It has been over a week since my return from Haiti, so I had best
succumb to my daughter's wishes and write about my travels there! I am
not sure where to start, as this is Alyssa's blog, but my trip to Haiti
started the minute I was dropped off at the airport! Lots of little
side notes occurred along the way, but to shorten this up, I will focus
on Haiti! I arrived in Haiti with a work team headed by Rich Bertschi
from Roanoke, IL (a wonderful group of people!:-) ) It was great
getting to know them as we traveled together. Tim R picked us up at the
airport, and I was moved by the fact that, before leaving the parking
lot, we shared a prayer for safe travels...which took on a whole new
meaning as we made our way out of Port and on up towards Les Cayes!
I will say, that my first impression, as I saw the sights in Port au
Prince was feeling a bit overwhelmed by the poverty and lifestyles of
the people there...(how in the world does anyone know where to begin??)
Coming from an accomplishment-based society to a survival-mode society
was a difficult transition for me to make. It took the journey up to
Les Cayes for me to sort through my thoughts and process the fact that
"the poor ye have with you always" and that we are just vessels to be
used of God to serve Him in any capacity that we are able, in order that
His Word may be brought to others, and that they may also have the
opportunity to know and experience Him.
You do not have to drive very far out of Port au Prince to see the
beauty of God's creation around you, even amidst the little shacks,
rubble, etc. Alyssa and Sheila picked me up prior to Les Cayes, and we
headed on up to Hospital Lumiere. (we flew in at 12:15 pm and it was
probably 7:30 pm when we arrived at Hospital Lumiere) Most of the
journey had been via paved road, until meeting the girls...the last 45
minutes was a rough, rocky mountain road - a part of the whole Haiti
experience! It was getting dark, so I didn't notice the beauty around
me until the next day, when we headed back down the mountain! I found
out that the most awesome views were experienced to and from hospital
Lumiere and Cavione(sp?) via the ride atop of the toyota van! My stiff
neck as a result, was a very small price to pay for the gorgeous views
and true feeling of experiencing in Haiti - where often they ride on the
top of the vehicles (usually on top of cement bags, produce, etc).
Little did I know that it would be in Haiti that I would have the
opportunity to meet up with a couple of sisters from the states that I
had traveled with in my single group days & hadn't seen since!! Rudy &
Polly (Uhler) Zollinger were staying at the guest house when we arrived
- Polly & I had been to Colorado together (a few moons ago), and when we
greeted the medical team that came on Saturday, I greeted Jeannie
Hangartner (traveled to Canada in '89)! It was a wonderful week of
rekindling friendships and making wonderful new friendships! I feel
blessed in getting to know the missionaries serving in Haiti also. It
was moving for me to see them work amongst the people, the team, and
their families - to watch God's love and their heart of service come
through in their lives. It made me truly grateful to know that Alyssa
is surrounded by such willing servants of God!
I did various things throughout the week, such as share time with other
missionary families for a birthday (which included Alyssa's:-) ), MEBSH
church on Sunday, went to a beautiful beach (experienced eating Haitian
lobster & fish there), shadowed Alyssa/helping her with home
school/kids, experiencing ti mache (little market) that they had for the
hospital employees that week, handed out dresses to needy village
children, played guitar/sang (both at hospital and at the guest house),
went on an excursion on the 4-wheeler farther up the mountain (gorgeous,
rugged & more of a taste of hatian life), did odd jobs, and visited the
CRP (Cancer Redemption Project) with the medical team (which was amazing
in itself).
It was all very humbling and amazing at the same time! You could see,
by the faces of the Haitians who's lives had been touched by the hand of
God, that they were bursting with joy and very thankful for what they
had - be it very little as compared to us. Spending time with the
medical team, I could also see the challenges of trying to educate the
hospital employees on how to help their people in a way that is foreign
to them, but common to us (basic hand washing, wound care, etc).
Touching the lives of the Haitian people for Christ envelopes so much
more than just giving them a Bible - they are being touched by watching
the lives of missionaries that are willing to serve and be a Christ-like
witness. It became very evident to me that God was very much alive and
being experienced daily there, in ways that we take for granted
here...we sometimes forget that everything we have is a blessing from
God - not something we have obtained or deserve. It's about
relationships - not things! A conversation that stuck with me was when
Jeanne shared that she was discussing with the interpreter about
families coming and caring for loved ones in the hospital..."so what
happens when the patient doesn't have family?" The interpreter looked
at her in a bewildered fashion and said "EVERYONE has family!" Jeanne
said "not in the states!" It really made me think. They take care of
their own (even if they have very little) ...what are our priorities?
It is hard to package my trip into a blog that includes everything, yet
doesn't bore the reader, as the week was filled with much more than you
can put on paper. So, I will sum it up by saying that I am truly
grateful for the experience and am thankful to those that made my week
there a special time! My love to all!
