A Horrible Situation Redeemed

The last several days I have had the privilege of teaching Haitian nurses. These are the nurses at the front lines of this battle against cholera. Dr. Kara Gibson gave several us the task of brainstorming to develop simple lessons on hygiene and aseptic technique, rehydration and patient care documentation.

Our Haitian nurses come to us with four years of education and a variety of experience. For many, this is their very first job. Others have some experience in an outpatient setting, but not with IV’s. Then there are a few seasoned veterans among the ranks who can start an IV in the most elusive vein and who have the experience to help us tease out diagnoses which often coincide with cholera.

I love that Samaritan’s Purse is not only in the relief business, but also looks  toward development. The old “teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”. I also consider it a personal challenge and joy to work myself out of a job.

After all, long after we leave, these Haitian nurses will still be here fighting the good fight against poor health amongst their own people.

So, we begin with a diagram of a stick figure nurse teaching her patients and their families good hygiene, the importance of oral rehydration, and how cholera is spread and can be prevented. If each patient and family member returns to their community and teaches their household and neighbors, who then do the same, then the efforts will be multiplied and the results life-changing for an entire country. We plant the seed that one nurse can make a significant difference in Haiti.

We also point out the obvious: these nurses are becoming experts in the prevention and treatment of cholera. God is transforming this horrible situation into a gift of great value for these nurses. They will be forever enriched professionally by this clinically challenging experience.

We end each short session with the presentation of a simple certificate, complete with a stamp from the Samaritan’s Purse office. Each nurse will keep and use these treasured certificates when they seek future employment.

My favorite moments? When they become animated, jump at the chance to demonstrate removing an IV, or when they smile and laugh at my Kreyol. But the best moment was yesterday when they sang an impromptu song to thank me. No matter how much I give these dear people, I always come away more than blessed.

Sweetness.

"For such a time as this"

I've been hearing the phrase, "for such a time as this" quite often lately. Do you ever have moments in your life when you can see that many things in your experience has prepared you for just this moment? Now is one of those moments for me. 


Who would know that a new nurse-midwife yanked from language school on the heels of a revolution to assist with trauma cases would one day return there to serve the people of Haiti in their fight against cholera?  Who would know that a nurse-midwife reluctantly thrown into international community health nursing and later trained to teach WASH principles would have the small opportunity to combat a deadly water-borne disease? 


Just received word that I leave Friday for Haiti as part of Samaritan's Purse's most recent response to the cholera crisis in Haiti. I will be working in their clinic in Cite Soleil, a slum in Port-au-Prince. I believe I will be working as a nurse, but could be working in several different roles.  


To say I am excited to go, is not quite accurate. That is not to say that I am reluctant or afraid. And yes, there is a bit of excitement as I think about the challenges that lie ahead. But mostly, I feel very humbled and sobered. That God would pluck me from my comfortable and privileged life here in the foothills of the Oregon Cascades and trust me to serve Him in this way fills me with awe.

For if you remain still at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Haitians from another place and you and your family's house will miss the blessing. And who knows whether you have not attained your present position for such a time as this?
 Esther 4:13-14, my personal paraphrase

But right here, right here for this time and place

You can live a mirror of His mercy

A forgiven image of grace

            Wayne Watson, “For Such a Time as This”

Heading out

As I write this, David is in the middle of his third interview of the day. It is good hearing him talk about his experiences in Haiti. It is good seeing him face to face. To see for myself that he is well. To be with him.
This morning as were preparing for the television crews, I received a formal invitation from Samaritan's Purse to go to Haiti. Soon. The day after tomorrow, on Friday the 19th. They needed an answer as soon as possible as they needed to fill the vacancy today.  
What to say? The timing is crazy. I long to go, but David just got home! My bags are packed, my passport and shots are current. I have already printed off a cheat sheet of medical Creole to review on the plane. The freezer and pantry are even well stocked. 
David's response? "There is no reason you should not go. I think you should go." My mom is in shock, but agrees; of course I should go. Our son Nate, a senior in high school, is excited for me. Our son Josh wants to come home from college to see me before I leave.
So, I now have my itinerary and leave at 6 am Friday morning. And what will I do? I will join two Family Practice physicians and two other nurses at the Samaritan's Purse clinic set up in Cite Soleil, Port-au-Prince's largest slum. They have been seeing on average, 100 people a day. 
I will stay at the mission compound that was David's home while he was there. I will greet the ladies in the dining room who doted on him. I will revisit the capitol city where David romanced me. I will sweat, put in long hours, probably shed some tears for the Haitian people, pray a lot and expect to see God work.
An opportunity I am excited and at peace about accepting. I value your prayers!
God is good. God is able.

Going forward

David is back in Sisters. So good to be reunited, see his smile, hear his stories. In the days ahead he will have many opportunities to talk about Haiti and what it means to him that he could be there when he was. We will talk and pray about some options for us to return to the land where we met. We will consider how soon, how long, in what capacity. 
We want to be wise as we proceed. Here is the closing paragraph from an article in Christianity Today. It really speaks to this desire to be wise as we go forward.

Thus, in this moment—stirred as we are by Haiti's pain, and freshly reminded of the hazards of poorly-directed zeal—the most significant reminder is that knowledge-guided love is always needful. The emotion we're feeling is one that can be acted upon for the rest of our lives. Amidst the current crisis, we must help as best we can: giving generously, praying seriously, and even working on the ground alongside trustworthy organizations and local churches. Meanwhile, it's never too early to begin readying ourselves for a longer journey, joining passion with preparedness, and compassion with commitment, to serve wisely and well for the distance. Strong on Zeal, Thin on Knowledge

"Not sure I would go to Haiti"

Over the last few weeks, many people have said they totally understand why David left for Haiti as soon as he had the chance. Several others have not been surprised that if given the chance, I would also go in  a heartbeat. A few people have said that while they appreciate our desire to go to Haiti, they are not so sure they could themselves go. Understandable. We are all wired differently and have different gifts and talents.
This blog entry from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta expresses something of our desire to go to Haiti at this time in her history.
Returning to Haiti. Tipping the scales of faith.

Super Bowl Sunday

For a taped interview of David Uttley, go to 
David Uttley Taped Interview
David called me this afternoon after taking a nap and before joining the 82nd Airborne Division at their Super Bowl gathering. It sounds a world away from what he has been doing the last three weeks; I think he needed the break. 
It is almost four weeks since the earthquake and his departure for Haiti. The decision will soon be made by Samaritan's Purse whether to bring him home or to send me down.
As we wait on God's perfect plan and timing, we both thank you for your prayers. I will keep you posted. 

What Haiti needs most

What does Haiti need most?

Food? Jobs? Safe Water? Adequate sanitation? Moral leadership? Re-forestation? More schools? 

The responsibilities of former President Bill Clinton, presently the UN Special Envoy to Haiti, now extend to the rebuilding phase:

"I want to build the capacity of the country to chart its own course, so they can trust me not to be a neocolonialist," Clinton, 53, said about the former slave colony's populace. "I'm not interested in doing that, and I'm too old. What I want them to do is be able to dream their own dreams and then make them real. That's my goal."

He noted that previous aid efforts have failed to improve life in the poorest nation in the hemisphere. 

"Too often, the aid that has flowed -- whether it was generous or stingy -- did not do anything to fundamentally increase the capacity of the country to stand on its own feet, to chart its own course, to run its own good schools, run its own good health system, run its own diverse economy." excerpt from http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/02/05/haiti.bill.clinton/index.html

Whether you are a Clinton fan or not, I for one appreciate his intentions for Haiti to have a chance to thrive. I wonder though what the Haitian people think about their future. I suspect they have been so misled, abandoned, abused and taken such advantage of that they need to put their faith in something more reliable than the promises of foreign diplomats or local politicians.
And although I think Clinton accurately observes the failure of previous attempts to aid Haiti, I don't think that international aid, no matter how well co-ordinated, is  the entire answer for Haiti's future.
What does Haiti need?
I think the Haitian people need to know where to place their hope.

Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many. 2 Corinthians 1:9-11 (New International Version)

In for the long haul

Whether David stays another week or another month, the work in Haiti is only just beginning. With a well-earned reputation for entrenched corruption, pervasive poverty being the norm and the Atlantic hurricane season coming right after the imminent rainy season, the hurdles which lie before Haiti's full recovery are daunting.


Add to this overwhelming task the apparent jockeying for position to help and challenge of co-ordination of international aid efforts, and I have to sigh as I pause to consider what shape the country of Haiti will take in the months and years to come.


That's when I am reminded that I follow a God who is able. 

Able:  having necessary power, skill, resources, or qualifications; having unusual or superior intelligence, skill, etc. 

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.

I remember the countless "hopeless" situations God has redeemed. Familiar Old Testament stories of deliverance heard since Sunday school days. Goliath felled by one stone hurled from a shepherd boy's slingshot. The Red Sea parting long enough, but only just long enough, for the Israelites to escape to safety. The widow's little jar of oil being refilled each morning. 


Are these just stories?


Yes, they would be if I didn't have the daily assurance that the ultimate redemption and act of deliverance was real. Daily, I am convinced that the horrific death of Jesus Christ on the cross did not end there. His resurrection, or return to full life, has been proven to me over and over. How? I experience a supernatural peace and hope and even joy in the midst of challenging and painful situations. An assurance that can only come from God, who cares. Who is able. Daily.


So, I cling to the Lord of all creation, look into His face and am assured that He is able to redeem, rebuild and restore Haiti. 


P.S. I fixed the link to Tuesday's taped interview. Also, I added some new links. See the sidebar on the right. Today's new photos posted to Samaritan's Purse website: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/In_Pictures/photos/haiti_relief_day_20/

I received this long letter a few days after the massive earthquake on January 12. It is written by water and civil engineer Bruce Robinson, a missionary with CrossWorld. He lives east of Port-de-Paix on the northern peninsula of Haiti.  Bruce and his wife Deb have a well drilling (and everything else) ministry.  I met him back in 1986 when I lived in Haiti. David got acquainted with him since they were both bachelors at that point and would spend time together whenever Bruce would come to the capitol for supplies or R and R. David was living on the mission campus where the seminary is that Bruce describes in the article. I spent many hours on that campus when David and I were dating.

So, I have attached it for those of you hungry for this sort of thing. 

Thank you Bruce for your permission to share this.

Earthquake Haiti

I always expected the next big one would be here. On the north coast. In doing research for the bridge one of the things you do is check the earthquake history. For the last four hundred years. It is not pretty.