Sherye's reflections working with our medical team in April

Another trip finished! We are on the plane and on our way to Atlanta from the Port au Prince airport. It struck me on this trip that we focus so much on the beautiful children at St. Vincent’s that we don’t realize the changes we have made in ourselves. We are different in large and small ways—many of these we may not realize until much later.

I don’t believe I have never made a trip that I managed to give more than I got. I try to be more patient with people who are doing their best. I find I am less patient with complainers and I am trying not to be one. The Haitian people just do not complain. I spend money more carefully, and I recycle, reduce, reuse, and repair more.

This trip had 15 medical people and 3 who were not. I am the interpreter for the deaf students and adults at the school. As usual, I am completely amazed and dazzled by the medical team. The nurses from CBU are always remarkable and this time was no exception. They were so flexible and willing to do anything. It can be “interesting”dealing with sporadic electricity, schedules that don’t stop changing, various backgrounds and personalities, and a really short time to get to know each other.  But because we have one focus, one goal, by the end of the day we are functioning like a family and everyone manages to keep smiling and laughing.

I hope everyone on the team is more likely to approach a handicapped person as easily as we are to approach a non-handicapped person and start a conversation. These seemingly subtle things are important.

Sherye Fairbanks

April, 2014

Judith's impressions of her trip to Haiti April 2014

Reflections on my trip to St. Vincent's, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, April 5-12, 2014

This April I have joined the medical mission of the West Tennessee Haiti Partnership (WTHP). Even though I have no medical training, they convince me that all my talents and then some will be utilized while we are at St. Vincent's. WTHP comes to St. Vincent's every 6 months to check on the growth and well being of the children, the health of the staff, and to followup on children and adults of special concern.

Port-au-Prince is as I remember it. Sun, heat, sweat. People everywhere, walking, sitting, selling wares, riding motorcycles, bicycles, riding in dented and dusty TapTaps, cars, trucks, SUV's.

Happy Easter from Haiti- Rev Kesner Ajax' message

Brothers and sisters in Christ,

I do not want to let this opportunity pass without wishing you and all of our partners and friends a most happy Easter.

During the last few months a number of huge events took place.

Hopefully She Plays the Flute

One of the treasures I brought with me to Haiti on this trip was a beautiful silver flute.  The request came in an email to me about a month ago, from Moliere, a Haitian man I have known for years.  Each time I see him we are at Holy Trinity Cathedral for Sunday services, and his friendly but broken English matches my earnest but broken Kreyol.  Having met his two daughters several times, I have watched them grow every year into young girls.

So when Moliere sent me an email last month telling me his youngest daughter was learning to play the flute, and had a music teacher but needed an instrument, I decided to see what I could do.

Keys

Keys are an interesting phenomenon in Haiti. The medical clinic we work in has 4 rooms along one side of the building, and a long classroom along the other side with a pharmacy room at one end. A central hallway divides the two halves of the building, which is entered through one main door. All these rooms have their own key. Then there is the library, which we use as a nursing station and/or teaching room. And finally Pere Sadoni's office, which sometimes contains the scale for weighing (?) and often we store our supplies in there overnight.

Upon arriving at St Vincent's a curious game begins, usually headed by John who has played Find The Key many times. It goes something like this.

She Left Her Teeth in Haiti

The CBU nursing team did a fabulous job this week. Not only did they do checkups on 140 kids(and 35 adult staff), they had a Diabetic teaching session and a High Blood Pressure teaching session for many of the teachers. Creating patient brochures in Kreyol to explain diet and how high blood pressure or diabetes affects your heart and kidneys. I felt our medical clinic had advanced to an entirely new level.

The most fun teaching class had to be the TOOTHBRUSHING CLASS. Making giant teeth with plaster of paris poured into egg crates, Linda (CBU nurse), glued these onto giant pieces of red construction paper, and used silly putty for plaque and yarn for dental floss. The kids loved it!

When she was finished with her demonstration, Linda gave her TEETH MODELS to Elizabeth, the school nurse at St. Vincent's. Later on the plane ride home, as we traded stories about our week together, the other nurses teased Linda, saying She Left Her Teeth in Haiti.

Susan Nelson

Kalico Beach

Today was our last full day in Haiti. Spent at Kalico Beach, a fabulous beach resort about 1.5 hours north of Port au Prince, with crystal clear water, brightly tiled seating areas and almond trees full of fruit. Oh, and plenty of mango rum punch.

Uzoma (our cardiologist) asked us 1) do you plan to swim IN the water, 2) do you see the jelly fish in the water, and 3) those buoys out there in the water, do they have a net to keep out the sharks?

Not enough time

One of the realities of working in Haiti is the need to adapt or adjust your plans to the circumstances. Yesterday we planned to have clinic for the remaining children who had not yet been seen by the nurses, and to read the TB skin tests on the folks who had them placed on Monday and Tuesday. After lunch, the CBU Nurses planned a demonstration on proper tooth brushing (using giant teeth models made from plaster of paris in an egg crate- with yarn for dental floss!). Then we would hear the Bell choir perform for us and Mackenson would play his guitar. After that we were prepared to throw a carnival for all the children, having stuffed plastic easter eggs with mardi gras beads and cut clown faces out of cardboard the night before.