The surgery could still happen today. Things got messed up (do you sense a pattern here?) because for whatever reason (misconceptions) a lot of people here are very unsure of giving blood.
There is such a shortage of blood that when you want your family member to have surgery you must replace what you have taken. It makes perfect sense to us, but we're hearing from our neighbors that we are the weird ones.
Troy basically had to come down hard on Mme Felius' family last night. They were full of excuses for why they were not going to go give blood. Troy rarely raises his voice, but in this case he made a conscious choice to do so in order to get their attention and make a point.
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This morning they were to have gone EARLY to donate the blood. They said they would go. The surgeon called at 8:20 to say they had not been there and he was trying to figure out a way to get going without the donation being made. We're hopeful that his determination means results for Mme. F. Troy will go to the hospital before he goes to the airport to get the team.
What Britt said yesterday, about people wanting change but being sort of lackadaisical about it -- this is a perfect example. The surgeon was found, the surgery is mainly funded, the plan is in place --- it has all been handled -- now is the time for the family to step up and do their part and they want the results without pulling any weight themselves. That may be the number one most frustrating thing we see here.
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I had a conversation about this with my Uncle in June. He has been a Pastor for many years and has had plenty of crud thrown at him. He reminded me that if you're going to be "out there" and keep it real, you're going to have to deal with people who judge you harshly.
We attempt to be honest about our short-comings, and of course there are plenty of those. We recognize that not only are we here to try to do some small things to help in Haiti, but more than that we are here to grow and change and learn. We pray that we're teachable.
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We try to be real about our experiences and frustrations - it would seem to us that blowing sunshine your way all the time would get pretty boring -- not to mention that it would be a lie. So, rather than lie we just say what is on our mind and share what our current emotions and thoughts are.
By sharing openly and honestly (and sometimes in raw ways) we risk being called names or being put down. I learned in June that I am a big jerk for having a treadmill. Someone else recently told us we weren't "very Christian." Yesterday, among many other things Britt was told she is a naive 18 year old that needs to grow up. (She is neither naive or 18 - but I digress.)
The harsh commentary always comes from unknown sources. We have no problem with criticism. It comes with the territory. We DO have a problem with ANONYMOUS criticism. Everyone has their own opinions -- feel free to hate that I own a treadmill or hate that Britt has opinions about returning to America. Be angry about whatever you wish to be angry about - BUT, please have the courtesy to criticize us with your name and a way to reply.
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Onto IMPORTANT things ...A while back we posted a photo of the little green bugs that the boys love to catch. The boys call them "Jimmy Rockets" - a name they made up. This morning Troy found them placing (live) Jimmy Rockets into the matchbox cars and sending them for a drive around the patio. They are very strange little bugs. And very strange little boys. :-)
We'll try to let the Michigan families know when the team arrives safely. Have a great Saturday.
