Ive got lots of thing to praise God for this week. First a patient who I had been working a lot actually I will tell you his story his name is Fritznel and he is thirteen. He first came to the clinic in December withan infection in his lung which had to be drained manually with a needle he had this done each week, he was also put on TB medication. His mum wasn't around and he was staying with a girl who works in the clinic. He came back in January just after I arrived very sick, he has a collapsed lung in addition to the infection he was very weak and could barely breathe. He needed a chest drain in to drain the fluid and re-inflate the lung but they are not easy to find in Haiti!!
 
Dr Gavin did not have a chest tube so he called round different hospitals to look for one he found one so they had one but he had to go and pick it up. Gavin went to the hospital that night and picked it up. The tube was too big for such a small boy but if the tube wasn't inserted he would die. So Gavin inserted the tube and the draining began. Also his mum arrived back the next day, we don't know if someone told her he was sick or if it was just timing. Normally patients don't stay in the clinic but Fritznel was too sick to go home, so he and his mum were able to stay in the clinic, they were in the same room as me so I have got to know him and his mum very well.
 
After the surgery Fritznel was very weak he couldnt sit up for more than 10 mins because he was fatigued, this is when I started working with him. Gradually with time we began to build up his exercise tolerance, sitting out in a chair, walking a few steps. After a few weeks (maybe 3) Gavin took him for an Xray to see how much progress he was making, the Xray had improved but not enoughto remove the tube. He has had three X rays since and each time he lung hasn't expanded enough. I began to do breathing exercises with him and he built up enough exercise tolerance to walk around the compound a few times each day. So today we went to get a final Xray and his lung had re-inflated and when we got back the the clinic Gavin removed the tube and the drain. It was great after 3 months in the clinic he is finally able to go home. So he will go home tomorrow. Although this is brilliant for him because he is better it will be hard for them to go home, they come from a very poor family their are 5 children in the family with no father and his mum cannot read or write and she doesn't work so it will be difficult for them to go home. So please pray for their family as they go home but also praise God he his better.
 
Also my translator Betty was contracted for just 3 months and I now know enough Creole to get by so I don't need her anymore so I was worrying about what she was gonna do after she finished working with me then she would have no job therefore no income, also because she is my friend and I wasn't gonna see her very much anymore. Anyway Gavin was asking me questions about her and at the perfect time an opening came up for a nurse counsellor, and Betty would be perfect for the job she is great with people and she wants to be a nurse. Gavin spoke with the other people in charge of the clinic and they decided Betty would be best for the job they had already interviewed alot of people but no-one was right for the job so she got it!!She went for training in Port-au-Prince last week and is starting next week. So praise God she has a permanent job here they are so hard to find in Haiti and if I hadn't have come she never would have been connected with the clinic. Also pray for her as she starts she is feeling scared as she hasn't done anything like this before but I know she will be great at it.
 
In church on sunday we had a guy become a christian and one of the other missionaries (Erica)runs a kids club in another town, it started 4 weeks ago with 50 kids, last sunday they had 125 kids they showed the kids version of the Jesus film for easter. When she got there the projector wouldn't work and they had 125 kids watching it on a small laptop screen and 18 kids accepted the Lord!!Amazing the pastor of the church is visiting with the families this week for some follow up and to speak to the families aswell.