Acclimation

It's strange how smells and sounds come back to you after 30 years and cause such a reaction. Our pastor was talking about familiar smells in his sermon last week and that keeps coming back to us. The rooster crowing at 5am, the sounds, the sweaty smell of Haitians AND blancs (us), kids yelling and calling out, dragging things in the dirt. This is Haiti. And we are so hot. We feel like we'll never be cool again. Definitely a day of acclimating and deciding "we shall feel like this until we get on the airplane to leave." Greg is doing a door frame for Dr. Dan and DeeDee's bedroom. He has tools, but not his own! That's OK. I am getting to know DeeDee well and enjoying visiting with her. She's giving the stories, the lay of the land, the rules, etc. Christie (not me), the nurse from Michigan that's here, took me to the hospital this afternoon. I wore scrubs so I could look official. I am once again overwhelmed. This hospital is definitely a Third World facility. I don't think I knew what that was until I saw it. All you young moms and young doctors that I know - you wouldn't believe it and you'd never worry about germs again. What is sterile? What is dirt? Today there was a large family sitting outside together waiting for a young new mom to die because she got an infection after giving birth. The picture you see of the tiny new born came in dehydrated and has vastly improved since yesterday but they still don't know if she'll live. Today there were five planned surgeries but as of this afternoon, none had happened because of a C-section and some other emergency. A young mother was there with her little baby boy - had been waiting all day for his circumcision.  Oh, the stories go on. I went into the delivery room, and thought of Dr. Ellie and her delivery room - wishing so much that she could see this. I am helping with the cataloguing of the many medicines that have been donated to the Dessalines Hospital.

We are winding down for the night, still sweating. Greg has showered and I'm waiting until right before bed!

The picture of the buildings - the house where we're staying is on the right and the house on the left is the witch doctor's. The next picture is the dehydrated baby getting hydrated.

We are very blessed to be in the fellowship of these wonderful godly doctors, a physical therapist, a counselor and a nurse who have come to give of their time. They continue to praise God and and testify to His amazing love and work among these people.