Things are a little more calm and God is slowly and carefully putting into place the people needed to allow us to breathe. Projects are moving fast and many people are helping but we still need firm larger funding commitments to move the hospital forward. Please pray for this funding connection for Mission of Hope and the people in our area of Haiti.
Ok I know what you are thinking. What new page are you guys turning? Well, after a lot of discussion, discernment, advice and prayer we have decided to sell my chiropractic practice in Oakville. It changes hands this Fri April 30th. After the earthquake my already busy job in Haiti has exploded and we know we are where God wants us to be right now. There is so much to be done and we have decided that it is time to let my practice go. Things have changed in our lives in a major way and I know that it is time to break free of the responsibility of running 2 jobs (my Haiti job is like 6 jobs right now).
People say,"does this mean you are staying in Haiti forever?" At this we chuckle because if there is one thing we have learned, it is that we do not make concrete future plans anymore. We have no idea how long we will stay in Haiti. We are just trying to be faithful and follow God one step at a time and right now, we know that this is where He wants us. We are comfortable with the fact that if we had to come home even 2 months from now, that selling my practice is what is best for us right now. We are so fortunate that Haiti is not too far and we are able to go back and forth to and from Canada.
Turning this new page of not being the owner and director of North Ridge Family Chiropractic is very relieving yet also very difficult. My staff and a lot of my patients are like family to me and I care deeply about them. I will miss each and every one of them. I am sure that Friday when I clean out my stuff there will be some tears. Laurens and I built this practice from scratch (including the walls etc!) so it is tough. But walls are just walls and relationship is much more important and that is why I have an Open House tomorrow night 7:30-9:30pm at my office so patients that want to come and ask questions or just chat can do so.
I am excited about turning this new page and being able to fully focus my attentions to the job God has called me to do in Haiti for this time in my life.
Please pray for a smooth transition.
28 April 2010
20 April 2010
Treading Water
Life is happening too fast. Wow we are so busy that we feel like our heads are just above water. Many of the missionaries here are finding the stress too much. Laurens and I are holding Ok and are having more and more days of control with our jobs. We are trying to put in place the things we need to resume a normal (busy) pace. Things are a little more in a routine.
Great things are happening. Construction is all over our mission with projects moving forward and things being built to accommodate growth. Laurens has entered his busy time for sure. The initial "medical only" time is over and construction has started. He is working on building a new guest house, the village orphanage, the temporary hospital, supply warehouses, repairs etc etc. He often will have 8 projects that are all high priority at the same time :)
Medical is crazy. 200 primary care outpatients a day, orthopedic surgeries, inpatient ward of 27, wound and ortho outpatient care, ER and ambulance transfers, mobile medical clinics, prosthetics for amputees, logistics, scheduling, Haitian and North American team leadership and direction.
I am working on a medical visa to send a woman to the US to try and save her foot from being amputated. Getting the visa is not easy and very time consuming. Her husband died next to her in the earthquake, her baby died in her hand and she got crushed by a wall. Her hand is deformed, a constant reminder of her dead baby and she cannot walk as her foot is only attached by an external rod. She still has a 15 year old and a 1 year old to take care of.
Emotionally the kids are doing great! They have bounced back almost to normal with only a few things here and there remaining. Laurens is on a break this week and I am so happy as he needed it. I am stable unless my stress level gets to high but I am starting to grieve. I thought I was ready to soon go to the mass grave for closure until a mom with a still born came in this week. It was delivered in the back of a pick up truck on the way to our clinic. As I wrapped and lifted the limp fetus and put him in a bag for her to take home, I knew that I was not quite ready.
We are blessed to be where we are and doing the work we are doing. God is teaching us amazing things. Our strength of character builds daily and for that we are thankful.
Please pray for our strength to endure the stress, the time to take a rest, the grieving to continue and make it's way out and for the Haitian people who live under a sheet in the mud.
Great things are happening. Construction is all over our mission with projects moving forward and things being built to accommodate growth. Laurens has entered his busy time for sure. The initial "medical only" time is over and construction has started. He is working on building a new guest house, the village orphanage, the temporary hospital, supply warehouses, repairs etc etc. He often will have 8 projects that are all high priority at the same time :)
Medical is crazy. 200 primary care outpatients a day, orthopedic surgeries, inpatient ward of 27, wound and ortho outpatient care, ER and ambulance transfers, mobile medical clinics, prosthetics for amputees, logistics, scheduling, Haitian and North American team leadership and direction.
I am working on a medical visa to send a woman to the US to try and save her foot from being amputated. Getting the visa is not easy and very time consuming. Her husband died next to her in the earthquake, her baby died in her hand and she got crushed by a wall. Her hand is deformed, a constant reminder of her dead baby and she cannot walk as her foot is only attached by an external rod. She still has a 15 year old and a 1 year old to take care of.
Emotionally the kids are doing great! They have bounced back almost to normal with only a few things here and there remaining. Laurens is on a break this week and I am so happy as he needed it. I am stable unless my stress level gets to high but I am starting to grieve. I thought I was ready to soon go to the mass grave for closure until a mom with a still born came in this week. It was delivered in the back of a pick up truck on the way to our clinic. As I wrapped and lifted the limp fetus and put him in a bag for her to take home, I knew that I was not quite ready.
We are blessed to be where we are and doing the work we are doing. God is teaching us amazing things. Our strength of character builds daily and for that we are thankful.
Please pray for our strength to endure the stress, the time to take a rest, the grieving to continue and make it's way out and for the Haitian people who live under a sheet in the mud.
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