Saturday, 1st Day Home

I miss the team already (although I can think of a lot of other things I don't miss). I'm going to start posting photos and adding blog updates to some logistical things for future teams to read about. I'm trying to answer questions and collect better photos then mine from other team members so I'll keep updating the blog as questions come in. Again, thanks for all of the prayers, support and all of the work done behind the scenes! There is an amazing need for support down there and a whole lot of people praying for help to come from somewhere. Ellen just shot me a text that she got a good night sleep so she's ready to go back. I think I'm going to need a couple more nights before I'm ready.

Back in the US and safe

I just talked to Marc. The team is safely back in Florida waiting to catch a flight to O'Hare.

Traffic in Port au Prince is... challanging

So we all get up around 5am to get ready for the bus ride to the airport. Except for Ernie who got up around 3am to administer anesthesia for an emergency c-section. We knew it would take hours to get to the airport and the traffic is absolutely horrible. Fridays are even worse and we just couldn't be late for our flights. Its a good thing we left early. Our bus crash is better described as a fender bender but it was all the excitement we could stand, with a loud bang! Lots of screeching tires followed by several minutes of trying to get the bus and the SUV separated. Then we had to get the bus driver and the SUV driver separated. No one got hurt and all the damage to the bus was cosmetic. What a way to end the week!

Thursday- Last Full Work Day!!!!

Crazy busy day! Really just like all of 'em. Except this time half the team got to leave the hospital after lunch to go to a local orphanage. The hospital has been trying to place some orphans living on site and today they got a local pastor who runs an orphanage to agree to meet with us. It turns out it was a trick. They were way over any reasonable capacity and couldn't ever take any more children, but he wanted us there to talk about his needs!!! It was just what we had been waiting for!!!! I raced back to the hospital and we grabbed all of our uneaten food, medical supplies, toys, and some "extra" vaccines. 7 of us went back and vaccinated children who stood very quietly and willingly let themselves be stuck in the arm in exchange for some beanie babies, toys, and a bunch of other kid stuff that somehow got into our bags that were only supposed to be loaded with lifesaving medical supplies and foodstuffs. Several hours later there we so many smiles on the faces of these newly vaccinated children. The only smiles bigger then the kids were of course ours. We are beat down tired, emotionally exhausted and smelling worse than any human should but we were all just elated! It was awesome and uplifting and just too cool to put into words. You will just have to wait to see the photos, but trust me, it was exactly as you probably image it. The kids were so cute and happy and just wanting to high-five or smile and laugh and play with their new toys while the adults started preparing their first meal of the day. We owe a huge thanks to all of you who forced those stuffed animals on us, they had no place on this medical trip; right up until today when we needed them just as badly as those kids.

The Supreme Master Ching Hai is still Cooking!

This is a very complicated organization...

I'm going to give them all due respect for the work they are doing feeding people and working their tails off. The vegan life-style is one I don't understand but I won't make fun of their choice. Their worship of a person is obviously quite contrary to the bible and can't be reconciled with the truth, but their good works down there and their honest and sincere compassion are without equal. Again, I mean no disrespect, and I truly appreciate and thank Master Ching Hai for the food and compassion. Thank you for the food, and thank you for continuing to feed the orphanage for as long as you possibly can.

Follow the link if you choose, but sometimes truth is stranger than fiction... (Mark, I have no words)

http://www.godsdirectcontact.org/doggie/

Maison d'Accueil... Rev. Jean Daniel

More about the two orphanages we visited. Rev Jean Daniel is caring for the kids and its working! They got fed, they got vaccinated, they got some medical supplies, and they got Beanie Babies!!! On Sunday, Ryan and Ashley are planning on going to Rev Daniel's boys orphanage for more of the same. The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association delivered more food and is promising to keep it up. I'll work on explaining the vegan disaster relief team later but they are getting food to the kids so they're okay by me. Here are some more of the kids photos.

Day... Wed?

We lost a tuff one last night. There have been fatalities, and everyone accepts that, but we had an ICU patient that had been fighting for 8 days. Around the clock care for a 20 year old with his family by his side and his passing is a mixed blessing, but its tuff on the staff. We are all talking and crying together but this one is still hard. "Buddy" won't be the last one this week, but the team was fully invested in him. His medical visa never came, and it probably wouldn't have mattered anyhow. We have to accept Gods will for "Buddy," it will just take time. Yesterday was such a great day... lets hope for another one of those tomorrow. We covet your prayers! It'll be easy to bury ourselves in work... its gonna be hard to come home.

Visited Tent City - left in a hurry!

Kim and I needed a break from the hospital so we got Craig from one of the clean water disaster relief organizations (global medic) to take us up to the tent city. Its only a block away from the hospital and is estimated to have 20,000 refugees living their. No one ever calls them refugees, I haven't heard that word used once and it doesn't even sound right typing it, but I'm trying to accurately describe the living conditions. This tent city is located on the Adventist University campus and is absolutely huge. We spent a few minutes looking at the awesome water facilities being installed by Craig's crew then we walked toward the exit before breaking all the rules and handing out beanie babies and fruit snacks inside the tent city. THIS SHOULD NOT BE DONE! There are 20,000 people here without much. A few people handing out stuff without an orderly plan could lead to a disaster. We just walked into a group of little kids and tried to empty our bags in a few seconds. Within a minute we were overrun by teenagers and adults trying to get whatever we had to give and we were hot footn' it to the exit. Again, this wasn't a good idea, giving toys, etc. needs to be done by a local group in a controlled setting (like an orphanage). The good feeling of helping others wouldn't last too long if little kids ended up getting hurt in a melee. We were smart enough not to do it by the hospital and mess up the medical work happening there, but even doing it in the camp may have made things tough for the next foreigners walking into the camp... they may now think we all have beanie babies!

How was the drinking water?

Good, the five gallon water bottles were plentiful. There was plenty of travelers sickness going around. Almost everyone had their moments, but for the most part the hospital was able to generate and bottle clean drinking water. The showers were hit or miss because the water pressure was inconsisitant. There were three French firefighter/EMTs who were tired of MRE's and vegan food, so they went out one night looking for a restrauant. They found a local restaruant and decieded it would be a good idea to try the crabs. I don't think they will recommend Haitian seafood again. I think they all recovered after a day or two but a little common sence should be enough to keep everyone safe here. In the heat you need to be drinking consistantly and a water bottle hanging from the belt with powdered gator aid or something similar worked pretty well.

Where are we sleeping?

The entire team is staying at the Hospital. This was a practical decision as the roads are really ruff, traffic is horrible, and the only open hotel is a hard walk by day, and not a good idea at night. Future teams may stay at the hotel and use a tap-tap (private cab) or one of the hospital drivers but that's an added cost and strain on the few hospital drivers there. Dr. Cababa and Dr. Neilson never did make it thought the night without being awakeing for an emergency surgery or consultation. That means that staying at the hospital did translate into fulfilling a constant need, but burn-out was real close for some after only a week; and the hospital really needs all the room they can get for patients. We slept on army cots in the hallways and up on the roof. The heat and humidity was horrific (especially for us from Wisconsin) but the roof was a little cooler and really wasn't too bad except when it rained and we either dove into a bakeing tent or moved under the rain fly.