Friday Sept. 12, 2008

I think I'm beginning to get a picture of what the hurricane did to these parts. Its hard to tell when I'm stuck in this little bubble of Passe Catabois and all I hear is what I get through email, and what Rob and Anne Marie hear from others. I was surprised to hear that Haiti made some headlines back at home and after so many emails, I'm beginning to think this is all bigger than I thought. It's about time Haiti got some media coverage and the attention of people in the States, I must say.

This week Rob took the girl who had died home via his 4 wheeler and was gone the whole day looking at the surrounding areas and the destruction. He seemed to be pretty shaken up by what he saw and all the houses that had fallen. He brought back a lot of pictures and there also seemed to be quite a few straw houses that were being propped up by large stick. I hate to think what a little more rain or wind will do. I wish I could explore a little and see what has happened with my own eyes, but here in PC I stay.

The response to Ike though, has been out of this world. I was overwelmed last night with the emails and hearing how people back home want to help. Rob wants to start a housing program with the money that was donated to them. And we have word that more money is coming! woah.

Also yesterday was quite the day. There is a lady in the states who used to be a missionary here in Haiti who couldn't wait to help the people here. After a lot of phone calls and pulling of I don't know how many strings, we got a delivery yesterday via a big group of donkeys: food for the people here and supplies for the clinic! Somehow, this lady got everything from Port au Prince to Passe Catabois in only a few days. Bags and bags of rice, beans, cornmeal, oil and so many IV bottles. The people who brought everything in the saddlebags of the donkeys rode for 8 hours to deliver everything. It was amazing. But then came the hard part...distribution. It started ok, Guerlande ran around to get people she really thought needed it, but then it turned ugly real fast. Herds of people came and it turned into almost a mob at a few moments. Distributing is ugly because there is never enough for everyone to have, and people turn ugly too: pushing, lying that they hadn't gotten any yet, and so on. But it's survival and everyone is hungry. Anyway, people got food and we just have to pray in landed in the right hands!!

Also yesterday I spent the day tube feeding a 7 year old girl, Lovenie, because she came to us with severe malnutrition. She had been admitted earlier this year and had gone home healthy! Yesterday, her feed, hands, and face are already swollen and she would not eat or drink anything. I carried her from the hospital to the clinic in the morning and somehow really felt joy in what I was doing. I'm no good with the babies, but the older kids, oh... She must have been feeling better last evening, because she said in her tiny voice that she would eat today if we only took out the tube!

Other than that I'm preparing for another change (it seems to come every month). Three of my friends are coming this Sunday; and Dustin and Annelies are scheduled to come back on Wednesday. I have a burning urge to clean everything before they come, but we still don't have water. uggg. maybe tomorrow, but we keep hearing that everyday. So I guess I will have to say goodbye to my single life here that I've grown to like (besides Ysemael of course). No more hanging all my underwear in the kitchen to dry anymore I guess (don't tell Dustin).