“Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.” Proverbs 3:27
Hi! This week there was a cold front in Haiti causing the temperatures to be a little cooler in the evenings and early mornings. We have also received a few downpours of rain over the last couple of weeks. We collected the rainwater from the roof and our water reservoir is now full again. In the Wharf Jeremie and Cite Soleil area of Port-au-Prince there was some flooding during these downpours. The drainage canals get plugged with garbage and water goes to where it shouldn’t be. The damage in the Gonaives area due to last years hurricane season still has not been repaired. People are getting angry at the government’s efforts at repairing the damage. A video made by World Focus shows the situation in Gonaives where people still are living around the mud. It is entitled “Hurricane mudslides bury Haitian towns”. It can be accessed at http://worldfocus.org/blog/2009/02/18/hurricane_mudslides_bury_haitian_towns/4112/.
People are angry with the government for not repairing the hurricane damage but the people are also destroying the environment, which causes these conditions. World Focus has another video entitled “Haitians destroy environment in struggle to survive”. This video can be accessed at http://worldfocus.org/blog/2009/02/18/haitians_destroy_environment_in_struggle_to_survive/4103/.
Pray that the Haitian people will one day look after their environment. Until then mudslides will continue to be a problem in times of heavy rains.
The Secretary General of the UN, Ban Ki-Moon and ex-president Bill Clinton will be visiting Haiti on March 9th. After they leave a team from the UN Security Council will be making a visit. These people will be assessing the situation here in Haiti. International Crisis Group has issued a report on Haiti entitled, “Haiti 2009: Stability at Risk” This report can be accessed at http://www.crisisgroup.org/library/documents/latin_america/b19_haiti_2009___stability_at_risk.pdf.
A report for the UN Security Council entitled, “Haiti: From Natural Catastrophe to Economic Security” has also been issued. This report can be accessed at http://www.securitycouncilreport.org/atf/cf/%7B65BFCF9B-6D27-4E9C-8CD3-CF6E4FF96FF9%7D/Haiti%20Collier%20report.pdf
Pray for the upcoming visits. These reports and visit assessments will be used to help determine future direction of the UN mandate here in Haiti. The government of Haiti needs the world’s assistance. If stability can be maintained development can move forward.
More than 100 children and adults who had cleft lips and palettes were seen at the Baptist Mission Hospital in Fermathe. Yvenson Joseph, a 6-month-old baby, received surgery this week to repair his cleft lip. He is doing well. This week the cleft lip/palette surgeries continue at Hopital Albert Schweitzer in Deschapelles.
We helped a missionary from Cayes get a hydrocephalus child registered in the hydrocephalus program this week and also drove her around to get the cat scan done.
The 6-month-old boy with hydrocephalus who was abandoned in Cite Soleil a couple of weeks ago now has a home. Chris took him from Dr. Joey’s clinic and he is now part of His Home for Children. He is now registered at Healing Hands as well and will be a part of the upcoming evaluations. Pray for his health and that an adoptive family can be found for him. He now has a name as well. His name is Joey.
A mother came to the house this week with her 2-month-old baby. Sterling Bonhomme is in a fragile condition because the mother doesn’t breastfeed him or gives him baby formula to drink. We registered him at Healing Hands this week. Next week all the hydrocephalus children will be getting cat scans done. Project Medishare makes it possible for poor parents like Sterling’s mother to be able to get a cat scan done for her child. We give the Lord thanks for their assistance. The neurosurgery evaluations will take place at Hopital La Paix on March 27th and 28th. The neurosurgery team from the University of Miami will be evaluating new cases and doing post-op checks on children who have already received surgery. Hopefully sometime in April the next round of hydrocephalus surgeries will be able to take place. Pray for the preparations being made for the upcoming assessments and future surgeries.
Kemly Arisma, an 8-year-old girl that is going blind came to the house this week with her grandmother. They live in the ravine area on the other side of Delmas 31. She has a bad skin infection covering her entire body. We have some donated antibiotics, so I was able to give her something to treat the infection. Pray the medicine works. We are also planning for her to see an ophthalmologist next week to find out what can be done to save her vision. Her eyesight keeps getting worse over time.
One of the worship leader’s at Pastor Pierre’s church died recently. He was helping to cut branches from a tree in the Kenscoff area and one fell on his head killing him instantly. Lukner said that in a way it was a blessing because he died without suffering and is now with the Lord. Pray for Pastor Pierre’s search for another worship leader. Pastor Pierre was cutting some large branches from a tree at the front of the house on Saturday. We were preparing for upcoming hurricane season by trimming some trees and lopping off branches hanging over the roof. He assured me that he knew what he was doing. I moved the pickup truck to the street just in case. He did a good job. The branch did clip the corner of the roof though and now we have to replace 3 cement blocks on the ledge. Now we can use the branches as fuel for the outside cooking area.
March 8th is International Woman’s Day. Sister Genevieve who works as a nurse at Bernard Mevs Hospital and the other sisters asked me to accompany them to visit Carole in Fond Parisien. These sisters are all from Colombia and don’t speak any English. We communicate with each other by speaking Creole. They told me that when they were planning their excursion to celebrate the International Woman’s Day holiday that it was between Carole’s place and the beach. The sisters voted for Carole’s and then contacted me. Sister Gloria was the driver. We just got out of Croix des Bouquets and she stopped their truck and asked me to drive. She said that she was sleepy and the last time she was like that the truck almost ended up in the ditch at the side of the road. She reminds me of Whoopi Goldberg. They had a good visit at the Love a Child compound and when we got back to Port-au-Prince they said that they would be planning another excursion out to the beach. I wanted to ask them how they could enjoy the beach and water with the habit uniform that they wear but was too chicken to ask. They are fun nuns!
That’s all the news for today. Have a good week!
Karen Bultje, Coram Deo
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