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A few weeks ago, I had the amazing opportunity to go on a medical mission trip to Haiti through Mission of Hope. To be honest, I was very hesitant about going and was not overly excited to travel by myself to a third world country (my first time out of the US). I was slightly nervous about navigating my way around the Port Au Prince airport, when the only Creole I knew were "Bonjou – Good morning, "Mesi – Thank you," and "Twalet – Toilet" (I guess it could get me somewhere). I was told to look straight ahead, guard my luggage, and be firm with saying "no" to the airport attendants. Luckily I was able to meet up with part of my medical team at the Atlanta airport so I did not have to go through the PAP airport alone!
Upon arrival to Port Au Prince, my senses and focus were in a complete scramble. This was not like the well-organized places I had been to in the US. After managing to get through immigration and customs and find my way out the door in a frenzy, I was amazed to see all of the people waiting outside the airport. It felt like I was on a red carpet with everyone behind a gate, trying to get my attention or touch my arm. With the St. James Crew (the people I met up with in ATL) following behind with their 20+ bags of luggage and medical supplies, we were able to find the Mission of Hope (MOH) driver and get aboard the bus to Titanyen safe and sound.
While driving (*or should I say barreling) down the dusty roads of Haiti, I noticed hundreds of people out on the street selling food and various things. The air was filled with meat roasting atop a fiery grill and other unique market scents. While we came to a stop, people tried to sell us water or bracelets (a huge thing in Haiti), which was something new for me. I realized this was the source of income for these people and their families, so of course they were very passionate about selling these items. When we had to say no, I could see their eyes become momentarily discouraged, while they were soon filled with hope again as a new potential customer passed by.
*To address the driving in Haiti: It's important to note that there are absolutely no stop lights, stop signs, or traffic signs there – it's a free for all and people drive EXTREMELY fast. There were more than a few times I could see my life flash before my eyes and finally learned to look away.
When we finally arrived to MOH, I was pleasantly surprised to see a fenced in area with over 80 acres of land. There was also a "security guard," which consisted of a man holding a rifle walking around the campus (Note to self: Do not go wandering around campus late at night or accidentally sneak up on one of these fellahs). We were given a tour of the area, history of how the organization began, and settled in to our living quarters. I was happy to see that they provided mattresses, bedding, fans, mosquito nets, and a bathroom in each room. For some reason, I thought I would be camping out or roughing it a little more. Although, I did find out the hard way the first morning that the electricity does not turn on until 6 AM and had to take a shower in the pitch black.
Mobile Clinic Time
On Monday, the first day of the mobile clinic, I woke up refreshed and ready to start the day at 545 AM. I was excited to go to the village of Susmatyla and get to help families with their basic medical needs. We set up clinic and the pharmacy at a local church and designated specific responsibilities to each individual on the medical team. There were 6 triage nurses, 3 providers (1 pediatrician, 1 nurse practitioner, and 1 Haitian doctor), two intake directors, a few people regulating the flow, a whole bunch of people working in pharmacy, and our wonderful translators. On all four days, I was a triage nurse, which meant taking vital signs and finding out why each person was there. My job was to see and assess as many people as possible very quickly and I soon realized that this was not necessarily the quality relationships I was hoping to encounter.
To recap the medical aspect of Haiti — We were in Susmatyla for two days and then moved to another location in Cabaret for two days. We saw over 750 people in four days, which is amazing! All of these individuals received a proper examination and were given medications like multivitamins, antibiotics, or pain relievers. Common complaints that we saw were: headaches, abdominal pain, rashes, and vaginal infections. It was heartbreaking to see almost every child come in with worms and a rash due to their living conditions and the dirty water they drink on a daily basis. Most of these families are living in extreme poverty, may not have jobs, and do not have access or the funds for education. Many of the young women came in stating they had abdominal cramps during menstruation because they did not understand that it was normal. There is a huge need for education in Haiti, both medically, and other.
A Broken System
It is hard to believe, but a lot of these Haitians are going about each day simply living. They do not have a job to go to, a certain agenda, or school to attend. They are trying to survive and find food for each day for their families. I realize that this does not apply to ALL of Haiti, as there are some wealthier parts, where people work and have an abundance of food and are living under great conditions. But I am talking about the hundreds of thousands of people who are NOT living like that. I was actually enlightened on some jaw-dropping statistics about the history of Haiti and their "economy" post-quake.
They have never really had a "stable" government and when most of Haiti did have running water and electricity, that was when Francois Duvalier, or "Papa Doc" and Jean-Claude ("Baby Doc") were President. Although the streets of Haiti were cleaner than ever before and he brought some good to the country, many hear the name Papa Doc and cringe in remembering the oppression and terror he brought as well. In order to uphold his power and law, over 50,000 people were killed for not abiding by his iron fist policy. He also welcomed and practiced Voodoo. This was only in 1957. Currently, the President of Haiti, Michel Martelly, known as "Sweet Micky," was elected because of his popularity and ability to speak well (Per translator, Birdie). The government and country of Haiti are still in dire need of help and restoration.
Of course the government plays a huge role in why the country of Haiti is not doing so well economically, but there is still so much we can do. During the earthquake in 2010, an estimated 300,000 people died. Samaritan's Purse, a relief organization, came in and helped build thousands of tarp homes, intended to be temporary places to live, while new houses were being built. Today, there are still thousands of Haitians living in these over-heated blue tarps that are held up by some plywood and curtains that separate each room. These were meant to be lived in for a year at most, but there are countless families living in there THREE years later. Haiti is in need of volunteers and missionaries to help build new homes with latrines and running water.
A Real Awakening
On the last day in Haiti, I had the chance to go to the village of Minoterie and visit what is known as the "Blue City." These people are the poorest of the poor. When I say that, I mean that the poorest person in America looks like and lives like a King compared to the way these people are living. I had the chance to talk with a few families living in this area and found out that one woman had 4 kids to provide for and was unable to find work because that was almost unheard of in that area. She walked everywhere but was recently in an accident that severely injured her back. She is unable to see a doctor because she cannot afford it, let alone find transportation to get there. When asked where she got her food, she explained that her husband goes out to find food and that he left some left over rice and beans for their children the previous day. She said she did not have food for the day and did not anticipate her husband coming home for another day or so. These families go 3 or more days without food. They are washing themselves with river water, where people urinate and defecate. They are also drinking this water that is filled with disease, worms, and other parasites. Yet, amidst this poverty that honestly flabbergasted my mind, I could see hope and unending faith in the eyes and words of these families. When all they know is famine, they choose to count the blessings they have. When they do not know whether or not they will have food for the day, they choose to lift it up to The Lord and place it at His feet. The children in this village light up when they see us coming in to talk and play with them. This hope and faith I can only pray I will invite in on a daily basis.
The Missionary Life
Guys, I got my world wrecked in Haiti. But honestly, I left a part of my heart there as well. To see the beauty and light in these people's eyes is not only convicting but humbling. It truly made me re-evaluate my priorities in life and see the blessings that God has given me. I realize that every single day is a gift from The Lord, and the air that He chooses to let fill my lungs is ENOUGH. I really encourage each and every one of you to take a mission trip to Haiti or any third world country. I say this not to make you feel bad for the things you have been blessed with in this life, but to re-awaken this spirit inside of us that has become so desensitized to the rest of the world and what is going on around us. I believe that by traveling to Haiti or another poverty-stricken country, you will be able to bring so much love and light and see things through a different set of eyes. Not only will you be able to share your light and blessings to those around you, but you will learn and take away more than you can imagine from them as well. Jesus is MOVING and He is making large bounds in these places.
Not only did Haiti solidify God's calling to my life for the World Race, and possibly missions, but He showed me a new side of compassion and love that has been stored up in my heart, just waiting to be unleashed. I am so giddy in excitement that I will be serving The Lord as a missionary around the Nations this coming January. I welcome tears, heart breaks, and living alongside those in poverty. If that is what it takes to share my love for the Children of God and strangers around the world, I will go wholeheartedly. I cannot wait to see how the transformations God will make in not only my life, but my team, and the people we are serving as well. There is a WHOLE world out there! There are people who are living in conditions that we could not even fathom or comprehend unless we see it for ourselves and live alongside them in brother and sisterhood. They have stories to be heard and much love to give. I am diving in to the unknown this year, ready for my world to be turned upside down. Why? Because Jesus is worth it.
"Is this not the fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter — when you see the naked, to clothe them and not turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of The Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and The Lord will answer, you will call for help and he will say, Here am I. If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations. You will be called Repairer of Broken walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings." Isaiah 58:6-12
**Please feel free to contact me or message me on here for more stories about Haiti. This was only a glimpse and overview of my time there and I would love to go into more detail about the wonderful things Mission of Hope is doing and the various ministries they have there. Let me know if you are interested in helping out Mission of Hope or hearing about the Prosthetics Lab or Three Chords (women who have amputations post-quake and sell their awesome products to help keep the prosthetics lab running). So many more fun stories about the orphans I encountered and amazing people I got to know during this short week.
Yes, so in Love…
