Mom's Thoughts

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!