60 seconds 1.3

Ted took the camera today...

60sec.3 from Ted Barlow on Vimeo.

Art class for orphans - self portraits

World Orphans puts a high value on holistic care for the orphans in their programs - so going beyond the essentials and making sure that the kids' needs are being met spiritually, emotionally and physically.

It's been fabulous to have Callie Himsl here as our current long term intern. Callie came on a Journey 117 trip last year and had it laid on her heart to do more. At the end of August, she packed up life in So. California, left her job and moved here. She lives & works with us here as we reach out to children, churches, and communities to help stop the cycle of the orphan.

Here is a glimpse of her work in one of our churches yesterday:

 Art class - part 1

Art class - part 2

Art class worship

Art work slide show

The first Safe Birth training follow up

One of our goals this month is to get around to each of the churches that sent ladies to the Safe Birth training at the end of October.  I am hoping to meet up with them in a more personal setting to touch base and see what their feedback is from the training, what skills they have been able to use, what they are struggling with and answer any questions.

Today was my first chance to get to sit down with a few of them!

Meet…the Safe Birth team from Pastor Gaston's church:

(left to right) Mickerline, Ginette, Celiane & Jeannise, known as “FiFi”

So, I opened our time together by asking them how things were going.

Celiane, sitting in the middle, quickly, but timidly raised her hand. Her face lit up as she stated that 8 days after the training...she delivered her niece’s baby. Wow!  

C's niece considered going to the hospital, but didn’t because she was scared (the hospitals here are known for extremely rude & disrespectful treatment of patients) Then her labor progressed too far for her to travel safely. Celiane said that she was nervous, but remembered everything, even how to deliver the placenta which was "a little challenging". It was her first time even attending a birth!! She glowed as she shared the details of bringing her “great niece” into the world.

Two other women had been using their blood pressure monitoring skills. Ginette helped her neighbor who had mild blood pressure issues. Mickerline said that her mom (Ginette) wasn’t feeling well, so she took her blood pressure and found it was dangerously high according to what we had taught. She knew to take her mom to the doctor immediately & said that the MD confirmed the BP reading, gave her medicine & now she is much better.

We talked further about various health issues, continuing skills development, and teamwork. Then I prayed over them and asked God to go before them with wisdom and protection as ministry opportunities arose. One of their greatest concerns is that while they are willing to serve, they have seen others in their culture blamed & killed when something went wrong - even when it couldn’t be helped. They know not to offer any care beyond their basic training and only as a last resort for women that would otherwise be delivering alone. Yet they boldly trust God with the fact that every circumstance of providing help may put them at risk for retaliation.

Please keep all of these brave women in your prayers!

What a fabulous follow up. I can't wait to hear what the other 60 women have been up to now...

Rebecca

Fall? Autumn? Thanksgiving? Holiday Season?

November in Haiti...looks like this:

11/12/12 - Fellowship with friends visiting from NH & Sue Spinney

Quite deceiving, isn't it???

While it is our second round of holidays here in Haiti, we've yet to get our heads wrapped around it, and not sure if that will ever change. There are no leaves turning colors, falling off, raking, bright orange pumpkins, or apple pie smells. We don't have any family flying in for a feast, and aren't being bombarded by the steady stream of ads or wafting music signaling the countdown to Christmas either.

We're learning to interpret a new set of signals that the holidays are approaching here, & most of them are subtle:

Rather than changing leaves, we have changing weather, the temp has dropped at least 10 degrees at night now, so cold morning showers start to make you screech. Thus, heating water on the stove for bucket baths is on the rise. Hot tea seems like an appealing notion now too. Never mind that we bought watermelon on the way up the coast this week, note that rather than large orange pumpkins, the roadside stands seem to be overflowing with orange oranges...in fact all types of citrus (orange yellow & green) seem to be the fall harvest!

Our second annual Staff Appreciation/Thanksgiving celebration tradition is in order next weekend, which should get help get us in a grateful holiday spirit too.

With Christmas lights starting to pop up here & there at a few shops around Port Au Prince, it should be more obvious, but when in doubt about the season these ideas may help us with a festive mood:

Drop by DeliMart - they are always up on their holiday displays, complete with snoring black Santa on a folding chair! If still struggling - turn on the Christmas albums, reset laptop background to fireplace, snow scene or other holiday photo. Drink HOT chocolate. Watch video to wax reminiscent of the last Christmas tree that we cut on our property in TX. Shop online for a a few gifts. String up twinkle lights on railings, & decorate a palm tree. Last but not least, it's hard to miss the steady increase in street parties, near the guesthouse and around town. It should be pretty obvious that Christmas is near when DJ Benny's birthday arrives on Rue St Estime, Dec 19th - usually a BIG bash spilling on to Rebecca's birthday in the wee hours. If all else fails, let a Haitian dress you up like Santa and parade you around to cheer up the dark-skinned neighbor kids! (I'm sure that Jn Robert will be happy to oblige)

When NOTHING else works...post recent beach day pictures on blog & FB in hopes of enticing family or friends to come down & spend their holidays with you!!! :)

The signs may be different, but the meaning of the holidays are the same. There is much for us to be thankful for here, much to celebrate about life no matter where we are. God's LOVE is an abundant and undeserved GIFT...meant for everyone!

Only a mountain...

Life and work work here, definitely has it's mountains.

Great reminder for when we're feeling "small"...thanks Jason!