Richard and Paul over the week started a "block, blocky" competition. They would have a block and raise and lower it above their heads as many times as possible. Also one block in each hand and bend and straighten at the elbow. This is at the end of the mornings work, I suspect that Richard is winning!! After the first day of doing it they discovered the next day that some blocks ar eheavier than others, so in order to be fair they started all over again.
Elizabeth/Alicia's foot is soooo much better, but she never wears her shoes, they are at home and are for church. Today at the village a young girl of about 15 came with her 4 day old baby. I had a cuddle, she is so sweet.
Willy completed a porch on one of the houses today and the cess-pit is done. Painting finished. Chris had a plank over the cess-pit in order to paint the top of the window, it was like our strap line at church "Living on the edge with Jesus".
This afternoon we visted a Public Hospital. We had been briefed before hand on what to expect, and I didn't find it as bad as I was expecting, but others found it indescibably bad.
We visited several wards, we seemed to just be able to wander around. Faith, one of the missionaries from Crossroads Ministries, took us around and I didn't see her talking to anyone saying we were here. All of the patients have intravenous infusions (drips), no-one knows why they just do!! We visited with the children first and gave them all a soft toy each. We were in two groups so we saw different things. All the patients have to bring their own sheets, carer (who sleeps in the same bed) their own food and medicine. Sometimes if its really busy patients have to double up with each other. I don't know then if the carers sleep in the bed also!! We also gave out hygiene packs (toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, flannel) to the adults.
We sang with the children and then a visitor sang a solo. it was very moving. We sang Alla Borai and again everyone joined in. We wouldn't dream of doing this in England and its only nursery rhymmes that people would know not praise songs to God.
One child on the childrens ward had fallen into a fire (easily done, as fires are on the floor in the houses, to cook on, or just outside) two months ago. Even though she had been brought into the hospital it hadn't been treated. If you've no money all you get is a drip!
It had just been left, but it had got very infected and when the missionaries saw it they started coming in every day to dress and clean it and now it was much improved. It was over her abdomen.
Sally spent time with a lady on the ladies ward who had a badly broken left arm, (both bones) and a dislocated left wrist, she had come off of a motorbike. She had been there for 19 days and was unable to pay for an operatiion. Her arm was just setting in a bad way and would be useless to her in the future. Sally felt very moved to share with us (she also rides a motorbike, back in the UK, and very much identified with her). We clubbed together and paid for her operation (£150) which was Just £10 each. Not very much to us but enormous to her.
There was a premature baby ward with none of the equipment that we have in the UK. Its hard to imagine very premature babies surviving. There was a tiny baby who had been born at 6 months. I forget how old she was when we saw her, but she was very tiny.
On the mens ward I sat with an 18 year old called José Louis, he was from Ascension Village which is where the mission house is, so Faith knew him well. He had fluid on his lungs for the second time. He also has fluid on his heart (which is not good news even in England). Last time in February they drained off 3 litres of fluid from his lungs. The doctor hasn't seen him yet and he's been in since Monday!. Faith went to talk with the doctor who said he would see him tomorrow. She is going to get her Dad to be there also. Her dad is called Dr Bob (he has a PhD) he is a Vet in Sosua but he also runs clinics free of charge for the villagers. He has lived in The DR for years, having started working for the UN in Haiti. José Louis spoke a little english, which he learnt at school, his mother, sister and younger brother were there also. He told me that Jesus was his friend. Faith asked that I would pray with the family, which I was honoured to do. José Loius has the most beautiful smile. Unfortunately we do not have any photos of him.
There was also a diabetic man who needed a blood transfusion, he had had his legs amputated. So tomorrow Lawrence and Richard are going back to give some blood, so that he csan get some. They don't let ladies give blood (DR policy) so I can't give any.
It was wonderful to be able to sit with the patients and just hold their hands and I think that we brought some comfort to them and livened their day up.
On the way back I was talking to Lawrence to see if José Louis would get better treatment in the private hospital he said he would talk to Dr. Bob.
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