Hello! It's a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Haiti. This morning we got to go to the beach, Chou Chou Bay to be exact. It was awesome! The team is here (13 in all) and doing great. They have jumped right in to projects, playing with kids, helping with laundry, and absorbing all they can and trying to process their experiences in Haiti. It's been fun to get to know them, and to hear their reactions and thoughts about Haiti and their time here. They are gracious to invite us to join them for devotions each evening which has been neat.
So the past few days we have been doing our usual routine plus a bit extra with the team here. Chris has been going to clinic each morning and now and then he will get to go down in the afternoon if someone comes in needing medical care. On Thursday he was able to watch a birth, see two stab wounds sewn, and a little guy's finger stitched up as well. We spent a good amount of Friday scraping paint with some team members and Kris in the hospital rooms at the clinic. After trying a few methods of scraping we resorted to using machetes, which worked great! It was super hot but it felt so good to do some hard work. We were all very thankful to discover that only two of the rooms needed to be scraped before the new paint is applied! Yesterday afternoon we all took a walk to see Gener (Cory's gardner)'s garden across the river. What a beautiful walk. It was fun to let him show off his plants and various plots of land that he owns and plants on.
Talking and playing with kids has been one of the teams' favorite activities so far. It is interesting to get their perspective on the kids we have seen so often the last time we were here and the first two weeks of this trip. It's cool to see each person on their unique, individual journey. You definitely can't take everything in and learn everything God has for you in one day, or even one trip. Even after eight months we couldn't sum it all up easily!
Tomorrow will be the kid's program's big party on the compound. Everyone is pretty excited about it. There will be a parade with instruments, refreshments, a puppet show, and who knows what else. Some big thunder heads seem to be coming our way, which has happened the last few days as well. We haven't had a huge downpour in a while, so we'll see if these clouds are playing tricks on us to. Have a great Sunday, and Happy Father's Day to our wonderful Dads!!! ( a little late :)

Chris delivers his 1st baby! (and other news)

Good evening! It's been a pretty hot day here so far, although in the evening there are sometimes a few more cool breezes to enjoy. So here are some pictures from the various activities of the last few days. The first was a program for the volleyball and soccer teams that have competed this year. The young people that participated received certificates and applause as we looked on and checked out their table full of trophies. After the little ceremony we all enjoyed some Haitian food together. The next few pictures are from Saturday, when Chris and I were able to accompany Cory on a banana distribution. The men loaded up the back of the truck and we drove a ways down the road, handing out a banana plant to each house that had not already gotten one. Cory showed them a few pictures and some information about the specific kind of plant it was. Cory said that this is the fun part, and it really was! It was interesting to stop by people's houses and talk to people we'd never seen before and get a small glimpse into their everyday lives. The picture with all the kids is from a kid's program at the church...one of many that have been happening lately as graduations and end of school parties and programs are going on. We went to one such program in Port Margot yesterday, which turned out to be a party, in which we were introduced, asked to say something to the kids, had a fan plugged in and pointed only toward the blancs, and then ate beans and rice with about 100 kids and parents! Wow. If there is one word that comes to mind for this trip so far it is, Humbling! People here always seem to treat us as guests of honor, even if we have done absolutely nothing for them, just shown up! I came here thinking, I need to find ways to help these people, to encourage them, to help change their situations for the better. And while that isn't necessarily bad, I am learning that trying to make a Haitian's life more like a North American's not only doesn't work very well, but isn't the right approach. The people here have so many gifts and talents and are definitely being used by God to do His work. Despite their difficulties they lead children and adults, praise the Lord, and bless US as best they can. This has led us to really pray for wisdom about how to minister to not only Haitians but people in general. In a book I've been reading (When Helping Hurts) the author talks about approaching poor people with the attitude that, we are both broken, needy individuals who need a Savior and need to grow. Instead of, I have to fix you and make you more like me, because I have the answers and the best way of life! Again, it's been humbling. There is so much we have to learn. As we read books, talk to people, and spend time trying to think of ways to help while we are here, we are continually humbled to prayer asking for direction and for God to show us where He is at work.

I, Chris now, was very busy in the clinic yesterday (Sunday) with Dr. Kris. We were called out of church a few minutes before it ended to go see a woman who was in labor. It was her first. One of the medical things I wanted to do while in Haiti was deliver a baby and I thought this might be my chance. So I asked Kris if I could and she said she would come back down to the clinic and help me. So we hurried up and changed clothes and I glanced at a midwifery book that had the bullet points and we went back to the clinic. It was a perfect delivery. It really went well... well, from a doctors stand point. The mother who was in labor for 11 hours before coming to the clinic may have a slightly different view. So I was the first person to lay hands on a beautiful baby girl...awesome! And God granted a safe delivery. The experience gave me a little jolt of excitement to continue my medical training...thanks Lord. Little did I know that as Kathleen and I were getting ready for bed Jean-Pierre would call to me from outside my window and tell me there was another woman in labor. This was ten thirtyish. Well, I hurried up and waited. This time I didn't have Dr. Kris to pass the time with. She usually spends the time telling me medical stories and teaching me... tonight it was the haitian nurse, Miss Ermadine, the pregnant mother (who kept calling me doc - I kinda liked it), and two of her friends. I missed about 90% of the conversation, but it was still a great learning experience. After taking the baby's heart rate and mom's BP several times and almost falling off a stool asleep I got to catch my second baby for the day at 3:45 am... a healthy "gason" a boy. Thanks again Lord. This lady was a riot though. She was singing and humming hymns right up until the final push. Awesome opportunity to learn and a great reminder to why I am glad I am not a woman!!

A few more days have gone by and we have settled into a little routine. It will only last about one week, since there is a team coming next Wednesday, but it's been quite a familiar week as we've taken up a similar routine as we had last year! Chris has continued to go to the clinic each day this week and it has been an interesting experience as each day brings in a different mixture of ages, sicknesses, and conversations with the patients. He has mostly been shadowing Dr. Kris, and spent one morning with Dr. Jean Pierre (whose English has improved, which Chris is grateful for) One unique thing about this clinic is that Dr. Kris is able to talk to the patients about their faith and pray with them. This has been a really good experience for me (it's Chris now ;) because it has gotten me thinking about how I want to shape my practice and how I want to impact my patients. Many times in Haiti the doctors do the best they can with what they have and the rest is up to God or chance or whatever the patient believes in. Often what the doctor has is very limited in Haiti, but I know I will run into the same problems in the states. There never will be enough tests and cures. No matter what I do as a physician people will become ill and every one of them will die at some point. This sounds very pessimistic I know, but I am thinking about how as a Doctor I can make the visits they have matter and the knowledge I have mean something. Do they leave my office hopeful or hopeless? I may not have the answers, but I believe that the christian church does and it is Jesus. I hope to be able to integrate my faith into my practice in a way that encourages my fellow believers, but challenges them to live a life in the best way we know how. Dr. Kris asks people if they attend church and if so she will talk with them about the choices they are making and whether they line up with what God wants for them. That's great. And for those who aren't Christians I am equally excited to be their doctor if not more. Not so that I can force something on them, but so that I can provide the best care possible and be someone they can trust in those trying times. So to sum it up I am learning a lot.
We have settled back into our Haitian life. After a little more than a week we have seen many of our friends and old students. It has been fun to reconnect. Kathleen and I have again been able to teach English... but not in a classroom setting. People will ask us if they can visit and practice their english with us. Most of the time they don't show up, but sometimes they do. The pic to the left is of a kid named Walfy who has been bringing his school books to ask for help with English. Most of the time it is just helping with pronunciation. It is neat to make people so happy by just reading aloud or correcting their "th" sound (which is the hardest sound for Haitians to master).

This morning Kath and I went with Cory and Gener to Limbe to deliver about 75 banana plants to a Wesleyan church there. We also are delivering another 75 this afternoon to homes a couple miles from the compound. Cory is try to get the more bug and disease resistant plants out into the community so their value can be recognized.
It is a lot hotter today than it has been. The sun is pouring out all its warmth.... and making me sweat! Its not terrible but it is warm. Fans are high on the list for all time best inventions in my book. Well that is all for now. We will have to write more later about the celebrations we have been attending, but I have to get this hot computer off my lap :) Thanks for reading

First days of our Visit

We're back! (good movie by the way if you like dinosaur cartoons) We got in on Thursday morning and spent most the day in the biggest city in northern Haiti, Cap Haitian. We went shopping, waited for cargo at the airport, bought frozen chicken, and went out to eat. We went to a place called "Gwo bebe" meaning "big baby" but for some reason the sign had the picture of an older woman who looked very motherly. I had goat with lots of bones in it, plantain, spicy sauce, bean sauce, beans and rice, and a sprite for 200 gds. (about 5 dollars). It was awesome! Kath went with the chicken. I have been craving haitian food since we left. Kathleen and I were tired enough from our travels that we actually fell asleep in the car, something neither of us ever thought possible because of the road conditions. For dinner we had beans and rice with chicken and sauce....again amazing. Okay enough about food...
It is hard to sum up what is different between the states and Haiti unless you have been here. I kinda feel like I am just stepping into a different world. It is not a bad world by any means but very different. For example, I don't know too many kids in the states who would wait most the day at someones house for a person to arrive. When Kathleen and I got to the compound there were around thirty kids waiting to greet us (some we didn't know). It is nice to feel loved. Another difference is the length of the days. Because we stay in one spot and don't hop in the car two or three times a day the days seem longer... even though we go to bed at nine! This presents awesome opportunities to spend time reading, talking with people, playing games, and spending more time with God. Kath and I both are looking forward to this month for the blessing we have to reflect and to reconnect with each other, the Thedes, and our Haitian friends.
This weekend we had a tea party with Anna, helped transport 150 banana plants to Port Margot, went to church, went to the kids club, and played Settlers of Catan. All a good time. This morning I was able to go with Dr. Kris to the clinic for the first time. We saw seven patients with a variety of ailments including stomach pain, fever, and headaches. Maybe some malaria. We will find out when we get the lab results this afternoon. Well that's most of the report. Have a wonderful day. (Pictures to come, they wouldn't upload today....)

Here We Go

Kath and I are feeling a lot of different things about this trip. Right now we are in the midst of traveling. Last night we spent the night at the Patton's home in Nashville and last night we stopped over in Atlanta to see our family (Kath's sister). It has been a great way to break up the trip. Today we will be driving the remaining ten hours to Ft. Pierce, FL and we are to be at the airport at 6 am tomorrow.
Are we ready? I think so. We are getting more and more excited as the time grows closer. It is a totally different perspective going for one month rather than eight. All the relationships that we built over the eight months were important to us, and we are praying that we would be able to remember names, faces, and creole.
The medical clinic seems a little daunting right now. I am a quarter M.D. I know, but that has just shown me how much I don't know! I will be spending a lot of time in the clinic with Dr. Kris and the haitian doctors trying to learn and get some hands on experience. I don't know what I will encounter and how much I will actually be able to help, but I pray that somehow my presence in the clinic would be a blessing to someone. Kathleen and I feel that way about the whole trip. We just want to be used by God however that may look. I know this is short but we are getting ready to go. Thanks for reading.

Lord, keep me safe?

I've admitted to Chris a couple of times that I would much more eager to visit Haiti this summer if we didn't have to fly on an airplane to get there. (I don't like flying much at all) This has sparked conversations between us about fear, trust, being held back, and how different the two of us are. Chris fears very little and isn't held back by much (which explains why he loved skydiving) I however am cautious. I like to know what is coming. I've heard many times that statistics say driving a car is much more risky than flying, but it doesn't help my apprehension much. Flying requires trust in a lot that's out of my grasp-the pilot's ability, the maintenance people, the actual plane's structure/functioning, the gas tank that I didn't personally fill, the weather. Logically, it doesn't make much sense to be afraid of flying, but I still don't look forward to getting on that plane June 2 and looking down to see only the blue ocean for a few hours!!
So, do we pray that God will keep us safe? Hmmm. I have prayed that He will. I have also prayed that He will make my desire to obey Him and for eternity with Him greater than anything in this world! Today in church we sang "How great is our God", and there's a line that goes "Time is in your hands, the beginning and the end." I've always taken this to mean the beginning of time and the end of time, but today I think the Lord let me hear it as the beginning of my life and the end of my life- in His hands. Psalm 139 immediately came to mind, "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." And then the entire chapter talks about how personally God knows us and the events of our lives. And I felt a surge of trust! Thank you Lord! He is helping me to give this over to Him, one plane ride I have to face at a time! Trusting Him is so hard sometimes, but it's so freeing-almost too good to be true. Thank you Lord that you care enough to put us in situations that we HAVE to lean on you. Help us to do this every day even when we might THINK we are the ones in control!

Going Back!

Yes, it's true! We have been praying this year about taking a trip back to Fauche this summer, since it is Chris's last official summer break and my job ends in May. When we left Haiti, we definitely had a desire to come back and visit, and God has made a way for us to go. We're so thankful that Chris's school (IU-Terre Haute) will be funding his entire trip, since he will be working in the clinic and getting medical experience. So we aren't going to need to raise support or delay. Thanks Lord. So we will be going June 2-June 30th, and flying on MFI. (another praise, that we were able to get seats on this missionary airline)
Going back is so different than going to Haiti for the first time. We know so much more of what to expect and can actually visualize what everything looks like. We also aren't going as strangers, which is comforting and exciting since we will get to spend time with the Thede's and visit with Haitian friends. Chris will shadow doctors in the clinic and participate with much more knowledge, which will be neat. Also, there is a team coming from the States during the second two weeks which I (Kath) will get to help out with. Those are the two main things we have planned about our trip.
Wow, going for one month versus going for eight months seems completely different! Suddenly a month seems very short, while before it would have seemed like a very long missions trip. It is also different- in a cool way- going to a place that we have been before. All school year we've been talking here and there about the possibility of going, and what we could do there, but also what we could do instead. Honestly it's been hard not to choose to do our own thing in June. We love Haiti, there are so many aspects to draw us there, but it's also not a vacation spot. We prayed that God would make it happen or keep us here- so we are going with gratitude, God has definitely provided!
It has been interesting talking with friends, family, and co-workers about Haiti this year. We are still unsure about how to talk about it! We don't want to romanticize it, don't want to make it sound worse than it was, want to be honest but not too negative or go too deep when someone is just asking to be polite (haha) and don't know how to explain things or what we've learned very well! I'm sure this is a completely common experience for people who go overseas. Or even for people who go away to college or go through any time in life away from the "norm." I have found myself trying to explain not giving to everyone who asks to co-workers who simply could not understand and felt like I needed to defend myself and people they don't even know, we have found ourselves telling stories about Haiti and then later wondering if people are sick of hearing about it!, and many other scenarios. I wish I had the perfect response to everyone, and a way to tell about God's faithfulness, but it can't be summed up very easily! We feel protective of Haiti and the Thede's and their ministry and what we learned through being their "kids" for a few months. But it is just impossible to share it all! Which has been a challenge! But it's also been fun to talk about and discover what we learned, how we changed.
Well, all this to say that we are really anticipating our trip and whatever God has in store. Thank you Lord that we are able to go back. Thank you Thede's for taking us back, and thank you cockroaches and spiders for kindly evacuating our house before we return. Please pray for us as we prepare to go!
(picture of Chris doing a sweet volleyball pose at Sloan family Easter)