Janean

It's Sunday afternoon, and I finally have time to try to recap the last two days. Saturday morning started off by saying goodbye to Ky at the airport; she is a "kindred spirit" and she was wonderful to share my first week with. Her incredible sense of timing to say something humorous in the midst of some sort of stress was a great blessing to me! (Is humor a spiritual gift?) We headed back to the hospital and I saw 5 outpatients in the morning, set up the outdoor PT clinic and walked with Judeline. Our two new therapists arrived around noon; Kirsten is an occupational therapist and Heather is a physical therapist. I gave them a quick tour and they were seeing patients within the hour; they just jumped right in and went to work! Alexandra (12 yrs old) came back today and we had a very special gift for her. Ky was gracious enough to leave her tennis shoes, and so Alexandra was able to wear her new AFO with tennis shoes. She mentioned that she had slipped and fallen because the bottom surface of the AFO was slippery even with the surface we had afixed to the bottom. The family had taped cardboard there and it was slippery too. So, Alexandria's face just lit up when she was able to have tennis shoes. Thanks, Ky, you're the best!

The ABC team was picking up the two amputee girls and so they were running late in traffic (really? in Port au Prince?) and didn't arrive until 2. They wanted Judeline to walk back and forth with her walker, behind them as they filmed the two girls. Bless her heart, she walked FOUR TIMES, about 40' each time. Finally around 4pm, I told the producer that she just couldn't do it any more; I had bribed her with 10-12 stickers and a bottle of gatorade, and she did her best, but was simply exhausted. When we took off her prosthesis, her sleeve was soaked with sweat. She did great, and I was very proud of her and told her so. Alexandra was in the background for a while, working with Heather and Faustine was working with Kirsten. They had each of us say something on camera about how the prostheses will help children in Haiti. Who knows what they will use and what they will cut to get their 60 second update. The whole thing took two days of prep and 4 hours of shooting, for 60 seconds of airtime. Crazy. Heather brought 200 long balloons and a pump and entertained many of the street children that were hanging around to watch. She was swamped with kids for more than an hour and went through 100 of her balloons but the producers were happy. Hopefully it helps the hospital and helps Haiti. (I did take a picture of the producer with a crazy balloon hat on his head; I told him this morning that he can have a copy, but I just have a few requests for Haitian Community Hospital first.....). :)


I saw Luc Pierre in the afternoon and he was drenched with sweat and out of water; his wife was not there; she was out looking for food. I offered to bring him water, but his roommate (another patient) said he would share his water. Grace in the midst of need. Luc Pierre told me that he could feel God's grace in my hands through the way that I changed his bandages because I was gentle. He tells me every time I see him that he is thankful for me, but I tell him that I am thankful for him because he demonstrates to me patience in the midst of suffering. It was kind of funny that we were tripping over ourselves trying to out-thank the other!

We finally left the hospital around 5:30 and arrived at the guest house by 6:15; had dinner around 7, and collapsed from exhaustion after our showers, around 9:30.

We had a wonderful Sunday morning service; I recognized two of the songs - "How Great Thou Art" and "As the Deer". I love hearing them sing and worship. We shared the holding of the orphan children with the team here with the "4:10 Bridge" - titled after I Peter 4:10 which says "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." The team is working with an elderly widow of the church, who walks 45 minutes to church each Sunday. Her home is farther up the mountain and was destroyed in the earthquake. Her daughter, who is also a widow lives with her. The 4:10 Bridge group is helping to rebuild her home this week.

Dr. Bernard's message was about Jesus comforting Mary and Martha at the time of Lazarus' death. He thanked us and the many people who have come to Haiti to console and encourage Haitians in their time of grief and loss. He said that the personal presence of someone is sometimes all it takes to feel comforted. Then he said that there are thousands and thousands of Marys and Marthas out there that will need comforting in the months and years to come. How true; for Haiti and for other places around the world.

When we got back, we went to the orphanage and played with the children. Heather worked her balloon magic again and had kids swarming all around her. I held one little boy for a long time who just wanted to sit on my lap and have his back rubbed. After a while, we went in to the small baby area and we each fed a small child their lunch, which was a bowl of rice and beans that looked somewhat pureed. Words can't express the satisfying feeling of just holding and comforting an orphaned child, or feeding them a meal.

Now, we are relaxing, and preparing for another week. Thank you all for your love and prayers!

Janean