Home, Sunday

Home Sweet Home! Most of us had a 10-12 hour day of travel yesterday, but that is always expected when traveling long distances. A debriefing dinner (and lots of giggles) at MIA Airport last night was fun and a very sweet closures with my new "Indi" friends. We missed Pat and Victoria, though.

How do you wrap up a week in Haiti with words? Impossible, just saying. I will post some of my favorite pictures and share some things that I will hold dear to me as reality arrives tomorrow morning at 5am.

Regarding my Indiana Friends: These ladies are kindhearted, giving, very knowledgeable in medicine, over-the-top with beautiful patient care and they love to laugh. I completely enjoyed being on this team of ladies from Indiana. I feel I should warn you though, people from Indiana do not like Tom Brady or The New England Patriots. I was almost tossed from the infamous roof-top when I mentioned to the girls how much I like Brady and The Pats (Love all Boston teams, ya know). Lets just say, they aren't a fan, not even a little bit! However, I do have a burning desire to watch the movie "The Hoosiers" sometime soon. In closure about these ladies, they work hard, pray hard and play hard. Well rounded group of ladies. I thank them for their friendship.

Nehemiah Vision Ministry Staff: Brooke is angelic, words can't describe her and the team of nurses/interns and staff that come and go serving at NVM. Pastor Pierre (founder of NVM) had a vision; he prayed, had a calling and moved forward with his desire to help his people in Haiti medically, spiritually and intellectually. The results are why teams come to NVM/Haiti, medical and non-medical. His heart is gentle and full of love. He is an unselfish blessed man.

Haitian Longevity

What was shared with us about Haiti, is "Americans have all the watches; Haitians have all the time". So true, so real. I came to Haiti to serve, share and just be able to give unconditionally. I trust that our team made someone smile, feel better physically and saw how God can work through others.

May you all have a slice of Haiti in you now by pictures or experiences I have shared and may you one day feel compelled to go and find your slice of Haiti.

Orevwa!

The 2013 Team and Interpreters!

This is a sweet baby is NOT malnourished, in fact this baby was overfed and the mother was taught how often to feed a baby. Education is part of the medical clinic, as well as treatment. 

Sunday Church Service

Sunset at Club Indigo (a beautiful part of Haiti)

Girl Friends

Tap-Tap

Roof Top Sunrise (my favorite place)

Club Indigo with Leslie (RN) and Kris (Nurse Practitioner)

A Gaff Sailboat Luffing By at Club Indigo

The Best Interpreter on the Planet; Mr. Bendy Jean Louis

Mother's Love

Young Man Grinding Corn

Village Life

Friday, Day Six

Today was a very special day for the team. We loaded up the tap-tap and after 1.5 hour drive, we arrived at the The Indigo Beach Resort! Yes, that's right, beach resort!! This part of Haiti is simply beautiful!

We stayed all day and enjoyed a wonderful time meandering around the beach, ate a delicious lunch, we laughed, chatted and gradually decompressed. We safely returned back to NVM tired, full tummies and all a little sunburnt.

We treated over 400 patients in 4 days this week and the opportunity to experience another part of Haiti was truly a much appreciated gift from NVM; and for that, I'm grateful.

Blogging is short tonight; will wrap up our journey tomorrow as we all travel back to the states. Enjoy the beach pictures as much as I enjoyed being there.

Colorful Dory Boat with Leslie and Kris

Gaff Sailboat

Fabulous Lunch

Thursday, Day Five

Tonight will be a more of a pictorial with few words. We went to a new village today on the mountain, "Fond Chavel (Chavel means Horse); very beautiful drive up the mountain, with our clinic under the trees. This village was another established village, with minimal acute illnesses. Longevity is noted here with many hypertensive patients. Enjoy the pictures below. Side note to Holly and Jeff: you now have a new brother named Bendy (Ben-zee), my awesome interpreter this week. Simply a precious smart young man. He is my new BFF and your Haitian brother. Bonswa!

Bendy Jean Louis My Interpreter

Wednesday, Day Four

I begin my blog with a little history lesson. Maybe since I haven't lectured all week I feel the need or perhaps just to share with you some facts about Haiti.

Haiti is a Caribbean country the size of Maryland, 50 miles from Cuba and 600 miles from Florida. War, dictatorships, natural disasters (and much more) have impacted the current status of Haiti. The average Haitian earns $1 dollar a day; there are 8.7 million people residing in Haiti and more than half of the people lack clean water or sanitation. Fifty percent of the population is undernourished. 12% of the Haitian children die before their first birthday and one third do not make it to their fifth birthday. Voodoo is practiced in Haiti but 50% are Christians (Roman Catholic).

Nehemiah Vision Ministries (NVM) has an amazing outreach to the displaced as well as the established villages. Mobile medical clinics is one outreach that short teams do here in Haiti. If you go to my pre-trip blog the link for NVM is posted.
Ok, ok....Lecture is "fini"!

So, here's what we did today. Went to Thomazeau Village (1 hour 15 min drive) and arrived to an audience of 105 patients. This village is an established village, not displaced people from the earthquake. This was by far the hottest day at clinic. We were inside a church with few windows and very little breeze. However, the day was a blessing (as always)!

Saw more adults then children today; hypertensive adults, case of Malaria, Kidney stone, adult males that admitted to having STD's, not as many malnourished children as Chrembrun. Busy, busy day. One lady told our interpreter she was 44; and she looked to be at least 60! I just smiled at her and thought I will probably do the same thing one day. She kissed my cheek after I took be BP; must be a girl-thing.

We arrived safely back to NVM; debriefed after a glorious vegetable soup dinner. Food seems to be rather tasty these days. We are all staying well hydrated. Collectively, we are all tired; We did not have a chance for a "kabicha" (ka-be-sha) "nap or short sleep" after our return, so early lights out is ok with me.

Day three is in the books!
"Bonne Nwen"..."Goodnight"

Pics: my favorite place is the roof-top, sunset and pic of building and roof-top; clinic life with Victoria assessing patient; me and girl Pat (after clinic); debriefing time; me and boy Pat; people waiting to be triaged.

Sunset

My Favorite Roof Top Spot

Ms Pat

Boy Pat and Me!

Debriefing time

Tuesday, Day Three

"Suivant" (Swe-va); "Shita" (shee-ta). "Next" and "Sit" was my mantra today. I uttered those two words many times today. As the triage person, I am the first person the patients encounter at the mobile clinic. I take blood pressure, heart rate and temperatures. I like doing this job, because I get to see most of the 100 patients we treat, touch their hands, play with the babies, etc. I share the triage table with another team member and we really have fun.

We saw many families today; still many many babies, girls with STD's, one child with foot and mouth disease, few hypertensives patients. Nothing too profound, but still many ill patients.

After we returned back from Onaville, we emptied the tap-tap and walked to Chembrun Village (5-7 min walk). Spent time playing with the kids (see pics). This is a local village which is very poverty stricken that generations after generations will never move beyond this element. A voodoo doctor is the epicenter of the village and Christianity is being introduced by NVM by showing unconditional love, offering a true medical clinic at NVM, as well as a school to educate the children. The voodoo house is very guarded and it's a little eerie to walk beside it. No pictures are taken of the house or the surroundings.

Tomorrow we visit a different village and the ride is apparently very bumpy (according to Brooke) for 40 mins. I can't image how more "bumpy" a ride can be, but I better be ready. Speaking of Brooke, she is the nurse that lives here at NVM. She is from Indiana and has committed to NVM until September. She is uncertain is she will recommit, time will tell. She is an absolute angel and has developed a trust with the locals, fluent in Creole and just amazing. Words do her an injustice.

As the evening comes to a close, I wish you all a goodnight. Bonswa!

Monday, Day Two

Alo (hello)!! Busy day at Onaville Village. We saw approximately 100 patients today in this displaced village of 400,000 or more. A few things have changed since last year in Onaville. Initially, the village was for displaced families from the earthquake; it is now becoming a permanent residence. There are concrete brick buildings (10x10) that our homes for some families. Still no running water or electricity, but some families at least have a closed space to call their own.

The trend for village life, as young post-pubertal girls, seems to be they become pregnant or have STD's (or both). The girls take care of the children and household responsibilities. Of course not every Haitian teenager is pregnant, but there is an epidemic of unwanted pregnancy and sexual abuse. It is heart wrenching.

We saw many sick children today, one with Typhoid fever, many with cough/fever, few with GI issues. One child had cellulitis on her finger; and another had intestinal worms. We actually saw a 95 year of lady. Amazing!! She was a little hypertensive, but rightly earned for she has survived the average life expectancy in Haiti, which is 62.

We had Haitian eggs and pancakes for dinner, and I must say they were delicious!!! Lunch was and will be peanut butter and bread, chips (today was Pringles) and raisins. I set up the lunch table today inside the tap-tap...(Shout out to my Cornerstone Ladies; once a lunch lady, always a lunch lady, huh)?

My interpreter was a sweet guy name Bengy. Super nice young man; he grilled me all day on my enunciation of the Creole language. I'm a hard teach, just saying and he is a good teacher.

Sitting on the roof top with a few ladies while easing into the evening. Ready to say goodnight and Bonswa! Another exciting day in store for tomorrow. Just for the record, I'm having a blast.

Pics: Few from Onaville; lunchtime; me and Bengy; your NVM 2013 medical team and interpreters. No particular order.