here with her husband for the first time and is interested in helping in any way that they can! What's more she brought medical supplies with her. Not only medical supplies - but Formula! Praise the Lord!!!! I offered up a prayer of repentance for failing to bring my needs to Him and trusting Him with that which is important to me and the Haitian people.

Problem: I still didn't have my bank book from UniBank - they'd insisted I needed to have my Permis de Sejour (visa) before they would give it to me. Today I had the opportunity to go into town with Colleen (another OMS missionary) to get it. I brought my Permis - that's all they needed right? Maybe not - upon further thinking - they would probably need the account number at least? if not my receipt from the last time I was in? "Oh God!" I prayed, "Why could I not think of these things when I needed to? Why do I feel so stupid - Please let things go smoothly? I'm sorry that I'm such a dunce."

Praise: When we arrived at the UniBank - the same cashier that had been there on my previous two trips was there - after saying hello in Creole, I asked her if she remembered me? She did - ok good. I said that I'd come for my bank book - and that now that I had my Permis - produced it proudly - could she give me the bank book? She smiled took the Permis and thus commenced 5-10 minutes of hurried paper shuffling and looking through files. Not once did she ask me for additional information though? She kept smiling at me every once in awhile before excusing herself to go look for something. Eventually she came up with my paperwork and my bank book! She made a copy of my Permis - I signed my name and what's done is done! Praise the Lord!!!

Problem: I had a phone call last night alerting me to the fact that a missionary couple would be on their way up from Dessalines today as he is very sick with pneumonia and will be flown out with Missionary Flights International (MFI) in the morning and do we have Oxygen at the clinic/could I check in the morning with Doctor Rodney? A second phone call (completely unrelated) a few minutes later revealed that Doctor Rodney is in Port until Wednesday. Ok - we'll see what's what in the morning. Asked at the Depot and was assured that, Yes, we did have oxygen - yes! Passed the word along. After leaving in the morning unexpectedly for Cap (to get my bank book) - having only assisted Miss Ketlye with one patient - I returned in the afternoon to see if I could actually do some work? But she 'ordered' me to go home and rest. On my way out I stopped by to get the Oxygen. Which we didn't have. The depot manager (Magdala) had thought I meant Albuterol - which we have tons of. Back to Miss Ketlye - Doctor Rodney has some? Look in his office - so Magdala and I looked but didn't find anything - I'm thinking it's kind of hard to hide an oxygen tank? Next Miss Ketlye and I go on a search through the entire Clinic - looking for the Oxygen - we end up once again in Doctor Rodney's office because Miss Ketlye says he has a portable oxygen unit in a black bag (who knew? right!)  Sure enough there is a black bag with "Rheumonotics" (or something) written on it!

Praise: We not only found the oxygen machine, but managed to figure out how it worked not two minutes before our patient arrived! Extra praise - is there such a thing? His daughter had also come with his wife and she is a nurse too! Already had given him some antibiotics IV and still had viable access. Doctor Xavier - who's only been with us one week - was able to see the patient and though the X-ray didn't come out. Pneumonia was diagnosed and Oxygen, Ceftraxin, Lasix, Histanol, and Vit C prescribed. After getting the family settled into the Holiday House - with a few runnings around to look for supplies from the Clinic - some of which we had and some of which we didn't - I was finally able to drag myself to my house and enjoy a Haitian rice and beans dinner with a mildly spicey Turkey, onion, potato sauce whilst watching The Quiet Man (old romantic Irish movie starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara) with my housemate Erica. And I am now sitting in front of Tink II (my laptop) with an ice pack on my right ankle - which decided due to all the running around to become sore - contentedly letting the world know I SERVE AN AMAZING GOD!

In other news: Samuel Joseph is a little boy (between 9-12 months old) who was brought to me 3 weeks ago with severe malnutrition. His mother is crazy. A friend of the family had brought him to the Clinic and Miss Ketlye brought him to my house to give him reusable diapers that a lady in the States had made. The next time I saw him - a week later he was looking a little better - his legs were not swollen but I was told he was still not eating or drinking anything. His aunt had brought him to the Clinic but said she could no longer take care of him. That very day Jane - (a missionary who is helping with an orphange) came by with some sick kids - she agreed to take Baby Samuel. Today I met her again as she was in the Clinic - she said that Samuel is doing very well, eating and drinking. And stays with her the whole day versus at the orphanage. What great news to start the day with!

Also: In talking with Linda today I found out that God had worked a miracle with their luggage. When they came in with United they let the airline know that one of their checked bags was full of medical supplies for Haiti - their fee was waived! (Apparently if you call in ahead they will sometimes do this? but this was the day of! at the check in desk!) Then when they were flying from FL to Haiti the airline let them rearrange their luggage and permitted her husband to come on board with a back-pack AND a 10# carry-on! Praise the Lord!

Don't forget to check out pictures at renewhaitipics.shutterfly.com

Malaria, typhoid, and salmonella - oh my!

Well it's been a while. A long while. And I think that most of you know why. I've been extremely sick. I no sooner moved into my teacher's home in Port on Monday then I started to feel sick on Tuesday and by Wednesday I had a temperature that kept climbing til it got to 104.8!

 A few days of feverish delirium ensued before a doctor was called in - he wanted to do some tests at the hospital so away we went. The next day revealed apparently no malaria - but he started me on malaria meds anyway. When my fever did not improve he asked me to come back to the hospital only for more tests but ended up keeping me for observation. I had an IV put in as I had not been able to keep anything down for the past few days - including jello water - you know that was bad! I'm not an easy stick when I'm partially hydrated - it was even harder being so dehydrated - but they did get it after a few attempts.

My tests results came back with Salmonella O and Salmonella H being 1/320 and 1/600 - I was so sick I asked what the normal was?!? :D

The room I was in was nice. Air conditioned and cool. I shared with two other patients both with respiratory infections - praise the Lord I didn't come down with pneumonia as well. They each had a a person staying with them. And Camitha my friend from 'home' stayed with me the whole night. She was such a good friend.

The doctor made fairly regular check ups on me. Sometimes by himself and sometimes with another doctor friend. At one point we got talking about the action films we all liked :D

The rest of the hospital was horrible. I've since been told that it (the General Hospital) is the worst hospital in Haiti. The beds of the patients were sometimes just mats on the floor. Friends or relatives would hold up IV fluids where there were no IV poles. Gaunt faces stared out from emaciated bodies. The smells were a mixture of cleaning fluid and rotting flesh.

Whenever I needed to use the bathroom the doctor would walk with me holding my IV fluids as we walked through various wards - the last of which was the worst. It smelled the worst and it was the ward for prisoners. So the patients were all chained to their beds - some of the beds had two patients one chained to each siderail. I saw one patient who was an arm amputee he was chained by the leg.

The bathroom was just a tiny little room with the toilet and sink. Trying to use the facilities with an IV and a skirt with barely enough room to turn around in was an adventure - but not a fun one. The one time I had TWO IV bags - one was the antibiotic - there was a screw that was holding a pipe in the wall and we had hung the IV bags on that!

Every time I came back I vomited. I don't know if it was the sickness? The smells? the walk? or a combination. The one time we came back they were carrying a litter with a body under a sheet - rather ominous. I almost dreaded coming back because I knew I was going to be sick. But someone was always there - Camitha borrowed the bucket from the lady with the respiratory infection and the doctor patted my back or held my hand.

I did manage to get a few hours sleep sometime between 2 and 4 in the morning.

I was discharged from the hospital late the following morning and taken back to Charlotte's house. The Doctor said he'd usually keep a patient like me in for another day but he trusted me. That I would take the medicine he was prescribing on time and with diligence. He wanted me on them for 10 days and he didn't think I should go to Cap any time soon.

When we got home I was still out of it - I can't remember all that happened a lot is a blur, a lot I WANT to forget. I know that they brought me food and I said I was sorry I couldn't eat it - it was Haitian food and 'strange' to my stomach. They were able to get some 'american' food for me but even that wasn't appetizing. I didn't eat for a few days.

The Sunday I came home after the church service some of the members came up and sang, and prayed around my bed - very cultural but a little embarrassing. I think there were nine people including two children and two men. The two men turned out to be the Doctor's brothers. One a policeman and the other a doctor himself. So after the 'blessing service' they stayed and talked for a bit - the doctor making sure I was taking my meds and drinking - I said I was trying.

On Monday I was moved back to the Villa - where it became apparent that I was reacting to the Ciprofloxacin - the antibiotic I had been instructed to take - the palms of my hands were so itchy and felt like they would never stop. I felt well enough to join a prayer/praise meeting that a group was having. They laid hands on me and asked the Lord to bring healing. The next day I felt a lot better but then began to get worse again - the decision was made to fly me to Cap Haitian where OMS's Clinic is - so that our Doctor and Nurses there could take care of me.

So a short flight the next morning brought me to Cap! I went to the clinic and was eventually put into a bed and a few more IV attempts later started on another round of fluids and a different antibiotic. I was transferred to the house I wil be living in now - Number 6 with Erica who teaches at Cowman.

I made a few trips back to the Clinic after my feet and legs began to itch like crazy - two separate days -  the first Miss Prudence practically dragged me down to the Clinic I was repeating 'itchy, itchy, itchy' over and over - I couldn't figure out why they were so itchy? nothing I had done at home helped? washing with cold water/ washing with warm water/putting anti-itch powder on them. She put hydrocortisone cream all over them and someone jabbed me in the thigh with a shot of phenergen - it's STILL sore. The next day I dragged myself down there and had almost the same thing happen. Only it was the other thigh that got the jab - it's still sore too but not as bad.

Most of what happened wasn't too clear - I kept telling myself: this isn't real. This isn't happening. they wouldn't treat me like this. For example the day after I got in was a Sunday - I lost track of days but I know it was a Sunday - because there was nobody around. I felt like I was dying. I wanted to die. I know so many people ALL around the world were praying for me. From Japan to Australia, and the UK to Mozambique not to mention people here in Haiti and in the States. Thankfully internet was working and one of my friends - Jessica - was on - I'm sure she knew I was crazy because I kept telling her not to leave me, and please don't leave me - Jessica don't leave me - she didn't, she stayed right there and talked me through making oatmeal and jello to get something into my system.

I had fairly constant communication with my family/parents. My Mom just kept encouraging me to drink, drink, drink. I felt miserable. I wanted to come home - but I knew I needed to stay here - for one thing I wasn't strong enough to be moved. I did want to go - but it's one thing to say "We'll fly you to the States." but it's quite another to actually DO it. I mean where would I go when I got there? Who would look after me? How would I pay for a hospital stay? Most American doctors don't know a lot about Typhoid/Malaria - no I was much better off where I was. And the doctors and nurses not only knew me here but they love me.

Prudence kept telling me that she loved me and that she was here there was nothing to be afraid of. She taught me to pray: Jezi ede m'; Jezi geri m'. Bondye kenbe men mwen. - Jesus help me, Jesus heal me. Lord God hold my hand. I repeated that over and over til I fell asleep.

One night after I had started to get better I had a return of the fever. I felt so close to death - I prayed Psalm 23 - I called my family and cried that I would never hold my niece, Abigail - I had been so brave - I had not cried but maybe twice through the whole ordeal but this was just too much - I felt so alone and so helpless and so tired. Tired of fighting, tired of being sick, tired of not being able to do anything without setbacks. My mom sang to me In the Name of Jesus We have the Victory and reminded me of the Haitian song: Eske Ou Vle Ale Lakay Papa Mwen - Would You Like to Go to My Father's House. Which of course I REALLY did want too!

I prayed in anguish that night - Jezi kenbe men mwen, pa kite m'. Jezi geri m' tanpri, si ou pa vle geri m' pran mwen vit - si tou ple; mwen vle ale lakay ou si ou vle; tanpri Jezi ede m' - Jesus hold my hand, don't leave me. Jesus heal me please, if you don't want to heal me, take me quickly - please; I want to go to your house if you want; please Jesus help me. Praying like that I fell asleep feeling as though he held my right hand in His and my head in His lap - soothing me.

Last Monday I went back to the clinic and had lab work done - I was declared free of Malaria and Typhoid - salmonella typhi is the bacteria that CAUSES typhoid so that explained the salmonella part - kind of. But I was also diagnosed with a urinary tract infection - thankfully it is asymptomatic (meaning I don't have any of the symptoms :D) I was ordered back to bedrest for the next several weeks and to drink a gallon of water a day - for someone who is lucky to drink a gallon of water a week - this is a challenge.

I continue to improve slightly day by day. I've been on a steady carb diet for the past number of weeks and STILL love mashed potatoes. They have been my staple since I've been here. I still get tired out easily and spend most of my time in bed or the bathroom - all that water ;)

I'm learning patience and that God sees us through our darkest hour - I will have much more empathy for typhoid and malaria patients than I would've before now that I've gone through this - of course I could become cynical and say - Oh get over it I had malaria AND typhoid! If I had both you can handle one! :D But all joking aside - I know that when you suffer with the ones who are suffering they are have a deeper respect and love for you.

Thank you so much to everyone who was and is praying. I wish you knew how MUCH it means to know when you're laying here that there are people who love you and are continually bringing you before the throne of grace - begging for mercy and healing. It's not over yet - the next few weeks of recovery will be difficult as I like to be DOING things. I may get a few odd jobs - last night I helped Erica grade papers - that wasn't too exhausting :D but very hilarious. One student when asked on a history test to list two things that Miles Standish did for the Pilgrims stated: 1. he wooch the cohte. - We still have no idea what that means - but we found it hilarious!

Well this post has gone on quite enough I am sure. But I just want to leave you with this:

I knew Haiti would not be easy - it's not. But I knew God would be faithful - and He is.

Life goes on...

Well Peeps!

Thought I should write you again :D What's been happening?

Well a lot and yet not so much. I'm continuing in my language and God is keeping me humble - just about the time I think that I've got it - He gives me an experience to show me I'm still an infant learner.

Like today when I went to a church service with over 1,500 people with a Canadian couple who are here with Power to Change (used to be called Campus Crusade for Christ) and felt good that I was able to translate (if only a little) for them the 15 minute sermon before Phil got up to speak.

...And then...

...went to the house of a friend's Uncle and struggled just to understand conversational Creole....

...devastating! :'(


But I am advancing - I just have to think where I was 2 months ago! HaitiHub helped a lot in getting me jump-started but on the whole? Nowhere near where I am now! Which IS a good thing - like Stella says on White Christmas: "Advance, advance, never retreat!"

Let's see: this week we had a group from Germany here - who provided some head whirling, entertainment, and theological conversation!

Head-whirling: Hearing German spoken in Haiti!

Entertainment came from conversations like:
Dave: Bon Apetite. What do they say in German?
Helmut: Vee don't say anyting - vee jus eat!

Theological conversation: Why do we pray 'in Jesus name'? is that just something we say because we've been taught to say it? or do we realize what Jesus meant when He said to 'ask the Father in My name'?

Then we have a mobile clinic team here with one ER nurse, a midwife and her hubby and their four ADORABLE kids, and a Chiropracter - got my back sorted the other week - yay! and a little message therapy! One story I am sure they will take back with them to Kansas City? The SEVEN hour return trip from their clinic that was just 15 miles away! Due to rain and 'blockis' (traffic jam) - they said it took them longer to do that 15 miles than to travel from Kansas City to Haiti!

I have one more week here at the Villa before I will, Lord willing, be moving in with my Creole teacher - Charlotte! Eeeeek! a little nervous - I've grown accostumed to living here at the Villa and how things are here, my room/routine - as my dear Mother said: "..another chapter in the life and times..."

Well, I think "that's all for now folks!" ;)


Don't forget to check out pics on www.renewhaitipics.shutterfly.com!

The Silence is broken

Internet is a funny thing. Kind of like one's health. When you have it you take it for granted but when you don't have it you realize how much you enjoy it.

No, praise the Lord, I'm not sick :D But the last few weeks have been a bit tough with dodgy internet :(

I posted on facebook that I've learned that a 25 y.o. in the 21st Century can live without internet! Not saying it's easy though!

Even being able to send and receive e-mails is currently a luxury :D But onto my adventures :D

Yesterday was busy! I had a Creole lesson in the morning from 8-11 - but I ended up staying closer to noon. My teacher has a 3 year old niece - she's the one in the video on Shutterfly saying "You're well" when asked how she was :D She is as cute as a button! She hasn't quite gotten my name yet, insistst that it is "Delida" - no matter how many times we repeat: "Elida" to her! I also got a video of her arguing with her aunt about the fact that my name was 'Delida Delida Delida' and not 'Elida Stephanie Walton'!

After Creole lesson throughout the day I was called upon in the nature of my profession - everything from a migraine to a scraped toe!

It was fantastic!

The migraine was easy to take care of - couple of Excedrin-like pills :D

The scraped toe was a little more dramatic! Not sure as to how hard all of your stomachs are so I'll try not to be too detailed - and you'll be happy to know I didn't get any pictures so you're safe :D

The girl (15) had somehow tripped or skidded by the side of the pool and her whole big toe looked quite the mess - I ran to my room and got a few first aid supplies - sent someone to get me the key to the Office so I would have gloves, and then got one of the little girls to fetch water so I could give the patient some ibuprofen to help with the pain and any subsequent inflammation. Got a hold of a large tub and had the patient bathe her foot with soap and water. Didn't look to bad after this. Cut away the torn skin - she was a little aprehensive at first but once I started cutting and she didn't feel anything - because it was completely detached she relaxed considerably. A wash with Saline Wound Cleaner, some antibiotic/antiseptic spray, and it was looking a lot better. The bleeding had stopped and it really was just a surface tear - painful but not too bad. Put some antibiotic ointment on gauze wrapped it with roll bandage and secured it with a piece of tape and Bob's your uncle! Gave her some antibiotic cream to take home along with another piece of gauze and some tape and bandage roll. Lord willing it doesn't get infected!

Also had a little girl with open blisters on the sides of her feet due to sandals :( gave her some TLC antibiotic cream and bandaids and she was happy as a lark :D

As I said - busy day!

Avantur nan kreyòl - Adventures in Creole

Well, language study is going well and just like those who've gone before me, I've found that sometimes what you think you are saying and what you are actually saying are two very different things!

For example this past week I was cleaning the whiteboard and said that it was 'salty'! I thought that I was saying that it was 'very dirty'! Let me explain, the word for
Dirty is 'sal' and
Salt   is  'sèl'
Salty is 'sale'
Very dirty is simply 'tre sal' or 'sal anpil'

I thought that as 'sal' was dirty 'sale' surely must be 'very dirty'? But I was proven otherwise!

Then there was the time I mispronounced the word I was reading and asked for an explanation, which took about 5 minutes only to discover I'd mispronounced it and so therefore needed a new explanation - which thankfully only took a few seconds!

Chofe - To heat
Chofè - Driver

And then the one I actually took notes on because it was late at night and I had been studying all day and was tired and just started laughing because it struck me as hilarious!

Here is the background to the conversation: the book said that the little boy ate bread and drank 'akasan' before going to school. Frantzdy (my Creole helper) tried to explain this 'akasan' to me - it is a hot drink made from corn, with sugar, milk and kanèl (oh! what was that again? something like seasoning/spices...explanation involved kanèl being sweet and it was the bark that was used - ahhhhh! CINNAMON!). To describe it he then branched off into telling me about a drink that was good for when you were working out. It had to do with putting spaghetti in a blender and getting a liquid.

The conversation:
Me: If you put spaghetti in a blender you get liquid!?! What? LOL! No way...

Frantzdy: (Very patient with his little white friend who is tired and obviously doesn't know any better) You have a blender...

Me: Yes, ok, I understand - I just don't believe that if you stick spaghetti in a blender you'll get liquid!

Frantzdy: There is a lot you don't know! 

Uncontrollable laughter! I do wonder what Dave and Marilyn sitting outside their room reading quietly must've thought?

Frantzdy: Ok...how do you make spaghetti?

Me: Um, I put it in water, and boil it, and then use a seive (word I'd just learned :D) and drain it, and then put it on a plate and eat it with sauce.

It's only then that he tells me that one boils the spaghetti first (now maybe you had realized that but it was late and I'd had a loooong day!)

Me: Boil it first....right, ok, NOW you tell me!

Frantzdy: With water and cinnamon and salt. Then you put it in the blender, with just a little bit of the water, some milk, and sugar, after that if you want - put in a little bit of ice; and you blend it (this still didn't sound very plausible to me and I was repeating everything after him in English to make sure I was getting it and was almost rolling on the floor laughing). If you want to get strong while you're working out - you can also add the 'ze' of a chicken. (He was speaking completely in Creole but I'm translating it :D Aren't I nice?)

Me: What? What part of the chicken are you sticking in this thing? 'Zye'?!?

Frantzdy: No, no, no, not 'zye' - 'ze'!

Me: LOL! Ok, ok, an EGG of a chicken not it's EYES! (whew! was about to be grossed out.)

Frantzdy: and a banana or breadfruit is good too. After that you blend it and after that you drink it.

Me: Bwe li? (Drink it?) Vremont? (Truly?/Seriously?) *not too enthralled facial expression* Men si ou pa kuit ze ou ka gen salmonella. (But if you don't cook eggs you can get salmonella)l.

Frantzdy: ?

Me: Salmonella? Sa se malad ou ka gen si ou pa kuit e ou manje zye...ZE! (It's a disease you get if you don't cook and you eat eyes...eggs!!!

We about died laughing!

Hoping these anecdotes are not a 'guess you had to be there' and you can laugh with me!

"The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree..." Ps 92:12a

While we don't tend to relish adversity, I am discovering that it is through it that we draw closer to God.

Today at the breakfast table Dave G. told us that a palm tree will grow more during a single hurricane than during five years of good weather. When he asked me what then did I think of Ps 92:12a, I responded: "It's in the times of adversity that we grow the most."

I am currently reading 'In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day' by Mark Batterson (highly recommend it). One of the things he says about adversity is this:

"Adversity can produce an increased capacity to serve God."

How true is that? He goes on to say it in a different way: "If you don't have any problems, you don't have any potential. Here's why: Your ability to help others heal is limited to where you've been wounded."

He wraps up the chapter by talking about the rebuilding of a broken bone, and how once a bone is broken it is remade stronger than before. He says: "...God breaks us where we need to be broken...He does it to remodel us into His image. And once we heal, we end up stronger than we were to begin with."

He ends the chapter by simply asking: "Where have you been broken? What adverse circumstances are you facing? Do you have any overwhelming problems? ... Maybe God is increasing your capacity via adversity."

 Hallelujah! What a thought! The pain, and hurt, and adversity can be redeemed! HE can redeem it! He WILL redeem it! The tough times that we go through are NOT in vain.

Today as I sat in a little rented house and listened to Haitians pour out their hearts to God - I was moved to tears. I was finally where He'd told me to go. I may not understand the Creole yet, but the joy of the LORD was so evident in their singing and on their faces.

During a time of prayer (everyone prays out loud at the same time - I've done this in prayer groups at PCC and yes, it's a little different and a little strange at first - but I do like it), I was able to pour out my heart to God. Some things that had really been bothering me - just lay them out, cry, ask for forgiveness, surrounded by others doing exactly the same thing...knowing I wasn't alone. Hearing them pray around me, all of us lifting up our own problems to God the Father - it was beautiful. Just beautiful. Later we had a time of quietude to just listen. To 'be still and know that I am God.' To just quietly nestle in the Father's arms. And all of this before the sermon!

Which was in and of itself amazing! The passage was on the Prodigal Son. When the pastor got done reading the passage, everyone held hands and repeated after him: "However far away you'be gone from God - come back." Wow.

Some sermon notes: (bear with me ;D)

It doesn't matter how much time it's been since you left your father's house - you can always go back. Jesus gave us this to show us how His Father is...No matter the distance between you and the Father you can always come back. He's not going to refuse you. He's got two arms open wide for you. He created you...Analyze where this man was - with the pigs. And those who watched pigs were seen as heathen because pigs were unclean. He'd left the straight and narrow path and was living with the heathen. Imagine the sins he'd commited - how far he'd gone from God. That's like us, Jesus is waiting for us. Whenever we decide to come back to Him, He's waiting for us. No matter what level of sin you've got yourself in - whatver state you're in today He wants to wash you. (Thanks to Dave for translating - haha - my Creole's not that good yet ;D)

There was more - and it too was good - but I'm afaid I'll bore you - it's nothing I've not heard before but today it struck a deep cord within me. And I wanted to share it with you.

I know someone who has caused a lot of grief to her parents through the poor choices she's made and yet they keep forgiving her and taking her back - I've watched as they've loved on her only to have her hurt them again and again- I've not been able to understand it - today I think I caught a glimpse of it - they do it because they love her. Just as God loves us as our Father - so they love her because she is their child - I'm not married (yet ;)) and don't have children of my own but how great must that love be? and how much more so from the very Being who is Love itself? I stand amazed...and marvel...and sing: "how great is the love the Father has lavished upon us - that we should be called sons and daughters of God?" (Speechless by Steven Curtis Chapman)

To Cap and back

Well the last week and a half has been filled with interesting things!

I'll try to keep it brief :) but interesting....

As I type this we are about to have a storm here at the Villa! Yay - we desperately need the rain! And we ARE getting it! Mezami (oh my goodness!) Talk about ‘chucking it down”! it’s coming down by the bucket loads!

Anyway – back to the past week and a half – Marilyn Graffenburger and I had an early  flight out of Port on Saturday (7/28) - when we got to Cap-Haitien we were met at the airport by Dave (Graffenberger) and Carol (Folkeringa) - Dave and Marilyn headed into town for a relaxing breakfast while Carol took me SHOPPING!!!! Wow - so many things that I never knew you could get in Haiti - the prices are good too - a little high perhaps but as Carol said, once you figure in shipping and Customs it's cheaper to just get it here. After our shopping trip we returned to Campus and I  met Erica Thompson at the house we will be sharing once I return in January. She teaches at Cowman International School and I think we will get along...she has a cat - Adidas - who doesn't like to be petted unless he deems it time, and a dog Chloe - who is 6 months old and still very much a puppy - unfortunately Chloe had gotten out of the yard just before I arrived and been wreaking havoc by killing chickens...

Sunday: 

Prudence (dear friend and fellow coworker) took me to a large church in town with her son - Patrick -  who goes to LU and knows my sister, Tiffany; daughter - Miriam; Mother; and three little children she has adopted - two boys and a girl about 3,4 and 5. The church service lasted from 10:00am til 12:00pm - with a lot of singing, praising the Lord, a few announcements and a half hour sermon - of which I only understood the smallest amount. Prudence had bought me a Haitian song book - the whole country uses the same one - and so was able to follow along. After church she took me to her home - a big house even for American standards - and told me that I was welcome and could come any time and that I must think of it as my own :D Dinner was delicious - Haitian rice and beans, chicken, a hot pasta-tomato-y dish, coleslaw, with peach juice to drink. When I returned to the Compound I took a nap - seems like I did that just about everyday as I wasn't sleeping well at night - the inverter for Erica's house wasn't working...they'd had it sent to the Dominican Republic for repairs but it still wasn't working by the time I left today. 

Monday: 

It was a national holiday so I worked with Bud and Rick - the maintenance guys...Was shown how to fix screens for Dave and Marilyn's 'house' by Valerie and his (yes, his) brother - we did two and half before we ran out of screen - but Rick saved the day by going into town and finding a shop that was open was able to get more :D So we finished that up, did a few odd jobs and before I knew it it was time for dinner - I'd been at least ten minutes late for lunch I'd been so enthralled with using the staple gun on that screen! I tell you what! Also visited the Clinic!!!! Saw my old friends! I'm so excited to be working with them again!

Tuesday: 

Cindy and I played hostess. So we went to a house that will very soon (Lord willing) have some new missionaries in it and did a quick inventory of the kitchen utensils (minus the dead rat  - we did let Rick know of this problem - we had no idea where it was but we could smell it - he took care of it :D) then into the bedrooms for sheet checks, and looking in the cupboards for how many more we needed as well as towels. What needed to be fixed/repaired, etc. Then back to the Holiday House (guest house) to go through ALL of their linens and towels and sorted the good from the bad and the ugly! Sorting included finding all the sizes: twin, double, king, queen and keeping them separate from one another; and making a pile of sheets to give away and a pile to make into rags. After we sorted them we put sets together - fitted with flat and pillowcase - this was fun as some of them didn't have set matches so we got to pair as we saw fit! Took a break at one point and headed over to another missionary's house to collect her old towels and sheets and do inventory for her. That done we took a look at my room to see what ideas we could possibly come up with on desk/dresser/bed(s). Back to the Holiday House for more sorting before refolding and putting everything back away nicely and neatly and making deliveries to the houses with loads of sheets - the one house has 6 beds so that's 12 sets of sheets; the Holiday House has 8 so that's 16 sets, and the last house has 2 so that's 4 sets! Cindy amazed me with her continued work ethic I was worn out by lunch time and just wanted to SIT DOWN! She let me take a few breaks and some of the stuff we did wasn't mandatory to stand up for :D thankfully!

Wednesday:

Into town with Olin (one of our trusted Haitian 'gophers' - he does mail, shopping, car registrations, banks - just to name a few! :D) We got to the bank before it was too busy and waited about a 1/2 hour only to discover I needed my passport as the color copies and driver's license I'd brought with me would NOT suffice! We continued into town on our mission to get inverter batteries - found 6 for more than we expected but I had some extra money with me so was able to help out. On the way home stopped at the Total convenience store for dog food and t.p. of which only dog food was to be found. So back to the Compound for my passport and upon sallying forth once again we were able without too much delay able to get the bank to let me open an account - step on of securing a visa. We went back into town to a few little hole in the walls where Olin managed to find t.p. at a good price :D Then out to the Emmaus Seminary to talk to Matt Ayars about learning Kreyol - had a few questions and was good to meet him and Stacey 'officially' as well as Sam and Cammie Aberle. Back with the Aberle's for prayer meeting - heard some amazing testimonies! Cammie'd had the opportunity to speak on three different occasions to a village where we'd never been before - shared her life testimony to the people there and each time they asked her to come back to share with others - she said it was the strangest thing that's ever happened! Despite a third degree burn to the leg Sam had been kept relatively safe when his motorbike flipped over - his young son Gideon was unharmed. Sophie Ayars, just 14 months, was playing with the dog a few days earlier and had gotten knocked in the head when the dog became disgruntled with her. The Ayars were able to get a hold of their pediatrician in the States who recommended patching the wound up with superglue - she was doing great when I saw her, none the worse for wear and does not appear to be traumatized by the event - Stacey said she was trying to give the dog a hug just hours after the incident.  

Thursday: 

I need to look at my journal - ha! I can't remember what I did on Thursday - aaaaaahhhh! Oh that's right! I worked in the Office and helped Cindy with an alphabetizing project for hard-copy back ups for Starfish kids in the morning - had a nice system and got it all down by noon - she was happily surprised :D and then in the afternoon I worked for Carol pulling previously filed 'voucher's' so that she would be able to settle accounts with Stacey at the Seminary next week! I also visited the Clinic at lunch time - didn't want to spend too much time there in case I got put to work and wasn't able to leave! Step 3 for visa - got a Haitian doctor's physician's 'all clear' from Dr. Rodney. 

Friday:

Marilyn and I were supposed to fly back to Port-au-Prince - but I couldn't go without getting an 'atestassion' from the bank - saying that I had indeed opened an account with them - step two of getting a visa. They insisted they needed 72 hours. I could come back in the morning. Dave explained that I had a 12:30 flight that very afternoon but to no advantage. We drove into town - Dave changed my flight to Tuesday at 12:30pm and off we went to get Marilyn at least to the airport on time :D We made it from downtown Cap to the airport in TEN minutes - this was unbelievable to Dave who said he'd never seen the roads so clear! Because the bank needed my signature and my passport I couldn't leave - unless I wanted to make a later trip back? but that would cost me $200 and it didn't cost anything to change the ticket...so change it we did! Back at the H.H. Dave and I had lunch and then I managed to get online - I spent most of the afternoon attempting (with no success) to get minutes added to my new phone - the phone's here have SIM cards (like in Europe) and so you can talk/text as long as you have money on it. I finally got too tired of trying and went over to the Office where Patrick - one of the guy's who works with Carol told me his sister could put minutes on for me - so I paid him and it wasn't long before I had a text message saying I had money :D 

Saturday:

I worked all day with a couple of the other missionaries on a project they've got going on. Long day, lots of hard work! I'm not at liberty to say much more than that at the moment. 

Sunday: Erica took me to a little church out, way, out where she normally goes - one of her best friends, Leonie, her family live right next to the church - they are the one's who gave her Chloe and in fact the mother had just had another litter - so cute! The church service didn't seem as long? But Erica was able to translate for me so I actually knew what was being said. The Sunday School teacher spoke slower and more distinctly than the pastor - I was able to understand a little more of what he was saying. After church, Erica and I and some other ladies from the church did visitation to two houses at the other end of the village - we sang and prayed together with two who weren't able to come - one an elderly gentleman who'd had a stroke some years ago, and the other a lady who was having problems with side pain/confusion a few days earlier and still felt a little weak. Once we walked back we visited with Leonie's mom and brother for a bit, saw the puppies again and then were on our way back home. We were delayed slightly by a flatbed semi-trying to deliver huge cement round things (not sure what they were?) and who had gotten stuck on a turn in the road and then a dip in the road - eventually he managed to back up and try again and got out of the way - there was a steep ravine on our side so there was no going around him -  we just had to wait it out! We stopped at the Compound for a pit-stop and to grab some money before heading to The Christophe for dinner - and excellent hotel/restaurant in town. Yes, I had the Kreyol Goat, yes I enjoyed it immensely! Saw an old friend of the family while there -  his kids and I were at school together - his oldest was in my younger brother's class - she of course now has just graduated from College and is living in the States - I had some pictures of my family with me I was able to share with him! Seeing as we've all changed so much since he knew us! Back home I was waiting on a phone call from another missionary which never came - I'd only meant to lay down for a minute...at 3:00pm - when I woke up it was 7:30pm!!! *groan* - the power goes out at 9 and then I'll just lay here again miserable b/c there's no fan....Erica saved the day (or the night) by suggesting we watch something...I introduced her to the old Ronald Howard Sherlock Holmes and then when the power DID go off we stayed up til 11 watching a movie on my laptop :D So the night wasn't too bad at all :D

Monday: 

Enjoyed my last day on the Compound...off of it ;) Olin and I went into town for my atestassion from the bank - and got it with minimal problems - although it did cost an awful lot - $53.66 - just for a piece of paper to say I'd opened an account? And I'd already paid money to open the account to start with! Could've been worse, I know...but when the last missionaries who had done it said it only cost $12.20? it's a bit of a shock! Once we got down with that Olin had another errand to run - something to do with the registration of one of the vehicles - at the one government building when we walked in I could tell a couple of the younger guys were commenting about me...later Olin had to go into an office to complete some work - I was waiting in the Lobby catching up on my journal when he called to me - uhho - sure enough those guys were in the office and wanted to be 'friends' with me? Olin speaks very broken English and they guys only spoke Kreyol - I know a little bit of conversational Kreyol but didn't feel comfortable really talking with them? I mean really! Olin calls me in and says: "Talk with them. They want to make friends with you. Go. talk." Ok? um...about what? and be friends? oook, but not sure how that works...found out they wanted my phone number...ahhhh...yeah - I don't think - so...sorry. There was the usual barrage of questions to answer: was I married? did I have a boyfriend? how long had I been in Haiti? How long was I going to be here? Did I want to marry an American? or a Haitian? or did it matter? - once again all of this with Olin speaking very minimal English and me struggling along in my Kreyol ...back to the Compound for lunch - although it seemed like we'd been out for so much more than just the morning - so much had happened. Went back to the clinic to get a second 'all clear' from Dr. Rodney as the first one didn't have my blood type on it! While I was there Miss Ketley - whom I knew from '07 called me 'Ma Carl' (which was what my Mom was called - married woman are called "Ma Whatever-their-husbands-first-name-is" I told her she couldn't call me Ma Carl as that was Mom - maybe she could call me Ti Ma Carl - Little Ma Carl ;) She seemed to think it was a good idea ;D Spent the afternoon with Erica - we watched another Sherlock Holmes (or two ;D - actually as the power had gone out on Sunday night before we'd finished one of the shows - we finished that first and then watched a second.)

Tuesday:

Flight wasn't until 12:30pm but as Missionary Flights International (MFI) was due in at 10:00 - Olin and I went to the airport at 9:20 - I was checked in by 9:30 and then just got to hurry up and wait - I had my nook with me so continued reading Gulliver's Travels - interesting story - heard references to it/about it - but this is my first time reading it - "It's alright." Flight was on time and took off on time - was good - a little bit of disturbance as we flew through some clouds - but a good flight all in all. Julma was there to pick me up, I didn't have to wait too long for my bag and flying in domestic is completely different than the other - and much, much less chaotic! Once I got my bag we were on our way - we had to make one stop at the Mitsubishi repair place to pick up a part for one of the cars - initially it was going to be more expensive then we'd anticipated - but Julma had 'connections' and was able to get the price down! Onto the Villa - through over crowded streets and one rather harrowing intersection i.e. one big mess! Marilyn was in her office when I arrived and Adrex - one of the guys here had gone in to say we had a guest with problem? when she saw me she smiled and asked in Kreyol what my problem was? I replied in like manner that I needed a key! Once I got in my room I was told leftover lunch was in the kitchen - good! I was famished - hadn't eaten since breakfast at 7:00am and it was now 3:00pm! After lunch I got to employ a little bit of nursing - one of the workers had fallen and hurt her knee the week before - the doctor had wrapped it and given her some pain meds but that was all...I unwrapped it and she showed me where it hurt. She said she'd not put ice on it as it itched...but she'd been putting it on top of the bandage. She'd not been able to wash it in that week, so I had a basin of water ordered (i.e. Marilyn asked one of the other workers to bring some) and then a washcloth and some soap - I washed her foot, calf, knee, and just above the knee...we then got some ice and had her sit with her leg propped on a chair with the ice under the knee joint - I told her to ice it for 10-15 mins; to try to keep off it if possible (not really as she lives on a mountain) she does have one crutch though and told me she could get a hold of a second one. I went back to my room to upload pics on facebook, and then just before dinner I came back and rewrapped the leg - she said it felt better and kept thanking me for helping her. Then it was back to the room to try and blog and figure out how to let those who don't have facebook see pics...think I'm gonna go with shutterfly? we'll see how that works.

Well the storm's abated - but it was pretty bad there for awhile (yay!) I did go out and sit by the pool just to watch it and then out on my balcony - beautiful - most of this I wrote in the dark with the computer unplugged. Sounded like we were right in the middle of it - with huge thunderclaps and everything!

Well it is now 9:10pm and this little nurse is tuckered out ;)

Ok http://renewhaitipics.shutterfly.com/ will take you to pics - for those of you who don't have fb :D Enjoy!