Road Trip: Haiti Style

Google tells me there are roughly 156 miles between Cap Haitien and Haiti's capitol, Port-Au-Prince (PAP). This "short" distance ended up being a little less than a 6-hour road trip across Haitian Roads.

It all started with EEGs. Two of our kiddos needed EEGs, and the only EEG clinic in Haiti is located in PAP. A baby from our Medika Mamba program was scheduled to receive a free surgery at a hospital in PAP. And, our adoption worker, Antonio, needed to make a trip to the city. So, to save money on bus and plane tickets, it was decided that we would take our van.
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The EEG appointments and surgery consult were scheduled for Monday, October 20th. So, we booked a couple rooms at a guest house and left after church on Sunday. There were 9 people in the van; Rikerns our driver, Antonio, a 5 year old, a 2 year old, myself, a nanny, the nanny's adult daughter (we picked her up along the way), Mamba baby, and his mom.

The trip started pretty uneventfully. We strapped our 2 kids into car seats and I even managed to catch an hour of sleep! Then, we picked up the nanny's daughter. The two of them proceeded to hold a nearly 2 hour, animated, 3-way phone conversation in Creole. Then, the 5-year old woke up pretty abruptly and projectile vomited ALL over the floor of the van. I couldn't grab bags off the floor fast enough! So, we made a pit stop to wipe up the puke and take a road-side potty break. Not too long after that we were stopped by a Haitian police officer; he asked if we could give another officer a ride. He wasn't in uniform, so we declined. Not long after that, the 2 year old blew-out her diaper. Thank goodness for extra blankets! We were then nearing PAP, but our gas tank was nearly on empty. We pulled in to two different gas stations, neither of which had any gas. So then we were basically forced to pay some men on the street for 3 gallons of gas which they funneled into our tank. And then we made it!

The guest house was VERY nice. We were served dinner when we arrived. Shortly after dinner, the nanny and mama started getting the kids ready for bed. They were all, adults included, in bed by 8:00 PM. Apparently Haitians like to go to bed early. So, because the room was pitch black, I settled in for the night too. There was a wall air conditioner; I cranked it down to 72, and slept so well! Probably froze out the Haitians!

I was awoken at 6:00AM by a bed-wetter above me! (our room had 2 bunk beds). Because we were in PAP, it was important that we looked nice. So, we got the girls all cute in their dresses and ended up leaving only 10 minutes behind schedule. We dropped Mamba baby and Mama off at the hospital, and made it to our appointments on time. The EEGs themselves were pretty uneventful, mostly because they gave our kids sleeping medicine. While we were at the appointments, Rikerns paid some boys to clean our van inside and out. Good-bye vomit smell, hello cherry air-freshener! (I think the air-freshener was later chucked out the window by another international staff member.....it's smell was a LITTLE overwhelming)

We stopped at a restaurant for some lunch and then hit the road around 1:30PM. This time, I made SURE to give the 5-year old some Dramamine. And it worked! I also managed to take a nearly 2- hour nap with the 2-year old. When we woke up, Rikerns told me that he was trying to drive extra smooth while I was sleeping. So thoughtful of him, but I'm not sure its possible to drive smoothly on those washed-out gravel roads. We only had to stop for one potty-break, and we were home safe-and-sound before 8:00PM!



Definitely a trip I won't forget! I laughed to myself several times as I wrote this. I'm thinking I might want to experience the flying route next time.......

 Children of the Promise has given explicit permission for the posting of photos on this site.  Photos taken of children in the care of Children of the Promise are not to be posted publicly without explicit permission given by Children of the Promise.

I Don't Know

My Little "Peanut"

 I’ve been humbled lately by the seemingly LARGE amount of things that I don’t know. Before I left for Haiti, people often asked me if I was nervous. I would respond by saying something like, “I feel under-qualified for this; I’m a brand-new nurse, and I don’t know anything.”  And I was kind of right.

I don’t know why the child in our nutrition program isn’t growing, I don’t know what the strange bumps covering that baby’s skin are, I don’t know what that atypical heart sound is, I don’t know what the nannies are trying to tell me, I don’t know how to calculate how many calories our premature baby needs per day, etc. Thankfully, I’m not alone. There are plenty of staff that have been here a lot longer than me, have a lot of wisdom, and are willing to help. And probably more importantly, I’m learning that it’s okay to say: “I don’t know. I need to look it up. I need to ask for help.”

I also don’t know Haitian culture. And I don’t know the history of this organization; the efforts made before I arrived. And I’m learning that I need to be more quick to listen and slower to speak. I’m learning to find my voice; to speak up when necessary, to advocate for our kids when needed, and to ask about things I don’t understand.  

I am getting to know our kids. I try to spend a little time in the life house each day, learning each child’s face and a little more about their personalities. I have completed the pretty large task of writing medical profiles for each of our kids, helping me to learn their histories. Our Haitian nurse and I are currently working together to do physical assessments of each of our kids.

I am getting to know new friends. Our Haitian nurses our great; they both have such BIG personalities and tolerate my broken attempts at creole very gracefully. Jenna and I have started hosting Wednesday morning bible study at our house with some of the older missionary kids and their mamas. This past week we hosted our first “Fika;” ladies coffee hour every Thursday afternoon. We are THRILLED to be in our house and filling the space with friends.

I am getting to LOVE on a beautiful little girl. She was born premature, is now nearly 4 weeks old, and has been staying with us for the past 10 days. Her mama passed away and her family needs some time to grieve and to heal before they take her back home. She is the tiniest human I have ever held, and she is so perfect. So perfect that I don’t really mind feeding her at 3 AM J

I’ve been learning that that Jesus is here, and He knows far better than I do. He doesn’t expect me to have it all together, but rather to choose to live within His presence in the present.

A wise friend of mine once said to me: “Beauty isn’t wrapped up in being fine all the time.” And now I know that she couldn’t have been more right.

“Jesus comes not for the super-spiritual but for the wobbly and the weak-kneed who know they don’t have it all together, and who are not too proud to accept the handout of amazin’ grace. As we glance up, we are astonished to find the eyes of Jesus open with wonder, deep with understanding, and gentle with compassion.”

 – Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel 

 Children of the Promise has given explicit permission for the posting of photos on this site.  Photos taken of children in the care of Children of the Promise are not to be posted publicly without explicit permission given by Children of the Promise.

The first 10 days

10 Highlights of my first 10 Days 

• 1)   Beach day Saturday. I’ve been spoiled with 2 weekend trips to the beach and a girl’s trip to the pool already.

• 2)      Birthdays! We celebrated the birthdays of 3 of our kiddos and 2 international staff/kids.

• 3)      Trips to Milot. I’ve been to the local hospital twice to take and visit a couple of sick babies. Definitely a sobering experience, but thankful for the resources available to us there.

• 4)      Morning Runs. I’m trying to get into the habit of running each morning. Thankfully I have Erin to talk to and teach me how to share the road with the cows, motos, and children.

• 5)      A trip to the DR. Our trip across the border to buy groceries was quite an adventure. And now our freezer is stocked with yogurt, meat, and cheese :) 

• 6)      Babies! I couldn’t wait to get here and pick up a baby. I love my time spent under the play pavilion or cuddling babies under the mango tree.

• 7)      Feeling like a real nurse. I love being in the pharmacy, making plans for our sick kiddos, and getting to use my education.

• 8)      Jenna! I already know it’s going to be a great year with my new Roomie. We check the status of our house renovations every night and are excited that we MIGHT get to move in the end of next week.

• 9)      Community. This compound is full of life, and I’ve already been blessed by developing relationships and friendships.

• 10)    Creole. I wish I knew more than I do, and I wish I would’ve studied more before I came. So, it’s a work in progress. I have learned a few words: Mis = nurse. Sivouple = please. Vini = come.

  

  My Roommate, Jenna

I’ve caught myself thinking “This is real” many times in the past week or so. This isn’t a vacation; I live here in this beautiful country. And it feels so right. 

 

 

 

 

Children of The Promise has given explicit permission for the posting of photos on this site. Photos taken of children in the care of Children of The Promise are not to be posted publicly without explicit permission given by COTP. 

 

Welcome to my blog!

My new rain coat & Boots (Thanks, Gma) 

I'm moving in 5 days!

Well, this is it. I leave Omaha the 26th and will arrive in Cap Haitien the morning of the 27th. 

I have been talking, planning, and praying about this move for a long time. And now its finally here. My last few weeks have been spent shopping, packing, saying good-bye's, finishing up fund-raising, and working on my never ending to-do list. Most of my nurse-friends are currently knee-deep in the orientation process of their first nursing positions. While I enjoy hearing about their new jobs, I am eager to get to Haiti and start mine! 

I guess I am now a blogger. This space is a little overwhelming right now and I don't claim to be a very good writer, but I am excited to use it to stay connected with my supporters and those I love and care about at home. It is my goal to write a new post every few weeks.

Attempting to cram as much as I possibly can into 2 suitcases.

Many people have asked me for my address lately, I just officially got it today: 

Emily Skartvedt 
Children Of The Promise 
Agape Flights CAP - 27315 
100 Airport Ave 
Venice, FL 34285