Haiti 2014 - Abundant Blessings
Mark and I had talked for several years about going on a medical mission trip. It was kind of a bucket list item for me. Last year we found out that several people we knew were going. We were encouraged to come by Nila & John Novotny and Joe Miller. We decided that the time was right and felt good we were going with people who had been on a medical mission trip before and had the experience, after all we were rookies!
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| Mark and Linda Carlson beside the guest house. |
I had done some research and knew it would be a whole new world in Haiti, different than anything I may have seen before. Although reading, watching videos, trying to learn some Creole helped a great deal, nothing prepared me for what we experienced and witnessed. I certainly was stretching myself and stepping out of my comfort zone, big time! Those that know me now know that I’m not a fan of flying but I made it. The two hour ride from the airport in Port Au Prince to Pierre Payen gave us a view of great beauty and also heartache. To see clusters of tent cities still to this day in place after the 2010 earthquake was so saddening. I saw first hand and understand why they say Haiti is the poorest country. Our team was large which was encouraging to me because I hoped it meant that we could help many people in our short week there.
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| Tent city along the drive from Port au Prince to Pierre Payen. |
Once we arrived at Pierre Payen and got settled into our living quarters, we ate supper and had an organizational meeting in the guest house. I had hoped that Saturday would have been a day or unpacking supplies and orienting to the clinic and hospital. That soon turned into a very busy chaotic day with seeing patients and jumping right in. I felt so inadequate that day. I just prayed that I could be of help and service and not be a hindrance to our cause. It was really hot but didn’t seem to matter after awhile when I looked into the many faces of the Haitian people waiting in long lines to see the doctors. I was concerned that I would not be very helpful for the fact that I had been away from my nursing career for a long time. Everyone kept assuring me I would be fine. I spent my time divided between helping Nila with ENT clinic patients and my husband, Mark in the Family Practice clinic. Nila was so great to work with and very patient with me learning the ropes. Thank you John Novotny for the crash course of ENT instruments she would need for exams and proper techniques. I easily could have been fired on day one but not in Haiti.
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| Mark and Linda in the clinic. ........ Not sure what he's working on! |
I had the joy of working mostly with Shirley, Kevin, Kim, Kristie, Kate and Molly in our wing of the hospital. They are the most caring, compassionate and talented group of people I have ever had the privilege of working with. I knew God had brought us together as an entire team for this purpose. I was the one feeling blessed again for so many new friends and the bond we will forever share. The number of patients we saw seemed to get lost because it was one after another, after another. It was the faces of the people I couldn’t get out of my mind. I didn’t take time or maybe it was that I wouldn’t allow myself to let things actually sink in until I got home. I got home and the first few days were very hard and emotional. I felt almost paralyzed when I tried to go back to my normal day to day routine. Nothing seemed normal or the same and I kept thinking of everyone we had tried to help. The heartbreak was those that we just couldn’t do much for. I cried for the woman who was 6 months pregnant and saw no heartbeat on the ultrasound and how we told her that her baby had died. You never get used to that even in the years of labor and delivery nursing that I did. I kept telling myself, God’s plan is greater than I know and understand right now.
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| The orphanage. |
I was encouraged to do things that I wouldn’t normally do on my own. Thanks to my roomies, Kate, Mary, Molly, Vanessa, Laci and Kelsey for helping me become a little more adventurous and see as much of Haiti as was possible in our short week. I am forever grateful!
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| Morning team meeting in the guest house. |
You frequently hear about how a mission trip is a life changing event. As true as it is it also seems like such a cliché. For me there were conditions and challenges beyond my imagination. The barefoot children walking on the rocks and rough terrain up the hills, laundry and bathing being done in the river, people coming to the clinic hours away and patiently waiting hours to be seen. The Haitian people are good people and deserve more. They were thankful for our presences and happy for the most part. I’ll never take for granted what we have in the U.S.
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| Hike up the hill behind the hospital. |
I am blessed and I am thankful. So even though this is one more event crossed off my bucket list, I can not turn away from the work God calls us to do. I’ll continue to help in as many ways that I can. Do I see another mission trip in the future, yes for sure! Not a day goes by that I don’t think about the Haitian people we have been blessed to help and serve and also the entire mission team. Our mission work is not done and I am the one who has been changed and blessed!
Blessings,
Linda Carlson
