Going Home

It's a beautiful day in Haiti--lovely, sunny, and breezy. Rainy season has started, and everyone has been busy planting.  You see fields of recently worked ground and the blades of corn and beans appearing.  It's an exciting time of year--reason for hope. 

Recently the ground was dug for another reason as well. This was done with joy and hope, but also a lot of sadness.  Our friend, patient, and sister in Christ, Madame Phito, went home to be with Jesus.  There was joy because she was released from her cancer-filled, painful body; hope because we have the hope of life after death; but much sadness as we see 4 young motherless children, a widower and father without his wife. We are sad too because we came to really appreciate Madame Phito in the 2 months that we related closely with her.  

 

Here is the family a few days before she passed away. 

We had the privilege of visiting her 4 days before she died and sang and prayed with her. We sang one of her favorite songs, "My Faith Looks Up To Thee". 

Please continue to pray for Phito and his family.  It's no small undertaking for him to go on without his wife--especially not here where simply putting food on the table is a daily struggle for many. 

There was also a second home coming. This was a young man named Jean Wilhem. He was in a bad moto accident. He was the driver, and his passenger died soon after the accident. Jean sustained severe head trauma, and was completely unresponsive for close to 2 weeks following the accident. His prognosis wasn't good at all. However, God saw fit to give him amazing healing!!  We were overseeing his care--did wound care, etc. He was being fed through a feeding tube, and we replaced that several times. When he started responding though, he made amazing progress. It wasn't long he could be fed without the tube. His friends Jethro and Richard, pictured below, were great therapist for him--getting him to exercise, communicate what he wanted, etc. Before he went home to the mountains, he was even talking. 

Richard, Jean Wilhem, and Jethro

Working in the medical field has it's rewarding and also hard moments, but it's so exciting to have the privilege of touching lives in crucial moments and sharing Jesus love whether to a dying person or to someone who's healing. 

Update on Madame Phito

Since I last wrote about our dear friend, Madame Phito, she has been to two different hospitals. The one simply told her that there is nothing to do and sent her home. The other one kept her a few days and did a biopsy. She is to return there Feb 15 for the biopsy results. One way or another her prognosis isn't good at all humanly speaking.We have been going to change her dressing on the affected area almost every day, until the last little bit another nurse is doing it sometimes. Consequently we are getting to know the family!  The two oldest children are girls, ages approximately 12 and 14. Next is a boy about 10 and then the youngest a 2 year old boy. Frè Phito, her husband, drives a van taxi so he's gone from early morning to later afternoon/evening. It's been a privilege getting to know them. They are a very sweet family, and I can't imagine the daily struggle and pain of what they are facing. It's hard enough just looking on knowing there is nothing we can do but easy the discomfort. 
 

Here is a pic of the 2 year old from yesterday! I think someone just gave him this hat, and he seemed quite happy with it!


  Sometimes we've gone to the local hospital with her to do the dressing so we have more instruments and supplies. Over the holidays, that proved very interesting as the hospital was poorly staffed. One day we found no doctor in the ER so ended up putting in an IV and doing 2 stitch jobs. Another time there was no doctor or nurse in the maternity ward, and we cut the cord for a newborn baby and helped a bit until things were under control! The need for quality medical care is so great!

A little boy we stitched in the ER

The doctors, Males and Felix 

The newborn we got to assist with

Please continue to pray for Madame Phito and the family. They are strengthened knowing many are praying for them. Also pray for us as we en devour to serve and bless others as God would have us!

Please pray!

This is just going to be a brief post, and we will give more details another time.  Sunday we were told about a sister in church who is very sick.  She has what is probably breast cancer, but it's not as yet been diagnosed.  Whatever it is, it's very advanced.  We were to see her Sunday and again today.  Males helped get her an appointment to see a doctor next week, and we are doing some supportive care until then.  Her name is Madam Phito.  Please pray for her and the family.  She's the mother of 4 children ages 2-14.  Short of a miracle from God, she probably doesn't have long to live.

Welcome to our blog.  The purpose of this blog is to keep you up to date with our life happenings.  Just like life in the USA or some other country, our lives consist of many normal life activities.  We are just challenged to do what little we can in our corner of the world to make a difference for Jesus.  

  "And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones. . . he will never lose his reward."  Matthew 10:42  

Males and Anita Mainviel

Well, we've been rather silent, but we'll try to change that!

On Christmas day, we had a rather unforgettable opportunity.  My sister-in-law Raymonde, along with some others prepared about 200 plates of food and some hygiene packets.  I was invited to tag along as they delivered these items to a poor house and the prisons right here in Petit Goave.

First we went to the poor house.  My understanding is that the people who live there have no means to take care of themselves and so "end up" there.  The residents appeared to be mostly elderly.  The person who really stood out to me, though, from the poor house was a young lady.  She was partially crippled from a stroke, but she was trying to do her best in spite of it.  She said she ran out of money and isn't following anyway for medical treatment now.

The plates of food being toted into the poor house.

The young lady with paralysis.  She walks with a crutch, has a brace on her left foot, and is holding her left hand, which makes it look better in the pic.  

An elderly man who is bed ridden.  The place had several big rooms with many beds in them.  One room in particular had quite an odor.

THE PRISON

When we first walked in, there were a bunch of vehicles lined up and lot of police with bullet proof vests, guns, helmets, and such.  The atmosphere was tense.  It took a little bit till we understood what was going on.  They were transporting 11 prisoners to Port-Au-Prince.  The prison in Petit-Goave was too full, and they had tried breaking out the night before.  

Petit-Goave prison

Food and drinks for the prison

 

There was close to 200 men in this prison

Just beyond the bars on the right, you can see the iron door that leads into the first room.  From the iron grates to the cement doorway on the right, is the first room.  There are 88 men in there.  The second room didn't appear to be too much bigger, and it held 95 prisoners.  

As you walked in past the rooms, you had to watch your step.  There was water on the floor.  Not knowing the source, you just tried to avoid contact with it.  The prisoners would stick their hands out through the bars wanting to tell you something or hand a note.  A 22 year old man gave a note with his family's phone number.  He's from a town on the other side of Port-Au-Prince from here and has been in the prison 9 months.  He's had no contact with his family since his arrest.  They didn't know he was here until the phone call was made after our visit.  

There is also a women's and children's prison in another part of town.  We didn't make it there, but the ones that did said that was about the saddest of all.  

It's hard to imagine life, let alone Christmas, living in such conditions.  When I see such great needs, I feel so small and helpless.  But all Jesus wanted of the little lad was 5 loaves and 2 fishes.  Jesus took care of the multiplying.  The challenge to my heart is, "Am I willing to give my loaves and fishes to Jesus?"  Or am I hanging on to my time, my possessions, and keeping my Jesus to myself?  

The people living in these places, whether the poor house or the prison, need sanitary living conditions, food, clothing, medical attention, but most of all they need Jesus!  Please pray with us that would show us how we can best be His hands and feet.  

"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, . . . I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me."  Matt. 25:35, 36

We did do a few more traditional things for Christmas too.  A lot of Males' family was together for supper at his brother Levy's house.  It was a nice evening together. 

Circled around the table to sing and pray before having supper

I took some cookie dough and the children had fun, rolling out, cutting, and decorating.  

Blessing to each one as you enjoy the holiday season!  

A belated

 Merry Christmas

 and

Happy New 

From the Mainviels