Overflow: My First Week Back In Haiti

I am not sure how to put into words my first week in Haiti. It has been a hard week on so many levels but so wonderful on another level. I have processed through emotions of Happiness, Contentment, Joy, Excitement…but also through fear, anger, uncertainty. At times it feels surreal that I am really living in Haiti…My dream has been fulfilled…I am doing God’s will…what He has called me to AND that makes me Happy! I thought I would share the projects I worked on and some highlight moments from my week.

This week I focused on the following….

1. Settling In: I have a really awesome room that has space for me to have a small treatment room/office at 1 end and a bunkbead and shelves on the other end where Molly my ST intern will be staying with me. All my luggage arrived 3 days after I did in 1 piece BUT my carry-on which had all my books in it arrived chocolate covered. Took me a few hours to semi-dechocolatize. I unpacked all the toys and surprised Nahum and Presidue with the AMAZING new toys for the outreach toy lending program and the Luke 2:52 school. It has been very chilly in the evenings and I am so glad I brought a pair of wind pants and long-sleeve shirts.

2. Cleaning/organizing the supply/toy depot: This is always a treat. When I arrived you could barely walk into this closet (I wish I would have taken a before picture…) I had to face many fears including 5 huge spiders…debri a rat left behind (fearing that every container I moved I would find it) and lots of dirt! The finished product though is a very functional space for outreach and the classrooms. The floor is nice and open and I might use it for another small therapy clinic.

3. Setting up a small therapy clinic in my Room: At 1 end of my room I have begun setting up a small therapy clinic where I can perform 1:1 therapy treatment sessions. I have organized bins of supplies, a desk area where we can sit to work, and a therapy matt on the floor as a work area as well. I am almost finished making therapy folders for each child ( I have 15 more bios to write and evals to do on kids). I am excited for the chance to do more individualized treatments with the kids.

4.Communicating/Catching up/Getting on the same page with Stephanie, Nahum, and Presidue: God has truly blessed me with an AMAZING team of loving/caring individuals to fight alongside me for these children. Being away for 6 months A LOT happens in Haiti and so it was great to get onto the same page with not only the leadership team but all the workers and Mission staff. This week has been full of changes and so we tried to meet frequently to discuss and stay on the same page. We did a lot of discussing the future with nutrition/options to boost it, supplies/supply runs to the DR, ways to improve outreach, the bags the outreach moms will make for redeeming gifts, etc.

5.Loving on the Kids!: Words cannot express how wonderful it is to hold, rock, kiss, hug, snuggle, sing to, dance with, and go through night-time routine with my kids…ANYTIME I want! So thankful for that opportunity.

Highlights Of The Week

1. Getting see my Haitian family/staff and work alongside them. I am so thankful for the amazing staff God has blessed the Miriam Center with. I love watching them love on the kids and care for them. Seeing the way that they fight for them.

2. Getting to see my outreach families and love on their children- especially George. George 3 years ago could sit on his own and play with toys. Last summer his seizures were so bad he could not move on him and had multiple seizures an hour. It was so wonderful to see him now after consulting with the seizure team & getting on seizure meds!!! Another child who has made great gains over the last few months has been Ralph. Ralph is walking with support under the arms!!!! Paul Frantz mom could not wait to tell me her son is now weight-bearing and standing with support. I loved seeing the mothers reactions seeing I was back, holding each of the kids, and loving on them!!! Most of all I LOVE seeing how empower Presidue is with running the program and pouring into these families and the result being all these children are making progress!!!!