Leaving My Heart in Haiti

Wow...my last blog post was Aug. 2009. I figure at this point, any of the 5 of you who ever read my blog to begin with are long gone......

Note before I begin..the picture above is horrible! It was 1,000 degrees out with 98% humidity.

In July 2010, I went to Haiti to volunteer as a nurse with Samaritan's Purse. I went all by myself, but met a group of 11 other nurses from all over the USA and what a bond we now have. I still keep in touch with almost every one of them. I was there for 15 days. I never in a million years would have imagined how that 15 days would change my life and my heart forever.

I'm planning to go back to Haiti Jan. 22-Feb 1 to help with the Cholera relief. I wanted to start up my blogging again to hopefully share my experiences in Haiti. I just don't want people to forget the people of Haiti. The suffering and poverty are extreme. My perspective has been changed forever. I appreciate things so much more, I give thanks to God so much more.

When I was in Haiti the first time, I stayed at the Samaritan's Purse base in Leogane, Haiti (The epi center of the earthquake). I worked on a medical mobile clinic. We would pack up our supplies daily in our hired Haiti driver's Land Cruiser and head out to a different tent city daily. I worked along side a Haitian Dr. and nurse, another nurse from the USA, and Haitian translators. Sometimes we would have a Billy Graham Chaplain with us to minister to the people who were waiting for clinic.

Our clinics were held in the middle of a filthy tent city. We had a canopy tent to shade us as we worked in 115 degree HUMID heat. I've never been so hot and sweaty in my entire life. It was the most rewarding work I've ever done, next to being a wife and mother.

We typically saw 90 or so patients a day. The Haitians would line up at 4:30 in the morning, waiting to be seen. Sometimes mothers with children would sit in the hot sun, all day long, waiting to see the Dr. They had no water, no food,. Yet they NEVER complained. The children were so good, they sat quietly.....all day long. They had nothing to do, nothing to play with. The highlight of my day was playing with them at our short break time. They would smile and laugh. I would give them stickers and they loved them. They would hover around me for the rest of the day. Waiting for a smile or tickle. I fell madly in love with the Haitian people.

I loved being able to hug them, pray with them (we prayed with every single patient that came to the clinic) and care for their medical needs. They were so thankful and receptive to prayer and love.

Hopefully, I'll have time to share more stories of my time in Haiti and my upcoming trip. I left part of my heart in Haiti. I am obsessed with following what is going on there. I pray many times a day for them and for my friends who I met and are still working there. I have cried so often for their suffering and for those who have died from Cholera. I can't wait to go back and share God's compassion and love with them again.