It was an interesting start to our morning today...a Christian group from ? is in Port-Au-Prince w/ a 3-day outdoor concert/festival. At 5:45, music began to blast from mega-amps just down the street. We would have awakened soon anyway, but on the rooftop, the music almost hurt your ears!
Another baby was born at the clinic today; I think that makes 5. Dr. Mike delivered a healthy girl and Mom & baby will spend the night to make sure they are OK. Another young girl was taken to the hospital after she was bitten by a dog...in Haiti, dog bites are considered rabid. Unfortunately, there was no rabies vaccine; although, they were contacting another hospital source. We sent a 2-month old to the hospital w/ projectile vomiting.
We have seen a few stray dogs wandering the streets and Cimo, the pet dog here at the National Police Headquarters. However, we haven't seen any cats. That is because they have probably been eaten by the rats which are HUGE! We see them in various places at night and hear them in others but praise God, I haven't been surprised by one on a bathroom run. The rats have probably eaten the mice too...haven't seen any of them. We hear roosters every morning except today when the music drowned them out. I figure where there are roosters there are chickens. Wonder if Haitians are familiar w/ dumplings! We saw a huge HOG...way beyond pig size...and goats on the travels to/from our remote clinic.
Our team is bone-tired, but everyone is still in good spirits. As I probably mentioned, I am constantly amazed at the care and concern the team shows every patient and the quality of medical care delivered in such primitive conditions. They are an inspiration to me, but we all know our strength comes from God and He has blessed our mission here. On Wednesday when I was feeling so bad, I vomited in the back of the waiting area as children and patients were sitting on the green lawn chairs...also known as examining "tables". I can guarantee that would have cleared any waiting room in the US, but no one seemed to bat an eye here. Another day in Haiti!
Dinner tonight was another MRE meal which was good...some kind of beef w/ tiny ravoli over rice and blueberry cobbler out of a pouch. That is GOOD eating here! As I ate my peanut butter crackers this AM for breakfast, I thought of the Haitians who usually eat 1 meal a day and was thankful.
We are blessed to have a shower at the end of the day which the group did not have on their 1st trip. Another blessing has been the mosquitoes haven't been as bad as expected, but we always have on our bug spray. Roy smashed one earlier filled w/ blood and he commented it was a malaria one. Someone asked how he knew and he said it had an "M" on it's back! We now designate all mosquitoes as either malaria w/ an "M" or worse, a "D" for dengue fever.
Tomorrow is the last day of clinic. On Sunday, we will rest, prepare to leave early Monday AM for the airport...flight around noon...but we also hope to arrange for a bus to carry us into the mountains to see another part of Haiti, visit a restaurant, and maybe find some souvenirs.
It's night here and rats are running on top of the tarps covering the food and communication area. UGH! Wonder if I can outrun them to the rooftop!
I don't know why my posts from the airport were such a mess...I am definitely technology challenged.
Thanks to each of you for your prayers and support. We know we are not strong enough to survive all this on our own. I tell myself often, "I can't, but He can."
Friday, March 26, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Day 8 in Haiti
Hello Everyone and sorry I haven't been able to post anything recently. I've tried several times and either the computer isn't available, the generator providing electricity at the mission isn't running, or I've been busy in the bathroom. Yes, I developed wonderful traveler's diarrhea, and maybe picked up a bug in Peds, plus had heat exhaustion from the remote clinic on Sunday. After diarrhea every 15 minutes, nausea and vomiting, and trying to push through and work in clinic for 3 days, I asked for an IV and fluids last night. I FINALLY had to go to the bathroom after 3 liters of fluids which shows how dry I was. I feel so much better ...lots of Cipro to kill whatever has invaded my guts, Imodium to control the "runs", and drinking lots of water with electrolytes-so far I'm on my 4th liter today.
The remote on Sunday was a true adventure. We set up a "clinic" under a tarp in an alley in a remote section of Port-Au-Prince. People started coming from all over to line up for medical care and to receive the food that Ommi had brought. We think a lot of them only wanted the food and we told them they didn't need to stand in line to see a doctor to get food, but they didn't seem convinced. Most people here are probably only eating 1x/day so food and water is so important to them. However, these people have very little medical care so they are taking advantage of the opportunity.
You don't see many old people here and the ones we do see are ancient. I don't know what the life expectancy here but I suspect it is low. I do know the infant and child mortality is high. One of the pastors took a couple of members of our group to visit a family with a 18m beautiful little girl named Virginia...how appropriate! However, it is a sad story. Her mother had abandoned the family and the father would leave the girl by herself all day only returning late at night. The shack was filled w/ filth...both human and otherwise. The father was found and agreed for our group to take the girl for a day back to the mission to clean her up, check her out medically, and get food and clothes for her....and the father wanted us to pay HIM to come pick her up the next day! However, it worked out and we all enjoyed her for a day. Her father did return to pick her up and is suppose to return her to the mission tomorrow so she can be placed into an orphanage.
There were no bathroom facilities in the alley so after asking if there was anywhere to go a couple of times, I stopped drinking. We were gone for 8 hrs and by the time we left I was so nauseous. I developed the severe diarrhea and then vomiting afterwards and spent most the next day lying on a cot in the shade by the bathroom. I felt rotten and was trying to drink but it was difficult even with meds on board. The next AM I awoke light headed and dizzy but worked for about 2 hrs until I almost passed out and then started vomiting again...back to the cot. Anyway, the IVs last PM were a true blessing! I've been on a diet of crackers for days so maybe this will be a blessing too! I think my last meal was on Sunday breakfast...dry cereal and the goat livers for Sunday night was certainly not appealing!
Time for maybe my first meal in a while tonight plus someone needs to use the computer. If I can, I will try to get back on since I have so much to tell. Continue to pray for our group and our mission here. Love you!
The remote on Sunday was a true adventure. We set up a "clinic" under a tarp in an alley in a remote section of Port-Au-Prince. People started coming from all over to line up for medical care and to receive the food that Ommi had brought. We think a lot of them only wanted the food and we told them they didn't need to stand in line to see a doctor to get food, but they didn't seem convinced. Most people here are probably only eating 1x/day so food and water is so important to them. However, these people have very little medical care so they are taking advantage of the opportunity.
You don't see many old people here and the ones we do see are ancient. I don't know what the life expectancy here but I suspect it is low. I do know the infant and child mortality is high. One of the pastors took a couple of members of our group to visit a family with a 18m beautiful little girl named Virginia...how appropriate! However, it is a sad story. Her mother had abandoned the family and the father would leave the girl by herself all day only returning late at night. The shack was filled w/ filth...both human and otherwise. The father was found and agreed for our group to take the girl for a day back to the mission to clean her up, check her out medically, and get food and clothes for her....and the father wanted us to pay HIM to come pick her up the next day! However, it worked out and we all enjoyed her for a day. Her father did return to pick her up and is suppose to return her to the mission tomorrow so she can be placed into an orphanage.
There were no bathroom facilities in the alley so after asking if there was anywhere to go a couple of times, I stopped drinking. We were gone for 8 hrs and by the time we left I was so nauseous. I developed the severe diarrhea and then vomiting afterwards and spent most the next day lying on a cot in the shade by the bathroom. I felt rotten and was trying to drink but it was difficult even with meds on board. The next AM I awoke light headed and dizzy but worked for about 2 hrs until I almost passed out and then started vomiting again...back to the cot. Anyway, the IVs last PM were a true blessing! I've been on a diet of crackers for days so maybe this will be a blessing too! I think my last meal was on Sunday breakfast...dry cereal and the goat livers for Sunday night was certainly not appealing!
Time for maybe my first meal in a while tonight plus someone needs to use the computer. If I can, I will try to get back on since I have so much to tell. Continue to pray for our group and our mission here. Love you!
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Second Day of Clinic in Haiti
It's hard to believe we've only been in Haiti 2 days. We arrived uneventfully on Thursday, but spent about 1 1/2 hrs at the airport getting all the supplies and bags. There were 3 other mission teams on the plane so enjoyed talking to them...Ohio, TN, California. I enjoyed every second of AC I felt at the airport....which was faint in the corridor...but I knew it would be the last for a while. The fan in the luggage area would occasionally blow some air my way, but I already had sweat dripping down my legs and back. It's going to be toasty!
Haitians crowded around the entrance to the airport and we had to make sure all our supplies-28 lg duffle bags- and baggage was secure on a truck - our transportation to the National Police Headquarters in Port-Au-Prince. Most of us loaded into the back of the truck covered w/ a blue tarp...you see lots of blue tarps here, but more on that later.
Maybe it was a good thing not to be able to see much on the ride from the airport to the clinic. It was a blur of speed and horns blowing, but we did see crowded streets, vendors, and rubble/destroyed buildings.,,and lots of blue tarps covering partial buildings or used as shelters. Other shelters were tents, but some were only sheets and blankets. They were a patchwork quilt built almost on top of one another.
We entered the guarded compound of the National Police Headquarters which survived the earthquake with minimal damage compared to most structures. The "Cimo" are an elite unit and are stationed here. We are surrounded by fencing and armed guards so I'm probably in the safest place in Haiti. We are right across from the National Palace which WAS a beautiful structure and destroyed in the quake. We are also on the major boulevard of the city so there is always traffic, noise, and people. The Haitian IRS building with all their records...and nothing on computers...was completely destroyed next door and multiple people killed. There are mounds of paper mixed in w/ the rubble. Many buildings have a # and "D" or "M" or them which means the # of people killed in that building.
We unpacked and set up "home" for the next 12 days...the concrete flat rooftop. We are all sharing tents and my roomies are Kim, a nurse from NN, and Fifie, a native Haitian but living in the US...and now Williamsburg for yrs. The first challenge was organizing everything....Kim's air mattress wouldn't inflate so she slept the 1st nt on the hard concrete...rather she didn't sleep! Fifie's carry-on bag was checked and didn't arrive so she had nothing, but a Haitian friend brought her a cot, and Kim and I loaned her items needed....her bag came the next day.
We had a thunderstorm w/ phenomenal hard rain...or maybe when you are in a tent it is just louder. We prayed that night and had some scripture, and even w/ these difficulties, everyone was in a great mood.
None of slept great the 1st night...it was hot and where were the tropical breezes I was expecting and I couldn't find my earplugs in the dark! I was awake by 5 trying to figure out how to devise a private area for a shower and a system catching rainwater to wash clothes. The scouts would be proud! At least we have a toilet...even if you have to prime it w/ water to make sure it flushes. It does flush and that is wonderful! We also have a shower but very limited H2O so it's suds up and dry off quickly.
We've had lots of rice and beans since arriving....and I had my first MRE last PM...and will probably finish it tonight. Tonight's dinner provided was crackers, peanut butter and jelly so the MRE is looking really good now. We did have potato salad at lunch today that was delicious...with rice and beans.
We meet at 8 AM each morning for assignments, any discussion, and prayer. Omni is in charge of the clinic since the earthquake so she directs us. People line up down the street waiting hrs patiently to be seen in triage and then sent to either General Medicinie, OB/GYN, or Peds. Everyone has to fall within these categories or we improvise. Saint Lee, a cardiologist, pulled 2 teeth yesterday. Roy Thomas, a PT, was giving advice to a client w/ knee pain but only during sex so that was an interesting discussion! The best case is Allan's involving a cockroach but that will have to wait for a blog by itself!
I have been assigned to Peds with Sally, a NP from Richmond, and her asst, Aqua. We are blessed to also have a pediatrician here from Norway who speaks French and a Haitian nurse who speaks Creole, French, and English. I have confirmed that I am incompetent to practice medicine so I try to triage the peds patients, take temps, and some minor hxs before passing them along to one of the 3. We are also blessed to have wonderful Haitian translators since we would be unable to function without them. There are communication problems, but w/ the translators and sign-language, we are managing. Smiles work well as does the occasional French word...good morning, good afternoon (I don't know how to spell the French equivalent), Merci for thank-you, and good-bye (again in French). People also come to the clinic for food and water which they receive when they leave as well as when waiting in line.
The Haitian children are beautiful! The girls have braids and ribbons in their hair. All of the children are obviously well-loved as you watch the interaction between parents and children. I don't have time to ask, but I would love to know their hx and how the earthquake has affected them. There was a 14 yo boy in triage who had lost his entire family in the quake and was now living on the street.
We are not seeing many acute injuries...that was right after the quake. However, we are seeing LOTS of respiratory problems from all the dust and concrete in the air, fevers, "flu"-colds, and allergic skin conditions. Of course, we also have plenty of other complaints including LOTS of scabies, head lice, diarrhea w/ blood, etc. I'm sure I'm forgetting significant other ones. Friday was a slow day w/ a steady rain so we only saw 200 people...today we saw over double that.
The clinic also has 1 or more ministers present who pray for the patients. I have tried to learn "God Bless You" in French, and I am hopeless so I told the minister I would let him pray, There are many Christian people here working and they will praise God and love to discuss their faith. It is inspiring in the midst of tragedy that people are so hopeful.
This morning, Allan, took me into the streets w/ him before the clinic opened to hand out Dum-Dum lollipops to the children in line and down through the tents in the street. We were like a Piped Piper! The poverty is overwhelming....people were cooking outside their tents, washing dishes, sitting, in the midst of tarps and blankets. The street gutters are filled w/ debris, trash, and mud. I don't want to think about any sanitation here since I doubt there is any.
Tomorrow is Sunday and an exciting adventure we just learned about tonight. Ommi has arranged for a bus to carry us to a distant town that is not receiving any medical care or help. We will set up a make-shift clinic and Ommi will distribute food and water. We will also have the opportunity to see Haiti and the effects of the earthquake. The other news is that Bush and Clinton arrive tomorrow to see the destroyed palace and other sights...but we may be on our field trip.
I hope this posts and that I have a chance to record more later. Please continue to pray for our mission and the health and safety of our team and the chance to show God's love and grace. Love you!
Haitians crowded around the entrance to the airport and we had to make sure all our supplies-28 lg duffle bags- and baggage was secure on a truck - our transportation to the National Police Headquarters in Port-Au-Prince. Most of us loaded into the back of the truck covered w/ a blue tarp...you see lots of blue tarps here, but more on that later.
Maybe it was a good thing not to be able to see much on the ride from the airport to the clinic. It was a blur of speed and horns blowing, but we did see crowded streets, vendors, and rubble/destroyed buildings.,,and lots of blue tarps covering partial buildings or used as shelters. Other shelters were tents, but some were only sheets and blankets. They were a patchwork quilt built almost on top of one another.
We entered the guarded compound of the National Police Headquarters which survived the earthquake with minimal damage compared to most structures. The "Cimo" are an elite unit and are stationed here. We are surrounded by fencing and armed guards so I'm probably in the safest place in Haiti. We are right across from the National Palace which WAS a beautiful structure and destroyed in the quake. We are also on the major boulevard of the city so there is always traffic, noise, and people. The Haitian IRS building with all their records...and nothing on computers...was completely destroyed next door and multiple people killed. There are mounds of paper mixed in w/ the rubble. Many buildings have a # and "D" or "M" or them which means the # of people killed in that building.
We unpacked and set up "home" for the next 12 days...the concrete flat rooftop. We are all sharing tents and my roomies are Kim, a nurse from NN, and Fifie, a native Haitian but living in the US...and now Williamsburg for yrs. The first challenge was organizing everything....Kim's air mattress wouldn't inflate so she slept the 1st nt on the hard concrete...rather she didn't sleep! Fifie's carry-on bag was checked and didn't arrive so she had nothing, but a Haitian friend brought her a cot, and Kim and I loaned her items needed....her bag came the next day.
We had a thunderstorm w/ phenomenal hard rain...or maybe when you are in a tent it is just louder. We prayed that night and had some scripture, and even w/ these difficulties, everyone was in a great mood.
None of slept great the 1st night...it was hot and where were the tropical breezes I was expecting and I couldn't find my earplugs in the dark! I was awake by 5 trying to figure out how to devise a private area for a shower and a system catching rainwater to wash clothes. The scouts would be proud! At least we have a toilet...even if you have to prime it w/ water to make sure it flushes. It does flush and that is wonderful! We also have a shower but very limited H2O so it's suds up and dry off quickly.
We've had lots of rice and beans since arriving....and I had my first MRE last PM...and will probably finish it tonight. Tonight's dinner provided was crackers, peanut butter and jelly so the MRE is looking really good now. We did have potato salad at lunch today that was delicious...with rice and beans.
We meet at 8 AM each morning for assignments, any discussion, and prayer. Omni is in charge of the clinic since the earthquake so she directs us. People line up down the street waiting hrs patiently to be seen in triage and then sent to either General Medicinie, OB/GYN, or Peds. Everyone has to fall within these categories or we improvise. Saint Lee, a cardiologist, pulled 2 teeth yesterday. Roy Thomas, a PT, was giving advice to a client w/ knee pain but only during sex so that was an interesting discussion! The best case is Allan's involving a cockroach but that will have to wait for a blog by itself!
I have been assigned to Peds with Sally, a NP from Richmond, and her asst, Aqua. We are blessed to also have a pediatrician here from Norway who speaks French and a Haitian nurse who speaks Creole, French, and English. I have confirmed that I am incompetent to practice medicine so I try to triage the peds patients, take temps, and some minor hxs before passing them along to one of the 3. We are also blessed to have wonderful Haitian translators since we would be unable to function without them. There are communication problems, but w/ the translators and sign-language, we are managing. Smiles work well as does the occasional French word...good morning, good afternoon (I don't know how to spell the French equivalent), Merci for thank-you, and good-bye (again in French). People also come to the clinic for food and water which they receive when they leave as well as when waiting in line.
The Haitian children are beautiful! The girls have braids and ribbons in their hair. All of the children are obviously well-loved as you watch the interaction between parents and children. I don't have time to ask, but I would love to know their hx and how the earthquake has affected them. There was a 14 yo boy in triage who had lost his entire family in the quake and was now living on the street.
We are not seeing many acute injuries...that was right after the quake. However, we are seeing LOTS of respiratory problems from all the dust and concrete in the air, fevers, "flu"-colds, and allergic skin conditions. Of course, we also have plenty of other complaints including LOTS of scabies, head lice, diarrhea w/ blood, etc. I'm sure I'm forgetting significant other ones. Friday was a slow day w/ a steady rain so we only saw 200 people...today we saw over double that.
The clinic also has 1 or more ministers present who pray for the patients. I have tried to learn "God Bless You" in French, and I am hopeless so I told the minister I would let him pray, There are many Christian people here working and they will praise God and love to discuss their faith. It is inspiring in the midst of tragedy that people are so hopeful.
This morning, Allan, took me into the streets w/ him before the clinic opened to hand out Dum-Dum lollipops to the children in line and down through the tents in the street. We were like a Piped Piper! The poverty is overwhelming....people were cooking outside their tents, washing dishes, sitting, in the midst of tarps and blankets. The street gutters are filled w/ debris, trash, and mud. I don't want to think about any sanitation here since I doubt there is any.
Tomorrow is Sunday and an exciting adventure we just learned about tonight. Ommi has arranged for a bus to carry us to a distant town that is not receiving any medical care or help. We will set up a make-shift clinic and Ommi will distribute food and water. We will also have the opportunity to see Haiti and the effects of the earthquake. The other news is that Bush and Clinton arrive tomorrow to see the destroyed palace and other sights...but we may be on our field trip.
I hope this posts and that I have a chance to record more later. Please continue to pray for our mission and the health and safety of our team and the chance to show God's love and grace. Love you!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Preparation to Go! Tuesday, March 16
I can add another new experience to my first mission trip...blogging. I've never done this before, never responded to one, and I'm not sure what I'm suppose to do so bear w/ me as I learn! However, it seems like a great way to share my trip to Haiti with you!
The organizer of this mission trip is from our church, Williamsburg Community Chapel. I felt lead to volunteer and after much prayer and soul searching...and some convicting revelations about myself which were painful...I found out last Wednesday night that I would be going. Since we leave early Thursday, I barely had 7 days to get my life in order! Michael was home on spring break from VA. Tech, and I wanted to enjoy some time w/ him...plus yard work, taxes, immunizations, start malaria preventive, solicit donations of supplies, gather my personal gear, board the pets, and all the myriad other things we do when we leave town. I plan trips MONTHS in advance...this time I had 7 days....and a trip unlike any I had ever taken.
I was stepping out in FAITH!
I'm taking a break from packing tonight. It's been a long day of running errands and picking up supplies. Physicians/nurses have been very generous donating lots of gloves, bandages, lidocaine, blue pads, meds, OB supplies, etc....everything we will use we must take with us. Dentists have donated toothbrushes/toothpaste, floss, and stickers. I look forward to handing these out to the children we will see so they can leave with something after hours of waiting and suffering. These supplies have been packed into large duffel bags weighing 50 lbs each. We will check 2 of these each as our "luggage".
Which leaves all the other "stuff" to fit into a backpack as our carry-on luggage. I like to pack light when I travel, but I usually have a bed, a shower, somewhere to wash clothes to wear again, a store for forgotten supplies, and protection from the elements and pests. In Haiti, I will have none of those things so I must take them w/ me.
We will be sleeping in tents so I have a sleeping bag, pad, pillow, towel, mosquito netting, toiletries, wipes, batteries, rain jacket, sunscreen, lots of bug spray, meds, clothing - scrubs, underwear, socks, journal/pens, flashlight/pocketknife/etc, snack food, hat...and the list goes on. Now you may be a better packer than I am, but can you image putting your entire life for 12 days inside a backpack! Thank goodness the food is packed elsewhere...which consists of MREs ..."meals ready to eat" used by the military. YUM!!!
We know that conditions will be 4th world. They will be way beyond the rustic of camping we are use to even in scouts. No showers so lots of wipes...I've tried to figure out how many to take per day. They take up lots of backpack room so tonight I plan to cut them in half...thanks for the suggestion, Deb!
There are no washing facilities so underwear, socks, and scrubs will need to be worn multiple days. Yes, I will have deodorant, but I'm not sure that even the most powerful will make me and the others feel "fresh"! Are you starting to get the picture?
I checked the weather and the coolest day looks to be 92. The rainy season is starting soon so 20%-30% chance of rain each day. It will be only by God's grace that I will survive the heat and humidity...and maybe my own body odor!
Many of you may be surprised to get an email telling you about my mission trip and letting you know about this blog site. I didn't tell many people because I knew you would send me wonderful emails or call me and I didn't have time to respond. This is my way to tell you that you are important to me and I want to include you on this adventure.
I don't know if I will have the ability to communicate once I'm in Haiti. One month ago this mission team occasionally could connect to the internet so we will see this time. It will depend on conditions and even if there is the presence of a laptop. I know my cell phone will not work while I'm there. Some of us travel many miles to "lose" technology on vacation but this might be a little extreme even for me!
Well, the break is over so back to packing. You know I love to be organized! Oh, for a little...or a lot!...more room. It does make you become creative...like powder for a bad hair day (which will be really bad after about 5 days!), scripture written on notecards rather than a Bible, duct tape wrapped around my pens, light day pads inside underwear (females will know what I mean and thanks, Dawn, for that suggestion!).
Hope more tomorrow and I'll send out an email late Wednesday night/early Thursday AM before I leave so you can hopefully join me in prayer and service for the Haiti people. I do ask for your prayers for our group...safety and health, free from injuries, good humor, lots of energy, an adventurous spirit, and the chance to share the love and grace of our Christ. I wouldn't mind unseasonably cool temperatures and for the mosquitoes to mysteriously disappear either...but I know we will manage!
The organizer of this mission trip is from our church, Williamsburg Community Chapel. I felt lead to volunteer and after much prayer and soul searching...and some convicting revelations about myself which were painful...I found out last Wednesday night that I would be going. Since we leave early Thursday, I barely had 7 days to get my life in order! Michael was home on spring break from VA. Tech, and I wanted to enjoy some time w/ him...plus yard work, taxes, immunizations, start malaria preventive, solicit donations of supplies, gather my personal gear, board the pets, and all the myriad other things we do when we leave town. I plan trips MONTHS in advance...this time I had 7 days....and a trip unlike any I had ever taken.
I was stepping out in FAITH!
I'm taking a break from packing tonight. It's been a long day of running errands and picking up supplies. Physicians/nurses have been very generous donating lots of gloves, bandages, lidocaine, blue pads, meds, OB supplies, etc....everything we will use we must take with us. Dentists have donated toothbrushes/toothpaste, floss, and stickers. I look forward to handing these out to the children we will see so they can leave with something after hours of waiting and suffering. These supplies have been packed into large duffel bags weighing 50 lbs each. We will check 2 of these each as our "luggage".
Which leaves all the other "stuff" to fit into a backpack as our carry-on luggage. I like to pack light when I travel, but I usually have a bed, a shower, somewhere to wash clothes to wear again, a store for forgotten supplies, and protection from the elements and pests. In Haiti, I will have none of those things so I must take them w/ me.
We will be sleeping in tents so I have a sleeping bag, pad, pillow, towel, mosquito netting, toiletries, wipes, batteries, rain jacket, sunscreen, lots of bug spray, meds, clothing - scrubs, underwear, socks, journal/pens, flashlight/pocketknife/etc, snack food, hat...and the list goes on. Now you may be a better packer than I am, but can you image putting your entire life for 12 days inside a backpack! Thank goodness the food is packed elsewhere...which consists of MREs ..."meals ready to eat" used by the military. YUM!!!
We know that conditions will be 4th world. They will be way beyond the rustic of camping we are use to even in scouts. No showers so lots of wipes...I've tried to figure out how many to take per day. They take up lots of backpack room so tonight I plan to cut them in half...thanks for the suggestion, Deb!
There are no washing facilities so underwear, socks, and scrubs will need to be worn multiple days. Yes, I will have deodorant, but I'm not sure that even the most powerful will make me and the others feel "fresh"! Are you starting to get the picture?
I checked the weather and the coolest day looks to be 92. The rainy season is starting soon so 20%-30% chance of rain each day. It will be only by God's grace that I will survive the heat and humidity...and maybe my own body odor!
Many of you may be surprised to get an email telling you about my mission trip and letting you know about this blog site. I didn't tell many people because I knew you would send me wonderful emails or call me and I didn't have time to respond. This is my way to tell you that you are important to me and I want to include you on this adventure.
I don't know if I will have the ability to communicate once I'm in Haiti. One month ago this mission team occasionally could connect to the internet so we will see this time. It will depend on conditions and even if there is the presence of a laptop. I know my cell phone will not work while I'm there. Some of us travel many miles to "lose" technology on vacation but this might be a little extreme even for me!
Well, the break is over so back to packing. You know I love to be organized! Oh, for a little...or a lot!...more room. It does make you become creative...like powder for a bad hair day (which will be really bad after about 5 days!), scripture written on notecards rather than a Bible, duct tape wrapped around my pens, light day pads inside underwear (females will know what I mean and thanks, Dawn, for that suggestion!).
Hope more tomorrow and I'll send out an email late Wednesday night/early Thursday AM before I leave so you can hopefully join me in prayer and service for the Haiti people. I do ask for your prayers for our group...safety and health, free from injuries, good humor, lots of energy, an adventurous spirit, and the chance to share the love and grace of our Christ. I wouldn't mind unseasonably cool temperatures and for the mosquitoes to mysteriously disappear either...but I know we will manage!
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