Thanks!

Ok guys so I've been here a month now - wow - a whole month i seriously don't know where the time has gone!! So I just wanted to do a post at this point to say thanks.

Thanks for all the comments on my blog, for the texts, the emails, the comments on facebook and bebo, sometimes they've made me laugh, alot, they've made me cry evenmore because lets face it, I miss u guys all like crazy!

But i just wanted to let you know how much of an encouragement it is to know that there are people at home praying for me I seriously wouldn't have made it this long without prayer warriors like u guys at home lifting me up to God, He is really blessing me in my time out here but he's also challenging me massively and i need alot of prayer support to get me through all that I'm seeing and doing out here, so I want to thank you all for that. I don't wanna mention people by name and single anyone out - but u guys know who you are - you've been with me every step of the way encouraging me, you've been there for me when I've been excited, when I've been scared, nervous, worried and even when I was chickening out... now I'm crying (thats the one downside about a trip like this - the dehydration!! (some of it admittedly is due to sweat!) but alot of it is because of tears, I miss u guys LOADS and just wanted to let you know that its because of you that I'm out here learning, learning about who God is and who I am in him (and of course a little bit of medicine on the side as an added bonus!) So Thank-you Thank -you Thank-you I can't put it into words how grateful I am that God has blessed me with friends and family like you... I better stop now before I completely dehydrate!!! I'm praying for you all everyday and Thank u for remembering me

Yours in His Service
Laura xoxoxo

Furry little friend!

Ok so I had a brilliant weekend again - we went to the beach again but this time we went to labadee which is owned by the royal caribbean cruise ship so when the ship isn't docked its open to the public for use its only about 100 goudes in - around a pound i think. The only thing is its totally americanised so its full of like hair braiding stations and cafes and bars etc! Altogether around 30 of us travelled in one big truck so there was definitely some close fellowship! There was the 2 american teams (1 construction, 1 medical) me, Sunmin and a few others!!! Evan also arrived on saturday I was so excited cos it meant another good oul Norn irish person to stand up for u lot at home lol alot of the banter between us and the americans is about the language barrier we've had some interesting consequences just because of terms like pants, ladybird and torch!!!

Then on sunday morning we had an early start! We went to pastor daniels church - he also works in the clinic - which started at 7 am!!! It was amazing though ,they presented each of us with certificates with our names on them to say thank you for risking our live to get on a plane and come to haiti to help!! it was so nice! Then after that they played/sang a song and pastor daniel announced that the whole church was to embrace eachother and bless eachother ... ok so i kind of have personal space issues with people i dont know... so this was... interesting to say the least!!! I got around 100 hugs and kisses in the space of about 2 minutes!!! Yikes! I think I've gotten my quota of hugs for the next year! lol. Every sunday afternoon we go to the cristoff hotel for lunch but because church was over by like 10 there was no point going back to the compound since the cristoff was about 10 mins from pastor daniels church. The cristoff happens to have the only swimming pool in the whole North of Haiti whoop whoop lol!! So you can probably guess what we did - yep we went straight to the cristoff and relaxed by/in the pool until lunch!!! What an amazing day The craic was ninety!!! Carly (one of the girls on the American medical team she's my age) and i were messing around and i got her to stand on my hands and i threw her up and back into the water (if that makes sense lol) so then julie briggs the physio at the clinic whos from NI taught SunMin and I how to throw people properly (she used to coach gymnastics) and she taught carly how to do back flips so by the time lunch came our arms were sooo tired I think we threw Carly, Amy (one of the nurses from canada) Julie and Tyler (who was on the construction team) sooo many times i lost count lol! Sunday afternoon we came back to the compound and just had a bit of banter and some people slept etc.

Yesterday (monday) was just a normal day in the clinic lots of consulting lots of patients, malnourished, diabteic, TB, HIV, Hypertension etc and then 2 new people moved into my house!!! so exciting!!! They're called Nadine and Vicki, they're nurses from Canada and are here for 2 weeks so its class to have some company (they're around my age too). Last night however i went down to the kitchen just to get my bottle of water out of the freezer and all the lights were out so, as you do, i turned it on - big mistake - as i saw a rat run right across my path across the kitchen counter I let out a big GASP stopped to make sure and process that I had actually just seen what I saw and then Ran down the corridor screaming ERICA!!!! I'm jumpy now just wrting about it!! So we've set a trap and some poison but there's no sign of it ... yet... I really don't do rats!!! Anyway thats enough for now lol. Missing you all loads!! Please keep reading and posting!! (Apparently mummy is quite good at it now if you want some advice lol)
God Bless xoxoxoxo

Bethesda Medical Clinic (BMC)

This week I've been working flat out in the clinic. I've been with Dr Gary (who is in charge of the AIDS clinic) and Miss Betsy and Miss Loude who are the counsellors for the AIDS clinic. It works like this - the doctors ask everyone they think is at risk if they will go for an HIV test (which is pretty much everyone) and they can choose to opt out which some people do, so everyone who gets sent for an HIV test has to be pre counselled and post counselled regardless of the test outcome. Miss Betsy and Miss Loude have the perfect opportunity to speak to people about Christ as many people think there is no point in life if they test positive for HIV and they have led so many people to the Lord that way. The AIDS programme involves ALOT of paper work, each new patient is registered and there are seven types of forms that have to be filled in 3 of which have to be filled in every time they visit which is about once a month. There is no computer system at the clinic so everything is done by hand which is a huge hassle and means alot more work, but the staff plods right on through all that paper work. So when someone is diagnosed with AIDS they get put in the programme and alot of their medication, food and transport (especially when they aren't well enough to get themselves to the clinic etc) is all paid for. Their progress and associated symptoms are all monitored and dealt with as quickly and efficiently as possible therefore prolonging the life of many many people.

Also this week I've been doing alot of consulting with Dr Gavin and Dr Rodney which has been really good experience and I'm finding I'm starting to understand alot more Creole - I still have a very long way to go, but Dr Rodney (a Haitian doctor) who is great craic, announced to me yesterday that he was going to stop speaking English to me!! And today he kept his word so I’ve been having to try and speak and learn more and more Creole! Last night I sat down to try and learn some more and realised that my English was hardly good enough to start and try and learn another language! So please pray that I'll pick it up and be able to speak it better!

Today I helped out in the well baby clinic too which was so much fun the Haitian babies are sooo cute! (nothing on Ben and Ryan though lol) and pretty much the mums get given alot of education and then the babies weights and temps are checked (which i was doing) and then recorded on their charts and then all this information has to go into a record book where we have to work out (based on their age in months and weight) whether they are normal, underweight or malnourished - today we had 3 malnourished babies, which is a bit abnormal due to the effectiveness of the well baby clinic. I also had to do alot of this working out and putting the information into the record book, here's hoping they can read my hand writing!! Plus the name aren't good old norn irish names so I struggled spelling them and pronouncing them when I had to call a baby to be weighed, a few times I called a name and the whole room just burst out laughing! Great for a girls self confidence!! lol.

I just want to ask you to pray for one wee girl (she’s about 3 and a half weeks old)who has a haematoma ( a bleed in her brain) these are common enough at birth and usually go away after 2/3 weeks but this one is pretty big and she had a big bump on her head where the blood was gathering, we had to refer her onto the hospital for surgery - which is a big deal here, well anywhere is the world for a baby so small and young!

Thanks again for all your prayers, posts, emails and texts they're so encouraging!! Miss you all lots and lots like jelly tots!!! Kisses!! Laura xoxo

Beach!!!

Ok so the beach was amazing!! (i kinda got a bit sunburnt!! oopps!!) mmm yea a fun day but on the way back literally as we got on the truck the heavens opened on us and it bucketed down like mexico/florida style only harder!!! It was so much fun it felt like being at home lol! We were literally soaked right through!!! And of course me being me I started singin my heart out!!! Things like It's raining men, and I'm singing in the rain, and my favourite I got chill's (from you're the one that I want - Greese!) and all the Haitians were running for cover - don't know if it was to get out of the rain or to get away from our singin lol - probably both!!! But as we drove past we heard them shout fow fow blanc - translated - crazy crazy white's!!!! lol. A fun day all round!! keep posting I love hearing from you guys!!!!
Lots of Love
Laura xoxoxox

Prayer

So yesterday (friday) was the OMS half day of prayer which meant everything (the clinic included) closed down for the day and we had a big service in the seminary chapel and we prayed and sang and prayed some more! It was amazing these guys just commit absolutely everything to God in prayer - it was such a challenge in so many ways! Today I'm heading to the beach with the American team I'm so excited! lol! Playing football on the beach and swimming in the sea ... its a tough life being a missionary lol I'm only joking! The missionaries here work so hard they really live their lives by colossians 3;23! So I think they deserve a day off every once in a while! Cheryl if you're reading this would you do me a massive favour and send me a picture of my 2 favourite nephews?! I miss them sooo much, its unbelievable! I'm totally cravin to hear 'aunty wa-wa, come play in the hall!!' I asked mummy to but she just laughed at me lol Thanks!!

Love you all Lots!!!
Laura xoxo

OMS

Hey guys so today i got a tour of all the different departments within oms in haiti. First we saw a video on the starfish school programme which is the church run schools which as far as i understood is run completely on sponsorship of the kids and they get fed and everything at school. At the minute they're trying to get all 32 of their schools into a government run programme which will feed the kids rice and beans rather than just bread and peanut butter like they're getting at the minute but each of the schools have to have somewhere secure to store the food the government gives them. At the minute a lot of schools don't have that and they're trying to raise money to build them ASAP otherwise the government will just give it to other schools or not at all! So for each school that needs a secure house they have to raise £1000 and to sponsor a kid is around £12.50 a month they were so cute i cried watchin the video! (who knew i was so emotional!)

We then watched a video on the seminary which told us how they are trying to train haitian men to take over the ministry because thats how it works best because as much as we try to integrate we will never understand the Haitians and their culture as well as the Haitians do! The current seminary where they teach all the guys (and some girls) is about to fall down - parts of it already have - so at the minute about 5 miles down the road OMS are building a new seminary including dorms for the guys and girls. So we were taken to see this there is still a long way to go and they really need some help so if you know anyone in construction send them to Haiti!!! Well actually most of the building is done its things like rubbing down the walls and painting and fitting showers and bathrooms, so anyone could help out (i dont pretend to know much about building and even i was up for it lol) The missionaries that are here are doing an amazing job so please pray for them! They also hire alot of locals which is good for building relationships in the surrounding community!

We were then brought out to radio 4veh and given a tour by Scott, its amazing the shear number of people the gospel is broadcast to every hour of every day its pretty much like UCB only better! As part of their ministry they give out wee radios with solar panels which are fixed tunned to radio 4veh and horizon 94.7 ( horizon 94.7 is like the young peoples version!) Each radio costs about £15 which isn't alot!

Obviously the other part of the oms ministry is bethesda medical clinic which i've been really involved in over the past week. But recently due to economic crisis people cant afford the tiny fee of 30pence the clinic charges to see the doctor. This means less people are coming to the clinic full stop or they are coming later and later in the stages of their diseases which mean a lot of times they've progressed too far for us to easily fix!

I've seen alot today and I've alot to think and pray about. I just ask that you'd pray for me as i try and figure out all this stuff in my head and pray for God's guidance in the short term and longterm future!

Love you all lots!!
God Bless
Laura xoxoxoxoxo

Luggage!! whoop whoop!!

ok guys so i just realised that i didnt tell you i got my luggage!! It was actually the most exciting day of my life i actually (literally!) skipped out of the airport. I got it on thursday i dont think i would have gone to roque if i hadn't have gotten it cos lets face it i was already surviving in the compund on 3 outfits never mind climbing a mountain lol! Thanks for the love and prayers I got eaten my mosquitoes and insects 2day (not bugs like the americans call them!) so pray that i wont be too itchy!!! Love u all lots!!!
Laura xoxoxo

Roque!

Hey guys so this weekend I went to Roque to do a mobile clinic this involved a 3-4 hour drive and then a 2 hour hike up a mountain a bit bigger than Slieve Donard at 37 degrees Celsius!! We did a lot of this on donkey’s (I would have preferred to have walked!) it was so scary! We left the OMS compound at 6:30 am and arrived at around 12:30pm once we got there we had to start the clinic for the day after some lunch (rice and beans and some cashew nut sauce – it was amazing mummy you’ll have to get the recipe!) I mainly helped out in the pharmacy and in the lab – yep that’s right we brought a mobile lab and a couple of techs (Tim and Mary) they were brilliant at their job and this was their 3rd year going to roque – so they let me do some bits and pieces which was a great experience! we worked till it was well dark! none of us slept overly well that night (well except for me i could sleep through a tornado - 20 years of having to listen to mummy and daddy snore in the next room does amazing things lol!!!) the next morning we set up and went all day again with a few breaks for food inbetween which included stew for breakfast ... interesting ... but all good! there were no proper bathrooms so none of us could shower the whole time we were up there - we definitely smelt pungent once we got down the mountain! we went to church in Roque ( in the same building where we had the clinic!) the people were so welcoming and sang some amazing songs seriously hatians know how to harmonise!!! I was in heaven lol! I walked down the mountain there was no way i was getting back on a donkey I nearly broke my neck like 6 times trying to get up the mountain never mind down but unfortunately i had a run in with a big thorn on my way down - quite literally a thorn in the flesh! But i survived!

Today (monday) we ran another mobile clinic but this one was only a 2 hour truck drive away it was slightly less organised but still as rewarding i even got to take some blood and do some examinations! Gavin is all on for letting me get some good experience I love it!

I just read all your post there and ended up in tears lol i miss u guys loads (can u tell Iv been spending time with americans?! Theres a big group here full of girls my age which def helped me settle in they arrived the day after me!) Thank you so much for all your prayers and keep going cos i really need them im tired and achey and my IBS has just started to act up I'm also taking devotions 2moro morning yikes! Keep posting too, its a real encouragement I'm gonna try and call home tomorrow mummy i promise!!
Love you guys!! xoxoxoxox

Hi!! Im still alive yeah!

Hey everyone so I know its been a while but I'm still trying to get on my feet I've had an amazing few days - its wednesday night 9 pm and my luggage still hasn't arrived (see mummy I told you it was a good idea to pack for a few days!!) hopefully it'll come to more but there's no promises! Its been a really eventful first couple of days with 2 major car crashes so the clinic has been busy that way (apparently this doesn't usually happen - thats the effect I have on places!!! oopps!) I miss u guys all loads. I havent been able to ring yet so ... mummy daddy etc I love u loads and im fine! I'm heading up the mountains on friday morning til sunday evening with the mobile clinic which is a big deal Im really excited please pray for our travel (around 5-7 hrs 2 of which is a hike) and safety up the mountain and that we will show Gods glory to the people we meet through our Joy in God and the things we do for them. Hope you aren't missing me too much!! Laura xoxo

LOST LUGGAGE!!!

ok guys so here i am sitting in fort lauderdale (i think thats hows its spelt!) it has been a VERY long day i think I've been up for nearly 28hrs its 1am here. I am shattered ive navigated my way around belfast intl heathrow AND JFK and now im in this random airport iv never heard of in my life in florida and they've lost my luggage i just stood at the conveyor belt and cried (not a good look lol) My laptop batt is about 2 run out so thats all for now please please pray!!! Thanx
Laura xo