Only 3 Months Left....

I have been horrible at updating my blog. I apologize. I promised I would keep the updates coming, but it is truly hard to find the rigt words to say. Every time I sit down to write…I find myself quickly defeated. I start a sentence. Then I erase that sentence. I start another. Then erase that one too. On and on this goes. Then eventually I give up. There have been many experiences that I could share. But written words would not do them justice. Written words just are not enough sometimes. Or at least my written words. My written words do not always capture the whole picture so pieces are left out. Missing pieces are never good. And then there are those experiences that I selfishly want for myself. Just for me to laugh over or to cry over. Just for me. Again, it may be a little selfish, but I want some things from this journey to be just for me. 

But I will do my best to provide an update. Some of this may be a repeat. 

Clinic life…
It’s tough here though. It is tough to watch yet another mother have to carry her son/daughter because there are no wheelchairs. It is tough to hear that a child lays on the ground or in a bed all day and night because he is unable to sit independently and there are no available seating systems. It is tough to see another malnourished child. It is tough to watch a mom break down in tears out of fear that her son will never lift his head or sit up or walk. It is tough to see sadness on a women’s face after a stroke. It is tough to listen as another adult tells about how she can no longer work because of her stroke. It is tough. There is limited equipment. There are limited supplies. And this clinic has A LOT for being in Haiti. But I cannot help but to flash back to my old job. I picture all the equipment we had available for children to try out and use on a loaner basis…and I think about how much access we have to equipment in the US. It is hard to know that just 2 hours away there is a world that has everything. Just 2 hours.  

At the same time, nothing is better than seeing a smile on a face of someone who received orthotics that were adapted from a donated pair. Are they the best? No. The most functional? No. But helpful? Yes. Appreciated? Yes. Nothing is better to see a smile on a women’s face when she moved her arm for the first time after a stroke. Nothing is better than hearing endless laughter out of a little girls mouth after weeks of screaming and crying. Nothing is better than witnessing milestones being achieved. And nothing is better than the smiles and the hugs and the laughter and the friendships. 

Life outside of the clinic….
So what do I do when I am not in the clinic?
Well….after work a few us enjoy a good work out (although we have MISSED many workouts). Most of the time we do Insanity….which is definitely hard to do in this heat as we workout outside. Occasionally we enjoy a short moto ride to the Epidor where we indulge in a “snack” before dinner….and last time we had the pleasure of watching Tarzan. Yes, it was being shown on the TV there…it was in french, but who doesn’t love Tarzan in any language. Sometimes we walk to a small market and other times we enjoy a snack from a street vendor (don’t worry the food doesn’t make us sick). We have dinner around 7 and then we just hang out outside (inside is too hot) and enjoy each others company (there are 3 of us volunteers living on the compound). We talk and we do work for the next day. We sometimes play cards and other times we sit in silence. 
On the weekends, MariaElena and I typically venture out. MariaElena is another volunteer who has been here for 7 months….she is my interpreter, my tour guide, and most importantly a good friend. We occasionally go to the Chileans house (a group of volunteers from America Solidaria). But we usually explore Haiti via moto rides and tap taps. We meet people. We get to know the culture. We enjoy the Haiti life.

It is still hot…although the nights are getting cooler. I tend to get a little cold if it drops below 80. Sometimes we don’t have power. Sometimes we don’t have internet. Occasionally we don’t have running water. But there is no place I would rather be right now….I enjoy the slower life. I enjoy the new friends. I enjoy the culture. I enjoy the people. I love Haiti!