08/28/20

Hello to everyone reading this. 

Wow, what a crazy week we’ve just had. 

Last Sunday tropical storm Laura hit us. It rained Sunday morning harder than I’ve ever seen in my life. All three of our houses on the compound got water in them. Us guys house was the worst. We had water pouring in underneath a door we longer use. We were using a 6 gallon shop-vac, a mop, and several towels to try and keep ahead of the water pouring in. Not until after James was able to put a piece of an old moto tube under the door and the rains lightened up were we able to keep the water from pouring in.

During mid-day the rains lightened but the wind increased until that evening. 

Sometime in the late afternoon, we were informed that a tree fell onto Violitha’s father and killed him. 

Violitha is a student doctor that has been working at our clinic between the times she is in port-au-prince for tests. She is a good friend to all of us that work at clinic. He was a good Christian man, so he is now in a much better place, but we are all saddened by his death. 

Please lift Violitha’s family in prayer as his death was very sudden and such a shock. 

Monday was a very small day at clinic. We only had 5 patients. Most people either couldn’t come to clinic or they were cleaning up after the storm. 

Tuesday we had 35 patients and everything went about as usual. Tuesday evening Marcile got a call from a lady she had been following here at clinic that was pregnant with twins. Several of us jump on a machine and go to her house to check on her. She was in labor and unable to walk to clinic so we brought her down to clinic. 

Wednesday morning at 5:14 John Walner, one of the guys that works at the compound came to our gate saying his wife was in labor and needing a ride from church to clinic, which is about a 3 minute drive on the machine. 

I go pick Selma up on the machine and bring her to clinic. 

About 20 minutes after she gets to clinic the baby was born. 

The baby boy is their first child. John Walner was so excited. I can’t even describe how happy he was. 

I was expecting to be back in the states when the baby was to be born but he was born a month early. I am very happy I could be here and experience the joy with John Walner and Selma. 

Later that day the twins of the mother we brought in the night before were born. One a girl and the other a boy. 

Wednesday evening I took 2 patients down to the tigwav hospital that had come to clinic that day. Mis Micky also came back from her brother’s wedding so I picked her up while I was down in town. 

Thursday was pretty much another normal day at clinic except there were 2 more babies born early that morning. 

Since mis Emma is no longer here Marcile has been doing all of the births. She has had 5 births in 2 days, and has handled it all like a boss. Great job Marcile.

Today was a crazy busy day at clinic. I didn’t count how many patients yet but it was a lot. 

We had 2 drs and 3 nurses in clinic today. 

Dr Males from the states is in the area for a few days so he was here at clinic today. 

I am very sad that I only have 2 days at clinic yet before I leave. 

I will miss my work here at clinic and the people I work with. 

I’ve seen very many happy people.  I’ve prayed for miracles to happen and some of those prayers came true. 

On the flip-side, I’ve seen many hurting people, not only hurting because of a medical problem but hurting spiritually.  There’s also been a few times where God did not answer my prayer for a miracle the way I had prayed. 

It’s very difficult to explain the mixed emotions I feel about leaving here, but I’m at the end of this chapter of my work here in Aleg. 

I will never regret coming here as I have learned so much. Probably the thing I’ve learned the most is to simply trust God in any situation I find myself. 

No matter what you are facing in life, ‘look to your All Mighty Father in heaven.’ 

You will never face anything in life that is to big for the creator of the universe to handle. 

            Brendan Horner. EMT

Glimpses

 Words don’t always come, so pictures will have to speak. Here is some of the moments that blessed me over the past couple months.

While a soft rain was falling, and the sun rising; the roosters, and every morning creature, were filling the background air with their songs of praise. It all made me stop for a moment, and ponder what Heaven must be like. ♥️ 

Brendan, Emma and I had just come back from clinic after a perfect birth.

That night was a blur, and it still remains somewhat blurry in my memory. 

It was 10:00 at night, people were everywhere roaming from room to room....Voices of chatter mingled, with the cry of those in labor, filled the air. Things felt out of control, yet we had no choice but to pull through. And we did, with God’s help!

  Once the night ended, there was a baby born, and two other patients sent out to town. One of those, was this lady. They came to visit us one day, while on their way back home.

This was during church. It blessed me so much to look behind me and see this child singing her heart out! ❤️ Most people don’t have hymn books. They sing from memory, even the little children.

We went and visited a friend “doc” (she’s in her 3-4th year of school).  Covid had closed her school, so she came up to Aleg to stay with her family. She spent several months here and helped out at clinic doing various jobs.  Now that school has started again, she has returned to Port-a-Prince to continue her studies.  Her joyful personality, sweet spirit, and her help will be missed.

The gifts they give, bless me over and over again. Financially living here is tough for a lot of people, and yet they still give.

This little girl is a twin, but her brother is a lot smaller. I guess they favored her over the boy when it came to food!?!? 🤷🏼‍♀️ Anyways, the mom had stayed in the hospital room for a least a week, while we monitored the little boy. Both babies got put on the plumpy-nut/milk program and are doing (especially the boy) a lot better.

Ps. She’d often greet me with a smile, when I’d go see her in the mornings.  ❤️

It took this introvert awhile to appreciate this sight...This is often the giveaway to knowing wether or not you’re having “unexpected” company.

My ears caught the sound of voices in beautiful praise, while I strolled across the guy’s patio. It seemed like it was coming from bosses house, so I followed it. Sure enough, I found these three playing and singing away.  ❤️ While I sat there and listened, my thoughts turned heavenward, wondering what it will be like to stand around the throne of God singing praises that all can understand. Oh, what a day that will be! ☺️ 

Until next time,  Michaela

 It's rainy, cold and very windy here today. Apparently there's a tropical storm blowing over and Its giving me the feels of a snow storm in Wiscinsin and I'm being tempted to make fresh donuts to go with my coffee...and then I think of my friends. Some of them live in secure houses but few of them stay totally dry in a rainstorm and very few of their houses are safe in a strong wind storm. Now I'm not hungry for donuts and the reality of all the HARD that my friends experience sits in my gut. 

My days here In Haiti are winding down and the memories and all the deep feelings well up in my eyes and roll down my cheeks easily. I think of the many many things I've experienced here and I wouldn't trade them for anything. I don't feel like I've done much for this place but Haiti and it's people have taught me so much and I'll forever be thankful that God allowed me to come here and experience the raw beauty and also the hard. I've seen miracles, and Gods love and grace in powerful ways. 

I think of the man who told me none of his family ate anything yesterday because they're out of money, I see the witchdoctor and think of the chains that bind her, I see the grief in the mom's eyes when I told her that her young child had died, I see the malnourished children with big bellies and dehydrated sunken in sad eyes. I hear the young new father crying out In helpless prayer for his wife as she suffers. I see him fall to his knees in distress. I see the dark and scared eyes and can only imagine what is behind them. I saw the blind widow who very few people seem to care about. I smell rotten wounds and I see blood, I see IV fluids hanging above the beds of the sick. 

On the other hand, there is so much beauty. I think of the beautiful little cleft palate baby who was able to get surgery last week. Her parents were married for 9 years and unable to have children before her. Seeing them choose to love and accept her is so beautiful. 

The newborns first cry is a favorite of mine and after many many births, I still get teary sometimes when I hear it. There are many other things I could mention, but I think I'll leave it at that for now. Once again, thank you for your prayers and please continue to pray for us. We need it every day. 

-Mis Emma.