It is True...How Time Flies! » Hands Across the Sea (HATS-Haiti)

As the old expression goes – How time flies!

Time seems to pass quickly. Things keep happening. Teams come and go. Lots of good work done by them. Things keep happening – good and not so good. Time passes. But I don’t feel any accomplishment or see any real improvement of the backlog of work in my office. How come?? Did I mention that things keep happening?

A good thing that happened Monday evening is Ti Luc walked. A not so good thing that happened Tuesday morning is that I was greatly startled, jumped backwards and ended up with a problem in my left hip. Luckner quickly decided to take me to PaP to see my doctor (orthopedic) who was a great help to me last year this time with getting my knee pain free and working properly, that had been damaged in the accident with Dickie, Ed and Coubano. This doctor was someone easy to talk with and he was willing to help me pull a surprise on Luckner with Don’s visit to Haiti last April. I had his cellphone number so tried calling him from home and enroute.

We drove to Port, not easy for me as I could not sit up properly. We were thankful to see the building, where I had been to his office a few times, still standing. It was difficult to hear that he had died in the earthquake while working in another medical clinic close by. I ended up seeing another doctor who had been his associate. He wanted an x-ray but we could not find any place still open. We got back home at night and had the x-ray done in St. Marc yesterday. Tomorrow we send someone to Port with that. In the meantime I solicit your prayers for the healing of my hip. I am suffering a great deal and my workload continues to get further behind. Oh how much better and easier things would be looked after if I were in Canada. But I am not, so we do the best we can here. Time and patience!!!

This is Haiti. What it would take an hour to accomplish, or to find, in North America, can take a day, a week, or a month to accomplish, or to even find, here. Haiti is not for the fainthearted, or impatient. Patience is indeed a virtue but also an absolute necessity to live/work here. Also necessary if you come on missions teams.

The Texas Team accomplished a great deal while here for which we are very thankful. They were a great group, even though they kept one member of the team hidden away for most of the week. Not sure if that was because of me, him, or themselves. Anyway, Todd, I’m glad you were able to come meet me and join us for at least one day. All the team members were hard workers, with a good sense of humour and accepting of whatever each day brought forth. They, like the other teams, seemed to have very little trouble with giving love and affection to the children. In fact I think they, too, found it hard to say bye to them. Thank you David, Nolan, Shane, Ryan, Ramona, Kathy, Brittanie, Garrett, and Todd.

Next week we will be glad to see Bob return (for the third time in three months) and Mike for his first time with us, arriving from Yarmouth to give more needed help. The following week they will be joined by Brian De who is bring three others with him. The help arrives and the work continues.

Ti Luc, and the rest of us, continue to be delighted with his major accomplishment of walking. This is indeed a major feat he has accomplished here. What comes easy for most children is certainly not for Ti Luc. I have always said from day one that he would see, he would hear, he would talk, and he would walk. He has now completed that prediction. His determination has been a joy to watch. He naturally wants to be like the other children and wants to do what they do. He wobbles when he walks, but he walks. He regains his balance and continues. He falls on his bottom sometimes, and he says “oopsy” just as I have taught him, smilles and waits for help back to his feet, and off he goes again.

Luckner (Gwo Luckner as Ti Luckner tells people his papa’s name is) and I believed that Ti Luc would walk early in 2010. We said that it would happen before end of March. And on March 8th he walked all over the house. Ti Luc is one of God’s special children and a miracle still in the making. God has a plan for this boy and with his grit and determination Ti Luc can achieve many things.

In honour and celebration of his walking Luckner asked Ti Luc what he would like as a gift. He quickly replied ‘gwo machin’ (big vehicle). Yesterday Ti Luc received his gift from Luckner and Baby. A celebration is planned with all the kids, etc but due to my problem it is delayed a little. But every day is a celebration of Ti Luc and his accomplishment.