June 10. Motivated

I like motivation because things get done.

Eli and Anna with Kathleen's and my help continue to complete school subjects before starting our break. Much learning took place in the last 6 months in our house both by myself and the kids. Clean up, organization also continues as we simultaneously prepare for the team and prepare to go to the US for 2 months.

Clinic with Chris yesterday contained an interesting mix of patients. Our first lady came with almost 24 hours of severe eye pain, both sides. Because of her risk factors for glaucoma and our limited exam and medications we sent her to Cap Haitian after praying for healing.

We visited with a young man with a mild illness and chatted about his risky behavior. When his white count returned abnormally low he agreed to be tested for HIV. His negative test pleased all three of us but the mystery of the low count remains. Will check again next week and unless it improves he also will be heading to Cap Haitian with a referral letter.

A happy, apparently healthy, 5 month pregnant lady came in for her first routine check up and her labs confirmed she was anemic but also surprisingly that she had non-symptomatic malaria. Treated both. A 3 year old boy unhappily endured having an abscess opened and drained. Grandma and he left for home after the procedure, not waiting for lab results or a prescription.

A few others also received care from us. The rains held off until later afternoon so Genier mowed the lawn. It looks great and right now we have 4-5 flowering bushes or trees around the house filling the air with wonderful smells. The House of Hope is slowly getting cleaned and set up for our honored guests coming next week.

A big accomplishment yesterday afternoon [2 years in the making] occurred when a pile of boxes containing medical supplies in the lower storage building shrunk. Now the last time I deal with these same boxes I sorted them into: share with other hospitals, keep for later and dump. But with time and other folks using the storage the 3 groups merged into one. But yesterday with some dusty sorting at least 1/2 of the stuff left the building heading for the trash pit or people's homes. A smaller pile will be checked out by the staff and moved to clinic. Makes me feel good to declutter even when it's not my house.

Cory's men cut down some of the sick banana plants. Yard looks great.

[Rain on banana leaf. Sago palm]