An aerial view of the epicenter

God smiled on me today. I was invited to tag along on a helicopter ride to transport two people from the Samaritan's Purse main base in TiTanyen to the sub-base in Grand Goave. Knowing I had lived in Leogane, the epicenter of the earthquake, immediately after the revolution on 1986, the pilot made a point to fly over the area with the most devastation.
It is hard to grasp the extent of damage and human suffering even when I see the structural effects of the quake. What really speaks to me is when I see the people adjusting to their meager shelters and limited resources. 
Another thing that moves me is the empathy the Haitians have expressed about the Chileans who are looking for loved ones and have lost their homes as a result of yesterday's massive earthquake. Even though the number of deaths so far is much less than in Haiti, the people here are concerned for the people of Chile.
Several of us fly out today for Florida and I will continue home to Oregon tomorrow. 
Si Bon Die vle, map tounin anko. If  God who is good so wills, I will be back.

Salomon

Salomon. The wise. This man was brought into the clinic today, doubled over in pain, in shock, and convinced that he was dying. With an acute abdomen, he was likely suffering appendicitis. Once stabilized with intravenous solution, he waited for transportation to the hospital.
I was aware of the emergency, but not directly involved. Instead I plugged away at seeing women with various complaints and concerns, some amusing ~ it feels like something is walking around in my ear. Some extremely sad ~ in the earthquake my brother and my favorite auntie died, I was injured and hospitalized, my small business was destroyed, and I haven't eaten for 9 days.
When I had a chance, I helped move some IV solutions from the treatment room where Salomon was resting to the cooler pharmacy. I greeted him and told him I was glad he was feeling better. His response? "Jesus saved me!" This demanded more than "Glad to hear it!" I agreed that it was God who healed him, that if we were of any help it was because our hearts were filled with the compassion God gives us for the Haitian people. That it was God doing the healing here, not us.
He went on to say that Jesus saved him when He died on the cross, and then again today when he brought him back from death. He asked me if he could pray for us! I mutely nodded. His generous prayer moved me to tears which fell on our joined hands. He asked the God who saved him to grant us more knowledge, wisdom, strength and hope to relieve the suffering of the Haitian people. I was so humbled and moved that I apologized for my tears. He said I nothing to apologize for and simply asked God to bless me more.
Wow. What a day! Praise our Heavenly Father and Risen Lord whom we serve.

Patients and patience

Today was day three at the medical clinic in Cite Soleil. The team is made up of two physicians, three nurses and myself, a nurse practitioner. So far this week we have seen 192 patients. Our team has a depth of international experience, professional excellence and passion for our work. We all love the Lord and he is truly knitting us together as a cohesive team. It must be God, because except for two of us, we have never met, let alone worked together before Haiti.

This morning we believe we saw a miracle. A little girl, around 3 years old, was carried into the clinic, as limp and unresponsive as a rag-doll. While two nurses and a doctor were trying without success to start an IV, they  began to pray. We found out later that two chaplains from Billy Graham Evangelistic Association were outside also praying for her. Just before the doctor was about to initiate more aggressive measures, the little girl reacted to the sharp IV needle, opened her eyes, lifted her head and started crying. She was able to start taking sips of oral rehydration solution and in a matter of hours turned into a responsive little girl who could eat lunch and smile. She will come back tomorrow and someone will share with her and her mama that we believe that she was healed not by our efforts, but by God Himself.

Yesterday, I met Marlene. She came to the clinic by herself to find out if it was time to go to the hospital to have her baby.The safest place for her to deliver was at the local catholic hospital, but with a history of a two hour labor, I was quite reluctant to send her off alone. She was so brave and quiet and patient with the situation; she borrowed someone's cell phone to track down her husband. Two and a half hours later he arrived to take her to the hospital. I believe she was holding off until she could get to the hospital. I had everything ready to "catch" the baby, but was relieved for her that she would be able to deliver where she had been followed for prenatal care.


God is so good and loves these people. It is heart wrenching to tell someone we don't have exactly what she might need, but so amazing to see God reach into a situation in a personal way in his perfect timing.

Arrival

I'm sitting in the "dorm" listening to the rain pelt down on the corrugated tin roof. At least we have a roof. This downpour won't last too long and it cools things off for us. But I have to be thankful for the two thousand tarps Samaritan's Purse distributed today alone. Each tarp covers a family's makeshift shelter.

I am encouraged today by Nehemiah 9:31.

Nevertheless in your great mercy You did not utterly consume them nor forsake them; for You are God, gracious and merciful.

Shifting gears,I am now the designated driver for the medical team. Having lived and driven in Haiti, it fell to me. With driving comes the radio linked to a UN relayer  so we can communicate with "home base". So far the plan is to leave at 6 am for Cite Soleil for church, Haitian style. After a couple of hours there, we will do some regrouping at the medical clinic next door so we can strategize and organize for the week ahead. We plan to be back at the compound for lunch at 12. We will likely find something useful to do but are also encouraged to rest.
And that's the first day.

Unwinding and gearing up at the same time

How do we unwind and gear up at the same time? Well, it has been an interesting couple of days at our home. David has been relaxing and resting, talking, speaking to reporters, catching up on emails, beginning to look through the thousands of photographs he came home with. I have been tying up a few loose ends before heading out tomorrow for Haiti. Thankfully, my bags have been packed for a while because I thought I might be joining David. 
We have talked, taken a couple of walks, slept in, talked, done errands, visited with friends, talked, called family, prayed, laughed and did I say talked? Pretty much done everything we can to savor these couple of days we are both in Sisters at the same time.
We enjoy the life God has given us and press into Him.

On a different note, here is an interview recorded yesterday:
Interview for Ephesians Vision Ministries

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

Adjusting

I have been reading about the reality of nursing and midwifery in Haiti over the past month. It takes me back to some of the emergencies, trauma and complicated deliveries I attended while living there, more than 20 years ago. Working in these conditions means laying aside our American standard and sense of entitlement.When a delay in reaching medical care is coupled with limited resources, a challenging condition can quickly deteriorate. Add to that the overwhelming poverty and malnutrition of the population being served, and you can quickly become depleted, disillusioned and down-hearted. 
I read with compassion Desiree's blog as she tenderly expresses her broken heart for the countless women she served with what little supplies she had at hand. Some Time for Haiti
When I look back on my time in Haiti all those years ago, I wouldn't trade it for anything. I think I am better prepared now if I should return. Deeper is my faith in Jesus Christ to redeem any situation, to transform an apparently hopeless situation by the power of His loving Spirit, and the need to lay aside any of my own expectations and agenda and take up His.