Clinic Day 3

Today we put 26 people through our clinic and have quite a few people who are eager to return tomorrow. There is such a unique need in this country for physical therapy. I am floored by the variety alone. There was a line waiting for us by the time we came in. There were patients from 13 months old to those in their seventies. There were patients who had to be carried through our doors. There were patients with strokes, developmental delays, mysterious back pain, gun shot wounds and musculoskeletal issues of all kinds. They all need therapy. We have been so privileged to be the ones who get to help provide for these needs.

God is beginning to open hearts! So many brothers and sisters in Christ have walked through our doors. Many have asked us specific requests, asking us to pray for their spiritual growth. Today I encountered some who told me today they believe in God and believe He is good, but they haven't accepted Christ yet. Please pray for these hearts in particular! Some of these patients are returning tomorrow to receive more physical care from us, and we will have a captive audience. Pray that this would be the week that their eyes would finally be opened to their spiritual need!

I have faith that each member of this team has been handpicked for a reason. I also believe that God has hand chosen each man, woman, and child who walks into our clinic. He picked out our translators and the pastors in this community. He is over this country, this city, this mission trip, and each individual life. We know He is able to orchestrate situations where hearts will grow and lives will be impacted, and it has been wonderful to see what He has done this far.

Please be faithful to keep following our stories and to participate through prayer! God works through the prayers of his children, we need  you!

- Katie

Clinic Day 2

"We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints- the faith and love that spring for all the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel, that had come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in its truth." Colossians 1:3-6

 The aim of our work in Haiti is to go alongside the church's here to continue growing the gospel and to allow them to bear fruit as the verse describes. I have learned that the people of Haiti are amazing at sharing their faith to those around them, they have a love for the Lord that radiates from them. We had the opportunity to attend church this evening at Zacherie's church. As they were singing, the women worshiped with total abandon. 

 Today in the clinic, Katie and I had the opportunity to work with a mother and son who both were experiencing some back pain. They both were very eager to do anything we suggested in order to improve their pain and overall health. As were we're asking for prayer requests, the 12 year old boy asked that "he may stay sharp like a pencil in his relationship with the Lord. That he may continue to be sharp until the end of life." As they say in Creole this young man is a "Ti gran moun," a young old man. The depth and sincerity of the prayer requests are astonishing to me. 

For an update on the teams's prayer requests and praises; DJ is feeling much better today. She was even able to come upstairs in the house with the boys and visit with us. The boys are going to be great physical therapists one day and enjoyed "exercising" with the theraband wraps we use to roll up the mats. Continue to pray for the people in the area that we may be able to continue to work with the churches as a part of God's work in Haiti. 

-Ashley

DJ's Boys

Katie believes there is a screaming chicken on the block. 

Clinic Day 1 - Doors are Open

“At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.”

1 John 2:8 ESV

The darkness is passing away. It does not win the battle. This was the reminder our team received this morning from Bev. 

Haiti can be a very dark place (literally), at night we might have electricity and we might not, and that can make it uncomfortable. In the same way we tend to feel nervous or fearful in the midst of spiritual darkness but 1 John 4:18a reminds us that "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.”

We do not have to fear the dark, no matter how vast it may feel because the light has already won. 

With that reminder we went to Zacherie's church to begin our first day of clinic. We saw 15 patients today with a wide variety of diagnoses. Many patients were believers and displayed incredible faith in God and His ability to heal them. We were able to pray with each person and even with seemingly impossible language barriers, prayer is an incredible connector of people. Interceding for our patients grows our faith in God's ability to heal what we cannot, whether that be their spirits, homes, or illnesses.

After clinic we went to Francois's Place to check on a few kids who had been measured for wheelchairs and orthotics on previous trips. We were able to fit one child with a new wheel chair and the second one is currently being fitted to be brought back to a teenage boy. Francois's Place houses individuals of all ages with disabilities. Please be in prayer for them as they continue to try to plan for food, care and education for the people there. 

Following our visit to Francois's Place, we returned to DJ's, tired and ready for rest. DJ is feeling better, but continue to pray for her health and recovery. Please pray for our team, that we would be healing hands, that we would be discerning to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and ultimately that God would bring us people who are looking for good news with hearts ready to receive to Gospel. 

Our desire is to see God glorified and the Gospel proclaimed.  

-Stevie

First day of clinic calls for everyone wearing our team shirts and use of the selfie stick. 

Elliot preparing the supplies station.

Stevie and Brenna assessing a woman's neck range of motion.

 Making new friends already.

 Stroke education at it finest.

     Fitting a splint to improve wrist pain 

There's obviously too much fun going on here 

       Students teaching the teacher 

Balance assessment of a patient. 

When all else fails...try Olympic tape

                 Back school 1-0-1

Opening a wheelchair feels just like Christmas morning 

New wheelchair calls for big smiles!

Sunday, New Years Day, Independence Day

This morning half of our group went to church with DJ and the other half went to church with Zacherie so we could tell more people about clinic tomorrow, of course on Haitian time. We had planned to go to church at 8 but most of us made it to a service by 9. 

Zacherie's church was very large and welcoming. We knew some of the songs they were singing in English and were able to join in worship. At DJ's church the team was present for the dedication of one of DJ's 16 godchildren. 

Following church we had some delicious soup then half of the team ventured back out in a tap tap to pick up Katie and some additional supplies, and the other half stayed back and organized equipment for clinic. 

After navigating through the Haitian airport, Katie finally joined the team to kick off the New Year. Setting off in our tap-tap (driven by our generous friend "Papa"), we embarked on yet another wild chase through the streets of Port-Au-Prince.

 The day consisted of final preparations and organizations for our upcoming clinic days. This began with a journey to find the mysterious Lost PT Bags of 2016. Last January, three duffle bags that were bursting to the seems with supplies, were lost. Throughout the subsequent months the bags have been through who knows how many hands, and we began to lose hope that they would be found. But within the recent weeks, our team caught wind of their location! We were able to retrieve the bags - or rather the supplies. All of the items had been removed and replaced into suitcases and shady looking duffle bags. But besides missing some wound care supplies and a few other things, we were able to add a great collection of orthotics and helpful items to our inventory.

We gathered after a delicious Haitian supper, finished our organizing, and had a team meeting to prepare for the wonderful week ahead of us. This was supposed to be our first meeting as a whole team, but we were missing one member. Our sweet, hard working host DJ has become sick. Please lift her up in prayer tonight and throughout these upcoming days! 

And please continue to pray for the people who will walk through our doors beginning tomorrow. It is only through the power of God preparing hearts that people can come to a point to accept salvation. We feel so privileged to be able to help people with their physical needs, but it is our prayer that He will let us be a part of the work that only He can do with souls and spiritual growth!

-Katie & Stevie (Kay-Steve)

So Long Geriatrics Hello Pediatrics

Would anyone have guessed that Bev would be holding a baby on the plane to Haiti?  She enjoyed it. Look at that smile.