I spent 4 weeks in the states at the end of March beginning of April. Upon Returning to Haiti I spent another week on the road in Haiti before returning back home to my Haiti Home in St. Louis Du Nord. I wanted to write a quick email update about what I have been up to the last 6 weeks.
The main purpose of my trip back to the states was to fundraise. My goal was to get 200 people to invest and partner with me in ministry at $10 a month. Time will tell how successful my time was in terms of financial gain BUT I know that God had me speak at each place I did and meet each person I met for a reason. I got to share my story… well God’s story of what he has done in my life over the last 10 years I have been involved in ministry in Haiti. God is AMAZING and the work He has called me to is AMAZING. THANK YOU to each and everyone of you who supports me through your prayers and financial support. I could not do this without each of you. If you are not already a monthly supporter of my ministry would you please pray about joining the team. For Just $10 a month you can make a difference in a child’s life. You can help a child get therapy… a parent know they are not alone… a child know they have worth and value and that someone loves them… a child receive weekly nutrition food…. A sick child see the doctor and get needed medical care… the list goes on and on. $10 doesn’t seem like a lot by American standards but when it comes to ministry here in Haiti it can go a long ways! Please pray about becoming a monthly financial partner. You can go to www.cten.org/autumnmarshall/ to sign up to make a 1x or a monthly donation. It is very simple and fast to do.
As I sit here and reflect on the last 6 weeks I am humbled and blown away by the connections God made. The doors he opened for me to share… the countless people who I got to cross paths with and have conversations with. I know each and every day God had a plan and God appointments for me… Here is a quick overview and some highlights and pictures from the last 6 weeks.
- WEEK 1- I spent in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti at New Life Children’s Home helping to start a therapy program for the 28 children with special needs that live with them. My relationship with this organization started a year ago when I stayed at their guest house while helping leading a college team of therapist form Indiana. My time in the states was super busy…full of lots of traveling and many opportunities to share the ministry calling God has given me. As most of you know I have no problem talking about Haiti! To read all about it and see pictures go to my BLOG and look for the post entitled NEW LIFE CHILDREN'S HOME.
- WEEK 2- was spent in Niceville, Florida with my dear friend & faithful partner in ministry Edie. When I arrived in Florida I was absolutely exhausted after my previous week in PAP. I had a great week with lots of chances to share my story and the ministry/work that God has me doing in Haiti. I also had time to rest and prepare presentation and video for the rest of my time stateside. I made 4 new videos which I have put up on youtube that really explain the 4 major aspects of my ministry. Click on each of the names to watch the youtube videos.
 |
| It was great to see Kevin Stateside and to meet his parents. Kevin has a passion for serving and advocating for children's with special needs in Haiti. His heart is really at New Life Children's Home |
 |
| My favorite work spot/ relaxation spot at Edie's House :-) |
 |
| My dear friend Edie |
 |
| The amazing white sand beaches |
 |
| So wonderful to meet up with most of our team that came to Haiti last October We were just missing my evil step sister ;-p |
 |
| 1 night I got to hear Miss Clara speak |
- WEEK 3 was spent in Philadelphia at the National AOTA Convention. It was pretty amazing to be at a conference with 15,000 other Occupational Therapists celebrating 100 years of our profession. Some highlights from my time at the conference were
- Having an opportunity to catch up with many OT friends from Haiti, from college, friends I made since working, etc. Had many wonderful conversations.
- Having hundreds of opportunities to share about the work I do in Haiti with other occupational therapists I crossed paths with during the conference.
- I got to attend a variety of poster presentation involving international OT work. I loved spending time talking to each of these presenters and learning more about what they were doing or did.
- I got to attend a variety of classes/presentations to learn new information that I can take back to Haiti and apply. These classes also counted towards the CEU credits I need to keep my liscensure active. I got to take 2 different vision classes. 1 was an all day pre-conference class on low-vision and was at the eye institute of Philadephia. It was very interesting and I learned a lot. The second was on Cortical Visual Impairments which many of the children I work with have. I learned many new treatment techniques I want to try when I get back.
- I sat in on a class put on by some of my OT Associates who have worked hard to develop and open the new 4 year bachelors OT and PT program in Leogane. I went to the presentation to support them. It was so AWSOME at the end of the presentation 1 of the OTs in attendance stood up and shared how much the presentation impacted her. That she was Haitian American and had a heart to do something with her OT in Haiti but had no idea there was anything related to therapy happening in her home country. After she sat down we asked if their were any other Haitians in the room and 5 stood up! 5 new Haitian American OTs who now want to take part in getting nationals trained in their home country. I got to spend an hour after the presentation talking to them. It was definitely a God moment of making connections. All 5 of them want to join the national OT society now as well!.
- Seeing and catching up with my World Federation Of Occupational Therapy (WFOT) Family who were at the conference. I had good moments of reflecting back on how 2 years ago at this conference is when I first learned about WFOT and would never have dreamed I would be so involved with them or have opened a national OT society for Haiti. It is truly AMAZING and kinda CRAZY what God has done over the last 2 years to further OT in Haiti. I really enjoyed attending the international breakfast 1 morning which had attendees from around the world, many of which I recognized from when I was at the council meetings in Columbia last March.
- I spent 6 hours over a 2 day period walking the Expo hall that had hundreds of vendors. I stopped at every table that related to the work I did in Haiti. I shared my story and asked if they would consider donating therapy supplies to my work in Haiti. I collected around 60-80 business cards which I have been busy emailing and following up with. Many of them have generously agreed to make donations!
- TO SEE MORE PICTURES GO TO MY BLOG ENTITLED AOTA CONFERENCE!
That Sunday I did not participate in morning sessions but was picked up by my friend Joseph LeGrand who is an eye doctor that comes into Haiti 1x per year. I spoke at his Adult Sunday School Class after church at First Presbyterian Church in Springfield. . Although we had some technical difficulties getting the computer to work I had a wonderful time sharing.
Sunday afternoon I got to spend with my dear friend Joyce who I lived with 5 years ago when I worked in Philadelphia for 3 months. It was so wonderful to see her again and catch up. I enjoyed spending the evening going to a symphony concert and out to dinner. Monday morning Joyce went on an adventure with me to follow up on a connection I made during the convention with the school for children with Cerebral Palsey of Philadelphia. They said they had some equipment they would be able to donate for Haiti. Since I did not know how much stuff they had Joyce graciously drove her van and I drove my SUV to the school. When we arrived we were warmly welcomed by the staff who escorted us downstairs to an entire basement full of equipment! It was like Christmas! It was actually overwhelming. My mind was racing… I kept thinking how amazing this was… then I would bounce to how the heck I would ever get this to Haiti… to what can I take today… to when can I come back… to how do I get these items on the boat… lol. My mind was going 1,000 miles per hour. We left with my SUV full of adult small diapers which we shipped into Haiti via UPS (hindsight not sure this was the best idea it turning out to be very costly. Probably better to ship them to the boat dock to get them in). We also left with Joyce’s van full of equipment :-). Joyce graciously drove it up to Indiana to a church that comes in every October and will be ale to carry the items in. I was so blessed by the time I got to spend with Joyce! And I am so Excited about my new partnership with this school. I need to get to work fundraising so I can do a big shipping crate full of equipment into Haiti. The school also has a ton of adult small diapers for free that I just need to keep working on the best way to get them into Haiti because we go through a ton of diapers at the Miriam Center and it would save us A LOT of $.
- WEEK 4- I spent In Northwestern PA (Pulaski and Erie), and Ohio (youngstown, Akron, Canton areas). It was crammed pack with speaking engagements. I got to speak at 3 universities to the therapy departments (some were to students and some were to staff). The universities were Youngstown State, Walsch University and Gannon University. I also got to share at 2 churches and to an adult special needs Bible Study. A huge thank you to my dear friend Wendy who set up the majority of these speaking engagements. Wendy is a pediatric PT that comes in with the STAND group 2x a year. She has been a God send to my ministry!
 |
| My partner in Crime... WENDY! |
 |
| The very unpleasant gift I received while visiting Wendy on a day I needed to drive to Erie PA |
 |
| I had the unplanned but wonderful opportunity of speaking at a adult special needs youth group time and sharing about the work I am doing in Haiti and the message I share so often about how God made them each special and unique and how God see them. |
 |
| Visiting my old co-workers when I was a student at Gannon! Love these Gals! |
- WEEK 5- I spent speaking and traveling in Ohio (Cincinnati) and Kentucky (Louisville)
- I did get to spend 3 days at home. 2 days to prepare to go back to Haiti with packing and gathering up supplies and Easter Sunday with my family up at my aunts. It definitely did not seem long enough. By the end of all traveling above I just wanted a few days to rest and be at home. I will definitely plan better next time.
- I was blessed to have my family travel with me for my week in Cincinnati and KY. The first stop was in Cincinnati. The first night we met up with my dear friend Gail who comes to Haiti 3x a year and provides neurological services to our kids. We went to see the movie that was in theaters 1 night only by Samaritan's Purse about Eboli.
- The following day I spend the day in Cincinnati. I spent the morning and afternoon with my dear friend and spiritual mentor Ruth Weis. We hung out and talked. Feeling blessed that she would travel 8 hours by car just to spend a few hours investing in me. In the evening I met up with a couple groups of friends that come to Haiti. It was a great day of sharing and fellowship.
 |
| Even though it was under hard circumstances so glad I got to see Allen Jones and to spend Time with the entire Jones family! |
  |
 |
| My Dear Friend Ruth |
 |
| The Porters Family...Sure do love this family!!!! |
 |
| Had drinks with my dear friend Deb |
The following day I spoke in the morning at Fairfield branch of Cincinnati children's hospital. I was able to share with some of the OT and PT's that work there. My connection to this location is that I did one of my level 2 clinical there. It was great to see old friends and meet some new ones. We left straight from their to traveled to Louisville, KY. Where I got to speak at my friend Lauren's church which is Woodland Baptist Church. It was a great evening of sharing our experience working at STAND the Haiti Project together. I also shared about the work I do at the Miriam Center. I enjoyed getting to meet her family and spending some time together.
 |
| Spending time with Gail. So glad I got to spend 2 separate evenings with her during my time in Cincinnati! |
WEEK 6- In Gressier Haiti with my OT friend Ashley at Respire Haiti. We were suppose to have a Continuing Education course at the new university in Leogane but unfortunately it had to be cancelled. We also have a National OT Society meeting for AHE/HAOT on Saturday. No worries though I have a ton of computer work to get caught up on, companies to email for donations, thank you notes to write, emails to catch up on, HAOT/AHE meeting to plan for, etc. I am also taking advantage of a few days to sleep in, move at a slower pace, and hopefully get caught up before heading back up north for a crazy month ahead with Phoenix Rising coming for 2 weeks and STAND coming for 2 weeks. I will spend the majority of the month in PdP working alongside these 2 groups and facilitating my outreach children being seen by pediatric PTs. It was also sadly at Gressier my hard drive went on my laptop which is why it has taken me 2 months to finish writing and uploading this blogpost and all the rest :-( I sadly lost all my pictures but thankfully most were already uploaded to my blog and waiting for me to add text.
WHAT A WHIRLWIND 6.5 WEEKS!!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment