Janean

Bonswa!

My time in Haiti is nearly over; I can't believe that it's been two weeks already!

Today, I saw a 9 year boy named Bernard. His house fell on him in the earthquake. He had a compound fracture of both bones in his lower leg. He first had an external fixator, and then another external fixator, then a cast, and two days ago had his cast taken off. He did not have any crutches, and so his mother has been carrying him on her back for over three months. All he needed was crutches! They both had huge smiles on their faces when they walked out of the clinic.

Judeline did something today that brought tears to my eyes. She got herself out of bed, put on her own prosthesis, and walked by herself (with the walker)out to the physical therapy clinic! No one helped her! It was a beautiful site to see this precious 15 year old girl smiling at us with a new confidence and determination. That girl grabbed my heart on day one, and it was tough to say goodbye to her. I told her I would continue to pray for her.

Alex, one of the translators, said that he had been thinking all last night about giving the water away yesterday. He said, "Why did you do that? Why are you giving things away?" He had just gone with me to give one of the nurses one of my scrubs tops. I told him again that God has given freely to us, and so we are supposed to freely give to others. He said that we were a great example to him and that it encouraged him greatly in his walk with the Lord. He is also very interested in becoming a physical therapist, and he used Judeline's progress as an example. He said, "I saw Judeline at the beginning, and I see her now, and it's a miracle! It's a miracle beyond miracles! She would not be anywhere without what the therapists have taught her, and I feel so proud to be part of it. I want to do this for others." Wow, Alex, also made me cry today!

Today was a day of goodbyes....to the patients, to the translators, to people in the hospital like the administrators and the pharmacist, to our guest house friends, and to the country of Haiti.

What have I learned? That poverty has a face.

To God be the glory,

Janean