Just got back from dinner with the team. They are all pretty tired from a long day of traveling, but they seem excited to be here.

So I'm here at my house with Emily - the intern that will be here for the next two weeks.

Tomorrow we are heading to Lake Atitlan for the day and then on Monday we'll start working in the village.

Today the team went to Damien to do another party for the kids. The kids were doing all kinds of...

Today the team went to Damien to do another party for the kids. The kids were doing all kinds of activities including coloring, jumprope, and playing ball. After the activities they were served a nice meal. Some kids from Canaan showed up for the festivities too. They all had a blast. After, we took the team for a tour of downtown Port-au-Prince and a trip to the sugar cane museum. Tomorrow God willing the team will ring in the new year with a trip to the beach.

The team from St. Joseph's college in Maine has arrived safely. They are currently on their way from the airport to the hotel. I'm waiting for a call from Sergio and I'll go and meet them at the hotel for dinner.

Happy New Year from Guatemala!! // Feliz año nuevo desde Guatemala!!

Michele , the administrative assistant in the PID office got...

Michele , the administrative assistant in the PID office got married today in a beautiful ceremony in Conneticut . Congratulation Michele and Kender.

I am very happy to be back in Haiti. The team I met here has been putting on Christmas parties for...

I am very happy to be back in Haiti. The team I met here has been putting on Christmas parties for kids every day- kids from 2 of the local orphanages, kids from Blanchard, yesterday kids in Damien, and today kids in Canaan. They had so many kids. They participated in games, activities, coloring, and enjoyed a nice lunch cooked by Saintilia and Vania. The doctor and PA have been busy seeing patients in the clinic.

Yesterday we took a walk around the Blanchard area to see the PID houses. It was wonderful to see the progress that has been made while I was home for Christmas, the last house in Blanchard now has its roof on and the 2 families are moved in! The second house in Canaan is finished and painted as well, and the family is living in it.

After spending a wonderful two weeks at home visiting friends and family I am now back in Guatemala. I arrived today around 11:30am and Sergio picked me up from the airport. I enjoyed having my window open on the ride home and feeling the warm air rushing over my face. After two weeks in New England the heat here is a bit of a shock, but my body is adjusting well.

My first order of business upon arriving at my house in San Antonio was to call up and order the groceries for the Child Sponsorship distribution on Friday. We've gotten quite a few new sponsors over the past few weeks and I couldn't be more excited!

Over the next few days I'll be preparing the whirlwind that the next two weeks will be. I've got a team of 14 coming down on Saturday, a couple coming in on Sunday who will be staying for two months, and then another team of 18 coming on the 7th.

Great Christmas! The assistant field director left for Haiti today. Abby is leaving for Guatemala...

Great Christmas! The assistant field director left for Haiti today. Abby is leaving for Guatemala tomorrow. Many teams lining up for both countries.

Dru and Billy have arrived in Haiti and will hold Christmas parties for the two orphanages we work...

Dru and Billy have arrived in Haiti and will hold Christmas parties for the two orphanages we work with and after for the kids of Canaan and Damien.

This child is in need of Emergency Sponsorship in Haiti.

This child is in need of Emergency Sponsorship in Haiti.

Exciting day today!! We finished mailing all the childsponsorship cards from both Haiti and...

Exciting day today!! We finished mailing all the childsponsorship cards from both Haiti and Guatemala. Over 500 cards , we were only missing 13 cards and pics. It is a record year. Thanks to all the sponsors for bringing a Merry Christmas to all these kids. For all who’s money gifts came late, your kids will receive them for Jan .

Yesterday I went to the infectious disease Doctor and he has grounded me until at least the third...

Yesterday I went to the infectious disease Doctor and he has grounded me until at least the third week in January. This is getting really tough.
It is much harder to explain teams and the set up than to do it. But I am having
Fun with my family at least. Slowly getting caught up in the US office!

I woke up today to get ready for my finger check and OT appointment. This finger has required so...

I woke up today to get ready for my finger check and OT appointment.
This finger has required so much time and care. But it has given me an excellent look at how wonderful an organization and staff we have in the US, Guatemala and Haiti. I am so blessed to work with such a dedicated staff and volunteers.

After a long day of traveling I am back home in Massachusetts. I'll be spending the next two weeks here visiting with friends and family before heading back to Guatemala.

The last few days with the team went really well. The children's party on Saturday was a big hit and the kids really had fun. They ran off the bus and headed straight for the swings. We also had a lot of different competitions - musical chairs, hot potato and three-legged races.

Sunday the team and I took a day trip to visit lake Atitlan. We went to Santiago and then took a boat over to San Pedro. The lake is absolutely GORGEOUS.

On Monday and Tuesday the construction team worked painting Chico's house and also bringing some dirt to the back of the clinic where we will soon be putting a patio area.

My finger is on the mend! OT might be the most trying part of this ordeal. Working on Child...

My finger is on the mend! OT might be the most trying part of this ordeal. Working on Child sponsorship Christmas cards this week. Thanks to Gordon college for shelves for the warehouse . Can’t wait for it to get organized.

The past two weeks we have had an awesome construction team here in Haiti. The team consisted...

The past two weeks we have had an awesome construction team here in Haiti. The team consisted of Peter, Jim and Bret, three businessmen with a ton of practical construction knowledge, as well as Anne and Judy who are PID trip veterans, plus Martha from the Ipswich office: altogether a fantastic group that loves to laugh, is committed to bettering the lives of Haitians, and is dedicated to building relationships with those they meet here. The team sanded and painted a house in Canaan, and also roofed and worked on a house in Blanchard, as well as polishing up the PID clinic with a fresh coat of paint, among other work.

The team also pulled off the annual PID Christmas Party for kids in the Sponsorship program, which was December 3rd and 4th. The party was tons of fun, and a lot of work. :) Bags filled with many great toys, clothes, toiletries, etc. were given to kids in the program as a special Christmas gift. There was also a station where the kids colored and wrote Christmas cards to send to their sponsors.

Most of the team left last Wednesday, and in listening to them speak about Haiti, its so clear how dedicated Peter, Jim and Bret are to this nation and to those they have worked with side by side. Anne and Judy, who also have so much dedication to Haiti and its people, have stayed a second week and will be leaving tomorrow. This past week the two ladies have continued working hard on the house in Blanchard. They have also made a point to meet and personally deliver Christmas presents to their sponsor children and their friends’ sponsor children. They have touched a lot of people, especially one of their sponsored kids, Junior: a nine year old boy with an affinity for soccer and for learning English. Tonight Junior, together with his mom, walked over to PID to give the ladies two papayas as a thank you for all they have done. A really sweet gesture, they love Anne and Judy so much, and with many hugs everyone said that are all looking forward to seeing each other again.

Sandra

Intern at PID Haiti

Today the construction team started off the day by hauling in some dirt to level off the area where they will be pouring cement on Monday. After that they started painting. I went this morning with Sergio to go and buy the paint. We decided on green. They got two coats on the inside done, and two coats on the front.

Norm kept on working on our water filters project and also did some plumbing work to hook up Don Chico's bathroom.

Debbie once again spent her day in the lab checking the fecal samples for parasites. She also got to meet her sponsorship child Milton this afternoon.

Tomorrow will be a VERY busy day. We've got the children's Christmas party in the morning and then a party for the leader's group in the afternoon.

Just one day and Norm has already got water samples in the incubator to test the quality of the filters that we have throughout the village. Tomorrow we will start training someone from the village - Juan, Marcelina's son - about the filters and how to make, use, and maintain them. We are hoping that he will be able to keep an eye on the filters in between times when Norm can make it down.

Deb worked all day in the lab doing fecal tests and found some parasites!

Lorna, Lori and Brian worked very hard today mixing and pouring cement for the floor of Don Chico's house. Tomorrow morning I'll go and buy paint so that they can start painting. I asked Chico what color he wanted and he said he had no preference. So I told him it would be pink and then he had an opinion. So I'm thinking blue.

The team of 5 arrived this evening after spending a long time in traffic to arrive at the hotel. But everyone made it with all their bags. I just got back to my house after the team meeting.

Tomorrow we will start with construction, the lab exams and Norm will take a tour and check out all the water filters. I'll be busy keeping everyone else busy and also doing some last minute preparations for the Christmas party on Saturday.

Today I gave out a small business loan to a group of 10 women from the village. They have various small businesses - selling tortillas, chicken, clothes, etc. I have a good feeling about this group. They seem like they are very responsible and serious about paying back the loan and doing it on time. This way they can establish credit with PID and eventually apply for our housing program.

Well now for resting!! The biggest challenge of all. Didn’t know how bad one finger could be....

Well now for resting!! The biggest challenge of all. Didn’t know how bad one finger could be. Life goes on, One team leaving for Guatemala tomorrow, another coming home from Haiti.

Tonight I am finally home! Grateful to be here. Sad I am missing a trip to haiti and Guatemala ....

Tonight I am finally home! Grateful to be here. Sad I am missing a trip to haiti and Guatemala . Wondering what would have happened to me if this happened out of the US?Wonder how Benit would have taken care of it?

Tonight I am finally home! Grateful to be here. Sad I am missing a trip to haiti and Guatemala ....

Tonight I am finally home! Grateful to be here. Sad I am missing a trip to haiti and Guatemala . Wondering what would have happened to me if this happened out of the US. Wonder how Benit would have taken care of it.

Rummage Sale -- Proceeds to PID!

Tonight my finger looks much better. Maybe I will be able to go home tomorrow. I thank you for all...

Tonight my finger looks much better. Maybe I will be able to go home tomorrow. I thank you for all your prayers , thoughts and message.

Last Thursday was Child Sponsorship distribution day. All the kids came in to get their monthly groceries. Some of the leader's group even helped weigh out and package the groceries. This month I discovered a new place to buy the food and we saved a lot of money so I was able to buy more!

On Wednesday a small team of five people will arrive. They will be doing construction on Don Chico's (the security guard/gardener at the clinic) house - pouring a cement floor, painting and finishing the bathroom. We will also be having all the kids in the child sponsorship come in for lab exams - urine, fecal and blood. Then next Saturday is the annual Christmas Party for all the kids in the sponsorship program. Each child will receive a new pair of shoes, a new set of clothes and some candy. Santa will even be there giving out the gifts.

Gale was going to arrive on Monday, but as you can tell from previous posts she won't be able to get here tomorrow. I'm hoping and praying that her finger heals quickly and she is able to make it down.

Here is my splint. Still have to be here until Monday night....

Here is my splint. Still have to be here until Monday night. Good news from infectious disease , it is curable!

Wow, I just found out that I have to stay another day in the hospital. At least they down sized the...

Wow, I just found out that I have to
stay another day in the hospital. At least they down sized the wrapping.
I can’t believe that 4 days ago I had a normal finger.

Well here is my right hand. For all the spiders I have seen in...

Well here is my right hand. For all the spiders I have seen in my travels, it is ironic that I got this bite in the US .
With all the work the medical people have done to make sure my finger will
Be ok, it reminds me of all the people
Who have no access to healthcare.

The surgery on my finger went well today and I am recovering. I can’t type or email for a...

The surgery on my finger went well today and I am recovering. I can’t type or email for a while though, and will be out of the office until at least Monday. Michele is covering the office on Friday if anything is needed.