Joy: Posted 12.30.10

Happy New Year’s Eve Eve from Haiti!

Bellymapping was a hit!

We have had a lovely day! It started out with a trip to our own personal Starbucks (French press and canned milk) and a quick review of “belly mapping” for our prenatal class today. Belly mapping involves palpating the baby’s position in the womb and then painting it on their belly so that they can see how their baby is positioned. Women in Haiti often don’t connect to the fact that they have a live baby in their belly until after it is born (it is even common for them to wait to name their baby until it has survived for a month). We used belly mapping as a way to connect them to their baby and remind them that what they do to take care of their baby matters.  There was a moment of great celebration when Rosena (whose baby was breech last week) shared with the women how she did her exercises and the baby turned! Rosena’s picture is attached here.

Sweet Roselore

This whole week has been full and fun! On Monday we took our new Australian friend, Rebecca to Mama T’s.  They still have several tents up on the property, but the rubble has been cleared for about 6 months. They are waiting on government approval of the architectural plans to move ahead with building a new orphanage on that site.  For now many of the kids are in a crowded guest house on the back of the property.  It’s discouraging to see the kids crammed into such a small space.

Sarah D was able to connect with Augustine—who has not grown an inch since we last saw her in June (her anti-retroviral medications keep her small—which helps with the illusion that time isn’t passing so fast!).  She is 7 and has two loose teeth! We were also surprised to learn that the children had been practicing for a play and were going to perform it that morning! Imagine the joy and delight at seeing small children outfitted with angel wings and crowns!!! It was a wonderful, joyful production of the Nativity story and we are incredibly grateful to have witnessed this beautiful production.

Augustine, my angel

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=255208&id=531504439&l=eda256d31f

Tuesday we taught the child development class and showed the documentary “Babies” to an interested group of mothers. We also spent the morning in Cite Soley where Sarah D got to meet the little girl that she sponsors…more to come on that later, except to say that she's quite possibly sponsoring the smartest, cutest most joyful little girl in all of Haiti! :)

Wednesday Rosemond came by for a visit and it was wonderful to see how much he has grown. We also spent time teaching him and the teen moms to play Uno.  Sarah O spent the afternoon with the Birthmom of her niece and nephew (who were evacuated from Haiti after the earthquake and adopted by O’s sister Jessica).  She was able to record a video message to her kids, that they will likely cherish forever. We also survived a raging fire in the lot across the street (when the neighbor decided to burn a year's worth of trash and accidentally caught his trees on fire). :) And we began our driving career on Wednesday and feel quite independent now.

All in all the time is going by much too quickly.  We are grateful to be here for another two weeks and will update when we can. Still no births but anticipating the arrival of four new little Haitians very soon.

We will spend tomorrow evening doing what we’ve done for years--Reviewing our journals from the year and reflecting on the ups and downs of 2010. (I can’t say that I’m sad to see it go… 2010, don’t let the door hit you on the way out…).  It’s been a full year and we’re grateful to be doing that in Haiti. Have a wonderful, safe, and happy New Year. Bon Ane 2011!

Sarah O and Sarah D

Johnny Angel