Photo update

Here I am with some of the girls from the orphanage. They love to have their photos taken and always want to play with my hair.


This is where I'm staying. Tarantulas and all!


Aisha, Laurie and Christy, who are here in Haiti with me.

Eviche, Tuesday

I know that this is all a little mixed up. We have been so busy that it has been challenging to find the time to stop and write. Tuesday, after we came back from our Monday night and slept we went to check out the bishop's closet in Eviche The bishops closet has become famous as a black hole for the donated supplies. I had been told that the mysterious closet was a ten minute walk from the hospital and it was difficult to get the keys to unlock it.

I imagined it was some solitary structure, like a metal shipping crate. I had been warned that it was hard to get supplies out of it if we ran out of something while at the hospital. The closet is just that, a large storage area in the bishop's house. The house is huge with a garden in the center and pink walls. It is guarded by two gates--one big and blue with a security guard--i imagine that that can all slow down the process of retrieving anything out of the closet, like a bag of IV fluids (something we needed and ran out of Monday night).

At the roof top is the famous black hole full of supplies. We took bags to stock for today's mobile clinic and Reina, the midwifery volunteer that is here long term. She has clearly been doing a great job as the supplies were all fairly organized (and more importantly the hospital has been stocked well enough although we have needed to dig for some of the supplies).

We packed up a bunch of vitamins, mama baby packs, a scale, urine dip sticks--all the prenatal basics. We also looked through the donated instruments, many of which are in terrible condition, and were able to pull out enough that each of the Haitian midwifery students could have a kit for suturing! We were even able to give them all at least one new bright and shiny instrument! I wasn't there yesterday (wed) morning when they received them, but am sure they were excited. I remember being excited about my suturing instruments.

After we went to Eviche, we napped again at the orphanage, our little oasis, in preparation for another night shift. It was challenging for me to sleep for long-- between the barking dogs and the children playing, so eventually I got up went to the courtyard to play with the girls. And that story will have to wait for another time. I am putting my dehydrated prickly heat rash self to bed!

Taking some antacids as I am trying to digest the goat innards stew we ate for dinner and hoping the tarantulas truly don't climb up to the second floor, as brother Mike promises....it's been an adventurous evening...good night!

Mobile Clinics

The heat today is stifling. We have gone to a little village called Bassim Zim to do a mobile clinic. We took a forty-five minute drive along a narrow and bumpy dirt road to get here, ducking out of the way to avoid sticker bushes and tree branches. It was great to have an opportunity to see the country side and the handful of families that have gardens. The area where we are for mobile clinic has a small school with two different classes of about fifteen students each. They have class in one large room, each group in it's own corner. Goats are tied up along the back of the building and there are turkeys and chickens.

We set up clinic in a newly constructed concrete building. Our two translators found benches for the women to sit on and we used two benches put together as an exam table. The pre-natals happen here once a month and women are given the very basics--bp, checked for anemia, asked about previous births and any complications, fetal heart rate is assessed, and the position of the baby.

Last night we spent time packing up vitamin bags for the women all the donated pre-natals, iron, folic acid, and antacids. I am grateful that we had so many supplements donated and that I can put them to good use. We have another mobile clinic scheduled for Saturday at the Joseph's community, an area I am eager to visit.

The women we saw today (we only saw 6 as the priest forgot to announce we were coming during church) were all under 120 lbs and between 26 and 33 weeks. I was happy that only one woman had elevated blood pressure, as I had expected to see more of that. I have to say it was disappointing that we were unable to treat more women.

We are headed back to Azil this afternoon, the infirmary where starving children are treated. It is the most intense and heartbreaking part of our experience thus far and I am not sure anything will top it. The nuns need a lot of help cleaning, changing, and feeding the children. There are four rooms filled with cribs and a small child per crib. They all want and need love and attention and to be held, so that is what we will do with our afternoon.

More soon...

I think it's Wednesday?!?!

Monday night Laurie, Cristy and I jumped right in and went to our first hospital shift. Logistically it has been hard to negotiate the scheduling. There are three unexpected women here and although there is a lot to do we have a limited number of translators etc.

At any rate we were feeling ready to jump in and so took the first shift. It is hard to remember exactly everything that has happened. My clock is a bit messed up from working all night last night as well. Monday, Wed, Friday the students are working and it is our job to help instruct them. They work alongside the graduated sage-femmes who work week long night shifts. Not so fun.

When we arrived the first night were three women in labor. A 27 year old woman having her first baby, a woman having her third and another primip laboring. The first mama had her baby within about two hours of us being there and just as she had started to push the ob came in and forced delivery with fundal pressure. I am not sure of his motivations or if that is a semi standard of practice. There seems to be an idea that some woman won't have the babies fast enough. Consequently the mama had a deep perineal tear. But the 6 lb. baby girl was healthy.

Our second mama was about 5 cm when we arrived around 7 pm. She was not having strong or consistent contractions and labor continued slowly throughout the night. Baby started off posterior and it was hard to get the mom to change to a position like hands and knees that could help her. We managed a few position changes but without much success. And as mama continued to labor the baby began to appear stressed, it's heart rate declining. Eventually, after doing some more aggressive techniques it was time to call the ob.

The ob works, from what I can gather, from 7 or 8 am until 7 pm. He is the only ob that we have encountered. A few months ago there was another ob on staff. Calling the ob in the middle of the night does not guarantee that he will show up. I imagine he has to draw the line somewhere or he will burn out. Not a job I could have, it would be too hard to say no. And even when he is called he doesn't always answer and when he does he has to call a driver who rounds up the doctor and his staff, driving them all to the hospital.

And Haitian time isn't fast paced as it is. So, when we finally called, after getting the baby out of it's posterior position but unable to correcting the swollen and de-dilating cervix, we really hoped he would show. It was about 2 am and we were out of resources and ideas and baby was really showing signs of distress. As the night progressed and mamas labor continued to slow we worried that we would probably lose the baby and possibly the weakening mother. It was and is still challenging to feel that helpless. All we could do was continue to support the mama and hope the ob would come to the hospital in time.

In the wee morning hours the babies heart rate bounced between 90s and 60s, well under the normal range and it really started to seem grim. We still weren't even sure the ob would come. In the end he did and prepped the mama for a c section. Laurie and I went into the OR with him and three other staff.

It was an ordeal finding clean scrub tops to wear into the OR--our shirts were far from sterile, but there isn't much here that is. We finally found paper hats to cover our hair and clean scrubtops and extra large pink crocs. I am certain we looked like clowns. The doctor was efficient. The OR was a small room that attached to what seemed like the supply closet. It was surprisingly well equipped with meds, instruments and machines, but seemed very primitive as though it belonged back in 1930.

A strange looking pumping machine, the cross like surgical bed and the piles of suture made it all the more surreal. But the cesarean was straight forward and within a few minutes, just before 6 am, I handed a 6.5 lbs baby boy who needed a lot of stimulation, but amazingly enough, no resuscitation. He was a little fighter and I hope he won't suffer any great damages from his prolonged distress.



Once the baby was stable we took him to the students for his exam and shots. And then we packed up and made the 30 min walk home in the already building heat. It was probably close to 7 am. The sun was blaring already. We walked by a church that is being constructed and where a group of men were having early morning choir practice. It was a touching way of ending the night.

Now to bed. Sorry that these aren't coming faster. There is a lot to do and it is hard to not just crash when I stop moving. I am doing well aside from a terrible heat rash! Tonight is only my second night sleeping. I sure that I will and hoping that I sleep through the barking dogs and confused roosters (they wake up at three am around here!). Tomorrow, if all goes as planned we will have a mobile clinic day!! Vitamins and supplies divided and ready to go! Good night.

In Haiti

I made it! Along with my friend Aisha, a midwife from Cali and Laurie, another Portland midwife. Our flight was canceled on Friday, so we arrived a day later with our truck load of luggage and eager-to-help spirits. The drive from PAP to Hinche, the town where we are staying was an adventure. Most of the way it was a winding and narrow dirt road that went through the mountains. It was actually fun and very beautiful.

It was overwhelming walking off the plane. I was ill from the flight or the anticipation or the energetics of Haiti or all the above, and deeply moved when we stepped off the plane to the greeting of live Haitian music. It was hard to not dance and to continue on our way to customs.

Our dirt road drive took about four hours. We passed the rubble and devastation of PAP. It was unreal. Like the city had been bombed. And the tent cities created white and blue patchwork near the base of the mountains we traveled through.

Stopped for a delicious and spicy lunch in some small mountain village. Women were singing for us there. And just happy to wave and be smiled at. It easy to fall in love with Haiti. It is very dry and very beautiful.

We are staying at an orphanage. There are 250 kids here. The orphanage I think has been in place for the last 20 years. Or at least Brother Harry has been here that long. The girls (and I think there are about 80) have only been here for a year. Thirty of them since the earthquake. And another space was rented to house the boys that came. The youngest child is three and the oldest 27. None of them will ever be adopted. For the most part, the kids fend for themselves, but do go to school and three will go off to college on scholarships in the States!

Our hosts are Brothers Michael and Harry. They are lovely and patient with us. Food is more than rice and beans. We have a cold shower and sometimes electricity and a semi flushing toilet. It the Hinche Hilton!

There are three extra ladies that came but weren't on the list and some are unsure about letting us work at the hospital on some nights. It is going to take a lot of initiative to get anything done. But so far i think we are headed in the right direction. Today we toured the hospital, met the ten midwifery students and Reina, the midwife from the States who is here for another three months. She has been here since March? And speaks good Creole already!!

Tonight we have our first night shift at the hospital with three of the students. I am curious to see what their skill levels are and nervous about my own ability to deal with emergencies that we never really have to in the States. I am glad to have Laurie and Cristy here with me.

Already though, I know I have touched one life. A woman in line for prenatal care who probably needs a million items like vitamins, that we take without thinking about the blessing of. In some way we connected and were both moved by our equally open hearts. And I know that in this environment where there is nothing, that compassion and love will be the most important things I can provide.

There is a saying here. When you ask "how are you," the response is always "I am no worse than I ever was."

Sent from my iPhone

Preparing for Haiti

Yesterday, Aisha, a dear friend, photographer and Haiti-trip companion, and I sat down and packed our green rubbermaid bins. We are taking four and one extra duffle bag. I have been gathering supplies for the last two months, thanks to all your generous donations, and feel for the most part that we are well equipped. It is hard to think about what to take, what to leave behind, and how to have a little something for everyone. I keep going back and forth on what to take and what to leave behind. Yesterday I bought a bunch of little things to take to Massion Fortune--the orphanage. I have candy, bubbles, stickers, soccer balls, nail polish, soap, and the much sought after peanut M&M's!

 
Off we go! Our flight leaves in a couple of hours. We have 355 lbs of luggage between two of us.  We are already in the cultural "hurry up and wait" mentality with multiple flight delays. Our 12 pm flight isn't leaving until at least 5 pm and I really hope that we don't miss the Miami to PAP connection. I wonder if I can reach our driver, Moliere, if indeed we need him to pick us up later. But baggage was greatfully checked all the way to PAP after we were told we would need to recheck it all in Miami. Now they are telling us that if our flight doesn't leave today we won't be able to leave until Sunday. There has got to be a different option. So send us Sat arrival time energy. I don't want to miss two days of work and time at the hospital in Hinche. That isn't part of my plan.
Here we go....hurry up and wait.

Ps. I was hugged by the TSA woman who had to search me. How many people have had that pleasant experience going through security! Blessings are hidden in everything.  

Gratitude

I am feeling very blessed by all of you who have made a contribution to this upcoming trip to Haiti! I cannot believe that I leave in a month! Yesterday, and again this morning, I find myself reflecting on some of my favorite donors. My little sister's best friend donated a variety of bottles of pink and purple nail polish that will be used to paint the fingers and toes of the little girls at the orphanage (and I wonder if any little boys will want their nails done as well). And my grandmother called this weekend to tell me she was sending me a donation that must go directly to buying peanut butter and bread for the mamas. I had to promise that I wouldn't do anything else with her donation. "Peanut butter, and whole wheat bread, if you can find it," she said, "is really good for those hungry mamas." Of course I will do just that. Buy peanut butter if I can find it, and bread, and take it with me to the clinic. I am also feeling blessed by all the strangers out there--the friends of friends that I have never met, who made a contribution, in one form or another to this cause. It is amazing to me, and I feel really honored to represent my community and a greater community on this journey.

Special thank-you's to my cousin Sarah, who from the moment I made the announcement that I was heading off to Haiti was excited, motivated, and helpful...
To my Aunt and Uncle--Chuck and Cathy for generous support and sponsorship...
To a long lost midwifery sister, returned baker, and generous, generous soul. You made a huge impact on my heart and sent so much prosperous energy into the universe...Thank you, Alissa...
To Brianna Jones. You are so sweet and I am going to paint all those toes just for you, knowing how much you want to be there yourself! I promise your turn is coming :)
To Anya, my Swanky Siren sister--thanks for motivating your own community and sending such a needed and generous package of supplies
To Lisa--I love you so much, sister!
To my auntie Carol for all of her support, love, warmth, and good wishes. I am so blessed!
To my cousin Linda, for donating her birthday cash to this cause--that really warms my heart...

And to all the rest of you....I am also deeply thankful and filled-up with joy!
Love to you all, aerlyn


Right now I am feeling excited and ready. I am waiting for last minute donations of supplies and cash to come in so I can finish with the purchasing of medicines, vitamins, and general medical supplies.

Also a friend of mine, who is a photographer is going to come on this journey, so there should be lots of beautiful and inspiring images to see when we return. We will keep you posted.....

If you want to make a donation through paypal go to www.paypal.com, account is under my email address: aerlynpfeil@gmail.com....
Thanks!!!

Haiti Presentation

On Saturday, March 27th, 2010 Jennifer, Desiree, and Patricia will do a presentation at Cedarwood Waldorf School in Portland from 4-7pm. We will do a slide show and discuss our trips to Haiti and what the future work looks like with Mama Baby Haiti. We would love for everyone to come. I will post more information as it becomes available.

Let's not forget that Haiti isn't the only place in crisis...

New York, December 21, 2009 — Civilians attacked, bombed, and cut off from aid in Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), along with stagnant funding for treating HIV/AIDS and ongoing neglect of other diseases, were among the worst emergencies in 2009, the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported today in its annual list of the "Top Ten" humanitarian crises.

Continuing crises in north and south Sudan, along with the failure of the international community to finally combat childhood malnutrition were also included on this year’s list. The list is drawn from MSF’s operational activities in close to 70 countries, where the organization’s medical teams witnessed some of the worst humanitarian conditions.

View the Top Ten Humanitarian Crises of 2009.

Three distinct patterns dominated in 2009: governments blocked lifesaving assistance to trapped populations, including in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Sudan, where aid groups—including some MSF teams—were expelled from Darfur; respect for civilian safety and neutral humanitarian action further eroded, such as in Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, DRC, and Somalia, where people—and in some cases aid workers—were either indiscriminately or directly attacked; people suffering from a host of largely ignored diseases were again neglected by the international community, and those living with HIV/AIDS saw their chances of receiving life extending therapy further diminished.

“There is no question that civilians are increasingly victimized in conflicts and further cut off from lifesaving assistance, often deliberately,” said MSF International Council President Dr. Christophe Fournier. “In places like Sri Lanka and Yemen, where armed conflicts raged in 2009, aid groups were either blocked from accessing those in need or forced out because they too came under fire. This unacceptable dynamic is becoming the norm. Our teams on the ground are witnessing the very tangible human consequences of these crises directly, either in war zones or in the AIDS and nutrition clinics in which they work,” he said. We’re therefore compelled and obligated to speak out.”

In Sri Lanka, tens of thousands of civilians were trapped with no aid and limited medical care as government forces battled Tamil Tiger rebels in the spring. Aid groups, including MSF, were banned from entering the conflict zone. In Somalia, civilians continued to bear the brunt of a vicious civil war. More than 200,000 people fled the capital, Mogadishu, in just the first few months of 2009 and aid workers were increasingly targeted – at least 42 relief workers have been killed since 2008, including three MSF staff.

In Yemen, civilians and hospitals were heavily affected by fighting in the Saada region in the north of the country as government forces fought rebels. The fighting forced tens of thousands of people from their homes and compelled MSF to close the only hospital serving an entire district after it was shelled. And in a glaring case of abuse of humanitarian action for military gain, civilians gathered with their children at MSF vaccination sites in North Kivu, DRC in October, came under attack by government forces. The attack threatened to severely undermine the trust necessary to carry out independent medical humanitarian work in conflict settings.

In Pakistan, where tens of thousands fled fighting, hospitals were struck by mortar fire and two MSF workers were killed in Swat Valley, where the organization ultimately suspended its operations due to the violence there.

On the medical front, years of success in increasing treatment for the numbers of people living with HIV/AIDS was threatened with punishment in 2009. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) announced plans to reduce or limit funding.

“Just when more and more people were accessing crucial medicines and medical experts were acknowledging the need to put people on treatment sooner, patients will be turned away from clinics because the funding just won’t be there,” said Dr. Fournier. “The timing could not be worse.”

The neglect also extends to childhood malnutrition, a treatable disease that is the underlying cause of up to half of the annual ten million preventable deaths of children under five each year. Global leaders gathered at the World Food Summit in Rome in 2009 failed to commit to combating the disease, which groups like MSF have shown can be prevented and treated by providing growing children with proper foods that meet their nutritional requirements.

Right now, international assistance to fight malnutrition amounts $350 million dollars, while the World Bank estimates $11.8 billion is required to adequately combat the disease in 36 high burden countries. Additionally, most food assistance is made up of costly and inefficient in-kind donations containing products of poor nutritional value that must be shipped overseas. Resources could be better spent on obtaining nutritionally appropriated foods closer to their source.

Other diseases, such as Chagas, kala azar, sleeping sickness, and Buruli ulcer continue to be neglected, with very few new commitments to expanding access to available treatment or carrying out research for much needed newer and more effective drugs.

“The tremendous resources devoted to the H1N1 pandemic in developed countries illustrates the response capacity for global health threats when the political will exists,” said Dr. Fournier. “Regrettably, we fail to see the same commitments made to combat diseases claiming millions of more lives each year.”

MSF began producing the "Top Ten" list in 1998, when a devastating famine in southern Sudan went largely unreported in U.S. media. Drawing on MSF’s emergency medical work, the list seeks to generate greater awareness of the magnitude and severity of crises that may or may not be reflected in media accounts.

And we find beauty and light in even the darkest of places....

More of Jennifer's words...."Today we went to a village to care for 200 people. Just four midwives (Patricia, Carrie, Kalia and me.) Three translators. There were 200 patients lines up for hours. Se set up three stations and consulted with families one by one. We handed out herbs, vitamins, antibiotics and more for many things such as scabbies, fungal infections, parasites, anemia, ulcers, skin staph infections and malnuturtion.

We did prenatals on about 40 women and gave them prenatal vitamins. One mother we diagnosed with twins, her 6th and 7th babies. Many people with high bp (220/120 seems so common, and the highest I took was 300/150).

We patched up burns and cuts. We saw a sweet man who was having s&s of a heart attack (also high bp) and told him he needed to go to the hospital (I wonder if they can help?). We referred several people out for more care at the hosptial (a 13 year old with seizures once a week and no glucose in the urine we dipsticked, a baby who was 3 months old, 5 pounds and covered in little spots… I will post a picture when I get home. I could not stop the tears from streaming down my face as I weighed him and we gave the parents money and a medical order to go to the hosptial.)

We are all very tired but feel very satisfied with how much we have done today. Saturday, we go to another village to do this again. Everyday I am welling up with tears at the suffering and the gratitude for my help, and the spirit I feel while serving.

Helped 1,200 People today!!---

Today was an amazing day, we are all on a high.

Started at 6am in the hospital. Got 4 hours of sleep but we aren’t tired. Helped many people during rounds (people in pain are so, so grateful for a couple Tylenol). Fed bread, pb, raisins and gave water to two rooms at the hospital. ( I have given up on feeding the whole hospital, so we do a couple of rooms each day.)

assisted at a cesarean at 10am (mom was syphilis positive). was needed by mom AND doctor. Hels moms hand and calmed her until I had to sterile up and help with the suctioning during the section. I was very immpressed with the doctors skills. He was fast and good.

Stopped by to nurse my Haitian baby on my walk home.

Showered and ate a great lunch of salad, rice, beans and goat meat.

Driver came came to get us to go to Joseph’s Village. We rode in the back of the truck on bumpy dirt roads (no need for amusement park rides in Haiti). We stopped at the gas station to pump gas. You will have to check out the pictures when I get home and post them! The gas is hand pumped from a barrel then hand poured into the tank.

We arrived in Joseph’s Village and were warmly welcomed. Saw about 8 sick people and then got down to the business we were there for. We met with the 9 members on the village council. They took us to their homes and they showed us what they bought with the $500 Desiree and Donna gave them two weeks ago. We took a picture (wheelbarrow, garden tools, PVC piping to get water to their garden plots).

I will write more in a different post about Joseph’s Village, but for now I’d like to say that they are a community of hundreds of families who have banded together and created a council to run their village. They live on 52 acres they have homesteaded for many years, and the government gave it to them a year ago. They have a school (palm fronds), a church (cinder blocks with metal roof) and very small, one room homes that are pretty much shack status (I’ll post pictures when I get back).

They have lovingly accepted hundreds of Port Au Prince earthquake victims into their homes, so they are very crowded. Joseph (their leader) lives in a two bedroom 500 square foot home with 14 other people (his aunt and uncle and their 8 children and 4 refugees).

We were happy to give them $4000 dollars (money we and other people donated) to work towards their goals of having a goat herd, chickens and water to irrigate large gardens. They promised to show us in 3 months what they have accomplished with this help.

All the council was present when we gave the money. We said our goodbyes and drove off into the country to find the water falls.

The ride to the falls was rugged and longer than I expected (an hour?). We bounced around in the back of the truck, soaking in the sights of Haiti: the two children on a donkey, the mom on a horse with a 6 month old in front and a 3 year old in back, families bathing in the rivers while wash is being done at the shore, motorcycle taxis honking past us with 3 or 4 people on them.

We crossed a river and went up a steep incline that I was surprised we made to the top. Finally stopped to walk the rest of the way. Men and children joined us until there was a crowd walking with us.

We walked forever and then came upon a beautiful site. Water cascading down the rocks. A pool of turquoise water below. The walk was so long that by the time we got there it was too late to swim. We snapped pictures.

We then headed to the top of the falls and realized why the crowd had followed us. We were taken by each had by a man and child and helped up the steep, long hill. Some of the boys had no pants, some had no shorts, none had shoes. One had a pair of boxer short underwear with so many holes in the butt that he was quite exposed.

We made it to the top thanks to our friendly helpers. We paid them all, and by their excitement, I am sure it was more money than they had seen in a long time (even the adult men were barefoot and in tattered clothes).

We rode back to town in the moonlight singing a Haitian song.

When we got to town we were dropped off at the central plaza where hundreds of people were praying and singing. Children on the swing set. A group playing soccer. There is no electricity, but at night, all gather to the central plaza where a generator lights the square. The excitement is infectious.

We asked Santos if there are any restaurants in Hinche so we could treat him to a meal (he had joked that other employers fed him, but we are always at the hospital where there is no food and everyone is so hungry and poor). A couple blocks away was a “night club and restaurant”. We were the only ones there. We sat outside around a rickety table on plastic chairs by a cement dance platform with a roof. Hanging from the ceiling as decorations were plastic bottles that ha been cut open into spinning flower designs.

We were asked how many plates and answered four (Kalia and Rayna are at the hospital tonight).

There is only one dish on the menu, so no decision making necessary. We were brought grilled chicken, fried green plantains and cabbage slaw with lime and hot peppers in it. The chicken was the longest, skinniest leg you have seen with very little meat. I took the tiniest nibble and then gave it to Santos. Carrie gave hers to him as well. Patricia ate hers (I hope she doesn’t get sick). The four pieces of fried plantains and cabbage slaw were delicious. I also had a soda (my first since arriving in Haiti). It was even cold!

At 8pm the music started and about 8 people showed up to dance. Wonderful Carribean music and some amazing dancing going on. Talented dancers Cha Chaed and twirled. I tried to get Carrie, Patricia or Santos to dance with me, but they were too shy. I couldn’t stand missing this opportunity to dance to my favorite kind of music, so I got up and asked one of the best dancers if he would dance with me. Everyone was very surprised and there was much laughing at the white lady dancing cha cha with the Haitian. As soon as the song ended, I thanked him and sat down, when another Haitian asked me to dance. By the time the song was over there were many dancers on the floor and large crowd of about 30 people had gathered to watch, as many people from the street had been pulled in to see the show.

We grabbed our things and left laughing (I didn’t want to get asked to dance again as my feet were so tired after our five mile hike plus all the other walking we had done just to get from place to place).

We stopped by at 9:00pm to nurse my Haitian baby, then arrived home to the orphanage to find brother Mike had been fretting over our absence.

We apologized for worrying him. He said we are the first group to come that goes out at night to work the hospitals and that gets around so much. He said, “You are the most active group I have had.” We took that as a compliment. We love being out with the people and working at night. However, tonight we sleep for tomorrow we have to visit the village, Pan de Azul to do medical care on many people. I am told hundreds will show. Today was a very full and beautiful day. Our “vacation day” in Haiti."