Friday, February 3, 2017

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!


HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!!

I pray that each and every 1 of you had a wonderful Christmas & New Years surrounded by family & friends. As I sat down to reflect on 2016 I wanted to share some of the MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS. I am just sitting in AWE of ALL that God accomplished this year through your partnership in my ministry calling to make the Invisible...Visible. Its because of each of you praying, giving, going, and empowering me to serve daily that each of the highlights below happened. I wanted to share so that we can stand in Awe & praise God together. My heart is filled with joy knowing that the hungry were fed, the homeless found shelter, the sick received help, therapy in Haiti was advanced, children learned to walk...sit...stand..., parents were empowered to care for & love their children, and nationals were trained to join me in this calling. 

Lets take a minute to review some of these highlights.....


MINISTRY HIGHLIGHTS 2016



WFOT- World Federation Occupational Therapy 
In March I represented Haiti as Alternate Delegate alongside Cosuelo Almorez the Delegate for AHE/HAOT The national OT society for Haiti.  We went to Columbia, South America at the WFOT council meeting. We spent 9 days representing Haiti around a table full of representatives from 38 different countries. Haiti was accepted as a FULL MEMBER!!! Which means we have a university that meets WFOT minimal standards (and now has accreditation through WFOT) and have have a national OT society that has a constitution that meets WFOT standards. This is HUGE for the country of Haiti and OT in Haiti. 

TEACHING AT FSRL
I helped Rosie a PT, who was visiting Haiti, teach my first class at FSRL.  FSRL is the new bachelors level OT and PT school in Leogane. The class we taught was "An Introduction to Adaptive Equipment". The FSRL academic OT program received its accreditation from the WFOT while we were in Columbia. This was HUGE step forward for OT education in Haiti!

FSRL BOARD  OF DIRECTORS
I feel extremely blessed to be apart of the board of the directors for FSRL the new OT/PT University in Haiti. God has brought together an amazing group of passionate people to advocate for and further therapy in Haiti. I am thankful that I get to play a small role in this. This photo was taken at the board meeting that we elected officers. 

AHE/HAOT National OT Society for Haiti
The national OT society officially became recognized & member of WFOT. We have about 10 members and multiple Rehab Technician students who have been coming to meetings. We have decided to meet every 2 months. Currently some of the projects we are working on include an educational handout on ZIKA that is parent friendly to be distributed across the country as well as massage & breastfeeding brochures to help parents as well. We are working to further OT & Therapy across Haiti by working to form a partnership with the National PT society for Haiti and working with them to form a  secretariat table which will collaborate with number of organizations/society's working to further care for people with disabilities cross Haiti. . We are also working to create continuing education opportunities in Haiti. 

ADVOCATING FOR...HELPING DEVELP CARE FOR SPECIAL NEEDS ACROSS HAITI. 
My first partnership to help develop special needs care in an other orphanage in PAP happened in March when I helped lead a service break trip for 6 OT students from ISU (Indiana State University). We split our time between 2 orphanages. New Life we focused on fixing/adapting equipment and at Dora’s we evaluated 14 kids in preparation for entering school. We also helped make education bins and build equipment for the new special education school to open this fall. My time with them focused on encouraging them to look at the trip from a long-term perspective. Encouraging them that what we did should be for a long-term benefit. The end result. They have been working to raise $ to hire a Rehab Tech full-time to work at New Life Children’s home. A few months after their trip they were able to partner with another group passionate about the same orphanage and need for getting these children therapy. I am excited to share that a few months after their trip they were able to hire a rehab technician 3 days a week. Now they are working to hire him 5 days a week by the beginning of 2017. I am so EXCITED about the result of this trip and the passion, heart and follow through of these 6 students and their professors!

SUPERVISING STUDENTS FROM UNAH/LLU FOR THEIR LEVEL 2 FEILDWORKS
These 5 students completed their 10 week level 2 Rehab Technician clinical’s at the Miriam Center under my supervision. It was great to watch them & their entire class (who I taught a course for last December) graduate.  During their time at the Miriam Center they got to see and work with many different diagnosis of children. They learned a variety of treatment techniques and receive an educational binder that I have made. I am EXCITED to see what God has in store for each of them. 

TEACHING FOR REHAB TECH STUDENTS FROM UNAH
In August I had the wonderful opportunity to have 17 Rehab Tech students come up to the mission for me to teach 3 university level classes. Pediatric OT, Pediatric PT, and Adaptive Design/Adaptive Equipment. It was a crazy busy 3 weeks but I am confident that the students learned so much in those weeks. They also got lots of hands on practice with the kids in the Miriam Center during their labs. 17 more Rehab Technician Students now have a solid education and education of pediatrics which is HUGE!

STAND/PHOENIX RISING PARTNERSHIP
It was incredible to serve alongside both of these therapy groups in PdP multiple times this year. We literally saw hundreds of kids this year. Made well over a hundred pieces of adaptive equipment, educated hundreds of families, fit for kids for braces, some received new legs...the list goes on and on. Word cannot express the amazing things that happen during these 10 weeks per year!

SECRETORIATE TABLE AND PARTNERSHIP HAITI PT SOCIETY
A big connection that was made for HAOT/AHE the national OT society was connecting with the national PT society president in May. We have met 2x now & are excited for the 2 societies to work together in furthering therapy in Haiti. We also have plans to work with other societies in Haiti as well. This year we made great gains in partnering with other medical professionals who are also passionate about getting therapy recognized by the Haiti government and to increasing awareness across Haiti.

CLUB FOOT FRIDAY CLINIC
Friday Mornings are now reserved for the many club foot children that have come seeking help. I knew very little about club feet until this year. I am thankful to Dr. Del & the volunteers from STAND who took the time to educate me on the casting, using the special shoe/bars and Dr. Del even took the time to teach me to do Club foot Tenatomy’s (minor surgery procedure to release the Achille’s tendon). Thank you Dr. Del for empowering me to help these kids! Friday mornings have taken me out of my comfort zone but the results have been so rewarding. I love seeing kids that no longer need surgery or a less severe surgery! 


ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY WEEK OCTOBER 
Orthopedic surgery week is one of my favorite weeks of the year. This year 23 outreach kids received life changing surgeries! I was blessed to be able to spend the entire week in the operating room with Dr. Del. I got to focus the week on pouring into the families who kids were getting surgery, being apart of the surgeries, learning from Dr. Del and helping organize the after care. I am EXCITED for the new level of independence and quality of life these surgeries will provide each of these kids. 
SCI & CONNECTIONS TO NEUROLOGICAL REHAB FACILITY NEAR CAP HAITIAN
I had the wonderful opportunity to help advocate for Marc. Marc is 16 years old who fell out of a tree which left his with a Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). He came to NWHCM clinic. It was quickly obvious that he would require greater medical care and more intense rehab than we could provide. I emailed the SCI Association who put me into contact with A rehab facility in Cap Haitian and a neurological Physical Therapist Sibile. Sibile helped us get the Haiti Ambulance who came to St. Louis Du Nord and flew him to an inpatient neurological therapy unit near Cap Haitian. He has been receiving daily intense therapy. He will spend a total of 4-6 months at this facility. He is 4 months in and is walking with a walker now! It was amazing to see God take a hopeless situation for this young boy to a situation full of hope!
SENSORY SCHOOL
About a month ago we set up a new schedule in the sensory school. The kids start out in the special education classroom for a time of music and Bible reading time. They then transition to the Patio where the kids are broken into pairs and each pair has a staff assigned. Each child has a picture schedule that is broken into 15 minutes slots. The slots include sensory activities, pre-writing activities, fine motor/dexterity/hand strengthening activities, visual-motor/visual-perceptual activities, etc. At the end of the day they watch an educational video. Throughout the week each of the kids get pulled out for 1:1 therapy for 30 minutes per week. Our therapy staff is also helping out in the school as everyone learns the routine. I am so EXCITED for the opportunity this new schedule brings not only to the kids but also to the staff! 

MIRIAM CENTER THERAPY
The 36 Miriam Center kids continued receiving therapy weekly & are making good progress. The Sensory School and Severe/Profound Preschool kids received therapy in the mornings and the older kids receive therapy in the afternoon. The amount of therapy varied throughout the year. When we have rehab tech students doing their internships the kids receive therapy more often. We were blessed to have many visiting therapists throughout the year as well helping to update all the kids therapy plans and goals. I am excited that we will be starting 2017 with new treatment plans and goals AND the folders have all been translated into Creole which will empower the Rehab Technician students who come to do their internships at the Miriam Center to have access to more information about each child. 
The therapy staff has changed. Carlos moved back to PAP & I have hired 2 of the recent graduates! Excited to see what God does with 2 therapy staff!



SEVERE & PROFOUND PRESCHOOL
This year we implemented a new severe & Profound preschool schedule. This ensures each of these kids get therapy every morning. Their mornings in school start out with lotion massage, vibrating therapy brush, and stretching followed by having their foot and hand braces put on. Then they are placed in a variety of therapeutic positions. Their is a picture schedule on the wall that guides the staff on what activity each child will participate in. In addition each child received 30 minutes of 1:1 therapy with 1 of the therapy staff each week.






FJS OUTREACH
This program underwent an EXTREME MAKEOVER in May. We added 100 more children off the waiting list. This has been a challenging transition process. It has been a paperwork nightmare...it has been difficult to get the families to understand the new schedule and routine....BUT it has also been a huge blessing! An opportunity to meet, get to know, and pour into so many new families. Many of the specific aspects of outreach have changed but the concept of outreach is the same. Outreach has always been and will always be about empowering families to care for and advocate for their children. We are here to come alongside the families & fill in the gaps where they need us to provide the best care for their child. We look holistically at the child and family with programs in place to meet physical, spiritual,and emotional needs of both the child & the family. We currently have 140 families active in the therapy aspect of outreach, 50 kids that we facilitate to see STAND/PHRS for orthopedic needs, and continue to have about 50 kids on a waiting list for the program. The 140 active children are broken into 4 groups each has a color associated. Instead of getting therapy 1x per week they only receive 11 weeks of therapy per year but leave with a home program to continue at home. We continue to see the families on a monthly basis at our monthly parent education friday's. We also facilitate them seeing STAND/PHR/S, do home visits,  have outreach fun activities, etc. So even though they are not coming weekly we are seeing them frequently. They all have the ability to come any week day to the medical clinic if their child is sick.  





Wheelchairs/Equipment Donated
We have been truly blessed to receive around 20 donated wheelchairs which have increased the quality of life of so many of our kids. Many of the kids have found a new level of independence, they are all more comfortable during the day and now they are in better positions that enables them to better interact with their world. We received countless other therapy supplies from donated AFO's, hand splinting material, ductape,  toys, etc. I stand in Awe over everything that was donated and carried into Haiti! 


BROOKE MY FIRST AMERICAN OT STUDENT 
Brooke had been to Haiti 4 or 5 times before on short term trips. She had fallen in love with the kids and was in school to become an Occupational Therapy Assistant. She asked her school if she could do 1 of her level 2 fieldworks in Haiti. The school agreed. So she spent 7 weeks doing therapy at the Miriam Center.  It was such a blessing to have Brooke as a student. She was eager to learn, hardworking, full of good questions that made you think, attentive, loving, compassionate and most importantly FLEXIBLE. 
Brooke got to experience a little bit of everything. She followed the Miriam center kids treatment plans and came up with fun activities to do with them!




ERNIE- OUR LITTLE MIRACLE
I had to end with Ernie. He is our Miracle boy. I am convinced that God has GREAT plans for this little guy. His aunt brought him to the mission at 5 days old. He was very sick. He was 5 days old and had never eaten as mom died during childbirth. He was severely dehydrated. He spent 2 days in the hospital on IV & feeding tube. When he was released I spent time helping him to relearn how to eat & regain oral motor control. We empowered his aunt to keep him by providing her with formula. He is slowly but steadily gaining weight. He has started club foot casting for his club feet. He has 3 hernias which he will hopefully have surgery to correct in January. He has a lot of obstacles to still overcome BUT he has already overcome so much. PRAISE GOD! Please keep Ernie in your prayers.

TO READ MORE STORIES FROM 2016 you can read my blog at www.autumnsreflections.blogpost.com

WOW!!! So much happened. All the above just scrapes the surface.  I pray that you are standing in Awe & Praising God alongside me since reading those Highlights. I am so EXCITED to see what God has in store for 2017. My schedule is filling up fast with activities/events that will reach and touch even more individuals. I sit here trying to imagine what God is going to do this year and realize I can't fathom the great plans He has in store. 

Will you consider becoming a PRAYER PARTNER- will you commit to praying daily for our ministry. Here are a few specific ways you can be praying...
~Pray for me that I would daily be led by God in my ministry. That I would hear his voice above all other. That I would daily grow in my relationship with him.
~Pray that I would be able to stay healthy and not have any health issues that would inhibit me from fulfilling my ministry call. 
~Pray for wisdom and guidance as I strive to continue to build a sustainable therapy program at the Miriam Center & Sustainable Outreach Program 

~Pray that I could effectively pour into, train, & encourage my therapy staff, Miriam Center Staff, the therapy students I supervise & teach, & The Outreach Families.
~Pray for the Miriam Home children that they would stay healthy, grow daily in their physical skills, gain strength, and know how loved they are
~Pray for the Miriam Center workers who daily pour into these children that they would stay healthy, encouraged, & know how appreciated they are for the amazing job they do.
~Pray that my outreach families would come to treasure Jesus as their personal savior. That in Christ they would find TRUTH, HOPE, ENCOURAGEMENT, TRUST, PEACE, and REST. 
~Pray for Stephanie & Presendue as they lead & direct the Miriam Center that she would have Wisdom, Guidance, Strength, Health, & stay Encouraged.

Will you consider becoming a monthly FINANCIAL PARTNER. The truth is none of the above is possible without the finances to do the ministry. God is growing this ministry by leaps and bounds the last few years and this year looks no different...BUT with growth comes the need for increased financial support. Would you consider partnering with me at $10 a month...$25.00 a month or more. No amount is too small or too big. The truth is it takes a BIG community of believers coming together to make it happen. Alone this would not be possible. 

BUDGET REVIEW 2016
You all rocked it in 2016. Here is a breakdown of the financial donations that came in! In Total you all combined donated $78,718.00. Above what was needed for day to day ministry. This is why we were able to some extra projects like: on 2 occasions being able to buy medicine in bulk in PAP for the Miriam Center Pharmacy, buy solar power lights for the outreach families & Miriam Center staff, start a outreach business to help us make it more sustainable, buying clothes on sale for the Miriam Center kids for next year, etc. 
7 churches support me - $9,447
Monthly/Quartely Individual Donors- $28,860
SPECIAL PROJECTS/ FUNDRAISERS- $27,411
1x Donation to pay off my student loans- $13,000
TOTAL Donations for 2016 as of December 13= $78,718.00


EXPECTED BUDGET 2017


TOTALS
Personal- $12,000 
MC Therapy: $15,000
FJS: $18,960
Training Nationals- $7,200
STAND/PHR/S PARTNERSHIP TRIPS- $2,000 
AHE/HAOT National OT Society- $3,500  
GRAND TOTAL FUNDING NEEDED 2017- $58,660 

FUNDING NEEDS


MONTHLY SUPPORT NEEDED: $4,889 per month
CURRENT MONTHLY SUPPORT: $3,192
            ~Church Support- $787.25
            ~Individual Support- $2,404
MONTHLY STILL NEEDED- $1,697 PER MONTH

Would you consider helping fill this gap in our financial needs this year... consider partnering with me monthly in my ministry. No amount is to small. If all you can afford is $10 a month that will still make a HUGE difference in the lives of that 1 child.

I love the story of the man walking along the beach that was filled with starfish that had been washed ashore. He was throwing them back into the ocean 1 at a time. Someone came up to the man and asked what are you doing? The man answered I am saving the starfish lives. The person said you can’t save them all so whats the point? The man answered well I saved that 1 and made a difference in that ones life.

It may be overwhelming looking at all the expenses listed above for my ministry. You may feel like what you have to give is not a lot or not enough but every little bit helps. You helped that 1 kid get therapy this week...You helped that 1 kid get the life saving medicine he needed…you helped that 1 mom be encouraged by a home visit… don’t limit God give what you can and let God multiply it :-) 

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PARTNER FINANCIALLY 
DONATE ONLINE
CLICK HERE to donate at www.cten.org/autumnmarshall/

SEND A CHECK TO
Commission To Every Nation
Autumn Marshall
P.O. Box 291307
Kerrville, TX 78029-130
THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOU CONTINUED SUPPORT IN MY MINISTRY! WITHOUT YOU NONE OF THIS IS POSSIBLE!

SEND ME MAIL!!!!
I am also excited to share that I can now receive mail. If you would like to send me a care, a letter of encouragement or even a small care package you can send them to....
Jose Castillo (Autumn Marshall) +6161
3170 AIRMANS DR # 2189 NWHCM
FORT PIERCE, FL 34946-9131

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