photos - port glace, iliodor - part 2

The sailboat made quick progress crossing the lake with a strong breeze pushing it forward.

The sailboat driver yelled out to the rowboat driver to get out of the way. The driver pulled on his oars to get out of the way. One of the passengers was a little anxious and was preparing to abandon ship! The sailboat passed without incident.

The sailboat stopped along the shore and Wilben's mother started to descend the boat holding Wilben's in her arms.

Wilbens is 4 months old and looks like a candidate for hydrocephalus surgery. Hopefully he will be considered for the next round of hydrocephalus surgeries in October 2008.

haiti update - august 2, 2008

“For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:14

Hi! This week was a busy week with the medical program. We now have the papers from the hospital in the United States for both Chrisno Jeudi and John Charles. Now we are awaiting a visa appointment in order for these babies to go to the United States for hydrocephalus surgery. I visited Chrisno Jeudi this week and he has recovered from his illness and is back to his spunky self again. Pray that these babies stay healthy and that we are able to get a medical visa for them.
Angelo Lafortune’s aunt called me from the United States this week. She told me about the results of Angelo’s MRI. The brain tumor has shown no sign of returning which is good news but the MRI shows that he has experienced bleeding in the brain probably due to a fall while in Haiti. As a result he will need to stay a couple more months in the United States for follow-up and possibly need to undergo another brain surgery. Keep him in prayer as the doctors decide how best to treat him.
We are working on the paperwork for Daphka, a 4-year-old girl with an orthopedic problem who has been accepted in the United States for surgery. We have had to redo her birth certificate, as the original birth certificate that the mother provided was a false one prepared by racketeers. To correct this takes time. We were able to redo the birth certificate and now are waiting for further paperwork before applying for her passport. The government officials have been helpful in speeding up paperwork time in order to help with medical cases.
We also made a couple of visits to a new area I haven’t visited yet in order to meet with Iliodor Noel. He is now strong and healthy after almost dying from infection. He is the young man whose leg was rotting from untreated gangrene for 3 months that we helped get an amputation at General Hospital. He is now getting used to living as an above the knee amputee. The stump has healed well and we are starting the process of getting him registered at Healing Hands with the hope of getting a prosthesis. Iliodor lives in the Malpasse area, which is by the Dominican Republic border with Haiti. When we got there he was waiting for us. I thought he lived in the area where we parked. When I asked him where he lived he pointed to the other side of the lake. There is a road on the other side of the lake leading to the village but we would have had to drive into the Dominican Republic first and go around. He got across though on one of the community sailboats. I asked him the name of his village and he answered Port Glace. I don’t know why it is named this because “glace” is the French/Creole word for ice! Iliodor is a friendly guy and after we helped him he wants to help other people find help as well. He had told us about a hydrocephalus baby living in his village. I asked him where the mother and her baby were and he asked to borrow my cell phone. He called someone who lived across the lake and told them to send the boat. There was a good breeze blowing so this Haitian sailboat made good time crossing the lake. As it got close to our side of the lake it was traveling fast. There was a rowboat setting out and it was in the path of this sailboat. I think Haitian maritime laws are the same as the laws on the road. On the road the larger trucks force their way and sometimes you have to swerve off the road to get out of their path. The same was true for this poor rowboat. The sailboat driver yelled out to the rowboat driver to get out of the way and the rower really pulled on his oars to move his boat. I took a photo because the boat was nearing shore. One of the passengers in the rowboat was a little anxious and was preparing to abandon ship. I was able to capture this moment on the photo and you can see it on the blogsite. There was no collision and the sailboat arrived with no problem. The baby is doing well and is only 4 months old. The baby is the youngest of 5 children. The second visit that we made on Friday we encountered 2 new medical cases. Iliodor knew of a couple of other people who had handicapped children and had them come and meet us for Friday morning. One man had his 15-month-old daughter with him. I asked the man where he came from and he pointed behind him and said that he lived on the other side of the mountain that was behind us. The girl has cerebral palsy and needs physiotherapy but I had to tell the father that he lived too far away from Healing Hands in order to get physiotherapy. A mother with a young boy with a severe orthopedic problem in both legs was there with her son. Hopefully we can find a hospital to help him in the United States. Pray for the handicapped who live in Haiti and also for more missionaries to come and help the handicapped.
A father came to our house this week with his 12-year-old son. Jameson has never been to school and is very malnourished. He has a form of malnutrition called kwashiorkor, which causes swelling. His voice was weak and it was an effort to walk. He is now in the Missionary of Charities Hospice getting care for his malnutrition. Pray for Jameson and other children like him.
Another of the handicapped children that was kicked out of a local school came with her mother to the house this week. Judite Pelican’s mother told me that her daughter begged her to come see me. Judite is also suffering from malnutrition. Her hair is orange and she is thin. I told her mother to send her here every morning during the week and she could then eat breakfast and lunch here as well as participate in the tutoring sessions that Samuel Marcelin and Jn. Eddy Alexandre are holding for the children.
This week we picked up a donation of Feed My Starving Children rice meals provided by Love a Child as being part of the ODEOS organization of orphanages. It was a 2-month supply so we have lots of food not only for us but also those in need in the community. We give the Lord thanks for this food.
I saw Reginald Jules in front of our gate on Monday and greeted him. Reginald is the boy who I saw begging in front of One Stop last week. That evening Manu told me that Reginald had asked him if he could come and help to make briquettes. I told Manu to tell him it was okay to come and help but forgot to tell the older guys this. The next morning I left early and when I came back I noticed that Reginald was still waiting outside the gate. He came inside and started to make briquettes. He has come by every morning and is usually here around 6:30 am and leaves in the late afternoon. I am glad that Reginald made the choice to make briquettes rather than begging on the streets. The boys have fun and sometimes fights making the briquettes but it keeps them busy and active.
Jean Anderson Jeudi and his mother came to the house this week. She told me about her son’s recent kidnap experience. Anderson is about 12 years old and is deaf. We had helped him for several years attend a deaf school in Bon Repos. The mother works at a factory and Anderson would keep himself busy helping out neighbors and walking around the community. A couple of weeks ago kidnappers grabbed him. All his mother knew was that he was missing. For the last couple of weeks she had been praying and searching for him. A police report was filed but the police had no leads. The kidnappers eventually released him by the television station on the corner of Delmas 33 and main Delmas. He communicated with us by showing with his hands what he went through and the kidnappers did not treat him well. He was beaten, bitten, choked, cut with a razor and bound during his ordeal. When he prayed they beat him. The kidnappers were not very bright. They did all these things to him to get him to show them his mothers phone number on their cell phone. A deaf person who cannot talk has no use for a cell phone and Anderson didn’t know his mothers’ number. He also has learning problems as well and doesn’t even know his numbers. Even if these kidnappers are never found God knows who they are and will deal with them in His time. The kidnapping of children is becoming more common. According to a report that the UN released covering the time period of January to July 2008, 68 children have been kidnapped so far this year. 35% of all victims of kidnapping are children. For all of 2007, 80 children were kidnapped.
Jean Anderson is now staying here temporarily at Coram Deo. His mother is scared to let him walk around and he is too. Now I need to learn some sign language in order to communicate with him. Pray for Anderson and his mother.
That’s all the news for today. Have a good weekend!
Karen Bultje, Coram Deo

photos - children

Johnsly Stelle is a 7 month old baby with clubbed feet. His left foot is more clubbed than the right one. His father is doing a good job of raising him after the mother died 15 days after giving birth.

Octavio Jean has a cleft lip and palette. It is good that Smile Train has expressed interest to help children and adults in Haiti born with this problem.

Bertony Philistin has an abscess under his arm. Hopefully with medicine it will go away on its own. The family lives near our house. His mother is almost blind and the father died recently.

Marcensly Pierre is a young baby with hydrocephalus. Hopefully he will be one of the children selected for surgery sometime in October or November.

Jonel Colo is another infant that came to the house with hydrocephalus. He is also registered in the hydrocephalus program. Hydrocephalus is a common problem here in Haiti.

haiti update - july 26, 2008

“In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” Proverbs 16:9

Hi! This week was a busy week with the medical program. Francisco of Smile Train was able to see most of the hospitals he had on his list. He returned to the United States on Friday. Pray that a plan can be put in place to help children/adults with their cleft lips/palettes.
We give the Lord thanks that Stevenson Pierre was finally discharged from the hospital at the end of the week. His treatment for pneumonia was successful and now he is able to sit up again. Pray that his nutritional status can be maintained with his mother.
We have seen a few children who have had abscesses that needed treating. Bertony Philistin, a young boy who lives in the neighborhood had an abscess under his armpit that was bothering him. He is taking medication for it now. We have known his family for several years. His father died in June and his mother is almost blind so the family is really struggling right now. Keep this family in prayer. Doudeleimy Beaubrun, who just got back from the United States, has an abscess on her side and she is now taking medication for this as well.
This week we were also able to hold a clinic on Tuesday afternoon. A couple of visitors who were staying at Sheri’s house are nurses and they were able to see and treat 25 people from the community and here at Coram Deo. We give the Lord thanks for medical people who come to Haiti to help.
Johnly Stelle is a 7-month-old baby who has clubbed feet. He has been going for casting at Healing Hands for the last couple of months. Hopefully the casting will move his feet into a straighter position over time. His mother died 15 days after giving birth to him and his father is now raising him. His father is doing a good job of looking after him.
2 hydrocephalus babies were brought to Coram Deo by their families. We registered them at Healing Hands to be put on the list for the upcoming hydrocephalus surgeries to be held sometime in October or November. One of the hydrocephalus babies is Juniya Lyra. She was operated on in May but the operation didn’t work and her head started to grow again shortly after surgery. She needs a shunt surgery but the only way is to find a neurosurgeon for her here in Haiti. The way her head is growing I don’t think she can survive until the next round of surgeries in October. Keep this family in prayer as they wait to see what is God’s will for her life.
Before bringing Evenerson to Deedee’s we did some blood work. Michelore’s mother came along as well. Michelore is now standing, walking and running and is doing well at Deedee’s home. Michelore is also Evenerson’s uncle. One year ago, Michelore could not stand or walk. Now he can help work with his nephew Evenerson. Michelore’s mother didn’t do so well on the ride in from the village. She got car sick and vomited outside by the laboratory but “Boukie” (John Charles’ father) had her lick the tire of the pickup truck. This is a Haitian home remedy for carsickness. He told me this after I came with Evenerson from the laboratory. Michelore’s mother thought she would do okay but I made her sit outside in the back of the pickup truck for the ride to Deedee’s. I told her that this was the Canadian home remedy for carsickness. I didn’t want to have to clean out the inside of the pickup truck if she got sick again.
In the village where Evenerson is from (the same village as Doudeleimy and Paulna) you can see the contrast between voodoo and Christianity in the lives of the people. Evenerson’s father is a “hougan” (witchdoctor). He shows no part in supporting his family. He has made the statement to people that he is giving one of his children to the devil to eat. In this way he will have more power. The malnutrition that is affecting Evenerson is part of this process. Pray for Evenerson’s family. His mother says she is a Christian and attends church but she is still a part of the voodoo lifestyle. Paulna’s family has also been affected by the voodoo influence as well. Paulna’s grandfather is also a “hougan”. Paulna’s mother was 12 years old when she started attending a Christian church with her older brother. At 12 years of age she turned her back on the voodoo faith and became a Christian. She raises her family as a Christian household. Paulna’s grandfather is still a “hougan” but the family is praying for him that one day his heart would be changed. In July people of the voodoo religion travel to Saut D’Eau to bathe in the waters there. They pray to the spirits for changes like more money, health,etc. Paulna’s grandfather attended. Paulna has a cousin who is 11 years old and his name is Benson (not the Benson who lives at Coram Deo). The parents are Christians and try to bring him up in the Christian faith but the voodoo influence is pulling at his heart. He will sometimes disrupt the church service or run away on Sunday mornings and come back home in the afternoons. He attends the voodoo ceremonies without his parent’s permission and sometimes is overcome by the “loas” (spirits). During these times he will throw rocks at his father, or eat pieces of glass to show that nothing can happen to him.
Pray for Paulna’s family as they fight the voodoo influence on part of their family.
This week Kensley Gilot who is 10 years old came to Coram Deo with his mother. He has never been to school and according to his mother can’t learn. Jn. Eddy did a test with him to find out what he knows and he will possibly be part of the school program here at Coram Deo in the fall. Some parents of former students of Coram Deo came to the house this past week to say that their handicapped children no longer had a place at the school they were at. The special education class was eliminated at the end of June. Hopefully we can find a way to help them again. Faby Paulema is one of the children affected by this “policy change”. He is 17 years old and almost blind. One day he will be blind. He wants to attend school. Hopefully we can help him with an education as well as helping to prepare him and his family for the day when he will no longer be able to see. Youby Ladouceur, Jameson Glezile and Ricardo (Willem) Revilus all have handicaps of one form or another. All these parents want their children to still be able to go to school. Pray that a way will be found to continue to help these children.
Reginald Jules is a former resident of Coram Deo. He and his uncle, Samuel Masseus left Coram Deo to join another mission last September. I had heard from people that Reginald was begging for money on the Delmas road. Last week I saw this for myself. He was standing in front of the One Stop grocery store asking people for money as customers left the parking lot. When Reginald lived here at Coram Deo I made the family take responsibility for him. It is often the case here in Haiti that the handicapped get ignored. Now that he is not staying here I can’t do this anymore. Pray that Samuel and his family take responsibility in the life of Reginald.
That is all the news for today. Have a good weekend!
Karen Bultje, Coram Deo

photos - doudeleimy, village children

This is Doudeleimy in her fathers' arms. They are standing in front of their hut in the village of Bonnette.

Doudeleimy was the center of attention for the village. Everyone came to see her and welcome her back.
Remika Felix is 7 months old and is suffering from malnutrition. Tony and Linda of Holy Angels will be looking after her and will be working on reversing her malnutrition.

This is Evenerson and his mother. This is a poor family. She is now pregnant carrying her 4th child.

Evenerson is to the left. His 12 month old brother Evenelson is next to him. The 12 month old is in better shape than 3 year old Evenerson. At the present time Evenerson is not able to stand or walk. Pray for Deedee's efforts in reversing his malnutrition.

haiti update - july 19, 2008

“Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10

Hi! This week was a busy one with the medical program. Doudeleimy Beaubrun came back to Haiti after almost one year in the United States for medical treatment of her clubbed feet. Her family was happy to see her again and to see that she is now able to walk normally. People in the village where they live didn’t offer the family much encouragement while they were searching for medical care. Some people told them that nothing could be done and that when she arrived in the United States the doctors would most likely send her back untreated. The villagers were wrong and her parents were proud when one by one people in the village visited the family to see the girl who had crooked feet being able to walk on straightened feet. Doudeleimy is now making her adjustment from living in an American home to a mud hut. She never wants to take her running shoes off and she keeps her backpack on all the time. Right now she is being treated as a queen. She talks to everyone in English but eventually she will learn Creole again. Her father is trying to enroll her in a mission school run by Americans so that she can retain her English. During our visit to the village we were approached by families of other sick children. A grandmother came with her granddaughter. Remika Felix is 7 months old and is malnourished. She only weighs about 4 or 5 pounds and she can’t sit up by herself. Her mother died last week after probably dying from an untreated infection after giving birth to Remika. The mother was only 23 years old when she died. Another mother came with 2 of her children, a 3 year old and a 12 month old. She is also pregnant with her 4th child. The 3 year old hasn’t been able to walk for the last year and is the same size as his 12-month-old brother. His malnutrition has caused him not to grow and also taken away his strength to stand and walk. The boys name is Evenerson. When I got home I contacted some missionaries that I know who have children’s homes. Tony and Linda Cortesi of Holy Angels are taking in Remika and Deedee is taking in Evenerson. Pray for their efforts and that the children will thrive in their care.
Francisco of Smile Train came to Haiti from Mexico to visit several hospitals here in Haiti. Smile Train is currently working in 75 countries around the world sponsoring cleft lip and palette surgeries. They work with surgeons living in these countries. They are planning a unique program for Haiti. It is estimated that there is anywhere between 2 and 8 thousand people who need surgical correction of their cleft lips and palettes here in Haiti. They are designing a pilot program called “Cleft Free Haiti” where they will partner up with hospitals around the country. It will take some time before this plan can be realized but it will be great when it is in place and working. Pray that one day every child born in Haiti will have access to this type of surgery. While driving Francisco around Port-au-Prince on Tuesday morning we passed a “ra-ra”. These “ra-ras” are groups of people that are usually on the streets around carnival time. Francisco asked what they were celebrating but I didn’t know. Later, we found out that these people were celebrating the former president Aristides’ 55th birthday. The march started in front of his residence on Tabarre (he is currently living in exile in South Africa) and then headed downtown where other groups joined in. By the time they reached the large downtown park area there were a few thousand people. The UN and police had the Palais National area blocked off and when some people tried to go around the barricades tear gas was fired to stop them. After a while the birthday march was over and everyone went their own way. Aristide still has a following especially amongst the poor in the slum areas of Bel Air and Cite Soleil where the people see him as a champion of the poor.
The 3rd candidate nominated by President Preval as prime minister was ratified by the Haitian parliament. Now Michele Pierre-Louis will need to be accepted by the senate before being installed as prime minister. The prime minister is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day functioning of the government and also for presenting the budget. Haiti has been without a prime minister since the April food riots. Michele Pierre-Louis is a woman and some people are speaking out over the radio that they don’t want a woman to help to lead the country. Some of the people here in the neighborhood don’t want her either. It’s difficult to keep people happy here in Haiti. There are many political parties here in Haiti and all stand for something different.
The rice subsidy that was put in place by the president has now expired and rice prices have jumped from 43US$ to 52US$. The rarity of rice on the international market continues as China and India have halted rice exportations for economic reasons, as well as Australia’s rice production being decreased due to environmental conditions. The problems of hunger in Haiti will not be resolved in the short term.
That’s all the news for today. Have a good weekend!
Karen Bultje, Coram Deo

security upgrades

Now that we have the barbed wire up we haven't had any incidences of people getting into the yard at night. Hopefully it stays this way. This is a photo of the front wall surrounding the property.

Here is another part of the front wall. Francois, who is seated is our gatekeeper who works during the day from Monday to Friday.

The owner of the property behind our back wall filled in the hole in his house wall so that the squatters could no longer climb onto the tin roof of our briquette shelter.

This is the side wall that has been raised by 3 rows of blocks and barbed wire. This side wall is where the thieves liked to enter our property.

If we ever get another cat it has to be a tough one like the one pictured here. It needs to be tough to catch the mice and rats and also to keep away from the neighbors who want to eat it. I got this photo from the internet