July 15th

Hi Everyone, I hope this update from Haiti finds you all well. I have had an eventful few weeks with having a group of around 140 people here, making BIG decisions that will affect the next few months of my life, interns leaving/new ones coming into the Miriam Center, new projects, starting new weekly activities with kids/staff, fighting off being sick, etc. I will try to update you on what has been going on and hopefully note write a book ;-) Extending My Trip Till AUGUST 5th I have had to make a hard decision the past few weeks. I was originally suppose to come home on July 20th as one of my best friends wedding is July 21st. I was so excited to go home for the wedding. Ever since we were little we said we would not miss each others wedding. The past few weeks God has started opening my eyes to see the need to stay a few more weeks in Haiti to make sure everything was in order and were running smoothly before I headed back to the states. My heart hurts so bad over the fact that I am missing Autumn Hall’s wedding but I also have peace knowing that I am following God and am where he needs/wants me to be the next few weeks. I love you Autumn Hall and I hope you know how EXCITED I am for you to marry the love of your life and how sad I am that I am missing you BIG DAY!!! I will be praying for you and Aaron and anticipate seeing pictures and videos as dad promised to take lots! Miriam Center Church 3 weeks ago we started a church service at the Miriam Center on Sunday mornings for the staff and children. It is probably the most AMAZING times of worship I have ever had in Haiti (which is saying A LOT, as I have had many AWSOME times of worship). I don’t even know how to paint the picture but imagine 48 disabled children in 1 room some sitting on chairs, some in wheelchairs, some laying on the floor. 90% can’t talk, 75% can’t walk, 50% can’t sit up…YET all of them worshiping God in their own way whether by rocking, shaking a musical instrument, dancing and others singing their hearts out. The past 3 weeks we started out singing a few songs in English and I played guitar followed by the Haitian Momma’s singing some worship songs in Creole. Pepito read scripture and preached. We ended first part of church with a time of special music where different children have been coming up to sign songs in sign language, sing a special song, lead prayer or lead benediction. Today Steven and Den-Den and Jean signed the song “Our God is an Awsome God.” Last week Stephenson sang a special song and lead benediction. We then end church with watching a Bible story video and a Dr. Wonder’s Workshop sign language children’s church video. Worshiping alongside these children and staff just bring me so much JOY as I know this is truly what church is about…not a building…not the clothes we wear, not how the music sounds or what music is played but it is about the group of people worshiping God with EVERYTHING they have. (pictures and videos on facebook) Prayer Time with Staff A few weeks ago we decided to start doing Miriam Center Staff devos. At 2:00PM every Teusday and Saturday we all stop what we are doing and come together for a time of worship, prayer, and fellowship together for ~30 minutes (The mothers, cleaners, cooks, laundry staff, nurse, etc). I love this time to lift each other up in prayer and worship together. I am also EXCITED to see how God uses this time to bring deeper unity and rejuvination to our staff. So far this has been an AMAZING time of worship and prayer. I also love hearing our workers prayer requests and being able to pray for them. I believe God will honor this time by blessing our time together. I think it is a great way to refocus in the middle of the day back onto the reason why we are all doing what we are doing…which is for the glory of God. Boppy Pillows My friend’s mother sewed15-20 boppy pillows and pillow cases for the Miriam Center and brought them into in the middle of June. Last week I had a team from Canada stuff and sew shut ~7 and today a group of interns helped me stuff and sew shut the rest. I am so EXCITED for what these pillows mean for the kids. First it provides a good positioning tool for tummy time for some of our older Cerebral Palsey kids who don’t position well with bolsters. Second they are great positioning devices to help prevent bed sores. Third they are great to use as pillows for the kids who are always lying on the floor. Last week in preschool I had a blast testing out the waters with these pillows and realizing just how BIG of a blessing these pillows are going to be! (pictures on facebook) Terryn a Little Girl with a BIG heart and Calling on her life So the last group of teams that were in here had about 140 people total. God placed 1 very special little girl out of all those people into the Miriam Center environment to show me God’s heart, love, compassion, mercy, and patience like never before. Terryn is a 7 year old girl from Canada. She came to Haiti with her family. She was off campus for part of her trip but almost every moment she was on campus she was in the Miriam Center helping me. I will give you a run down of 1 days of her helping me and I think you will begin to grasp how AMAZING this little girl was...First thing in the morning right after breakfast she came to find me and asked if I was ready to get to work. She help me mix up all the special feeds and feed them. She then helped me dish out the older kids food by peeling all the banana’s while I put scrambled eggs and peanut butter sandwhich on each plate. She chopped up Kem’s food and feed her breakfast. After breakfast she helped me paint the kids hands and feet to make a banner (which she did not know was for her as a thank you from the kids). She helped me feed lunch to the kids and had to be pulled upstairs for lunch because she was not finished helping me. Her mother said that was the quickest she has ever seen her daughter eat. After lunch I fell asleep and apparently when she found me sleeping she waited till I woke up so we could get back to work. She painted the girls toe nails and finger nails. She helped me all day long till dinner. She helped me feed dinner, bathe all 4 of my kiddos, lotion them, diaper and clothe them. I saw God so much in her and I know that God has an AMAZING calling on this girls life. All she could keep asking her mother is if she can come back next summer :-) (There are pictures on facebook of her helping me) Severe and Profound Preschool UPDATE The preschool is continuing to run well, Even in the absence of our presence the last week as we have been out sick. The last thing I taught them was how to use boppy pillows and bolsters for tummy time during music, bubbles, or vibration toy play. They are very comfortable with therapy brushing and lotioning. We need to work more on stretching, oral motor, and massage with different texture clothes. The thickened liquid drink break is going well during preschool as long as I mix up the drink and bring it in. Gilding is standing while leaning on the windowseal for longer periods of time, Lovejinnie can hold her head up while sitting for 5-6 minutes at a time, T-Jimson goes for longer walks, and Andy, Rachel, Berto, & Niaka enjoy tummy time. Progress is being made and I see sustainability in all we are doing! For Jonathan Sake UPDATE For Jonathan Sake is going super well. I have ~18 parents coming weekly with their children now. 2-3 children multiple family members come to learn. They have been taught how to do all the handouts in their binders (stretching, massage, oral motor, brushing, etc.) and so the past 2 weeks Allyson and I have been working 1:1 teaching them specific things they can work on their children with the meet their child’s specific needs and help their child get stronger. Presidue has been watching us and I continue to try to teach him for a few minutes after outreach throughout the week. I had planned to do a blessing giveaway and Bible study this past week but since I was sick I only got to do Monday but plan on continuing the Blessing outreach next week for the rest of the families (will write about it in a separate blog). Since I was sick and not present 3 days last week it really tested the waters for Presidue to see if he was ready to do this without me because when I leave he is the Hatian who will keep this program running. He did a good job! We still have a few things to work on and iron out but I am so proud of him! I love this program and I love watching the children’s families fight for and love on their kids. Please pray as I share God’s word with them next week that they will be receptive and also pray that the gifts God has provided me to bless them with would truly bless them and their families. Nutrition/Feeding We continue to make slow and steady progress in this area. Breakfast is now a power meal that is super nutritious for all the kids (little and big). Lunch has been a battle to get the cook to make the same food for the little kids just grounded as the bigger kids. The bigger kids were continuing to get all the vegetables and meat which was frustrating but today the little kids got the same food blended ☺ I was one happy girl!!! I continue to blend canned vegetables and fruit that was donated to supplement for the little guys as well as supplement protein powder when I feel meals need an extra boost. The check off system for feeding is going great so we know which kids have been feed and which kids have not. The special feeds are going well. We had a pediatrician in last group who helped me update/improve my nutritional plans for Derson and Sandley. Sandley is now eating triple the calories and is eating every 2 hours 1oz of food. He is slowly gaining weight and looking better. Derson’s feeding tube is doing well as well and he has a feeding plan. We have $1,300 of supplies heading our way from the Dominican Republic next week. Thank you to Patty Fletcher who raised $1,000 for pediasure. We were also able to get some disposable diapers, juice, and medicine for the kids. Movie Nights with Projector One of the greatest gifts to the Miriam Center this summer that has brought so much joy has been our movie projector. The children have had so much fun having movie nights on the pation. The other night we had a group of 40 canadians buy the kids popcorn and watched Curious George the Movie with them. It was AWSOME because almost all of our children including the severe and profound made it out to the patio and had loving arms to hold them and love on them during the movie. It was definitely heart warming. We have had probable 6-7 movie nights on the patio since getting the projector and the kids have so much fun! 2 nights ago Heather and I discovered that we could project movies on her wall in her room and bring in smaller groups of kids to have more intimate movie nights. 2 nights ago we had the boys in and watched a movie and had Nutella bread. They LOVED the nutella (their first time having it) and the movie. Last night we had girl’s ngiht and had the older girls in and painted their nails, giggles and watched a veggies tales on beauty. We had A LOT of fun the last couple nights. Allyson- GREATEST INTERN EVER So I was very sad that last week my Occupational Therapy Intern went home to start summer school. She was here in Haiti for 5 weeks and was one of the most AMAZING intern’s EVER. She was so good with the kids, she was super observant and a quick learner. She was not afraid to take initiative and was willing to keep going even when she was tired. She was willing to feed the hardest kids, change dirty diapers, hold heavy kids, work through hard situations and was willing to do anything I asked. She was so loving, caring, gently, and patient with the kids and staff. She had a joyful spirit that was contagious. I really don’t know how to put into words what a blessing she was to me, the kids, and the Miriam Center as a whole. I know that she is going to be an AMAZING Occupaitonal Therapist some day and is going to change so many lives. Really praying and hoping she interns agains next summer :-) Thank you Allyson for all your hardwork, dedication, and most of all the love you poured out to the kids, staff, and us missionaries. You were such a blessing! 2 New Miriam Center Interns A few days ago we had 2 new Miriam Center interns start Karisa and Kelsey Ham. They are sisters who grew up as Missionary kids in Africa. One is in her last year of nursing school and one wants to go to school to be either an Occupational Therapist or a Physical Therapist. They could not have come at a better time as bother Heather and I were down sick. They have been AMAZING at jumping right in and being so helpful. They are both super sweet and loving. They are so good with the kids and have such willing hearts. I am so excited for what God has in store for them the next few weeks. Please keep them in your prayers. So as you can see things are going well in here in Haiti. I fall more and more in love with these kids, the staff, and my mission family daily. Everyday this feels more and more like home. I can’t imagine my life without living here and am already having a hard time thinking about being separated from my kids for 6 months till I can move here full-time. I was away from the kids for ~3 days and when I got back I could not get enough of them. They each have such unique personalities and I love spending time with each and everyone of them. I am not going to know what to do when I go back to the states and don’t have to feed kids every couple hours, I don’t have kids to hold and love on, I don’t have to bathe, dress, feed children…I will miss kids calling my name and trying to get my attention. BUT I try not to think about the things I will miss or about leaving but try to focus on enjoying each moment I have right now, loving my children and staff fully with a love that only God can give me and having a joyful spirit to spread. Please pray for me 1. Saturday when I will be in Haiti and my heart will want to be at my friends wedding. 2. For me to find a traveling company to travel through to work for 3 months to raise money to pay my loans for the year while I am in Haiti 3. For my last 3 week in Haiti to be productive yet a time full of opportunities to love on the kids and staff 4. For my health as I have not been feeling great the last few days 5. For Heather Meyer- her health and ministry here at the Miriam Center 6. For Stephanie- for her time at home to be restful and for a safe return to Haiti August 2nd 7. For my Bible study with my outreach- for softened hearts open to the word Thank you again for all your prayers and support, Autumn