Seizure Team/Trip To The Bay

The Miriam Center has been blessed beyond words by a team of amazing ladies and a top seizure doctor from Cincinnati who have dedicated their lives to fighting for the children at the Miriam Center who have seizure's. Gail, Carol and Dr. Franz have been fighting for the Miriam Home children  for many years now and have made a life changing difference in so many of these children & their families lives. They not only provide care for the children who live at the Miriam Home but also the outreach program. They come to Haiti 3-4x a year evaluating/re-evaluating each child (or adult), educating them on their seizure disorder and the medical reasoning, and bringing hope and help to so many by providing them with expensive top of line seizure and behavior medications. Gail, Carol and Dr. Franz individually fundraise to provide thousands of dollars worth of life saving medication to 75+ children and families. 

In Haiti Seizure's are not understood at all. People with seizures are seen to be possessed. When a person has a seizure they throw a bucket of water on them. They see the person as crazy...will tie them up and often take them to a witch doctor. Gail, Carol, and Dr. Franz take the time to sit with each family, educate them, and help them understand their or their child's seizure disorder. They bring HOPE to these families. 

Over the last few years I have missed overlapping their team by weeks and sometimes days. I had the wonderful privlidge of overlapping their time in Haiti this year and seeing their LOVE poured out for these children and families. I personally over the years have seen the difference these medications have made on the children's lives. 

Gail, Stephanie, and Carol organizing medication

Gail, Carol, and the Miriam Center Leadership team meeting to review each
child's treatment plan & medication changes for the next few months. 

I  had the wonderful opportunity of not just working alongside these amazing ladies but also traveling for 3 days to the Bay campus and getting to know them on a personal level. After a crazy busy week the week before with the seizure team, surgery team, Kimmy's House Team and Deaf Team all at the mission working with the Miriam Center to some extent at the same time I was ready for a few days away to REST...RELAX...and get REJUVINATED. In my 7 years of traveling to NWHCM I had never visited The Bay Campus and this was a perfect opportunity. Man am I glad I went. It was a wonderful 4 days. In those 3 days we kinda formed a little family the 4 of us and our translater sharing many God moments, meals, worship, laughter together. While in there we played with orphan boys who live on that campus, help a medical clinic (well they did and I had some much needed God time and reflection), did some hiking, worshiped together. etc.

Our Tap-Tap we took 3 hours to The Bay Campus

The Bay Campus which house 20+ younger age orphan boys. 

Miss Patt is a legend around NWHCM. She served for 20 years as a missionary and founded The Bay Campus. This picture was taking right after getting off the truck and being reunited with old friends! I was so blessed to spend 4 days with her and learn from her wisdom.

The first day Carol and I walked down to the Beach and went on a hike around the bay...

we ended up doing some climbing as well. It was a FUN adventure!

LOOK at the AMAZING views from the top of the hill we hiked

We had fun sitting on the edge of the cliff watching the Fishermen...

It is AMAZING how they maneuver those HUGE nets and all the upper body

 strength it takes...the patience...the time...the energy

A Haitian Fisherman Boat

Carol and I

A typical House around the Bay Campus

We experienced some of the most AMAZING God moments together on the roof as we slept on the roof and stood in Awe of God's creation. We saw some of the most beautiful sunrises, sunsets, moon rising from behind the clouds, most amazing lightening storm, and the most beautiful stars. We looked forward to ending our nights signing worship songs together under the stars and ending the nights in God's word together and sharing what God has been teaching and showing us.

Moon Rising from behind the clouds

This is Mishler and his couple day old son. Mishler runs this campus and
takes care of the boys & fights for their needs. He has such an amazing heart. 

The morning we were leaving Carol and I set out to do 1 more hike. We decided to tackle the hillside (more like a mountain behind the mission). Our translator went with us. The hill was loose gravel covered with Cacti and thorns/thistles. We climbed our way up to a beautiful view.

Carol stopped 1/3 of the way up and her and the translator said they would wait for me to return. I continued hiking with one of the local Haitian men. We hiked for what seemed like forever up this steep mountain. I could not believe how high we were going. Because of all the loose gravel and Cacti I was extremely focused trying not to get any Cacti in me and to not slip and fall. I managed to get about 10 Cacti and lots of scratches from the thorns & thistles but it was so worth it for the view!!!

I saw so many interesting different kinds of Cacti 

Look how HIGH WE WERE!!!!

Definitely the scariest part was hiking back down the mountain with all the loose gravel and few places to reach to regain balance if you slip with all the Cacti and thorns/thistles around. I did ALOT of praying on the way down the mountain.  Thankfully I made it safely (maybe dehydrated) but safe and sound

My Family! It was so hard to say goodbye or I should say see you later all they will be back in February. What a blessed 2 weeks I got to share with them. Even when we returned to the mission from The Bay we continued our start gazing in the evenings together and sharing about our days. Every time I go to the roof and star gaze I think of them :-)