Today

A woman died last week from Cholera, leaving behind a daughter about 11 and a son probably 8 months. We found a family willing to take them in. I gave them money a couple of times so they could buy food. The baby got sick and the woman for reasons uknown to me would not take the baby to the hospital. I did not know the baby was sick until today. Addison (our Hatian director) told the woman to bring the baby to his house so his wife could take care of him until we found someone suitable to take him in. When she brought him over I took him from her and laid him on the bed. I noticed he was gasping for breath I called our friend Emory to get the contact info for a local pediatrician. By the time Emory called back (approx. 5 min) he had already passed away. It is times like these that are very difficult here. At first I want to blame myself because I didn't choose a good home for him. Then I realize it's not about me and God is in control. (Not that I can't learn from mistakes just that self focus is not what is needed right now). So we begin to plan on getting the body buried. I hire a local carpenter to build a coffin, send someone to pay the fee at the courthouse for a plot in the city cemetery and buy some burial clothes for the boy. The gravity starts to set in and I have to take a walk By the time I get halfway to the ocean I am sobbing asking God why. I call my wife so I can grieve in English for a while and start to head back. Addison comes to meet me halfway because he has run out of money for all the things he had to buy for the "funeral". I talk with him for a bit but the cemetery is closing soon so we have to get going. I get back to his house and realize they have bought a dress to bury him in and I can't let it go. I tell them if we are cleaning the body and building him a coffin to respect him we can't put him in girls clothes. They oblige the white guy and go get him an appropriate outfit. We put it on him, lay the body gently in the freshly made box and take it to the cemetery on the back of a motorcycle. When he first died I prayed that the Lord would "undo" it, heal him, bring him back to life. He said "he is with me" so I stopped.

How is it that I "share in his sufferings" and he rejoices as he welcomes this yet unnamed boy into His kingdom? My life remains a contradiction, but I'm content to share in His work.

Thanks for your prayer and support,

Brian

Pakistan

These are some of the children met the women are embroidering center have made clothes for. The one picture is of them in the clothing. The other one is the of us giving them their school uniform. It's 200 children that we are selling uniforms for. The other pictures are of what used to be a Hydro electric generator which supplies electricity to about 40 or 50 homes. We will be replacing these one at a time. It's a source of income for those who had the generator has their business and maintaining it and all the lines running to the homes. We are working on a regular basis in this community, searching out those affected by the flooding in meeting their needs on a personal basis.

We are continuing to care for our widows that we have built homes for and the man who was paralyzed in the earthquake. Supplying food for them and helping them with small startup businesses.

Cholera update and roadblocks

We have had no new cases of cholera reported yesterday or today. Although we have seen some relapsing. Many of those that have gone to the hospital to be cared for have been sent home after they have had a few IV bags and have been somewhat re hydrated. When they return home and the symptoms return they end up just as sick as they had been previously. We have continued to help those we find in need and are still giving purified water and hydration solution to all who need/want it. We 2went to Cap Haitian yesterday to help some doctors get out of the hospital they were stuck in because of the rioting that has been going on there. We had to navigate through a few roadblocks set up by protesters. It was an interesting day. It was encouraging that as we made our way north yesterday and explained to people that we had a nurse and medicine to help with cholera they let us through. Sometimes a little slower than others , but we made it through all of the blockades. Most Haitians I meet care about their fellow man so when given the opportunity to help most jump at the chance. We had a group of three that rode with us about half the way because they knew many of the people protesting so they helped us negotiate at some of our stops. They asked for nothing but i did pay them a little for their help. It is also difficult to see the response the protesters feel they have to give to combat injustice. One man in particular was beside himself with grief after losing a family member to cholera, he ran around with a baton yelling that he would let no one pass his blockade. When I explained to him that we were there to help he quickly let us by. On our way back through after we picked up the doctors I encountered the same man again who seemed to be in worse shape emotionally than he was the first time I saw him. He was still carrying a baton and wanted to fight with anyone who was willing. As he ran past me i tried to stop him to talk to him maybe console him try to show him someone cared. He was unwilling at the time and we needed to get on with the group anyway, but I am struck again by the hopelessness that so many feel and can't begin to imagine the position poverty puts them in. They are well aware that if a person with means gets cholera their chances of survival are great as opposed to the poor who die needlessly. That is some of what drives them to protest and at times become violent. When your whole life is spent looking up at despair the emotions sometime boil over. The work continues as we try to offer hope to those that are mostly forgotten. Thanks to all who are willing to engage with us as we crawl forward.

Brian

P.S. there was also a reporter with the group of doctors who was doing a story on their activities. I think you can find her report at Roanoke.com. If that's not right I know the paper is the Roanoke times so you can google it. Sorry this wasn't a well worded blog. I'm kinda just rambling a bit. The next one will be better, (i think).

Update

As of yesterday we had begun to see the amount of sick level off here in jubilee. UNICEF says they will have thier clinic open today, so hopefully we can direct people there. We had mostly children in the clinic yesterday. We were able to transport them to the hospital in the afternoon. We had an 8 month old on the back of a motorcycle with the mother holding the babywith one hand and the IV bag in the other. Sometimes that is the way it goes here. We were without a vehicle because one of the american teachers had a sudden tragic death in the family yesterday and needed to get back to the states so the truck was on its way to Port au Prince. We also had a baby born at the clinic yesterday. A woman in labor came on the back of a moped and said she was giving birth. Who was I to argue? So when our american nurse returned she helped the woman. Then 30 min later she was on the back of my motorcycle going back home with the baby. I drove as slow and smooth as Haitian roads will allow. We continue to help those whom we can and are giving a hydration solution in 5 gallons of water to all who want it. Each day has it's own challenges, victories and defeats. I take comfort in the fact that God is unchanging.

Brian

Cholera in Jubilee

Thanks to all who have helped financially with the cholera outbreak here in Gonaives. We have had close to 50 people that have come for medical help. Probably a quarter of them have needed IV fluids. Most are still very sick. We know of 13 in our community that have already died. With one of them being a student in the school here in Jubilee. We were able to send all of our patients to a hospital today that UNICEF is helping to respond. I am sure we will continue to get more sick in the next few days. We have been giving as many who want it purified water and a hydration solution to help with those who are sick or may become sick. We have sent someone into the community for the last two days with a megaphone to educate about how to prevent the spread of the disease. We have been handing out soap and hand sanitizer as we have had supplies. We feel encouraged that it has not been as bad as it potentially could be. After the first day we had 6 die and we thought the next day would be exponentially worse but we are hoping that it has leveled off here. Although we are not out of the woods yet we are optomistic that it will get better rather than worse. We will continue to educate people on how to prevent the disease and provide the best care possible to those already infected. Thank you all so very much for your support. I will try to update again soon.

Brian

Flooding in Gonaives

I have been in Port au Prince for the last two days. The rain has been heavy at times but there doesn't seem to be any flooding. Gonaives had started to flood but as I am writing this we got a report the rain has stopped and the water has gone down, but the potential for more rain and flooding is still high. Please continue to pray for our friends there. Please also do not forget about the flooding disaster in Pakistan which still continues to be a great hardship on the people there. I will update again when I have new info.

Thanks for all you do,

Brian