Fevers, Maggots, Fevers

We have seen around 20 extra kids per day in clinic this week with fevers. These kids are not patients that we would usually see. Our rule is that we see general medical need patients on Monday. Every other day is a designated day for blood pressure, prenatal care, etc. The 2 exceptions to our rule are blood and fevers. And this week has been fevers, fevers, fevers. Those fevers range from 99 to, the winner thus far, 105! Rainy season has started so we are seeing more malaria and cholera. And season changes are hard on people, even in the States. But it is insane. At this rate, we should be a clinic that does nothing but treat people with fevers. And if we did that, we would have more than enough to do. So tomorrow, usually a catch-up day, I will be heading into clinic to check on our feverish kids.

On another note, last Friday I was in a midwife class. Now don't laugh- for those of you who know me know that OB-GYN is NOT my love. I was there with a woman who has been visiting and doing classes with the midwives as well as running prenatal clinics. We were in the feeding center here, and there was a knock on the door. I step out and see a Mama with a little girl with a giant, swollen ear and fever. Kelly (nurse, Avett-loving friend from Georgia) and I take them into the clinic. Her ear is so swollen that I know there is no way to get an otoscope in. So we proceed to wipe some of the pus out. At one point, Kelly stops and looks to see a maggot the end of her Q-tip! As a medical professional, you know not to just freak out in front of your patients. But it was really hard! We continued to get as much of the good stuff out as possible, start her on meds for the ear infection, and tell her to come back to clinic. Monday when she came in, I took the otoscope to check on the ear and there were little heads of maggots sticking out of a open wound in her ear...MOVING! When I think about that, it still makes me feel sick and have goose bumps. Total, we have taken 11 maggots out of this little girl's ear. And while in this picture they are small, they have been progressively increasing in size. We are hoping to get her into Port Au Prince to have someone surgically make sure they are all gone.

Hello, first maggot.

We smile because we are terrified.

On another note, my puppy dog now weighs 22.6 lbs! And continues to bring me and the girls in my house a lot of laughs and joy. Plus the kiddos in Jubilee are fascinated by him. When we took him into Port Au Prince to get a few more vaccination, he got to go swimming in the ocean with Ben & Djeff.

Singing in the car with Ben

Avett comes to Gonaives!

Sometimes we make our own fun. Create our own entertainment. So when we learned that the Avett Brothers had a Live, Volume 3 DVD, we knew that Scott & Seth Avett needed to make an appearance. I was introduced to Avett in college by Isaac and have loved them ever since. They have lyrics that are so true and so full of meaning that it's like listening to poetry. They have music that can make you want to dance, cry, laugh, and sing until your lose your voice. So a few us of took a night and experienced an Avett show on the roof, under the stars. I love live music. I miss good, live music. But we find alternatives here. And maybe one day Seth & Scott will really come to Gonaives and sing for us- on the roof, under the stars. Anybody want to call in a favor?

"When nothing is owed or deserved or expected

And your life doesn't change by the man that's elected

If you're loved by someone, you're never rejected

Decide what to be and go be it"

-Head full of doubt/Road full of promise

"We came for salvation

We came for family

We came for all that's good that's how we'll walk away

We came to break the bad

We came to cheer the sad

We came to leave behind the world a better place"

-Salvation Song

"Just do your best

It's the only to keep that last bit of sanity

Maybe I don't have to be good but I can try to be

At least a little better than I've been so far"

-When I Drink

One Week

How precious is the mercy of God

The children of men take refuge under the shadow of thy wings

They are filled with the bouteousness of thy house,

and thou givest them to drink of the torrent of thy delights.

For with thee is the fountain of life,

and in thy light we see life.

Cinco de Mayo

Cooking, cooking, cooking

Slumber party with Mama Martha

"I did not ask for success; I asked for wonder. And You gave it to me." 

-Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel

Second round of shots in Port Au Prince

Slumber party with Judith... who even cooked for us!

This week has given me quite a few beautiful pictures. Of sleeping out in Jubilee, sitting under the stars with friends, and having my little dog have his first night in the sandbag house. Of cooking for an unknown amount of people to celebrate a silly holiday like Cinco de Mayo. But stepping back and watching how fun life and community can be. Of sitting in a room full of people, where the only goal is to chat with God. Of waking up early to hear that little Daniel had died and going to cry together with a friend. Re-opening the book to write and remember him. Shiny moons and clouds. Celebrating a friend going- not leaving- but going back to the States for the summer. And to listen and hear how much of himself that he's leaving here. Being given a few hours alone to read and listen to podcasts. To hear a Mom talk about how she heard her 5 yr. old son say "Mama" for the first time after we started him on seizure medicines. Having a Haitian friend buy food to come cook for us & then spend the night. Weeks like this remind me of how good things can be- and are. They remind me to dream and ask because I serve a God who is BIG. The kind of big that crosses mountain ranges, oceans, and salt flats. That covers, seeps in, and permeates. That has this whole mercy and grace combination figured out. So I'm asking for that to be here and I'm seeing how it already is. Thy Kingdom Come.

"He who says he has done enough has already perished."- St. Augustine

Break

"One must do things sometimes to make life more bearable." -St Teresa of Avila

Catholic Church

The Citadelle- a staircase that led... nowhere.

This past week I had the privilege of observing Nurse Spring Break. I have not had more than a weekend off since I've been here, so Keziah and I decided to take some rest time. Last Saturday, we boarded a taptap and headed to Cap Haitien. Pre-revolution, Cap Haitien was the capitol of Saint-Domingue. So it's a place in Haiti that is full of history- surrounding King Christophe, the French, the revolution and the Citadelle. Our first day was spent walking through a city that looked so different than any I'd seen in Haiti. Old buildings, a spectacular Catholic Church, quiet streets, beach fronts that did not have copious amounts of trash, and U.N. staff in street clothes walking around the city. So odd it was a little eerie. We stayed at a hotel with air conditioning, hot-ish showers, and a pool! I have been battling Haitian Happiness (AKA stomach sickness) for a week, and, the first night, Keziah joined the club. So one full day we watched movies in the AC, swam at the pool, and read.

Our only other full day we determined was to be devoted to getting to the Citadelle. So we got up, ate breakfast, and taptaped out to Milot. Now, getting up to the Citadelle is climbing a mountain. So, in our wisdom, we decided to hike up the mountain (instead of taking a moto, donkey, horse, or 4-wheeler). After being sick. We get about an hour in and realize this was foolishness. So we hop on a moto, that promptly breaks. So we hike on. And on. Once we hit the actual trail, we are now hiking inside a cloud. I turn to Keziah and we have a conversation about how this is the part in the horror movie where you are yelling at the actors to turn around, idiots. And yet they keep walking. So on we walk. The rest of the story involves getting to the Citadelle, walking through it with no visibility (we are inside a stinkin' cloud, and then it starts to rain. So we walk down the mountain getting poured on, trying not to slip down the rocky road. And on the way back to the hotel, we stop and pick up some Cipro- because now it's just time for drugs to stop the stomach madness. It rains the rest of the night and we have a hot shower and drink hot chocolate. It is the first time I've been really cold since being in Haiti. 

While all of this sounds miserable, it was so nice to have a break. To step away and breathe deeply. To travel to a place that is lush and green. To eat good food (despite my stomach being angry). To stay in bed for half a day and not sweat. To swim in water that does not have trash. To travel and see a whole new part of this country we live in. A part of Haiti that is so very different than Gonaives. So different from Jubilee. 

Oh yeah- we did manage to have some fun!

Kingdom

Kingdom come. It's a phrase that is heard in churches everywhere, locker rooms before games, and on a regular basis here in our community. We are asked in Scripture to pray for it. We believe it is possible. But how does it come about? I find myself frequently hitting a place of not knowing what to pray for. So I revert back to asking for His Kingdom to come here. In everyday things. We pray for The Kingdom to come in Jubilee. In Gonaives. Inside of my head & heart. But how? Where? When?

"All the way to heaven is Heaven, because He said I am the Way."

-St. Catherine of Siena

So we're on the road to Kingdom come. And I ask for it when passing little Daniel, a severely malnourished kiddo we took to Port Au Prince, around the car because he's so bony it's hard to keep him comfortable. I ask for The Kingdom to come in hoping for a visa to the States for a friend. In dealing with community in the hard things. In hearing a friend ask me for food for her & her family. That somehow He would take this messy world we live in and turn it into His Kingdom.

And I occasionally catch a glimpse. In rest. In medical supplies brought in- without request- from friends. In laughter. In english classes. In visitors. In growth. In jewelry making. In justice. In forgiveness. In friendship. In gardens. In kids at school. He's bringing The Kingdom- sometimes I just forget to watch for it.

"Take your face out of your hands

And clear your eyes

You have a right to your dreams

And don't be denied

I believe in a better way."

-Ben Harper

Daniel

Best friends

The Celebration

Last year, I was introduced to a new (for me) way of celebrating Easter. So we decided to do things similarly in Gonaives. It is good to remember the death and resurrection of Jesus. 

Good Friday turned into Good Saturday here. But everyone was on the roof. It's an amazing thing to watch the moon rise while listening to a friend preach/talk. To take communion in community. To pray and reflect back to God.

Easter was celebrating. We all got to bring a friend to come share in a feast. We sat in the yard on beautiful mats, ate delicious food, and then contra danced. Sharing things with people can be hard here. But sharing with friends is so very good. 

Setting up for Easter

My guest & friend who joined us.

Good food, great friends.

"Keep the joy of loving God in your heart and share this joy with all you meet."

-Mother Teresa

RAIN

Last night, I was getting ready to go to bed when I heard a noise. It took me a ridiculously long time to recognize the noise- RAIN! It's been more than 2 months since we've had any. I yelled for Julie (the only other person in the house) and we ran outside to enjoy it. It cooled the air and calmed the dust that seems to be unending. It makes the plants here look vibrant and intensely green. It created mud to drive in when Rusty & I took a moto into Jubilee to grab some medicines this morning. It makes me pray that it would not increase cholera here. But for today, I am thankful for the rain.

He always looks so sad after a bath.

Beautiful baby who lost her Mom.

He's learning to be a terrifying guard dog.

Thursday nights we have Tribal Council. Now, before you go all Survivor on me, no one gets voted off the island or tribe. It's just a time for our community here to get together. Every week it looks different. This week, Isaac & I were in charge. And we wanted to contra dance! Last minute, Isaac was sick, so I got to call and teach our "tribe" here how to contra dance. It's almost a full moon and dancing on the roof is just fun. As St. Teresa of Avila once said, "One must do things sometimes to make life more bearable." So last night we danced.

Tug wakes up with ENERGY in the mornings.

This is Keziah's way of working it out.

"If we see that care for persons in need is a response of love to Jesus (Matthew 25:31-46), a chance to walk on holy ground, then our entire understanding of mission and ministry shifts. It is not what "we" can do for "them," but an opportunity for all of us to be enveloped in God's grace and mercy. In God's economy, it's less clear who is the donor and who is the recipient because all are blessed when needs are met and when individuals receive care.

-Friendship at the Margins, Christopher L. Heuertz & Christine D. Pohl