It had been raining. And raining. Our spirits were a little damp as well. No clinic that day so…we packed up in the faithful little Toyota land cruiser ambulance with a backpack full of meds and snacks and headed out, under grey skies, albeit. We had decided we wanted to explore a remote impoverished area, Boi Negres, where some of our patients sometimes journeyed all the way in from. Finally found the right road and soon started climbing sharply up and dropping back down in and out between green vegetation and rocks in little hills with bigger ones around back-dropped by still more grandeurous mountains behind. In the midst of it all were mamas and papas with bare-legged children-in their arms, on their knees, at their feet or just running around. But they were there. Clothes or not, all mostly the same color, no differentiating between the dirt on their brown skin on that on their clothes. There they were by their little banana thatched roofs and stone huts nestled in among the elephant ears, banana trees and mossy paths, in the middle of all that green earth, living. Suddenly we realized the clouds were lifting and the sky was clearing up too, turning blue. The world was beautiful. And we were in the middle of it, a 4-D effect. We hadn’t gone far and the first place we stopped and got out was in the middle of two houses, full of children on both sides. I got out first with my backpack and explained our cause while eyeing the little kiddos for stick out bellies and orange hair for signs of malnutrition or runny noses. They were fixing a little corn for their evening meal that looked scarce, so we gave them a bit of rice and some de-wormer and vitamins, which was more than graciously received. Just across on the other side and soon there were lots of little people around that were sick and wormy as well. I was trying to get a closer look at one of the little boy’s belly when the two year old caught on quickly and happily unzipped his dirty top and puffed his tummy out for me to see. One had to love them. Just couldn’t help it. They were adorable. And they needed meds for real. Soon there were grandmas pushing grandchildren up closer so they wouldn’t be missed, one after another all looking more or less the same. But no, I hadn’t seen this one yet they’d say. Finally I got up and told them we were leaving, as we hadn’t even got close to our destination yet. We journeyed on, always amazed at the ever-changing wonder of the mountains and gardens. The people… their lives… almost every house had a lady sitting outside wrapped up in many layers of clothes with her head warmly covered-a sign she had just had a baby in the last month or so and couldn’t risk letting the cold get to her bones. Some children ran and hid as we rumbled by, maybe the only vehicle they had ever seen, or more horrifying yet the only people with white skin, while others came running out to wave wildly and holler at us. Where there seemed to be more communities of children we stopped and handed out a few meds, mostly de-wormer and vitamins, or antibiotics for the really sick ones. One place we stopped where a lady was sitting out by her thatched hut with 3 children. She was holding an about 2-month old baby in her arms and another maybe 13-month girl sitting by herself on the ground crying her heart out. I went to pick her up and expected her crying would immediately take on another level of terror at this strange white person holding her but instead it instantly stopped. She only needed some love and someone to hold her. Her mom didn’t have enough arms or time right then. The third little person was someone who looked to be about 5 but was actually several years older. Just her and the children, she said. The father of the children was nowhere around. But she was doing what she could. A peek inside the huts revealed meager furnishings, basically a tiny single bed and a few dishes and containers. But somehow it looked cozy. Not sure if it was dry or warm. Seemed rather doubtful. We gave meds, and tucked a bit of rice in one of the huts and were soon on our way again. Her situation touched my heart enough I would definitely remember to pray for her. She needed it. On and on we traveled, and the road grew more and more precarious. Finally the road rose up to nowhere, us rising with it, the kind you dream about-precarious tracks that drop off on both sides then rise steeply up till you can’t see over the edge where it suddenly drops you back down and over. Thankfully we stayed on the “tracks”. The land cruiser was just small enough it fit in all the tiny spaces necessary without letting us down. More smiling faces of children and women, even men along the road, and we had finally arrived down at the bottom in the midst of palms and banana trees and a whole community of thatched roofed houses-Boi Negres. So happy we had arrived. But what now. Where to start, what to do. The people were poor. And we were strange to them. The road turned into pretty much just a footpath in the heart of the village where a sullen faced man was standing with a machete at his side. Decided to just act like he was a friend and approached him confidently. He relaxed his stance a little though still refused to smile. Told him then what we were up to that we had come with a few meds to treat some of the children, and would there be anyone that could help show us around. He pointed up the path then just a few feet where a smiling man was already hurriedly coming to meet us. The connection was perfect, as he seemed to be a sort of village advocate for the people, and was quite delighted to show us around. He jumped on the back of the land cruiser and told us to keep going, keep going. So we kept going in faith, following where he directed us on down the footpath across a dry rock river bed and down another foot path where he turned us around to park in front of a type of community center. There he had us get out and sit down on some benches and wanted to talk. He couldn’t say enough about how it wasn’t us who had come but God that had sent us. It was the first time anyone had showed up for medical purposes he said. Then he went on to explain how there was so many many children in the area and so many worms. The worms are literally eating them up, he said. When a child gets a common cold it often takes the child to the cemetery because there is no help. To get a little sick, is to die. Or a 4-5 hour strenuous walk across the border to the DR or to the clinic in Foret or Oriani back up the mountain. The final option is moto, but at $3.70 U.S., or 2 days manual labor, the moto ride up would be hard to come by. Walking remains the primary option, and for a sick child or adult, that is rather difficult, yet they do it at times. Wow oh wow. Our guide then took us on a small local tour while exposing us to multiple areas of surrounding villages right close that all were in the same predicament. We didn’t have a lot of time any more before dark and we would have to take the mountain road back up, but the man seemed overwhelmed with the possibilities of medical help for his people and the fact that we had even just showed up. Of course he wouldn’t have been happier if we had told him right away that we would be able to set up a clinic in his area. But rather we had to make it very clear that we weren’t there to do that. We ourselves were so overwhelmed at the need that we didn’t even really bother to pull out the now already nearly empty backpack of meds. Rather we told him we’d go home and talk about it and try to come back for one day primarily with lots of worm meds and maybe a couple of other meds if possible. We sat together again on the crude benches under the trees before we left. Little children who weren’t afraid of us came and sat on our laps, while we gave them vitamins at least and exchanged contacts with the man to plan for another day in the future. No cell phone service even in the area, but every Monday morning at 8 A.M. he would walk back up to service area and call us, he said. The man was truly passionate about helping his people, and seemed nearly ready to give his life, in order open a way of relief for them. We left, our hearts full. We had taken meds to help people who couldn’t get out very easy to find help for themselves, but it was we who had benefited. The sun had shone on our heads and into our hearts. We came home, and started making plans for the day we could go back.
Oriani Clinic - Kay
Clinic stuff…
A man came in with his hand barely dangling together by a bit of sinew-his renter had apparently got mad at him and tried to cut his hand off, but hadn’t entirely succeeded. The helicopter would have come to pick him up but there were too many clouds right then so, the ambulance went down instead in a hurry with him. I was sure they would simply cut the hand completely off once he arrived in Port because it’s usually the kind of thing that happens, but the man, of course didn’t want that, so I kept kicking myself all day that I hadn’t tried at least to find those tendons that were rebounded into his hand and wrist and sew them back together. The chances seemed slim but if they cut his hand off…it was a chance. The awesome news is that he came in a week later with a hand! The doctor had sewed it back together and pinned it beautifully. Today the man has his hand, and not only that but he also told us that he had let the offender go free. He is a Christian, he said, and had forgiven him, didn’t want to press any charges. Wow.
Treated a 7 month old baby with a nasty rat bite. Oooh…the dad said it attacked the baby while it was sleeping. Basically antibiotics, pain killer and tetanus vaccine was all that could be done.
One Sunday morning we had a call out during church-Se Ivon’s young son was in a sweat, unconscious. Malaria negative, blood sugar normal. What then? Vital signs were normal, only a high fever presented. Yes, he had had a raging fever and headache the mom said. So we started IV fluids and decided to treat him for meningitis. He soon started coming around, much to the mom’s relief, and after 3 days of IM antibiotics, he appeared perfectly normal.
We saw tiny malnourished babies with weak squeaky noises for cries. Bony chest, sunken eyes and wispy red hair were their trademarks. The mom doesn’t have milk they say, so they buy little carton milk containers from the market that doesn’t have to be refrigerated, and give it crackers or sugar water. These are very difficult situations for me to deal with, but I try and educate them about what the baby is missing and how vitally important proper nutrition is for a tiny infant and its development. The baby also usually has yellow diarrhea, it’s not really processing the small amount of nutrition it is getting. Now there is an inpatient center for babies that are malnourished an hour down the road, so that is wonderful. If they still don’t qualify, we do what we can and give a little formula, or encourage the mom to find a “wet nurse”. The MSPP International Medical Corps program we host every Tuesday for malnourished children 6 months to 5 years of age is working reasonably well, and many local children are finding relief from hunger and malnutrition with the medicated nutritional peanut butter found within the program.
Giving a consultation to the witch doctor that came into the clinic…he was about 100 or 200 years old. Hard to know, but he appeared to be many many years old. Big bushy beard and long eye brows hanging down over his saggy eyes. I had been eyeing him for a while as he waited in line, had heard him speaking in his low rumbling voice and suspected him to be what he was, an ounga. Many people who were nearby were respecting him with a kiss on the cheek and addressing him as “Papa.” Before he entered my room our secretary pulled me aside and told me to be sure to give him some words of evangelism. So a quick prayer and I let him in. He was very old and sick and shaky, and it all kind of gave me a strange feeling, imaging where his life must have taken him all these years and how he must be feeling now to know it was soon coming to an end. I asked him if he knew where he was going when he died. He said he didn’t know. Then Se Papi asked if he had repented and he said no. He just kept saying God knows, Gods knows, then went on to explain how he had been in the church choir when he was a young man and had known his Bible frontwards and backwards. He seemed hopeless, like he knew he would die soon, without God in his life, like he felt he had gone too far to find him yet. I felt sorry for him, but tried to encourage him and told him I wanted to see him in heaven. Two of his much younger wives were waiting for him outside and he left then. I’m hoping to get a chance yet to check up on him at his house sometime. And pray he will look to Jesus for forgiveness and hope before it is too late.
The beautiful baby girl about 2 months old that Matt, Todd and I worked on for about 2 hours at the clinic… She had a big hard distended abdomen to the point it was hindering her breathing. She hadn’t had a bowl movement in I’m not sure how many days, several. We tried decompressing her little belly from both above and below with very few results. Even cathed her. What a brave little child…how well she endured all the uncomfortable treatment. Apparently the baby had a type of intestinal block that we couldn’t do anything about. Finally, we were obliged to give up and with prayers and best wishes gave them a little money. They were wanting to now take the child to the Dominican. If they could just find a surgeon to operate on the baby I was pretty sure she would have a big chance. About a week later we got an after-hours emergency call back to the clinic for a man who had been in an accident. I was too surprised to recognize the man as the dad of the baby! He had been on his way back from the Dominican and had gashed his leg open in an accident. Oh…not him, with more difficulties! I anxiously asked him about the little baby whom he had loved and cared about so much. She died, he told me sadly. My heart dropped. The doctors in DR had said it needed an operation but hadn’t been able to find enough blood. Really?? Maybe there were more reasons, I don’t know. Right away I started wondering about if he believed it was a type of mystic someone had cast on him, all that he was experiencing, but he readily confirmed that he was a Christian and he didn’t believe any of the persecution he was experiencing was coming from the devil, that the devil couldn’t do anything but that it was God who is in control of all things and him who had given him strength to endure. He was just so thankful he hadn’t been hurt worse in the accident. It was a beautiful testimony that I was blessed and relieved to hear.
One day a 46-year old lady in labor, suddenly died outside the gate before we got there. We arrived to people throwing their arms up in the air and wailing… Still, we had them bring her inside. Maybe the baby could be saved, but how? All of our efforts, however, were useless. She must have had some complication that would have been over our heads had she and us both arrived earlier. Later that afternoon we packed up some meds and a few snacks and headed out on a long amazing journey to Boi Negras which I wrote about and will post separately here.
There were various severely ill babies, children and even a few adults that we dealt with over the wet cold months that had basically gone into respiratory distress. Oxygen, breathing treatments, and IV or IM antibiotics were highly utilized, as well as even overnighters at times in the little house.
One day a lady came into the clinic saying she had been pregnant for 4 years. Matt happened to be around and available so after a negative pregnancy test and after taking note that her belly did indeed have an usually hard round mass in it, Matt performed sonography on her abdomen. She said she had been carrying the baby for nine months and had undergone sonography twice while carrying the baby to ensure everything was normal, but had never delivered the baby. About the time of delivery she had drunk some unknown concoction given to her by the local herb doctor and explained how her belly had just got smaller and smaller afterwards and the baby was never born. Matt and I were perfectly astonished at what we saw-the obvious outline of the spine of a fetus, apparently calcified and adhered to the abdominal tissues, meanwhile causing practically no complications. No, she said it really didn’t hurt her or cause a problem. Once more, I realized, I never ever will have “seen it all.” …strange….
There was a 11 year old boy who had been cooking patti for his younger siblings and thought the white powder he was putting in the dough was baking powder when actually it was rat poison! We had been having a rather quiet afternoon in Matts yard and suddenly it was full of people. There were five children ages 1-11 that had eaten the patti, and having symptoms. Basically we didn’t expect it to get worse because it had already been three hours ago that the stuff had been eaten, and most of them had already thrown up and were still throwing up. They didn’t seem too sick, just a little drunk, and there wasn’t much we could do at that point but push fluids down them. The baby was hit the hardest and we gave him half a liter of IV fluids right there on Matt’s back porch. Even he seemed more alert and with it after an hour and fairly stable. It had been quite a spectacle, all the little tykes sitting huddled together in a row on the rock ledge in their Sunday best that their parents had put on them before sending them over, periodically throwing up and holding big jugs of pedialyte in their hands. After about an hour we loaded them all up in the ambulance and took them back home over rugged slippery muddy 4 wheel drive paths across the ravine. Recently I saw the mom of the children in the clinic and she said they are all doing fine.
So thankful we have seen almost no cholera patients this rain season. What a miracle…praise God.
Saw a baby that was born with a tooth. A reasonably normal happening yet old ideas amongst some would have suggested that the baby was a devil baby and they would actually not allow it to live. How absolutely terrible…thankfully these parents did not believe in that and seem to really love the child, only the tooth is making a sore on the bottom of its tongue making its feeding difficult.
Mobile clinic to Bois Negres. The whole clinic shut down for a day and everyone went. Chaotic but reasonably successful. There was lots and lots of dewormer given and more needs than we could address, but we did what we could.
One evening at 9:45 PM a clinic call came for a 7 month pregnant lady having some issues… they let me sleep and Chrystelle and Matt and Sherry went. It ended up being a very memorable night for those who went. Somehow the problem she had was unclear, but obviously she had been struggling to breath and was literally drowning in her own saliva. They frantically went to work and suctioned out a whole canister of saliva, put on 02 and took every other measure possible to preserve her life. Of course no fetal heart tones were found at all on the baby by that time. Finally, ready to give up, Sherry took Chrystelle home and Matt would have driven the family and patient home as that is what they had wanted, but the ambulance hadn’t arrived back yet from a previous trip down the mountain. So Matt had stayed yet a little longer into the night with the patient while she was continuing to show all the typical signs that her body was shutting down. Then, as Matt explained it, after seeing 02 levels of 50% for some time, the unresponsive patient suddenly sat up and hollered out like she was fighting something, and her vital signs started to turn around along with her an increased level of consciousness from that point on. Matt stayed with her that whole night, and by morning she was a functioning coherent human being, though still somewhat dazed. Matt and Sherry then took her down to a hospital in Port where they delivered the baby, and gave her more supportive care for a short time. When she came back into the clinic a week or so later she couldn’t express her thankfulness, and one could sense the depth of her comprehension and awe over the miracle that God had performed in saving her life. We couldn’t help but remind her again about the grand purpose God must have for her life and how he loved her. When we asked about her experience and coming back around, she didn’t very much want to talk about it, but said she had been headed in a place she hadn’t wanted to go, and God had brought her back. Praise God for her mercy!
Then there was the lady who asked if we couldn’t please just give her a pill to cough up the ball of blood in her throat from where her husband had hit her the night before… Tet chaje!
One Thursday when we were just finishing work I saw my last patient-a very sick, sad, small 20 year girl from Oriani. She had very swollen lymph nodes and was breathing rather rapidly. I was kind of stumped as to what could be eating her body like that, and so I tried to do a very thorough assessment, especially asked her lots of questions. She seemed scared, and so sick, and worse yet, alone. I asked her where her mom was and she replied that she had died when she was five, and her dad she never knew. She now lived with an aunt, she said. Rather heartbreaking. Hope is what she desperately needed. I talked to her about Jesus and the power and hope in him. Finally treated her with an antibiotic and told her to come back the next morning. She wasn’t much better the next day so I then started her in on some pretty strong injectable antibiotics the following Monday. A few weeks later she showed up again, even more emaciated and in poorer condition. Matt suggested we send her down for TB testing, and while she turned out negative for TB they found her positive for HIV. How very sad… somehow it had never occurred to me to test this innocent girl for that disease. She is still battling life with her body-I saw her the other day, they carried her in because she was too weak to walk. I gave her a liter of IV fluids with vitamins and told them they had to get back down to the TB/HIV clinic the next day, then watched as her cousin, a lady, loaded her up on her own back and carried her home across the field. They had agreed they would go down with her the next day. I haven’t heard more since about her condition, but a situation that needs prayers…the girl is a victim of unfortunate circumstances, and she needs Jesus.
Another day a tiny infant was brought in by its aunt who said the baby couldn’t have a bowel movement. It was a preemie and only 3 days old, and, indeed, it didn’t have a rectal outlet. It’s little abdomen was grossly distended, and death was imminent if a surgeon couldn’t be found to give the small baby relief in time. After checking with Haiti Air Ambulance and them telling us the weather was too bad again to come, Matts packed up and decided to take the baby and it’s dad down themselves. They found a receiving hospital in Port and some American/Canadian staff on board who took the baby in right away. A little ostomy has been placed and the baby is doing reasonably well today. The doctor plans to reverse the ostomy some later date when deemed safe. Wow, so wonderful that this little life actually found the excellent care and help it needed just in time.
Jamie and I went on lots of walks during the three months she was here. Some of them are written about here…
A rare sight, a lady instead of a man working alone in her garden, probably a mother of 10 children already. I am amazed over and over again at the endless beauty all around, it just never grows old. Took an early day off from the clinic on a Friday to backpack meds out to a poorer community about 45 minutes out. Se Papi and Jamie came with. Found the old gentle mannered man that I had taken meds to once before, sitting alone with two other children. One of them was a very malnourished child sitting alone on the ground whom I recognized had come into the clinic once before for the peanut butter program. My heart immediately cried out to God to help this poor deserted child. I happened to have a package of crackers along and gave it to her which she immediately scarfed down. There were chickens about the same size as her that kept balking around trying to steal the crackers out of her hand but she expertly warded them off. I put my arm around her and she laid her head against my hand. I started asking the crippled old man about the baby. Her mom is dead, he said, and when the lady who takes care of her goes to work she drops the baby off with me. I can hold her, and when she goes to sleep I lay her down, he said. Oh God, my heart cried…how can two “babies” take care of each other. Please, please help her. A beautiful child. Help someone to love and take care of. If only someone would be able to just bring her to the clinic once a week we would be able to put her in the program for children who are malnourished. How oh how she needs it. Further down the ravine and we found an old grandma who said it must have been God who sent us as she had been having lots of pain. We gave her pain meds. Saw lots of children with coughs and colds and worms, and then finally, again, an older couple sitting together on a very small bench that were more than delighted we had come all that way and found them there. She was having reflux problems and he had severe toe fungus as well as neck pain. I happened to have all the meds for them we needed so treated them and left them alone again to call it a day.
One Saturday morning we took our diaries and hiked half way up the ridge to sit hidden away in some bushes and rocks and watch the people as they walked by on their way to market with their mules and bundles and parcels and basins and things on their heads. We sat there with the butterflies and birds swarming around us and took in the peace and quiet and cool of the forest while we got caught up on our diaries then got up and walked deeper into the forest on remote trails and paths, taking in amazing views from higher knolls and eating tiny wild tasty strawberries and blackberries we found along the way.
Once we were sitting watching the world go by in market when a couple of little boys came to be intrigued and talk to us. Finally after musing a bit one of them asked, how is it I’m black and you and white? He was especially intrigued with our feet and had to touch them and see how they felt. Then he couldn’t get over how we had the same dresses and sandals, even the same head coverings. When I said no to his request for my phone he asked why not, because I am ugly? No, I said, I wouldn’t give it to a person pretty or ugly. Then he explained that he was ugly because his mom had died. What a kid…
Another day while everyone was together for a picnic in the pine forest we hiked up deeper into the woods, discovering hidden meadows, paths made of grass, and lush flowering gardens of potatoes carrots and peas, all nestled in the middle of the big pine.
The long hike down to the bottom of Ravin Ge with Lacey, Jamie and Todds… A path where horses can’t be ridden, strewn with wild flowers and ferns and random green growing things crawling over rocks and roots. The family whom we went to visit living at the bottom of the big ravine were prepared-they had seen us winding our way down the path from way up high, and they treated us with honors. They had just the right amount of chairs set out for us and immediately came with a basin of water so we could wash our hands, then the towel so we could dry them. After that the small girl who was serving us brought us delicious hot soup made from various leaves and roots harvested from the man’s own gardens. Feeling refreshed, the man then took us around on a tour of his farm, the animals, and different projects he had going on. After that we watched him milk a cow to get the fresh milk for us he would later send up the ravine with one of his sons as a gift. Truly a self-sustaining operation, here was a happy hard-working family living off the land. Good thing too because getting in and out of the steep ravine was no small feat. Life seemed extra rich down there, so much breathing space and so much vegetation and life. He and his family shared the bottom of the ravine with 9 other families. Getting in and out was too difficult, not many chose to live there plus there were elemental dangers as well such as possible flooding or rock slides, so the strong and courageous had the little garden of Eden to themselves. Finally, one last quick sit down before the strenuous hike back up and once more they shared something to eat with us-fried sardines this time, actually quite tasty. We were just headed back when the man ran after us with some big leaves in his and said, here, take these serviettes and wipe your hands from after eating the sardines. Just see how they leave your hands completely clean! Sure enough, they were a special kind of leaf that work great for cleaning hands, he said, you won’t have any smell left on your hands. Wow, I left quite charmed, to be sure.
Company who came and left including but not limited to were Jamie’s parents and two brothers, and later her married brother Lane with wife Kristin and my brother Craig. Definitely a highlight. To explain this Haiti is difficult, but to have people you love come visit and see and experience it for a few days is a wonderful thing. Also Keith and Candace and Ketli came back for a short visit. Was good to have them back around-felt quite normal. While Phils were here there was a lady who came into the clinic 8 months pregnant with a 4 month old baby in her arms. It was a baby whose mom had deserted it, left it alone in a ravine, and was now in the care of this expectant mom who didn’t really want her either! She was adorable, with big knowing eyes…how could any of us not take her, give her a chance at least for a little while, how could we let her be? Our hearts went out to her. But after thinking about it and asking advice about it for some time we decided it wisest to let her be, as she seemed to be in fairly decent hands even though the expectant mom felt overloaded already. We told them to come back after one month for a check-up with the baby and to have the mother of the child come with it. We did see the baby again, a month later, but still not the mom.
Inspiring singing services held at brothers and sister’s houses…
Sometimes we went because they were sick, sometimes they just asked for us to pray for them to help give them courage and strength. Sister Simolis’s amazing testimony-truly life amongst death. The discouraging circumstances of her own home that she rises above to meet Jesus who gives her power and strength to stand firm and strong… Beautiful convert meeting where several people shared their new birth experiences. Some were so clear…completely the work of God and the Holy Spirit. Such an inspiration to see how these dear people are delivered, pulled from the miry clay, rescued, and living with hope and light in their lives today. So wonderful…
Other stuff…
Haitian food…spaghetti, rice and beans, bean sauce, fried chicken or goat, beet salad, fried banans, pumpkin soup and fresh squeezed juice-corosol, passion fruit, mango, plum, or chadek…so refreshing.
One evening when we had come home after having been gone, we heard the frantic meowing of our baby kitten and soon realized to our dismay it had plunged down through the toilet to the bottom of the outhouse hole. I decided why not drop a bucket down to the bottom of the hole with a piece of chicken in it. Maybe it would hop in and we could pull it up by a string. But chicken it wasn’t the least interested in, and frantically went around the bucket. Oh boy, no chance for the dumb kitten, I thought. Just then Chrystelle came back with a stick that angled up, the perfect thing! Still not knowing if the cat would find it or be able to crawl up the skinny stick we decided to leave it while I rushed inside to shower and get some fresh air. Not five minutes later Chrystelle was shrieking that the kitten had climbed up on the stick, and it was rescued! That wasn’t even the first time I saw an animal rescued from the toilet hole. Our neighbor man’s baby goat fell in his too. It was rather humorous watching them put on face masks, shine lights down into the darkness and successful retrieve it with a rope noosed around its neck. Someone had left the toilet seat up. Phones have been known to get permanently lost as well.
Pieces of Haitian culture…
I went to see a friend one day who had just had a baby and she started telling me about the lougawoo (witch/wherewolf) that had been out roaming the streets at night. Haven’t you been hearing it? She asked. They say it’s looking for babies. What does it sound like I asked her. Well like this, she said, shouwish, shouwish… oh boy…how aweful to have a fear like that at night about your own little baby. Something I really can’t comprehend. I encouraged her to trust in God, that whatever she was hearing couldn’t do anything to the baby. Yes, she agreed, I know this is God’s child and the loogawoo can’t do anything to it. I believe God will take care of it, she said.
Once we stopped to watch a man doing a voodoo ceremony of burning the possessions of his deceased aged brother. When the fire would die down a little bit he’d take a mouthful of alcohol and spit it out on the fire between his teeth or just pour it directly on then drink a little himself. After that he did a funky little kilty dance around the fire and let it be, apparently satisfied his mission was accomplished.
Family times…
Trip to the DR and the beautiful beautiful drive there…
And then going by refugee camps where Haitians had been deported from DR. Their living conditions were the lowest of lows…small tents for houses low to the earth and made mostly of used clothing and pieces of cardboard. Difficult to believe and it seems so very unfair and wrong. But God knows…and cares. And loves them all the same. We took in the dashing waves of the Carribean, yummy fish and good shopping. Always complicated to understand the feelings that rise after coming back into Haiti from the DR. The vast differences…
So now life goes on, and I’m thinking of Solomon’s musings about life and how he finally commented in Ecclesiastes that the conclusion of the whole matter is to fear God and keep his commandments. I plan to go home in September and Charlotte Nightengale from Plainsview, KS will be taking my place. She is actually here right now visiting and doing some orientation so I am privileged to learn to know her a little. She has also spent time before in a couple of different places in Haiti, so she seems quite capable. In fact it is easier now to leave this place that has stole a piece of my heart, knowing that someone like her will be taking care of the needs of the people.
Thanks for your prayers and support, and please continue to pray for the people and the work, that God’s light can shine out bright and his work can be accomplished.
Written by nurse Kay Wedel
Oriani Clinic Report - Matthew
The rain is loudly descending on our tin roof and the clinic is finished for the day. It finally feels like I have some time to write! I know it is high time for me to give an update about Confidence Health Center. It’s been quite a year for my family and I.
May 2016 we emptied our house in California of the so-called treasures we had accumulated. Some things were packed into a shed on our property…while other items found a new home at the landfill. We are very fortunate that my brother and his wife are renting our house to care for things. On June 1st, 2016, my wife and I, and our three children arrived in Haiti ready to start this new adventure. Keith’s overlapped with us for the first 6 months. It has been great working under his tutorship. There are so many things to learn about providing aid in this setting and how to best relate to the culture here. We spent the first few months working on our house too. The clinic purchased a block house next to Keith’s property for the clinic administrator. We added a bathroom and a couple of bedrooms for the children. The house has also been retro-fitted with plumbing and electricity. It is a basic house, but it often feels like a castle compared to other houses here made of rocks… mortared together with mud. Sharing yards with the nurse’s quarters, the house has created a perfect, secure setting. We also have access to Keith’s shop. After spending many hours working on vehicles and motorcycles… I can really appreciate having access to a shop! The house is close to the clinic too, just a short walk up the hill. The children are really enjoying the large grassy yard for playing soccer.
At the clinic, Fre Willie was added as a receptionist shortly after we arrived. He has been a great asset to the clinic, working well with the patients and staff. He knows a fair amount of English, which has been a very valuable resource for me. In the morning, he also helps Fre Ozias with devotions. Often, he shares recent inspirations which adds a new flavor. It always impresses me when the patients listen attentively and sing with enthusiasm. Life for them isn’t easy. Seems like they live in a constant state of disaster…living through one crisis they immediately enter another. We are trying to alleviate some of their suffering here at the clinic. It is also a blessing to offer hope in Jesus Christ! The rest of the staff has been the same for the past year, which has been working well for us. The clinic is really operating smoothly. I feel very blessed with the staff we have.
This past year we had an ultrasound machine donated to the clinic. A technician volunteered to train the nurses here for a week. That was a learning experience for her and us. There were so many conditions she had only seen in textbooks. She went home with a lot of knowledge about third world country diseases and a new vision on how badly diseases can progress without treatment. We were left with some basic knowledge on how to use the machine as well as some simple diagnostic skills. We have also been able to send images to her for diagnosing, which has been a valuable resource. The ultrasound machine has given me the ability to perform a procedure called paracentesis, which is using ultrasound to guide a long needle to remove abdominal fluid. Sometimes we see patients with chronic diseases or organ failure that have accumulated extra fluid. On one occasion, I removed 5 liters of fluid from a lady. There was easily that amount remaining, but that was the limit I could safely remove at one time. Removing extra fluid certainly increases patient comfort and makes breathing easier. Another time, after delivering twins, my fellow nurse Todd became concerned when the placenta was not delivering. A quick look with the ultrasound revealed another foot! Triplets! And they all are healthy! We also use the ultrasound for differentiating between a fluid filled cyst or a solid tumor, diagnosing placenta previa, and various other organ problems.
International Medical Corps asked if they could partner with us to alleviate malnutrition in our zone. We had been wanting to do something to fight this problem, but it takes quite a commitment. Just handing out food turns into a real nightmare. I guess their persuasion was what we needed to tackle it. We made a temporary room in the ambulance shed to support the program. Almost 100 families, from remote and very poor areas, showed up up for screening on the first day. There was a doctor and several nurses from IMC to help facilitate. The screening process was taking awhile, so we got our school staff to cook rice for everyone. It was a big hit! It was amazing to see their eagerness when the food was served. Survival instinct kicked in as these little ones guarded their bowls. We are all blessed with so much in America! We took only children in the “red” zone the first day, six of which needed to go to the hospital for immediate stabilization. Many more were given cards to return the following week, when there would be time for additional screening. Since then, we have had some graduate, and some new ones added. The clinic now has a nutrition day every Tuesday. The nurses give out medical peanut butter, fortified with vitamins and minerals, which is a complete nutritious food. Weight and growth are meticulously charted. One mother has thanked us many times because her son wasn’t walking previously. Earlier, we had taken him down to Port Au Prince to try and diagnose the problem. The Dr. said there was nothing physically wrong, and the problem was due to malnutrition. Sure enough! He has started walking after a couple weeks on the program. As with any nutrition program here in Haiti, it’s not without stress and headaches, but we are happy for the resources this partnership has provided.
The other night I was awakened by a telephone call from our neighbor, Senfor, who was requesting assistance with his wife who was in labor. They were planning a home delivery, but he was now becoming anxious because he did not feel things were progressing. I awoke Chrystelle, our labor and delivery nurse, and we headed over to check things out. Most babies are born at home here, although, we deliver a fair amount at the clinic too. Mr. Senfor met us at the door of their small dwelling and ushered us in. Seated on the floor in a semi reclining position was his wife. She was resting on several pieces of cardboard, old medicine boxes they happily received from us a few weeks ago. The setting was very meager, although, better equipped than most here, I’m afraid. After a quick assessment, we determined the baby was head down and labor was progressing normally. The baby was preske rive! (almost arriving) Seemed that they really just needed some reassuring. I offered we could transport her to the clinic for delivery, but they decided to rather stay home. Probably a wise choice because just a few minutes later, I was “catching” the baby. A healthy girl was born! Soon the other children filed in from the other room to meet their sister, eyes full of wonder at the miracle of life! Another time I was stopped by a lady in market, while walking to the clinic. I couldn’t catch all the details (my creole isn’t there yet) but I did understand that there was a woman in labor needing help. She led me up a small mountain trail overlooking the village. As we near the top, I spot a crowd gathered around a lady sitting in the middle of the trail. She is squatting and there is a freshly delivered baby at her feet. Obviously, she didn’t make it down to the clinic in time! Talk about a delivery room with a view! The scenery was gorgeous from up there. Ok, I am seeing the issue. They don’t have a way to cut the cord! And ..uh..I guess I don’t either!! After a quick jog down to the clinic, I return with the necessities. A few minutes later she’s back on the trail headed for home. We still deliver quite a few babies at the clinic (and a few in our front yard), but we don’t have the staff and resources to deliver nearly all the babies here. Oriani could certainly use a birthing center for the amount of babies born here. Thus saith the Lord, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that maketh all things; Isiah 44:24
The clinic purchased a Toyota Landcruiser that we use for our ambulance. Keith and I modified it with bench seats in the rear and a system to secure the stretcher. It will be cheaper to operate and hopefully require less maintenance than the military ambulance we had previously. One major part of the work here is vehicle maintenance. Trips down to Port Au Prince are required to pick up medication and supplies. Roads are not improving, and it seems repairs and maintenance can keep me as busy as medical issues. They tend to overlap, and some days when patients come to the yard they are surprised that the “doctor” is a mechanic covered in grease. Recently, after some inspection, I realized the frame on our Ford Excursion was nearly split in half! This required some welding and re-enforcement with steel plate. I have also replaced wheel bearings, brake pads/calipers, broken leaf springs, and various other suspension parts. These roads are definitely rough on machines! Seems like whenever I fire up the generator for the welder, out come people carrying truck parts, broken beds on their heads, and charcoal stoves…all needing repair! Far as I know, there is only one other welder here on the mountain.
Haiti Air Ambulance now recognizes Oriani as an official landing zone! Villagers were totally shocked, but now excited that more emergency resources are available to them. This non-profit, medical helicopter service is based out of Port Au Prince. The helicopter is a Bell 407 provided by Air Methods from the US. Initially, the crew flew in to establish a landing zone and conduct staff training. They landed in the local soccer field, after we moved a few goats and cows to higher ground. It was challenging at first to control the crowds of curious people. The flight crew has been very eager to help our remote mountain community and all flights so far have been free of charge. The base manager stated that their primary mission is to help remote areas like Oriani. It’s about a 4 hour drive on rough roads to Port Au Prince with our ambulance…and only 15 minutes by helicopter! A few times we have lost critical patients during long transports. Weather can be challenging to make flights up here, but Haiti Air Ambulance is still a valuable resource for us. Even if the weather does not allow them to make a flight here, they will still assist with finding a receiving hospital.
Lately we have been receiving rain….lots of rain. Rain that comes down in torrents at times…washing out roads and threatening to destroy gardens and houses. I’m afraid some of the more tender crops will be lost. The people here are hungry, wet, and cold. Many come to our door begging for help. We can’t begin to provide aid for such an enormous need. Our hearts feel heavy so many times. Sherri often provides cups of hot chocolate on the porch and we do our best to give a listening ear. How can hope remain when there is so little hope at times? Over and over we learn from these dear, suffering people. There are members at church that hardly find enough food now. They aren’t begging or even mentioning it. Rather, they lift one another through song and encouraging words. We trust it all to God, the creator of all things, to comfort and provide for their need. Pray for us that we can be an instrument for the work here and perform the work God has called us to do. I would also like to thank all of our supporters that make the work here possible. Please continue to pray and support the work in Oriani. “In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” Matthew 25:40.
Matt & Sherri Giesbrecht
Bodie, Alyssa & Dawson
Transition Time
Our family has been planning on turning the day to day administration of the clinic over to another couple named Matt and Sheri Giesbrecht from Belico California. They arrived in June and have been studying creole and learning the ropes here. We feel so blessed and it seems they are a great fit. Matt is an RN, and their talents and experience are perfect for the position and I feel the transition is going well. We have been working on some paperwork to become Haitian citizens, and even though it is not completed, we now plan to go back to Ontario on Dec 13 to spend more time there. We foresee that we will continue to be involved here, though. Our family is trickling back to Ontario already. Trev and Mirlene left a year ago, and Zack, who is 21, went back in June of this year to start his apprenticeship in welding, machining, and metalwork. Cam, 17, just left here a few weeks ago to work for his uncle Anthony in harvest time. So now with our two nurses who live with us, our family dinner table is down to 7 place settings. We love life here and will miss the clinic, these dear people, and this land.
The clinic here was blessed by having a Radiologist (Shelly Cederberg from Michigan) come and spend a few days with us, training to do sonograms. Our machine functioned well and it was amazing to see what all can be discovered by ultrasound. Shelly says she saw things here in Haiti that she has never seen in America! Like worms in stomachs, football size cysts, late stage cancer, etc. Matt, nurse Kay Wedel, and our Haitian nurse Chrystelle did well and learned a lot. They are doing sonograms on their own now and examining the unborn babies, diagnosing kidney stones, ovarian cysts, liver inflammation, and just a host of things. It is also very useful for guiding long needles to do aspirations (draining up to a gallon of fluid from abdomens) etc. It is a very useful tool.
A while ago we had a triple blessing at the clinic. one evening a lady WALKED to our house from 30 minutes away and told us she had just delivered a child at her house but hadn’t delivered the placenta yet and so she wanted our help. Ok, let’s go to the clinic! So when we get there, we detect another child about to be born! Great! We have twins! So after breaking her water again, a man-child was born. I went to the office to prepare something and soon Chrystelle comes running in and says “a foot is now sticking out!” And Chrystelle has this wide eyed excited look and huge grin (that you’d have to know her to understand), and so we had to break the water yet again and a girl is born. Triplets! The family said they were going to name them Mary, Martha, and Lazarus! It was awesome and the mom was so strong and has cared for these kids very remarkably well. We gave them some milk formula when things started getting tough to keep up, but they are all doing great. Candace went and visited the home one time and found the three clean and well-clothed bundles lying in a row on the bed and mom reading her Bible.
We have had some very frustrating and disappointing situations too. One of our neighborhood ladies has a fist-sized ball hanging off the side of her abdomen. very infected and painful. We Ultrasound it and could not determine what it was that is getting infected and felt she really quickly needed to get an operation. Then we cannot find anyplace that will do it for her. Everywhere we took her they just give her a runaround and keep referring her on to other doctors who sell her a bunch of meds and tell her to go to the next. Finally a couple months later we connected with some visiting American surgeons who came to another hospital and they did it. Found out it was a large fatty growth of unknown origin. It’s just so frustrating trying to get quick help for poor people.
There is so much more we could write about but you have a little picture again. We still see just under 2000 patients a month, and last month we delivered 15 healthy babies.
On Sunday morning as I was walking to church, I was meeting people coming and going to churches all over the place, some to the Catholic, some to the Baptist, some to a prophet for profit, and some to a local preacher who is known to stand at the church door with a stick and spank his latecomers. So many different views of who God is and how to serve Him. It made me sad that the Devil has had such success at dividing people into different deceptive paths. (The Devil doesn’t do addition or multiplication but is very good at division.) Many people hardly know who or what they serve, or what that means to love God with our whole heart, mind, and soul, and love our neighbor as ourselves. Everyone here recognizes Gods existence, but it seems so few really know Him or the tranquility that Jesus gives us. Pray that the Gospel light will shine clearly in the midst of darkness and lots of gray. The clinic example of an anesthetic injection often comes to mind. The devil is trying to numb us all so that he can do his work. He wants to give us his injection and then he can work at destroying us without us hardly knowing what’s happening. Sometimes he gives us a local anesthetic and ultimately wants to put us to sleep completely so that he can operate and remove our conscience, heart, and soul without us even feeling it. Let’s not let him get close enough to give us those injections!
I don’t want to paint a negative picture of Haitians and their unity and faith… because I am often impressed favorably with them too. I see LOVE when they sit so close they overlap onto each other even though there is plenty of empty space on the bench. I see CARE for each other when I see a sister reach up and tidy up the hair, patting it in place, even changing a clip, or adjusting the collar of the sister sitting in from of her in church. I see UNITY of brotherhood when as soon as church is done they all enthusiastically shake hands saying “my brother” “my brother” as they go from one to the other. I see FAITH and TRUST when they resign themselves to the hand of God when they feel they cannot do anything more to improve their lives or their children’s lives, and as hurricanes come and wreck all they have worked for and they have no insurance to fall back on. I appreciate how a small thing like a chicken walking around on the rostrum and pooping on the floor and then walking out, didn’t even distract them from listening to the preaching of the Word of God. I think only we whites even took note of it! Deacon Todd and Donna Schmidt are still here as church missionaries. We are so glad they came back here for another term!
Ok, my next email in a couple days will talk about the Hurricane Matthew that tore a strip through Haiti. We went to the disaster area and ran a mobile clinic in Abricot by one of our churches.
We thank all of you donors for standing with us and making this medical help to Haitians possible. It’s your work in that sense and we feel humbled to be a part of what God is doing.
We implore your prayers…
- For wisdom in how to best help people in extreme poverty
- For protection
- For our paperwork to advance quickly
- For the clinic funding to continue
May God Bless Haiti and… actually… the whole wide world!