Gale is here with me in Guatemala. We are hanging out a little bit until we go over and eat dinner with Sela and Gene.

Tomorrow will be a busy day at the clinic. We have diabetic consultation, lots of patients lined up, and groceries to weigh out. Then in the evening Gale, Sela, Gene and I are having a get-together with the English students.

5 hours until I leave for the airport. It has been 2 1/2 months since my last trip. Can wait to...

5 hours until I leave for the airport. It has been 2 1/2 months since my last trip. Can wait to see the newly painted clinic in guatemala and the new roof of the clinic in Haiti.

Yesterday’s employee beach day was a big hit. Live music, perfect weather, and great Haitian...

Yesterday’s employee beach day was a big hit. Live music, perfect weather, and great Haitian food. Fun was had by all, and the staff really appreciated the day.

Today it’s back to work as usual. Alison worked this morning and left this afternoon after having spent a great three weeks in Haiti.

The PID compound is all aflutter preparing for our big beach outing tomorrow. Santilia and her...

The PID compound is all aflutter preparing for our big beach outing tomorrow. Santilia and her daughters are cooking, Pouchon and Wilbur are washing the bus, and excitement is in the air.

We had a mobile clinic this morning at Damien and saw 35 sick people. Three of the midwives from the Birth Attendant class came to see us. This afternoon we said goodbye to both Sue and Holly and we all wish them a safe trip home. We then spent a relaxing afternoon at the pool at the Visa Lodge, swimming, reading and enjoying an afternoon off. The weather here has been perfect, breezy and clear and we hope for a wonderful day tomorrow at the beach, si Dieu vle (God willing).

Signing off til next trip, as i leave Monday morning. -Alison

Today was Sue and Holly’s last day of working in the clinic. They have both recovered from...

Today was Sue and Holly’s last day of working in the clinic. They have both recovered from their illnesses and we had a busy and productive day. A newborn baby who lost his mother recovered from a hospitalization and found a sponsor in the US today. Benite and i have started giving out the beautiful newborn kits sent from Elane and Sherry and the safebirth sets as well. Benite got to practise her new skills as a midwife, assessing a 4 hour old baby yesterday morning. We were so happy to have supplies to give to the new mother, as she came with nothing.

We have lots of plans for the weekend, including a mobile clinic at Damien tomorrow morning. We are all getting really excited about our staff holiday at the beach. Everyone is talking about it. We are hoping for a really big turnout and Pouchon has been working hard to get our bus all ready for the trip. Thanks to Holly and Sue for all their good work here in the clinic. We hope they have a safe trip home.

Goodnight from Haiti. -Alison

New roof of Haiti Clinic

New roof of Haiti Clinic

Things here at the PID clinic in Guatemala are back to a normal pace after having teams here for a few weeks.

Alejandra has been working hard getting information for new kids who are looking to get into the sponsorship program. I went with her the other day on some of the home visits. I enjoy getting out of the office and interacting on a more personal level with the people from the village.

Sela and Gene continue working with our English students. The kids are very dedicated and willing to put in the effort even though they are often very busy with other schoolwork. We've got students studying to be nurses, bilingual secretaries and teachers. I'm very proud of them. Next week when Gale comes we will have a little get-together with them. They are all very excited to show her all that they have learned.

Yesterday Alejandra and Meli invited Felipe Coroy (a man from the village who received the first PID house) to come and help with a project with the leaders group. They planted various plants and flowers around the clinic and Felipe served as our landscaping adviser.

[caption id="attachment_347627" align="aligncenter" width="553" caption="planting flowers"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_347627" align="aligncenter" width="415" caption="aura carolina and keily"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3476277964" align="aligncenter" width="415" caption="Keily and Marta having a snack after planting"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_3476277965" align="aligncenter" width="553" caption="planting out back"][/caption]

I received a picture from Haiti of the new clinic roof, can’t wait to see it. In Guatemala...

I received a picture from Haiti of the new clinic roof, can’t wait to see it. In Guatemala they are getting ready for a
English class demonstration.

Today was the last day of the yoga program and a wonderful time was had by everyone involved. It was...

Today was the last day of the yoga program and a wonderful time was had by everyone involved. It was a real treat to see so many kids having healthy fun with this group. Patricia also left for home today and we are all thankful for the good work they all did here in Haiti. Holly, Sue and i worked all day in the clinic together and had a number of emergencies. Unfortunately Sue isnt feeling well tonight and i am up late working on editing and organizing the birth attendant training class and hoping to get it translated into creole soon.

There is alot of excitement in the air as we plan what we hope to be our first annual all- staff holiday to the beach. We are looking forward to not only our first outing in our new bus, but also a day when we will all get the chance to have a day together at the beach. Everyone deserves this special day so much and i am really excited for it. Good night from Haiti. -Alison

Writing from a torrential rainstorm here in Haiti. Our new roof is doing a great job keeping the...

Writing from a torrential rainstorm here in Haiti. Our new roof is doing a great job keeping the rain out of the clinic. Patricia and I graduated our first class of 11 midwives today at Damien. We had a small ceremony giving them each a certificate, a bag of supplies for attending births, including a scrub top, a couple safe birth kits and newborn clothes. We had a small party and celebrated their learning. Thanks to Patricia for bringing what i hope will be the first of many trainings for midwives in the area.

The yoga ladies continued with their yoga program for 2 groups of children from Damien today and brought them back to PID for their morning and afternon excercise and stretching. The last of the nursing students from Greenfield Community College left today, assuring us they had a great experience and will return as nurses again to work in the clinic. As usual it was a busy day at the clinic, as Mondays often are.

Signing off from Haiti, -Alison

We’ve had a really fun and busy weekend here in Haiti. On Saturday the yoga team did a half...

We’ve had a really fun and busy weekend here in Haiti. On Saturday the yoga team did a half day class here in Blanchard with the neighborhood kids and then went off for a visit to Cassandra’s family. Patricia and i did another day of the birth attendant training, this day focusing on newborn resuscitation. The class remains really enthusiastic and learning all kinds of new things. For the afternoon, some people went to the museum downtown and saw the palace and the art market, and a few of us relaxed back at the compound.

Sunday was a beautiful morning of church and singing and then we all went off to the beach. It was a gorgeous day, we all swam ate and had a wonderful time together. We spent the evening cleaning and organizing the clinic for important visitors we are hosting soon. The place looks sparkling and welcoming. especially with our new multicolored roof, Sandra and Lizzy say looks like Chucky Cheese, i say “tankou lakansiel”-like a rainbow. -Alison

Well I am ready to travel and I am looking forward to going to Guatemala and Haiti on the 31st.

Well I am ready to travel and I am looking forward to going to Guatemala and Haiti on the 31st.

Greetings from Haiti! As always, it is really great to be here. Things are finally smoothing out for...

Greetings from Haiti! As always, it is really great to be here. Things are finally smoothing out for the diabetic clinic and we hope to get it up and running again soon. The birth attendant training is going really well and the midwives are learning alot and we are all having a great time. Most of them have no formal training at all and have very little knowledge of anatomy and the physical changes inside a woman’s body, so it has been really fun to see all the eye-opening and a-ha moments. Patricia brought all kinds of baby dolls and cloth placentas and such, so we have had alot of laughs role playing at giving birth and being the birth attendant. Haitians are among the most fun-loving people ever.

My daughter Pearl left today after 10 days of working in the clinic with the other nursing students. I think theyhave learned alot, experienced many diferent health conditions and illness here and enjoyed the culture and life in Haiti. The yoga team welcomed 2 groups of kids from Canaan today for more yoga fun.

Lizzy is gaining confidence as a driver and its been fun to  be able to jump in the car and go wherever we need to go with Lizzy at the wheel!

Will write more soon. Love from Haiti- Alison

Yesterday was the first day of the YogaKids class, run by Lauren, Cassandra, and Anne. They put on...

Yesterday was the first day of the YogaKids class, run by Lauren, Cassandra, and Anne. They put on an exciting progam for the local kids in Blanchard. They had both a morning and afternoon session, that included an hour of yoga, a snack, amd an hour of crafts. Kids of all ages participated, and they all had a blast.

It was also the first day of Patty’s birthing class for midwives in Damien. They taught a lot of information and clarified some misconceptions the women had about their bodies, pregnancy, and giving birth.

It was Sue and Holly’s first day seeing patients. This is a return visit for Sue, and Holly fell right into step with the rest of the medical team.

Patty joined Alison and her team seeing patients in the clinic today. This afternoon, 2 nurses and...

Patty joined Alison and her team seeing patients in the clinic today. This afternoon, 2 nurses and the Yoga team arrived safely in Haiti. We look forward to a great week with this team.

This morning the Gordon team left with warm hugs and lots of group pictures. Mr. Genois and John...

This morning the Gordon team left with warm hugs and lots of group pictures. Mr. Genois and John thanked the group for all their hard work. Patty, a nurse midwife, arrived this afternoon. She will be teaching birthing classes in Damien for midwives. This evening PID purchased a bus! Pouchon is very excited. We will be able to run it on the road to make some money for PID. It will also make airport runs and team excursions easier.

Gordon College team leaves Haiti and a new team arrives on Weds. Hope to have pictures of the new...

Gordon College team leaves Haiti and a new team arrives on Weds. Hope to have pictures of the new clinic roof that was started to keep the rain out instead of the tarps we have used for the last two years. Gene represented PID at the school is village Concepcion today. The ribbon was cut on the new building
where PID just finished the walls and the floors.

Yesterday was a day of recooperation for both teams from the hard work they’ve done this...

   Yesterday was a day of recooperation for both teams from the hard work they’ve done this week. About half the team spent the afternon by the pool at the Visa Hotel, while the other half just relaxed here at PID, flipping through pictures from this week and reflecting about the trip as a whole. Two team members even brought hammocks with them, which they put up yesterday for the team members to enjoy. The team also found a freshly laid chicken’s egg in the Triage room. For those of you who’ve never been here, chickens roam pretty freely around PID, although they do not usually enter into the clinic rooms. Apparently, one chicken not only made it into the Triage room but also laid an egg under Marcy’s desk. Lizzy, Dan and a few others didn’t miss this opportunity to try “Ze peyi”, or domestic eggs (touted by the Haitians as the world’s best). They scrambled this fresh, delicious treat, and are now believers. Paul and company continued to work long hours on the clinic roof to finish the framing before they leave tomorrow, and without interfering with the clinic’s patients. We expect the structure to be finished this afternoon, and to be “hurricane proof”, but the surface material of the roof itself will have to be finished by a future team.

The warehouse is almost fully organized. In addition to our...

The warehouse is almost fully organized. In addition to our regular
Packing volunteers we were joined by Marcelin , Tali , Tyrah and several college students home for vacation.

Child and Sponsor Meet

Last week we also had some sponsors who got to meet their sponsored child. Always a highlight of a trip.

[caption id="attachment_3476277946" align="aligncenter" width="461" caption="Emily with little Abilio (in front with his new boots)"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_3476277947" align="aligncenter" width="553" caption="my sister and my dad with our family's newly sponsored child Ligia with her mom Rosa"][/caption]

Sunday January 15th

The team from West Church left yesterday after spending Friday night at a hotel in Guatemala City. Their last few days were busy and fun!

The construction team poured the floors for three out of the four new classrooms at the school.

On Friday we had the closing party for the VBS Kid's Program. Complete with singing, hotdogs, a clown show and cake!

The medical team administered a mobile clinic today in Damien and were able to consult 35...

           The medical team administered a mobile clinic today in Damien and were able to consult 35 of the sickest members of that community, and to see first hand the dire conditions there. The construction team continued to work on their projects: the roof in the clinic and the foundation for the house in Blanchard.

           Most of team went on the afternoon’s cultural excursion: a drive through downtown Port-au-Prince and a visit to the Musee de Pantheon, Haiti’s history museum. Currently the museum’s art exhibit was a commemorative photography collection from the 2010 earthquake. The photographs were accompanied with printed quotes and stories from reporters, survivors, photographers and relief workers. Seeing the exhibit was emotionally eye-opening for many on the team, since they had just driven through the streets of Port-au-Prince where the quake’s effects are still apparent, as many buildings are on the verge of collapse and rubble still clogs the area.

The Gordon team continues to work hard on the foundation for the house in Blanchard. Dan, the...

The Gordon team continues to work hard on the foundation for the house in Blanchard. Dan, the student leader from the Gordon team, who interned for PID last summer, has done very well reconnecting with the small business program and with old friends. Hannah, their other student leader, delivered a gift package to Gordon college’s sponsored child that the team met on their first trip with PID. Paul, a Gordon faculty leader, went out with John this morning to buy wood to begin a roof for the open section in the middle of the clinic. By this time, a good portion of the framework is already up and it looks great.

Alison and the medical team continue to see patients. One patient in particular gives an example of one thing that makes medical team trips to Haiti so rewarding: after receiving medical care from Alison, one woman could not contain her gratitude and sought her out to tell her, via translation from Showty, how Alison’s medical care had made her feel completely better, and that she had “made her day”.

For this evening’s team meeting, Madame Pavelus came and told the recent history of Haiti from her perspective to the group. As she said, it is a “difficult” one, but one very much worth hearing.

Thursday January 12th

It is hard to believe that another week is coming to a close. This team flies out on Saturday so tomorrow will be their last day in the village. Yesterday we found out that because of the inauguration of the new president here in Guatemala will be happening on Saturday and that the capital city will be shutting down - which will make it difficult to get in and out of the city to drop the team at the airport. So we will be leaving tomorrow night and driving into the city where the team will spend the night at a hotel near the airport and then take a shuttle on Saturday.

Tomorrow is FIESTA day at the VBS children's program and the construction team will be working hard to finish pouring cement floors in some of the new classrooms at the school.

Here are some pictures of what has been going on inside the clinic this week:

[caption id="attachment_347627" align="aligncenter" width="553" caption="Liz helping out a little girl try on shoes"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3476277934" align="aligncenter" width="553" caption="Sarah with some patients"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3476277933" align="aligncenter" width="553" caption="Chris checking some heartbeats"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_3476277932" align="aligncenter" width="553" caption="Linda taking some vitals before the patients enter to see the doctor/nurse"][/caption]

 

Today marks the two year anniversary of the January 2010 earthquake that took the lives of over...

   Today marks the two year anniversary of the January 2010 earthquake that took the lives of over 200,000 Haitians. A few of the PID staff and medical team members attended a commemorative Catholic mass at St. Damien’s Hospital in Tabarre. The rest of the construction team members started the day with a tour of local PID-built houses, and worked on the current house in Blanchard, even though Jan. 12 is considered a holiday in Haiti. After work, the construction team also went to a commemorative service at the massive Protestant church in Blanchard, L’Eglise Chretienne. It is a sad and important day for those who remember their lost loved ones, and for everyone in Haiti who remembers as their world shook.

Tuesday January 10th

Today was the first day of the VBS for 150 kids in the village (75 in the am and 75 in the pm). Of course there was some chaos - but that is bound to happen. Fortunately the chaos was kept to a minimum due to the amount of preparation and organization that the team had done beforehand. The kids had classes in games, crafts, Bible and English. In crafts today they made gimp bracelets. Here are some pictures from games:

The construction team finished the foundation on the emergency house and then came to the school to start leveling out the floor in some new classrooms in preparation for pouring a cement floor.

Today was the team’s first day of work. The Gordon team made a lot of progress on the...

Today was the team’s first day of work. The Gordon team made a lot of progress on the foundation. They are a very enthusiastic, hardworking team. John, director of construction, is very encouraged by the energy that this team brings, and is looking forward to getting a lot done on this house while the team is here.

Alison and her medical team saw patients and helped out in the clinic today. This evening I met with them about the diabetic and hypertension programs, which have proven to be way more complicated than originally expected. We had a productive meeting and hope to iron out some of the kinks.

Monday January 9th

Today was the first day in the village for the team and everything went much more smoothly than I was expecting.

The construction team got starting on our next emergency house by digging the foundation and putting in rocks and cement. Here are some pictures that my Dad took throughout the day:

[caption id="attachment_3476277918" align="aligncenter" width="553" caption="digging the foundation"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3476277919" align="aligncenter" width="553" caption="the construction crew"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3476277920" align="aligncenter" width="553" caption="the pool of cement"][/caption]

In the afternoon we were able to take a walk through the village and see some of the houses that PID has built and also give the group a better understanding of what life is like here in Village Concepción. Many of them were really impacted by the poverty but also encouraged by the happiness of the people and especially the children.

[caption id="attachment_3476277921" align="aligncenter" width="553" caption="with my guatemalan children"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3476277922" align="aligncenter" width="553" caption="check out the newly painted clinic!!"][/caption]

 

Last night we said good-bye to Dr. Siskind’s team and this morning we said good-bye to St....

Last night we said good-bye to Dr. Siskind’s team and this morning we said good-bye to St. Joseph’s College team and the solar power team. This afternoon Alison, one of our clinic coordinators, and her team arrived, as well as the team from Gordon College. I’m excited for these new groups and looking forward to a great week with them. Each group has something great to offer. The team members are all settling down early after a long day of travel, and will start work bright and early in the morning.

Today the team and I went on a cultural excursion to Lake Atitlan. Here are some pictures from our day.

Tomorrow will be the first day working in the village and I think everyone is excited to see what it's going to be like.

Today, after a week of hard work, the team had the opportunity to enjoy a day at the beach. We ended...

Today, after a week of hard work, the team had the opportunity to enjoy a day at the beach. We ended the evening with a great meal and discussion where everyone reflected on the high and low points, the lessons they learned, and the challenges they encountered. These three teams truly became one after only 7 days together.

Well after a very successful week the team from St. Joe's left today. They got a LOT accomplished - painted a house, painted most of the clinic, dug out and put in a foundation for our patio out back, moved a lot of materials, saw a lot of patients and had a lot of fun.

After we dropped them off at the airport this morning Sergio, Emily and I hung out for a few hours at a mall in the city, took a little nap in the van and then picked up the next group! This is a team of 18 people - 15 from my church back home in Peabody, MA (including my Dad, sister and best friend) and 3 other people that have volunteered with PID in the past. We had a safe ride back to the hotel and a yummy dinner waiting for us when we got there.

Tomorrow we will spend the day in San Pedro on the shores of Lake Atitlan. I'll be sure to put up some pictures. =)

Today the medical team did well child checkups for about 40 of our sponsored children. The...

Today the medical team did well child checkups for about 40 of our sponsored children. The construction team painted the clinic and it looks beautiful. After work, the team was able to get off the clinic grounds for a tour of Port-au-Prince, including a drive through the downtown market, a view of the palace, purchases of Haitian artwork, and a visit to a Haitian restaurant.

This week, the St. Joseph’s students have been taking turns shadowing the doctor and nurses and working on the construction site. The construction team completed digging the foundation. Beth has been working hard all week on producing my job description, a manual for PID, and a PID information handout. The solar team has been working hard and showed myself, John, and Pouchon a presentation about their plans and ideas for the clinic and for Canaan. We are all very excited.

Today the medical team did well child checkups for about 40 of our sponsored children. The...

Today the medical team did well child checkups for about 40 of our sponsored children. The construction team painted the clinic and it looks beautiful. After work, the team was able to get off the clinic grounds for a tour of Port-au-Prince, including a drive through the downtown market, a view of the palace, purchases of Haitian artwork, and a visit to a Haitian restaurant.

This week, the St. Joseph’s students have been taking turns shadowing the doctor and nurses and working on the construction site. The construction team completed digging the foundation. Beth has been working hard all week on producing my job description, a manual for PID, and a PID information handout. The solar team has been working hard and showed myself, John, and Pouchon a presentation about their plans and ideas for the clinic and for Canaan. We are all very excited.

All is well in Haiti. Internet access is very limited but I have been in communication with Lizzy ,...

All is well in Haiti. Internet access is very limited but I have been in communication with Lizzy , the assistant field director and Beth , one of the professors from St Joes.

Tomorrow a team leaves for Guatemala And another team returns. Some people in Guatemala will be...

Tomorrow a team leaves for Guatemala
And another team returns. Some people in Guatemala will be excited to receive their new glasses. The English program will get a new computer and an additional English program.

Here are a few special messages from some of our current team members:

Today was a very good day. We had 9 new kids sponsored this week . I met with Jeanne , the nursing...

Today was a very good day. We had 9 new kids sponsored this week . I met with Jeanne , the nursing professor from UMass Darmouth. We are looking forward to a great team this year. Heard from Sela that the English students in Guatemala are doing better than we thought.

Here at the clinic in Haiti, the nursing students from St. Joseph’s College have been working...

Here at the clinic in Haiti, the nursing students from St. Joseph’s College have been working well with Dr. Siskind’s team and have been getting a lot of hands-on experience in the clinic that they would not have been able to get in the US. They are learning a lot and getting a lot out of this experience. They express that their confidence is increasing.
The construction team is working on digging the foundation of the next house in Blanchard. They have been enjoying playing with the local children around the worksite as well who are eager to pick up the shovel and help them. They also had a surprise visit from the Brazilian UN, who were just interested in taking pictures with them.
The solar team from Messiah College went with John to meet with the leaders of Canaan about their plans. They also went to the hardware store here and were surprised to find such a variety of materials for sale here in Haiti.

Today the painting crew got a first coat done on the outside of Carlitos' house and then ran out of paint. So while I ran off to get some they spent some time helping out at the clinic and playing with kids in the village. The foundation for the back patio is dug, rocks are in and cement is poured. This team is awesome at getting work done!

Today we had to call an ambulance for a woman who came into the clinic with an infected rabbit bite from 2 weeks ago. Luckily her husband pays into IGGS (Guatemala social security) and so she was able to go to their hospital which is much nicer than the national hospital that is available to everyone.

Tomorrow is our diabetic day and our doctor will be seeing patients along with one of the nurses.

Yesterday was the team's first day working at the clinic. The two RNs were working with the nursing students from St. Joe's seeing patients throughout the day. When the patients came out from the exam room after seeing the nurses they were able to pick out some clothing items that were donated to PID and brought down by this team.

A painting crew got two coats done on the inside of Carlitos' house. Carlitos is a little boy (4 yrs. old) who is severely asthmatic and the house where his family lives often gets damp and moldy - which is terrible for his health. So we bought special paint that blocks and keeps out moisture so that hopefully his house will be a safer environment for Carlitos.

Another construction team dug a small foundation for the patio that we are going to put out back behind the clinic. In the afternoon they started moving rocks to put into the foundation.

Today everyone will continue their projects from yesterday and tomorrow I'll have a new project for the painting crew.

Bev, Amber, Jacob, and Holly left today. They did a lot of great work here and will be missed. Three...

Bev, Amber, Jacob, and Holly left today. They did a lot of great work here and will be missed. Three more teams arrived safely here in Haiti today, the medical team with Dr. Siskind, St. Joseph’s college nursing students and construction team, and a team with Messiah College working on solar power for a building in Canaan. Today was a holiday for Haiti. The clinic was closed, so I took the team for a walk around Blanchard to see all the PID houses in the area. I look forward to a great week with them!

We had a great day today with the team in San Pedro, Atitlan. We did some shopping, some horseback riding and ate some good food.