Last night dinner was indeed delicious…rice with black bean sauce and another favorite, Legume…oh so good! We again tackled the nightly work with ease and efficiency. We have definitely developed a process and have found our groove with this necessary work. Once finished many of us retired to the roof as a group for the first time this week…there was finally a breeze and stars. We even had a natural light show with heat lightning all around us. Unfortunately, that breeze was not constant and the night proved to be a hot one again. Sleep doesn’t always come easy in these conditions, despite the fatigue.
I awoke this morning and went to the hilltop to post yesterday’s entry and was greeted by the neighborhood children requesting photos. A nice way to begin the day. When I returned, we learned clinic would be right here at the church again, so we ate breakfast and trekked down the hill ready to get busy. We were uncertain how long clinic would be today since it was our 2nd day here. It became quite clear that it would be a long, hot day right from the get go, and when we finished at 1:30, we had seen another 122 patients. That is nearly 500 patients in 4 days with one more clinic in Madame Bernard tomorrow.
We have definitely made an impact and have identified several patients in need of more definitive care on the mainland. In some cases this may in fact be life saving care. So, for every patient in need of more extensive care, we will see 50-100 who just need general care, and oftentimes just reassurance that nothing serious is wrong. No matter the issue, we strive to gain every patient’s confidence and trust…sometimes we succeed better than others (so true no matter the setting), but I believe the ledger is tilted in our favor and that bodes well for the success of our mission on this island.
After we hauled all supplies and ourselves back up the hill, we were treated to a delicious lunch of traditional Haitian pumpkin soup…despite the heat of the day, it was devoured. It may actually have restorative properties…or maybe that was the special surprise Big Boss and Big Boss Lady had in store for us…
In nearly 9 years this is the first time we actually went on a recreational excursion…and it definitely did not disappoint – swimming, snorkeling and just cooling off. The heat of the day just melted away. Talk about your own private island…there is no room for anyone or anything else, including any more sand! This is it…
I think the team has earned this…just hope it doesn’t take another 9 years to see it again. What was most interesting was the sea floor just covered in beautiful starfish, as if expecting our team’s arrival!
We are all back “home” now and rinsed of sea salt. We have the same work to do tonight in order to be ready for our last clinic. It is again breezy and we just hope it will continue thru the night. As usual, dinner smells delicious and I think the solar power kept the beverages “cold” today, so we should be fortified for the remainder of our work in this little corner of paradise.
That is all for now. Stay tuned for another chapter tomorrow, and as always…
Love to All,
The Team
I think the floor of starfish was a reminder of the difference you are making to “that one”. Such a beautiful story. I love reading of your successes and your challenges and of the hope that is evident.
I love the part about the sea floor being covered in starfish. I think it was a vision of “that one”. The hope that is being created is wonderful. Praying for all of you.