Americans in Haiti

Well, we are back from Haiti. Here's a picture of Magalie practicing to carry stuff on her head. She is doing well and was running around with the other little kids, laughing and playing. She is staying at Roberta's for awhile. She had a place on her face that her mom was concerned about, so we accompanied Roberta on two doctor's visits. Turned out to be stitches working their way through (like the Mayo folks said they would).

The short summary of the trip is that Charlie preached a lot. we did most of the stuff the Haitian Christian Development Project wanted done, and we interviewed four orphan's home directors (or wannabes) for Orphans' Lifeline. Oh, and we drove from one end of the island to the other and back, quite a feat for American drivers. I have lots of pictures and will likely share a few more in a day or so.

I am sure you are anxiously awaiting my conclusions about how Americans can best help Haiti. I did talk to several people about it. Haitians didn't usually want to answer, but when they did, they spoke of helping individuals "get their feet under themselves" (my paraphrase). They meant things like helping people start a business. Americans living full time in Haiti had some interesting advice. One fellow I met in the airport said he was a paper pusher in the military attache's office at the American Embassy, I think that's code for CIA. His advice was for all the Americans to clear out and let the Haitians figure it out. He mentioned both the churches and the NGOs. The fellow assured me that the Haitians were capable of solving their problems if they would let go of the expectation that the Americans were going to fix things for them. That was strangely consistent with the advice I got from many of the resident missionaries and a few Haitians.

Recently I have been reading some books about raising kids, particularly about under-achieving gifted kids. The best advice from those books was very similar to the advice I got about America's relationship with Haiti. The kids' books said if you help them too much, you rob them of their chance to develop independence. If you don't help them enough, you rob them of the sense of security that they need in order to take chances and move forward. And here's the trick. How do you know how much is enough? The answer is that you have to know the kid. Or in the case of helping the Haitians, you have to know the people involved and the nature of the project. It is about relationships. Please understand that I am not comparing the Haitian people to American teenagers, just making a parallel in terms of the nature of helping relationships. The bottom line is you can't help very well from afar. You or someone you know and trust has to be on site with some regularity, to know the people involved, to know when you are stifling the development of independence and when you are not giving the security needed to reach out, to experiment, to strike out on their own.

It is a hard answer because it requires so much more from the helper. But Jesus said "Go."

Let me know what you think.

Hummmpf! Blogs!

Well am I ever behind? When Magalie left I lost interest in this blog. It didn't have a serious purpose. I think the purpose has to be to talk about me and the family and what we are thinking and doing. I see problems with that format. 1) I'm shy. 2) I don't want to appear to be self-focused (I'm shy). 3) I want to respect the privacy of my family and others with whom I deal. 4) A lot of what we do is boring and I don't want to bore folks. 5) I know a blog needs to be kept up in order to keep interest and I'm not sure I have the diligence to keep it up (as witnessed by the last several months of inactivity).

Why would I bother with a blog, If I am not really interested in drawing attention to myself? Basically I have some ideas I want to promote. As I have researched how to market these ideas, what I have learned is that I need an identity to tie them together. That identity is me. If I were a corporation or a church or an agency of some kind, I could hide behind that identity, but in reality it's just me. So, I have to market me in order to market the ideas. That sounds crude to me - downright repulsive.

But it's really about integrity. I decided a long time ago that who I am is a single individual. I am not someone at work, someone else at home and a third person at church. Being the same person wherever you are is the definition of integrity. And my ideas, my way of looking at the church and at God's will for our lives is a part of who I am, wherever I am. It is with me at the Minnesota State Fair or in Port au Prince, Haiti. I can't separate the ideas from what we do, though I do work at not being a bore by talking about them all the time.

One thing I keep forgetting, that makes it a little easier, is that "marketing" ideas is not about trading money for something. All the money from the sale of the books goes into publishing more books and making a few copies available to give away. My ultimate motivation is to further the kingdom of God. I need to pray that He will teach me how to do that without becoming prideful.

So here goes. I am going to attempt to keep this blog up with family news and thoughts on what's going on in the world. See also my web site which badly needs an update as well. Started working on that this morning.

Magalie in Haiti

Kim Meredith flew to Minnesota from Texas at the last minute to escort Magalie back to Haiti because Charlene was too sick to go and I needed to be here with Charlene. All these pictures and those on the previoius post are Kim's. Thanks Kim for your love for Magalie and for God's work Back in Haiti.

Being cute.

With her mom, Marie Rose. Haitians typically do not smile for photos. They prefer what I was told is the french style of posing. It's kinda like a fashion model or something.

The bus to take them back home to the northern montains.

Magalie Goes Home in Haiti

But first, as promised, here are the pair of mallards who have been hanging out under our bird feeder out front.

Magalie stalking the mallards:On the slide at our local park during the final interview with Tim Sherno from KSTP-TV: Our front porch on the last day here:

At the airport at 4:30 a.m. to catch the plane, with Kim Meredith and David. Kim flew to Minnesota from Texas at the last minute to take Magalie back to Haiti because Charlene was too sick to go and too sick for me to leave at home. Kim took all these pictures and those on the next post. Thank you Kim for your love for litttle Magalie and for God and for His work!

Marie Rose & Magalie

MarieRose, Magalie's mom, made it down from the mountains today and they have been joyfully reunited. Film at 11 (or whenever we can get it). Kim is still there, so hopefully we can get pictures.

She's Gone

Magalie left this morning, is in Port au Prince as of this writing. It was a sad time, but rewarding at the same time. She did what she came to do and is going home a very different looking child. May God bless her and protect her.

Magalie's New Glasses

Magalie and I have been hanging together a lot since Charlene got sick about a week and a half ago. One of the places we went (twice) was to Rochester to get her glasses fitted, then to pick them up. We also did Aunt Jennifers' birthday party last night. At the end of the day we were both worn out.

Kim Meredith is here now from Haskel Texas. She came in this afternoon and will accompany Magalie to Haiti on Friday. Our remaining time together is short.

The Chicago Experience!

We have lots of photos of Chicago (though not as many as we might have had since both cameras broke down at one point). To pick a group that would be representative of the trip was very difficult, We did two museums, an art gallery, an aquarium, the top of what used to be the Sears tower, and several really good places to eat. We really enjoyed being together, and enjoyed Chicago.

Here is Magalie showing us something on the Chicago skyline from atop the sears Tower.





A stroll down a Chicago Street & heading to the Field Museum (Day 2).

David, Magalie, and Pat's son riding a cow.

Mike and Pat Odum, Mike's former college roommate, outside the church where Pat preaches

Alex's 17th

Here are a few pictures from Alex's birthday. I have more and will post some of them as soon as I find the other camera. The one that that didn't quit on us has turned up missing. ["Turned up missing." There's an interesting phrase.] You can see who showed up in the middle of everything. But I do have more pix of Al, like blowing out candles and stuff. For real.














Magalie taste testing the BD cake icing.















Helping Uncle Mike read his book.















Jamming with Matt and Alex.

















And showing Matt a new chord.

Magalie's New Face

Here are a couple of pictures of Magalie since her eyes were straightened. Her eyes are still a little bloodshot from the surgery, but that will fade.

Note the strategic product placement in the second picture. We get a nickle every time one of you drinks a coke within thirty minutes after viewing this picture.

Back to straighten the eyes

Magalie went back to surgery last Wednesday February 17 for outpatient surgery to make her eyes point in the same direction.



Listening to Grandpa's heart.



Getting her heart checked.


Doped up and headed to surgery.


Minnesota winter.

Magalie loves helping Granny cook

And looking at the snow.

Magalie has a cold

Magalie has been alternating between feeling okay and feeling pretty miserable. Charlene has been in touch with her primary care doc at Mayo about it. Right now we are in a "wait and see" mode. Her surgrey is not until Wednesday of next week, so hopefully the cold will be cleared up by then. Here she is looking at the most recent snowfall. Check out the flamingo on the lower right, asking to be let in.

More Pictures From Magalie's Birthday Parties

I lost count of all the celebrations of Magalie's 3rd birthday. Here are some more pictures:

Magalie's Birthday!

Happy third birthday to Princess Magalie Toussaint! She's had two parties already and another is planned for today. The first was a party for six birthdays in our family in January (including hers). The second was Sunday morning between the worship service and class. This morning she and Charlene started opening the ton of BD cards she got from people in Texas and now they are off to ladies class at Woodbury. We are planning a Chinese buffett dinner this evening followed by the singing at the vets' home.

Another Good Night for Magalie!

Magalie had an even better night last night. Awoke only for her medication. She is bright and alert this morning, sharing Charlene's cappaccino. We will start trying to wean her from the pain meds today.

She was the only person at Feed My Starving Children last night who had been on the receiving end of the supply chain.

She was an instant celebrity.

For more on FMSC, see the next entry.

Please Accept My Apologies

Mia Culpa! It has been almost a week since I updated the site. Magalie is recovering steadily but very slowly. We've actually been back in the hospital since my last report and I just got overwhelmed. I was in church last night for the first time in almost a month. Charlene hasn't been yet.

We came home Friday. Saturday was okay; we had a big gathering at the house - family game day, about 15 people altogether. Diane did the cooking for two meals. Charlene mostly cared for Magalie. Saturday night was rough. Magalie didn't sleep well. Sunday morning she could not be consoled. We called the neurologists and together decided to take her back to Mayo on the theory that her spinal fluid might be building up. We checked into the ER and they admitted her.

Monday she was released again on the theory that the spinal pressure issue will resolve itself. They said it was not uncommon for a patient to take this long and longer to recover from the kind of surgery she has had. She has periods of feeling good - playing and singing and dancing. And times of feeling really bad - needing to be held. Sometimes she eats very well and other times she won't eat or drink anything. Each day is a little better than the one before, but very the progress is very slow.

Magalie Day 19 Since Surgery

Well, we are back in ICU. We scared all the docs yesterday. They were rushing her down the hall to her 2nd CAT scan of the day. They drew blood twice. Once is traumatic; her veins are hard to get into - takes two or more tries. Then they reopened the lumbar drain. All that was about her spinal pressure. We are all wiped out by the end of the day. Charlene went back to the guest house when it was over. Magalie and I had a good night and she has been alert and playful this morning. The ICU staff were glad to see us again (for the 3rd time).

Now we are back in a wait and see mode. Now that the pressure is off her spinal fluid, will it stay down or go back up? If it stays down, we go back home. If it goes back up, they are talking a shunt. A shunt is a problem because of where she lives, but as one of the docs said last night, "If she needs a shunt, she needs a shunt." Please keep her in your prayers.

Magalie, Day 17 Since Surgery

We are still in the hospital. Charlene was here with Magalie Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. She is home now, will put Ricky on nthe plane for south Florida this afternnon then head down here. I'll go home to be with Alex tonight.

The one remaining issue here is drainage from the former lumbar drain site (in her lower back). The doc found where it was leaking this morning and put another stitch in it. She is resting now, but took three walks this morning on her own two feet. We laughed and shared sugar coated corn flakes. She waved at a nurse - a first since surgery.

These pictures are of her discovering her new face for the first time (Saturday), and her playing with her "Princess" baloon." I often introduce her as "Princess Magalie Toussaint."

Magalie Surgery Day Plus 15

We are still in the hospital. The original projection was five days, we are now at three times that target. Still don't know when we'll get to go home. We are all three here now, but Charlene will go home this afternoon. She'll go to church with the boys tomorrow and probably stay long enough to get Ricky back on the plane to south Florida on Monday.

Here is the first "after" picture. Her face obviously has some more healing to do. I am also including a before picture for comparison.