Monday, February 08, 2010
Bonjour one and all!
Two weeks have sure flown by fast :) It's hard to know where to begin, or how to describe the country that has had so much publicity and attention over the past couple weeks. But the images that stick in my mind are of the beautiful people; women with huge bundles or buckets balancing atop their heads, men sauntering along in groups singing acapella into the ocean breeze, while children peek out from behind rusty tin doors, and catching a sight of my white skin shout, "Blanc! Blanc!" (white!) and giggle hilariously. Yes, the contrasts were great in many senses :) Other images that I shall not forget easily are those of rubbish filled streets and rivers, dust like fog that filled the roads and then filtered through barred windows into peoples homes, shanties and slums, with children playing on open roofs above the busy markets below. I'd never seen anything like it, but it reminded me a little of the images I'd seen of Calcutta, India.
Firstly, just to clarify, I never actually went to the Port au Prince area, or even close to there. This trip had been scheduled a couple months ahead of time, and it was planned that the team would visit rural medical clinics in and around the city of Cap Haitian, on the North Coast. So the first week we basically did as planned. I was with a team of 6 others - 2 doctors, 1 nurse, 1 translator and 2 pastors - and then me the student :) And boy did I learn a lot! Two of the days we visited clinics that are run by very capable Haitian nurses. It was interesting seeing the types of problems and sicknesses they had to be prepared to deal with - from scabies and malaria, to birth control and immunisations. The medical team has to carry all their equipment with them, as theft is a big problem due to the desperate situations everywhere.
On Saturday we left early and drove out to the base of a mountain. Then, loading supplies onto the backs of a couple donkeys, we hiked up into the stunning hillsides of Northern Haiti. What a beautiful country Haiti is....Mountains beyond mountains extending far into the distance, deep troughs plowed neatly across steep hillsides, and children running freely down into the valleys below. Two hours later we arrived at the village of La Suffriere (meaning 'the place of suffering'). We went with a Haitian nurse named Prudence who, with her husband, has been traveling up there for 20 years, planting and building a church and running a clinic. They have seen hundreds of people saved over those years, and seen the power of God to set villagers free from the bondage of voodoo-ism and transform them into people who worship and love the Lord. Praise God that He is so able to turn a "place of suffering" into a place of hope! We spent about 5 hours in La Suffriere, the doctors and nurses seeing over 170 patients in total. My job for the day was to take blood pressures of each one - great practice, though my ears were a little sore afterwards :) Aunt Laurel saw the most serious case; a little boy about 3-4 years old, whom Laurel thought had a retinal blastoma (or a tumor behind one eye). His right eye was protruding a little from the socket, and he had lost all sight on that side. Due to the severity of his situation, he and his mother hiked back down with us to the base of the mountain, so that they could go to the city hospital to be seen by a specialist. Again we realised how perfect God's timing really was, as the day the mother was able to take her son to the hospital there was a visiting American doctor, an opthamologist, who was able to confirm the diagnosis. Right now, the American medical team are still discussing whether to fly the boy and mother into the States for surgery, or do the operation in Haiti. Without this speedy operation, the boy could well have died. God is so good, and I was reminded many times these past couple weeks of what an honour it is to be His child and be guided by His hands.
Church was awesome. Sunday morning we went to Pastor Santiel's church situated in the poorer district and slums of the city. It was beautiful and really special to be able to worship with Haitian brothers and sisters; though separated by language, we were united in love for the Lord. And boy do they love the Lord. I think one thing that God was illustrating to me through the Haitian people was complete dependance on Him. These people had nothing else but the Lord - no assurance of their next meal, or of saftey or health, no hope outside of Jesus. Yet that same dependance is what God desires of me, to trust in Him with all my heart, and lean not on any understanding or knowledge or security outside of God. I too have no hope outside of Jesus, yet the comforts that fill our western world serve to deceive us and blind us to how empty and helpless we really are. I want to learn to live like the Haitian believers - praising God in all circumstances, and trusting in Him alone with all my heart!
On Tuesday the 26th, half of the team left, while half of us stayed on. I spent the majority of that week up at the local gymnasium, which had been opened up to accomodate the hundreds of refugees fleeing Port au Prince and arriving in Cap Haitian by the busload. The displaced Haitians were being processed by the city council, but it was pretty unorganised. A lot of the people were wounded, most traumatized, and needed medical attention. There was another US medical team in charge of taking care of the refugees, and so for a few days I was able to help them. I did little things - taking blood pressures and temperatures, learned how to give an injection :) handing out water and food, taking patients to the bathroom, and just sitting and praying with others. It was great though, and I'm so thankful for the opportunity I had to be involved, serving in small ways, and learning lots. I think one of the main feelings I had during that week was a feeling of helplessness and inadequateness for the situations that I was facing. What do you say or what can you do for a woman who has lost all three sons in one day? Or a young widow who sobs while waiting in line, as she is reminded of her two children now dead? I don't know. But God knows, and in that I had to rest. God tells us to weep with those who weep, mourn with those who mourn. Praise God that He is the Healer of the broken hearted, Restorer of what has been lost.
I really believe that this is a time for us to rise up in prayer and financial support of the churches in Haiti. The pastors of churches all around Haiti are seeing an influx in their communities as people flee Port au Prince to live with family members all over the country. Yet the people and the churches are usually very ill equipped to meet the physical needs of the refugees. Healing and restoration is going to be a long process, one that can only happen through the Lord, and this is a vital time for the western church to encourage and support our brothers and sisters in Haiti.
I know this is a terribly long email already, so only two more paragraphs I promise! You've done well to make it this far :) During the second week we were also able to get in touch with and visit about 10 beautiful orphan kids, recently transported from the capital. These kids had nothing when they arrived in Cap Haitian - they had lost their parents, homes, and everything they owned in the earthquake, and were gathered onto a bus and dropped off in the streets of Cap Haitian. They banded together, and found a lady willing to help them, who put them up in a vacant house out of town. It was hard to see and to feel the pain and loss these kids faced - Pam and Luke (the couple I stayed with) brought supplies, bedding, toys and activities, and we were able to visit them almost everyday until we left. I had fun playing with the kids, sitting with others, and pretending to understand as the little ones rattled on in Creole :) They are so sweet, and leaving Haiti became hard mostly due to them. At this point I feel like the only thing I can do really is pray for them, for their protection and God's healing and comfort in their hearts. The UN now knows where they are, and so food supplies and other basics should be taken care of. I've been realising that it's one thing to see the news and feel sorry, and another to discover that 'tragedy' isn't just a word, but a face, a touch, an empty pair of eyes.
But I'll stop there...whew, you say :) Sorry for the length...I'm not very good at summerising. Last thing was that I wanted to thank each of you so much for your faithful prayers and encouragement to me while I was in Haiti - I know that God was so present, protecting, guiding, and blessing me abundantly! I was not sick at all, nor every felt in danger or afraid. Thank you my faithful prayer warriors :) God is good; I sure don't deserve His blessings that surround me everyday. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask, and I look forward to catching up with some of you soon in person!
Have an awesome & blessed week,
love Hannah
PS. Here's a link to some photos if you're interested (might have to copy and paste it):
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# posted by Pam and Luke @ 5:41 PM 
