More NEW ministry developments…

Life has SO not been dull the past three months...

Quick Recap -

When Apparent Project decided to suddenly change course back in February, International Hope & Heritage immediately stepped up as our fiscal sponsor to receive all donations. What a blessing!

At the same time, Rebecca’s brother, Bob, began conversations with us and created a timeline for the first business as mission development project under our ministry org - Ten Million Toes. The first phase of a computer programming outsourcing business / training (& eventually post-orphanage transition program) will roll out July 1st!

Rebecca was asked recently to fill in at Midwives for Haiti for July & August in several capacities and started preparing to open a free-standing birthing center collaboratively with them and Hopital Albert Schweitzer later this year. She has just submitted her final application for an online midwifery school program this fall & already has a partial scholarship.

Our family size here IN Haiti has doubled at the moment!

Syndie joined us on March 30th & is pretty much as excited as we are about her adoption...now in progress!

Last week, OLIVIA joined us here again too, after 2 years away. She is enjoying being a big sister for the first time ever & some family “face time” while seeking God’s next steps. She plans to be here through September. 

AS IF THAT IS NOT ENOUGH EXCITEMENT…

God has been rolling out plans for us that we never even dreamed of!! (Imagine that)

A few weeks ago, Ted was approached by a friend of ours here and asked if he would be interested in taking over his own ministry position with an organization called Operation Blessing. After quite a lengthy time of prayer & discernment over this semi-change in direction, we decided that it was a perfect fit for Ted’s personal skill set & previous experience here in Haiti. 

As of TUESDAY this position offer became official - Ted will transition into the role of National Director - Haiti for OB this summer!

Read more about the organization:

 

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN for our ministry? 

Well we expect that nothing will change at all, with what we currently have in development. Ted will continue to oversee our highly qualified Haitian manager as the business unfolds. Rebecca will look after everything else...with some help! 

The BIGGEST difference with this organization for us is that they use their donations to provide ALL of our personal living expenses & housing! 

This is where we get REALLY excited...& yet somewhat fearful…

While we won’t need personal support financially in order to stay here anymore, we DO need a continuing ministry team to engage, to PRAY, to work alongside us in so MANY WAYS! 

So we admit, we’re a little worried that you might step back and let go or even leave the team… just when we need you the MOST. 

We have always said that anything above & beyond our personal needs that comes in each month will go to ministry supplies or projects. Now EVERYTHING will go to support the actual ministry work at hand!! 

We will continue to post specific items or needed resources monthly as they come up and report when they have been fulfilled. 

Syndie’s adoption is another way to continue to support us this year! You can designated that through our ministry fund at IHH or through our pureCharity adoption site:

WHAT WE NEED MOST:

Teammates to consider how they can engage more actively in ministry here!!!!!

There is a lengthy LIST of opportunities to come serve alongside us in the coming year OR to provide stateside support services as the organization grows. 

We are also looking for additional field staff to join us here. If this is something you would consider, please CONTACT US: rebecca@tenmilliontoes.org 

You can always reach us via Skype phone: 916.790.2319 - we’d LOVE to hear from you!

We cherish the constant support & encouragement that you are for us day in and day out... knowing that we aren’t ministering here on our own always keeps us going!

Ministry Projects: Maternity Care

While I wish that I had ALL of the details to share on this current project in development, what I DO have to share is quite exciting!

For several years I have been in communication off & on with Nadene Brunck, the founder of Midwives for Haiti. Initially it was for imformation I needed on a mock up midwifery care grant-writing project for a course I was taking at the time. Over the past year she has been a wise voice on my journey into maternity care here as well as my plans for midwifery school, which God willing I'll begin in the fall.

While I had already hoped to meet up with her while she was in Haiti this past month, the circumstances took a turn. We arrived in Hinche without the list of specific questions that I had in mind and instead just absorbed our experiences at the local hospital where MFH provides clinical experience to their students. We soaked up rural life in Haiti and we talked about all that we had on our hearts and then listened to Nadene and her co-workers do the same. It was more information than we could process in 2 days, but we've kept the line of communication open on how we might work together and bring more Haitian babies into this world safely and keep their moms healthy & alive to care for them.

Last week a great opportunity rose to the surface & Nadene & I began discussing my taking leadership of a project that her organization just can't get to at the moment. 

Opening & managing...A BIRTHING CENTER!!

Hopital Albert Schweitzer (HAS) is located up north in Deschapelles. It has been providing care and saving lives in the Artibonite Valley for nearly 60 years.

While it is a project still being "hatched", the idea is that our ministry will partner with HAS & Midwives for Haiti (MFH) to start a free-standing birthing center on their campus compound. While they do already provide maternity care, it is more than they can handle. They have been asking MFH to do open this center, as they would like to move all of the low risk births there for the skilled birth attendants to provide care & focus on hihg risk maternity cases in the hospital. They would also like to have a MFH training program at their location eventually.

While I DREAM of starting community birthing centers throughout the country, I couldn't ASK for a more nurturing situation to learn and grow and gain my first birthing center administrative experience in, while I attend school. 

The birthing center will be staffed by two nurses with obstetrical specialty that have recently graduated from MFH's World Health Organization approved skilled birth attendant training program. I will pitch in with supportive patient care when I am onsite & the rest of the time oversee the details of operation.

We are hoping to get things moving by summer, so watch for more news on this upcoming project & details on the many ways that you can help support it!

KNOWN Ministry/Project NEEDS:

I AM currently looking for MIDWIVES, L&D, Mother/Baby and NICU RN's who might be interested in working in Haiti either for a short -term trip, or partnering with us as long-term ministry field staff. 

I am ALSO looking for a clinical site in the U.S. to complete my CNM skills requirements in 2016. It does seem early, but the school recommends finding a clinical site and preceptor before you even begin!

Again, thank you for your interest & support of the work that God has laid out before us-

Rebecca 

Sharing Haiti...

This past weekend was busy with both work & play.

Friday night one of our ministry team families, Denise & Jerry Fudge and their youngest daughter, Audrey from Rockwall, TX came down to visit. While they were worried about coming at an inopportune time, with our recent upheaval of ministry plans, we felt like it was perfect & just what we needed right now. Their visit was an encouragement and reminder of the fact that while it may feel like it, once in a while, we are not here ALONE! God has put together a team that are walking this journey beside us from many parts of the US... & the world! The past 3 days we got to literally have them walk beside us here in Haiti & it was a refreshing change. It also helped in very tangible ways...they brought some portable closets & a shoe rack that were in great need, in this new house, helped put them together, delivered a few other necessities & treats, talked with and helped us continue to process our future plans, affirmed their commitment to our family & ministry, laughed, played games, ate, saw sights with us... I really can’t tell you how much their 3 day visit meant in the middle of our recent stress.

It was great sharing some of our favorite places & a beach sunset with these friends!

Saturday, I (Rebecca) was also invited to a maternity care/birthing center development forum hosted at the hotel Montana by Midwives for Haiti. It was a very interesting group of people working across Haiti from Jacmel to Cap Haitian to the island of La Gonave. Some came to share their experiences & others came to ask questions & absorb ideas. It was personally enriching to be surrounded by a room full of people carrying the same mission at heart..to see Haitian moms & babies to have safe deliveries! While it goes even one step further in the deepest place of my desire & calling...preventing more orphans, it was great to know that I’m not alone either. It was also a new experience to have so many in the same arena sharing resources, advice, encouragement & collaboration. This isn’t very common here in Haiti though it's much needed. It’s so much more effective to work together toward our shared vision!

The coming days & weeks will continue to show us where and what God has in store next, but it was crucial to see His hand at work in more than one way this weekend as we shared our calling, our life here & our vision with a few who are in it with us in very different ways!

a visit to Midwives for Haiti

Tuesday afternoon Ted, I & Hugo packed it up to get out of the city for a couple of days. We picked up Jenna Schmitz, the education coordinator for Midwives for Haiti & three of her friends, Sam, Jordan & Mary who are global health fellows working in a remote medical center in Thomasique, Haiti, who were all returning from a long hike through the mountains from Furcy to Jacmel. We had a pleasant 3 hour drive through the plush farmland up north to the homebase of MFH in Hinche.

It was fun & new to be with a vibrant group of young people all working in the medical field here & sharing dinner with the resident staff of MFH. Part of the plan was just to learn more about the organization first hand, to get to finally meet face to face with Nadene Brunck the founder and also to tour the local facilities where they teach their skilled birth attendants kind compassionate, quality, hands on care. I also hope to return & provide preceptorship for the new class of midwives late this spring & wanted an idea of what it would be like beforehand.

photo: MFH

We had great conversation & I was intrigued by a firsthand look at the rural Haitian hospital setting and the scope of care. There is a group from Ohio State, currently working alongside the pediatric nursing staff, to develop better neonatal care for preemies & high risk infants. We enjoyed visiting the bedside of day old preemie twins as the American RN modeled and explained necessary care of the little ones for her Haitian nurse counterpart.

photo: MFH

The disparity of care here in Haiti vs the US, where I’ve recently practiced, struck me solidly. We helped examine the mother of the twins, who had a vertical abdominal incision as well as a small unrepaired episiotomy from the birth of her babies. I watched as her mother changed the saturated rags that took the place of the nicely wrapped fresh white disposable peripads that I handed out to my patients these past few months. Patients or their families bring all of their own care items, including food. I could actually see that working in the US where my family would bring all of the best for me & yet we have each necessity included. Here in impoverished rural Haiti, there wasn’t much to choose from for families to provide.

photo: MFH

On Thursday morning Ted & I took a small hike on the land behind the MFH compound and went up to the top of the local hills. We shared our personal thoughts & ideas while pondering further where God was taking us next. The view that we had up there struck me as very SYMBOLIC of our current place in life & ministry right now…there were roads leading in EVERY direction around that hillside!

SO MANY roads...which one should we travel? where will it lead us? That prompted us to spend some time in prayer then & there and afterwards we built a small monument of local rocks (a tradition I follow whenever I meet with God in nature) to commemorate our time with Him there.

We drove back to the beauty of the central plateau, soaking up our thoughts & experiences. I’m looking forward to spending this International Women's Day, this Saturday (3/8) further immersed in maternity care at a forum on birthing center development that MFH is hosting in Petionville.

Moms & Midwives

As many of you know, Maternal Care and Midwifery are precious needs and something that I (Rebecca) am very passionate about here in Haiti. 

Last fall, with the help of World Orphans & Carol Denny of Global Health Training, we hosted 65 Haitian women for a Safe Birth training conference. It was a great success, though just a scratch on the surface of the need for fully equipped and trained midwives here in Haiti. 

Mothers die in childbirth on a daily basis here.

Children become orphaned.

Babies are high risk.

I'm looking forward to seeing what God has for me in the coming months and years, to help promote midwife training and develop care models for the women of this country.

Their lives are so VALUABLE and yet they are not valued!

Here are some of the amazing ministries that are working their hardest to provide care in this realm.

With Mother's Day coming - please consider supporting their endeavors on behalf of your own Mom!