A tour of the city

This afternoon a Haitian pastor took a few of us around the city to show us the damage... it is overwhelming. As we passed building after building that was crushed, knowing that countless lives were taken, you can't help but be overwhelmed and saddened. The downtown area with the President's Palace and the government buildings was hit the hardest. We stopped at the Palace... I had seen pictures on TV but it is definitely not the same as being there in person. All around it are tent cities, where people are now living. There are tent cities all over the city - thousands, millions living in handmade or camping tents. People aren't sleeping in the houses even if they aren't destroyed, because of a combination of fear and the government telling them it's not safe. We even saw tents set up in the middle of the road. The pastor took us to where he is staying with 40 other people, to an area in front of his friend's house - they sleep outside, cook outside, live outside. I don't even have the words to fully describe all that I've seen or the stories I've heard.
How do you not just cry all the time being here? Because I know the God of hope and I know that He is the only answer to this city and to the world. He is the God that will give hope to the people of Haiti, to these people whose lives have been destroyed even if they survived. Keep praying for Haitians, for peace and hope and that they would turn to the Giver of life and hope.

Loving on Kids

Another day of loving on kids... that's what I did most of the morning. I felt a lot better today cause I actually got sleep last night (Thank you for all your prayers... God gave me rest!) Maki, who is still my roommate and for the last few times has become my bedmate, actually slept through the night. She is so adorable, especially now that she is feeling better. And before you ask, no I'm not bringing her home - her and Sophie, my other favorite are being adopted to Argentina, maybe even as early as next week. So I'll just love on them until I leave. I sat outside for a couple of hours with 2 kids on my lap and others crowded around... whatever you do, do it to glorify God... that's what God keeps reminding me on this trip. Playing with kids or changing diapers may not seem all that special, but it was my task for the morning and God wanted to be glorified in that. And they are so precious that you can't help but love them!
I spent the afternoon cleaning out the clinic/pharmacy with a couple of the other volunteers. It looked so much better after we were done and now we can actually see what medicines we have and find them easily. We are still just treating a handful of patients a day that come in needing medicine. Today it was mostly just the dads from Argentina, who came in to visit their kids and try to get the government to let them take the kids out. They are all worried about their kids, who mostly look better than all the others here, and are coming up to me every few hours with new problems. What's funny is that here I am in Haiti trying to speak Spanish!
Ok, I gotta run but thanks as always for your continued prayers! Please pray for another restful night for me and for Maki.

Another day of clinic

The work continues... today we set up clinic in the "downtown" of this neighborhood. We stopped by the police station, either to get their approval or protection or both... not really sure but they asked us to treat all of them as well. Most of it was stress and pain... everyone is affected emotionally even if they don't have outside wounds. Brenna, the PA and I were able to treat them and then pray for them. Then we moved to our "clinic", a covered area in the midst of the tents. Everyone is sleeping outside because their homes are destroyed or they are too afraid to sleep in buildings. We saw almost 150 patients today, some of it basic stuff but some of it was serious. But most of all we continue to see anxiety and hopelessness. Even my interpreter today, Donald, shared with me how he looks to the future with different eyes now and says that he feels hopeless. We've been able to pray with some of the patients as well as giving them medicine.
We had to shut down clinic a little earlier than we expected because the crowd was getting a little rough... but the police were there and they even gave us a ride back to the village in their truck! We were never really in danger but we just wanted to be careful. Most of the medical team has to leave tomorrow, so I'm not sure what tomorrow will hold... but I continue to trust that God has me here for His purpose. Thank you for your continued prayers!!

Clinic at the village

It's amazing how God answers prayers... just yesterday I was praying that God would open doors if He wanted me to do medical work here in Haiti, in addition to loving on these precious kids. And last night a small medical team showed up! So this afternoon we set up clinic here at the village and the PA and I saw 70 patients this afternoon! Most of it wasn't that serious, but it was great to people to help them. These are the people that weren't affected enough to go to the hospital but still had pain from falling or respiratory infections from sleeping outside. Tomorrow the plan is to set up clinic at a nearby police station that probably will have greater need. Please continue to be in prayer for all of us here, for health and strength as we work nonstop and for wisdom and direction in setting up the medical clinics (This group will be here til Monday).
It's been a busy day and is more exhausting because I sleep with the babies at night so never get to sleep through the night (Did I sign up to be a mom yet? :)) I gotta run cause we still have to pack up meds and supplies for tomorrow, but wanted to let y'all know that things were going well and to thank you for all the prayers! And I haven't been able to respond to all these great and encouraging emails but I appreciate y'all so much!! Thank you so much!! Love you guys!!!

Pictures

Here's a couple of pictures... I thought you have seen enough of the destruction on TV so wanted to share some of the precious faces... here's one of Maki (my baby and patient), of the cute little kids eating lunch, and of the kids at the airport, the first ones I got to love! :)

Daily life at the orphanage

I finally have a few minutes where I'm baby free and able to write. I still have too much to say and not enough time or the words to write. I haven't left the orphanage since I arrived, but there has been plenty of work to do. One of my main jobs still continues to be to care for Mackey, the 8 month old that was sick. I carry her around all day and she even sleeps in my room tonite. On Monday night she was up from 12-3, but last night she slept better (Thank you, Lord!). Today she is a little better and happier, but I think what she needs most is love. That's what all the kids here need the most. And there's just not enough people here to give them all the love they need. Besides us and the babies, the older kids and the adults are all sleeping outside. It's not so much that the buildings aren't ok, but more that everyone is just so afraid. I think I felt some tremors last night, but nothing too bad.
Mom asked me yesterday if it was chaotic and I guess it is, but not in the way you would expect. I am nowhere close to the riots, the crowds, the desperation (although it does exist... there are some journalist guys staying here and they come back with stories at night. They actually found another survivor yesterday - 15 days after the earthquake! Truly a miracle!) But here, we are trying to give a halfway normal life to these kids. And the work is nonstop. There are probably 50 or 60 kids and many adults as well... I'm not really sure how many people are really here. But we are blessed to have food and are feeding all of these people, so it's been a big job to make food and wash dishes and I've been able to help some. I think much of the city is without electricity, water and food, but we are blessed with a generator, a well and lots of donated food.
I've not been able to do as much medical stuff as I hoped (although I have been able to treat some of the kids and a couple of people come to the village in need of help), but there are some more medical people coming in today or tomorrow so we've talked about setting up a mini medical clinic here at the village. For now I'm just treating what comes in and helping in any way I can.
Ok, it's time to get back to the babies! Thank you again for all your prayers and encouragement!! All the comments, facebook messages and emails have meant so much and I want you to know how much I appreciate it! Continue to pray for me as I serve, for strength, for health and everything I need to treat and love these people. And pray for the people, especially for peace. Pray for God's love and salvation for the people of Haiti.

Made it to Haiti

I don't even know what to write or where to begin and I am so tired and ready to try to sleep, but I at least wanted to write and let y'all know that I made it. I left FL this morning at 5 am on a private 8 seater plane and flew to Port-au-Prince. The plane ride was awesome and I got to sit in the front with the pilot! He is a man who donated his time and his plane to fly 3 flights into Haiti to take volunteers and supplies in and kids for adoption out. Barbara, the lady in charge here, flew in with 7 kids on Saturday and 6 kids today. I got to play with the kids at the airport today and help them on the plane... so precious!! Pray that everything would go smoothly with all the adoptions.
I got here to the village (the orphanage), which is partly destroyed like most everything else here. Driving in the city seemed somewhat normal in parts but then you pass a building that is in crumbles. I arrived here and was handed one of the kids, an 8 mo old who was dehydrated from vomiting and diarrhea and have literally carried her around for 5 hours until I finally got her to sleep a few minutes ago. Today I mostly helped care for the kids... at one time I was entertaining 5 infants/toddlers. These kids have been through so much and there's so little help here.
I have so much more I could write, but I'll stop with this. I don't know what these next few days will bring, but I know God has me here for His purpose. I may be treating people or I may be loving on kids, but I pray that He might be glorified. I pray that I could bring His love to a people without hope. Thank you so much for all your prayers! Please keep praying for me and for the others here and for the people of Haiti!

Going to Haiti

Yes, I'm really going to Haiti! I wanted to let y'all know that I am leaving for Haiti on Monday and to ask for your prayers. I didn't think my next adventure would be less than 2 months after getting back from Ghana, but this is an opportunity that I feel God has given me. I woke up the day after the earthquake and the first thing I heard on the radio about Haiti was people coming out of the ruins saying, “I need a doctor!” I thought, “Here I am with gifts God has given me to be able to help people physically and the free time because I just returned to the States and am not working full-time.” Ever since that day I have been praying that if God wanted me to go to Haiti, that He would open the door. And my church has so graciously offered to support me. I have searched out many opportunities but have mostly found closed doors until today.

I will be going to work with an orphanage right outside of Port-au-Prince. (check out the website at www.reachouttohaiti.com) It has been there for over 20 years and helps with Haitian adoptions. Since the earthquake, in addition to taking care of the kids they have opened a “walking wounded clinic”. I will be helping take care of (and love on) the kids as well as helping in the clinic. I really don't know a lot of details (this is just one step deeper into trusting the Lord for me!) and actually found out about the organization from someone I barely know... but in looking into it, talking with the coordinator in Florida and praying a lot, I feel that this is the door God has opened for me and is calling me to walk through. As much as I want to help the people in Haiti, I am getting on that plane on Monday because of obedience – because there is a God who loves me and has called me to follow Him. I obey Him, knowing that I go to the place He has called me to and that He will walk with me every step of the way.

I am flying to Orlando tomorrow morning and then fly to Haiti on a private plane Monday morning. I found out about the orphanage earlier this week but didn't think it was going to work out for me to go. But then I get a call from the coordinator this afternoon saying she has an open seat on a plane and thinks I'm the person that's supposed to go! This is all crazy last minute for me and not what I'm used to, but God has totally confirmed to me that this is of Him.

So I'm writing this to ask you all to PLEASE PRAY! I honestly do not think I could go down there if I did not know there was going to be so many people praying for me. I know that many of you are already praying for the people Haiti but please continue to pray for them. Pray for the ministry of Reach out to Haiti and the orphanage. And please pray for me – for safety, health, for compassion and the strength in what I'm gonna face. I know it's gonna be hard, probably harder than anything I've ever been through and so this is why I need your prayers more than ever!

I was told there is a computer and internet at the orphanage but since I'm not taking my laptop I'm not sure how often I'll be able to write. If and when I'm able to update you it will be on facebook and on here. I'm not sure exactly when I'm coming back, probably in 2 weeks, but I'll try to update y'all as I can. Thank you SO MUCH for all your prayers!!