Water

Part of the responsibility of our group was bringing down supplies in order to make a water filtration system for the doctor’s compound. Basically, it consisted of Lowe’s 5 gallon buckets made into water filters. One of my nursing school friends, Jon, put 10 of them together and we set them up outside the house. It takes approximately an hour to filter one gallon of water, so the process is quite slow. The kids were arriving with their containers long before we had enough water to supply it to them. Before we could give them the water, we had to clean out their containers with bleach because they had been previously filled with contaminated water. So, my job was to start with one container and transfer the bleach water down the row of children until all the containers were clean.

Then they lined up for the water. We have some amazing pictures of these children, ranging in age from 2 to 15 waiting patiently in line for clean water. We were so proud of the filtration system, but felt immediately inadequate to meet the high needs of those right around us. We sent most kids home with some clean water, but we had no where near enough to fill all their containers to the top.

This was also the night that we had a meal for the kids and their families. Part of our team went to the market to get the food that was needed (the funds were donated by one of their moms back home) and then the ladies that work with Dr. Franco spent the majority of the day cooking everything from scratch. There was rice and beans and chicken with sauce. While I did not have any of it, it sure did smell delicious when I was serving it. I have truly never seen so much rice in all my life.

Before dinner Dr. Franco did a church service for everyone. The kids were all lined up on the benches outside, with the adults standing behind and to the sides. There were probably 200 people there at least. Church always lasts longer in other countries than it does here in the States. We sang songs in English and in Creole and people gave testimonies and Dr. Franco preached. He preached in Creole and then translated for us so that we could understand. He is a provocative combination of evangelical and humanitarian. He is a surgeon, and wants so desperately to bring proper medical care to those in need … but his heart is as a pastor. His greatest desire is for the people to come to know Jesus personally. It was both challenging and refreshing.

During the message, Miss Sasha went from sitting right in the middle of the kids in the front row to being held by several members of our team. She won their hearts over on this trip that’s for sure. During the testimony time Sasha went right up front and told everyone that she loved Jesus and that she hoped they would choose to follow Him too. She is a preacher in the making.

The dinner was amazing. The ladies had prepared a pan of rice bigger than I have ever seen, filled with beans and awesome homemadeness. I scooped rice onto plates until my arms were sore while others did chicken and sauce and others handed out plates. The children ate first, followed by the teenagers and adults. We ran out of chicken first, which was hard. So many people did not get chicken. How do you explain that? I’m sorry you won’t be getting chicken. That sucked is an understatement.

We fed people for over an hour, letting more people in the gate when the others were finished.
Sasha was exhausted by 8 o’clock. I took her inside and scrubbed her down and laid her in bed. She was out within minutes. Nothing like a long life filled day to help you sleep well.

The people were there until late, eating everything that the ladies had prepared, and taking with them all the water that had been filtered. We were exhausted, that good kind of exhausted when you have given of yourself in a way that uses all your energy. As with other nights, we sat and talked about the day by the light of the generator power. So much to debrief.

Porridge in Haiti

Many of you know that I ate porridge for a year after the experience I had at the 30 hour famine a couple years back. Little did I know that that experience would hit me in the face all over again, this time on the other side of the world. When it was time for dinner at the orphanage, all the kids sat at long picnic like tables inside the dining area. Each child was given a metal bowl filled with a corn meal porridge that looked exactly like what I had eaten and a spoon.

I ate my porridge out of choice. There was no choice with these children.

I did not have a perfect track record in eating my porridge. There were days when I forgot, days when I did not plan ahead and ate something else on the road, and days when I just skipped lunch b/c I didn’t feel like eating it again. But this past week I sat with beautiful little boys and girls who eat this every night for dinner (and perhaps lunch and breakfast too, I was afraid to ask). Not out of choice, or because it’s cool to write a blog about. They eat this porridge every night because it’s all they have to eat.

I took pictures through my tears. Porridge for dinner everyday and no mommy or daddy to tuck you in bed at night. This is their world. This is a world I cannot even imagine being a part of everyday as a little child.

I know the big question many of you will ask yourself.

And the answer is yes. Yes, it is potentially possible to adopt these kids. If you really want to. And really wanting to is going to involve a level of grit and commitment you have never had to muster before. Adopting from Haiti is different. It's complicated. But it is the complicated children who really need adoption.

Feel free to ask me about adoption if you are interested ...if you believe you have the grit and commitment that will be required. These kids are older, they are sibling groups, they have special needs and yes, it will cost a tremendous amount of money ... but children like this are among the most needy. Adoption is not for everyone, but I can point you in the right direction if you are genuinely interested. Please know that I do not have any special connections, just information about who to talk to in order to ask questions.

And, please do not "shop" for children in any of my pictures. This is not the purpose for which I took these pictures and I do not personally know the individual stories of any of these children.

Instead, please let the faces of these children prompt you to pray and to advocate.

For them specifically, but also for the children all over this world who live parallel lives to these beautiful children in Haiti.

Our world is huge. The need is even bigger.

Be a voice of change. Be an agent of change.

Pictures

This was taken the first day of our medical clinics in the tent city. These beautiful people were displaced after the earthquake, and now a year later they are still living in tents.

A year in a tent.

That is something I cannot even imagine.

And there is no promise of change anytime soon.

Many people wondered what Sasha did while I was working on the medical end of things. Well, as you can see from the above picture, she was not in any way bored. :) She quickly made friends outside with the children of the tent city ... they played games, colored pictures and just spent time together. She was in her element.

Haiti Part 2

So many people wondered how Sasha would do on this trip.

Well, you can be rest assured that Sasha adjusted beautifully and had the time of her life. Here is a classic example of just how easy it is to go with what you have when you are little. This is Sasha sound asleep on the floor at JFK. :)

She carried her new doll that she got from mom mom and grandpa for Christmas all over Haiti. Here Abrianna is fast asleep with her at JFK. Later in the week she was riding along in the front seat as we drove through the political unrest, and then Abrianna even had a chance to be sprayed down with alcohol after we left the cholera clinic.

Taking Sasha with me was the best decision ever. Not only did the trip change her life, but seeing Haiti through her eyes changed mine as well. I love you, Miss Sasha and we are so very proud of the responsible and delightful spirit you added to this adventure.

So many more thoughts to come ... so much nursing school stuff in front of me. You'll have to be patient. :)

Haiti Part 1

Last week I was riding in the back of a pick up truck through the streets of Port au Prince. At one point we were driving through political unrest complete with SWAT teams and UN soldiers everywhere.

This week I went to the gym and ran 5 miles on a treadmill.

On Wednesday I was haggling with street vendors for good prices on art in 100 degree sun.

Then the next day here in Middletown I picked out perfectly round imported apples from a display case inside a store that had no less than 10 varieties of said apples to choose from.

Now that I am sitting here in front of my computer, the trip seems sort of like a dream. The details are surreal and I am having trouble assimilating them with my life.

I will try and write what I can. I hope it makes sense.

I will be honest. I did not expect this trip to affect me like it did.

I have been lot of places and I have seen a lot of things in this world. I have seen poverty and sickness and injustice. But, the difference is, that I have never seen such things so close to home. Haiti is practically in our backyard people. It is a 3 1/2 hour direct flight from JFK to Port au Prince. That's closer than California!

And yet we sit in our warm safe homes and pretend like it is far, far away.

But now I have been there. And you are reading my blog. So, now we are both responsible for what we know.

Whenever one of us comes back from a trip like this we are bombarded with people who say they want to come next time. This particular trip has been no exception.

Will I go again? The possibility is very real. We are thinking and praying about going this summer after I am finished school. If we go, it will be as a family.

Can you go? Again, the possibility is very real. Haiti is close and Haiti is accessible. I would be more than happy to talk with you about serving in Haiti, if you are interested. But, please take the time to read my next few posts before asking me about it. While it may be close by, you will need to be prepared for inconsistent electricity, no hot water, air conditioning or fans, and very long drives in the back of pick up trucks over insanely bumpy roads.

With that said, a trip to Haiti also has the potential to quite literally change your life.

So, I would say that the long drives and lack of air conditioning are more like character builders rather than difficult factors to deal with. Talk to my daughter Sasha. She lived her 7 days in Haiti with great zeal and had the time of her life.

To be honest, I am not the actual person you would need to talk to about being a part of a trip like this. But, I can put you into contact with that person if you are interested. She is my friend and she is a dreamer just like me. She will also be very honest with you about what to expect and how you can be a part of changing the world in Haiti.

This is sort of a teaser blog post. My pictures will be back with me on Monday night and then I have no less than 8 pages worth of blogs to post which I will do so, complete with the pictures to accompany the stories. Be patient. The wait will be worth it.