Challenged and Inspired

There are days that you meet people that just challenge and inspire you to grow. I met one of these people last week. The surgery team was here last week, I got called in to help with a consult. They wanted a patient to get a ct scan. Since there is not a ct machine in our area, they asked if I could coordinate and get this for him. I had a contact call around and find a working ct machine in Port au Prince and we sent the patient on the bus to go to Port at Prince for his scan.
When he got to Port au Prince, the place that we sent him to for a scan, their machine was down. So they ended up going all over Port au Prince until they found a working ct scan. They got the scan and the patient then took a 10 hour bus ride back to our town.
The patient got back late that night, so we made him a bed and the doctor said he would look at the scan and talk to him in the morning. That morning, I went with the doctor to talk to this patient. One of my friends was his niece and she was with him. The doctor kindly and gently explained to the man that he had cancer and it was very advanced, too advanced for surgery. His niece, who was beside me started to cry and I looked at the man and he was not sad. The doctor asked if he understood what he had told him and the man said yes. But why would I be sad, God is with me. He thanked the doctor for finally giving him an answer, he had been having pain so long and he did not know what it was, so he was happy for an answer. He went on to say, that God is with me, God can do what He wants, that he had no reason to be sad, when he knew that God has a plan for him and wont leave him.
He took his niece and would not let her cry anymore, because God has a plan and will take care of them. It was just one of those moments, that I felt blessed to witness. But more than that, it has challenged my heart, and inspired me about what I think about God. The faith of his man has challenged me to dig deeper into the Word and get to know my God better, so that when bad news comes, the first thing that comes to my mind is that God is good and has a plan for me.

More than a medical team

My first year in Haiti I met the seizure team. Their goal was to bring seizure care to the kids at the Miriam Center. We did not know what this would look like or how it would all come together. But they made a medical record and evaluated each child. They knew that God had called them to the Miriam Center to do this, so everything would come together and work out.

It has been 7 years since they first started working with the Miriam Center. In more ways than they know, we have seen God work through their program. For the Miriam Center, it is amazing for the staff and the nurses to know that the children have a group advocating for them in this way. It is also amazing for the families in the outreach program to have this resource, which is sadly scarce in Haiti.

We have seen God work in amazing ways through this program, because the seizure team does more than just medical. Although medical is their primary goal, there is so much more that they do. When a patient comes for a consultation, it is not just about seizures. They check in on the family and see how everyone is doing. They listen and are genuinely glad to how the child is progressing in development. They also listen and mourn with the parents, whose child is not progressing. God is in these small moments and His Spirit is at work. When the seizure team in not in Haiti, these families are always asking about them and praying for them, because they know the seizure team is also praying for them.

The last couple of years, the seizure team has even taken their work a step further. There are children in the outreach program that are not able to come for their evaluation. So if a child needs to be seen, they have been going to the child's home to visit them. Which is a huge deal for these families, not just because a medical person came to their house, but they also know that their houses are not easy to get to. These families know that it takes time and energy to get to their houses. 

The importance and value that they put on each child, on each family is what makes them more than just a medical team. They know it is not enough to just help the physical problems, but that we have a Savior that can heal the heart. The value they put on the individual is what makes the difference for the Kingdom. These families and children know that they are loved and prayed for. Although they are categorized as a medical team, we are so thankful that they are so much more. 

A Place to Belong

When we started the classroom at the Miriam Center, that first year we realized that it was going to be so much more to the students than just a place of learning and education. Although learning and education are important aspects of the classroom, these kids need so much more. First and most important we knew that they needed to know that they have a Savior that loves them and wants a relationship with them. Then education was a priority. But we also are continually searching for ways for the students to be able to express themselves and enjoy who God made them to be. The classroom is that safe place that is free from judgement and criticism, but it takes more for the students to make friends, have fun and just be kids.

For the last couple of years, when it was time to think about getting ready for the start of school, the teacher would ask about school uniforms. We would always give her the same answer, we don't have the money for it and it would just be too hard for the kids at the Miriam Center. But last semester, we were talking and it seemed like it was time to take the classroom to the next level and think about uniforms. We decided to do a tshirt fundraiser and start by having tshirts for the kids for Fun Friday. Almost as a practice to see if uniforms would be a possibility for the students. 

During the fundraiser, I was contacted by Stephanie Boyce. She was curious why we were not doing full uniforms for the students. She also said that she would be willing to do fundraising to get each student a school uniform. She had been planning on coming and bringing a group in November and thought she could have them by then. As an extra bonus gift to the Miriam Center, she made a logo for the shirts.

So on the first day of school after break in January, each student received a uniform. The students were so surprised and excited. It was such an amazing morning, it was so fun kind of measuring out the kids and going and getting them, their uniform. We had a couple students, who almost did not take theirs because they thought they would have to pay for it. But it was great to watch the other students, kind of talk the hesitant ones into it. The students let them know they have some friends that wanted them to have the uniforms and got them for them.

So it is May now, I have loved watching the students this semester. I had no idea the difference uniforms would make. The students walk in the front gate with a sense of pride. They know that this is their school and they don't have to explain it, because they have the uniform. They still come in and show everyone the logo. The students come into the classroom and are ready to learn. Some of the students walk home together and keep an eye on each other as they go. They know that they all have a place to belong and that they are a part of something. 

Little Wolphky

I have not blogged in such a long time, but have decided to reopen my blog. There have been so many amazing things that God has been doing, I have been missing the opportunity to share. When I look back at the last two years, there is one little one that stands out as someone who has taught me and I am continuing to learn from him and his family.
Little Wolphky was brought to the mission at just 2 days old. He was about 3 pounds, his mom brought him because she was looking for help for him. He was born with a double cleft palate and lip. We talked to his mom and told her about a surgery team that comes to Port au Prince and does this surgery. The team would not be down for a couple of months so we set her up to come in every 2 weeks for a weigh in, for her little guy to make sure he would be ready for surgery. Even though she lived 3 hours away, she agreed.
They were coming every 2 weeks, but little Wolphky was not gaining weight. At 3 months old, he still weighed the same as the first day we met. His mom said that he was eating fine and she just did not understand why he was so small. With the surgery team coming the next month, we decided to keep him at the Miriam Center for a week and see if we could figure out what the problem was. 
We took him to the doctor, and the doctor found out the he had worms, we started the treatment, and within a couple days of finishing treatment he started to gain weight. So in April we took him to Port au Prince for surgery, the doctors evaluated him, but said he was just too small for the surgery. He was 4 months old and only 5 and a half pounds.
We went back home and continued the weigh ins. But each time his mom brought him the staff at the Miriam Center would talk to his mom. They knew that she was not a believer and that her husband was not either. The staff at the Miriam Center would say it was a good thing that Wolphky needed to keep coming to the mission so that they could keep talking to her, and sharing Christ with her. They also found out that his dad would tell his mom to leave Wolphky at the mission or throw him off the truck on the way home. We were all grateful for the chance to spend time with Wolphy and let her know that God loved her and her son, and that her son was not a throw away.
The surgery team was coming back in October so we all wanted Wolphky to be ready. He was continuing to gain weight and was looking on track. In September, Wolphky's mom and dad brought him, for his weigh in. Dad had never been to the mission and was curious.
In October, Wolphky had surgery to repair his cleft lip, then the next April, when the team came back he had surgery to repair his cleft palate. Bigger than this little one getting surgery, Wolphky's parents are in church each Sunday, they love their little boy and are amazed at what God has done for them!!
Sometimes it is hard, when so many people bring their sick kids to the Miriam Center and they are looking for help. But, Wolphky is an amazing reminder that we do not know what God is doing, and we don't need to. God used this precious little boy to bring salvation to his family. If this little guy has done so much just as baby, I am looking forward to what happens next for Little Wolphky Gideon.

International Women's Day

Today is International Women's Day. I was thinking about that today as I was just going through the average morning routine. There are so many amazing women that I get to work side by side with every day. There are the amazing women who stand against the cultural norms and come to work at the MC and treat each person who comes through with dignity and respect. The women here even take it a step further and treat the kids who live here as they would their own kids and even call them their own. I am sitting here watching women fold clothes, they have already washed them by hand this morning and carried them to the rooftop to dry. These women do not complain about this strenuous job but are talking and laughing with each other. This morning there was school and the teacher came in with a smile to teach the same lesson she taught yesterday, hoping that today it will stick. There is an older woman working today, she works every weekday helping the kids with bathroom issues, she never complains and is usually singing to them. The nurse took one of the kids to the dentist this morning, he came back with a juice, I teasingly asked him where he got it, she passed by and said she had bought it for him, as he needed a treat after the dentist. I watched the therapist for a little today, I feel like she wants to be the MC grandma but she is only like 23, she just has that gentle grandma way about her. The last person I walked by before sitting here was our cook, who always comes in so early to make sure the kids eat breakfast at a good time in the morning, I love that she usually sneaks in some playtime with the kids when she thinks no one is looking. I know this is all super random, but I just feel blessed today by all the strong godly women that inspire me to be stronger and grow in my walk with Christ.

Overflowing with Gratitude for White River Church

As I have been taking some time to look back on 2015, so many amazing things have happened. There has been one super generous gift this past year that has changed the way the Miriam Center runs and functions. White River Church donated for the Miriam Center to expand. This year the room was completed!!!
The completion of this room gives all of the most fragile kids in the Miriam Center a place to spend their mornings. These children are able to receive therapy, get massaged, listen to music and play. They finally have a space of their very own to just spread out and relax. They have a quiet place where the moms can love on them. It is such a precious place for them to grow and thrive.
The completion of this room has also created a space for the outreach families to come and call their own. Families can bring their children into this space without fear of being made fun of. They can receive the therapy and training that they need. This room gives them a space to come and have community with other outreach families. This room gives them a quiet space where they can have a time of devotion with each other and learn about God, and how precious God knows their children are.
These families also have community events in this room. Where all of the outreach families can come together and just have fun and enjoy each other. They get to see the abilities in each others children, they get to do community beside each other so that they can rejoice with each other, and through the rough times they can mourn with each other.
It is just a room, but it is building a community. A community for people that do not have a large support system outside of this room. It is showing them that they are not alone and that they are surrounded by people who love them. Most importantly it is a community that can grow together in Christ!
There is something else that happens in that room, that is precious beyond words. Every Sunday, all of the Miriam Center kids go into this room and have church. The staff leads the children in worship music, in prayer and a sermon is preached every Sunday. There is nothing like being able to be a part of  church and watch as the children worship together with innocence and freedom, and this space is big enough for us all to worship together!!
A huge, huge thank you to White River Church for making this possible!!!!