Here comes the Rain!

From the BLOG, Stew & Darryl Go to Haiti
http://www.stewanddarrylgotohaiti.blogspot.com
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Got a couple of messages from Stew yesterday and several from the team. This team is amazing as they are facing some really tragic things and are working nearly round the clock and now the rain has come. Many of them are so exhausted but their spirits are so good and they always try to find the positive in the emails they have sent. Although they are trying to have some fun while there, the reality of it all is still very real for the team. I admire them all so much.

Here's a couple from Stew:

3/18 7pm - Working at the miami university hospital pharmacy and it's raining hard. Darryl is filling scripts by flash light. We are well stocked. There is a man who will pass away tonight and his wife and family are with him. It brought me to tears tonight when the the people of the hospital sang to him.

3/19 12am - Most are asleep now and and Darryl can finaly sit down for a minute. He was really moving. The blisters bug bites and exhaustion are starting to become serious concerns for many of the group. Emotions are on edge and we have all been through a lot. The dying man is still gasping in the background and others are moaning in pain once in a while yet the Hatian staff are chatting and giggling. What a place and my hats go off to these doctors and nurses. 12hr shifts in mud and cots and doing things they would never be allowed to do in the US.

Message from Kathi:

3/17 - I think this trip has been one of my best. Even though the devastation is everywhere you look I see people working and helping each other. I see kindness and hurt. I talked to a girl who was afraid to touch her healing leg that looked like an artificial knee. I showed her mine and soon I had a crowd looking to see the scars on my leg. They wanted to know if I could bend it and if I could kneel. I told her she needed to do the therapy so she could walk again too. It's hard to complain when you see children with stumps. The good thing is I see families supporting each other with the tragedies.

The work is different this time. We are working around the clock and everyone steps up to take their turn. They will huddle around in a tent and share one meal. Everyone will take a few bites. This is a lesson we could all learn.

The pool is the hit of the day. Don't every complain again when buying a kiddie pool. They're a lot more expensive here! We were able to get 10 people it to play volleyball. Well sort of. Thank you Stew. There's nothing like a little water to get you cooled down.

Message from Joyce:

3/17 - Sad day today. Orphanages always make me a little sad. To much work there and not enough workers. The caregivers are constantly on the move, doing laundry, making meals, picking up, changing diaper after diaper. Usually these workers don't stop and I know they do there best but it is still sad to me when they must tie a child to a chair because they can't watch all of the children at once. Not all the kids are tied to a chair just a handful that were hard to watch. I went around and did the best I could to untie the little ones I could and let them out to walk or play, then I would try to let those out of their wheelchair etc...even if for a few minutes. There was another group of volunteers there with us from another NGO and they had 2 men that were on the group playing like a horse with these little ones. Each man took a turn with 5 or more kids climbing on their back at once. The children were laughing and giggling so hard. One of these men was making everyone laugh because he had 5 children around the age of 6 on his back and his friends were coaching him into trying to continue to do push-ups with the kids on his back. It is sad to see these kids, but for one day we made them laugh, gave them hugs, held them in our arms....I guess it wasn't all sad was it?

Those of you who know Stewart will appreciate this!

From the BLOG, Stew & Darryl Go to Haiti
http://www.stewanddarrylgotohaiti.blogspot.com
Join our FaceBook Fan Page at http://www.facebook.com/ucthealinghands

Check out what Stewart rallied everyone to go find! Yup, you guessed it...they found a blow up swimming pool. Leave it to my hubby to always try to have the "fun factor" in everything he does! Looks like he's found his "happy spot!"









I did get to chat with him early this morning and he was at an orphanage with 38 kids. He said 2/3 of them have disabilities. He just loved them. One was sitting on his lap while we were talking. It was really loud in the background and sounded so great to hear kids running around and playing.

He got pretty emotional about being there today. He said he almost felt a little self indulgent about it since he was getting so much from just playing with the babies and there is so much more not so fun work to do.

I told him to enjoy the moment because I'm jealous and that's right where I would want to be.

He wanted to let everyone know who has gave any type of donation or prayers, it IS making a difference for these people!

There are some funny stories about luggage that I need to write about but I will let Stew share that one!

Haven't heard from Stew or Darryl today but heard from Katie!

From the BLOG, Stew & Darryl Go to Haiti
http://www.stewanddarrylgotohaiti.blogspot.com
Join our FaceBook Fan Page at http://www.facebook.com/ucthealinghands

"Katie from Haiti" reports:


I'm sitting on my bed in the heat of the night in the dark with no fan as the electricity has gone out. I got a ton of mosquito btes last night at the field hospital and they are the itchy type! I did get a good d hour sleep after we got home today. Cory is our expert at night shift work and I did pretty well with his coaching and got up feeling pretty good. Went with the night shift back to the field hospital and made sure they got their assignments and were good to go. We noticed some of the kids didn't have blankets so took some of the ones people sent with us over to the peds unit. We are doing a ton of networking for HHH as we get the hospital to refer the patients on discharge to our services. The peds units had amputees, hydocephalic kids, club feet repairs, birth defects and adults had SCI (some of the patients from the USNS Comfort) and earthquake and MVI limb injuries, wounds and amputations. Sandy did a lot of SW with staff today and says we have some fragile ones and others that are stronger than others. We are distributing tents to employees that still don't have them and they are very grateful. We have 3 bags that still have not arrived so gail goes to the airport everyday and getting one or two more each time.we sang happy birthday to Rick Call tonight and had a special dessert the kitchen staff made. The tent clinic was up and fully staffed today, one group went to Notre Maison orphanage, and Linda (PT) went to CTSI to work. Jim (PT) went to Handicap International but was told he wasn't needed there tomorrow. We are needed so many places but it is not always easy to get matched up. Although it is too hot to sleep and the dogs are barking and howling I will close for now and try to get some rest. We are where we are needed and that is a great feeling. Hugs, Katie

Kathi also sent a couple photos yesterday:










I wanted Stew to smuggle me back some babies but after the missionaries were put in jail I thought that wasn't a very good idea ;) but I wish I could just save them all!

~Kimber

First message from Stew!

from the BLOG, Stew & Darryl Go to Haiti
www://stewanddarrylgotohaiti.blogspot.com

I made it to Haiti. we had a good tour of Port au prince this morning in an old van looking for lost luggage and getting volunteers out. Hot humid and dusty and I love it. what a beautiful country the people are all dressed in sunday best , clean and happy and want to talk about it. The people at the compound are awesome... 6 women cooking and 15 or so interpeters drivers and guards with shotguns. little boys playing down the hill by the river. we have been up 24hrs and 2hrs sleep sat. these people are animals we are working 7 to 7am at the miami hospital. I am sorting donations in the pharmacy and helping mix iv shots for about 40 people in the tent. It feels so good to serve these people. I went out to the well to get water for the tent and it turned in to an hour of filling the water bottles of the patients and families. I feel so blessed and so greatful for this opportunity. I wish you were here thank you so much.