Early Morning Suprises

Around 5 am got up to go to bathroom armed with flashlight only to find I had a visitor. As I started to wash my hands saw one of those really large Haitian spiders sitting over the sink. I made a really hasty retreat back to my room. So thankful I did not let out a scream and wake up the whole house. Just got back to bed and again heard singing, drums and horns. People walked thru the village for an hour or so celebrating. New Years is starting early. OK I know the rest of the day is going to be good....COFFEE. Spaghetti just not sounding good today so just ate my banana today and ready to head to clinic. Told you around Christmas how I was seeing a lot of cleaning being done, well apparently preparation for New Year and not Christmas. People are repairing and painting doors, shutters and houses and washing down outside of houses. Rosena told me people buy new clothes, clean everything and then stay up all night..Not sure I can do that but have been invited to New Year celebration. More visitors are coming today. Madam Jckson's brother is coming from Port-au-Prince and bringing two American doctors. Don't know where they are from. Well it's 7:30 and still no dinner. About the time I thought I was out of luck they brought me a dinner roll and papaya smoothie. Max Lucado reminded me today that if all the things that steal my breath away and stir my heart were taken away from me and I was placed in the dry Sahara (or Ferrier) I still have reason to dance in the sand. God is still with me; He still comes and He still speaks. Oh yes He does when I am open and listening.

Joyfully,

Barbara

Thursday

Oh dear, no coffee today. Sadrac and Madam Mando not around so no fuel to stove. Oh well, bet I will survive. Scrambled eggs for breakfast this morning really good as not much oil. Clinic really slow again. I mean really slow as saw more critters than patients. A mouse jumped out of a box I opened which really startled me and then sat and watched a rat run in and out of classroom area. Wonder what other critters are hiding out or on second thought maybe would rather not know. One of the children who lives in the clinic area with the pastor has finally started calling me by my name instead of "blan". He is probably 5 or 6 and just looks like trouble. We have gotten to be friends as I think he likes getting hugs. Today he undressed in the yard and threw his clothes on the ground in the dirt. I think he went to bathe, came back naked as a jaybird, picked his clothes up out of the dirt and put them on. Silly boy. Today had a real treat with lunch...cake. Just plain old cake with no frosting but oh so good.

Think that is all for today.

Joyfully,

Barbara

Village life.  You frequently see children at the wells pumping water for their homes. I frequently see little boys and girls pushing wheelbarrows full of water which I know has got tobe really heavy.  The little boy looking over the fence can see me when I am sitting in my room studying and hollers my name and waves.  One day going to church I passed this little man sitting on his porch playing guitar.  Just started grinning when I took his picture.  Hope you enjoy this glimpse of Ferrier.  Joyfully, Barbara

The top picture is where someone is selling gasoline from their home in those plastic jugs. The bottom picture is from the day we sterilized instruments over the charcoal inside of the clinic.

This is inside the house where I live.It is almost like a garage but this is where they hang out.  from left to right are Guermanie, Wol and Wetni.

Uneventful Days

Two very uneventful days at clinic. not sure why so slow. Next three days no doctor, just me and Rosena. Have discovered I can also google on my kindle and have had a couple young men want the words to songs in English so they can learn for a program. This kindle is going to be worn out by May which is OK. So glad i have had it to stay connected. It is a little difficult to type on this and make many typos, (somebody fixes) but am so glad to have it. Mmmm!!!! Fresh bread for dinner with hot chocolate. No fresh bread might not sound like anything special but is a rarity around here. Feel like the last week or so have been complaining way too much. I think partly because Christmas was incredibly difficult which I expected when made the decision not to come home. So now I am going to enjoy the moments that I touch someone and believe that everything is in God's hands.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

Joyfully

Barbara

Christmas Update

Merry Christmas to all of you. Going to combine several days here because in those days I had an opportunity to experience Christmas in very different but loving ways. Friday about 10 minutes after clinic closing time a mom showed up with her little boy who had cut his leg and doctor wouldn't see. I was pretty frustrated since he didn't start 9 am clinic until 9:50. Put my backpack up and washed little boy's leg. He probably could have used stitches but wound was a day or two old so just put ointment and bandage on it. Mom was so grateful and just kept thanking me. What she didn't know was that she was a gift to me. Later that day got all of my little goodies out and filled bags for people in the house. Guermanie came in to help and was so excited and kept giving me more names to make bags for. The kids eyes just lit up when they saw all the bags. Even some of the adults excited about the bags. So refreshing to see excitement about so little. Friday night received a gift of a roll and some lunch meat. Now I know that doesn't sound like much but I have been craving a sandwich with miracle whip. Now the roll was stale and no miracle whip but it was a feast for me even though had to brush a few ants off my bread. Christmas music on my ipod before bed thanks to my grandson Tyler. Saturday morning the house really started filling up with people. Madam Jackson closed my door so not sure if she didn't want me to be bothered or was being excluded but have decided I am just going to make the best of this day. Guemanie took all the bags downstairs and passed them out. During the day all the kids came up to thank me. Just love the children. Wol spent a lot of time with me today which was nice. I made a decision not to go to Christmas Eve service as really felt need for familiar today so decided to listen to Christmas music and read Christmas story in Luke. Later in the evening Guermanie brought a little girl to my room and told me she was a friend and "no kado", no gift. We scrounged around and she got candy, bracelets and a balloon. This morning I woke up around 2:30 am and could hear preaching, drums, bells (like cow bells) and trumpets. Christmas eve service. Oh my! Around 5 voices and same instruments outside of house. Very different traditions. Again this morning staying home and enjoying my own traditions with music and devotion. Looking outside hard to tell it's Christmas as we know it. No children outside playing with new toys and adults going about usual business of selling goods at their homes and working on building projects. So today I am thankful for a wonderful friend who talks to me every day, for sweet babies who are growing stronger and all of the little opportunities I am given to make a difference in someone's life. There really is so much to be thankful for. Joyfully,

Barbara

Christmas is here

Can't believe 2011 is almost over and a new year is upon me. What a year it has been and can't wait to see what is going to unfold next. It has been raining here at night but clearing up during day so don't have to walk to clinic in the rain. Today my sweet little twins came back and am so glad to see they are gaining weight. Also shows a commitment on mom's part as missing appointments can disqualify children from receiving Medika Mamba. House here is filling up with people for the holidays. New children in my room tonight that I don't know who they belong to...Cassandra and Wenson Etzer. The yard where all the interesting things have been happening now boasts a huge hole, I mean like swimming pool size hole all dug by hand. I wonder if its going to be some sort of a septic tank system. Guermanie says they are building a house so will keep watching. There is already a house on the property so maybe adding to it. I know I have seen rebar and cinder blocks. To be continued. Have been listening to Christmas music on my ipod when I can pry it away from others. Guermanie loves to listen to Sweet Little Baby Child over and over and over and.... Hope you all are having a blessed Christmas.

Mwen swete ou Joyeux Nwel.

Barbara

Jedi (Thurs) 15 desanm

Feel so much better but do so wish I could stay in bed. It's cloudy and rainy and a perfect day for doing nothing. OK self, get up and get moving. Brrrr, maybe should have stayed in bed...really cold shower today. With all the cloud cover water colder than usual. Still no appetite but fruit and coffee good. Also had cassava bread (kasav) for breakfast that really tasted good. It is made from the cassava root and is a flat bread.

Got to clinic a little late this morning as breakfast late here. Saw young man from motorcycle accident who is healing well except for lower eyelid that really should have had special attention. When I saw him Tusday problem not so evident due to swelling.Today I wanted to irrigate his eye but we had a momentary trust issue. I had put a needle on the syringe so could direct spray better and he is holding my arm away from him. Don't really blame him at all. Finally convinced him "no piki", no shot so he allowed me to wash his eye out. Thought that was very trusting of him. The woman that came in with him I have seen 4 or 5 times, never as the patient but with others. She frequently has a baby with her that i assume is a grandbaby. Today she was tellig me somethng, pointing to me and then to the baby and waving to outside. I am totally clueless. Another patient in clinic picked baby up and put her in my lap and again pointing to me and baby and then said "take away". If things were only that simple. Last patient of the day was a little 7 year old boy who came in with a bright yellow shirt, blue crocs but uh oh, he forgot his pants. Still am sometimes surprised by little bare butts. On the way home from clinic stopped to admire a little baby girl and they put the baby in my arms. She immediately began smiling and cooing; a young boy maybe 12 or 13 asked me if I wanted her. Too much for one day. Think appetite is back...really grangou (hungry). Issues trying to use computer. Initally everything in French; thought we had fixed that Wednesday. Trying to download pictures....very, very slow. Oh well it's Haiti and that's just the way things are so am trying to embrace it and not get frustrated. At the moment failing miserably as kindle acting up too.

Joyfully,

Barbara

Picture from Barbara

Here is the Latest

Took my second motorcycle trip to go shopping but today it decided to rain on us. Pa bon (not good). By the time got home thoroughly wet and cold...I know it's Haiti but was still cold. Shortly after getting home it started raining pretty hard and when looked off the porch there were 3 little boys who had taken there clothes off and were standing letting water run off from house shower them. They were having a great time jumping up and down. When they saw me with my camera they just had to pose. Little later looked out and saw 2 ducks who had found a puddle and were having a great time flapping around. Got a USB today to connect to internet but so far no one has been able to get it done. Oh well, it's Haiti so will happen at some point. Don't worry, be happy.

Joyfully

Barbara

A Very Good Day

Well yesterday evening Wal fell asleep in my arms and the next thing I know Guermanie is bring blankets, bottle and diaper and informs me "Madam Jackson say sleep you". Great. About 9:30 Wal woke up and figued I was not going to get much sleep but after juice and 30 min playing went back to sleep. Put my suitcases and pillows on floor by his side of bed so if he fell at least wouldn't hit hard floor. Goodnight Wal, goodnight moon. Well Wal woke up around 5 and was ready to play. Finally took him downstairs to family but by time I got out of shower he was back in my room. Hmmm. Maybe having Wal sleep with me was a good thing; they gave m a whole orange with breakfast...wonderful treat. Before going to clinic was looking outside and saw a very pregnant woman riding a horse to market. Made me think of Mary riding a donkey to Bethlehem and how very uncomfortable that must have been. Clinic today busy for us. Two people from motorcycle accident that happened yesterday that needed to be cleaned and dressed. The young woman needed her eye irrigated and we have almost no saline left and they are just 10 cc syringes. Got her cleaned and ready to go so could start on second one. He apparently came to clinic after hours yesterday and was sutured. Major road rash on face, chest, arms and legs and I have only 20 cc of saline so will use good old soap and water. Poor guy I know he was hurting; asking for a shot for pain but we have nothing stronger than ibuprofen. Best part of my day was return of baby I have been praying for and worrying about. Mom came in with baby, Jean Obdenson, and his twin. So exciting to see what one week of Medika Mamba did. Today child is sitting and smiling; he still has a long way to go but what an improvement. Twin also malnourished but not as severly. Found out mom only feeding rice with no helper foods and was able to do some teaching. Rosena called him "my baby".

Think I must be hallucinating...smells like steak cooking on the grill....think my kindle is sending me subliminal messages with the picture of steak and a glass of wine on screen saver. Now how cruel is that? Seeing that baby today was such a gift. My early Christmas present. Children like that are the reason I want to be here. Pray for more opportunities.

Joyfully,

Barbara

Early Morning Comotion

REALLY early this morning before daylight kept hearing noise like somene bouncing a basketball. At daylight saw that they are working on chopping the stump of the tree they have turned into charcoal. Really hard work with an ax. They have also dug a big trench around the base and are chopping at that, maybe to get the roots. It's a really busy house; they have had two dump trucks of sand dumped in front of the house.

Today at clinic saw another really sick child. She was carried in by a sibling as she was too weak to walk. Child is 8 years old and sat very quiet; she is very thin and pale and am told that she has sickle cell and was malnourished as baby. Today she is hurting all over but too weak to cry. Dr. Johnny said she probably needs a blood transfusion but family can't afford so she will go home with tylenol,vitamins and folic acid that the family will crush and give mixed with water. Breaks my heart that the only thing this child did was to be born into poverty. I know this is not God's will but the result of greed and lack of concern by some. Rosena has agreed to help me find the other baby and see if we can do anything.

Today instead of creole lesson had Walson walk around village and answer questions for me about village. We went over and looked in the yard where they were chopping the stump. Stump is history and there is a big hole in the yard. I guess the next step will be to chop stump and roots into smaller pieces. Hope they will wait until after4:30 am.

Joyfully

Barbara
PS Leave me a couple comments as not sure if anyone reading.

Saturday & Sunday

Yesterday was a pretty uneventful day which was spent with baby Wal...feel like I have a new baby. Madam Jackson went to Oumamin so I got the baby for most of the day. Late yesterday afternoon went to kitchen to put some dishes in the sink and nearly had heart failure. Now those who know me really well and my family know that spiders are one thing I really don't do well with. I can handle snakes, lizards, slugs and most other creepy crawlers but NOT SPIDERS. This spider was actually dead but was hanging right at eye level and absolutely gave me chills. It was probably a tarantula and was about 4" in diameter...oh so not good. Said a little prayer to please not let one come in my bedroom.
Well it's Sunday morning and am going to a different church today. A teenager in the village invited me and I accepted. Oh my goodness. We got to church around 8:10 and didn't get out until a little after 12. For FOUR longggggg hours sat on a VERY HARD bench. At one point I was so miserable I just prayed that the pastor's sermon would catch on fire so maybe he would quit talkng. I know, not nice of me at all but you have no idea how miserable I was. Some of the elders at the front had falen asleep and a few people on the benches were nodding so I was not the only one ready to go. They probably just didn't say the same prayer I did. There was a blessing in that I received ommunion...first tme since leaving Waco. Have a grea day. Joyfully.

Haiti Adventure

Ok, I know for some of you this will be duplication but a few people who are following me don't do facebook so this is for them and maybe a little addition that didn't make it on facebook.

About two weeks ago watched a man cut down a tree starting at the base and the tree fell really close to his house. Over the next few days he made short work of the tree cuttung it into about 3 to 4 ft. lengths. Earlier this week I watched as he arranged the wood lengthwise into a level pile and wondered if he was going to make charcoal. Thursday I noticed there was dirt and leaves covering the wood. Yesterday morning smoke was billowing out of the pile and right into my room...charcoal in the making and another tree gone.

Here in Ferrier we may not have TV ads touting all the newest meds you just have to try but they do have trucks with loud speakers letting people know they have meds for the "grip", fever, runny nose, malad, etc. Not sure what they sell but one I understood was acetaminophen.

Someone has a new gas powered roto tiller that they are pushing around the street. The blades are not tilling but he has drawn quite a crowd to see this great new gadget. Jackson has a large garden which was tilled using a mule driven tiller.

Rousing day at the clinic today...saw 3 patients. Rosena (the nurse) napped on the exam table and Fre Jak napped at table in pharmacy while I was the lookout. I did get the name and area where a baby we saw last week lives. The baby was extremely malnourished and at one year old couldn't sit or stand. Riki is supposed to come and help me find the baby.

Well it's after 4 o'clock and no Riki. Mwn se fache avek Riki. I am so angry he did not come as promised. So very frustrating being dependant on others for everything. Went to bed very frustrated and then remembered the gift I had received earlier in the day. A lttle older lady came running up to me and gave me a hug and kept saying mesi, mesi, anpil mesi. Thank you, thank you, many thanks. That is what I should have dwelt on instead of anger and disappointment.

Joyfully,

Barbara

Most Excellent Motorcycle Ride

Well I'll have to admit I was a little anxious about my trip to DaJabon by motorcycle but had a great time. The worst part is geting out of Ferrier as terrain very uneven and lots of potholes (road is not paved). Once you get on main road all you have to worry about is the other guy, kind of like US. There are no emission stanards so frequently get a face full of black smoke. We parked the motorcycle at police station in Oanamin because Riki doesn't have a key and didnt want motorcycle stolen. After parking walked across border to Dominican. To change America money to pesos had to use man on the street but was told was person Jackson uses. Oh my goodness, I will never complain if HEB doesn't have something I want. Trying to find ingredients for cookies...no butter, no vanilla or almond extract, no baking powder and no cookie sheets. Even had difficulty finding wheat flour as the only carry in really small bags. Bought what was available and will see what happens. One thing they did have was an artificial pyebwa nwel (Christms tree). So excited!!! Won't win any Southern Living awards but it is tre bel to me. On the way home we passed several motorcycles that just amazed me. One had two people and a twin mattress, another two people and a piece of furniture and another two adults and two children and a two hundred lb bag of rice. Motorcycles around here really groan as I know they are all carrying way over weight limit. Got home and then if course had to decorate tree but what could I use. Of course! They don't really expect me to use all those gauz sponges for wounds do they? Stretched the gauze pieces out and tied bows all over the tree and then made an angel for the top from gauze. I am so ready for Christmas. Felt like a child decorating my tree and thought this is what getting ready for Christmas should feel like. Childlike. Love to you all for Christmas. Oh, did have one unsettling experience at police station. I was holding all the purchases while Riki went to get the motorcycle and an older gentleman was standing there with a rock in his hand. He was talking loud and fast and looking at me and I could tell he was not happy but just stood ther looking at him. When Riki got there asked him what man was saying and all he said was the man was just crazy. Thought for a minute I was going to get clobbered but all ended well.

Barbara

Frustrating Day Saved By The Kids

Grrrr..what a frustrating start to the day. Got to the clinic knowing Dr. Johnny would not be there and the plan was Rosena and I would see the patients. By 9:30 still no Rosena and I am there alone. While waiiting about 8 teenagers from the classroom at the end of the clinic came into the waiting room wih me. Their teacher hadn't shown up either. Their conversation started with their favorite phrase... give me one whatever (my pen, my necklace, my notebook or whatever). After we got past that they talked about learning English and I told them I was learning Creole. One 13 year old boy said he didn't like Creole he liked English. So wanted to tell him he needed to love his own language but learn whatever other language he wanted. After they all told me how old they were they wanted to know how old I was. When I told them I was swasant twa they all gasped and laughed. By the way anyone needing a good dose of humilty should come to Haiti as you will get laughed at a lot. So after they had their good laugh one of the girls said "you are beautiful". Well of course I forgave them for laughing. The man who dispenses meds showed up for clinic but speaks no English so not a real good situation. We muddled thru with pointing and a little charades but if hadn't been for the kids making me laugh I think I would have just left. Got home late after trying to use internet so figured I either missed or no lunch. Around 2:30 got lunch so that was good. Generator again last night so kindle almost full charge. Joyfully, Barbara

Well I wanted to download pictures for you but connection too slow, After 5 minutes 1 picture only 10% loaded so will try again later. Love to you all.

Oh my goodness, I can't believe 4 weeks have passed since I left for Haiti and how much I have learned.  My creole is light years from being good but I learn a new word every day. Creole teacher says my pronunciation is better so that is encouraging. Today as I was sitting on the bench in clinic, 3 baby chickens and mom came in, Not sure if I was supposed to take care of them or not but they left on their own. Am getting used to spaghetti for breakfast and fish with bones although it got tricky last night when I tried to eat fish by flashlight. Really difficult to pick out the bones but I'm getting better.  Guermanie and Wal have become regulars in my room which most times is OK. Kind of hard for me to say no.  The kids are already asking about kado Nwel (Christmas presents) so sounds like I have some shopping to do.  Was told simple things like balloons so will see what I can find. Am glad to know you enjoy hearing about Haiti as I really enjoy sharing.