APRIL 19

Bonswa. (good night probably spelled wrong.)

The first team has gone and the second team is here. They're very different than our younger fun laid back team but I think it'll just take some time to mesh. It was quiet towards the end of the night and I have really been wanting to hear one of our patient's stories. He's super positive and everytime I smile at him he smiles back yet he seems to have some pretty intense pain in his leg. The earthquake came and he was in a house, he started running out of the house when it collapsed on him crushing his femur. He went home and his family wouldn't let him go to the doctor cause they thought he would get better. The earthquake happened on Jan 12... and he didn't finally get to the doctor until three weeks ago. He's a voodoo priest and for the last three months he's been calling on different spirits to heal his leg. Once he got to the hospital they x-rayed him and decided to cut his leg open to drain it. They got almost a gallon of pus from his swollen awfully infected leg. He's been on IV antibiotics and although he's in some pretty intense pain, he still manages to smile and nod his head. He's just one of the many I've fallen in love with.

We have an orphan here named Williamson, he's 8 but he's about the size of a 4 or 5 year old. He's freaking awesome. The orphanage he's living in is a pile of rubble with three dead bodies still stuck in it from the earthquake. A doctor visited to check out some kids and brough him to the hospital cause he had oozy ulcers on both legs and the back of his ear. They were crawling with bugs and covered in flies. The doctor stripped him and washed him off and brought him to me to start an IV. I started it while he was wailing away crying for God knows who. He's been an orphan for 3 years. They think his parents abandoned him because of economic reasons. Parents didn't have enough money to feed or care for him. Then an earthquake. Then an IV. This kid has been through hell and back yet he still conjures up a smile. He doesn't hate me anymore. We're good friends. I learned how to say kiss in creole, bo. I've been kissing him everytime I see him on the head or face or hand or belly and I wanted to teach him to blow a kiss so I said to him, "bo." He came in for a smack on the lips. I'm pretty sure I'd bring him home if I could. I cried sitting on his bed today. He's pretty happy in the hospital, probably cause he's getting more loving and attention there than anywhere else. I can't imagine his little life though. Never been to school. No Mommy. No Daddy. No true home. He doesn't eat much more than a small handful of food. Ugh, break my heart. I went to his bed today and he was singing a song. I have a video for when I get home, dont worry.

Once again, sorry that I write like a 7th grader. I really don't even know how to get all these thoughts and memories out. So please continue to pray for Chris and I... and please pray for Williamson. Love you guys.

Until next time.

bo.

christina