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June 04 Accidents Last night there was a pretty big accident at 6:00. Multiple victims, we ended up setting up our 'workspace' at a hospital (picture a 2 room building with beds) across the street. It was totally how I pictured nursing in Haiti, no supplies, no oxygen, no suction, no intubation/surgical trays. Cutting off and through fingers and bones with a pair of suture scissors. Yeah really exciting, sad, dirty, emotional. So needless to say after about 3-4 hours, we had done all we could do and left. God had blessed us with a 2nd doctor who arrived yesterday afternoon so we had some extra hands which was awsome! June 01 Update on WoodlawnI have had the opportunity to connect with 2 nurses from Sick Kids and McMaster hospital burn units. Both nurses have provided a wealth of knowledge, expertise and guidance for me. Although Woodlawn has not healed and I am beginning to doubt that she will heal, her arm is getting better each week. About once a month she has a bad fall which sets us back a bit. But one day she came into the clinic and was sleeping. I almost changed and cleaned her wounds without her waking up. This is a good sign because she is tolerating the procedures better. She used to scream for the whole time I was doing her dressings. With the help of the nurses from home, we have been able to really simplify the dressings so that when I do leave, the nurses here in Haiti should be able to carry through with her treatments. Pray for Woodlawn. I have gotten to know her family quite well. Her dad left last year to go and find work in the DR. This is quite common here in Haiti. But they have not heard from him since he left. Pray that God will lead him back to the family. They live with 7 other family members in a small hut. I know life is a struggle for Woodlin (Wood's mom) as it is for all Haitians. But having a young child with such needs as an extra burden for the family. Pray that they will continue coming to our clinic for help and that they won't seak out a witch doctor. Trip to the citadelYesterday, we had an opportunity to see an old fort here in Haiti. Julie, Dorthy and John, and I along with my friend Wadner took the trip. We had a great day up in the clouds. Please take a look at the pictures. Of course pictures never can take the place of seeing it first hand but it was really neat. We hired a tour guide and got a grand tour. A Sad StoryThanks for Praying... Just a little note to help guide you with prayers... Today a six month old baby boy came to the clinic. He was lethargic but alert (if you can be both at once) he had been vomitting since Sunday. He was a chuby, healthy looking baby boy. Unfortunately after being in our care for 2 1/2 hours and after an hour of CPR, he died. His parents aren't Christians and this little boy was the only child they were able to have. He was a gift they said. Pray for this family. Death is frequent in Haiti and 50% of children don't see their 5th birthday, Death in children is common and expected. But it has rocked this family! For 2 hours after their sons death, the mother wailed! I have been shaken, obviously we tried everything we could to save this young life. The suffering here in Haiti is so great that sometimes it is a relief when you know that people have gone to live with our saviour in a perfect place. Today, God has taken this little life home. There will be no suffering for him, he will be able to run, play, sing and love life. But for those of us left behind, we question - what could have been done differently, what will we (as a nurse and a doctor do differently) if there is a next time, why would God take away such a precious gift of life? This has totally rocked me emotionally. As a nurse death is something we deal with. But I fell in love with this little guy as soon as I laid eyes on him. Surprise, surprise. Yeah so please keep these things in your mind as you pray. Thanks so much for joining me in prayer! Love Amy Little GirlWell today we were on a tap-tap (Haitian truck that acts as a taxi for like 15-20 people at a time). A little girl got on. I guess she was about 7 or 8 years old. She hoped right on said HELLO to all of the people in the back of the truck. Looked at the 2 blancs (whites, Julie and I) and sat down. I was a little worried about this girl getting off the tap-tap at the right spot and that someone would be there to meet her. Five minutes down the road we heard a strong voice say 'Merci Cheaufour' she jumped off the tap-tap and went on her way. I sat there and watched her. Would I let my 7 year old travel alone on the crazy streets of Haiti? No for sure not. I don't think I'd let my kid out of my sight! But this is just one example of survival here in Haiti. As soon as kids are able to do things independently, they are sent on errands and jobs. This was a happy little girl with a sparkle in her eye. When you remember, please pray for the kids of Haiti who have loads of responsibility on their little shoulders. March 02 Camping trip at the beach!So on Friday afternoon after work was finished for the weekend, a group of 10 missionaries and 5 children headed out for a mild adventure. None of us knew exactly where we were going but we were headed to a small beach to camp for the night. After driving for an hour and taking a small taxi boat we arrived at our destination. It was the perfect spot. God knew exactly what we desired but as well as what we needed. We arrived on a beach with plenty of beautiful sand, a few picnic tables and a little grill oh and a very small hut to change in! You couldn't ask for much more in Haiti. It was a bit nippy on Friday afternoon but the kids didn't hesitate jumping into the waves, as well as some adults. We cooked hot dogs, marshmellows and popcorn (who knew you could find marshmellows in Haiti - thanks to people who send care packages, we had marshmellows). It was a wonderful night. We sang songs, played some games, star gazed and did a lot of talking. I felt completely relaxed. It is amazing how we can see the big and little dippers just like the people can at home. This made me feel so connected to home! We laid our sheets down on the ground and headed to bed. It was a cold night! Four of us slept in a row and we battled for the sheets. Next time we'll know to bring more clothes and blankets. We had an early start to our morning. The brave kids and adults were in the water before 6. We sat down to eat our breakfast... popcorn, chocolate, cookies and oranges! to popcorn is made from corn, the cookies had oatmeal in them, chocolate has milk and oranges are fruit so I think we hit all our food groups. We spent the morning in the water swimming and splashing around. It was a great day had by all. I can now say I have camped under the stars at the beach! Take a look at the pictures. We know we will have to do this again! February 05 Medical ChallengesSo each week it seems as though I have a new challenge on my hands. Which is very good. Last week when I got back in Haiti I started caring for Fritznel who is a 13 (we think) year old boy who has had a lot of rouble breathing. His lungs are full of gross, smelly, stickey, thick fluid. Gavin was able to put in a chest tube - Praise God and it was draining well. However the chest tube site (the site where the chest tube goes into the skin) was very infected - not a good thing! Over the past week, there has been no more signs of infection, the drainage at the site and in the tube is minimal and now draining clearish fluids. Praise God. So therefore,we know our treatmen and his healing process is now going in the right direction.
Before leaving Haiti in Jan, our X-Ray machine was broken, we brought back the part with us and hope to get the machine up in running in the next few days. It'll be exciting to see the new x-ray of Fritznel's lung.
Yesterday I ws brough in to consult a 2 year old little darling girl. Her house had been burnt down Jan. 2 2007. Yes, over a year ago. 3 times a week she had been going to a hospital in town to get her dressings changed. When I took off her dressing yesterday, there was really no dressing. Her arm looks absolutely horrible. Her fingers have fallen off and her skin is so tight that it will be permently in a flexed position. There are open wounds on her arm which should have healed by now. Each time I have to remove the dressings and re-due them (3 times a week) will cause extreem pain. Please pray for this little girl. Each time she sees me she will scream. Pray for healing wisdom and patience as I treat her each week. December 31 Another First Chocolate Trees!How fitting that I am eating chocolate as I write this Blog... For those of you who know how much of a chocolate fanatic I am will know how excited I was with my discovery yesterday! So obviously I'm not the shapest pencil in the box but small things really can make me excited! So here is my story...
A couple of the missionaries were taking a bit of a trip to church yesterday. It was a 50minute drive (it hasn't rained in a couple days so the road are fairly descent) and then a 50 min hike up and down a mountain and through streams. Just beautiful. Mom and dad this is where I will take you to church when you come. The church service was 3 hours long because they were celebrating the new year. On our way up one of the missionaries pointed out a chocolate tree!!! Did you know chocolate grows on trees. I didn't. Very exciting discovery. So as we came down the mountain, we stoped at a couple huts and the people showed us the process of how you turn a chocolat nut into a chocolate log! (you can just use your imagination to know what a chocolate log looks like) . I bought a chocolate ball. It is very bitter chcolate probably like baking chocolate. But I turned mine into hot chocolate with lots of milk and sugar. After not having a cup of hot chocolate for over 2 months - it tasted pretty good! It is just amazing what you can find in Haiti.
Tonight we are having a chinease new years celebration! And I have lost my voice so the house has been pretty quiet!!! December 28 Haitian FuneralsOur housekeeper's daughter has been very sick (palliative) since I arrived in Haiti. She was diagnosed with Leukemia. At the end of Feb she would have turned 8. From the first time I met little Erchniche (?sp) I knew she wouldn't have long to live. Well that first visit was almost 2 months ago. Last night at 6pm she left her earthly body to be with her Saviour, our Lord in heaven. We thank God that her 7 years were filled with love and laughter. What a privilage it was to be able to meet her before she went to her eternal home.
Today was the funeral. Before we left I was warned that I should expect some things that may be a little upsetting. At Haitian funerals, people wail. Yes wail. This sound was the most horrible sound of the day. We are taught to be quiet and withhold our feelings, the Haitians let their greif out! It did not seem like a celebration at all! However, her coffin was green. I thought this was so fitting because of the new life that she would be entering into - in the kingdom of heaven. Not sure if this was supposed to be symbolic but I took it as that.
So needless to say, it was another first for me today. I think this year will be full of firsts and this is just one to add to the list! December 26 Boxing Day...Well, I was told by my cousin Jeff that I needed to add to my blog. That people didn't have a good idea of what is happening on the 'Island' so I am going to try my best to keep you updated on everyday life here in Haiti! I will recap Christmas and then try to keep you updated throughout the next 10 months of this incredible journey that God has sent me on.
So Christmas Day...
Well lets back up one day...
So Christmas Eve Day...
We were invited to help two of our missionaries with a mission. The mission: To feed and give gifts out to 300 children. Yep that is a lot of mouths to feed! Just imagine how much rice, beans, chicken and pop we went through. The kids got a very full plate of food and most of them ate every single morsal off their plates. For those who didn't, they were taking their food home to feed their whole families. It was just an incredible feeling to be involved in this venture. I knew every child that got fed was being blessed in a very special way. One of our seminary staff (Haitian) did a devotional for the children and they acted out the Christmas story. Our yard guy was Joseph and did an amazing job. I didn't know he had a sense of humor and it just rang out! While the kids were opening presents I got one of the best Christmas presents. My family phoned. They were having a hudge get together and I got to talk to every single person who was at my parents house!!! This was so special. I didn't feel so far away! I think this day will go down as one of my biggest highlights this year!
So Back to Christmas Day...
My family has a tradition and I think I'm the only one who inforces it. But I was not going to let it slide this year! Usually we all sleep together out in the living room and we wake up in the middle of the night to open stockings then we all go back to bed until a reasonable hour in the morning. So since I couldn't be there to sleep with Emily and Mark, I set my alarm clock for 4am. I phoned my family and woke them all up. I don't think they were too upset because they miss me!
I live with one other women in a house and we invited another single missionary to stay over. So in the morning, Kate, my roomate, made a lovely breakfast for us and we opened the presents that people had sent to us - including our stockings!
About 10 missionaries got together and made a wonderful lunch. We had Pork and turkey (meat without bones) that flew in from the states. We had veggies, bread, potatoes, and cheesecake and Christmas baking. It was wonderful.
At about 4, all the missionaries headed up to an open area on the compound. We played soccer for about 2 hours! It was really neat. While my family was playing hockey on the pond, we were playing soccer! Then on Christmas Evening we met and had finger foods - we ate a lot on Christmas day.
Even though I missed my famil - A LOT, this was a great way to spend the holiday! It had been my prayer that I wouldn't just skip Christmas - because that is what I wanted to do but that God would really reveal himself to me in a special way. Well if we ask God for something He goes way above and beyond and that is exactly what He did.
How do the Haitians Celebrate...
They are very simple in their celebrations. Dinner usually consists of rice and beans and is no different on Christmas. Most Hatians don't have lights or trees. We don't have 'Christmas' trees in Haiti. And most don't have power so the lights wouldn't turn on. However, we got invited to many church celebrations and Chrsitmas concerts. We all took the day off but most Haitians work all day in their house doing their normal daily chores.
Boxing Day...
Well while you may be out hitting the stores finding sales, I went back to work. Boxing day is not a Haitian holiday and there aren't too many shops to try to find sales at! I'm happy to say that I am not missing shopping at all but will probably get my fill in Jan when I go to the states for Cross Training!
New Years Day is the biggest holiday for the Haitians so I will write next week and let you know how that goes! November 14 God is GoodThere have been some really neat things that just show how God cares for us...
1. I had sent a box down to Haiti in May with all my hygiene products - shampoo, conditioner, razors etc. When I got here, all the shampoo, conditioner, soap, and razor handle had been removed. I had brought one small bottle of each of these products in my suitcase, I thought I would have to use these sparingly until I went to the US in January. A couple people knew that I was missing things because they had noticed my box was opened and not full. When I got home from Roque on Sunday night, there was a bottle of Shampoo, conditioner, soap and toothpaste sitting on my dresser. One of our guests heard of my problem and gave me hers.
2. Granola bars are hard to find in Haiti. Well you probably can't find them here and if you do they would be expensive. On Sat. a Haitian came to our house and hadn't eaten all day. So my roomate gave her granola bars away to him. On Sunday another visitor showed up at our door with a big bag of bars. She didn't know my roomate but was told that she liked granola bars. So needless to say... we are stocked up again! God provides.
You hear these stories all the time. We need to be aware of the little things because God cares about the little things! October 31 Amy is in FloridaHello Everyone. I have left home for my journey to Haiti. I arrived in West Palm Beach, rented a nice car - mazda, and drove to Ft. Pierce. I was supposed to fly to Haiti tomorrow but due to the storm, we will be delayed. Hopefully we can go out Friday. It was tough saying goodbye to everyone but we all managed to get through with some tears. Thank you all for all your support and love. Please keep in touch and I will keep you updated as to where I am. Love you all, Amy February 06 Keep Reading till Feb.28, 2007Sorry for the mass email but...
Less than 1 week until I board the plane to Haiti!!! I am getting very excited. I am going to try to keep my blog updated this week and while I am in Haiti so that you all know what I am up to. For those of you who are wondering... I am going to help OMS and primarily I will be working in a medical clinic - as a nurse :). Please check out http://amyboycott.spaces.live.com from now until Feb.28 for updates. Hope to talk to you all soon.
Blessings,
Amy January 08 Up Date - HaitiWell, finally I have finalized dates for a trip to Haiti. I will be travelling to Haiti on Feb 12 and coming home on Feb 28, 2007. Yes the plane is booked so I am going. I will be staying in Cap Haitian with OMS international. I will be working in a clinic and don't know too may other details right now.
I also am looking into going to Africa in May with the CAMA for six months. Here I will also be working in a small clinic in a rual part of Kenya. The clinic is called the Hope Clinic. This is really in the preliminary stages of planning but may be a really neat opportunity.
Work is great. I am learning a lot. We should be going to Ottawa soon to get some skiing in - we're just waiting for a great snowfall to make it really worth it. It did snow here today but no accumulation. May 16 Up to Date!I have accepted a full-time job as an RN on a medical surgical unit at Georgetown Hospital. I don't start until the end of May so until then I will continue just working at Rose Cherry's Home for Kids. My RN exam is June 7, 2006 so I will be busy studdying!
I didn't go to Haiti as planned but hope to go in the near future. December 13 Refining SilverMalachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver" This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot then she thought She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do Author Unknown December 10 Time to move homeOn December 21 I will be moving back in with my parents. It is offical! I will be working downtown Toronto at the Scott Mission and at Rose Cherry's Home for Kids which is just around the corner from my parents house. September 14 Plans for HaitiRight now, three friends and I are planning a missions trip to Haiti Children's Home. The four of us plan to work in an "orphanage" who cares for children who are homeless, with no families and who maybe medically fragile. We plan to travel to Haiti in May of 2006 and work for five weeks. The home is run by a missionary and her daughter who is a nurse. Today we got video clips of the home and of Haiti. It is so amazing to see how God can work in anyone's life rich or poor, you just have to open your heart and allow Him to do His work through you. Through these children's smiles you can see God's love and protection. We are all children of God and He loves us all. Just think of how God has blessed you!
If you would like more information on Haiti'Children's Home or would like to donate something for our trip, please let me know (amyboycott@hotmail.com). |
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