Hello,
You can say it - it's been awhile. I think I'm slacking. But if you knew the speed of our internet, maybe you'd be more compassionate.
Having said that, though, I apologize for the long silence. It's not that things haven't been happening - maybe too much is happening. The last while I've been trying to make an online inventory list, so it can only be done in the evenings, and honestly, it's not conducive to work, being online here. Between the slowest internet ever, and kids, it's taking me forever. And now I'm afraid I've messed it all up and it's too slow to go back quickly and check. So not to go crazy waiting to see if I wasted so many evenings, I came here instead.
Stephanie, the nurse replacing me is coming in tonight. I'm excited - both to see her (we clicked well the week+ that she was here last July) and because it means I leave day after tomorrow. It feels kind of unreal. You get so into a routine of things, it's strange to think of it being different. However, since so many days of my 3 weeks off are already planned, I'll be back in no time.
Plans are: Bobi is meeting me in Miami. We're renting a car for one night, and hitting the town! (Gotta make the most of one evening and night in the US!) Her family is there in their mobile trailer so we're staying with them. We'll see what else we do - shopping, eating out, maybe a movie.....
then Friday morning Bobi and I fly to Costa Rica. She's spending a week there with me. The first weekend we're heading to the northern part of the country, to a volcano, zipline, .. we'll see what else. Two nights, relaxing... it will give her a chance to see quite a bit of the country.
The next weekend my whole family will be together - we haven't been since 4 years ago, so really looking forward to that. The last weekend (4 days), some of us have plans to go to a nice beach. Somewhere in between that, I want to 'just me home'! And do all my business. ... Yea, it's going to be too short.
Now for some Canaan news...
This next weekend (all of which I'll miss) is Carnaval week. This is a rough, demonic Haitian holiday week, and a lot of churches plan camping time to get out of the cities. So, many of them knowing Canaan, they've asked to come camp here. We're expecting 300 young people at least. God has put a wonderful vision upon S. Gladys' heart - why not open this time and start something new? So we're inviting young people around here also and we'll have like a crusade - times for preaching, worship, etc, but also times of games, where they'll compete - soccer, basketball, sack races, singing, Bible trivia, etc, etc. There'll be prizes and trophies. What a time to reach out to the Haitian youth!!!
Please pray this weekend. This is huge! This may become a yearly thing. Together with that, please continue praying for the neighborhood of Sou Boy, that I mentioned in the last blog. Spanish classes have started as well as some others. For many things they want to do, we still need instructors.
Clinic's still picking up. Yesterday we had over 50 patients, which is more than ever (without doctors being here). I have two girls from the World Race team helping me these days, which is really nice, since Bobi's gone. Continue praying for me please. I still get overwhelmed sometimes by what I'm doing here (after a year, you'd think I'd be used to it, right?). Then a young boy comes in with a motorcycle burn injury of a couple weeks ago, and it has become a crater almost an inch deep and wide, and looking ugly. I took it upon myself to put in some anesthesia and debride it. I'm worried because he didn't come back when I told him to.
On the upside, they're working on the new clinic building - for now the foundation, but it's encouraging.
By the way, if weather dictates when you come visit, always make it Febuary. We're having wonderful, windy weather. Makes you forget about all the hot weather of the summer.
OK, there's lots calling to me today yet, so till another time....
Elsie
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Sou Boy
Hello,
This place is a beehive of activities these days. We've been blessed with a different team each week in Jan, and lots of work has gotten done here. The new team this last Sat consists of about 16 people, plus 3 or 4 that stayed over from the last team. They're leaving on Friday. Then last night we got 13 more, who'll be here till around the 21st. This last group is a group of young people that are in the "World Race". They go to a new country every month for 11 months and do all kinds of things at different mission places, etc. They came from the Dominican Republic and are in the second month. It sounds like such an interesting thing to do - there goes my sense of adventure.
At the clinic it seems to be picking up again. My new nurse was doing good but then I realized I let her go on her own too soon, so now I need to focus on training her more before I leave in 2 weeks. Then one of my steady "translators and helpers" Fabiola, left this last weekend - don't know if she's coming back. We miss her. Now I need to continually look for someone (I do still have one fairly steady one). One of the ladies from the team is a nurse so she's been helping me, which has been great, especially since yesterday we broke the record again in the amount of people we saw. Bobi's also leaving on Thursday so that'll make it busier for me. But again, God provides (He is ever faithful). Some people in this new group will be coming down to help.
Today we had a busy Mamba day. Bobi went around Montrouis the other day recruiting, and today we had like 23 people show up, despite the fact she only told 6 of them to come get checked. Sometimes word of mouth is best. Thankfully not all of them were malnourished, but we did admit 6 little ones to our program.
One new thing that is happening here, and it's exciting to think what God is going to be doing with it. It's about what's happening with the young people of Sou Boy. Sou Boy is the little village at the foot of our hill. Up until now they haven't been the most friendly - after all some of them are squatting on our land. But a bunch of the young people got it into their heads that they want an education, and they want to learn vocational skills, so they've had a few meetings with S. Gladys (about 150 people one time). We're looking into starting classes for: Spanish, English, mechanics, construction, plumbing, art, secretarial skills, typing, computer, etc etc (who wants to come teach???) We have this abandoned building in the middle of a field that used to be used for a school, but is in bad shape. S. Gladys told them we can use that but it's their responsible to get it ready. So the last few days I've been watching from a distance as about 10-30 young men (many between 18-22 yrs) are working there - chopping, sweeping the roof, burning brushes, etc. Tomorrow they're starting on the soccer field. It does my heart good to see their energy and passion to learn something practical. Not just that, but sunday a bunch of them came to church, and I saw a passion in some of them that was awesome to see. It's even challenging the kids here. Please pray for all this. We don't know how or who is going to be doing all this but the need and passion is there, and it's a start to changing Haiti - one person at a time.
Sister Gladys is also leaving this week, and that means a few more responsibilities may befall me, esp. with all the people here. (Pastor Henri went to the States for a couple months - we miss him) Life continues to be interesting here. Thankfully she'll be back before I leave on the 19th for a much anticipated 3 wk. vacation with my family in Costa Rica. I haven't left the country since April, and I feel the need for a break. (don't get me wrong, I love the work here and it's going good!)
Ok, it's getting late, there's a lot of people around and I can't remember all the things I wanted to say, so I better go before I just ramble on.
Thanks for your prayerful support for me here!!!
Elsie
p.s.
please continue praying for a Medika Mamba vehicle - we've got more than a quarter of the funds that we expect we'll need, raised already. We went to look at a vehicle the other day - exactly what we need, but I think it's too nice. Funny how that's an issue, right? But considering we're serving the malnourished, poor, we don't want one that screams "rich". So pray we'll find the right one. And if God lays it on your heart to help financially too, well... you know :)
This place is a beehive of activities these days. We've been blessed with a different team each week in Jan, and lots of work has gotten done here. The new team this last Sat consists of about 16 people, plus 3 or 4 that stayed over from the last team. They're leaving on Friday. Then last night we got 13 more, who'll be here till around the 21st. This last group is a group of young people that are in the "World Race". They go to a new country every month for 11 months and do all kinds of things at different mission places, etc. They came from the Dominican Republic and are in the second month. It sounds like such an interesting thing to do - there goes my sense of adventure.
At the clinic it seems to be picking up again. My new nurse was doing good but then I realized I let her go on her own too soon, so now I need to focus on training her more before I leave in 2 weeks. Then one of my steady "translators and helpers" Fabiola, left this last weekend - don't know if she's coming back. We miss her. Now I need to continually look for someone (I do still have one fairly steady one). One of the ladies from the team is a nurse so she's been helping me, which has been great, especially since yesterday we broke the record again in the amount of people we saw. Bobi's also leaving on Thursday so that'll make it busier for me. But again, God provides (He is ever faithful). Some people in this new group will be coming down to help.
Today we had a busy Mamba day. Bobi went around Montrouis the other day recruiting, and today we had like 23 people show up, despite the fact she only told 6 of them to come get checked. Sometimes word of mouth is best. Thankfully not all of them were malnourished, but we did admit 6 little ones to our program.
One new thing that is happening here, and it's exciting to think what God is going to be doing with it. It's about what's happening with the young people of Sou Boy. Sou Boy is the little village at the foot of our hill. Up until now they haven't been the most friendly - after all some of them are squatting on our land. But a bunch of the young people got it into their heads that they want an education, and they want to learn vocational skills, so they've had a few meetings with S. Gladys (about 150 people one time). We're looking into starting classes for: Spanish, English, mechanics, construction, plumbing, art, secretarial skills, typing, computer, etc etc (who wants to come teach???) We have this abandoned building in the middle of a field that used to be used for a school, but is in bad shape. S. Gladys told them we can use that but it's their responsible to get it ready. So the last few days I've been watching from a distance as about 10-30 young men (many between 18-22 yrs) are working there - chopping, sweeping the roof, burning brushes, etc. Tomorrow they're starting on the soccer field. It does my heart good to see their energy and passion to learn something practical. Not just that, but sunday a bunch of them came to church, and I saw a passion in some of them that was awesome to see. It's even challenging the kids here. Please pray for all this. We don't know how or who is going to be doing all this but the need and passion is there, and it's a start to changing Haiti - one person at a time.
Sister Gladys is also leaving this week, and that means a few more responsibilities may befall me, esp. with all the people here. (Pastor Henri went to the States for a couple months - we miss him) Life continues to be interesting here. Thankfully she'll be back before I leave on the 19th for a much anticipated 3 wk. vacation with my family in Costa Rica. I haven't left the country since April, and I feel the need for a break. (don't get me wrong, I love the work here and it's going good!)
Ok, it's getting late, there's a lot of people around and I can't remember all the things I wanted to say, so I better go before I just ramble on.
Thanks for your prayerful support for me here!!!
Elsie
p.s.
please continue praying for a Medika Mamba vehicle - we've got more than a quarter of the funds that we expect we'll need, raised already. We went to look at a vehicle the other day - exactly what we need, but I think it's too nice. Funny how that's an issue, right? But considering we're serving the malnourished, poor, we don't want one that screams "rich". So pray we'll find the right one. And if God lays it on your heart to help financially too, well... you know :)
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