(I wish I could think of more original names for the title!!)

Ive been in Haiti for a month now, and time is going so fast like the weeks just fly by. Im getting busier which is why I have written anything for a while. Ive got a lot more patients in the clinic, a few challenging ones which Im not overly sure what to do....but Ill try different things. Ive also had a few patients who have had a stroke, they are difficult to treat with just a bed and just me with no physio assistants and proper equipment!!and they  have no movement at all in their leg so how they get them to the clinic is unbelievable!! They come in a tap tap (The local public transport Ill hopefully get a photo on soon) and then a member of their family carries them in, its crazy. But they just don't have cars to get here or a wheelchair to sit in so that is the only way. So Im going to chat to them and see if I can go and treat them in their own house, it will be easier for me to get to them and then I can see where they are lying and not give them unrealistic goals. It will also be good for me to see haitian homes and how the people actually live, it could be so easy to live here on the compound and forget what is right outside your doorstep.
 
I had my first patient come back today who is completely better!He has had back pain for 2 years and Ive seen him three times and he says he has no pain!!I think I was more excited than him!!So my other little boy with clubfoot has come back, his foot position is better but it will be difficult to stay like that so Im going to try and make a spint from what I have here and hope that works...please pray that it will and I will have wisdom what to do. My other little boy Carlos with the broken arm probably isn't going to get his movement back but it won't affect him that much but he comes just to visit me so thats really nice, he doesnt go to school and I don't know who he lives with but I hope he will come and see me more so I can build a wee relationship with him.
 
I started my creole lessons this week, my teacher is called Shelia and so far I've had three lessons, so because I've had some french its not too hard but I really want to learn quickly because its frustrating not being able to communicate. Although I have had a couple of days where Betty hasn't been there and I got by so I do know a little. Its also been good to build up relationships with the other staff and also some of the guys from the bible college because I don't wanna spend all my time with other missionaries!!
 
Church has been good here, Ive been to a few different ones the one we went to on sunday we had to drive for an hour then hike up a mountain for an hour, you know like at the end of the sound of music where there are walking through the mountains thats what it was like!!and the people walk like an hour most of them in bare feet to keep their shoes good for church, church was 2 and a half hours long!!!They had lots of prayer, a girl and boy group singing (and they are beautful singers!!), congreation singing and it is amazing like the people just sing from the bottom of their hearts and are full of God's joy, then the sermon...its a long time to sit on wooden benches but it doesn't feel like 2 1/2 hours. But the Haitian people go to sunday school beforehand for maybe 2 hours so they have been in church since 8am!!And I just learnt that like americans sunday school is for everyone and not just children. And at the end of sunday school they give a report, how many people were there, how much money they give, then they have to stand up in classes recite their verses and give the points from the message....I wonder how many of us could give the points of the message after church???And this is kids and everyone who go to sunday school then church so Im being challenged alot by the Haitian christians....Its funny how you go to try and help and change people yet God can use the christians here to change you!!
 
I had my last day of teaching PE in school on wednesday, it was fun and I will miss teaching gymnastics but I really want to concentrate on my physio and learning the language.
 
A couple of my patients today said things like I will come back next week if I can get the money for a tap tap. Another lady who had had a stroke was asking if I could give her some money because she can't work because of her stroke...its really sad to think they have to live like that day by day not knowing when they are going to get money next. And its difficult for me to know who to help, who to say no to and who to say yes to so pray for wisdom to know when to help because I feel like I want to help everyone. Its just a completely different world living here than in Northern Ireland and I don't think its something you could ever get used to.
 
So some prayer things
 
Praise God that physio is working here.
Thank God just that I have the opportunity to be here.
Praise God that Ive settled in and feel like this is home for the next few months.
Keep praying for my patients that they will continue to get better.
Pray that I will learn the language quickly so be able to communicate then be able to share my faith with my patients.
For wisdom in treating my patients, its challenging that Im doing things that Ive never donw before and with no equpiment and no notes with me Im having to try and remember things I learnt a couple of years ago!
Also for wisdom in knowing who to help and how to help.
 
Thank you for your continued prayers.