Grace embodied- a Saint named Claire

During our time at the hospital in Haiti, I paired with Kristen who is a Physical Therapist here in Colorado. She is a soft spoken, intelligent, thoughtful women in her mid thirties who has a gentleness about her that is comforting.  We visited patients with a wide range of injury.  Ladies recovering from abdominal surgeries, elderly gentlemen who had suffered stroke, a young girl who was the victim of a motor vehicle accident, children with assorted joint aches or injuries, a University student and very talented soccer player, staff members who had sprained knees from walking on the uneven, rocky streets of Anse-A-Galet. With each patient that we saw I wondered again, why was I here?  I had no medical training, no skill or schooling to help these people.  Every one of these patients has a story, as we all do, but one lady in particular captivated us.

Birth records were not kept or are not available to many of Haiti's residents.  Claire appears to be around 75 years of age, but her exact age is unknown to her. She is blind, soft spoken, intelligent and prayerful.  Meeting Claire is like meeting Jesus on earth.  Brought to the hospital because of high fever, Claire also suffered injury to her left hand which was very sore and swollen. She was in a room with 4 or 5 other patients and all of the family members, barely room to scoot around each other.  Each day Kristen would work with Claire's hand to bring relief from her pain. My role was as assistant to Kristen getting gel or gloves as she needed.  She easily could have done without me but was gracious enough to allow me to "help".   Each day, Claire would smile and tell us how she was praying for us.

Kristen and Claire

It is very humbling to stand at the overcrowded, overheated hospital bed of an elderly saint and have her pray for you.  The first time it happened, I just stood, listening. The Creole she was speaking was of course, unfamiliar to me, but the name of Jesus is universal, a name above all names and thereby recognizable.

Peace entered the room.

While laying on my bed later that night I again asked God for some guidance as to what my role in Haiti was to be.  I knew there was a reason I was there, but for the life of me I could not discern it. Then I realized what I would do the next day.




The next morning as Kristen worked on Claire's hand and Claire talked of praying for us, I asked instead if I could pray for her.  Bee began to translate my prayer for Claire and her family.  As I spoke to God in petition for Claire's healing, her family joined in.  The English mixed with the Creole and the weak voice of a 75 yr old women spoke her agreement - Amen, Amen -as the translation hit her ears.  I asked our God for her healing, provision and protection, for her family's safety and peace and I thanked the Creator for the legacy that Claire was leaving for her family.  I thanked Him also that one day we would meet again at His throne.

That was the source of the loudest Amen.

Make a Joyful Noise

On Monday several of the team were asked by the HeadMaster of the schools for the town of Anse-A-Galets, Daniel-Bertrand, to come to the middle/high school and speak English to the students.  He explained that the students were preparing to take exams on Tuesday and Wednesday and that they were supposed to be out of school on Monday, but he had cancelled their day out of school because we were there. I was anticipating that they wouldn't be too thrilled to have us there taking up the day off.

I was wrong.

We went early to the school which was just a few minutes by Jeep from the compound where we were staying.  Daniel-Bertrand and another Haitian man named Johnny were to be our interpreters.  Daniel-Bertrand explained that there were middle school students in one area and the high school students were in another area. The students are not grouped by age, but rather by grade passed.  Once a student achieves the level of 5th grade, they must pass the year end exams before moving up to the next level in school.  It does not matter the students age, only that they learned all curriculum and pass the exam. Alex, Riley and Megan would talk with the high school students first while Paula, Joe and myself would take on the middle schoolers.

We had no idea what we were in for.

The room was packed with students sitting on benches, row after row of eager faces looking at us as though we had something to teach them.  We began by telling them a bit about ourselves, and asked them to do the same, in English.  Like any other classroom,  the cool kids sat together, the studious were in the front of the room in a line, the shy kids in the back trying not to be seen.  Each took their turn telling us something about themselves in English.   On the front row was a handsome young man named Markelor Louis. His English was pretty good, probably the best of the Haitians in the room. He told of how his Father had died 6 years previous and he was left to support his mother and 6 sisters. He was matter of fact, not trying to evoke any emotion, just stating facts about himself. Then he sat down. As others continued to rise and speak, I quietly went over and sat by Markelor.  I asked what I could do for him or how he thought I might help him. His answer was to teach him more English so he could better support his family. (Here Markelor -last on right-is pictured with his friends)

We did, in the form of a song.

Paula is a worship leader who plays the Ukelele.  Yes, I said Ukelele.  She played and I wrote on the board the words to "All To Him"- an upbeat contemporary christian song declaring God's greatest.

For every mountain that is high He is higher
For every burden that is great He is greater
For every valley that is deep He is deeper still
More than we can know

Our promise is Jesus
Our answer is Jesus
All to Him
All to Him we owe everything
Our savior is Jesus 
Our future is Jesus
All to Him
All to Him we owe everything

For every fear that closes in He is closer
For every doubt that comes on strong He is stronger
For every battle that we face He has conquered all
More than we can know

We know the great God
We serve the great God
We owe the great God
Everything all to Him


The kids were engaged and excited to learn the song.  They sang along loudly and with great enthusiasm.  By the third time though, they had it.  One in the group came forward and played the Ukelele after some minimal instruction from Paula while his classmates repeated the song again and again.  At the end of the song everyone in the room stood to their feet.  The room filled with thunderous applause, shouting and laughing.  Cheers lifted the spirits of all there.
I think I got a glimpse of what it sounds like at the Throne. It was a joyful noise indeed.


"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with Gladness; come before him with joyful songs." Psalm 100

Checking in on Baby Precious

Esther is her name.  How appropriate.

I finally was able to go check on Baby Precious the other day.  Of the 8 babies that our team had a hand in delivering only one was a boy.  Precious.  He is doing well and his mother, Esther is recovering from her C-Section.   I found out that when Esther realized she was pregnant she told the baby's father.  Not wanting to be a parent, the Father left.  Esther is afraid and alone and now has a son to raise in a country with no welfare, WIC or aid to dependent families.  Life is already difficult here, being a single mother only ups the degree of difficulty.  She is not interested in raising a son alone and who could blame her. 

There was another Esther, taken to live at a young age to the king's court, far away from her home. Her uncle Mordecai watched over her as best he could, but he didn't have much influence.  The bible tells the story of her fears which needed to be overcome to save herself and her people.   

Esther and her son have a very hard road ahead.  It's my prayer that she will learn to love her son and see him as a blessing, as the precious gift that he is.  May he grow up knowing that he is loved by God.

Structured Chaos

Wednesday afternoon the local merchants came to the compound to sell their crafts.  I always wonder how all of these personally "handmade" items are found in so many different places throughout a country.  That may be a blog for a different day.

The prices are based on a sliding slide that seems to depend on factors I do not understand. As is true in most countries, the bargaining is always part of the process.  There is definitely a "white tax" and let's just say some on our team have helped the Haitian economy much more than others.

Here is a photo of 'Baby Precious' born earlier this week:

Thursday morning was met with the arrival of another baby by C-section.  Overnight there were four other babies born naturally.  The hospital is very crowded with surgical patients, new mothers and people who have contracted Chikungunya.  The outbreak of this virus is epidemic here, you cannot find someone who hasn't had at least one family member sick in the last several months.  Patients become infected when bitten by mosquitoes carrying the virus and suffer symptoms including very high fever, headaches, and severe joint pain lasting weeks.  Several of the patients admitted this week had fevers reaching 105 and many are children.  The halls are lined with beds, the rooms are overcrowded. The moans of those who are trying to recover from motor vehicle accidents, gasoline explosions and surgery are joined with the wails of the infants, and the soft conversations of family members speaking with doctors and nurses in a mix of English and Creole.  The distinct smell of urine lies just under the scent of Lysol.  Often the smell of wood burning creeps into the fragrance as the family members prepare food for their patient just outside the wall of the hospital.  All these sounds, smells and sights mix together, I am reminded that I am not equipped to help these people.  

...BUT I do know the One who is.

Revelation 8:3-4 tells us that the prayers of the saints go up before God, carried by an angel in the form of incense to the God of all at the throne.  Isn't that something?! My prayers are like incense, a pleasing fragrance to God himself.  

We are equipped to help these people, we can pray....

And so, amid the structured chaos this morning, one ill equipped middle-aged American woman stood quietly and prayed a prayer to her Maker.

Glory to God alone.

"Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand". Revelation 8:3-4

Great update on baby precious boy

First the update you must be waiting for...Baby Precious boy and his Mother are both doing well. 

There is an old Mother Goose nursery rhyme that says...

"Monday's child is fair of face,

Tuesday's child is full of grace,

Wednesday's child is full of woe,

Thursday's child has far to go,

Friday's child is loving and giving,

Saturday's child must work for a living,

But the child that's born on the Sabbath day,

Is fair and wise and good and gay."

Children are considered the world over as a blessing from God. Psalm 127:3-4 tells us that "Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him."  I can say that the Haitian women that I have met certainly believe this to be true.  Today-by C-Section, we delivered the second set of twins this week.  Two precious baby girls were born this afternoon, making baby #5 & #6 for this Mom.  She is thankful to have been blessed so abundantly by God and shortly after the girls were delivered, she was happy to receive her requested tubal ligation!

The babies are now doing well after another team member and I stimulated them to help clear their lungs. This is done by briskly rubbing your finger up and down their spinal columns, thus irritating them into wailing.   Is it possible that I was sent to Haiti to make babies cry?!  We were able to get them cleaned off, dressed and wrapped up quickly and then proceeded to be "human incubators" keeping them warm until a bassinet could be found for them.  

I truly hope the nursery rhyme is wrong.  I pray for no woe to fall upon these girls, that they will be loved, protected and provided for all the days of their lives, beginning right now.

(And just if you are wondering, I was born on a Tuesday!)

Devotions and a word

Most of you know that I had been searching for the reason I was called to this trip.  The answer is beginning to take shape.

Each evening after a long day our team meets for praise, worship and to de-brief the day.  Each night a different team member decides what the topic will be for discussion and asks a question for each to ponder.

The other evening it was Jordan's turn to lead.  First a little about Jordan.  He is an excellent young man, 25 years of age, well educated and about to enter medical school.  He is exceedingly kind, humble and polite. I've yet to hear him say a negative thing about anyone or anything.  He seems to take all of this in stride with a great, mischievous sense of humor.  In short, he is pretty cool.  Jordan had a very good day, being allowed to scrub in and assist in the surgeries of several women and help in the delivery of our first set of twins.  To say that Jordan was excited would be a huge understatement.

During devotions, Jordan led us to Isaiah 12:

“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;

    make known among the nations what he has done,

    and proclaim that his name is exalted.

5 

Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things;

    let this be known to all the world.

6 

Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Haiti

    for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”

(please know that I changed a word above!)

His question was: "What was your God moment today?"

Several members of the team shared great and wonderful things that they had seen.  Some spoke of surgery, some of orphans, some of the high schoolers or of some connection with someone that had touched them.  Others talked of team or staff members who had spoken into their lives without even being aware of it.  All of the stories had one common thread. Every team member made mention of how "out of the box of their comfort" they were.  We wrapped up the meeting with praise and prayed a quick prayer for the people of Haiti.

Later when I was sitting alone in the dark I "heard" the voice of God say...

"Why do you keep putting me into box when what I want is to get you out of yours? "

I do not wish to put the God of the Universe into a box, and I certainly do not want to stay comfortable and miss what He has in store for me. 

His will be done, on earth as it already is being done in heaven.

The Circle of Life

After lunch I got to scribe for Deena.  Lest you be at all impressed by that, it really means sitting in a chair writing down everything she says.  She is an RN and has been doing ultrasounds on women here this week.  A portable ultrasound machine was carried down with us.  The room is small, barely big enough to fit 3 people and an exam table, certainly not big enough for 3 people, an exam table and a fan. The door must remain closed for privacy so the room is like a sauna.  That's where we spent the first part of the afternoon.  We saw 4 women who were experiencing a range of problems. 

The first patient we saw was a quiet, shy lady who was not feeling well for unexplained reasons.  She watched Deena's face carefully as the ultrasound was being done.  Deena spoke out information to me to write in the lady's chart in English which is, of course, the only language either of us speak.  The lady's brow grew increasingly furrowed as we talked and transcribed.  After the exam was over, she got up and dressed quickly.  Ezner, a bi-lingual Haitian nurse came into the room.  Ezner is a kind, strong man who speaks very good English.  The Patient listened intently to Ezner's every word.  The smile that broke out on her face when she was told that she was approximately 7 weeks pregnant was priceless.  Her delighted husband smiled an equally brilliant smile from the doorway.  That was a good start to the afternoon.  We completed 3 more ultrasounds, only one that resulted in the need for future surgery.  

After that I worked again with some PT patients with Kristen.  It was amazing to witness the difference in the strength of the post op ladies in the course of one day.  Kristen assures me that the strength and balance that they have is due to the PT and getting them up walking quickly after surgery.  

Yesterday a premature baby was brought into the hospital.  The birth had occurred at the Mother's house and the baby and Mom brought in soon after.  Today the baby went to heaven.  The family members are devastated, the Father informing a team member that this is the third baby they have lost. Twenty seven months spent anticipating babies that would not live but a few days.

And so Tuesday began with birth, continued with the announcement of a life to come and ended with a death. I am beginning to see that the Haitians have an understanding of this circle of life. They accept with peace when we must admit our limitations and confess our inability to do anything more medically.  They grieve, of course, but they also accept the sovereignty of God.   

We could learn something from that.

Tuesday Child is full of Grace

Today has been interesting, and it's only noon.  

I was able to witness the birth of a beautiful Haitian boy by C-Section.   His 19 year old mother was helped into the OR by our nurse, Deena.  They walked, well one waddled a bit, arm in arm toward the  operating table. I was given the privilege of observing the entire procedure.   I was captivated watching how well the surgeons and nurses worked together in spite of the language barrier. 

At precisely 9:13 a.m. ET they brought "precious boy" into the world.   He didn't make a sound. Sometimes silence is alarming and this was one of those times. Dr.  Diane explained that some of the infant mortality occurs within 10 minutes of birth because the babies are born and are not stimulated immediately.  They fail to cry and clear their lungs thereby suffocating and dying.  This is one of the techniques that is being taught to nurses here at the hospital.  This baby was well attended and placed into the hands of Dr Diane.  We quickly took the baby to the next room and Diane explained to me the need to get him crying.  I was able vigorously rub his little back while he wailed.  It was glorious.  

Little "precious boy" was cleaned off and weighed 3.08 kilos or 6.7 pounds.  A pretty good size for a Haitian child. I helped him get dressed and wrapped him up while his Aunt looked on.  I was told that they won't name him for a few days as is the custom here due to infant mortality.  A great start to the morning.

I then joined with Kristin who is a physical therapist in seeing post op patients from yesterday's surgeries and several other people who needed PT at the hospital.  While walking through the very crowded hospital I noticed a lady who was laying on a gurney in the hall.  She was in great pain due to her hysterectomy yesterday afternoon.  The family of a patient is responsible for all the food, bedding and care of their loved one while in the hospital.  This lady had no one around her.  I smiled at her and she gently smiled back. The universal empathy sign had been exchanged. I reached for her frail hand and we held hands and gazes for several moments. She nodded as though to say, "I am okay" and I nodded my return "good, I'll check on you later" -no words were uttered.  I can only say "good morning", "good afternoon" and "how are you" in Creole yet I was somehow able to connect with her and I had a new friend.  She was in very much pain, having had no meds yet this morning and I prayed over her but then was off to see another patient.

Kristin was assigned a translator named Bee, short for Wisembee,  who is a fantastic man with great empathy and great English, all qualities of a terrific translator.  He is a very intelligent man who proudly tells us of his sons at University in America.  There is only so much that can be communicated with pointing and mimicking and a good translator is essential to help patients understand the choices of their medical care, as well as the instructions of their after care.

Kristin, Bee and I saw patients for the duration of the morning:

- the 14 year old girl who had neck, back and leg injuries from a motor vehicle accident yesterday.

- the mother who delivered twins by C-Section yesterday morning

-3 ladies who were recovering from hysterectomies

-2 stroke victims Mr. Andrews and Maurice.  Both men appear to be in their early 80's and both have had obvious strokes.  They have balance and strength issues with weakness on one side.   I actually felt comfortable dealing with the stroke victims as I have some experience with that.  I think I may have found my stride this morning....we shall see what the afternoon brings.

Time for school- Haiti on a Monday

Today I went back to school.  We were asked to come and meet the high schoolers and what we call middle schoolers at the local school.  The education system is quite different than in the States.  In Haiti a student only advances if they pass exams at the end of the year.  They are not grouped by chronological age for many do not know exactly how old they truly are.  They are grouped by exams they have completed.  Each student that advances to the equivalent of middle school has studied all of the subjects our students have in addition they have studied French, English and Spanish.  Yes, every student.  

While the medical folks went to the hospital to aid patients, the rest of us became teachers at the school. There were approximately 75 students that we met.  They practiced their English by asking questions. It became apparent quickly that they were very well educated. They asked difficult questions of us, "What is your hope for western universities, why is there racism in America, what is snow? We also tackled the subject of trust and how to trust in God.  These topics are extremely difficult under any circumstance but the language barrier only increased the difficulty.  One of our team had commented that music and math are universal. We decided to put that theory to the test.  We split up into 2 groups -one group put math problems of increasing difficulty on the black board for the other to solve.  First the American high schoolers wrote out a factoring problem complete with negative numbers, which the Haitian students solved without difficulty.  Then the Haitians responded with a calculus problem that stumped the Americans. The other group taught a worship song to the Haitians in English accompanied by our team member, Paula who had brought along her Ukulele.  The Haitians quickly learned the song and then one of the Haitian young men came up and learned to play the Ukulele also.  They were energetic and talented. 

This afternoon I was able to observe the surgery of a woman who was in need of a hysterectomy.  It was fascinating.  The added bonus was that the surgical suite is air conditioned! This morning our team delivered by C-Section beautiful baby twins! Because the hospital is so over crowded, all the surgery patients will heal in the one recovery room.  A room half the size of my bedroom at home occupied by 4 surgical patients, their family members, and 2 newborns. 

Tomorrow there are more surgeries.  More need to find space.

I can say this - I am blessed to have been born in America.

Sunday afternoon - a stroll to the ocean

Sunday afternoon some of the team took a walk through the neighborhood to walk along the ocean.  

Along the way we were met by children calling out to us, some coming to walk alongside us for awhile.  they yell "Blanc" when we walk by, which means "White". We walked through "squatter houses" where people come during the dry season to live in the salt flats and then are driven out by flooding when the rainy season comes.

Once at the ocean we met fishermen and artisans who knew our group leader Diane from her time here. Diane is a pediatrician in Colorado Springs who grew up the daughter of missionaries here on the Island.  Her family returned to the States when she was 12 but many of the people know her from her time here.  She speaks fluent Creole so she is a helpful tour guide as we walk along the rocky path near the ocean.  

Seashells that we might purchase in a shop in America are used to stop the flow of water here, like sandbags are used on flooding rivers,  beautiful shells along the edges of the dirt yards.  As we walked, we went through the slums, the "houses" are made up of left over materials found laying around. Corrugated metal or left over boat sails are hung haphazardly to create some minimal privacy.  Some children wear clothing advertising products from foreign places, an odd image here, Disney princesses on the torn and dirty shirts worn in the salt flats by children.  Some are without clothing entirely, whether by choice or need, I do not know.

After our walk, we had a time of rest in the afternoon.  During that time I found a quiet place to sit and write.  I was fortunate to find a working power outlet, a small table and chair, and a fan!  Such opulence!

After sitting there for awhile, a well dressed Haitian man asked to join me in front of the fan. His name is Daniel-Bertrand and he is the headmaster at the high school and also the CEO of the hospital here. We had a pleasant conversation, thankfully in English.  He wanted to arrange a few Americans to go to the high school and speak English to the students to allow them to practice and learn.  We will do that tomorrow (Monday).

After my conversation with Daniel-Bertrand I was able to join a couple of the people on my team to tour the hospital.  It was an education. The new hospital is still not yet finished so we were in the old building.  There are patients everywhere, more than 60 patients, in rooms and hallways due to the outbreak of Chicamunga, a disease contracted thru mosquitoes which causes high fever, dehydration and body aches.  It is not fatal, but lasts for several weeks and seems quite prevalent here.  Almost every Haitian we meet has multiple family members who have been affected.   Just yesterday 5 children were admitted with fevers over 105 degrees.  When a patient is hospitalized, it is required that a family member care for them and prepare their food.  That means that many family members sleep on the floors or cabinets at the hospital because going back and forth from home is not possible.

We are being well fed and have fans and beds.  The team is getting to know one another better and the Haitian people are gracious and appreciative.

Yesterday we crashed the WiFi because pictures and videos were  too much for the network, so I will refrain from posting pictures until I return.  

Monday promises to be an exciting day as I will be meeting with students at the high school and spending time at the hospital.

More to come.....

Photos from Haiti Day 2

The 'surgical suite' at the Wesleyan Hospital

"Serve with Love to bring, Relief from suffering"

Blooming Flamboyant tree

Deena and sister, Jana with kids 

Baie au Port au Prince

Haiti Day 3

Today came early. 

The very determined rooster walking around the yard near my window crowed about the morning long before it really arrived. 

Breakfast was at 6:30 am and then off to church.  We walked the 2 minutes to the church and entered through the back door because we came later to service than the Haitians.  It is cooler that time of day, relatively.  Church service is a serious business here, lasting hours in duration.  The songs are sung with passion and fervor, the Pastor speaks with strong conviction.  I couldn't understand one word he was saying but that made no real difference.  

Our team was privileged to be asked to sing a song of praise and we did.  The Haitians are a gracious people who have well behaved children who sit in the services with them.  Soon I was pleased to have 2 beautiful sisters sitting next to me on the hard wooden pew, both dressed in clean and pressed brown matching dresses with matching ribbons in their hair.  They appeared to be around 5 & 6 years of age.  The older one smiled widely at the invitation to join me, the younger wasn't so sure.  But the end of the service, which I believe was cut short for us, the sisters were happily holding each of my hands in theirs.  I wish you could hear the sound.  I wish you could see the joy on the peoples' faces as they sing praises to God in the midst of poverty.  Something binds people together when they are in circumstances together out of their comfort zone.  In the middle of the sweat, swaying and singing - I closed my eyes and heard it.  Different tongues, tribes and nations singing to the same God.  It was like a preview of coming attractions.

And finally I felt it- Joy that I had come back to this place.

Oh Praise Him.

Haiti Day 2 - First Day in La Gonave

Psalm 128:1 NIV

Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him.

I did not want or long to return to Haiti.  But here I sit, on the shore of the ocean in a town just south of St. Mark's, Haiti waiting for a small boat to take me to the island of La Gonave.  I am listening to people on my team talk about how much they looked forward to coming.  Some of these people have been on trips here time and again and look forward with anticipation to their return.  I am not one of them.

Bending my will to God's will is ...well....not a strength of mine.  It has come, like Jacob, with a wrestling- a brokenness that had to occur, not of my hip -like Jacob- but of my heart.  Both spiritually and physically my heart was broken to do His will.  It sounds quite pious when spoken out loud, or written down, but that's just the truth of it.  Obedience is not something most adult Americans do easily. I am not the exception. We are taught from a young age that "we deserve a break".  Just yesterday I heard someone say that we have the "right" to be happy.

That is not what God says.

God says if I do His will, seek His kingdom, feed His children HE can use me to His purpose.  That's a different kind of purpose driven life, indeed.

So this morning I am looking out over an ocean, listening to the waves hit the shore.  Don't imagine sandy beaches or tropical fruit in your mind's eye.  Imagine the Caribbean, pristine and beautiful but the houses dotted in the area are not 4 or 5 star hotels or fancy seaside restaurants.  They are unfinished-rebar sticking from the roofs, cement squares.  Some have roofs, other do not.  Very few have glass or screens in the window openings.

Across the bay, a small boat bounces up and down struggling against the rolling waves to head toward the shore.  Imagine that you've been watching that boat struggle for 30 minutes and still it's so far out that another 30 will pass before you meet the crew.  The sail is a ragged piece of fabric held to the mast by a rope.  Repaired in several places the sail helps move the boat on, along with the motor which is chugging under the strain of the weight of the boat and her passengers.

The trip across the water today took about an hour and a half.  The captain mercifully cut the engine near the top of the waves to help diminish the splash of the waves into the boat.  To say I was drenched does not begin to describe it.  What a great adventure!  

My husband and I have been discussing the possibility of taking a Carrebean cruise later this year.  This is definitely NOT the Princess cruise that I was expecting, but it is the Princess cruise God was set in motion.  This boat is full of Warrior Princes and Princesses of God.   

Oh praise Him and His glorious plan.

Haiti Day 1 - Arrival in Port Au Prince

The team met up at 3 a.m. in the church parking lot.  We had had several meetings during the past months, but I could have only told you 2 or 3 people's names that morning.  Our first flight left at 7 am bound for Miami.  During that flight I was privileged to meet KT and Sherry, who were in their first mission trip bound for Nicaragua.  (More on that later- They are now on my Facebook, say hi to them and say a prayer if you feel lead to.)

The team had a short layover in Miami then we boarded a plane for Haiti.  Haiti is in the eastern time zone and we arrived at 6:30 PM local time. 

After an relatively easy time at the airport we found a porter, gathered up our 27 large bags of supplies and headed to load the bus for the nice air-conditioned ride to the mission guest house where we would stay at for the night. Heading north from the capital city up the coast to the mission house is a site that affirms that you are not in Denver anymore. (Oops, this is supposed to be the facts only post!-more on that later!). We arrived at around 7:30 pm and the gracious staff at the house had prepared lasagna, roasted giant carrots and steamed cabbage for dinner.  We had a time of worship and discussion and off to bed for the travel weary team.

We are a team of mostly medical professionals who will be serving patients and orphans on the island of LaGonave, Haiti. The island is home to approximately 120,000 Haitians who mainly make their living as fishermen.  The island experienced an increase in population of approximately 40,000 people after the capital city of Port-Au-Prince was devastated by an earthquake in 2010.  Haitians were hoping to find safety away from the taller concrete buildings of the capital. The resources in Haiti are minimal.

The infrastructure is dismal, the government corrupt. (More on that later!)

I am traveling this time with a group of people from the church we attend who are affiliated with missionaries who have funded and helped with the building of a new hospital and nursing College on the island.  Both of these new facilities are scheduled to open in the fall of 2014. The weather is hot, humid and there is really no reason to shower other than to get the old sweat off so the new sweat can begin.  The mosquitoes are out this year in full force and sleeping was a bit challenging the first night with the smell of sunscreen and Deet hanging off of us.

The people on the team are gracious, kind and adventurous, a great combination so far.  We are beginning to hear one another's stories and I am excited about that. The pictures will have to wait largely until my return due to the wi-fi situation here.  

Thank you all for the prayers and support, please continue to keep myself and the team in your good thoughts as we begin surgeries and meet the orphans tomorrow.

Now everyone, please go have an ICE cold beverage for me!

Detours

I am on a journey to the Promised land. A place reserved for me before time existed. The road to the promised land is different for each of us and not everyone gets there.  I've come to realize that my life has been an exodus, a journey from slavery to freedom.   Stepping, one foot in front of the other on the road towards my promised land.  Sometimes I complain and grumble along the road not wanting to go where God intends, at other times I sing songs of joy and praise.

The road itself changes, sometimes a fast moving super highway, other times a rocky dirt path, seemingly uphill both ways.   I have detoured so many times.  I'd see something interesting and take my eyes off the road signs to detour to another place, a place of my choosing.  Detours have taken me to all manner of places.  Country bars, hotel rooms, hospital rooms and funeral homes.  Some detours were just little loops off the main road, others took me so far in the wrong direction it took decades for me to find my way back. I learned lessons from each detour and can honestly say that the lesson learned was for my ultimate good regardless of how devastating it was in the moment. Please don't misunderstand, God was not surprised by my free will choices, I chose to take my eyes off the road He had destined for me.

But there is loss in the lesson.

The loss is relationship, through death, division or drought I've lost friendships, grandchildren, family.  It's the regret really that gets to me in the middle of the night. It's the "would have/should have" stories that the enemy brings to my mind.

BUT GOD - He restores when I relinquish my will to His.  So that's the plan, to leave the wilderness of sin and go where He says, moving from one place to the next according to His command.

"The entire Israelite community left the Wilderness of Sin, moving from one place to the next according to the LORD's command."  Exodus 17:1