Wow what a day!! I am writing this while looking down at this tiny baby sleeping in the backshift crib. I woke up at 6am and got my day started. NO BLACKOUTS!!!!!! YEA!!!!! This was a HUGE deal. So the batteries and system are back up to working properly. As I got dressed I had to smile. That smell of lye soap and sunshine. The clothes are stiffer than if they were in a dryer, but wow what great memories. Also there is nothing like Rosita Lye soap to get stains out. We got today laundry out to be washed and should be caught up from all the rain. I checked E-mail and got some morning correspondance done. I really appreciate all the E-mails y'all have been sending letting me know you read and like this blog.
After breakfast I began to gather the school supplies that have been donated so that we can distribute the local pastors and school. A while later the rash that has been developing on my neck was not getting better with the itching and burning, so I took some benedryl. WOW I forgot how that stuff can knock me out. The rash is from comming in contact with a plant, spider, or insect. It grew from my neck up to my chin. Not very attractive but not a health hazard either. I laid down with a cold wet cloth on my neck and fell asleep for a almost an hour.
After the nap we went to go unload the fuel. This is a process follks. I will be posting pictures tonight. So here is how you unload fuel. You put rope around a 60 gallon drum. You wrap the rope over the cage frame on the back of the truck and the group pulls the drum to the edge. Now from here you have one man on the ground holding the rope and keeping the drum from running away. You place two planks of wood in place as a ramp. Next you left just the edge of the drum over the cage frame and approach the ramp. Next you place a cut piece of pipe under the drum and slide the drump onto the pipe. This allows it roll forward while the man on the ground keeps controls its speed. Now the two men in the truck jump down and roll the drum forward. When it rolls off the pipe, the pipe is brought to front of the drum and placed back under and the drum is rolled forward again. This is repeated until the drum is on the ground. Then it is maneuvered into the depot near the fuel tank. Now that process is repeated until all three drums are unloaded and in place.
Now you need to transfer the fuel to the tank. Dad was able to fix the hand crank pump. We stuck the long pipe into the drum and the hose into the fuel tank. There is a fuel filter between (WHICH IS NEEDED) and then you crank until the drum is empty. This requires about 30 minutes of constant cranking per drum. By the end of the process Dad's shirt was covered in diesel fuel and had to be change.
Dad met with quit a few people visiting today. Its amazing how fast news travels that he is here. We had our sandwiches for lunch. Today I had double avocado to change it up a bit LOL.
After lunch my patient arrives. For those with a tender heart grab your tissues. This one will pull at your heart strings. The patient who I named Phillip today is just under a month old. No one knows how old he really is. His mom was mentally ill and an outcast. She went to the big city of Port au Prince where most go when they are not welcome locally. She came back pregnant and does not know who the father is. One of the local ladies took her in and help her through the delivery. Now there are many motives for taking someone is. 1) Good intentions and heart 2) The opportunity to get assistant from missions for the household 3) Good reputation 4) obligation are just a few. I am unsure of the intention of the woman but this unfortunately is not an uncommon situation and we are grateful no matter the motivation that the mom and baby have someone to help them. The caretaker brought the baby while the mother remained at home.
Phillip is between 20-30 days old and weighs 4.25 pounds. He has a full head of hear but his soft spot is sunk in a bit. This means dehydrated. We were told the mom is unable to nurse. I made up a bottle of baby formula and he ate almost 2 oz right away. He also almost immediately got diarrhea. He has a bad diaper rash from not being changed often enough. Based on his state I decided he should stay in residence for 24-48 hours where I can monitor him. The woman who brought him agreed.
I had to go down to the clinic building and get some diapers, formula, and other supplies to help take care of him. So for the rest of this afternoon, I have been feeding, changing, holding, and attending this cute little bundle. Now once I get him re-hydrated and eating well, I will need to see if we can get them enrolled in one of the local feeding programs to ensure he continues to get formula needed to grow. I have pictures of him to post in the next upload window.
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