May 5/11 -Vancouver Trip

I’ve decided to come to Vancouver for a couple weeks now that I am well enough to travel (though still dealing with Giardia symptoms) in order to rest for a week and also spend a week organizing more supplies to ship by container to Haiti.  I had originally planned to spend last week in Tampa with some of my family resting and then was planning a surprise weeklong trip to Vancouver to organize more supplies to ship by container to Haiti.  Since I missed out on the trip to Tampa I'll be spending two weeks in Vancouver instead of one.  I look forward to seeing at least a few of you during this time.  

I spent a night in Miami en route home, and it's a good thing I did.  I was walking through the Miami airport with my carryon duffle bag in one hand and my laptop case in the other.  I was starting to feel weak and feeble so I slowed down in the concourse and fell in behind a nice old woman with a cane.  Her pace was perfect for me as everyone streamed by us.  It opened my eyes to travelling through life at a different pace as I'm usually in the fast lane.  I'm always thankful for experiences that help me understand on a deeper level the world that I live in and those beings that inhabit it.

I've found out since coming home that I've lost about 15 pounds.  I expect this trip will also help me return to full health quicker as I'll be able to ingest a more adequate and nutritious diet.

Please continue to pray for my physical recovery.

Most of you know I've battled some serious illness over the past few years of being involved in Haiti.  I haven't met anyone engaged in serving long-term in Haiti that hasn't been able to identify with me in this area.  It comes with the territory of serving in a place where there is a greater risk of contracting serious illness.  I was talking with another man devoting his life to helping the people of Haiti on the day I left from Haiti and was reminded that he has had malaria 14 times in 20 years of serving others there.  It simply is a reality that comes with the territory.

Many people have asked me in the past if I'm going back to Haiti while I've been sick; to which I've continued to answer 'Yes.'

I don't go because it's comfortable.  I don't go because I like the warm weather versus the colder weather of my home town.  (I actually prefer colder weather.)  I don't go because I prefer the Haitian food; though I do miss it at times when I'm in Canada.  I go because I know I am meant to serve in this area with my life.  I don't know if it will be for the rest of my life.  But I know that it will continue until it is meant to change.

So I continue on in this eternal pilgrimage...


~Paul

Apr 29/11 -Illness diagnosed

After talking with doctors this week and having lab tests done we have figured out that I have picked up Giardia parasites somewhere.  This explains the symptoms I've been experiencing.  I've started a treatment plan of antibiotics and hopefully healing and recovery will begin soon.  Thank you to Doctor Antoine and Doctor Mbassi who have worked with me over the past couple weeks.

I'll have to take a few pictures of the lab I was tested at for my nurse and doctor friends.  It was a converted house with one room open to the street where reception and sample drawing occurred.  Urine collection occurs in the back alley with a test tube.  This time I got away with being able to collect samples in private; and my eyes never left the nurse who was drawing blood to make sure everything was done correctly.

I've been very fatigued the past few days.  I'm sleeping a lot and have been nauseous most of the time.  Over the past two days I've been able to spend up to an hour vertical, but that has been the limit of my energy before I become dizzy and need to get horizontal again.  Read up on Giardia here if you want to find out more about it.

Summary: not fun.

Please continue to pray for my recovery.

~Paul

Apr 22/11 -Sick: Vacation Cancelled...

I had planned to meet some of my family in Tampa, Florida, for a week of rest during the last week of April, however I picked up a virus and also something else which (since April 18) has caused me to spend the majority of the last week in bed or in the bathroom dealing with the symptoms.  I also had to cancel the Florida travel plans; and missed out on this vacation and needed rest.

I will be seeing doctors over the next few days.  Please pray for my physical health during this time.


I don't have any pictures to share as all I've been looking at for the last week is my bedroom ceiling and my bathroom floor.

~Paul

Apr 11/11 -Home Base Found!

After five weeks of living out of my truck I was able to unload it into my new home base; a room in a guest house in Jacmel, Haiti.  See pictures of it here.  Moving five bins of supplies in and out of my truck was just beginning to lose its novelty status.  Many thanks to all those who have housed me during the past five weeks.  Here is a picture of my first dinner at my new home base; I came in late from Port-au-Prince and this was waiting for me:

We realized during a phone meeting with a colleague at HFL as we mapped out my schedule that it is booked through till September.  We have been waiting for my support team building to be complete so I could travel to start dealing with our backlog of partnership and project assessment work in Haiti.  Some of our partners are also needing help in implementing project funding, so I will be working alongside some of them to help manage and serve them in this area.  It is affirming to be working in an area where the need is so great... but this means more diligence is required to make sure appropriate times of rest are incorporated into my schedule.

Over the past five weeks I have managed to spend 14 days assessing partnerships and projects in 6 communities with leaders and donors from Haiti, Canada, USA, and Germany, while also leading two teams. The opportunities to be a

Mar 25/11 -South Mountain Community Team

Nearly identical circumstances as that which led to my involvement with the Lifeline Community Team occurred again a week after they left as the HFL Team Leader for this trip also became sick on the first day of travel and I was privileged to be able to stand in the gap for a second time and lead this team of 17 for a few days, starting on March 24.


See the South Mountain Community Church Team Blog for stories and pictures of this team’s trip.  Also visit the South Mountain Community Church Team Trip Page on HFL's website for information on projects/partners involved with this team.


I've received some doubt filled emails from people wondering if I actually travel with the team since most of the time I'm on the wrong end of the camera and not identifiable in pictures.  So beyond the pictures on the blog here are 12 proving I was there ;).

The most unflattering of the 12 pictures... but it proves I got my hands dirty at least once.

Returning to my truck for a first aid kit for a scraped team member's shin
that occurred on a hike along an aqueduct in the community.