Amlodipine and Avocados

   This is a great time to come to our clinic. And there are reasons. For one, we aren't quite as busy as sometimes. That gives us time to think about how nice it is to have Amlodipine sitting on the shelves in our pharmacy for at least a few more days. I feel like I need to publicly rejoice because so many of my co-workers heard me publicly complain when we didn't have it. So, if you have blood pressure problems, I might dose you up with one of my favorite meds before I send you home. And that is an answer to prayer. It was donated through CAM.
   Since we aren't so busy, I had the chance to help with the check-up of these cute twins you see sitting on their friend's lap. Now, they ARE boys. Don't the pink cap and dress match wonderfully with their gender? Right now they are gaining some weight, but have some sort of rash in their mouths and a flaky skin condition that seems to be healing up. We've been trying to give a few supplements to the mom to keep them from entering the milk program.

   
     With Megan being gone, I have wondered how we will get all our pills split and divided. I just have to throw in a line of thanks for Tom Hofer and Katie Lapp here. They have driven themselves to near mental distraction patiently helping in the pharmacy on slower days. I don't think I will post a picture of them at that stage.
     On Thursday morning, Katie made a little run down to the clinic for an early morning call. An elderly gentleman was not responding well, and she wanted to investigate a bit. We think maybe we had a stroke going on there. He has been staying in our hospital room ever since on IV.

   
     Yesterday, the nurses got down on their hands and knees and did some real scrubbing on the waiting room floor, after the patients were finished. Fre Adolph even did a few scrubs to cheer me up.

   
     This morning our little mal-nutrioned patient showed up again, a week late for his appointment. He is actually looking a lot better, although still swollen. He weighed almost two kilograms less, which is a good sign. We just want to keep him and bathe him and feed him. But, well, how many hands do we have?

    So, yeah, come over some day. Because avocados are in season, and they make some mighty fine eating after a few hours of looking at wounds and meds...And they are actually very healthy for you, for those of you who are nutritionally minded....

Button, Button, Who Has the Button

Have you ever played that little game?  

Well, this little boy stuck a button up his nose! He came to the clinic yesterday, and Mis Leda, Tom Hofer, and the boy's mom held him down while I attempted the extraction.  It was a little hard to see as the nostril was red and so was the button, but I managed get a hold of it and pull it out.  We were all relieved!  

Little boy holding the button

One day recently I had a mother come to clinic with 5 of her children.  (One older boy who could explain his own sicknesses went to another nurse.)  The room was quite full!  They were a cute bunch.

Seems we've had a fair amount of malnourished cases come in lately.  This little fellow I think is around a year.  His older sister is pictured below.  She is the one with the abscess in her neck.  

Malnourished child

After bandaging her yesterday Katie gave her a new dress.  She was very pleased with it.  She yells and screams her little heart out while getting bandaged, but when she saw the dress she started saying, " Mwen dako; Mwen dako."  (I'm agreed; I'm agreed.)  They seem to be a rather pour family.  

Most of us don't know what real hunger and poverty are.  

 Below is a little girl who is 13 months old and only weighs 7 kgs (about 15 lbs.)  She hasn't gained, according to her dossier, since she was about 6 months old.  I asked her dad why he waited so long.  He said, well, she was fine, and then she started just laying around.  

It's hard to know what to do.  There is poverty and lack all around us.  How can we help the most?  So many people in need of food, clothes, and medical care--the basic necessities of life.  And so much greater the need for the love of Jesus in their lives.  

"Lord, make us instruments of Your love."  

Jon's brother Tom is here visiting for 2 weeks.  He is a paramedic in Manitoba so since we are short handed this week in the clinic he's been helping with vitals and in the pharmacy.  We are grateful for his help.  

After helping us for 4 months at the clinic, Megan when back to the States on Tues.  

Megan, thanks SO much for all your hard work.  We miss you!  

Monday Morning at the clinic, (By Jon)

   Usually I walk to the clinic after breakfast each morning to greet the staff before beginning my days duties, but this morning doctor Mallise had driven to his moms place with the four wheeler before clinic started and ran out of gas, as I drove out of the compound the wind carried the sound of singing and praying towards me, and something inside of me made me burst forth in song of joy and thankfulness. The singing and praying came from the clinic. As people gather for physical needs, the staff there, are focused on the spiritual needs and their goal is to spread the gospel.

   As I came walking up to the clinic gate I saw one of the brothers praying with one of the people there, and another brother was handing out gospel tracts and talking to people, still other staff were walking about greeting each other before the day begins. My heart was thrilled again when I heard the word, "merci" over and over again. What an perfect way to show Christ, what a blessed opportunity to be a light. One lady was sitting with a red rag tied around her waist. Often times they do it when they have pain in their tummy's but because this was red, I had to look and think twice, because red is the symbol of demonic influence. It makes my mind gears shift and grind a bit as I start praying for her and possibly others that are sitting their steeped in sin and under the yoke of bondage. When Christ makes us free we shall be free indeed!!! Pray for us that we may continue to use the clinic as a way to reach people from hours and hours hike away with the promise of a brighter future, (Jesus).

   We are short staffed this week, one of the Haitian nurses took a week of and one of the pharmacy staff as well, tomorrow Megan leaves us to go back to the US, and Doctor Mallise also leaves. So I got to learn how to do blood pressures this morning, but thankfully my brother is coming today from Canada for a couple weeks, he is a paramedic back home and will be able to help out while he's here. 

That's me taking patients blood pressure.

I noticed this cute face peeking out from under this over sized hat watching me, so I took
it of and here was this happy little girls chirping away, all happy. I don't think I've seen
more then a few children that were as content and happy as this one.

Sweet faces

Here is Mis Anita back again to give you a little glimpse into clinic life from my angle.  

Below is a sweet, healthy 6 month old baby boy with his mama.  He is her only child and she loves him dearly.  Now she seems to have some form of heart failure which makes life an extra challenge for her and her family.  She was going to T-Goave every 2 weeks for treatment.  Also since she's sick, she can't nurse the baby, and they were buying milk.  Both of those made an extra strain for the family financially which is primarily why they came to us. We were able help with the mother's healthcare and and medications.  Also we offered to sell them milk for the baby for less than cost.  That way we can help them without just giving all the milk.  

Happy faces

There are many sweet faces.  Some are happy faces, and they give us a lift for the day.  Others are sad--very sad--but none the less sweet.  This little boy is about 3 1/2 years old.  I don't remember exactly what he weighs, but it wouldn't really be an accurate gauge of how his health is.  When a child gets malnourished this bad, they swell up with fluid.  Once you start them on a good diet, they go down before they go up.  He is one of the worst cases I've seen.  We had given them some supplements back 2 months ago and an appointment to return which they missed by a LONG shot.  They were to return this week, and I've not seen them yet.   

Sad face

Although this lady doesn't have a smile on her face, it puts a smile on my face to see how well her and her baby are doing.  Her baby was born at the clinic on June 1st--the birth I almost fainted at, if you remember.  Then she returned about 13 days after the baby was born, and neither her or baby were doing well.  The baby wasn't nursing well, and she didn't have a lot of milk.  Because of that the baby had lost quite a bit.  With much diligent effort, the baby is now nursing well, and she has milk.  He weighed around 5 lbs 8 oz at birth, was down to 4 lbs something at 12 days old, last week was 5 lbs 9 oz or so, and today, a week later gained around another pound.  It's so exciting to see progress!

Little cutie!

Compare to the blog titled "A Wonderfully Normal Day" and see if you can even recognize him!

Just a little beauty outside my door

Back in Haiti!

   Greetings in Jesus Name, "O, beloved Name of Jesus, Jesus, who changes not nor can be changed, what He says stands sure and steadfast. 

   I am very thankful for the rest the last few weeks back home in Manitoba. Was a great privilege to see family, also just as much the church family. But I'm back safely in Haiti and am looking forward to some months of work yet here at the mission.

Everyone was busy at their posts this morning when I walked into clinic, cheery good mornings and blessings exchanged.

Fre. Direk signing people in.

And my dear friend Frisnell or Joseph, (head guy). Although language barrier don't help we've become close friends.
I came walking to the mission from the clinic and this young man walks up to me gives me a big hug, I thought it was his brother and asked if  Frisnel was at the clinic, he said yes, then back to the clinic we walked together. I couldn't find the head guy, so I asked Anita if she could point him out to me, and she pointed to the same guy who gave me a hug!!!! Little bit embarrassing I have to say, but wow, he really changed the last three weeks, with no bandage on his head, and his cheeks filled out a lot, he really had me. But yes, as you notice his smile is as big as ever. (Jesus does that, right?!!!)

Rhoda was busy with the blood pressure patients.

Anita is checking on a patient in the hospital room, Pastor Levy's brother, is a doctor/student in the Dominican Republic, he came back for some holidays, and is with us here for a week at the clinic, he wants to spend time experiencing working with Haitian people. His name is Dr. Malise.

Pharmacy staff, just opening the windows and starting in on the days work.

Katie came out and asked if I could come help hold down this little girl in the one consultation room, she has a big abscess on her neck, O, what screaming, as we held her and Miss Katie cleaned it and repacked it with sterile packing. 

Of Clorox and Charcoal...

  I ran to the gate yesterday...and found my friend Juataz in a frantic state of mind with her arms wrapped around her little boy. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she told me he had drank clorox when she wasn't looking. After much coaxing and bribing we got a whole cup of charcoal water into his little belly. I was covered in charcoal...HE was covered in charcoal, and everything anywhere near us was splatttered and blotched with charcoal. But after I scrubbed him off and gave him some sweet juice he was runnning around happy again...with a very rumbly, black-stained, tummy I'm sure!

...And I'll add one of my new bandage patients this week. It's not too easy to hold down a kicking, screaming, 4 yr. old while trying to sterile pack her neck abscess. Poor little dear! 

 Mis Katie

Welcome Back Mis Rhoda!

After being home in the States for a visit, Rhoda arrived back in Aleg about 9 pm last evening.  It is SO good to have her back!

This little guy arrived about 11:40 pm--like he was just waiting for her.  

The lady in labor came in yesterday morning and made little progress all day, but when things started for real, it didn't take long.

This makes a total of 4 boys and 2 girls born at the clinic so far this month.