So Haiti will need help long after this horrible immediate calamilty hopefully settles down, and I still feel the need to go there, Lord willing.
To those who question God as to why these terrible things happen, the real question is how do we respond to help those in need in the Name of Jesus. I will await His Word.
Team 5 Haiti NC Baptist Med Response, Feb 3-13, 2010
Well, be careful for what you pray for: I was invited on Jan 28th and it's now Feb 9, I have been here in Haiti for 4 days, leaving Honolulu Wed Feb 3, meeting up with the rest of the team in Santo Domingo Feb 4, then after staying in a Baptist church one night, taking a bus for nearly 12 hours to Port of Prince, and meeting our host, Scott and Janet at the mission compound described below, on Friday Feb 5. Amazingly they had just left Hawaii being hosts for a Baptist camp there!!
I will try to cut and paste my emails to this blog. I cannot descibe all the people, events and feelings at this time, except to say that it has been overwhelming, tiring and yet I would not have had it anyother way. It tops all the other missions I have been invloved with. I will never ever forget it and everyone on this team. The Lord and Gaylon put this team together and everyone had a purpose for this mission! It was for the Glory of God!!!
I apologize for the chronology not being in order.
Last night I spent my 2nd nite in the Hospital-For Little Sisters and Brothers--aka St Damien's--I did so at the behest of the night shift pediatrician just out of her residency. A few moments later she came out of bathroom crying: at my wondering she said she lost her parent and her brothers in the earthquake. One of the other volunteers, Jackie Currie, who speaks Creol and myself prayed with her. Later we brought her some dinner.
Feb 6---Aloha and Bon Jour BW, C, GG, WH, and all Acts 2, SS, Bible Study and Snyder, & friends in Hawaii!! Wow over whelmed here in peds Ed. Structure and organization is spotty and kinda wild but busy and never catch up. At 430P a DKA diabetic is brought in by Doctors w/o Borders and therefore my ride back to the compound is out of the question at 530--so 2 of us stay to take care of him--5 yo sick x 10 days. Rx iv fluids and insulin drip and watchig his Blood sugars all night; all the beds here 23 in ED have been filled with little kid w IV for 1-2 days; the wards are also filled. No beds. Language is problem but have the excellen PT person Jackie, above, who was here x 5 years in 80's and translated for me. She had visited L' Pital Bon Samaritan in Limbe where S&I were in 1966.
A Haitian nurse name Sue is excellent and knows diabetics, and did a good job with little Joseph, so I could go and try to get some sleep on a hard cot in the hospital hallway, but mosquitos found me and had to retreat to a tent where there were 6 others and lot of snoring; sleep anywhere is spotty at best.
The pediatric hospital here was virtually undamaged and had been a life safer to this part ot Port of Prince in that it took care of adults also with the main issue orthopedics. It is a Catholic Hospital well run and clean and organized well. There seem to be plenty of supplies brought in from everywhere. GI's, the 82 from Ft Bragg, the UN , Franklin Graham's here--we heard him speak our first night-- are all present, Choppers and planes are ever present, the roads are jammed. Things are better, folks say, now its organized chaos. It's still like a war zone.
Sounds like things are better than when Steve Logue was here--I talked to him right after he came back.
Where the NC Bapt team is staying, 18 of us. after that 12 hour ride from Santo Domigo, is about 15 miles N of POP and is a sereal compound on 60 acres that Global Missions contracts to us; Samaitan's Purse is also here; it over looks the Caribean Sea, and far quieter than the chaos if POP. Unfortunately we have to drive by the mass burial areas where the stench is sometimes over whelming. Even in the middle of night if the wind is blowing our way I spell it. Missionary homes are where we stay; the missionaries left to go back to the states after the earth quake; they had been here 17 years. Ok back to bed and try to sleep some. Our team should be back about 7Am. More later. Thanks for your prayers, Al
To SusieR, MaureenK: Feb 7--Father Rick, Director of the St Damian Hospital for Childrenand Babies, is also a physician; at mass this early morn he gave a most poignant homily about one of his parishers who lost his family, the memorial sevice being given on the ruins of the home where the deceased still rested. "This was true Calvary, where Christ was placed on the cross; this was not drive by service in an air conditioned bus."I wish I could convery what all this about.
Feb 9--Aloha Fran, Horace, Shirley and Amy!!! Copy Dr Sisi:
How did the dinner cruise go?? Sent the mess below to John and Grace at Quaker House but guess they are away. Spending another 24 hrs here at this Little Brother and Sister Hospital; the lady pediatrician that I mentioned earlier asked me to stay tonite and help her. We were able to 'clean out the ED' by about 11PM. Of course more came later, like always. Most kids have real hot fevers from malaria, typhoid, different viruses, or gastroenteristis w vom and diarrhea, w dehydration. There is not nearly enough water; electrolyte solution is vital if they can handle po's, otherwise IV's.
This is really very nice hosp--Catholic and well endowed and clean with very little damage. It was built 3 years ago moving from the one that had existed over 25 yrs. It is so hot though and the work is burdensome even with translaters and the ped ED is just not well organized, if any are really!! The DKA diabetic is finally turning the corner and peds specialist in diabetes is taking over-- Spent wonderful morning yest with anther ped spec w HIV babies. He even had all of his pts on EMR!!
Hope yall have had a good time. I am sorry I felt compelled to leave you and go on a another crazy tear. Youve got 2 more days--sure yall will make the most of it--how many suit cases on the plane!!!!????Regards to Amy and kids; Will be in touch w you asap when I get back late Sat Feb 13 late in Honolulu. That will be some time travel from Haiti--Shirl will have to pour me out of the plane.
Apprec your prayers for Haitian people. Amour pour le Christ for the Haitian people and Glory to the Lord for His Safety and being with us!!! al
Feb 20: Been back a week and have heard from many of the team, most poignant feelings poured out. In looking back (and forward) at Haiti and its people, I feel an awkward disconnect. There has been good communication, more commitment, more debriefing and downloading, but a feeling that maybe it was too short, although our week seemed long, albeit fulfilling, exhausting, exhilerating, and hot, so much that I never acclimated; I am sure there are good reasons for the 10 day layered team approach, but in relating and getting to know the place and the Haitian staff, maybe another 5-6 days would have been optimal. The commitment of serving and glorifying the Lord is the foremost thing. I will pray for introspection and integration. It still has been a most powerful experience that will take a while to assimilate.
I will try to cut and paste my emails to this blog. I cannot descibe all the people, events and feelings at this time, except to say that it has been overwhelming, tiring and yet I would not have had it anyother way. It tops all the other missions I have been invloved with. I will never ever forget it and everyone on this team. The Lord and Gaylon put this team together and everyone had a purpose for this mission! It was for the Glory of God!!!
I apologize for the chronology not being in order.
Last night I spent my 2nd nite in the Hospital-For Little Sisters and Brothers--aka St Damien's--I did so at the behest of the night shift pediatrician just out of her residency. A few moments later she came out of bathroom crying: at my wondering she said she lost her parent and her brothers in the earthquake. One of the other volunteers, Jackie Currie, who speaks Creol and myself prayed with her. Later we brought her some dinner.
Feb 6---Aloha and Bon Jour BW, C, GG, WH, and all Acts 2, SS, Bible Study and Snyder, & friends in Hawaii!! Wow over whelmed here in peds Ed. Structure and organization is spotty and kinda wild but busy and never catch up. At 430P a DKA diabetic is brought in by Doctors w/o Borders and therefore my ride back to the compound is out of the question at 530--so 2 of us stay to take care of him--5 yo sick x 10 days. Rx iv fluids and insulin drip and watchig his Blood sugars all night; all the beds here 23 in ED have been filled with little kid w IV for 1-2 days; the wards are also filled. No beds. Language is problem but have the excellen PT person Jackie, above, who was here x 5 years in 80's and translated for me. She had visited L' Pital Bon Samaritan in Limbe where S&I were in 1966.
A Haitian nurse name Sue is excellent and knows diabetics, and did a good job with little Joseph, so I could go and try to get some sleep on a hard cot in the hospital hallway, but mosquitos found me and had to retreat to a tent where there were 6 others and lot of snoring; sleep anywhere is spotty at best.
The pediatric hospital here was virtually undamaged and had been a life safer to this part ot Port of Prince in that it took care of adults also with the main issue orthopedics. It is a Catholic Hospital well run and clean and organized well. There seem to be plenty of supplies brought in from everywhere. GI's, the 82 from Ft Bragg, the UN , Franklin Graham's here--we heard him speak our first night-- are all present, Choppers and planes are ever present, the roads are jammed. Things are better, folks say, now its organized chaos. It's still like a war zone.
Sounds like things are better than when Steve Logue was here--I talked to him right after he came back.
Where the NC Bapt team is staying, 18 of us. after that 12 hour ride from Santo Domigo, is about 15 miles N of POP and is a sereal compound on 60 acres that Global Missions contracts to us; Samaitan's Purse is also here; it over looks the Caribean Sea, and far quieter than the chaos if POP. Unfortunately we have to drive by the mass burial areas where the stench is sometimes over whelming. Even in the middle of night if the wind is blowing our way I spell it. Missionary homes are where we stay; the missionaries left to go back to the states after the earth quake; they had been here 17 years. Ok back to bed and try to sleep some. Our team should be back about 7Am. More later. Thanks for your prayers, Al
To SusieR, MaureenK: Feb 7--Father Rick, Director of the St Damian Hospital for Childrenand Babies, is also a physician; at mass this early morn he gave a most poignant homily about one of his parishers who lost his family, the memorial sevice being given on the ruins of the home where the deceased still rested. "This was true Calvary, where Christ was placed on the cross; this was not drive by service in an air conditioned bus."I wish I could convery what all this about.
Feb 9--Aloha Fran, Horace, Shirley and Amy!!! Copy Dr Sisi:
How did the dinner cruise go?? Sent the mess below to John and Grace at Quaker House but guess they are away. Spending another 24 hrs here at this Little Brother and Sister Hospital; the lady pediatrician that I mentioned earlier asked me to stay tonite and help her. We were able to 'clean out the ED' by about 11PM. Of course more came later, like always. Most kids have real hot fevers from malaria, typhoid, different viruses, or gastroenteristis w vom and diarrhea, w dehydration. There is not nearly enough water; electrolyte solution is vital if they can handle po's, otherwise IV's.
This is really very nice hosp--Catholic and well endowed and clean with very little damage. It was built 3 years ago moving from the one that had existed over 25 yrs. It is so hot though and the work is burdensome even with translaters and the ped ED is just not well organized, if any are really!! The DKA diabetic is finally turning the corner and peds specialist in diabetes is taking over-- Spent wonderful morning yest with anther ped spec w HIV babies. He even had all of his pts on EMR!!
Hope yall have had a good time. I am sorry I felt compelled to leave you and go on a another crazy tear. Youve got 2 more days--sure yall will make the most of it--how many suit cases on the plane!!!!????Regards to Amy and kids; Will be in touch w you asap when I get back late Sat Feb 13 late in Honolulu. That will be some time travel from Haiti--Shirl will have to pour me out of the plane.
Apprec your prayers for Haitian people. Amour pour le Christ for the Haitian people and Glory to the Lord for His Safety and being with us!!! al
Feb 20: Been back a week and have heard from many of the team, most poignant feelings poured out. In looking back (and forward) at Haiti and its people, I feel an awkward disconnect. There has been good communication, more commitment, more debriefing and downloading, but a feeling that maybe it was too short, although our week seemed long, albeit fulfilling, exhausting, exhilerating, and hot, so much that I never acclimated; I am sure there are good reasons for the 10 day layered team approach, but in relating and getting to know the place and the Haitian staff, maybe another 5-6 days would have been optimal. The commitment of serving and glorifying the Lord is the foremost thing. I will pray for introspection and integration. It still has been a most powerful experience that will take a while to assimilate.
Feb 23
Other feelings and memories come whirling back: the magnificant bright stars out at our compound, eating outside in the darkening twilight, the deafing noise all night long in Santo Domingo, "banyo banyo", sunsets behind the clothes line with our red shirts, the stench as we passed the mass graves, waiting on the bathroom, Janet and Scott giving us the 'whatmore and some', but what a perfect couple for us, John and the 'coconut', the jokes on the bus, packing, unpacking, and packing and then packing some more (and still more), the tent, the Italians and their cooking, Father Rick homlies, and bulletpoints, the broken stainglasses, the walks at 2-3AM around St Damien's, Joe's computer, thanks Joe, the wonderful women God put on our team, OK the men too, Franklin's chopper, 'choke&slide' sandwiches, thx for the gr888 cooking, guys; what was that good red sauce? The prescence of the Holy Spirit, thank you, Jesus.
Wow-- this is just incredible. Thank you for all your work and for sharing it with us. You could easily write a book. Really.
ReplyDeleteWoodhouse
i vote yay for book.
ReplyDeleteThx WH and C!!! Give me some help with your experience!!!
ReplyDelete