Bringing Hope to Haiti

Kelencia Got Her VISA!

2010-07-02T08:57:00.001-07:00

Kelencia received her visa as of 8:00 am this morning! We just have to go back and pick it up at the US Embassy at 2:00 pm. Almost unheard of on the same day.
I went to the appointment with Ke's Mom. Mallery decided it was best that only her mother and Ke go with me. She was fearful of her youth,( so goes being old), not returning Rosie 3 years ago, and being denied repeatedly in the past. Sometimes she couldn't even get past the gate. Or they had some ridiculous reason for denial like telling her she should of brought along someone who they would not admit into the Embassy.
The only thing they asked was our phone numbers. The processing of our papers took a while and I was worried we were being denied. Shortly, a security guard directed us past at least 35 people in line to a window where we were met by an American. She was very nice and told us we were good to go. I thanked her profusely.
Best case scenario was being done at 10:00 am, worst case was sitting there all day until 4:00 pm and being denied. Done in an hour and a half NEVER! Mallery still has some social work papers to get through, but basically a formality. She and Frentz will bring her back with them when they return to the States later this month.
I am walking on a cloud. Thank you all for your prayers! We certainly felt them all throughout the process. Now pray as I have to return for safety. Just heard that Brazil lost to the Netherlands in soccer. They are diehard fans here and this is not good.
Will keep you posted.
Love, Kim

Catching Up

2010-06-26T14:27:00.000-07:00

Been a while since my last post, but been so busy. Was so sad to see our nurses go. We saw and treated almost 400 patients in just 4 days. I LOVED working with both of these gals. I learned so much from them and was so thankful for the wonderful opportunity they gave me to be a part of their clinics. I was mixing medicines like a pharmacist and just serving as their assistant with their patients. It got to the point that we saw so many of the same things, I could diagnosis.
The skin infections were horrendous. Most kids have had scabies or currently are infected. Left untreated they can turn into eczema and then into oozing infected sores. This creates such a dangerous situation as they are walking through a cesspool of mud and raw sewage. Can turn septic easily.
We can all the kids a dose of worm medicine. Lots of hard bloated little stomachs that signal worm infestation. We saw a girl that was full of them. They affected her growth as you would not believe she was 14. More like nine. I am sure there was a lot of pooping going on in Les Bours these last couple of days.
I have not used my fan at night for the last 4 days. Cooler and lots of breezes. I am told Haiti got the tail end of Hurricane Alex and that was the result. So much better for sleeping, but the gals tent almost blew over in the night as the winds were strong.
Been fighting an intestinal thing again. Kept me going several times last night and had me weak and spent this AM. We had to register kids for school and thankfully I was able to get through it with light duty sign up. Just sat at the computer and filled in their info. We registered 33 this time. 20 3 year olds and 13 fill ins of missing kids from the earthquake. We got all the pictures taken. I still need to get about 40 more at the school next week for updates for our sponsors
Our resident mouse was caught last night. He had been hanging out in the area where I have been sleeping in the house. He was caught the night before. I heard him struggling and got lose somehow. Frenz put down some tackey paper with the trap and there he was this AM. Thank goodness he is gone, but worry there are brothers and sisters hanging out somewhere else inthe house.
Pray for July 2nd. Mallery and I will be headed to the US Embassy for Kelancia's visa appointment. I think it is at 7:30 am. We could be out by 10 am and then again be there till 4:00 and walk away empty handed. Mallery is a bit worried that since we took a child out for medical treatment in the past and did not return her that we may be blackballed. God is bigger than this! Keep praying. The child is such a doll. Full of attitude and old eyes. She wants you when she wants you and there is no bending. Cuter than a bug's ear too!
Well we will be enjoying spaghetti tonight. My fav in Haiti. Oh forgot to mention that we went to a grocery today. A bit more modern and I actually enjoyed a Mountain Dew! What a treat!
Love to you all,
Kim

Update

2010-06-21T14:09:00.000-07:00

Trying to copy Mallery's update for you here, but for some reason I cannot. We had a wonderful morning of respite at a resort near the property on Saturday. We took the 2 little girls with us. It was a treat to see Pierrelene especially enjoy the water. It was actually refreshing to a point. I had anticipated more like bath water. The beach and views were fabulous! Also enjoyed a nice hamburger and french fry lunch. It was yummy. We did another distribution on the way back home at the school. Served 50 families. They were so grateful!
It started to rain a bit and when we got back home it was torrential. The guy's tent really suffered and of course my bed nearest one of the openings was the worst of ours. I had to change all the sheets and we literally sopped up water from the air mattress. Cooled things off a little bit, but slept horrible and woke feeling not quite right.
We went to church on Sunday morning at Port au Prince Fellowship. It was all in English and had a lively worship piece. The pastor and his wife Beth McHoul run Heartline Ministries. Before the earthquake they worked mostly with orphans and ran a women's program that involved prenatal and birthing care. Their orphans all were adopted and they finished up more of a hospital program they ran since the earthquake. STill doing birthing though. Great work. RAn into a gal that I met from Utah last summer at the service who stayed at the guest house with us in June. Small world even in Haiti!
I continued to suffer most of the day with nausea. So layed down and enjoyed my fan plugged in as the generator ran a couple hours in the afternoon so the boys both American and Haitian could enjoy the soccer game. Thank goodness Brazil won or we would not be able to travel outside of our walls. We curtailed some of our earthquake touring as the streets were full of eager fans celebrating the win. It was like the Super Bowl in the streets here and not safe for us. Went to Epidor for a meal and it was not crowded. Brought back some wonderful bread and pastry for breakfast.
Today we went out to the school to run a health clinic. The two nurses that came in on Saturday did a wonderful job seeing almost 100 patients. Lots of scabies, upper respiratory issues, and blood pressure problems. I did a small teaching on handwashing and handed out some Feed My Starving Children food packets. Thanks to many in the Holland area that put these together this past winter. They are much appreciated.
Gang went to do some last minute shopping for coffee at the market. Four go home tomorrow and we pick two more up with 4 more coming on Wednesday. Mallery just passed off some wonderful java chip Starbucks my way. Elixir!!!!
Well all for now. Will do more school kid clinic tomorrow with lots of vitals updates. Thanks for all your prayers.
Love, Kim

Distribution Day

2010-06-18T14:37:00.000-07:00

Two of our men headed out to the property to dig footings and lay rocks and cement. Beautiful views of the ocean, but hard and sweaty work. We stayed back and prepared things for a food distribution at Les Bours School of Hope.
Went out and first went into each classroom and gave the students a large bag of black beans and a box of corn flakes. Corn flakes in Haiti are a bit hit. The children also had tortilla medika mamba roll ups. Gordon Foods donated many of these tortillas and they work great for the nutritional infused peanut butter. They actually call them Jesus bread. So grateful to have something to eat. Great that it is so good for them too!
I loved seeing the familiar faces of many of the children I worked with last year during VBS and the teachers again. There was recognition on their faces as well! The classrooms look great after repairs, but we need to have another coat of the famous "gum drop green" paint to finish up the plastering job.
We had another 50 families come from the tent city today. We gave them 3 canned goods, a jumbo can of beans, pasta, soap, and a sheet to wrap it up and carry it home. They were very pleased to get it. I saw a large group of men today which is so different from past distributions I have been involved in other years. I am hoping that they are stepping up and taking care of their families instead of leaving it to the women.
It has been a blast making balloon animals and other things for the kids around Hope House. They have really enjoyed them. Thank you Tara Squires for showing me how to make them. We have another team coming down with an "expert" and he will dress up as a clown for the kids at the school. Should be fun and interesting to watch their reactions.
Tomorrow we have a plan for a respite morning at one of the beach resorts. Really looking forward to it as the heat really taps out your strength. We have a doctor coming down in the afternoon that we need to get from the airport. She will be running an immunization clinic at the school next week.
Well the smell of dinner is calling. Our dinners are so good! Frentz even made us fruit smoothies of fresh watermelon and mango last night. Hit the spot.
Thanks for all your prayers. Things are going very well.
Love, Kim

Arrival and First Day

2010-06-17T13:18:00.000-07:00

So thankful! Made all my connections, but the one that I least worried about was in GR and I almost missed it. The lines were long and clerks testy. Actually the gal behind me was not allowed to check in at all. I literally ran to the gate only to see that I still had wiggle room to spare.
Switching airlines from Delta and rechecking into American in Ft. Lauderdale was a breeze. I befriended a Haitian seat mate on the plane and she walked with me through the process at the PAP airport. Trying to get my luggage was interesting and the area was absolutely stiffling. I was so happy to see Mallery's smiling face the minute I walked out of the doors of the airport.
Met the other team members from Kentwood Community Church that had arrived the day before. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner and then I delivered lots of goodies that I had brought down for Mallery. I think the melted Reeces was her favorite.
Got out the battery operated fans for a night in the tent and I can honestly say I was comfortable sleeping except for the fact that my air mattress had a leak. The barking dogs and roosters crowing were not a hit, but found I dozed till about 8:00 am.
This morning I enjoyed the instant Starbucks coffee and bagels I brought down. After breakfast we bagged up beans for a distribution and went through many of the boxes from the previous shipment that I personally helped pack. It was like Christmas with some of the discoveries. I could tell Mallery where some of it even came from or who donated it. Very fun.
While some of the team were doing this, the guys went out to the property hoping that water could be hooked up so they could pour cement footings. As it goes in Haiti, they waited and it began after they had to return to the orphanage so we could go out to the school to do a food distribution. We sure do need the other truck badly. It has arrived, but trying to work out details to get it through customs. Pray hard that we can get it by next week when more arrive from KCC. It is a much larger truck and when you have 100's of pounds of rice and beans with people to transport it leaves little room.
We went out to Les Bours school and handed out large cans of beans, energy bars,canned goods, and hygiene kits that Faith Reformed in Zeeland put together for us. I got some great pics to share with them, but uploading takes forever with this internet server. Mallery and I made Medika Mamba Tortilla rollups for the street kids. They looked at it strangely as they had never seen them before. Gordon Foods donated boxes of them and what a great way to serve the peanut butter.
After we toured the tent city where many of our school children and their families live. What a joy it was to see the tents that were distributed last week. These tents were given by a small group that are out of Alto. People were so proud of them and eager to pose in front of them for us for a photo op. Thankful we did not have to step in muddy puddles as other groups had done.
Now back at Hope House waiting for dinner. Mislene is a wonderful cook and I am told we are having lasagna tonight. Yum!
Well all for now. Thanks for your prayers!
Love, Kim

Final day at home

2010-06-15T05:55:00.001-07:00

Wow! I have so much stuff to take down. Yesterday I packed a suitcase and was fearful it was over. Took it to the post office to be weighed and it was almost 20 pounds over!!!! I switched out suitcases, took out my coffee and creamer, and begged someone else to take the 10 pound CDs and cases for me with their team. Mallery promises me she will get me coffee and creamer. ;-) Haitian coffee is so good!
I still need to pack my clothes in my carry on and one other suitcase is on it's way to being 50 pounds easily. It sure is different packing for 3 weeks with all the extra food you have to bring down. Doesn't help I am bring 2 fans and batteries this time too.
Lots of last minute errands today. Prescription pickup, trip to the bank, and double checking my suitcases again. It will all come together. So glad I started earlier than usual.
Leaving the house tomorrow 5:45 am for my 7:15 am flight. Flying Delta my first leg with a layover in Cincinatti before traveling on to Ft. Lauderdale. I will have a 2 hour and 45 minute layover to switch flights to American. I will need every minute to recheck in with American so I would so appreciate your prayers from that leg of the trip on to Port au Prince. The airport in PAP can be absolutely crazy. I am so praying that Mallery will be able to come into the airport and meet me so I can avoid all the porters grabbing at my bags to make a buck. At this point wishing I was traveling with the team that left today. Safety in numbers for sure. ;-)Taking my netbook with me so I might be able to post while in the airports.
I will try to post everyday if the internet is available. Thanks for your good wishes and prayers.
Love, Kim

Getting Ready

2010-06-12T18:17:00.000-07:00

School finished up Friday and now I can concentrate on preparing for my 3rd mission trip to Haiti. Leaving Wednesday morning. So much to do. Mallery has contacted me about picking up some much needed supplies to add to my packing in addition to sponsorship gifts that are trickling in. I have my own gifts to give to little Julicene too. Add food and items that are necessities, I will have no problem filling up 2 suitcases of 50 pounds each plus my very full carry on.
So excited to see Hope House, our new property, and meeting the kids. A little concerned about the destruction I will see of what I knew as Port au Prince. Know it will be emotional. Sleeping in a tent for almost three weeks and a lack of consistent electricity will be a huge stretch for me. My idea of camping is the Holiday Inn... So hoping that the tremors will be over soon and we can move into the house.
I will try and blog as often as the internet allows me. No worries if you do not hear from me everyday as the weather and just unforeseen things mess with the internet access. Feel free to share my blog with others that may be interested in all things Haiti.
Thanks for your interest and support.
Love, Kim

Mission Possible

2009-06-27T16:30:00.000-07:00

Friday found us finishing up our painting project at the school. We had the 2nd through 4th grade classrooms to do, but needed more paint. They ended up having a wonderful accent of darker green since we could not match the original color. We had hoped to paint the office, but ran out of paint again so it will have to wait until another trip.
Many of the our gals walked over to the house to help the guys move brick for the wall. 1200 blocks were laid this week. Although there is still a couple rows to top of the wall, the guys went has far as their equipment allowed them. It looks wonderful and it means the world to the family to have protection and privacy.
In the afternoon, several of the team made their way over to the St. Joseph and Sisters of Charity orphanages for the last time. I had a very difficult time feeding several children as they had very high temps and there were lots of coughs. Even though they were skin and bones their little bodies just did not allow them to eat with their sickness. I did end my afternoon with a wonderful chat with a visiting Haitian mother who thanked me profusely for coming and assisting with the care of the children.
Today we made two trips to the Les Bours school to set up our distribution center. With all the suitcases and 23 team members we just could not all fit. The people were already waiting in the courtyard for us to begin. Thank you all who contributed to this distribution. We were able to give out a tote filled with flour, oil, spaghetti, rice, and corn meal to many not to mention the clothing, shoes, belts, and toiletry items. Anything we had left over will be distributed in Cite Soleil where the poorest of the poor live. We have a contact there named Ghee who has a school for primary age children. He was the fellow who gave us a tour of the slums last weekend. It is way too dangerous for us to handle this project.
While we waited for the rest of our team to return to the guest house from the school we encountered a heartbreaking sight. A woman nursing a very small baby, held an older child between her legs that was hydrocephalic. I do not believe I have ever seen a child with such a large head and I have seen this condition before in Haiti. She had traveled a great distance in hopes that Gertrude, our guest house hostess, would take her daughter to her orphanage. Gertrude was not home. I watched her from inside our gated compound wrap a shirt around the baby to improvise a diaper. Another team member and myself gathered diapers, food, and water to take to her. We found out later that she never made contact with Gertrude. I am not sure if we will see her tomorrow. We can only hope that she does not abandon the child in the streets.
We headed back up the mountain to the Baptist Mission this afternoon. The cooler temps were delightful. Many of the team enjoyed pizza, submarine sandwiches, chicken nuggets, fries, and ice cream. We "OD'd" on this tasty junk food. The good Dutch folk of Holland did their best bartering with the street vendors and loaded the bus with many treasures. As we headed back down the mountains you could actually feel the temps rise, but we are enjoying wonderful breezes as I sit on the guest house porch writing this blog.
This is our last evening here in Port- au- Prince. Hard to believe that almost 16 days has passed since I left Michigan. Most of us will be heading to the airport by 10:00 amish for our 12:15 pm flight to Miami. At this point, we have a 5 hour layover there before we head to Detroit. Should arrive in Detroit at 11:15 pm and then a 3 hour drive home. Pray that we have no delays and get home in a timely manner. If you remember from my earlier post, the first team had a nightmare trip home after being stranded at the Haiti airport for 10 hours.
Thank you for all your support, prayers, and well wishes during this mission trip. They were felt everyday. Once I get home, I hope to have better luck uploading pictures for you.
Blessings to you all, Kim

Green is the Color of Hope

2009-06-25T15:14:00.002-07:00

Today we headed out to the Les Bours school to paint the inside of the classroom. Just getting paint is a real adventure as you usually have to go to several places just to get the amount that you need. Mixing is another story. That was done with a big bucket and a stick. Yup, you heard right. Despite our efforts it was mixed consistently well. And it was oil based paint. Surprisingly, much of our spots were sweated off and we did not need gasoline to remove it. I, course, wore my latex gloves as not to spoil my "jewels." ;-) We painted the inside of 4 classrooms with roller and brushes to get in the crevices of the concrete. We did not have a ladder so standing on the tables in the rooms was the rule of thumb. Thank goodness that Marie Mell was part of our group as her height and arms saved the day. About 2:00 ish we ran out of paint. Hopefully, we will be able to finish up tomorrow with the other classrooms and office area. Prepping rooms was a chore as the teachers had glued on the student's work and the dust just clung to the walls. Most of that was done today, so it should go much faster.
The guys and a few of our ladies got the 3rd wall around the house. They are real troopers working in the hot sun with such dirty work. It requires a lot of patience as there is a Haitian way of doing things. Terry, our resident mason, has got to have the patience of Job after laying brick for a living at home. Each time they work they have an audience of little children. Building is an event for the community in Haiti. Many of these children are unable to attend our school and did not benefit from our VBS program. The guys gathered many of our give aways to give to them. The small pouch and marbles were a hit although I saw many wearing the pouch on their heads. So inventive. Grandpa Ron of our group drew foot measurements as it breaks his heart to see this children in only a T-shirt and no shoes. The kids would rub off the cement and dirt on the guys legs each day. Sure touches your heart.
We all headed back to the guest house by 2:30 tired and dirty. I am still waiting to take my shower, but love to do it right before bed as it makes sleeping so much easier. Just had dinner and it was so good. Shepard's Pie with a wonderful salad. Good, but I am craving a cheeseburger.
All for now. It looks like a beautiful evening to just sit on the porch read or chat on Facebook.
Hugs, Kim

Safe and Sweating

2009-06-24T19:34:00.000-07:00

We have been without the internet since Saturday. It has been so hard not being able to let you all know how we are doing. I believe it was a combination of the severe evening storms we have had and some technical difficulties at the guest house. Hopefully, we are back to normal until the end of the trip.
Our first team left for the USA on Saturday. Inorder to arrive in time to go through customs etc. they left for the airport at 1:00 pm for a 3:15 pm flight. We heard later that they did not leave until after 11:00 pm due to thunderstorms and never made it back to Michigan until 4:00 pm the next day. Several were still sick and I cannot imagine their discomfort with the scheduling. I am keeping my fingers crossed when we all leave on Sunday.
The four of us were able to go into Cite Soleil on Saturday. Cite Soleil has been deemed the poorest and most dangerous slum on Earth according to the UN. This only happened because we had a contact, there were only 4 of us, and the gang leaders were in jail. As we drove into the area I felt like all eyes were upon us. At one point our car stalled and was having trouble restarting. I did some heavy duty praying... We parked and were given a tour of the area. The children flocked to us. Many with no clothes or shoes. The homes were little more than scrap metal in some places. Passageways were very narrow. I had to turn sideways many times. At one point, as we got deeper in the slum, our contact was approached by another man and we immediately turned around and headed back. I imagine he was told to get us out of there. He told us whites are not always welcomed in the city. Our contact is trying to maintain a school for elementary school children. There is only one secondary school for 500,000 people!!! When we got back to our guest house the Foundation was able to help him monetarily and also with toiletries and clothing for the children. I wish we could of done more. The poverty was unbelievable.
On Sunday we layed low because of the senate elections. We only went out once to work on the final preparations for a water filtration system we installed in our bus driver's home. The UN was out in full force at the polling stations. Roads were blocked off. We even saw soldiers with mounted machine guns on their trucks.
The North Holland Church group arrived in the late afternoon. We are 23 strong. The guest house is filled to capacity as their is another group of 11 as well. There are only 4 bathrooms here so you can imagine how interesting this has been this week.
Monday through Wednesday found us doing VBS with the kids at the Les Bours school. Marie Mell (1st grade teacher from EC) and I worked with the kindergarten kids. We pulled out all the games and manipulatives that I brought down from the EC kids to play with for a small portion of the time while we shared interpreters. It was so fun watching them discover legos, linking cubes, tinker toys, lacing cards etc etc. Glitter projects were again a huge hit. I have several pics of the kids rubbing the glitter in their hair and on their faces. I was told that during "carnival" people do decorate their faces this way. So VBS was just one big party.
While many of the gals did VBS, the guys really worked hard in the hot sun building a wall around a Haitian woman's home. They have really made progress, but come home dirty and exhausted everyday. Great attitudes though.
I got to bring rice and beans to the Haitian woman the other day as we found out that she had been sharing what we had brought her before with the community and had none to feed her family. She had sold her bed the day before just to have something for her children. She hugged and hugged me, but praised God for the provision.
In the afternoons this week we have been visiting various orphanages. My favorite will always be the Sisters of Charity started by Mother Teresa. I was overwhelmed with emotion the other day when I watched a visiting mother nurse not only her own starving child, but bared both breasts to feed another. This is a nutrition center as well as a children's hospice. Families bring their children here because they cannot feed them or they are very ill. This woman had barely enough to feed her own child, but unselfishly shared with another stranger.
This was also the first time I had seen children in end stages of malnutrition. I was unaware that they start to swell and retain fluid. I knew that their stomachs would bloat and hair turn orange, but not the puffiness in the face and eyes. Saw several this time. So sad.
Tomorrow we are going to paint the inside of the classrooms. I am alittle worried about this for me because it is oil based paint and the ventilation is slim to none. Migraines are very real to me and I do not want to find myself stranded at the school all day with one. So say a little prayer for me.
All for now. Hopefully, the internet will sustain for me.
Kim

Meeting Up With Friends

2009-06-19T17:04:00.000-07:00

Our doctor left bright and early this morning with Dr. Honorie (Haitian OBGYN) to visit his hospital. It was important to leave by 7:00 am because the medical students are rioting around the hospital. We are told that they come by 9:00 and leave by 5:00 pm each day. Rumors have it that yesterday 3 students were killed by the UN troops in the area. The pediatric unit was evacuated because of tear gasing. She made it safely home with quite a list of things needed at the hospital. Sunday will begin the start of senate elections so we are a bit concerned with unrest if things do not go the way of the people.
Our team visited both schools today. First in Le Pleine to present a dental program and hand out tooth brushes and paste. I was able to give Julicane her sponsorship gifts. It felt like Christmas to me, but I am sure she has nothing to compare. Everything seemed to be a hit with her. I got some special pics that if I can get some cooperation from the satelite, I will post.
We left by 10:00 am to head over the the Les Bours school to meet up with Mike Page and a gang from West Michigan. They were waiting for us when we arrived. So good to see friends from back home and renew my acquaintance with Junior Tolivar who visited Eagle Crest in the fall and spring. They got the grand tour of the school with lots of welcome songs from the children. Work continued on painting the school, organizing the medical supplies, and building cupboards for the clinic till noonish. We headed back to the guest house to drop off team members for other ventures and a short respite.
At 3:00 pm we walked over to the Sisters of Charity hospice/nutritional center which was started by Mother Teresa. Mike Page's team met us there and we all fed and loved on precious babies. We met other volunteers from Maine and Nebreska who had come down to just work with the children. So neat to see others moved to take care of the poorest of the poor.
Tomorrow morning we will say goodbye to most of our team who will head back to the States. Going thru the airport to exit is a security nightmare. I think that when I went thru last year. I was x-rayed and my bags checked three times before I could finally board the plane. At least they are in a group and not alone as I was.
There will be four of us left including Mallery until the Holland team joins us on Sunday. We have plans to go into Cite Soleil which is one of the poorest and most dangerous slums in the Western Hemisphere. We are unable to take a large group into the area due to safety issues. Mallery has a great contact there who will give us a tour. As bad as what I have seen, I am told this is beyond belief. Pray for safety. Can't wait to report on this adventure.
Kim

Mountain Top Experience

2009-06-18T17:14:00.000-07:00

What a delightful day we had all around!
We left today for our school in Le Pleine to do our health care presentation on handwashing and spreading germs with the children there. The first class I walked into I spotted my little sponsorship child, Julicane sitting in the back row. It was so cute to see her eyes widen with recognition when I started to shake each child's hand. When I got to her I kissed both cheeks and said "bonjou ti fi." Good morning little girl. Lots of smiles on both sides.
After completing our presentations in all the classrooms I was able to spend more time with her. It was so different this time because all the shyness was gone. She sat with me for some time, my translation book in one arm, and her hand in the other. We communicated as much as we could. I told her that I had something for her tomorrow as we will hand out all our sponsorship gifts at that time. I was told that Haitian little girls love dolls and was overjoyed to hear that she was wondering if I had one for her. Of course my suitcase had a black version of Barbie in it for her. Lots of smiles. Tomorrow should be a joy giving it to her.
As we left we found some new riders on our bus. Three delightful little children who gave us all kisses and wanted to leave with us. They rode for awhile in their neighborhood and left with some coins, toothpaste and brush, and three bars of soap.
The afternoon was spent riding up into the mountains to the Baptist Mission. Spectacular views that I do not think a picture could do justice. The temperatures must of dropped at least 15 degrees and very little humidity. Rain of course is a daily occurence up there, but cleared enough that we could walk around the area and barter with the vendors. We enjoyed real American type pizza, coke, and ice cream. What a treat! As we left the rains started to fall even harder and when we got into the city the roads looked like rivers in many places.
Tomorrow we head back to the school in Le Pleine to hand out gifts. Mallery and I will go over to the Les Bours school to meet up with Doctor Michael Page from Holland, Michigan and also a parent from Eagle Crest Charter Academy. He is down with a team working in Petionville. He wants to visit the school. We also need to organize the meds at the clinic and finish up the filtration units.
Pray for our team members as three of them have been experiencing Haitian Happiness. Hmmm do you get my drift???? I am so thankful that I have experienced relatively good health, but as careful as you are, you can still drop. Good rest, lots of water, and frequent handwashing is the ticket.
I tried very hard last night to upload pictures, but kept experiencing satellite issues. I will try again after I make this post. All for now.
Kim

New vocation????

2009-06-17T17:48:00.001-07:00

Today we said goodbye to two of our team members who were heading back to Grand Rapids. The "sisters" were my roomies and I so enjoyed getting to know them both. Sad to say goodbye when bonds grow so tight in such a short time of sharing the ministry together.

We headed out to the Les Bours school to continue perfecting the water filtration units, hand out sponsorship gifts, distribute underwear, socks, handmade dolls (all beautifully made and ethnically correct), and hakey sack balls to the children. It was a delight watching the children learn to play Duck, Duck, Goose and London Bridges Falling Down as they waited. Both totally foreign to them.

I found myself assisting our Doctor Dree with patient care and intake. It was absolutely WONDERFUL being a part of this. Lots of interesting maladies, but what I enjoyed the most was the prenatal care and counseling. I found myself doing things I never thought I would ever do. Taking blood pressures and histories, preparing and dispensing meds, family planning, prepping the doppler to hear the babies heartbeats, and the biggie was getting the portable ultrasound machine ready to do both regular and vaginal exams. If you know me well, you know I am not very mechanical in the least bit and prepping that machine to switch from both modes was a new venture. I am sure that our American doctors do not fill a latex glove with lubricant jelly and then slip it on a vaginal scope, but we did.

I got good at reading the pictures on the screen for the mommies and could point out parts of the baby's body, fingers, nose, eyes, and the most fun was the sex of the baby in a lot of cases. Some little buggers just "saluted" for us, so it was very easy!!!! My heartbreak came with the last patient of the day as she was experiencing a miscarriage. Somehow she had been told or misunderstood other doctors in the area that she had been carrying twins and lost only one and that the other baby was still in the uterus. Unfortunately, this information was incorrect. We could only make sure that she was comfortable and had meds to prevent infection.

We worked nonstop, without eating, from 10-5, seeing 45 patients. I would love to do it again anytime. If I were younger.....I would certainly explore a new path. The rest of our team did not stay at the school in the afternoon and headed out to an orphanage that is run in conjunction with the guest house owner and our Foundation. They delivered gifts and played with the children while we stayed at the school. We picked them up on our way home and arrived back at the guest house for dinner by 6:00 pm. A long day, but so profitable!!!!

Tomorrow finds us heading to the La Pleine school where my little Julicane is and I will have the opportunity to present her with the gifts I have been collecting for her since Christmas. I am so excited to see her. In the afternoon we plan on heading up into the mountains to the Baptist Mission for some R & R and I am told pizza! We should be able to do some souvenier shopping as well. All for now until tomorrow. Kim

2009-06-16T17:09:00.000-07:00

Hope this works friends. This is my first time uploading to blog.

Pictures of Lovenson and me. The little guy Mrs. Taylor's first graders sponsor at Eagle Crest.

Medical Mission

2009-06-16T16:08:00.000-07:00

Headed out to the school by 8:00 am and dropped part of the team off to do their special projects. A couple of us headed back into town to try to scout out certain medicines that our doctor needed to treat several patients that had been showing up at the clinic. You would not believe what a pharmacy looks like. You step in off the street into a tiny little alcove and the entire forward wall is glass and caged in totally with a tiny opening that reminds me of one of the ticket counters at the theater. Items such as tylenol are at a premium and the only way we could get them was in tiny two pill packages. Everything had to be counted and recounted to make sure we were being charged the proper amount. Paying was another matter as the shop owner ran to the bank to do the rate of exchange. Thank you's go out to all those folks reading this blog who donated medicine to us this past year. I really appreciate you after this experience. Haiti definitely needs a Perrigos!!!
After running all our errands we returned to the school just in time for me to do another round of teacher training. This time we all explored the games and other items that I brought down to the school. I wasn't sure who was going to enjoy the card game WAR, bingo, dominoes, and memory card match more, the teachers or their students. We all laughed a lot together and enjoyed a kinship that only teachers can appreciate. No language barrier there.
A couple of us returned to the guest house early, me being one of them. We saw the thunder clouds rolling in as we left and experienced rain like I have only seen as a precursor to a potential tornado. We were told later that we are experiencing the affects of a hurricane. You may know better than I as we do not get the news here and I have not searched the internet for it. Anyway, I spent the time counting and bagging children and prenatal vitamins so the medical team can have them ready for tomorrow's clinic visits.
I believe tomorrow that I will be working with the doctor in the clinic. I love doing this. The portable ultrasound machine has been so much fun to see used. I missed out on seeing twins today. ;-(. Never know what tomorrow may bring...
Some of our team members are leaving tomorrow and a large team that has been staying at the guest house is also leaving for the States. Pray for traveling mercies. Just going thru the Port au Prince airport on the return is another experience in itself. Good news is that we will not be waiting in the line for the 3 bathrooms here.
Keep praying for safety on the roads. I cannot begin to describe what crazy drivers these Haitians are. There have been a number of times that we have narrowly missed being broadsided. A garbage truck driver had a very serious case of road rage today. Unbelievable!
All for now. Kim

Clean Hands, Clean Hearts

2009-06-15T17:01:00.000-07:00

We had a very long and arduous day in Haiti. I believe it was one of the hottest day I have experienced. Our team rose and left the guest house for our school in Les Bours. The children were still in session so it was very exciting to be able to see them once again and experience education first hand. It was a very different meeting then what I had in June of 2008 with them. Last summer it was very difficult to get the children to interact with us at all, let alone crack a smile. Being an early childhood educator , I pride myself in engaging children and establishing a positive rapport on the spot. This was not the case last year, but was very different today. We learned that the children had very little exposure to Americans coupled with the fact that we have lily white skin, blond, and green eyed. There have been several teams down since that venture and they are now welcoming us with open arms. What a joy it was to receive such a warm welcome. Lots of smiles, hugs, and “bonjous.”
I worked specifically in the morning with a team that was educating children on how to prevent the spread of germs by proper hand washing. I got to be the nasty germ spreader. In order to demonstrate, I sprinkled my hands liberally with blue glitter and entered the classroom shaking hands, high fiving, and cupping their faces. They absolutely love glitter so they were thrilled to be acknowledged this way. I also got to give a little “concert” by singing the alphabet song as I washed my hands to emphasis the importance of not rushing thru the task. Each child received a bar of soap when we were done.
In the afternoon, I shared with all the teachers the wonderful gift of manipulatives and hands on learning tools that were provided by the EC kindergartners and their families. They were very excited to receive them. I also showed them how playing the card game WAR and a game of dominoes can teach number values. “Monsieur Pomme de Terre de Tete” (Mr. Potato Head) was a great tool to teach the 5 senses. They were laughing the whole time. Tomorrow we will ‘play” with all the items as school will soon be dismissed for the summer and it is important that they remember how to use everything when they return in the fall.
While I was busy with my tasks, health and dental clinics were on going as well as painting projects for the buildings. I was able to sit with a young pregnant gal as she got to see her unborn baby for the first time while using a portable ultra sound machine. So awesome!!!!
Despite the intervention of Congresssman, Pete Hoekstra of Holland, we received some disappointing news while at the school. Naika was not granted a visa for the second time to visit the States this summer. Each time you make application to the US Embassy you are charged a substantial fee. Apparently, despite numerous assurances, they do not believe she will return to Haiti. We have to trust that this is part of God’s plan and rest in this decision.
As I write this I am sitting out on the upstairs porch listening to thunder. We had a heavy rain during our dinner and hope to get more as this really cools the temperatures. I try really hard to wait to take my quic kie, 3 minute, cold army shower at night before I go to bed. It is cooling and helps me sleep much better. Last night was the first time I did not wake up every hour. Sleep is so important to complete the work. I am fighting a heat rash and fly bites as we all are. Thankfully, we have a doctor on the team and she has been dispensing meds to help with any discomfort.
Well all for now. Thanks for your support and prayers.

Communication with the Outside World

2009-06-14T18:52:00.000-07:00

After 3 days without the internet it has finally been repaired and I can send you greetings. Not sure what the problem was, but it has been repaired. We had quite an adventure coming down. Miami was not the best with airport service. We boarded and disembarked our plane 2 times before we were finally given another plane. That held us up in Miami for 6 hours. Giving us a $10 voucher for food just did not mend our attitudes towards the delay. On a positive note, we got to know our other team members in a much more informal way. We arrived in Haiti at about 9:30 pm but never left the airport until about 11:00 because 20 bags had not arrived with our plane. Thankfully, I had everything. Thank you Jesus. We were all alittle scared about traveling so late at night, but we made it safely to the guest house in one piece.
The weather has been very warm as expected. Most of the time we are wringing wet with sweat, but just deal with it with a smile. We all are in the same boat so we just stink together. I usually take a shower at night so it helps me sleep a little better.
Our first day in Haiti was spent doing a food distribution at one of our schools. I was disappointed that my sponsorship gal was not there so I could deliver my gifts. Her aunt was and promised to bring her to the school later in the week. The afternoon was spent sorting thru our suitcases to deliver the items later in the week to the school in Les Bours.
Today we enjoyed an American church service. Everything was in English and the songs were very contemporary. What a surprise. It was great to fellowship with other Americans in Haiti as well as the nationals. We left church and installed a water filtration system for our bus driver in his home. They were so grateful to have clean water. Several were installed at the school the day before. These were all courtesy of International Aide in Spring Lake.
This afternoon we visited the Sisters of Charity orphanage that was started by Mother Teresa. I held and fed several babies. So hard to leave them as they long for loving.
All for now as I have a team meeting to attend. Keep praying for safety.

Right around the corner...

2009-06-09T19:23:00.000-07:00

First of all, thank you so much for your prayers and support in trying to secure visas for the children. Congressman Pete Hoekstra's office has been very proactive. After leaving a voice message and faxing over a detailed letter from our foundation director the night before, I received a phone call from them informing me that they had already called her twice in Haiti. Although they cannot guarantee a secured visa, I am confident that we have done everything in our power to make it happen. Now we need to release it and give to the Lord. If He wants His children in the States, it will happen.
Today was graduation day for our 80 kindergartners at Eagle Crest. What a joyous day it was for them to complete a job well done. It is always a day mixed with joy and sorrow for me. After spending so much time with them over the school year, we grow very close, and it is very hard to send them on their way knowing it will never be the same again. I love their families too and count those relationships as one of the best outcomes of my teaching career.
The EC family has been phenomenal this year in supporting the Foundation. We have received over $5,000 in monetary donations. This past week, there was not a day that went by that I did not have something to load in my car for the work in Haiti. Clearly I cannot take it all down this trip, but we do work with a container ministry that provides another means of transporting these items into the country. Never a worry that it will get there somehow, someway.
With graduation behind me, I only have a few things begging for my attention. I still have a few things to officially say I have closed up my room. I also will be attending a training for our new math curriculum on Wednesday morning. I am so grateful that the Lord provided the stamina and the keep on, keeping on attitude to complete the paper chase trail that comes with being a teacher last week. Such a load off my shoulders.
At noon tomorrow, my full attention is directed to closing up those suitcases and praying I am not over in weight. Thursday at 3:00 pm will find me heading to Detroit with my new friend, nurse, Linda Dykema from Holland. We will spend the night at the Comfort Inn in Romulus in order to board a 6:00 am flight to New York and then on to Miami to meet up with the rest of the team, and together head into Port au Prince. Hard to believe it is just days away... Until then.

Pray for Intervention

2009-06-05T05:42:00.001-07:00

Pray for Intervention
Today I took my first chloroquine tablet for malaria in preparation for my trip. It is a series of pills that you take during your trip and for 4 weeks after you come home. I did not have any side effects last year and hope that it will be the same. This first step really brings home the fact that I will be on my way to Haiti next week!I am really looking to all my friends to pray for some serious matters happening in Haiti as we speak. Our foundation director has been working diligently for the past several months to secure the proper documentation to obtain visas for 3 children and our translator to come to the States this summer. On Tuesday, all four were denied due to ridiculous circumstances. She was not allowed to enter the US Embassy on the basis that she was an American citizen. Yes, you heard right! It was imperative that she be allowed entry and attend the processing meeting. After six hours of waiting, the family returned, and was told that their visas were denied because she was not at the meeting. It is hard to fathom as an American that such corruption could take place even inside our embassy, but that is a part of daily life in Haiti.I contacted Congressman Pete Hoekstra's office here in Holland last night in hopes of securing his intervention in the matter. My hope is that I will hear from him today and something can be done to secure those visas, Lord willing. If you know anyone who might be of some influence, please contact me and I will forward the proper paperwork to them.My devotions today spoke to me about submission to God's design and plan for our lives. I am reminded that these precious words apply to this situation as well. Many thanks ahead of time for your prayers and support.

The countdown begins. 7 days till takeoff...

2009-06-03T18:43:00.000-07:00

There was never any doubt in my mind when I went thru the doors of the airport and boarded my flight to the States that I would be coming back to Haiti the following year. The love I felt and the need to help the children was overwhelming. I would never view my life or the abundant blessings I enjoy everyday the same way again. It was surreal to come back to comfortable surroundings, air conditioning, clean water, and plenty of food for the asking. All a stark contrast to starving people, bathing and drinking filthy disease infested water, and living on the streets with no hope for the future.
Almost upon my return, I started volunteering in various capacities for Haiti Foundation Against Poverty. This is the organization that drew my interest in the first place and of whom with I traveled to the country. I now serve on the board as it's educational director.
My enthusiasm for Haiti has just been contagious. My school (Eagle Crest Charter Academy in Holland, MI), the staff, it's students, and their parents have been some of our biggest supporters. Together they raised over $5,000, not to mention providing child sponsorships, medical and school supplies, toiletries, food, backpacks, shoes, and clothing. There was hardly a week that has gone by since the beginning of the school year that some item was dropped off in my classroom for Haiti. One of our teachers will also be traveling down the second week of my trip to join me. I can't express my thanks enough for this over the top giving. You have all been such a blessing to me.
I find that I am 7 days from my departure date. Hard to believe that after all this waiting it is just right around the corner. So much to do before I leave, but first I must finish all my responsibilities at school to close out the year. Things have really come together there and the Lord has provided the stamina to keep on keeping on.
This weekend I hope to do some creative packing that will allow me to take down all the the early childhood manipulatives that the kindergartners at EC purchased for the little ones at the Les Bours School of Hope. We were able to purchase almost $1,000 worth of hands on learning. I am allowed 2 suitcases of 50 pounds each as well as a 40 pound carry on. Somewhere in those figures, I need to stuff in my own personal items and clothes, as well as snack type food for lunches. We are out working during the noon hour and there is just no where to purchase safe food, so we pack our own.
I also start my first in a series of malaria pills on Friday. I had little to no side effects last year so I am hoping for the same. There have not been the series of shots and meds that were required of me last year. Typhoid pills are good for 5 years, tetanus up to date, Hep series completed. Some mission trips do not require you to medicate, but seeing what I have seen, I would never go without them.
Thank you for reading my first post. I hope this will be one of many over the coming days and weeks of my trip.