 |
| Friendships established over the week |
 |
| Fishing boats |
 |
| Joe and Debbie Lynn |
 |
| Hannah's birthday dinner and cake |
I am determined to finish up this Haiti journal even if I have to write I out by hand and take a picture of it! (Trust me, I don't know if you could read my journal scribblings from my Haiti journal as even I have to work at it sometimes!)
So after our trip to the beach on Monday evening we came back to the camp. Since we needed to be ready to leave for the airport in Port au Prince early Tuesday morning, we headed to Jocmel to stay at the mission house at the church there. We packed up our bags and willingly said good by to our mosquito friends who were waiting for nightfall so that they could eat us alive!
We arrived in Jocmel about eight thirty in the evening. Everyone was tired, exhausted and ready for bed. However the pastor of the church announced that some of the ladies were preparing supper for us. All the suppers that I've had in Haiti have been very light as in bread and cheese, porridge, or bread and peanut butter. I kinda expected this supper to be along the same lines except the pastor said that they needed about thirty five more minutes to finish the lasagna! Ahh...well, it happened to perhaps be a bit more than thirty five minutes! We all kinda sat around in a sleepy stupor waiting for supper. Around ten-thirty, yes 10:30 pm, supper was ready! It was a delicious supper of lasagna, white rice, and fried chicken. The lasagna was good with some type of ground meat and some deli ham in it. (I never saw any ground meat the whole time I was here, so I have no idea what kind it was!) It was a bit of a heavy meal at 10:30 pm, but I am blessed by the willing hearts and hands that prepared that delicious meal for us.
After we had eaten, Pastor B. (I can't spell his Haitian name) brought out a cake for Hannah's birthday which will be on Sunday. He gave her a beautiful and thoughtful speech about how thankful he and the other national pastors of Haiti are for her love and concern for the people in the rural areas of Haiti. She is truly gifted in her nursing skills, and it's easy to see that those who know her love her.
Needless to say, it was a short night on sleep! We were up by 5:15am., and on the road by 6:15 am. We traveled to Port au Prince in a van, which is the most comfortable vehicle we've traveled in and the roads are mostly paved on the way to the big city. The trip took a little over three hours, and by the time we arrived at the airport both Hannah and I were feeling the effects of carsickness. The motion in the vehicle, the heat, the diesel fumes, and the smell of trash made me feel very sick. The smells and sights of Port au Prince are indescribable. Unless you see it all for yourself, it's hard to convey what it's really like.
We arrived and were checked into our flights by 10:00 am. We had a little time to visit with Josh's parents, Hope Ann, and Samantha before they had to leave on their flight. What a delight it was to get to know these people better this week! Josh's mom, Debbie Lynn, and I made some wonderful memories together and I have been blessed by her friendship this week. Hope Ann and Samantha were a lot of fun to be around, hard workers, and we've shared many laughs over the last week. Hannah, Josh, and I were on a different flight so we had a bit of a wait before our flight. That's okay though as it gave me an opportunity to wrap up some of my journal entries.
Summary:
Truly it would be impossible to describe all that I learned, saw, and felt on this trip. We worked many long hours, walked many steps up and down mountains, and saw God at work in every clinic we did in Haiti. I think about 22 people were saved as a result of the Gospel messages before the clinics. Please be in prayer for these souls that they will be discipled and grow in Christ. We gave away 10,000 adult vitamins; 12,000 children's vitamins; 10,000 Motrin; 10,000 Tylenol; 1,000's of stomach meds and worm medication. We saw over 835 people in the course of three full day clinics, and two clinics that were 1/2 days. We saw people with serious conditions, undernourished children and adults, and people who came because they were curious. This week long Missions trip has put so much in perspective for me. Do you have any idea how blessed we are in the United States? I have so little to complain about, and God has truly blessed me.
A few words come to mind when I look back on this trip. First of all...joy. These Haitian christians worship the Lord with all their heart. They are some of the most joy filled people I have ever met. I was blessed by their churches services as well as getting to meet several of the national pastors. Secondly, another word that comes to mind is contentment. I have so much compared to these people, and they have truly learned what it means to "cast their burdens on the Lord". They depend on God to provide the food for the next meal, something for their child to wear, and other such daily things that I don't even give a second thought to in my life. Truly God's grace sustains and empowers them in a real and personal way.
I made some new friendships on this trip. It was a special blessing to get to know Hannah's best friend, Emelie, better this week. Emelie and I will always have fun memories to look back on such as our laughter at our pharmacy skills and putting on makeup in the dark! I also enjoyed getting to know Debbie Lynn this week. She is Hannah's mother-in-law, and I was so encouraged by her this week. We figured out how to count out medicine quickly, we laughed our way through the dump truck rides, and she gave me snacks to eat! 😀
I am so thankful to each one that prayed for me and our family, supported me financially, and encouraged me to go. It was a unique and special blessing to go on this trip, and it's not one that I take lightly. I would love to go again, but I'm not sure when God will provide that opportunity again. However, if He should open the doors to this trip again, I'd be happy to go.
Roger and my mom did a great job here on the home front while I was away. I'm thankful for a husband that is so faithful and consistent at being a great dad. I'm thankful for his love and support of me as I went off to another country for a week...I am blessed. I'm also grateful for my mom's help in getting the kids back and forth to school, helping with schoolwork and always attacking the never ending pile of laundry!
Thank you for your love and prayers,
Sarah
No comments:
Post a Comment