April 19-23, 2014 A Creole Proverb…
“Bon Dieu pa jamn bay pitit li pinn san sekou.”
“God never gives His children pain, without help (medicine).”
The Jesus Healing Center continues to relieve pain and suffering for thousands of Haitians in our area and beyond. We are so thankful that Joyce Meyer Ministries – Hand of Hope sponsors the Jesus Healing Center each month. Without this support, it would not be possible to provide the “best of care” for the poorest of the poor. We offer a variety of medical care at the center and one area that continues to flourish is the maternity department. Our maternity department has grown over the years and is always filled to capacity. The overflow room is used since our medical staff sees up to thirty patients daily.
Above left photo: Mommies waiting to be seen watch as Edince checks a noise coming from the overflow room – someone has gone into labor. Above right photo: This mother is immediately taken to Dr. Nadia who performs an ultrasound. (We thank Joyce Meyer Ministries – Hand of Hope for the generous donation of this ultrasound machine.) This mother is only in her seventh month and has begun bleeding.
Since most mothers cannot afford a hospital delivery, they prefer delivering at their homes. This is usually a mud hut, and our maternity department staff works hard to encourage safe home deliveries. During the eighth month, each mother is invited to attend a seminar about safe home birthing practices.
Dr. Nadia and her nurse Beatrice spend time teaching these mothers about pregnancy and their changing bodies. They also educate them about nutrition, hygiene and the importance both play in delivering a healthy baby. Haitians learn best when we are able to communicate simply. Our Director of Malnutrition is Miss Elthania and she has prepared a cute and funny skit about caring for babies, and the importance of nursing for a long period of time.
It is so rewarding to see how thankful these mothers are to attend these classes. Most of them have never been to school and these classes are a great opportunity to learn. Miss Arenise is the Head of Community Health and she has all sorts of ideas to make learning fun for these Haitian mothers. She has discovered all kinds of games and songs online that make learning about nutrition and hygiene interesting. Teaching in this manner helps Haitians retain material and is vital when delivery time comes.
During these classes, mothers learn the importance of vaccinations for their babies. When they leave class, mothers are given a ticket that provides a free consultation and first vaccinations. In Haiti, mothers do not take their babies out for one month after birth, and this “ticket” ensures a checkup for the baby.
“Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.” Psalms 41:1-3
Each class ends with a “ti kado” (little gift) that helps assure a clean and safe delivery. A basin with all the necessary items for delivery is given to each new mommy to help reduce the risk of infection.
Each basin includes a razor blade, Kotex sanitary pads, a drape, cord tie, 4” X 4” gauze with binder, a receiving blanket and an outfit for the baby.
“And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: and heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, ‘The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.’” Luke 10:8-9
This is a special opportunity for these mommies who normally have a laborious day with little social life. They all clean up and dress up in order to be here for this training class. All of us at the Jesus Healing Center and the thousands of patients we have treated want to thank Joyce Meyer Ministries – Hand of Hope for the monthly operating support of the Jesus Healing Center. The Jesus Healing Center is located at Love A Child Village in Fond Parisien. A short distance away is a community of 500 families that were left homeless after the earthquake in 2010. Our Love A Child Partners built each family a permanent home and this area is called Miracle Village. We have also built a clinic in Miracle Village and a large Community Healthcare Outreach.
We do not have the financial sponsoring for these two medical outreaches yet. The monthly operating budget for the Miracle Village Clinic is $975. The nurses at the Miracle Village Medical Clinic take care of first aid, triage and dispensing over the counter medications before sending them to our Jesus Healing Center. The Community Healthcare Outreach is larger and more expensive. The monthly support needed for this outreach is $5,973. Click here to see the operating budget for these two programs. If we do not receive funding for these on a monthly basis, we will have to close their doors. If your church would like to sponsor one of these outreaches, or if the Lord has blessed you, please consider helping us continue to care for the poor. If you can help with either of these outreaches, please call our Love A Child office at 239-210-6107 or send an email to info@lachaiti.org. Thank you and God bless you.
Love,
Sherry