devastation. . .

the recent hurricanes that hit Haiti, from Gustav, Hanna and Ike have taken a country that was barely limping along and seriously are going to paralyze it.

please check on www.nwhcm.org for news about the country and what is going on with the mission. check out the link about the hurricanes to see pictures and hear stories about what is going on.

the problem is really going to be food over the next few months. the supply lines to the northern coast have basically been wiped out with the major flooding in and around the city of Gonaives.

thanks for caring about a place and people that many times are forgotten.

proud (August 15th)

I had a reminder of how fast and crazy things can be in maternity. I was working on a project in the birthing center and had been there for a few hours. We had two moms in labor, neither of which were doing anything too active.

I needed to check on something and was gone 20-30 minutes. When I returned all sorts of craziness had broken loose!

There were women on both tables. Sylveste who is one of our best nurses and always has it together had her gown on all messed up, Magdala who isn't usually in maternity was there with sweat pouring down her face. On the bed were two new babies, both screaming their protests to having been made to come to this place.

I asked if these were the moms who had been here earlier and no these were two new moms who had just come. One mom had had her baby on the road on her way here and by the time she arrived she had a prolapsed uterus. Basically her uterus was coming out. (if you don't know, that is NOT normal and it is life-threatening!!)

No wonder Magdala looked stressed. Magdala and Sylveste looked stressed. I asked Magdala what she had done to help the mother with the prolapsed uterus and she very matter of factly said "I just put it back in!" She saved that woman's life that day!

Both babies and moms were fine and healthy.

The nurses were a little stressed.

I was very PROUD of them!

Above is one of my favorite pictures of Magdala catching on camera her laughing spirit. She is so joyful!

hurricane hanna

the communication out of haiti right now is that hurricane hanna is causing some major wind and rains. please pray for safety and for the wind and rain to stop. many peoples homes are flooded horribly in such weather washing through their already dirt floors and causing major problems