Moving…

I am officially moving to the new RHFH blog please come over and join me.  If you have a minute please change my address in your blog sidebars for me.  I want all of you to continue to follow our work here in Haiti.  I promise to continue with blog post from the RC and many, many stories from my life here in Haiti. Will you join me?

Don’t forget

to check out Real Hope for Haiti’s new web site here!  We will be moving this blog there soon!

It’s time to PARTY like it’s 1975!!!

Happy 36th Birthday to Elicia Betor!!!! We (Anna and Jess) have broken onto the blog in order to notify you of this important day. Please please please leave an encouraging birthday message for our friend Licia. We would love to see record breaking comments on this post, so get those fingers typing. 🙂

Here are 36 reasons why we dearly love Licia Betor:

1.  She puts up with us and even laughs with/at? us sometimes

2. She has the 4 cutest (and funniest) kids everrrrrrr!

3. She likes Hot Tamales

4. She deeply cares about each one of the kids that are in her care….more than any of us even know.

5. (Anna loves) Her precision in measuring while baking

6. She sees everyone as her equal

7. Her patience!!!!

8. She allows Jesus to live and love through her

9. She plays the same playlist over and over…and over…AND over in the office

10. She often has to wake up late at night to give a child a “piki” (shot) , IV meds, etc.

11. Her favorite movie is Elf!

12. She takes us on long hikes up in the mountains

13. She continues to allow Jesus to break her heart for the people she serves.

14. She has hundreds and hundreds of funny/moving/jaw dropping stories.

15. She’s chill.

16. She can’t resist Trey’s puppy eyes.

17. She is INCREDIBLY gracious!

18. She prioritizes her precious family

19. She has allowed us to be a part of her life

20. Her spelling is impeccable

21. She truly trusts the Lord

22. She’s precious

23. She gives a voice to the people she loves through her blog

24. She is truly “Haitian” in that she wears her nice jeans and tennis shoes every time she goes into town. 🙂

25. She is someone that we look up to

26. She’s in denial that she’s famous in the blogging world

27. She loves House and lets us watch it at her house with her

28. She buys us mangos 🙂

29. She can take a bucket shower in as little as one gallon of water. That’s impressive!

30. She’ll spend hours chatting with us late into the night

31. She is picking up on American pop-culture and fully diving in (It’s quite entertaining. We love you @Elicia Zachary Betor)

32. She’s extremely positive…she always finds the silver lining.

33. She passionately worships the Lord with all her heart

34. She has sacrificed so much, but she wouldn’t have had it any other way.

35. She lets us make fun of her and her wheezy laugh

36. When you ask her kids what they love about her they say “So much I don’t even know what to say” (true story. Henley and Carmelo both said this without knowing each other had said it.)

WE LOVE YOU LICIA!!

New Web site

We want to welcome you to our new RHFH website!  You can click here to see it.  We are happy with the results and excited that we have something to direct everyone too. My blog will be moving there soon.  Lori, Casey and I will be doing most of the blogging.  But we will have guest bloggers, and Charlie, Enoch and dad will be joining in every once in a while.  Lori and I feel pressure at times to get something up so you can know what is happenings here at RHFH.  We hope that you will enjoy our new site.  Check it out and let us know what you think!

quick update

• We have a team of 4 here from Indiana.  A board member, Jeremy, and his son.  Ron  (who has been here several times) and his son.  The are very low key guest. (which are the best) They work all day and play with the kids at night.  We love having them here and enjoy their fellowship. They have repaired the clinic gate and help build a house.  Today they began to repair the shelter where patients wait to be seen in the clinic.
• We have another team of 5 here for 2 days.  This is the first time meeting them.  They were scheduled to come in right after the earthquake in Jan.  It is a mix of doctors and other medical staff.  The doctors did consults today on many people from the village.  Another did women’s health screening for 19 women.  We have a terrible burn that we took in two days ago.   They  have been helping to figure out medications and dressing changes for her. They are a great encouragement to us and the staff.  A real blessing for RHFH.  PTL!
• Anna and Jess are still here with us.  They have been working very hard.  All the odd jobs that we cannot ask anyone else to do they have been doing.  They will never know what a great help they have been to us already.  We just love them both so much.  Lori and I need fellowship and laughter in our lives.  They are filling this need as well. 🙂
• There is a 10-year-old girl named Claudette that is with us.  She is burned very badly and we are not sure if she will live or not.  We need you to pray for her.  She is also in a great deal of pain.
• the cholera house is still in full swing with many patients
• Madelene is still with us and doing well.  Continue to pray for her.
• Exciting news for RHFH site coming up tomorrow!

Merry Christmas

Matthew 1:20-23 

²⁰ But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. ²¹ And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”
²² So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: ²³ “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

Tomorrow will be Christmas day.  We are looking forward to having a blessed day with family and friends here at RHFH.  We wanted to take this time to thank you.  Your words of encouragement have made a difference to so many here in Haiti, even us, and the RHFH staff.  We often share with them messages, emails and notes that people have sent to us.  We want them to know and feel your love.  It is important to us that they know so many people all over the world care and love them.  We feel your love, they feel your love and it is real.  God uses many people to reach those that are lost.  A simple touch to a sick and dying person can bring peace and healing to their tired bodies.  A hug to a malnourished neglected child can make their whole day change.  A pat on the head can bring  joy to a sad child.  A cup of cool (filtered and treated :)) water makes many feel safe and protected with all the cholera around.  The simple act of loving- -pure Jesus love–changes the hearts and lives of many.  We love each of you in a special way.  Many of you we will never meet here on earth.  Many of you will never get to visit us here in Haiti.  But together we are showing the love of Jesus to many.  And that my friends, it what is all about.  Showing His love through our work to save as many soul as we can.

A new baby born

A few weeks ago Lori was very busy with the cholera house.  She was taking a short break for lunch.  There was a lady that had walked several hours to arrive at the clinic.  She was in labor once she arrived.  We checked her and felt she had some time before I needed to call Lori to come.  We moved her into a different room.  She made no signs of pain or labor at all.  Her facial expression did not change, she did not yell, she did not say anything.  I was standing there and out comes the head.  I yelled for someone to call Lori.  I am serious she did not yell and change her expression at all.  No pushing or anything.  I grab some gloves and out she came.  I was holding her when Lori arrived a few minutes later.  Fast delivery. 

I asked her if anyone was with her.  She said her husband was outside with two of their kids.  She had traveled down the steep mountains paths to help bring the kids to the clinic.  I went to go find papa and give him the news.  He was a little shocked.  I asked where the two kids were so they could meet their new baby sister.   They were sitting waiting to see the nurse.  Both girls were severely malnourished.  They needed up being admitted into the RC that day. 

 

Proverbs 3:21-23 (NIV)

 ²¹ My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight,
   preserve sound judgment and discretion;
²² they will be life for you,
   an ornament to grace your neck.
²³ Then you will go on your way in safety,
   and your foot will not stumble.

Cholera update

For the last two weeks the cholera count has been going down.  We had three volunteers here from North America that were working in the cholera house.  They all did a great job helping us and giving Lori a break.  We had a few days that we only had three patients.  But they all left at the beginning of the week.  Today we had 22 patients.  Many were very ill and unable to walk to their beds.  We are going through many, many supplies but…God is providing for each and every need that we have.  To God be all the Glory!

These two were patients at the cholera house.  They are better and ready to return home.  Everyone receives a kit and education on cholera before they leave.

This man really appreciated the care given to him from a volunteer that was here. 

Here is the same man a few days later going home.  He wanted to thank Paul for helping him but he had already left for the USA.  So we took a picture to send Paul.

patient care

I have a special place in my heart for the older people of Haiti.  I just love them so much.

Supply room restocked last night

Lori with Ginette at the cholera house.  Ginette has been a huge help to so many people.

Psalm 119:147-149 (NIV)

¹⁴⁷ I rise before dawn and cry for help;
   I have put my hope in your word.
¹⁴⁸ My eyes stay open through the watches of the night,
   that I may meditate on your promises.
¹⁴⁹ Hear my voice in accordance with your love;
   preserve my life, LORD, according to your laws

A list of all the tent camps in Haiti

Click here to see this list.

The girls have graduated

The girls have all graduated from the medika mamba program after 7 weeks. Check out weeks 1 thru 6 here

week #1

week #7

Daphna- lowest weight 25 to 30 pounds

Lysemene-lowest weight 29 to 35 pounds

Fabienne-lowest weight 24 pounds to 32 pounds

Loudia-lowest weight 28 pounds to 34 pounds

I am telling you the lowest weight because you can see in the top picture they are all swollen from the kwashiorkor so they all lost some weight before they began to gain.

Special thanks to Med & Food for Kids, World Wide Village and Troy & Tara Livesay.  And to all of you that believe in us, support our work and most importantly lift us up in prayer.  Your reward will be great.  You are a part of saving these beautiful kids lives.