Immanuela and her Mother, Rosaline.
Immanuella and I.
There is one Nurse at the Hospital that I worked the closest with, Bejenn, and it was so, so good to see her, but sad to say goodbye. Karen and I worked together last night on some teaching sheets I wrote up...she worked VERY hard to translate them to Creole. I presented them to Dr. Laborde, the Pediatrician, and she asked me to pass them on to Bejean. We had one last little teaching session together at the baby's bedside and then off our team went. Someday, I will have to find out what became of little Immanuela.
One final teaching moment.
Bejean and I.
More Nurses from Hopital Espoir: (L-R) Samedy, Antoine, Frantzie
I walked through the tents at the hospital to say goodbye to the mothers that Pancha and I visited with the other day...just gave them a wave and an "Au Revoir!". One of the interpreters came and got me before I left and said, "one of the patients wants to see you!". I followed him back into the tents and it was one of the mother's that I had just seen. She invited me into her tent and say, "pray for my son...for his broken leg". I looked at her and said, "can we pray together now?". And so we did and I prayed over that young boy and near the end said, "may he run with laughter once again." When I opened my eyes, his mother was wiping tears from her eyes. There is no way for me to even begin to imagine what it must feel like to be her...to walk even one step in her shoes. I turned and looked at the other little boy in the tent, and said, "and the same thing for you!" As the interpreter translated, his mother smiled large and nodded her head in agreement. A poingnant space of time spent together.
We did a bit of running around today to get some tangible memories of Haiti. I bought a piece of tin art from a man named Makso. The tin art is made from old barrels that articles have been shipped to Haiti in. His home was just down the hill from where he sold his art work and had been damaged by the quake but was still largely intact. He also had a painting with him of a scene from the earthquake...I wonder to myself, what kind of artwork will we see rise from this time of devestation?
Road side tin art on Rue Charles (not far from the Hotel Montana
Makso, a tin artist in PAP.
These photos are literally right beside the road, just behind the area where the Tin art is sold. You can see a hole above, which I couldn't help but wonder whether someone climbed out of that space. You can also see battered tin art scattered along the decline of the hill...which obviously would have happened during the quake.
The time at home is coming and there is always much to process. I anticipate a variety of emotions and tears at times as I go home, but I take with me so many memories and SO much that I have learned. The time with MCC here in Haiti has been phenomenal in terms of learning more about the issues facing Haiti and the advocacy needed for the country...and the responsibility that my own country has in that. A surrounding theme is the need to allow Haitians themselves to be an active part of the rebuilding of the country. At this point, they have largely been excluded and that is just wrong. I am very grateful to have been working with an organization that is so intimately connected to local partner groups...dialoguing, listening and working alongside these remarkable people who have great visions for their country.
I leave you with a thought provoking article...link below.
Adieu friends. Thank you for your prayers over this time.
www.thenation.com/doc/20100329/lindsay
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