Haiti day 9 or so...?

Haiti is awesome. and hot. I've never sweated so much in my life and I've never been so overflowing with love for a people group as I am for these kids I'm taking care of right now. I just love them and am slowly getting to know them, and their hearts and their dreams..

today I learned how to sing "How great Thou art" in Creole. C'est tres difficile..I kept saying "this is very difficult" and they just kept laughing...until I tried to teach it to them in English and then they understood! :) but I got them to write it down and now I can really sing the whole song! it's wonderful and every time I start to sing it, about 20 people join in and it's just so worshipful!

tomorrow, Cindy and I are going to teach the kids the Cupid shuffle...if you don't know what that is, just wait and I'll teach you when I get back :) it's a really fun dance...they're gonna love it!

one of my patients, Paul, has some serious talent...he's absolutely brilliant and his English is great! one of the docs here gave him his English-Creole cheat sheet and he's been absorbing English like crazy! he now asks for water, food, and pain medicine in English :) at first he said "Amy, give me water" so I taught him to say "Amy, may I please have some water" and He's remembered it every day since...He's writing a book in English right now...it says things like "I want you to buy me a camera" and "I want to study to be a doctor"...Cindy and I are planning our kids futures...one of our girls, Yveline, is sure to be famous one day...and we're pretty sure another one of our little boys is gonna have diabetes cause he's ALWAYS eating every time we see him...

hilarious...never a dull moment...time for bed...i'm exhausted...more later

Haiti day 6

I found a computer that I can use that has internet! this is awesome :)

today we've already done most of our dressing changes and rounded on our 49 patients with the new peds docs that are here...they are awesome! we love them and are so glad that they are here...a ton more people left today but the Lord is so good to send more people to help us...it's amazing how He provides here...one of the kids last night was asking me if I liked it better here or in America...of course they all think the states are the promised land...but i told him i liked it here better because it was so much easier to see when the Lord provided something and it's easier to lean on Him when there isn't so much stuff to distract us. he said he still thinks America is the best. ha. oh well...

last night I had a little bit of a breakdown...I was just really overwhelmed and the kids were particularly crazy and needy yesterday for some reason...but I got to talk to a friend on the phone and she prayed for me which was so refreshing and much needed...praise the Lord for His provision..

today the most amazing thing happened...we were doing dressing changes (which is extremely exhausting and takes about 3-4 hours)...so I was on my next to last one and feeling so ready to be done when all of a sudden, everyone just starts singing a hymn at the top of their lungs and raising their hands and just praising the Lord...a choir from one of the churches had come in and led a couple hymns and then prayed (they pray like the koreans, all out loud simultaneosuly)..today, I joined them :) and it was amazing to feel the Spirit in our little concrete building of a hospital and be reminded what the whole point of all this is...praise the Lord..

my brain hurts from trying to speak Creole but I'm learning a lot and the kids think it's great that I can communicate with them a little...it helps my relationships with them so much...they are getting to know me and there are a few that I have just fallen completely in love with...can't wait to show you guys pictures!

we got two more patients today...neurosurgery kids who have had craniotomies...a tiny baby and a 1 1/2 year old...they're pretty stable but both need IV antibiotics for a few weeks...we're going to move them in this afternoon and get them settled...

ok, gotta run...hope everyone's doing well! pray for us!!

Haiti day 3

I've never been so busy in my life. We're getting plenty of sleep but the exhaustion just doesn't seem to want to leave. The kids are so great, though...they make it all worth it for sure! Their smiles are priceless and it's amazing that these kids who've lost arms, legs, feet, family members are so resilient and willing to do anything. 2 year olds swallow huge pills here! i think i might have a little trouble mustering up sympathy for some of my patients at Duke when we get back. but there is so much joy here despite the sadness and the lack of resources. today we took the kids on a parade around the rest of the compound to cheer everyone up and it was a precious sight. Their Creole rendition of "How Great Thou Art" almost brought me to tears. I'm trying to take a lot of pictures but honestly, it's so busy that I haven't had tons of time to do anything but work and sleep. Cindy and I did break down and shower last night because there is actually a little bit of warm water! praise the Lord! :) We're a little nervous because the volunteers that are running Peds right now are leaving soon (some tomorrow and some friday) which means Cindy and I will be in charge on Friday. We're not sure what that is going to look like but hopefully we'll be prepared by then. well, i've taken long enough and now need to head back to the wards but I just wanted to update a little bit while I had a second. maybe I'll have some more time tonight if I can get a computer! hope everyone is doing well! sending Haitian love!

Haiti day 1

wow. there are no words. after a cancelled flight, and a run through Ft. Lauderdale's airport, we finally made it to Haiti. we've been here 5 hours and have already been thrown into the chaos...we've been taking care of 2 kids, a 5 and 7 year old with full thickness burns over 60% of their bodies. we've changed dressings, hung fluids, given meds, freaked out a little...we're both wondering what we've gotten ourselves into...but we did get dinner :) alas, just wanted to update a little before crashing until our early morning...keep praying, we need it!

Packing extravaganza

this is only the beginning of packing for Haiti...My sweet friends Martha and Emily came over for pizza and we took things out of boxes, consolidated supplies, and collected other things that we'll need. They were wonderful at helping me think of things that I had forgotten and of course making the process more fun! praise the Lord for friends who love me so well! We're getting closer to ready!

humbled

I can't even express my gratitude for the words of encouragement and the money that has been donated to help Cindy and me get to Haiti. It is so clear that God wants us there...and it is so humbling to see the body of Christ rally around us and help send us..

"the One who calls you is faithful and He will do it" 1 Thess 5:24

God knows all about this...

well, today has been quite the day...rather anti-climactic which is, I think, a good thing...After waking up at 4:20am and setting up camp in the hospital waiting room from 7 am until about 3:30 pm, and finally making it to a room around 4, I'd suffice it to say, it's been a long day! Luckily for grandmommie, she doesn't remember the majority of it...and I had fun with my mom and my aunt in the waiting room laughing, reading, eating, and visiting people that we hadn't seen in a long time (we both used to work at this hospital), including the doctor that delivered me almost 24 years ago by emergency C-section (who is also a long-time, good friend of my grandmommie's)...he was saying today that he still remembers vivid details of that day...crazy how something can stick in your mind like that...and the best part was that all the girls got a picture with him :) he delivered me, anna, olivia, and leah! I may or may not have driven everyone crazy with the camera today...but I got some cute pictures and later they'll thank me! but Grandmommie's doing so well, even her surgeon said she looks like "a million bucks!" and we're glad to know that we're not the only ones who think she's a total baller when it comes to pretty much everything she sets her mind to...

With this surgery behind us, even though I think we may have a ways to go still, I feel like I am freed up to think about Haiti a little more which is good since I leave in 4 days! ahhh...I have so much to do before Sunday! lots of errands to run...but it will get done and I have such a peace about going on this trip that there's no way the Lord isn't going to provide for the rest of it to come to fruition...He has provided support in mighty ways from prayer support to financial support to tangible donations of stuff we need...it's amazing to see the body of Christ really step out in faith and support in big ways expecting to see a big God do mighty things for His glory around the world! I'm praying for wisdom and faith as I prepare for the next 4 days...and for an email back from one of the ladies at the hospital so that we can know a little more of what we're getting ourselves into :) it will be an adventure, for sure!

I'm excited about what the Lord has planned...