It gets messy……….

Going about God’s business is messy work. The mess comes in many different forms~ Spiritual, Emotional, Physical, Financial. Its painful. Its stressful. It can be brutal. It can be heart wrenching, soul shaking and overwhelming.

But- when we are about our Father’s business, there is a peace. As God’s work and will is done, it makes the MESS seem to be less.

But the question is not what we intended ourselves to be, but what He intended us to be when He made us. He is the inventor, we are only the machine.  He is the painter, we are only the picture. ~~ C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Mana is 12 days old and only 2 1/2 lbs. He was too weak to breast feed. His mom left her village in the mountains at 3:00 am to walk alone to RHFH. No one in her family or village would or could come w/ her. She arrived at 11:00 am. Later she returned home alone and w/out her sweet baby, trusting God and his people here to save her baby.

Widnie is my buddy. She’s fighting her way out of chronic and critical malnutrition. More on that later.

Advertisement

Read Full Post »

Liquid Love

Moms  know exactly what this is…….its juicy, wet, comes in many forms, is uncontrollable and mostly unpredictable.

THERE WAS A LOT OF LOVE GIVEN TO ME TODAY!!!

Liquid Love (Haiti style)

The 3 P’s of liquid LOVE- pee, perspiration, & poop (I’ll spare you the details……but there was A LOT & I had to leave the ICU to bath and wash my shoe).

The 3 S’s of liquid LOVE – snot, slobber & spit-up.

All the infants in the ICU………lots of LOVE there!!!

I loved them all back, but in a much drier way.

***Side note, there is a severe baby wipes shortage here. Just sayin’…… 🙂

Bring on the love again tomorrow babies of RHFH. I’ll see you in the morning and we’ll start again.

Isabell is a sweetie. She has many challenges. We do special exercises to make her strong and loosen stiff joints.

Please continue to pray for all these precious children.

Read Full Post »

Haiti Babies – or today’s ‘assignment ‘

Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to help the nannies in the ICU………..No Brainer!!!!

RHFH employs several hard working, loving nannies. There were 3 here today. But, with 5 ‘newborns’ + 10 toddler age-ish (or younger) critically malnourished babies, even the best nannies can use a little back-up. If your’e getting that warm and fuzzy feeling about sweet smelling, freshly bathed happy babies…..STOP! Not the case. Beautiful, yes. A blessing and miracle to behold, yes. Walking the ever so thin line between life and death, yes. Happy, not too many….they don’t have the energy to smile, or coo. Fuzzy headed, in patches if at all. BUT EACH ONE IS A MIRACLE. The mere fact they are alive today, this day, a miracle.

They each have a story of God’s love and grace and providence. I’ll do my best to share some……but keep in mind I’m blogging on my phone and typing w/ my thumbs!

This is Rolando. He’s doing really well. I don’t know his story, but he’s a flirt!!!! Watch out ladies!

This is Fredo. His is one story that will both break your heart and sing praises. Please don’t judge. Pray for him and his mother. Due to a desperation we can’t begin to imagine or understand, his mother tried to kill him. He was dropped into a latrine shortly after birth. A large rock was then dropped in on top of him. Not only did sweet Fredo land on a piece of cardboard (which kept him from sinking into the sewage) but the rock missed him. And a little village boy witnessed the mother’s action, ran to get help, and the men of the village tore down the latrine to save the baby.

And now he is here at RHFH. He is healthy. He is loved.

This little guy was my first playmate today. I haven’t learned his name yet. He is only a few weeks. His mom died shortly after giving birth. She knew she needed medical help. Did everything she could, tried multiple facilities, but couldn’t get the help she needed. She loved and cared for him until her last breath.

All lined up after there morning bath, Tena’s helping the older babies get dressed for the day!

My thumbs are tired. More photos and stories tomorrow.

Pray for the children of Haiti and the world that live another day only by miracles, love and grace. Pray for missionaries that give their lives to save and care for children and adults that would surely die w/ out them. Pray for Tena and I to be of some small blessing while we are here.

And pray for the possibilities of life.

If I were to wish for anything I should not wish for wealth and power, but for the passionate sense of what can be, for the eye which, ever young and ardent, sees the possible. Pleasure disappoints, possibility never. And the wine is so sparkling, what so fragrant, what so intoxicating as possibility. ~Soren Kierkegaard

Amen.

news from Cazale

Read Full Post »

Travel Day

So, How was your day?

3:00 am – wake up  call
4:00 am – airport shuttle
4:30 – check  bags, and experience the joy of hassle free security (seriously, at 4:30 the TSA agents still have a personality and are relatively pleasant)
6:05 am – depart Nashville for Miami
9:00 am EST – 5 hr lay-over  begins, also known officially as The Miami People Watching Extravaganza, in appreciation of our participation we received an unplanned bones hour…..noteworthy viewings to be disclosed later
3:30 depart Miami for Port au Prince, Haiti
5:30 load all the bags into truck and depart for Cazale (riding in the back of the truck w/ the luggage, no picture available, please contain your disappointment)
7:30 WE MADE IT!!!!

Supper was waiting…….

Yummy Haitian oatmeal!!!!!!

Our awesome accommodations were ready….

Its been a richly blessed day of travel. It was completely dark upon our arrival, so I wasn’t able to take many photos today. But check back tomorrow!!!!

Bonus: The missionary families here have  4 school age kids. Each year, they hire a teacher(s) from the US to come here and work w/ the kids. This is their classroom.Its just across the hall from our bedroom.

Read Full Post »

Locked and loaded…….almost

at least our bags are!!! Two blans (kreyol for white people or foreigners), 2 trunks (50lbs each), 2 LARGE checked bags (50lbs each), 2 carry-ons – of unknown weight, thankfully), & 2 back packs……..none of it possible w/out the love and support of friends, acquaintances, co-workers, family, church family, and God.

Thank you to each and every one of you!

Please remind others to follow our journey here on the blog! There will be more photos here than on Facebook. If you subscribe to the blog you’ll get a notification when I post new stuff!
Patiently waiting for breakfast to be served!

(notice the lights aren’t even on yet)

Read Full Post »

Sisters | Real Hope For Haiti

This is the ministry we will be serving with at the end of this month. The amount of love and ministry they share with the Cazale community is awe inspiring. http://www.realhopeforhaiti.org/?p=9694

Read Full Post »