Saturday, November 21, 2009

Thanksgiving in Haiti Nov 21 2009



It's almost Thanksgiving. I am SO thankful, for more things than can be named. This past week while we tried to give baby Dathsun a chance for life we were especially thankful for the oxygen concentrator, inverter and batteries, hot water bottle, feeding tubes, syringes, blankets, preemie baby clothes, preemie-xs diapers, our pediatrician, pediatric nasal cannulas and tubing, Karen who drove us everywhere we needed to go and kept checking on the baby at the hospital. And so on.

Dathsun was born Nov 7, 2 months early, to a 13 year old girl in Gonaives. He was 1 lb 10 oz and hypothermic when he came to us Nov 13. We took him to General Hospital the next day. They said he was too old(!) for an incubator and put him in a small cribwith no warmer or other special support. General Hospital went on strike over the weekend. They stopped treating Dathsun and all other patients. Dathsun came home Tues Nov 17 weighing only 1 lb. He stopped breathing twice that day but was resuscitated both times. Oxygen, a hot water bottle and regular feedings thru a feeding tube kept him alive until Wednesday evening. We lost electricity and could not use the oxygen concentrator. Dathsun passed away not long after.

As we used these items I kept thinking of our friends in the U.S. who sent or brought all these things. People say nice things about those who go to other countries to help others. But, don't forget that no one could do anything without all the wonderful people at home! Being allowed to go is a wonderful gift. The real heroes are the ones who stay home and make everything work. How I thank God for you!

Jerry Cheatham brought a group to Haiti recently. As usual a few members of the group spent each day with us. They REALLY loved on the children. They also brought lots and lots of goodies for us, stuff for fun and stuff we really need for operations. They were lots of fun!!!

Myson was pretty sick when we saw the doctor Thursday. She said he would have to go back in the hospital if the antibiotic she prescribed didn't work fast. Praise the Lord, it worked fast! Myson has not had fever since he started the antibiotic and his breathing is much better. Praise the LORD!

Agape Flights graciously delivered turkeys yesterday! We have a nice little turkey that cost only $8 USD in the U.S. Here it would have been at least $50 USD. We are planning a feast! I hope you enjoy your feasting as much as we expect to!

Mostly, I am thankful that the Lord who created the entire universe is personally interested in every human being who has ever lived on earth. He sees past our faults; He care about the smallest details of our lives. Through Jesus He made a plan to forgive our sins. He offers us eternal life with Him in heaven, a perfect place where death and illness and pain and suffering will not exist. All we have to do is repent our wrongdoings and follow Him.

May the Lord bless and keep you.

November 11 2009 Update

November 11, 2009

Myson was admitted to the hospital a couple of weeks ago with bacterial pneumonia. He is home now and doing better. The doctors gave up their plan of waiting until he's 2 before starting aids meds. He started the meds while in the hospital. Praise God! I was afraid we were going to lose another child to aids. Treatment gives him at least a chance for a good life.

Emmanuella survived another bout of pneumonia. This week she has enjoyed attention from ladies visiting from Kentucky. They even read to her! It is wonderful to watch these ladies showering love on our children. The kids have had a blast! (I also had a blast, and appreciate all the goodies they have brought: food, diapers, washcloths, towels, clothes, shoes, and so much more.) We have been enormously blessed. Thank you, Lord!

A very sad thing happened, too. A sick baby came in from Gonaives and died the same day. It is always hard to lose a baby. Only knowing that he is in heaven brings comfort.

Dianne Groves spent a week with me! She got more of an adventure than she expected. We went to General Hospital to the pediatric ward and then to the abandoned children's ward. Four kids to a crib, cribs crammed into a too-small room --- it was horrible. Then I got bronchitis and then the baby died. Dianne got a taste of the reality of day to day life here. God has something special planned for Dianne to use this experience. We are eagerly waiting to see what it is.

The Lord has answered prayers in special ways. We have sponsors to pay our pediatrician for the next 13 months! Our staff is paid for October, rent paid for November. Our car's wobbling wheel is steady again and the muffler is almost repaired. The neighbors for a couple of blocks around us no longer know when I leave home and return! [grin] The computer died last week and a new one will be delivered tomorrow! Yay God!!!!

Never underestimate the power of the living God. He created and owns everything. He cares for the smallest details of our lives. He never forgets anyone or anything. Even when we don't understand what is happening or why, He already knows the beginning and the end and is working everything out. He has wonderful things planned - greater than we can imagine - for those who follow Him.

Life is a challenge for all of us and I thank you for continuing to support us even in hard times. May you receive the very best that the Lord has planned for you.

Blessings!
Dorothy