Haiti Updates

Thing here are going well and we praise God for that.
We had a work team of 7 guys from PA leave today. We are so thankful for all the heard work they did not only for the Haitian people but also for us here at HFM. They were a true blessing.
Rodney’s left Sunday, Pray for them as they are in the states. While they are gone Jason and Amanda Stoltzfus from PA are filling in for them so please keep them in your prayers.
A few weeks ago a Bible Study for all of our translators was started and things are going very well with that. Mark Lion is teaching the class and they are going through the book of John. They read the passage in English and Creole just to make 100% sure that the translators get all of what is being read. Please pray for Mark as he teaches this class. – Thanks
This morning we were blessed when 108 children came to the “fun and games” session they had at the school with the children. For those who do not know there were 250 enrolled before the earthquake so having this many show the first day brings us great joy. We are sure by the end of the week it will be really close to the 175 or higher mark. We do know that some will not be back due to being killed in the earthquake on Jan/12. Or they have died in the two months since do to their injures. So we will not be able to get back to our 250 mark but it is a blessing to have those still alive come. Please pray for all the family’s of the children who have died.
By this afternoon the guys had finished putting up 2 sheds on Louise’s land. One will be used for the school office and the other will be used for the a house for Rodney Smoker’s.
Clinic is going well. As normal Monday is always a very busy day. And I have a feeling Tuesday might also by rather busy.
Sarah and Godwin went to an orphanage on Sat and while there Sarah noticed one of the children (an 9 or 10 year old boy) needed some medical attention. So, today they went and got the child and took him to the Diquini and asked the Docs to look at him and she got him the meds they proscribed. Pray for this orphanage. There are 2 people taking care of 30 – 40 children.
Last night we had a wonderful praise and worship service just outside the gate. We had 50 or more show up. Keep praying for the Christians in Haiti.
Life here in Haiti is always changing….I was to go off this past weekend but do to vehicle issues I was not able to. I just hung around here and had a good time getting to know everyone around here better. Due to me being here on Sunday afternoon I was able to see Eris and Miriam Labady when they came to the mission.
Please pray for Chris Nesbitt, Lloyd Smoker, and Ricardo Francois as they fly out of Haiti on Tuesday and also Mary Anderson as she fly’s in.
Thanks for all your prayers, God Bless and keep each one of you.
Elizabeth for HFM

Greeting to each of you in the name of Jesus Christ on this very hot and humid day in Haiti.
Things here are going well. We had rain last night and so that makes it very hot and sticky today. We do need the rain but it does make life harder not only for us but for the Haitians as well. Think about it….rain when you are camping makes for a big mess but what about when you are living in a “tent city”!!!!
We are all enjoying a little down time today. Some are heading to the beach, some are sitting around just hanging out and getting to know each other better and then there are a few of us who are getting caught up on e-mails ect.
What have we been up to the past few days…….lets see…….
The guys finished the outhouse at the school (for those who do not know they had to dig the hole by hand!!)
The concrete slab is done at Louise’s house and ready for the sheds to be put on.
The clinic has been going well. We have has some wonderful people to work with. Three of the lady’s that worked with us on Friday have asked us to put in a request for them to come back Monday.
Yesterday was a wild day at clinic….we had several emergency’s show up that made for some fast thinking..but God was with us and things worked out just fine.
One of the emergency’s was to do with a block wall falling down while on of our work team guys was on it!!! We thank God that Shawn Yoder from PA is ok. He fell 8 – 10 ft when the wall fell. I put 7 stitches in his left arm and we took him to get an x-ray and everything looks great. Other then the cut on his arm he has a few small scratches and scraps. And he was/is really sore all over.
Monday we will be starting a “fun and games” session with the children over at the school. We will be spending a few hours each day with them (M – Th) Please pray for us that we can be a light to them as we have fun.
Please pray for Rodney, Lillian and Jeremiah as they will be traveling to the states on Sunday March/28. They will be spending 2 weeks in the states
Then on Monday we have 7 of our construction guys from PA leaving and a few more leave on Tuesday.
So by Tuesday night there will only by 10 of us here.
Well I should go get the last of my things in my bag so I am ready to go as soon as the guy comes to get me to take me to Port A Prince where I will be hooking up with the team that IFM has in at a clinic on Delmal 33. I will be spending tonight at Pastor Smiths house tonight and then I will be back here again on Sunday night Lord willing.
You all have a blessed weekend.
Thanks for all your prayer’s -
Elizabeth Hershberger, for the whole team here at H.F.M.

Hello everyone, This is Elizabeth Hershberger from SC. I am the one of the 2 girls who are taking Sabrina Zehr’s place at Haiti Family Ministry’s for the next 3 weeks.  Things have gone very well the past 2 days at clinic. We changed where clinic is set up today. We had been setting up on the road which was working well but now we are setting up behind where the Church was. It is a nice change. We have lots of shade and are away from all the cars. We set up on the east side for the first half of the day and when we break for lunch we move over to the west side….that way we and the patients are always in the shade.      The guys took the time to make a very nice path over all the rubble to where the clinic is at, it is such a blessing.
The new from PA that arrived on Monday is building a block wall around Louise’s house.
Just a little but ago we were blessed by our wonderful cook, Sandra, she backed a WONDERFUL plate of jelly filled cookies.
Now we are getting ready to get together for worship service here at the mission.
God Bless you all and thanks so much for your prayer support. – Elizabeth

“It was cool! I got to pretend that I was a doctor. I got to prescribe medicine, and diagnose people. The hospital was a little crazy. A third world country hospital is outrageous. I’d like to think that I was helpful to those people. I was in the shower (when the aftershock happened) and I thought someone was trying to get in the door. But I hear that all the locals were going crazy. I like that I could be of use to the “poorest of the poor” in a time of need.” ~Isaiah

Yesterday morning we prayed that our crates would come in and for a miracle that we would be able to get them off. Immediately, it seemed, it happened! Last night we had a zillion men all trying to unload the 1000lb packages of wood for sheds for the people. It was basically impossible. But because of our connections with the chief of security at the nearby port, we asked and can use their heavy equipment to unload them today. Not sure how that’s going to work with our clinic today, unloading to the place where we set up our clinic tent… (update: 10pm..we had clinic half under our tent set up out in the street with benches and chairs. It worked great except for the heat sunshine causing everyone to try and crowd under the tent…)
I met with my 4 midwives from Midwives for Haiti along with one other last night at the hospital to debrief and listen to their concerns and experiences. We are basically staffing the entire OB unit. Extremely sadly, they had a baby die last night simply because of a system failure. No one communicated that the post-op mother had a baby in the bed, so no one checked on him. He choked and died. These are the things that our midwives and the directors of Diquini are desperate to improve.
We had church in our camp in the morning. Ricardo played guitar and several different people shared. We laid hands and prayed over Rodney and Lillian, covering them, supporting them, carrying their burdens, and grieving with them. Our church Leglize Kay an Kay met at Patrick’s house in the evening. Patrick spoke to the group gathered sitting on short blocks or planks of wood around the small cement area. He read from Mark 7, and the difference of what comes out of man that makes him clean. He spoke regarding those who were baptized yesterday, that now their lives are changed. They are new. “PROVE, that the Spirit lives in you,” he said, “By your actions. Love one another, forgive one another, serve one another…” Jackie and Sonsonn who were both baptized, stood up and gave their testimony. Patrick had us gather around to pray for them all. This is what church is.
–
In His Grace,
Sabrina Zehr, CNM, ARNP
Medical Director of Haiti Family Ministries

“I feel like our team has been effective. We’ve been stretched spiritually
and physically both, but it is all good. I feel like it is a good trip, and
I plan to take several more in the future. I’ve been here a lot of times.
The earthquake is unbelievable, the damage that’s been done. And dealing
with the 11yr old girl whose whole family was killed in the quake, that
affects your heart. You want to take them home with you, or do something.
Our whole emphasis in our church this year has been “you can’t do
everything, but you can do something.” After seeing the devastation here,
and all the piles and piles of rubble, we can’t do everything, but we’re
doing our something… That’s it I guess.” ~Pastor Tim, Family Christian
Center, Defiance, OH

This morning we got up and left at 6:30am with four car-FULLS to the beach
for a baptismal, soccer, and some “repose.”(not like Sarasota beaches).
Ricardo spoke to the Young Men of God before he and Godwin baptized each one
in the blue waves. The guys had a ruckus of fun afterwards in the water and
I played soccer with the boys while others slept or walked the shore or
buried Mark in the sand. I have a new young friend named Ferra. She is the
12 yr old girl with no family and no home. She hung out with me the last two
days coming along to take donations and do a post-partum tent visit. She
wanted to get baptized too, but I explained that she needs to watch first,
and understand what it’s about.
The worship last night in the tent city was wonderful. The
people received us with excited smiles and Chris estimates 350 to 500 people
*crowded *around the speakers and instruments. They sang, raised their arms,
and talked with all their white visitors. Our church members came early to
fellowship and walk around praying before as well as praying for people
during the service. I had about 4 little 4 and 5yr old girls clinging to me
who I’d never met. Luckenson and his mother (of 9), the family we set up
sponsorship for, were there. Some of our translators and 4 of my little boys
came along on the 20 minute walk too. Everyone was very pleased. They want
us to come back, and Ricardo says we will!

–
In His Grace,
Sabrina Zehr, CNM, ARNP
Medical Director of Haiti Family Ministries

“It has been a journey of trust for me, and also putting Jesus first in a physical way, making His Words come to life in a practical way here. My son is loving getting to know the neighbor kids. He prefers them over his mom right now. Um, that’s all.” ~Lillian Smoker

You know it’s going to be a crazy day when it starts with someone having a heart attack. We rushed her to the Red Cross where she was wonderfully received with instant full attention. Praise the Lord He reminded me to run in and use our nitroglycerin in our Emergency kit. In the rest of the day we also had a boy with a 105 degree temperature, a very malnourished jaundiced baby, and a 12 yr old girl who has no family and no home. I finally got flip flops to give to my 14 yr old friend Jeff who’s been wearing crocks with his heels hanging out. We all gathered to pray over Aunt Linda and Uncle Al before they left, as is our custom. Three of us walked out to visit a 1 day old baby and mom. Belly, a dear girl who had her baby 3 weeks ago, came to my door sad that she hasn’t seen me in a while. She came to ask me to come pray for her. She said last night a demon was in their area that hurt her and other people, and kept her baby from sleeping all night. She is scared.
Lord, give us wisdom to know your strategy. Give us a place to teach, minister, and disciple people. Give me the language to comfort and build my friendship with her. Give us laborers with a kindred power of the Holy Spirit to PRAY, to FIGHT the good Fight, and yield your spiritual weapons with skill.
“Construction started on another demolishion project. The Yung Goddies are making headway, we let them loose and their just going at it. We finished putting up all the tents for the school. Louise’s house is finished, we totally cleared that.” -Rodney

–
In His Grace,
Sabrina Zehr, CNM, ARNP
Medical Director of Haiti Family Ministries

We just finished a gathering for sharing, prayer, worship, and reconnecting hurt friendships on our new cement “patio.” “This is church, guys,” Rodney said, “living together, working together, sharing together.” One of the men shared how a Haitian argued with him to give him his only granola bar on the job. When he said, “Jesus said in the Bible to share.” he gave it to him. Then the two of them fought over it. He said back to the man, “Jesus said to share. He thought and then sheepishly offered some back.
Today Rodney worked on getting the gate set up for the IMEC school. Godwin continues his 6am guys Bible study and 3pm English class with his boys. They play basketball in the slightly cooler afternoon. Megan and Julie did an excellent job taking over my kids English class. Our home clinic is slowing down in the afternoons. We’re seeing about 70-80 patients a day. Today a boy came up with blood everywhere from a small cut on his head. Last night a crowd came to our gate urgently asking for Sabrina. A 16 year old girl had drank 2 one liter bottles of bleach after she was accused of stealing a tarp to prove that she hadn’t. She was nearly unconscious. I prayed over her and we loaded her up on the stretcher and rushed her to the hospital. This morning, she showed up at our door! I asked how she was and read her records. I asked if she was a Christian, if she had Jesus in her heart. “Do you know that God loves you? He still loves you. And He would never want  you to hurt yourself.” Then she told us that she had a dream while she was out, of a man who stood over her and told her it wasn’t her time yet. He touched her stomach and healed her. And he told her “Do not worry about what other people say about you.”
I had another long conversation, mostly in Creole,  with a man today starting with him asking for medication for his heart palpitations, just since the earthquake and ending with heaven, grace, being washed by Jesus’ blood, and asking for His help every day, all day.
We went to see one of the 11 day old babies and Denizara, our elderly friend again. He is doing better, but now has a bad UTI. We tested and treated him and prayed over him. He smiles more now. I love his smile. The little baby is still losing weight. Pray that he, Jeremiah, breastfeeds right and gains healthy weight quick!
Two of our midwives did prenatal visits at the Maternity hospital all day and the other staffed the hospital OB ward. She assited with 2 emergency c-sections for pre-eclampsia, which is very prevalent here. Tonight 5 of them are on night hospital shift. The rest are up at Louise’s having hot dogs and a bonfire and I’m going to actually try to get some real sleep. It was a pretty good day

–
In His Grace,
Sabrina Zehr, CNM, ARNP
Medical Director of Haiti Family Ministries

“Today was an awesome day. I had a great time going to the orphanage. Today was the first time that I actually attempted to receive a child in the name of God. You know how it says in the Bible if you receive a child in the name of God that you are blessed. So I tried it, and it was wonderful. And I received two children today actually. So, it was a stretching experience. To come out of my comfort zone and extend my limits of what I thought they were. And Sabrina is a soccer goddess…and it was just a good time playing basketball with the boys, and afterwards to see Sabrina interact and play with the kids, you know it’s not work to her she really enjoys it. And she’s a soccer goddess.”   ~Godwin

Our efficient Amish group of workers poured a cement slab for the gathering area of our camp today. It’s getting too nice around here! We took Marie Noel, the 19 year old mother to God’s Little Angels orphanage to visit her once sickly baby Jude. He looks SO good!! I will post before and after pictures if this internet connection ever allows me to. I took one of our midwives and our Haitian doctor to the Maternity Hospital to look into more outlets and get the doctor a job. We’ll try it out tomorrow with a midwife and myself doing prenatal visits tomorrow.

If you are interested in donating to the upcoming school that I wrote about in my last post you can contact myself. PLEASE only e-mail for this reason. szehr@alumni.su.edu
–
In His Grace,
Sabrina Zehr, CNM, ARNP
Medical Director of Haiti Family Ministries

In the less rushed evening hours I can hear Ricardo playing piano and leading worship to a small group outside the gates. The nurses and medic bustle around the medical room energetically sorting donated meds. Rodney and Jeremiah scream and run around the supply room as Lillian chases them with a threatening attack. And I just dug my teeth into some dee-licious mango and finished up most of my calls and to do’s for the day. I’m up in my bunk above the medical room typing my updates and answering a zillion e-mails from organizations, future volunteers, orphanages, etc.

Our medical staff had a good weekend at the hospital. Derrick treated a horrifically emaciated baby with the substance of a skeleton and got him transferred to the children’s hospital, treated a baby with 3^rd degree burns from a cooking pot of cornmeal, and helped a girl with a respiratory attack who, beyond his ability (by his own admittance) was completely better the next day. All praise to God. He also helped the two doctors write up an entire protocol list for their pediatric ward. Molly, a nurse-midwife, treated a 38-week pregnant woman who crashed from severe malaria and a patient with meningitis. Our home clinic continues as usual. Two people gave their hearts to the Lord with Derrick today. I drove all over taking supplies to the maternity hospital and the Red Cross.

A wonderful addition to H.F.M’s many entities, we are working on getting a school re-established in Carrefour. The school, “Institution Mixte Evangelique du Christ” crashed in the earthquake. All of the children in our neighborhood hang around our clinic, asking for candy, balloons, and everything else. They need to be in school. Before the quake the school had 251 students, 29 teachers, and a sponsorship program (from Haitians) for the students. Through much effort we have secured a plot of land to rent very close by our camp. Rodney started today to clear the land with our team. We estimated the start-up cost to be $20,000 USD for machinery to clear the land, fencing, a gate, tents, benches, uniforms, supplies, books and more. The monthly budget is $2,000 for rent and employing teacher supplies is in addition. This equates to about $10 USD/month per child sponsored. This is a huge undertaking influential to the community. It will create jobs, provide education, and establish a Christian educational system. Please pray about and consider donating to assist in the start-up cost or sponsoring a child. If one church wants to take partnership with this school you could sponsor the entire school, that would be the greatest blessing. I’m excited to see this come to pass!

We also used to have a Print Master business that helped create jobs and helped the church and school. To re-establish this the start up cost is $3,000-$4,000 for generator, laptop, photocopy machine, ink, and paper.

It’s exciting to see what God can do!

–
In His Grace,
Sabrina Zehr, CNM, ARNP
Medical Director of Haiti Family Ministries

3/2/10

Today we had an amazing Spirit-filled medical team from Acts World Relief come to help. They took my normal orientation right to heart and ran with it, praying with everyone, taking the time for ministry, and focusing on the real deeper need of the soul. They prayed over me as well. It is so wonderful to have such faith filled power! Four or five patients gave their heart to the Lord! Praise the Lord! That’s what I’m talking about. Hopefully discipleship will follow as well.

This evening Katrina and I went for the first time to the weekly cell group with the church members that are here in Carrefour. We worshiped sitting on board/cement block benches in the middle of Patrick’s place amidst the rubble piles and crumbled houses and the two new structures. What soul wrenching power, to hear the cry of Patrick praying to the Lord, “You are so good! You are so good!!” when his house fell around him, he lost so many friends and he could complain and deteriorate under so much. Yet he cries out, “God, you are so good.” Several shared a word, from Hosea, from Phil. 4:9-, about our short time in our lives, so LIVE! Don’t just read a fancy verse, LIVE IT.

Today I transferred another of my pregnant women I’ve been caring for to the Red Cross for her delivery. I really have to fight the frustration of not being able to deliver her myself because we don’t have a place. The English class that Wes began is today helped out the impoverished family right next door to them, and will continue to do so. My kid’s English class got a little roudy again today J . Tomorrow Barbara is going to give them a puppet show. Oh man, they will go crazy! More construction on Louise’s house. Right now our doctor is suturing a girl’s bad gash on her foot with the ACL showing. Tomorrow Katrina, Ricardo, Godwin and some others are going to Goinieve for 4 days.

Another day in the life of H.F.M!