Wednesday arrived, and after a few calls to Morgan we found the orphanage tucked away in a village only about 15 minutes from the compound. However, after arriving at the orphanage, we spoke with a women there, who told us that the children had all left and been taken to a camp for the day. Apparently, my contact Morgan had not been at the orphanage for two days and was unaware of this happening. Morgan felt so terrible that it did not work out as she had been trying so hard to get her children vaccinated and a few needed to be seen by a doctor. But we decided to try again maybe next Wednesday. Even though this plan may have not worked out as we had hoped, it was to God’s accordance that He knew we were needed in the mountains of Tapiyo to help the other team.
It was a blessing to go to the mountains where we were greeted with huge smiles and many waves as if we had come to save the day. Team Omega was so grateful we had arrived, as there were so many patients waiting lined down the mountain side. We set up alongside the team under a huge shade tree. I joined others in triage. We had many beautiful babies and children today. Many without diapers, yet so loved as they clinged to their mothers as Gary put it, “like magnets”. As we tried to get weights and temperatures, it was like one baby after another letting out cries. We tried to pass out as many dumdum pacifiers as we could, but it was almost becoming humorous seeing these precious little doll babies coming in beautiful dresses, bonnet hats, and ears pierced with string (they wear their Sunday best to clinic), burst into tears as they sat in the baby scale. There were also the few very sleepy babies, who would just stay sound asleep, nestled in the baby scale while the parent had their vitals taken.
The highlight for me was going with Dr.Merline to check a forty year old woman who had been in labor with her fifth child. We went around behind a shed, and let her lay on an army stretcher as Dr. Merline checked the progress of the baby. Apparently, not ready yet for delivery, the baby was very small, and directed feet first (Dr. Merline guesses only about 5 lbs). Dr. Merline and Dr. Vlad tried to turn the baby, but both decided to monitor the lady throughout clinic. The women laid behind the shelter most of the afternoon till the clinic was done, and the doctors could check her again.
Then at the end of clinic, the laboring woman was obviously still in pain, and now very hot I took her many cups of water, and assured her the doctors were going to come back. The doctors gave her medications, and hygiene/ food items, as well as paid for her ride down the mountain on a motor bike, to follow them to the hospital. The doctors later gathered more items for the women’s over night stay and for her baby to be and would take her the items, as well as pay for her stay at the hospital (in which she had never been to the hospital before since she could not afford it).
At the same shed where the pregnant woman laid all day, I did not realize that the tarp that had been set up there is done by a lady every week for clinic. The women brings her tarp, a white pot with lid, and uses a tree log to make a sectioned off area for us to use the bathroom in the pot. The woman brings these items on her donkey to clinic, sets up, and cleans up the area afterwards. What heart of service this woman has for us.
At the end of clinic I loved talking with the many children in the mountains that hung around me, watching everything I did. I would ask them ‘Kouman ou rele?’ (How are you called?), and reply, ‘Mwen rele Rachel’ (I called Rachel). The children then began to ask for my watch, or my shoes, or my silly bands, in a sort of silly manner, but I knew they truly wanted whatever I would give them. Mary Halbrooks was so sweet to buy all the women’s popcorn she was making near the clinic for $2 (a typical person’s daily salary) , and gave them out to the children.
Tonight, at the devotional I was told about ‘Ro’, one construction worker that works with NCBM that is also an evangelist. He recently preached in the tent cities where there were 57 people saved as well as 40 people were saved in the Mountains!! This is so amazing to me the Haitian people that God has brought to work with NCBM, to be able to pay and support their families and their ministries in Haiti. Yet it is so sad to me to think that after NCBM leave in October, our amazing Haitian staff will have to find other ways to make a living for their families. They are all such precious people, I am sad to think they will not be working with NCBM anymore. There is ‘Pi’, a mechanic by trade, yet an amazing driver for us who writes names and ages of patients on their medical cards for our clinics. ‘Sa’ helps translate and work the pharmacy in Bon repo. ‘Pi’ and ‘Sa’ were so fun to have our make shift class before and after clinic they taught me and the Halbrooks sisters many phrases in Creole. :) All the Haitian staff are just so uplifting with their smiles, and a priveldge to serve with.
*** My prayer tonight is for all the workers from the maids, to drivers, to translators, to construction workers, all who NCBM support, and we have grown to love dearly. I pray that they will continue to be the light in Haiti, that God will provide for their every need, that he will fulfill His amazing works and plans for their lives. That the ones that took exams this week may pass them, and be able to attend a university. As well as for the ones that hope to go now to a university, that they will find one to accept them. I pray as well for the doctors and their continued ministries here in Haiti, and ability to support themselves and establish a clinic, and school. Oh how I pray so much, and long so much for their lives to be filled with many blessing as they have blessed my life and enriched my life so greatly.
*** My prayer tonight is for all the workers from the maids, to drivers, to translators, to construction workers, all who NCBM support, and we have grown to love dearly. I pray that they will continue to be the light in Haiti, that God will provide for their every need, that he will fulfill His amazing works and plans for their lives. That the ones that took exams this week may pass them, and be able to attend a university. As well as for the ones that hope to go now to a university, that they will find one to accept them. I pray as well for the doctors and their continued ministries here in Haiti, and ability to support themselves and establish a clinic, and school. Oh how I pray so much, and long so much for their lives to be filled with many blessing as they have blessed my life and enriched my life so greatly.
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