Gillaine 1/27/10

Sunday was beautiful day, and after last week’s experience, the External Clinic, now become the Church, was prepared way ahead of time with loud speakers bringing the music and service outside to the many who were unable to fit inside. Our music had a less somber tone and voices lifted in praise were once again those beautiful harmonic cadences that bring chills to the spine.

Ophelia Dahl was here, as was Paul for a few brief moments, and spoke to the congregation bringing messages of love and support from all of PIH, and assuring all that they would always be partners with the Haitian people. Her numbers and stories of how they had been able to help inPauP, were amazing but helped us all to understand just how huge the combined efforts are. Ophelia has stayed to do the rounds of the various hospitals.

A beautiful and courageous sight was that of one of our very first amputee patients – a beautiful young woman, dressed impeccably for church with lovely hat and all, only just a week after loosing her arm, walking proudly into the gathering and almost smiling. Her courage and devotion was a humbling and an amazing example to us all.

HE works in mysterious ways for sure. On Saturday evening Breck came to me and said, “Mum we have a potential disaster in the making,we don’t have enough water for all the patients and we can’t cure the patients without water, what are we going to do???”

About an hour after church service the next morning,I walked back to the kitchen area, and there was a large crowd in our water filtration room. Two young men had shown up and were offering us two portable disaster equipment water filters, that can be hooked up anywhere and can filter1 gallon a minute. They are the same system as our large one, but completely packed into a large briefcase size with all included. They had come across from the Dominican Republic, with water filters, had given some out in PauP, tried to give more and couldn’t find the right people, came up to Mirabalais, same thing, couldn’t find anyone and so decided to come up to Cange to see if they could help here. They gave us two complete systems and will be back again on Thursday with maybe 11 more, and this time with solar panels. Breck has set up a system beside the church where any of the family members of patients can nowgo and fill all their bottle with potable water, for both their patients and themselves, and it is saving us a fortune in bought bottles.

Was there a hand guiding them here --- Yes I believe so!

Bishop Duracin has been up a couple of times to see his wife who is making a slow recovery and will have to undergo massive plastic surgery skin grafts on her leg, but at least the Drs.have been able to save it.

Refreshed and renewed in spirit, and having had areal nights sleep, we are back in full force, and ready for another challenging day.

Thoughts linger with you all, and I want to assure you that we are fine, and once again couldn’t imagine being anywhere else at this time.           Gillaine