Haiti: Part 3

Guest House                                           Thursday, August 9th

I look like I have the chicken pox. My arms have mosquito bites all over them.  Some little bug must have snuck in last night and had a feast. Next time I go somewhere that is mosquito infested I need to remember a bite cream.
Last night we made all the bracelets for the children. I figured it would be rather difficult to help that many children make them, without losing a bunch of beads.

Oh what a day! I don't know that I can remember it all.
   We left for the feeding center earlier than yesterday, and had slightly less traffic to deal with.
The children were really distracted today. Partly because there were adults and older children there. The children were leaving for a camp somewhere.

  During a play break, I was "talking" with some of the kids and I noticed a girl crying and boy walking her toward the class area. Her hand-or finger, I realized- was bleeding profusely. My first instinct was to get her hand above her head, to slow the bleeding. And I continued walking her toward the teachers. And of course I got her blood all over my hands and arms.  But who cares about that when someone is hurt? I continued to hold her as the teachers washed her finger. She fought and screamed the whole time. And all the other children gathered in to see.  Poor child. Her finger looked pretty mangled on the end. I think she caught it in a metal fence, and ripped the skin off. Dr. Renner said there might be some nerve damage. He told Brother Jacques about it, and is sending some antibiotic for her.

  In the afternoon we went over to the orphanage and Sarah gave piano lessons to some of the older children. It was mostly finger exercises and scales. They did well for having no sheet music and a language barrier.
  Afterward we went outside and watched the children play. I was able to meet Nana and Sam, the 2 siblings the Renners are adopting. They are very rambunctious and affectionate.
  After supper we joined the children and staff for their group devotions. [They sang and had prayer. It was very sweet.] And then the older children had a Bible Study with Marie.

Dada(short for Esmerada), Becky and Wislin are the 3 oldest ones. There is also a girl visiting who is Brother Jacques godchild. [He is her mentor.] Her name is Marley.  They only know a few words in English, but sometimes you don't need words.  Smiles and hand gestures work just fine.
  Tonight we are without city electricity. But since there is a battery system for the house we have enough power to have lights and run fans. [I think I forgot to mention that we had air conditioning in the bedrooms, but without the city power it didn't work]  And I have doused my arms with bug spray, so no feeding the mosquitoes tonight.