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Sunday, Feb. 28

Just got back from 4 days out in the countryside working at a clinic there. Ti Gwav (Pitit Goave) is 26 miles outside of PAP, and took us 3 hours to get there in the back of our beloved "cattle truck". We passed through Leogone, which was apparently the epicenter of the quake. The same as PAP, so many structures down, but since it's not so dense, not as severe looking. We did pass over cracks in the paved roadway that could have measured a foot wide, which was pretty impressive.

We finally returned to our home at Quisqueya last night, all very ready to come home. I'm just feeling down today, but not sure why. Perhaps the culmination of being here for three weeks is coming together, or just seeing plainly the hearts of some of the "blans" coming to work that just aren't so beautiful, experiencing some who have the humility of a fruitfly or think they know Haiti after a week of being here, or working with health care workers that just make me question what kind of care is being given to Haitians, or just the fact that it poured buckets last night here in PAP, and the majority of the city is sleeping outside (that alone is just difficult to think about). Stuggling with irritation at times, which indicates we should probably take a day off. We are doing that today.

The clinic at Ti Gwav is a mission clinic that started post earthquake to fill the gap of the local hospital, which just infrastructure- and staff-wise was damaged in the earthquake. Hopefully this clinic will phase out as the local hospital gets back on their feet. Good in theory, but working there was hard as they have somehow become the OB capital of the world, I mean Ti Gwav. But what happens when you open up a free clinic where all normal deliveries are welcome 24 hours a day in Haiti? Um, no sleep for anyone and 14 deliveries in 4 days, thank you very much. It's a good idea, and good care, but not sustainable with volunteers coming in and out every week. You burn out in about 2 days and just start to get irritated with everything. But for us, most were good deliveries. Really, my guess is we probably had 14 deliveries in the 4 days we were there, also while running a day clinic and taking any urgent care cases around the clock (all working with another team already there mind you). Sara, now deemed the offical OB nurse, was awesome and got some crazy good experience. We only had one stillbirth and one five month miscarriage but the rest were wet, screaming babies ready to take on this world. The best was when Lisa and Sara finally delivered (by themselves) the lady who had been in labor for the three days we had been there, or maybe the one who went "a marche"ing after her check, and went ten steps and squatted and delivered outside.

By any means, we are all glad to be back "home" in Port-au-Prince, surprisingly enough... at least to our oasis at Quisqueya. Our little team of three is so golden; just to process all of this, to support each other, and to laugh a lot. I thank God for them. And am also just praying he gives us the strength, compassion, and patience to go on. And hope I can just simply put my head down, do the work given to me, and somehow bring honor to him. Because in all reality, all this is just fluff or an annoying screech in his ear if it is not making us more like him....


Lisa and Sara, post delivery