GLA

“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”

We have had the opportunity to meet so many amazing people while in Haiti. I have talked about some of the Haitians and I really need to write about some of the expats here. I have been struggling with how to tell other peoples stories, so I decided to just tell you my interaction with them and you can link to their websites to learn more if you so desire. Most of the people I want to tell you about have relocated their whole lives to Haiti and are now here serving with and working with the people of Haiti to help make their lives better. 

The first organization I wanted to talk about is God's Littlest Angels. It is an orphanage up in the mountains above our home and it is amazing. I have known it was amazing every since I first set foot in there, but this week I was able to go with Adrah and do a PT eval at the toddler house. 

I think it is one thing to do babies well, it is a whole other thing to do school age children and the terrible twos and threes well. And they are doing VERY well. They have a school on site, a huge playground, computer lab etc. This is one well run organization.  

IS with one of the little girls who probably should have been napping

They have clean, well painted, cute rooms with nice beds and their own stuff

A few days ago another local orphanage was shut down due to the conditions. GLA took 23 of the kids in. Two of the children were so covered in rat bites that they had to be hospitalized right away. Here are the children having their afternoon nap. They are in the process of trying to figure out what to do with them permanently but in the mean time they are doing a beautiful job with what they were given. 

They have a great US style NICU. I mean a real isolette and CPAP and everything. Adrah got a picture I will post later. 

The Orphanage Today

Lately, I have been really bad about taking pictures at the O. I tried to make up for some missed ones when I brought Adrah today. 

Baby Abi

 A new little girl feeding a new little boy

 Baby Nora

 Another new little boy, this one has some major red skin/hair. But, I am sure within weeks Rachel will have him all fixed up

 Patrick, who is a full time walker now

 Alex, who is learning to be a great walker

 Adrah with baby Whitney

 This is one of the new nannies who is helping Alex and Patrick walk. It is good to see them out playing with them. 

Missing Hannah

 I am really struggling with the "when Gods will is not your will" problem around here. I have been really lucky in my life that a lot of the choices I have wanted to make have been ones I felt God wanted me to make. Don't get me wrong not all of them have been that way. And just like in those circumstances I know t God will pull me though this too and show me the better way. 

But for right now, I miss this baby so much it hurts. Literally hurts. We have cared for lots of babies here, but none who has buried their little selves into our hearts. 

We miss you baby girl and we hope that you are going to a great family!

Voodoo vs. Medicine

A few months ago Johnny was telling us about his brother who was going to die. We were asking him what had happened as the kid was only in his early 20s. Johnny explained that his brother had made some poor choices in engaging in extramarital relations and in doing so he had a curse (voodoo) placed on him. The curse had run its course and now, some years later, the kid was going to die. 

When we asked him the symptoms of the "curse" he gave us a text book explanation of syphilis. I mean text book. When I told him what I thought it could be he said to me. "Yes, I guess it could be syphilis that was cursed upon him."

For quite a while I have thought of this experience and been a little shocked that a person could die of an aliment so easily treated. (He did in fact die a few days later.) The beginning stages of syphilis are literally treated by a dose of penicillin. Cheap, easily accessible penicillin. But, you have to first think that you have an aliment that is caused by an actual organism of some sort to even consider going to the doctor. And I guess if the thought that you were dying of a virus, or a bacteria or whatever else these people die of never crossed your mind, you may never see a medical doctor. 

For a while I thought these Voodoo beliefs were crazy, outlandish and frankly wasteful of human life. Until I started examining my own beliefs. I firmly believe in the power of the Priesthood. I know God grants miracles and I have been witness to some in my life. I firmly believe in the power of prayer. I believe people can literally be healed. So maybe their belief in the power to make someone sick is not a lot different than my belief in the power to heal?

Some other great Haitian medical stories.
-This morning Johnny took the oldest kids on a walk. They came home with handfuls of herbs. I asked him what for and he said they were for putting the kids to sleep at night. I just hope it was chamomile.
- When expecting a baby, if you want a girl baby you should buy a rooster and eat him. If you want a boy you should eat a female chicken.
-A woman monthly cycle here is totally misunderstood and some of their beliefs totally crack me up.
a. a woman who is menstruating should not care for small children, unless they are her own, or the child will get very sick.
b. at the end of a woman's monthly cycle it is very normal for the women here to take one amoxocillin, just one to make sure everything is taken care of.

Walkabouts

Our friend Adrah is here visiting. She went to help with clinic at Mountain Top Ministry's. The kids and I went on a big hike around the area while she was working. Here are some of the cool views. 

The church, school and medical clinic on the other side of the valley.

A work in progress

I love this girls hair. I loved it in the states because it was almost always a fro. I love fro baby hair. 

I have learned that babies with fro's are frowned upon in Haiti. They think keeping it in braids will make it longer and more healthy. 

  

This was of the first days after Roselie started working for us. I was doing SF hair and she quickly took over.

The finished product.

Another Little Person

We have recently added another little person to our brood. 

We have some friends here who have some friends who are adopting from a less than desirable orphanage. Their son Velo has been pretty sick with a really bad infection that was originally thought to be a hernia. We are looking after him and trying to nurse him back to health. Who knew we would ever be living with four little people who are about the same age.