The Importance of Pants

There isn’t a lot of information to report from the last couple days.  Things, as I have said, are moving at a more normal pace (either that or I’ve just gotten used to it…) and there isn’t the furry of activity that was going on the first couple to three weeks.

This morning started off slow with a massive downpour early on(I can’t help but think of all the people still staying at the tent city) and a call from Gary about 10am to get over to the RMI Garage and snap some photos of a LARGE delivery of medical supplies (something like 7000 lbs!).  While I was there I also got the guys to fill my 4wheeler’s tank and put air in a tire that had been punctured by a nail.   

 

Back at home, I began preparing my area (room and bathroom) for guests.  Tuesdays is Ladies Tea for the Missionary Ladies and today was our day to host it.  Since my space is just off the kitchen and less tucked away than Beth and Susanne’s rooms, my bathroom is the community wash room and that means my bedroom becomes community space as well.  I had to get things ready.  As horrible as it sounds, I still haven’t had time to completely unpack from my return from the states on January 5 (give me a little slack as we had a team come in on the 8th, had an earthquake on the 12th and were in Port Salut until the 13th.  I haven’t had time to stop going long enough!).  So that's what I did this morning. 

I had lunch and made a quick trip down the hill to purchase a small gift for someone at the hospital.  I came home, finished a few last minute details in my room, laid down for 10 minutes and then begin preparing for Ladies Tea.  Ladies began arriving at 4pm.  We had good food and good conversation and then, everyone was gone around 6pm.  After a quick clean up, I ran across the street to Tom and Karen’s house as they had been holding a couple packages for me that had been delivered by Agape on Saturday, while I was in Zanglais.  It was a really special package full of lots of goodies and cards- thanks Mom and everyone else who sent me such wonderful surprises!!!!!!!  I’ll try to post a picture of everything tomorrow!!!

Around 7, the roommates and I grabbed a quick bite to eat and then I headed off the hospital to make my rounds.  I wasn’t planning on staying long (as I never am) because it was getting late but I took my crayons and drawing pads just in case.  I’m glad I did.  I’ve got people I’m visiting upstairs and downstairs at the hospital so to try and be fair, some days I start downstairs and other days I start upstairs.  Today was my day to start downstairs.  I found Frenel watching a movie on a small DVD player along with about 10 other people crowded around his bed.  I told him I’d come back when they’d finished.  Peterson has now been relocated downstairs as well so I went and visited him.  It was not even 8pm but he was already in bed under the covers.  I poked my head in his room just to say hi but his mom insisted I stay for a little visit.  So I did.  I asked Peterson if he was tired from working all day and he laughed and said yes so I asked him what he’d been working on.  He showed me a few pictures in a coloring book that he’d colored.  He’s right handed and its his right hand that's shriveling up and useless so I imagine that would make him tired.  I asked him if he’d feel like drawing some and he said yes but he told me his good hand was injured.  I told him I was right handed too and asked what if we both drew with our left hands'; he liked that idea.  As usual, it drew a crowd and within a couple minutes there were 4 or 5 other kids (and a couple adults) in the room wanting to draw.  It was mostly me, drawing simple pictures from them to color but they seemed to enjoy it.  Instead of keeping their drawings they gave them all back to me.  I’ve got pics to prove it.  One of the kids who came to the room was a little boy I hadn’t yet met.  I’d heard his name lots of times before because he’s a joy to be around and everybody just loves him.  His name is Douglas.  If I understand it correctly, he’s actually 8 but looks like he’s maybe 4 or 5.  He’s just really petite.  He was under the rubble for 4 days and most of his injuries were sustained, as best as they can determine, not by the collapsing of the building but as he climbed and clawed his way through the rubble to get out.  He’s damaged his leg and his right arm. He doesn’t have normal movement in either of them.  When he walks, he throws his leg out slightly and he has no use of his bicep  but instead utilizes his arm by the force of his shoulder.  I was afraid he wouldn’t be able to color but once he got his arm up on the bed and could reach the paper and crayons, you would have never know he had a problem.  When we were all done coloring, but before I moved upstairs, he insisted that I meet his mom.  So he took my backpack from me, strapped it on his shoulders, took my hand and he led me to another room full of people, marched me over and introduced me to his mom.  I keep determining that I’m not going to “make any more friends”, not because I don’t want to, but I could already spend my entire day at the hospital just spending equal amounts of times with all of those I have grown to love.  But my plan of not making anymore friends really isn’t working and the number of people who continue to find a place in my heart is continuing to grow. 

I made a quick round upstairs, stopping to talk to each of my friends only briefly and telling them that I am going to try and come to the hospital earlier tomorrow.   I’m actually hoping to be able to make it first thing in the morning for a quick visit because two of my friends, Rita and Valenteen are both going to be going to BonneFin tomorrow to have surgery.  There is a visiting orthopedic surgeon who is up there and they are currently better equipped to handle surgeries of this sort; both with supplies and with staff.  They have both said they are going to be returning to the hospital here but aren’t sure when.  Last night I talked briefly with Migline and her dad.  She was having stomach issues and had been throwing up all day and her dad was sick as well with a cold.  She seemed a little better today but I didn’t see either of her parents.  

Here’s what we did tonight.  Notice the biggest picture in the top row.  That was one of Peterson’s drawings.  I did the basic truck form and he added the details.  At one point he drew the large steering wheel and a large chair inside the truck (hey, it happens) and I told him something was missing; he was.  So he drew the little stick guy.  He showed me again and I told him something else was missing.  Pants.  I told him it wasn’t a good idea to drive without pants.  So he added pants.