Catching up is hard to do....

Written over several days...

The Boston team left today-(actually last saturday) at about 9 am...unfortunately for them they sat most of the day in the airport I heard from them about 3pm that they were still waiting for flight out. For some reason there was a delay in getting the flight out . since the earthquake the airport is different- they don’t have the little shops to visit or a place to to get something to drink. They must have been quite uncomfortable waiting the entire day for their flight and I’m sorry for them.

Most of the team worked in other parts of the country this week. Some went to work and offer teaching to the staff at St. Bonaface in Fond des Blanc, and the same in Cap Haitian at Haiti Hospital Appeals. Two therapists went to Hopital Albert Shweitzer. Another group worked at the Sacre Coeur Hospital in Milot, a town at the base of the Citadel.

The Citadel is a very large fortress at the top of a mountain. Large doesn’t do the description well. Its a good hike or horseback ride up the trail. Team Portland visited several years ago. If I remember correctly there is something like 2000 canon balls strategically placed around the fort and rows of canons. It was build about 200 years ago by about 20,000 men and about 2,000 died during the construction of it. It was built to protect the country from an invasion by Napoleon and I don’t believe he ever made the attempt. The fort was never used. It has beautiful views all around. And a most impressive ‘outhouse’ that sits over the edge of the cliff side.

It should be listed as one of the wonders of the world.

Antonio and I have been looking at sites for a temporary clinic until our own clinic can be rebuilt. I think we found one this past week. Its large enough to have our therapy gym, pharmacy and depot and a place for exams or speech therapy. A little repair work and we can even have a space for a class room and reception area. The best part is that it is handicapped accessible from the street all the way in. The first place of 5 that we have looked at. I hope we can be successful in negotiating an affordable lease and get moved in before the rainy season begins. Our current tent clinic is not suitable for therapy thought the therapists are doing the best they can to make it work.

Demolition also started this week on the apartment building that collapsed. Another impressive job- a half a dozen men with sledge hammers, a jack hammer and a chainsaw like thing that cuts the rebar and pure man power have broken up and cleared the top floor and maybe the next level as well. Some of the debris has gone into the pool- we were hoping to cover it with something to protect it. The debris is also filling up the patio area between my apartment the the guesthouse. Syltane and I may have to move into the big house next week. The gate at the entrance where the trucks will enter the property will have to be opened up to provide access to remove all of the debris. Our path will be blocked for a week or two. It has made Syltane too nervous to sleep there anyway.

My weekend get-away started this afternoon at the Villa Creole. While I might prefer to go to the beach, I have a meeting to attend Sunday so it seemed prudent to stay in town. I haven’t had a day off really since arriving in January and its time. The Villa Creole is just up the hill from our guesthouse but it is quiet and without people asking me a hundred questions. They have a pool and air conditioning and hot water- I had my first hot shower. Mezami, it was nice. They didn’t tell me they weren’t serving lunch / dinner due to earthquake damage to the kitchen so I had to order a pizza from Dominos. It was hot and tasty!

Monday morning- The day started early and with the thought that it is the 3 month anniversary of the earthquake. I sit on this little balcony outside my room. In a glance I see green- trees of all kinds, large bushes with flowers in bloom. I hear sounds of repair work being done in the hotel and if I really look around past the trees, I see crumbled roofs, blue tarps and white tents. It rained again last night...as it has every night the past few days. Those with tarps and tents are now the lucky ones. Some people have sheets or table cloths draped over sticks. Some of my friends that have tents tell me they try to sleep standing when it rains. Those with sheets must flee to find cover. I sit here in comfort but with tears in my eyes, pain in my heart for the moms with babies and children to protect. Those with broken or missing arms or legs must wonder how they will survive this too.

Haiti will probably be spoken of in papers across the country- earthquake ravaged Haiti, the poorest in the western hemisphere...what will they report? That it continues to be buried in rubble? That nothing has changed? Will the reporters talk only of poverty or will they tell the story of hope and strength that I see in people I work with everyday? They walk in the grace of God. They share their simple joy of life with me. Under it all, what do they feel? When I drive out in the city, I see the women on the street selling their fruit and vegetables of all colors and shapes- some I can’t identify. They stack the tomatoes or the grapefruit in neat little piles. The limes fill a little basket. They sit under umbrellas to shield from the heat of the sun hoping to sell enough to buy food for their family’s dinner. Maybe save a bit to send one of the children to school. The walls on some streets are lined with large colorful paintings, brightly colored metal art in the shape of butterflies, dragonflies or geckos. Its a reminder not all is rubble. Se viv- that's life.

We received a phone call of a pending visit at the HHH/ HI prosthetic lab of "someone" important. Antonio said 'something is brewing, lets go. I grabbed some of our shirts and we raced as fast as we could considering all of the traffic. I passed out the shirts to our staff and we waited. A lot of the Handicap International people were there and the government representatives for the secratary of state and the disability people. Finally, a dozen police excorts and another car arrived. It was the woman that is under Ban Ki Moon coming to visit. We were introduced to her and she made her rounds of the lab, asked some questions and left. Seemed to me more like a dog and pony show but if it brings some publicity to the needs that the disabled in Haiti face, then its a good thing.

Wednesday....

As I haven't had internet connection during the time that I have been able to post - usually late at night after I've done my other work of responding to email or sending them I haven't had an opportunity to post these thoughts and stories.

Its good to have a blackberry phone that I can stay in touch by email. Its just a little harder and a little more inconvenient but I am fortunate to have that option. Our roof leaks so that will have to be taken care of...certainly, not as bad as it must be in the tents.

This morning I flew down to Jacmel on a small 6 seater commuter plane. I met up with Dr. Tiffany Keenan who is an awesome person to work with. She seems to get things organized in a major way. She and I were on the Portland - Canada team back in 2006 during the election of Preval. Since then she has started a clinic in the north of the country that is now run by Haitian staff. She went to Jacmel last year and started putting together a network of the medical community in the area. Getting people to work together is a tremendous asset to the community. I met a group of people that provide maternity care for the woman of the area. They see about 40 patients a day with about 25 of them being new patients each week.

Anyway, I was there for an hour and then we flew back to Port au Prince.

I went to the disability meeting that I attend every week...this is an opportunity to meet and network with some of the ngo's and organizations working in Haiti currently. There is something like 900 groups in the country. Hard to fathom that number.

Its usually better after the actually meeting when I get a chance to actually talk one to one with people working here.

Yesterday the tanker bringing gas did not arrive. People were lined up at the gas stations all over town only to be told they didn't have gas. Its also difficult to find diesel. Today it was reported that there were protests in Cap Haitian with people throwing bottles and rocks. In Port au Prince, the traffic was relatively light by comparison since many people didn't have gas.

I hope the tankers bringing gas comes soon.

During the day as I'm riding in the van, I often think of things I want to mention- often by the end of the day I don't remember them. Guess I should learn to make notes to myself. They are just observations of things...like driving to the airport, Jorel takes the shortcuts to avoid sitting in traffic - which he hates to do - and its often like 4 wheel driving and doesn't seem like much of a shortcut when we zigzag back and forth. One road was filled with a half dozen small lakes. The water was up to the bottom of the van easily. I was very happy not to get stalled in the middle as I didn't relish getting out to walk through the stinky muddy water. After the rain tonight, it could easily become one large lake instead of 6 small ones. Wonder if we will drive through it again tomorrow when I go to pick up the first half of the Minnesota team.

Tuesday, I picked up 7 people from Canada. The policeman decided we- the people waiting for the passengers - couldn't go inside the fenced area but Jackson, my one armed friend told him I was his big boss and I needed to be let in. and I got in to the canopy area. Next I had to promise a tent to another airport security and got into the airport itself to find my team. I guess Jackson is really the big boss although there is another guy there called 'Big' (for that reason) and he also makes sure I get in as well. Some days I can walk in without being stopped, other days its nice to have friends like Jackson.

I think tomorrow I will be visiting Sean Penn's camp of 50,000 people. Its a small city of its own with clinics, restaurants, a 'cinema', and little business' like barbers and schools. Some people are offered transport to a new area being set up that is supposedly better situation and away from the city. While some people are moving out, some people are afraid because they won't be able to find work. Jorel, one of our drivers, is living with his family in a tent in the soccer stadium. I have heard they are evicting people from the stadium. I will try to find out more tomorrow about that and where he will go.

I continue to enjoy the challenges I'm presented with daily. Certainly, its not on the level of trying to survive with nothing. Again, I am thankful for all I have. And especially for the support I receive from family and friends!