A special day --

Today will likely be looked back upon as one of the high points of our trip. Gaelynn and I were asked to teach the nursing students, so we split up and allowed the students to test their skills with the group we have been working with all week. They stepped up and did a fabulous job. We were not told how many to expect, but ended up with 60+ wonderful students all dressed in teal uniforms. They filled the room to capacity, and were eager and interested. We spent the morning teaching them a little history and method of art therapy, and explained some of the ways that art can be used by nurses to reduce anxiety and fear of medical procedures. They responded beautifully, which was evident when we concluded the morning with a role play. They paired up as nurse and patient (with an imaginary illness). The nurse would encourage the patient to use art along with traditional verbal techniques to describe their symptoms. They jumped right in with enthusiasm, and I think they did a remarkable job with only a few hours training. This afternoon we met again with the children. This time, we used construction materials, craft (popsicle) sticks, paper, and glue. They were instructed to create a house. This is a significant task, because most of these children live at the school, many are orphaned, or have family who cannot adequately take care of them. The responded by beginning to build two dimensional images of houses using the craft sticks to outline the shape. Some were completely disorganized, reflecting the disorganized debris we see all around the city even one year after the earthquake. After making a few attempts, they began to work with more accuracy, and eventially began to build three dimensional structures. Even the youngest seemed to progress through the process. Many even decorated their homes with stickers and would identify who would live there with them and who might visit. We could see the confidence increase, and they were very proud to share their creation with us and have their pictures taken. It was a great accomplishment for them. Tomorrow is the day before we leave, and we are already feeling a little melancholy about leaving everyone. Our hosts, Dr. Morquette and his wife, Dr. Hiacynthe-Morquette, have been most generous hosts. It has been a pleasure to serve with them and share our knowledge with their staff.