Haiti...We are BACK!

I am so glad to be back at the "house" with you!

Haiti was amazing.....that may sound odd but it really was! God held us in His hands thru-out this trip and may you get touched by a photograph, a word, a thought.....

Can you help every person?

NO....

Can you change a life?

YES....even your own!

How do you feel?

Grateful, overwhelmed, in awe

Just to keep this short, some of you know I have been before and I can truly say that these people are healthier than in years past. That YOU can make a difference. We didn't see as many infections, we didn't see as much typhod fever or malaria that we had in the past. We saw ALOT of allergies (humm sound familiar) We didn't see the malnutrition or as much scabies........things CAN get better....it's just going to take a lot of time,money,education and servants.

We saw over 2100 patients in 4 1/2 days of clinic. Everyone got things we take for granted here i.e tylenol, tums. Everyone got de-wormed, everyone got a loving hand and simply an ear to listen to them and for them to know "WE SEE YOU"! The medical mission trip saw it's UPS and DOWNS...and sometimes REALLY REALLY HIGH and then at times REALLY REALLY LOW. We had a mom from Port Au Prince who lost her twins at 21 weeks, God put Lori on our team who has been an OB nurse for 25 years that could ease her pain and hold her hand. We helped with burial, dressed her wounds, gave her a loving hand and fed her. Then we were able to send 12 people to a hospital about 2 hours away, where earlier in the week we met a team of SURGEONS that just happened to be there that week. They were able to do 10 of these surgeries (and only cost $600!) We gave away hundreds of jars of peanut butter to feed their family and can't tell you how many toys we gave away (I have a great video of that but have no idea how to post)We put several on high blood pressure meds and have a nurse and clinic in the village for their follow up. Dr Joe took off skin tags and removed extra digits. We rubbed countless babies down for scabies and tons of other things!

Could have we done more....I don't know? We saw as many as we could AND then some.

Are their lives changed? Today anyway.

We have a long way to go! Be grateful for what you have, but on that same note, don't feel sorry for these people..... meaning it's the "Haitian way" that is how one of our interpreters put it. When we were devastated for the young mom who lost her twins, he try to ease our sadness by telling us God takes care of them, and it all happens exactly how it is suppose to. We can't let OUR way of life be THEIR way of life, it's not. They are so proud, they are so grateful, they are some of the kindest people you will ever find.

I have posted a "slideshow" on the blog. I will have more pictures later, these were just the ones on my phone.

Thank you so much for your prayers and patience while I was away, I couldn't have served the village of Petit Bourge without a "family" like you! I am truly blessed and grateful for each of you!

Haiti Donation Classes THIS WEEKEND

Our church goes to Haiti every year on a few mission trips. ONE is a medical mission trip, one is a Dental mission trip and another for a school mission trip. Our church is very involved with the people of Haiti! I went a few years ago and it changed my life, while we were there we treated over 600 people in 6 short days and saw more life than I could ever put into words.

Ironically our medical mission trip was already planning to go to Haiti NEXT week and is still planning on making this trip. The team needs prayers....it's already very difficult to get the medication in for the people of Haiti and now with everything happening our team will have even a more difficult time.

I am unable to go this year but feel strongly the desire to help this team in some way! SO one thing I'd like to do is give....so I am making ALL CLASSES THIS WEEKEND DONATION BASED CLASSES!!

All weekend we will be taking donations AND I will be giving this DIRECTLY to the doctors and nurses going on the Our Lady of the Lake medical mission trip. I can promise you that your donations will go directly to those in need NO middle man. Many of the people that create this team are people who live in these villages... from interpretors to the drivers to the cooks and ALL have been touched SO our team will be able to personally take our donations and see first hand what it can do.

So please keep that in mind this weekend.....and again God is still wooing me, I'm not quite sure SO if I take off and am gone next week you know where I might be...after all I kept that nursing license for something!