Haiti: Day One

Tough day.

I woke up feeling terrible, and to be totally honest I wished I were anywhere other than Haiti. In fact, I struggled through most of the day to get past the external conditions and to focus on the people & how to love them. It's hot here & miserably humid 24/7. The streets are loud and dusty, it smells like urine, & rats are everywhere when the sun goes down. Clinic conditions & supplies are far from par. Beyond this, the language barrier makes connecting with everyone hard- not only the locals but also the other volunteers (from all over the world). All i can say is Thank God for covering prayer & the encouragement of a few English speaking docs & nurses! I felt MUCH better by the end of the day!

My day began with a trauma: a young man was brought to us by U.N. police after he was beaten badly and found unresponsive. I helped repair his multiple lacerations. My day ended with a delivery: a 5# boy born to a single, homeless 20 yr old girl with no living family. In between these I saw a countless number of women with vaginal infections, pain, and bleeding problems. Beside me another team treated a young woman who attempted suicide by drinking bleach. Her life was saved.

I was greatly humbled by the many people I met who've suffered great loss, including a local volunteer physician who lost his wife in the quake. She had just entered a building and left her children in a running car outside awaiting her return. They looked on, helpless, as the building crumbled and she was buried alive.

The night concluded with dinner (rice & a porridge type food they call "mush") & worship. It was my first experience watching the locals praise
the Lord and it flooded me with joy. At the end of a hard day it was the reminder I needed of why I am here--and of the only true hope I can bring to the people of Haiti. In Creole or in English, "hope" is the same--it's Jesus.

Please join me in praying for God's mercy & strength in the days to come, for His healing touch, & for countless miracles.

Father, show me how to love those You called me to serve. Let me see where You are at work and invite me in to it. Amen.