Say a prayer for Anna and then pass on this prayer need to others.

We want to thank Feed My Starving Children and Love-A-Child for another helpful donation of rice packets.

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This guy cut his foot with an ax and put the powder from tetracycline pills inside of the cut.  He came to us about 4 days after the accident.

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cut.

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another.

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painful abcess.  he's doing better now.

I've been holding this in since last Tuesday, but hesitated to write this story for a number of reasons.  Most people...ok, no one....reading (or writing, that means me too) this blog entry will truly ever understand this situation.  Some will judge.  A few will cry.  A couple might think that Haitians lack parenting skills and intelligence.  Others will shake there heads and say "those poor people".  The latter is the one that disgusts me.  That is the main reason that I stopped writing stories and just post pictures.  If you think that the pictures are bad, you should hear the stories behind them.  I can only tell these stories if it moves someone to action and prayer.  I don't want to paint a negative picture.  I don't write these stories for shock value.  I don't want you to tell me that we are doing a good job and you're glad that God called us to Haiti and not you, because you "just can't deal with it all".  Please don't say that, even if you think it.  The Haitian people are a strong and beautiful creation.  They praise God in the midst of adversity.  They hold friends and family close.  They do what they must to survive.  They are a strong people, not "poor".  They have a richness in their attitude that I can only long for.  Don't pity them.  They deserve more.  Help them.  Pray for them.  Do something to encourage them.  Don't pity them.  I do not want to create an avenue for that meaningless emotion that produces no fruit. 

Licia and I live in between two worlds.  I don't mean the US and Haiti.  I mean that we stride the boundary of life and death on a daily basis.  I'm not being dramatic.  That's just the best way that I can describe it.  I have a hate/love relationship with this.  I hate seeing suffering, misery, and pain, but I love showing hope, love, and care.  There has been several things going on lately and I'm not doing too well figuring it all out in my head.  Maybe somehow just writing this one story here will at least make me feel that I'm not experiencing this alone. 

One month ago, a baby girl was born in a rural mountain village.  The parents were so happy for this new one coming into their lives and thanked God for His Grace and Blessings each day of the pregnancy, but something happened after the delivery.  The mother became very ill, bedridden, and mute.  She was in a semi-comatose state and still is.  The father now had the responsibility of caring for this newborn and his invalid wife with limited resources, but a full heart of love.  He did the best he could with his wife - turning, bathing, spoon-feeding her broth and soup - but there was no improvement.  He gave the baby all he had - a little flour mixed with water most day and occasionally some milk if someone gave him a bit of money.  He bathed her and cared for her with love and hope that she would grow up strong and healthy, despite the mother's condition.  After a time, he began to realize that the baby wasn't growing much and he couldn't provide all the milk needed for her to thrive.  He asked neighbors, family, and friends for help and they did all that they could, but he could see that he couldn't keep this up for much longer.  He asked around for anyone's advice on where he might find someone to help his baby girl.  Some told him to go to Cazale and ask the white people, so he planned and prepared for his journey - finding someone to care for his wife, packing clothes, asking around for change to get enough together for the tap-tap fees.  He left on Monday and walked about 7 hours down the mountains.  He traveled in several different tap-taps for about 3 hours to arrive in Cazale.  Tuesday morning, he stood in line and got a number and waited his turn.  Sometime in that waiting, he noticed that his baby girl was dead.  Though devastated, he didn't cry or wail or freak out as is the custom here.  As he held his baby girl and thought about what to do.  He could turn around and make the 10 hours trip back home with her in his arms.  Others have done that, but it was just too far away.  He could tell someone about it.  Others have done that, but he didn't even have enough money to get back home, let alone buy a casket, clothes, gravedigger, etc.  He could just lay her down somewhere and walk away.  Others have done that, but he just couldn't stand the thought of her body being destroyed by animals.  He could wait until they called his number and try to find help inside and that's what he did.  He sat through the announcements, singing, and devotions.  When the chaplain ask for those wanting prayer, he went up.  He asked for prayer for his daughter and showed him to the chaplain.  He immediately knew that she was dead and called for me and said that a child died while waiting to be seen.  It's happened a few times before and I always attempt CPR.  Sometimes it works for a few hours, but no one has ever made it.  My adrenaline rushed; but, after I took the baby and felt her stiff body, I knew that I didn't need to try.  She had been dead for awhile and there was nothing that we could do for her. 

I turned my attention to the dad.  With many gentle questions, I heard his story and his pain.  I guarantee you that, if it were me, I would have screamed and cried when I realized that my baby had died.  He didn't have that luxury.  He didn't have any money to take care of this situation so far away from home.  How can you be so desperate that you can't let any one know that you are holding your dead child?  Maybe I'm not saying this right.  How could he have the strength to keep himself composed as he waited for us to help him?  Don't think that he wasn't attached to his child.  He loved her and mourned for her loss.  He was hurting and weak, but he didn't let his weakness stop him from his responsibility.  He honored her and did the best that he could in a terrible and difficult situation.  I bathed and dressed the child, preparing it for burial.  We measured the body and sent to have a casket made.  We contacted the grave digger to dig the hole.  We talked with the dad and got the mother some medications.  He left without his daughter and we buried her later in the afternoon when the casket came. 

I don't know if I really have a point in telling this story other than to tell it.  There are no fuzzy feelings.  No solutions.  No happy endings.  It's just life and we are just living it with these precious people.  Things like this happen daily across the globe.  This only one story, but I couldn't post again without telling it.  The father has no voice to tell the world his pain, but that's OK.  The world can't offer him much anyway.  All he needs is Everlasting Hope in Jesus Christ because He truly has all the answers to his problems and solutions to his pain.  Thank you Lord that there is a comforting world beyond this painful one, healing for every broken body, and Your promise of Eternal Life despite the death and dying all around us.

Nikki loves missions and designing blogs.  Combining these two passions, she does "BLOGS FOR A CAUSE" as fundraising for her mission trips and for other organizations.  This month, she has chosen Real Hope For Haiti.  Thanks Nikki!!  So, if you are a blogspot blogger and would love a cool header for a great cause, check this out!  The fee is $30 for her services and $5 goes to RHFH and $25 goes to her mission trips.  She has already raised $15 for RHFH this month.  Let's help her add to this!

Monday, a few people from the community group set out to replant some vetiver along a foot path and irrigation ditch that is on a steep slope.  During rains or when the irrigation ditch over flows, the water goes pouring down the foot path that runs along side it (eroding it and making it dangerous) and floods several houses below.  We fixed the irrigation ditch in this area last year and planted a few vetiver plant.  Since we are in the rainy season, the ditch doesn't have water in it, but will be put to use again in the dry season (Dec - April).  The vetiver plants survived and grew here very well.  We dug them up, trimmed the tops, separated the plants, and replanted the small shoots.  Over time (6 months), these should grow into a defense line to hold the foot path in place and stop the erosion in this area.

Here we are walking to the site.

Trey says, "Come on white girls, let's go!" 

A house along the way.

We visited a site for one of the outhouse that we are building.  The foundation is in place.  They hole is being dug now.  After this is finished, we will cover it to make the floor.  In January, a church group, that is sponsoring this outhouse, will come to help finish building this and 3 or 4 other outhouses.  If you are interested in helping with the outhouse project, let me know - lori at realhopeforhaiti dot com.

Here you can see how much the plant have grown. 

When these are in a horizontal line on a mountainside, they act as a strainer - letting water pass (slowly, reducing wash-out & holding back moisture for the plants and trees around it) and stopping the dirt and rocks from flowing on down the mountain and into the river.  This keeps the topsoil where it needs to be to grow crops, make food, and stop hunger and malnutrition.  I love this plant because it can save lives when used right.

The bigger leaf plant is called "lang bef" or "zorey kabrit".  It's another that is good for erosion control, but it's more invasive and has a small root system than vetiver.

These are some that were planted from last year.

The tops trimmed off...

and planted in a row....This was in one area to protect the irrigation ditch below.  You can see how rain and mud could easily fill the ditch during the rainy season.

here we are working on the other side --- to protect the foot path. dig a trench....

and plant....

Here is another similar site to protect the foot path on the right.  dig.......

and plant....

in 6-9 months these will make great plants that will we able to be separated again to protect even more top soil, foot paths, and irrigation ditches.

This is my idiot dog.  We actually have three and they are named "Boul" or "ball".  Don't ask why.  I have no idea.  My husband has been calling all his dogs Boul since he was a boy.  One dog is very smart and has saved me from other dogs and people many times.  I really like her.  The other two are male.  One is lazy and eats other people's goat and gets in trouble a lot.  The other one is this crazy thing below.  This dog have never learned that he is still not a puppy.  You know how puppies jump around and play.  This dog still licks my leg every time he see me.  yuck!  He's often sneaks in the clinic gate and comes into my office.....v e r y  q u i e t l y  and then gently puts his cold nose on the back of my calf.  AHHH!!  The first time that he did this, I jumped out of my chair!   Yeah, this dog has never grown up.....or he's hyper active or something.  Licia took this picture of him.  You can't tell but he was eating the leaves.  About 4 seconds after she took this picture, he got stung by a wasp and jump straight up in the air -- off the slope below and onto the path.  He was jumping and twisting and going crazy.  He almost knocked us all down the hill.   He is mentally unstable....

Peg, this one's for you if you reading......  She built this irrigation "bridge" to send more water down to further gardens.  It's hard to tell from this picture, but it carries the waters across a small ravine that carries rain water from the mountains to the river.  It still works and is doing great.

A baby goat along the path.

another house.

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CLINIC stuff.....

I posted this lady's story (goat in anothers garden) several days ago.  

She came down too long after the cut to "legally" get sutures.  It was infected and just not very pretty.  I debrided and cut away some of the yucky area and sutured it back together.  She came to clinic daily for dressing changes and gentamycin injections.

Here she is all healed up.  I often question why I take chances and might not do things the way that US medical rules dictate, but I tend to go with my gut feeling rather than a textbook.  It usually work out alright.  I'm glad that she healed well - full movement and will only have a minimal scar.  The discoloration is just betedine and will fade with time.

yucky & ouchy abcess

this girl was burned when her sister threw hot water on her 5 days ago.  Her mother put "medicine" on it that appear to be a mixture of toothpaste, eggs, and soot/ashes.  When she saw this wasn't working she brought her to the clinic.  We did dressings and told her to come back daily.  We haven't seen them since.  The mother has no excuse.  They only live about 30 minutes away and we said we would see her for free.  We offered to take her in the RC, but mom refused.  AHHH!!  This girl will be scarred.  With proper treatment, she would have been almost healed since the burn wasn't too deep. 

This is a picture of a crazy lady that burnt her own head.  Day 1.......

Currently.......  She comes every 3 days since she lives too far away for others to bring her daily.  She's calmed down a bit, but still has torment.

This baby girl was referred to Healing Hands.

abcess.

cut... 

another cut...

another.....

This man was working in his garden when it started to rain on Friday afternoon.  He worked all that he could in the rain and then started home.  He slipped and fell on his machette.  He was still moving his fingers, but I honestly don't know how.  He came very close to cutting his whole hand off.  This picture doesn't really show the depth of the wound.

Please pray for healing for these and others.  These pictures here are only a small sampling of those 900+ that we saw this past week.

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Charles is taking the meds and not having any side effects so far.  He has an appt with the doctor tomorrow to take out the sutures, but there is still a hole in his arm draining fluid.  I'm packing it and it is healing, but I don't think that the sutures are ready to come out.  I had a missionary doctor tell me that this kind of thing is a voodoo curse.  Please continue to stand with us in prayer.

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From the Message: 
Ephesians 6

v10-12
And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

v13-18 Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon.

In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare.

Pray hard and long.

Pray for your brothers and sisters.

Keep your eyes open.

Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.