The Doctor has arrived!

Thank you to all of those who have helped us pray during the cholera epidemic. The doctor has arrived in Haiti and is on his way to the orphanage. We will continue to keep you updated.

Staff still needed

The doctor and one or two other men will arrive in Haiti tomorrow. We still need to schedule helpers for basic child care and medical or nursing staff for after they leave.

We are also in need of funding to help cover the extra costs associated with isolation, caring for the children and medication etc. We also have people who are willing to go if we can help them with travel expenses. If you can help in this way, please see our website at http://www.haitichildrenshome.com/ for information on how to donate funds.

HCH Cholera update

We are getting a doctor!!! And some extra hands! This is in addition to the nurse who was loaned to HCH by another organization over the weekend. The nurse will be at HCH until Tuesday. We praise God as this is a huge answer to prayer. Thank you to everyone who has been helping us look for help. We will need more helpers over the next several weeks so please feel free to contact us if you would like to help.

We are now up to 7 children with symptoms of cholera (adoptive parents will be contacted personally if their children become ill). There seems to a new patient to our little 'cholera' unit every few hours; so far only one has had to be on IV fluid. We pray that God will continue to allow their symptoms to be moderate and not severe like Evan was at first.

Please continue to hold Shae and Melissa up in prayer; they are very weary and exhausted. They have only had 4 hours of sleep since Friday when all of this started. They have been so busy that in addition to sleep deprivation they have also lacked in nutrition as they haven't had time to stop and eat much. Please help us pray that God will put a hedge of protection about them.

Please continue to help us pray for the people of Haiti; those in Haiti who are ill or could become ill and those living in the deplorable conditions left by the earthquake. Please also remember the Haitian people (and missionaries) living in other countries who are experiencing great anxiety and grief over their families.

If you would like to help, items can be dropped off to Lori West for the team to take with them. Please contact Lori West on facebook or at sorrylori@hotmail.com for more information. If you would like to donate funds to help with medication and other expenses related to this crisis, please see the website www.haitichildrenshome.com for more information on how to donate.

It is cholera...back to the hospital we go

Evan had to return to the hospital around 9:30 this evening, He developed vomiting again and the diarrhea continues regularly in large quantities. He does have cholera and is being treated.

We do have a couple of possible leads on nurses. Please help us pray that we will get a nurse.

Evan

Our little Evan at the hospital. The results are not back confirming whether he has cholera or not but the symptoms are all there. Please keep our little guy in your prayers.

Please pray for protection and health for Shae, Melissa and Sadrack as they take turns sitting at his bedside today and through the night.

5:15PM- The hospital has just released Evan. He is being quarantined at HCH for the next 5 days. Shae and Melissa will continue to care for him and stay with him unti he is completely well and no longer has to be quarantined.

Cholera on the rise in Haiti

We are still in need of someone who can start IV's. Cholera is spreading rapidly once again. It has now reached Port-au-Prince and several other regions that did not have it previously. It is on the rise again in our village as well. Shae just reported that people are arriving every few minutes to be admitted to the cholera unit.

We currently have Evan admitted to the hospital for IV therapy. He is being tested for cholera as he has severe diarrhea and vomiting; he was so dehydrated when he arrived at the hospital this morning that the staff had a lot difficulty getting an IV needle in him. He is stable and Shae and Melissa are with him.

Levi was also taken to the hospital this morning with symptoms but the doctors said he does not have cholera so he was treated and sent home.

Please keep us in your prayers and if you can start IV's and would like to help please let us know.

Sweet pictures

Melissa and Shae cuddling and loving in the midst of it all. We thank God for them.

Another day at HCH...and now...we evacuate for the hurricane

As of last night all of the children and staff from HCH were evacuated to a local church. Shae and Melissa worked very hard along with the staff to get everything packed and get the children moved. Although the accomodations are a bit crowded it is reassuring to all that that the children have safer housing on higher ground and the water on the church compound is safe. Everyone involved was very exhausted by the end of the day but very relieved to have the job done.

Adoptions are still processing

It was brought to my attention that I did not mention how adoptions were being effected by the isolation of the HCH compound. I wanted to clarify for those of you processing adoptions through HCH that your files are still moving despite the precautions being taken on the compound. Director Mathieu is not participating in the reverse isolation. He is on the outside and still processing paperwork.

-Melinda

Ulysse family and Grandma Pat to start deputation services

Massenat and Melinda Ulysse and their children along with Grandma Pat and Amanda plan to start holding meetings to raise support for their return to Haiti. If you would like to schedule a meeting for yourself or your church, please contact Melinda Ulysse by phone at 352-307-2449 or 772-209-2527 or by e-mail at hchkids@yahoo.com for more information.

Please pray for us as we start to book our calendar. We need to raise our personal monthly support as well as funds for our return. We plan to return as soon as we are able.

Reverse Isolation

We were successful in isolating the orphanage over the weekend. Several of our staff graciously agreed to stay around the clock in a lock down situation for at least a month and longer if needed. We had to hire some temporary staff as not enough of our employees were able to stay to make a full staff on-site with the children; we are grateful to all those who helped make the reverse isolation happen.

It took about 24 hours to actually get the compound ready, find the staff and get enough supplies to make it all happen but everyone worked together and made it happen. Lunto went to get bulk supplies on Friday, Mathieu went to employees homes, made phone calls and then arranged a meeting with those in place for the isolation. On Saturday, Shae and Melissa went to Port-au-Prince for one last grocery shopping trip to buy food, extra water jugs, air mattresses for the staff and hand sanitizer (they couldn't get any of this) before locking down. When they got home they set up mattresses and made sleeping arrangements for about 12 helpers who joined them in the already overcrowded sleeping quarters. Then they initiated the isolation officially.

So far no children and no staff from HCH have been effected by cholera. We do have a few children with mild illness but no one with symptoms of cholera. We thank God for this and we pray that he will continue to cover them.

We are still in need of a nurse or two. We need someone who is proficient at starting IV's and is willing to administer the daily medications and treatments. If you or someone you know is interested in helping in this way please contact Melinda Ulysse by phone at 352-307-2449 or 772-209-2527 or e-mail at hchkids@yahoo.com

Please continue to help us pray for the country of Haiti and HCH as everyone tried to recover from the earthquake earlier this year and now the cholera outbreak. HCH is in need of funding to help cover the extra expenses incurred due to the cholera outbreak if you would like to help financially please see our website http://www.haitichildrenshome.com/

Illness update

The illness continues to spread in Haiti and throughout our village; we are trying to staff the orphanage sufficiently to initiate reverse isolation (isolating our home to avoid any of the children becoming ill). Mathieu, Lunto, Shae, Melissa and the other staff need your prayers as they attempt to get everything in order to make this happen.

Yesterday we were able to purchase several liters of IV fluid in Port-au-Prince. We would still like to have a nurse on-site to start IV's if need and provide care to the children for other illnesses. Please contact Melinda Ulysse @ 352-307-2449 if you are willing to help in this way.

Once again, please continue to pray for our dear Haiti. We will continue to update you.

Illness in Haiti and Mirebalais.

This was just posted by one of our volunteers this evening:
I just wanted to send out a quick prayer request. I'm sure many ofnyou have heard a bit about the sickness that has effected Haiti in the last few days. 14 people in our village have died and there have been a total of 134 deaths reported so far and approximately 1500 people effected by the illness. They believe it to be cholera, which is spread by contaminated water. I don't have a lot of details in front of me right now but I ask for prayer for those who have lost loved one through this and also that the Lord would protect our children here at HCH and also the people of Haiti! We are not seeing any signs of it in our children yet, and trust the Lord will keep his hand on us as he always has in the past. Thank you for all your prayers! The Lord bless you!

-Melissa Fehr

In addition to what Melissa wrote I would also like to ask you for your prayers. Also, if there are any nurses who would be willing to donate some time to HCH over the next few weeks please contact me at 352-307-2449 or hchkids@yahoo.com We need at least one person on hand who is effecient at starting IV's.

God bless you,

Melinda Ulysse

Adoption Update

Adoptions have officially resumed at HCH. Several files are now making their way through the process in Haiti and several files are still being put together by parents from various parts of the US and Canada.

Please see our website for updated information on adoption including a few new templates available for download. The web address is: www.haitichildrenshome.com

Several people have called with questions about the new laws in Haiti about travel for adoptive parents. The new travel laws are for parents adopting children from orphanages in the Port-au-Prince jurisdiction. We do not use that court system and our local courts are not yet requiring parents to travel before the end of the adoption. We still do require parents to come pick up their children at HCH when the adoption is final.

For any questions regarding adoption please contact Melinda Ulysse at hchkids@yahoo.com or by phone at 353-307-2449.

HCH Post-Earthquake

Dear Friends & Family,

This is Shae updating for Melinda. She returned into Haiti yesterday late and we went immediately to the American Embassy and resubmitted the files. We are presently waiting for the call back from that. There has been a hold put on travel documents for the adopted children and this is pending the Prime Minister's approval for each child. For Canadian parents, the CIC came on Tuesday and took pictures, and reviewed the files. We were told to wait for them to contact us and were given no indication of when. Melinda was in contact with the official in Canada and there is nothing that HCH can do at this time. We are setting up an outdoor clinic today to access the children as many are not feeling well; but there is no serious illnesses. We were given one large tent by the UN and I was able to bring in several smaller ones. We have no internet at HCH so we will update everyone as we are able. Thanks so much!!!

The Outing!

On January 1, 2010, Pastor Massena wanted to take our boys from the orphanage, along with Michael for an outing. Pastor took 8 boys on this little adventure, ranging from ages 3 to 8. Left to right starting with the back row are Pastor Massena, Chris Nelson, James, Lony, Eddy, Robinson, Michael, Cliffly, and Golson. Below is a picture of them, all ready to go!

The first place they went to was the town square. Below is a picture of them all lined up!

Here they are, enjoying the playground at the square!

They got treats, cheese twists and tampico, and headed out to the river!

The two pictures below show you just how much fun the boys had playing in the water!! Swimming was an unexpected thing, so that explains why they were all in their under clothes!

The boys had a GREAT day and the Pastor seemed to have just as much fun as the boys did!

***ANOTHER NOTE***

Grandma Pat's oldest son, Timothy, and his wife, Rachel, had a baby boy on Christmas day! The little one followed his sister Julie, who is 12 years of age! His name is Timothy Robert! A picture will follow later.