Here's a recent article from the Washington Post that brings some of our mistakes to the surface.  Read it if you have a moment.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/01/AR2011020102030.html

Another day  off

Well it's back to the old stuff in good ol Port-au-Prince.  The elections took place last week but the results weren't released until last night.  Schools were our all yesterday and today.  Actually yesterday there was no good reason for them to be closed since all was peaceful  at least until the late afternoon.  That's when I was coming home from Heartline where I see the sick babies and mothers on Tuesdays.  Things seemed relatively normal as I was driving home except for the fact that the amount of traffic I found myself in was gradually growing by the minute.  What I had not realized was that "they" whomever they are, had announced that at 6pm there would be an announcement about the results of the election.  So as I drove by the stores that I was supposed to have stopped at to buy the food for our dinner I found them closed or closing as the streets quickly were changing from somewhat full  to full.  

So I gave up the idea of obtaining food but made my goal change to getting home by 6pm so I could get the car in a safe place before the rocks and fire started flying.  

After eating I noticed my neighbor was outside our living room window and calling for me.  We don't see Phillip very often since he's a very famous Haitian Artist and spends much of his time in other countries at shows and sales.  He had just come up the mountain also and said that he had a new phone number and wanted me to have it and wanted me to have his just in case things got dangerous around here.  He had heard rumors that Martali, the famous "Sweet Mickey"Rap star, who was running for president had not placed within the top two vote getters and it was expected that his supporters would try to burn the country down or other idiocy.   

Actually the announcements came much later than what had been expected but was right on with what Phillip had called.  Actually though the only violence happened down town in Port and Petionville.  We did here some of the gunfire that was going on but luckily it never moved up our mountain.  The biggest disturbance of the night was simply a lot of drums from the local voodoo temple that let us know that we were probably not only in a political battle but also a spiritual battle and no! we're not going to debate that one.  

So anyway, it seems that Martali's gangs are still in the streets but to be honest I doubt if this going to go on all that much longer since these guys are going to get tired and they'll simply give it up.  It always happens.  Not that they won't get a new breath of air and start over again sometime when we least expect it but they will take time off to eat.  Another day in the life of a young (200 yo) democracy. 

Now it's time to get back to school and work.

If you're interested in seeing some of the pictures that a friend of ours posted on their website from this morning go to : http://allthingshendrick.blogspot.com/2010/12/haitidelma-758-10-am.html

And so it Goes

John

My wife Jodie left for another girl.  Actually it's two girls, Jessica and Jacquie.  Since I got to move Jessica into her Indiana University dorm room in August and Jodie was already in Haiti because she has to begin her teaching assignment. Jodie got to go to IU for parent's week and today is back in the college classrooms experincing the greatness of Indiana University.   They 're even going to go to the IU football game on Saturday when the Hoosiers will be soundly killed by Iowa.  But it will be a first Big Ten game for Jodie and a first football game of any kind for Jessica.  She'll hate it just to be different than her old man.

I get to keep the home fires burning.  That's the way you say it isn't it?

And So It Goes!

John

A Good Find

Junior and Eden

I have worked at the Prospere Clinic since 1992 and ever since then I have worked with Eden, a Haitian Registered Nurse.  In the earthquake in January, she lost her 12 year old son Junior and her 17 year old daughter, Whitney was rescued from the rubble after five days.  At present Eden and Whitney are still inNew York whee Whitney is still going through therapy.  I came across this picture on my computer this summer.  It turns out that this is the only picture that Eden had and now we know that it is the only picture of him that she will ever have.  I'm so happy I took it and was finally able to find it.    

Cholera

Many of you have probably heard about the recent outbreaks of Cholera in Haiti.  I have a special friend who is so very knowledgeable and has all the inside news on these kinds of things.  The following is an email that I received from her this morning.

"Some of you have seen the news about an outbreak in the Artibonite Valley.  It looks like a microbial infection, and so far there have been reported about 150 deaths.  But the good news is that there seems to be some waning in the attack.  For instance, Hôpital Albert Schweitzer, not far from the epicenter of the outbreak, has only 45 hospitalized and they are all stable.  The program I work for, Supply Chain Management System, has been put on alert by USAID, and we have mobilized our hospital-based products and staff to help as needed.  No, so far no real problems in Port-au-Prince, but everyone is keeping an active eye out, especially for the camps.  Please continue to remember us in your prayers, this has been some year!"