New Medika Mamba grads

I am so excited about more kids graduating from the medika mamba program.  I am still in love with this wonderful product that is produced right here in Haiti.  It is changing lives and helping kids survive and recover from severe malnutrition.  We are so thankful to Meds & Food For Kids for their hard work in providing this product here in Haiti.  We are forever grateful to Randy and Pat M. at World Wide Village for taking the steps to get this project started here at RHFH.  RHFH did not have the funding or time to make it happen.  They came and did it for us.  Love you both!  A big thank you to Troy and Tara L.  for all the fundraising and running (Tara) a marathon for these kids.  Everyone of them is worth all the training and pain you went through.  Miss you bothso much! Thank you to all of you that have given for this project.  Thanks to those that have filled the mamba bowls each night for months.  You are not forgotten.  Lives are being changed one at a time.  We are all apart of it. 

 ANDRELINE

16 pounds      (took 4 months)              22 pounds

 

JEANNE

 21 pounds  (took 2 months)              24 pounds

NONO

 18 pounds (took 6 weeks)                  22 pounds

SELON

25 pounds     (took 6 weeks)              28 pounds

VIOU

 

26.5 pounds (lowest weight)  (took 7 weeks)    35 pounds

WIDLINE

14 pounds     (took 5  months)               22 pounds

One of my favorite pictures from these past months

Anyone can go to a foreign country to work.  Some sit in their offices, some drive around in their big cars, some tell the nationals the “better” way to do things, they go to meeting and say what they think would “fix” the problems, they do a lot of talking and then there are some that get out and sweat and learn from the people.  They learn and they show the love of Jesus to those around them.  That is the missionary I want to be.

Jasner, who was admitted last week, died this morning at 5:30am.  You might think after doing this for 12 years it gets easier.

It doesn’t.

Jess and Anna both wrote some good post.

There was a group here in Cazale staying at the local Catholic church this past week.  They came down and wanted to help.  The group was from Mexico and the USA.  They helped in the RC, counting pills and working on the medika mamba peanut butter.  They came each day and were a blessing to RHFH.  God is good!

getting kids dressed after baths

giving bath to the 60+ kids

loving them

kneading the PB

Psalm 57:9-11 (NIV) 

⁹ I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations;
       I will sing of you among the peoples. 

 ¹⁰ For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
       your faithfulness reaches to the skies. 

¹¹ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
       let your glory be over all the earth.

Update on Rosemene

You can read Rosemene story here and here.  She is doing great in her rented room.  She loves being there and being out of the rain.  She is eating well and regaining her strength.  RHFH is delighted to be able to help her.

(Rosemene’s home before)

Sending happy cards to kids in Haiti

RHFH received a packet in the mail a few weeks ago.  It was from a school that had made cards for kids in Haiti after the earthquake.  We were able to go to the local school and give the cards out to the kids here in Cazale.  The kids state side were able to write some Creole phrases to the kids.  The teachers and students were happy to receive these cards and know that other kids were thinking about them. 

Birthing tales from the boys

So this is how we started out in June 2000.  The three of us.  Carmelo had been living with Lori and I for a while and he moved in with Enoch and I two days after we got married. 

Henley was born in Aug of 2002.  I followed the same doctor I am  following now throughout my pregnancy.  He gave us two hospitals that we could check out to deliver at.  I sent Enoch to check them out as I  was so busy with the RC and clinic.  I did not have time to read any books or get prepared for the delivery.  I was just not really thinking I guess.  My doctor wanted to induce labor on the morning of the 27th.  My mom did not want him to.  The country was not very stable then and it was not really safe to be driving at night.  So by inducing I would at least be at the hospital.  We decided to think about it and we would give the doctor an answer the next day (27th).    On the morning of the 27th I woke up about 6am and my water had broke.  I was having contraction that were not that bad.  We called the doctor and he said to head down towards the hospital.  We all took showers and packed a lunch.  It was Enoch, Lori, my mom and I.  While traveling to the hospital the contractions got to about two or three minutes apart and a little stronger.  When we got to the hospital we had to check in.  Enoch went and did this and mom and Lori stayed with me.  I just really wanted to lie down.  They had to clean the room and mop to get it ready.  So here I am and I have no idea what I am doing. I have no idea if the hospital even offers medications for pain.  I have no idea what to expect.  I get in the room and get in the bed.  A midwife comes in and check me to see where I am at so she can call the doctor. I was expecting things to get more difficult and for it to take all day.  They put an IV in.   She check s me and runs out of the room.  Strange.  Then about 1 minute later the doctor comes in and says it is time to go to the delivery room.  I was like are you sure and he said I was ready.  So away we went on a little gurney down a hallway to the delivery room.  Now Enoch was really stressed out because usually the dad’s  just wait outside here and I was like dude you are going in with me.  Yeah maybe we should have thought of talking about that before hand   So when we got to the delivery room I had to move to a different bed.  Then here comes this guy behind me dress in a mask and yellow apron thing.  I was like who are you and get away from me.  It was Enoch with a funny mask.   Lori could not come in so she was looking through the little window trying to see what was happening.  The nurses told me my mom was in the corner with her head pressed aganist the wall, with her hands in the air praying and she just kept saying “Jesus”. (One a side not my mom almost died with all three of us kids, during each deliver.  She actually saw the white light and we almost lost her with Lori)  So my mom was a little stressed.  Okay back to the baby.  The doctor said to push and I did and he told Enoch in Creole that I did not push right.  And I then reminded Enoch and the doctor  (very nicely)that I spoke Creole and understood what they were saying.   So the next contraction (which by the way was not as painful as I thought it would be at all) I pushed and Henley was born.   Thta was a 9:09am he was 8 pounds 9 ounces. I stayed in the hospital for the day and went home the next morning. Total time in labor 2hours9minutes.

The day I had Trey  (April 13 2004) Enoch and I were staying in Port.  My mom and Lori were working in Cazale.   The generator broke and mom needed Enoch to come fix it.  I was at the house with Carmelo.  Enoch had to drive about 2 hours one way to get to Cazale.  He worked all day and kept checking in on us.  About 6pm I started having contractions.  I called and he was still in Cazale.  He was stressed out because he was going to be getting home so late.  He asked if everything was okay.  I was like yes we are fine, just hurry home.  I did not want him to be stressed or drive to fast to get to us.  He wanted to pick up dinner and I was like no just come on home.  So he did and got there about 8pm.  As soon as he walked in I was like we need to go.  He was like where and I said to the hospital.  He was really stressed out then.  So we took off the two of us to the hospital.  We got there and got settled in and doctor was there.  I was not ready to push yet and my water had not broke.  So we waited.  He checked me again at about 10:30pm.  Still at the same place.  Same as with Henley not bad pains.  I decided to change my position and when I did my water broke.  Within 30 seconds I was having very hard labor pains.  Enoch went to get the doctor.  They came back in with the gurney.  I could not stop the pushing and it was serious.  They wanted to get me on the stupid gurney.  So they put it beside the bed and it was about 1 foot higher than the bed.  I had a huge pain and asked the doctor and Enoch to wait just a minute for it to pass.  They tried to pick me up by my feet and shoulders and get me up on the bed.  Yes quite a site.  I told them both to wait and when the pain passed I got on the gurney.  We got to the deliver room and the doctor did not even have time to sit down and Trey was born.  It was Enoch, me and the doctor.  Trey was born at 11:45pm and weighed 8 pounds 10 ounces.  I stayed the night and left the hospital the next morning at 9am. Total time in labor 5 hours 45min.

(Trey 2 days old)

I still do not know if the hospital offers pain medication. :)  The hospital is located above the main town of Port-au-Prince.  It is a maternity hospital.  It has about 10 beds there.  You have to take your own sheets with you.  I had a room by myself and shared a bathroom with someone.  I believe that we  had electric most of the time.  The room had an old hospital type bed that you crank up and down.  Once you have the baby they put you and the baby in the room and if you need something you have to go find them. (the nurses)  They do not come in and check on you.

I never really considered having the kids in The US.  I have had to leave Enoch so many times I cannot imagine him not being able to see his kids when they are first born.  That would be so difficult.    He is a great dad and does everything with the kids.  He changes diapers, feeds and gets up at night with them.  We do not have health insurance so we have to save for several months to be able to pay for the doctor and birth.  The total cost is around $2500US.  This is for the doctor and the hospital stay.  So it is quite a bit cheaper for us to have the kids here.  We then go to the US embassy (our favorite place) and are able to get a US passport and a certificate of US citizen born abroad.  It is not that difficult and we had no trouble with the boys.

So we plan to head in Port-au-Prince on the 9th or 10th of August.  We will stay with one of Enoch’s brothers until the baby is born.  Once she is here and everything is okay we will return to Cazale together.  Usually within 1 to 2 days.  That is what we are looking at right now.  But you know plans can change at any minute.  Hoping and praying for a easy labor with this one.

 

Lori and Charlie at the space needle

• The boys are in Port this week.  They are going to a day camp that has all kinds of activities.  They are having fun!  Enoch is staying with them in town, so I am by myself at the house.
• I talked to Trey on the phone last night and he wanted to know what time it was where I was at.  I told him the same time.  He told me he felt like I was so far away that it must be a different time where I am at.  Then he asked me if it would be as long as the earthquake that we would be apart.  He already misses his mommy.
• Comment from Enoch—did you know it takes a lot of work to get three kids ready in the morning.  You have to make sure they brush their teeth, take a bath, feed them and get them dressed.  He got done saying that and then said okay don’t answer that question
• I have a very promising candidate for a teacher for the boys for this coming year.  We are both praying and asking the Lord to lead us!  Will you pray as well?
• Anna has only written three times and asked if she can come back next year
• We saw 300 patients today in the clinic.  Actually as I type the last 20 are sitting on the bench waiting to be seen.
• There is a group of spanish speaking youth here in Cazale.   They are staying with the Catholic Priest that lives here but is originally  from Argentina.  They have been coming down each day and helping with the kids in the RC.  Only a few of them speak english and I do not speak spanish.  But when you think about it holding kids and changing diapers does not need much translation.
• Went to the doctor yesterday.  The baby is growing and gaining weight.  I went through clothes and things this past week.  Trying to begin to get ready.  Someone wrote me an email and asked if I was ready for the girl who was coming?  I seriously got outr the master calender for teams and was stressing out thinking I has forgotten someone that was coming in.  After a few minutes I remembered they were talking about the baby.  That is how busy these  past months have been.
• We will be heading into Port-au-Prince on August 10th to stay at Enoch’s brothers house unil the baby is born.  This will put us about a 30 minute drive from the hospital instead of 2 or 3 hours.
• Dad will be returning to the states on Aug 10th for two months
• It is so very hot here in Cazale.  You just sweat all the time.
• There are currently 27 kids on the medika mamba program.
• Last year a group of doctors came in from UCLA and taught the nurses and Lori how to do PAP test and screening for STD’s.  To make a long story short there have been about 15 to 20 women that have or a in the beginning stages of cervical cancer.  There is currently no place that we know of in Haiti to treat these women.  The doctor that is helping with this project lined up for another OB/GYN doctor to come to Cazale this past Saturday.  She did a procedure that removes or burns off beginning cells of the cancer in the cervix.  There were 15 women that were able to have this life saving procedure done right here in the mountains of Cazale.  God is so good!  We are working on helping the other ladies that are in advance stages find a way to go to the DR for treatment. 
• I miss Lori!
• If anyone has backpacks or shoes for the school sponsorship program please email me and let me know.  licia@realhopeforhaiti.org So I can begin to plan on how we will be getting them here in Cazale.

New kids from last week

This is Johanne.  She is 2 years old and weighs 19 pounds.  She is malnourished, has fever, vomiting and diar. (currently on the medika mamba program)

This is Mirlande in September of 2009 with her papa.  She had kwashiorkor and weighed 26 pounds.  Her lowest weight in the RC was 25 pounds. (currently on the medika mamba program for the 2nd time)

She began the medika mamba program right away and went up to 32 pounds in 5 weeks.  She was doing so well when we sent her home in November 2009.

She is back this week weighing 30 pounds and has kwashiorkor again. 

I posted the picture from 2009 and from this past week with her dad.  The first thing I notice is that dad is wearing the same shirt and last year.  Is this a big deal. no not really.  But when people come to the clinic they are always wearing their best clothing and try to be as clean and well dressed as they can be.  Same shirt just a little lighter from the sun.  The mother is not around much and the family says she is not mentally stable.  So her dad is doing the best he can with her.  I really believe that.  He brought her back with the first signs of kwashirokor.  He loves her and wants her to live.  And for that I am thankful today.  Will you pray for Mirlande, her mama, papa and 3 other siblings at home.