Getting into Our Groove – Clinic Day 2

By Adam Sarbin November 15th, 2016

Last night we discovered a new oasis in Haiti…the rooftop of our Guest House at Grace Ministries. Who knew you could sit and lay on solar panels, but we got the okay from the installer himself and you definitely don’t have to tell us twice. It was a great location to catch the cooling night breeze and get a good view of the Super Moon and we will most definitely revisit this prime location during our trip. We also enjoyed some music, all manner of conversation together and with our new friends from Buffalo. This feels like a really good fit for our project.

Last night was just a bit cooler and once down from the roof, I believe everyone rested well before the 7am wakeup for breakfast…one of our favorites – sweet Haitian oatmeal. Once our bellies were full, we made the short walk down the hill to the Church on property…our clinic site for the day.

This is also the site for the local school, so for the 1st time in my experience in Haiti, I saw a majority of pediatric patients…what a treat!  The clinic started with a flurry of patients but about an hour in, the skies opened and delivered about 45 minutes of biblical rain. For a time this slowed the flow of patients, but the sun soon returned to create something of a sauna inside the church and a renewed steady flow of patients, both from the school and the surrounding community.

By about 1 o’clock, the last trickle of patients were seen and though no official count was kept, we clearly treated as many patients today as yesterday. We even treated a few patients on the road and Carey and Jill had a house call to the home of a new mother and her brand new baby girl as of last night. After clinic and lunch, we all trekked down to their home to check on baby and Mama. Kitty and Carey assisted mother in establishing good nursing for the beautiful baby girl! Now that’s what I call personalized medicine. If you are reading this Daphne, we could really use your skills down here someday!

Once reassured mother and baby were doing well for the afternoon, we revisited our favorite “swimming hole” to cool off and as always accompanied by the neighborhood children. They are never far from our side. They returned with us and in short order, with the soccer balls provided by Rusty, the games began and continued into near complete darkness. These children never seem to tire. They are just as energetic during the school day as they chant their lessons back to their teachers. What a blessing, the sounds of children playing and singing with their friends, siblings and cousins.

Tonight we will have the guest house to ourselves as the team from Buffalo begins their travels home. We were so fortunate to get to meet them, as this is just the beginning of a long partnership and I believe strong friendships. We pray for their safe return to their families back home!

If the rain holds off tonight, we will likely take in the breeze on the roof again and after today’s earlier rain, I am hopeful for an even cooler night for sleeping. Tomorrow will be our 3rd clinic at yet another site on the island. We will have hopefully served the majority of the geographic areas on this island when we have finished. The site of our proposed clinic is such that it should be able to serve all these locations, as it is more centrally situated to the majority of the population on the island. Every day we take one step closer to our ultimate goal and it feels like we are all rowing in the same direction. No doubt we will reach the finish line!

That is all for tonight as dinner is calling soon! We miss you all and wish you could be here with us to share in this amazing experience, but for now we are okay if you do so vicariously through us because we could never do it without your love and support.

Love to All,

The Team