Love for Haiti

Here We Go...Again

2009-12-07T02:02:00.005-05:00

Before I knew it, I was receiving emails about planning our next trip. The dates were set for February 11th-18th, 2009. I did not even think about it, I knew I was going to go. I had no idea exactly how I would pay for it or if I would be approved time off from my work. It didn't matter. I knew that if it was meant for me to go then I would be able to go.

The holidays were coming soon and the only thing I wanted for Christmas was to go to Haiti! My family was so wonderful in helping make my Christmas wish come true. I was able to come up with enough money to go on the trip and I was approved my time off from work! Not only was my family supportive financially, but I also had a special angel watching over me to assure I would be able to take my journey to Haiti ( you know who you are)!

This trip planning was very different from my first trip. I did not attend a single meeting! WHAT! I know. I still don't even believe it! Every time a meeting was planned, I had to work. I could never get my schedule in sync with everyone else's (the curse of working from 7pm-7am). I was kept in the loop by many emails and me harassing Dr. Billy and Dr. Dave ( our fearless leaders) endlessly.

This trip was very different than previous ones. Our team consisted of people from all over the country, not just from our small town of Pawleys Island, SC. We did have a few locals on our team, but we also had some gentlemen from Charleston, SC join us. Then we had two other ladies to add to the team. One from Virginia and the other from Florida. We were a very diverse group. I was very interested in seeing how we would mesh and how the trip would pan out having so many new people with us.

Are you ready to go?

Coming up next...Second Time's A Charm!

Family Reunion!

2009-11-15T23:46:00.005-05:00

The rest of October passed by quickly. I went on a vacation with my Mother and some other family members to Disney World. My grandfather passed away. Halloween came and went.

November seemed to fly by. However, on November 16th, we had a team reunion! Leslie (who lives in Mount Pleasant, SC) decided to have our entire team and our families over to her house. It was a time for us to relive our trip, look at all of our pictures, and just enjoy spending time together! My family was unable to come, so I rode down with Brewster and his family. It was a nice trip.

I was so excited to see everyone! I was able to see some of our team members regularly because we went to church together, but others I had not seen since we left Haiti! Leslie and her family opened their beautiful home for us and prepared some delicious food. They even made Spaghetti pie (one of our Haitian meals)!

Julie also lived in Mt. Pleasant and she brought some of her children for us to meet. Dr. Ed came, as well as Dr. Mandy and her husband. The rest of the team had illness/injuries in the family or other plans. It was a shame we weren't all together, but it was still a wonderful reunion.

We ate lots of food and looked at all of our pictures. Brewster even put together a little video slide show of all of our pictures to some music. It was so nice to relive all of those wonderful moments again and to share them with our families and friends!

After we ate, Dr. Mandy put together an awards banquet for our team! It was a total surprise! She spent so much time thinking and putting together a special gift/speech about each person from our team. All of the gifts were funny and like inside jokes to our team. It was so fun! Mandy also gave each person a matted picture of La Gonave on a beautiful stand. She is so thoughtful!

Then Leslie presented each of us with a gift as well. She gave everyone a hand-held luggage scale/weight! It has a measuring tape and a hook attached so we can weigh our bags and never get held up in the airport again! Ha! What a great gift! What a great night! What great memories!

Coming Up Next...Ready to Roll, Again!

Getting Back To Normal

2009-11-02T21:57:00.003-05:00

After having a wonderful night's sleep in my own bed, I woke up. I woke up when I wanted to. No roosters or goats bleating. No voices outside of my bedroom window. It was nice, but different. On this day, I technically had nothing to do or anywhere to go. It was a good but strange feeling. Good in a way that I could relax and do what I wanted to do. Strange because I was so used to having a set schedule, and now there was none.

It was a very quiet day. Almost lonely.

I was so used to being surrounded by people constantly. Whether it was our team being squished into a taxi, having clinic, sitting around the compound, going to church, walking around to explore, eating meals, having devotionals, even sleeping together in the same room. There was always someone around.

I felt a little lost.

I unpacked my bags. Did some laundry. Normal stuff.

I found myself realizing small things. Not turning on any lights when I walked into a room. Not keeping the TV on, just to have it on. Not flushing the toilet (i.e. If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down.) Being able to have clear, cold, and clean water at my finger tips. Having a refrigerator full of food. Being able to have a stove, oven, and microwave to prepare meals in minutes. Doing laundry in my home. Having a telephone/cellphone nearby to call anyone, anytime. Having Tylenol in the medicine cabinet for my headache.

Little things that I realized before, but didn't appreciate nearly enough until now.

I had a couple of days off from work to rest, spend time with family, and get settled back into my normal routine. I loved sharing all of my stories with whoever wanted to hear them!

Before I knew it, it was time for me to go back to work. I was a little anxious because I felt like I had been away for so long. I was so used to being in Haiti and basically seeing patients myself (with other Doctors nearby of course). I really didn't know what to expect.

When I got to work, I was very happy to see all of my co-workers. They seemed happy to see me as well. People were very curious to hear about my trip and see pictures. I was thrilled to tell them everything I could and answer all the questions that came my way.

After I got report from the day shift I started seeing my patients. Things were going fine. Nothing out of hand or crazy. It seemed like a pretty normal night. I felt like I was a little behind (time wise), but everything was okay.

All of a sudden, I got totally and completely overwhelmed. It was like a wave hit me. To be completely honest, I have no idea exactly what prompted it. I didn't know what was wrong and why I was feeling that way. I had to take a few minutes to gather myself and my thoughts together. I got really hot and began bawling crying. My wonderful co-workers were immediately at my side to make sure I was okay and to take over with whatever needed to be done at that moment. I am so thankful for them. I called my mother on the phone and through my blubbering, told her what was going on. She immediately began praying for me. She prayed for peace to cover me. It was exactly what I needed.

From that moment on, I was covered in peace. I was able to pull myself together and do my job. I got through the rest of my shift totally fine. I still have no idea where my mini breakdown came from, but I am so glad that it did not last long. I am happy to report that that was my only "episode" and I am fine! When I think about it now, it actually makes me laugh because it seems so ridiculous.

I was able to talk to a few of the veterans about my breakdown and they all told me that it was just my "re-entry" and it was totally normal. Everyone has a "re-entry" period after returning from a mission trip. For some, it may not be as obvious as mine was. For others, it may be worse or for a longer period of time. I heard many different "re-entry" stories from the veterans, but never thought that I would have had one! I am glad that I am not the only one and now know that I am not a complete nut case!

Coming up next...Ready for the next trip!

It's Good To Be Home!

2009-10-31T01:23:00.003-04:00

We loaded my bags in the car and started the drive home. It was so good to be with my family! I couldn't wait to tell them EVERYTHING! If you know my Mother, then you know that she really wants to know everything. Every single detail. So, as you can imagine, this was going to take a long time. It didn't matter. I wanted to share my entire experience with everyone! To let them know what I did, what I saw, who I met, and how my life had changed!

On the ride home I was talking a mile a minute to fill them in on my journey. We dropped my sister and her husband off at their house and then my mom and I continued on to our house.
It was such a nice feeling to pull into my drive way and really realize that I was home!

I left my big suitcase on the front porch for the night. I was not interested in letting any little stowaways in my house! As I opened the door I was greeted by my sweet dogs, Pebbles and Belle. Pebbles (my puppy-Yorkie and Chihuahua mix) was beside herself with excitement! And I have never seen Belle (our families Cocker Spaniel) wag her tail harder! It was so good to see my babies!

I then noticed a sign hanging in the foyer welcoming me home. There was also a special Halloween themed cookie cake! Yum! As I ventured back to my room and opened the door, my room exploded! There were balloons everywhere! My sister had my entire room filled with balloons! It was so fun and unexpected. I loved it! It made me feel so good to know that my family truly missed me!

I started to unpack some of my souvenirs to give to my mom. While doing this, I continued telling her all about my trip. We talked until 3am! I don't even think I made it past the second day! I told you that she likes details! Poor thing, she had to work the next day also.

After she went to bed, I took a little walk through our house. I looked at all of the rooms, the furniture, the pictures, etc. I realized, even more now than before, how unbelievably blessed we are. I also realized that all of the those things were not nearly as important as I used to think they were. The things that are important are the voices of laughter that fill the rooms, the people that sit and share stories on that furniture, and the smiles and memories made in those pictures. Possessions may come and go, but family and friends are a constant. I am so thankful for my wonderful family and friends and am forever thankful for their lives!

I then took a long, hot shower. Climbed into my comfy bed, turned on my fan, snuggled up to my dog, and said a special prayer of thanksgiving. Thank you God for all of your mighty blessings!

Coming Up Next...Back to the real world...really

There's No Place Like Home

2009-10-04T13:26:00.003-04:00

As we were getting ready to land in Myrtle Beach, I got butterflies in my stomach. No, I was not airsick. I was so excited to see my family! My trip to Haiti had officially ended and now it was time to get back to the real world.

As we got off the plane and started walking to the baggage claim, Ed asked me if my Mom was picking me up. I said, "Of course! And I bet she has an entire band waiting to welcome us home!". This was said with a hint of sarcasm, but for anyone who knows my mother, she does not do anything small. She goes all out for everything! I do love this about her (even though sometimes I don't act like it).

We got onto the escalator and headed down, and this is what I saw

My adorable mother and sister were waiting for me with this enormous sign and flowers!
My brother-in-law was there also, but he refused to hold the sign. I don't blame him! Ha Ha!

I was so excited to see them!
They were super excited to see me too!

It was such a wonderful feeling to know how much they missed me and to see all of the effort they went to to make my homecoming so special! I absolutely loved it! I have such a wonderful and supportive family!

Some of the other team member's families were there, so it was good to see/meet them! Everyone was busy hugging and talking with one another and their families, it was a joyous time!

We gathered ourselves together and headed toward baggage claim to get all of our bags. As we were walking, I was trying to tell my mom and sister everything. As you can imagine, this was hard. How could I explain my entire trip in 5 minutes!

At this point I was glowing! My sister kept telling me over and over again how different I looked. I asked her if that was a good thing or a bad thing. She said it was a good thing. She said that she thought I looked great! Well, I felt great! I had just had the experience of a lifetime, made great friends, became closer to God, and helped people along the way! Of course I was great! Not to mention I got a little Haitian tan too!

My family knew most of the team (from church and the community), but for the ones they did not know, I introduced them. I wanted them to meet the people who I shared such an amazing experience with. Plus, I knew I would be telling many stories and I wanted them to have a name with a face!

Before I knew it, our luggage had arrived. It was extremely obvious which bags belonged to our team. They were beaten up and covered in red clay! We had to unpack some of the big boxes so we could get our fragile souvenirs out. Everything made it safely and intact!

During this process my sister grabbed my left hand and looked at it. I was shocked and asked her what that was about. She said, " I thought you would have come back engaged or adopted a baby". I laughed so hard! I don't know about getting engaged, but I certainly would have brought back all of the babies if I could! My sister is too funny!

Now that we had all of our belongings, it was time to go home. I said goodbye to my team, my friends. It was sad, but at the same time I was okay with it. I knew that we would all stay in touch somehow and that we would see each other again, one day!

As I walked out of the airport and the cool autumn air hit my cheeks. I looked at my family, took a deep breath and said to myself

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME!

Heading Home

2009-09-27T01:06:00.008-04:00

Wednesday October 15th, 2008: Day 7

This morning was totally different than the rest. When I woke up, I had no clue where I was! I quickly realized that I was at the Hotel Montana. It was so weird to not be woken up by goats bleating, cows mooing, and roosters crowing. It was very quiet. Oddly quiet. I actually felt out of place, like things were not right for some reason. I guess I felt more at ease or myself when I was in La Gonave! Who would have thunk it!?

Laura and I got to sleep in! We woke up at 6am! The team agreed to meet down in the Lobby at 7am to check out and then head to the airport. We got dressed and packed our last minute items. We got to the Lobby at 6:45am, we thought we were early. We were almost the last people to get there! I guess everyone else was still on Lotore time, waking up at 5am!

Check out was smooth. Pere Soner arrived with his truck to haul all of our luggage and supplies. We were carrying a much lighter load home than what we came with, so it was easier. Gary came to pick us up with his van and we all loaded up, for the final time. We were not sure how bad the traffic would be, so we wanted to allow plenty of time to get the airport.

We left the Hotel Montana and made our way through the city streets of PAP.

Tap-Tap

All of the women carry HUGE loads on their heads! It is amazing! They must have very good posture!

We made it to the airport by 8am with no problems. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 10am. When we were unloading at the airport, it seemed very hurried. There were many people around and I didn't really know what to do or where to go. There were a lot of Haitian airport employees (I guess they are called Stewards?) that were gathering our bags. Of course Dave aka "Big Boss" was in charge of handling the money to pay the guys for carrying our bags. I am so glad that we had one person in charge of all the money and I am so thankful that he took on the position! He did great and made it much easier for the rest of us. I am sure it was a little stressful for him though. Thanks again Dave!

Once we were inside the airport, we went through the metal detector. We then got in line at our ticket counter to check our bags and get our tickets. We then headed through yet another line of security/customs (passports stamped, metal detectors, x-ray bags, etc.).

Matt going through security.

I had forgotten how exhausting traveling can be! Everyone got through all of the security check points with no problems! We had a little time to spare, so we shopped around. I found some great items! If you ever go to Haiti, go shopping at the airport! You will find great souvenirs.

Before I knew it, it was time for us to board our plane to Ft. Lauderdale.

Loading onto the plane. Goodbye Haiti!

When we loaded onto the plane I realized that I was sitting in first class! What! It was very nice and it made me feel special. Even better, Brewster was sitting next to me!

Once we were in the air, Brewster took out his lap top so we could look at pictures and video footage he took while we were in Lotore. It was nice to see all of the pictures, but it also broke my heart. It was hard knowing and seeing what we were leaving behind in Haiti. It was a bittersweet moment though because we were heading home to see our families and friends! How could you not be excited about that!

We landed in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. U.S. soil. God Bless America! It is good to be home!

We got all of our luggage at the international baggage claim and then had to go through U.S. Customs. Now, they do not play around (which is a good thing). They are very serious about their jobs and you want to make sure you mind your P's and Q's when going through customs in America! Everything went fine, no one was detained or arrested (not that they should have been), yeah!

We now had to cross the airport to change terminals for our next flight. Once we got to the correct terminal, we tried to go ahead and check our bags and get our tickets for the next flight. We had a six hour lay-over and did not want to have to lug all of our bags and boxes around the airport, ugh. Of course, the devil immediately started messing with us as we ran into some extremely unpleasant people. I will not go into details, but it was not pretty. I had to walk away because I did not want to get caught up in the drama, plus I wanted to stay in my Haitian state of mind.

Thank goodness a supervisor heard that we had just returned from a mission trip to Haiti, and she was Haitian! She helped us get everything straightened out and I don't think she charged us for the extra bag! She even thanked us for serving her brothers and sisters in Haiti, wow! When the devil tries to get in the way and hinder us, the LORD comes to our rescue every time! Praise God!

Once that burden was off of our shoulders, it was time for us to find something to eat. Our first American meal! We found a sit down restaurant, Chili's. Everyone was so excited choosing what they were going to eat. When the waitress asked me what I wanted to drink, I asked if they had Dr. Pepper (my favorite drink). She said, "No, but we have Mr. Pibb". I screamed! I actually screamed ( I know I am a moron) because they had Mr. Pibb (Dr. Pepper's brother)! Of course I said yes, if my scream didn't give it away already. I bet no one could tell I was excited about that (sarcasm)!

After downing my ice cold Mr. Pibb, I ate cheese dip and chips. Yum! Then I ate a huge cheeseburger with french fries! AHHHH! It was soooo good!

Everyone enjoyed their meals and just relaxed. There was a sense of excitement amongst all of us because we knew we were not too far from home. I tried to take it all in, because I knew that this was probably the last time we would all be together as a team. It was a little sad for me, but we still enjoyed each others company laughing and telling stories.

I had the opportunity to call my family and let them know that I was in the US and I was fine. It was so good to hear their voices and know that they were okay.

We then walked to our gate to wait. We still had about 4 hours to kill. We walked around, looked in the stores, ate ice cream, read, listened to music, called family and friends, and talked with each other.

Some of us slept.

I sat for awhile by myself. I was watching all of the people around us. People rushing from one place to the other, talking on their cell phones, yelling at the airline employees, watching TV, etc. It was stimulus overload for me. It was hard to remember that we had just come from such a peaceful and rewarding experience. Now were were being thrown back into the real world again. I quickly realized that this was the world we lived in. A world where most people are ungrateful, rude, selfish, and too busy to care.

I wanted to scream out to people and let them know that there were worse things in life than being late for a flight or mad because someone messed up their coffee order. I wanted to tell them about the people in Haiti and what I had just experienced this past week . I was very frustrated. It was so good to be home, but hard to be in such a negative environment. I had to really focus on the Lord and pray for some clarity.

After some quiet time to myself, I began talking with other team members, mainly the veterans. I wanted some insight on how they had coped with their "re-entries" in the past. From what I gathered, it was different for everyone. For some, it hit them immediately. For others, it may have taken a few weeks. Mine was already slapping me in the face. I knew that I had to keep my eyes on the Lord and focus on him. I had to remember our experience in Haiti and not get jaded by the real world.

Before I knew it, it was time for us to board the plane for our final leg home! I was so excited to get home and see my family! I sat in a regular seat this time (being even more thankful for my first class seat on my last flight). The flight was uneventful and peaceful for me. A time to reflect on the past week and realize how my life was changed. I have been blessed in so many ways! I thank the Lord for revealing my call and purpose in this world. I cannot wait for the next chapter of my life and where the Lord will lead me!

Coming up Next...Welcome Home!

Goodnight Haiti

2009-09-16T21:18:00.005-04:00

After we took our last group picture, the men-folk went to the bar to enjoy a nightcap and Cuban cigars! While we were all hanging out, Chris told us that when he was in the hotel's boutique earlier, he accidentally bumped into a statue and broke it! To make matters worse, it was a statue of a naked lady! Of course, he had to buy it! Poor Chris! He said, "What am I supposed to do with a broken statue of a naked lady?". We laughed so hard but felt really bad for him. What made the situation even worse was that the boutique owner said that he would give Chris a deal. Yeah right, I think he said he ended up paying $75-100+ dollars! I think he ended up leaving it in his room. So much for his souvenir!

I didn't stick around much longer because my stomach was not feeling so well at this point. However, there was an upside to this situation...I had a real toilet to use! I know, this may be too much information for some of you. If you know me though, this should be no surprise!

Once my visit to the porcelain god was complete, I finished packing all of my bags (yet again). I had to squeeze all of my souvenirs in there somewhere! My poor luggage was so dirty and torn. I actually had to put duck tape on it to hold some tears together! Laura then returned to the room and she gave me some medicine to kill whatever bug that was in my tummy! I never had anymore tummy problems, thank goodness!

I was amused because I realized that I had not turned on the television the entire time I was in the room. Again, for those that know me, that is a big deal. It does not matter what time it is, what I am doing, or where I am; I always have the television on (if there is one). I may not even be paying attention to what is on, I just like it to be on in the background. Yes, I know this is a horrible vice. It's something I am working on! When I realized that I had not turned on the television, I actually laughed out loud at myself. It was like I didn't even realize that we had a TV because we had not been around one in so long!

One thing I did notice was that the room was cold! We had air conditioning and we were putting it to good use! However, it became too cold very quickly. We ended up turning it off completely because we realized we didn't need it! How funny! We had access to all of these amenities (or necessities to some people), and we weren't even taking advantage of them! It's things like that that remind you how blessed we are and how we take so many things for granted.

While Laura and I were laying on our beds, we began talking like two little kids at camp. We talked about the amazing journey we had just been on and how it had changed our lives. We discussed how hard it was going to be to return home and to re-adjust to our normal lives after this past week. I was nervous about returning home and being thrown back into reality.

Before I knew it, I had completely passed out in mid conversation! What a great way to end an awesome week!

Coming Up Next...Back to Reality...Really!

Back to Reality...Well, Not Just Yet!

2009-09-09T22:16:00.011-04:00

After we said our final goodbyes to the island of La Gonave, we quickly said hello to the mainland! We landed at the small airport in Port-Au-Prince and said a prayer of thanks for a safe flight! As we were walking through the small terminal, I realized all too quickly that we were being thrown back into reality. Even though we were still in Haiti, it was obvious that we were not in Lotore anymore. There were televisions blasting, car horns honking, people yelling; stimulation overload!

As we were exiting the airport, we saw Gary (our driver on the mainland) waiting for us. It was nice to see a familiar face in the sea of chaos. Gary had his van ready, but with a team of 14 he thought we needed two vehicles. Gary was trying to get another taxi for us but we told him to now worry about it. So, the entire team. Fourteen of us (well fifteen if you include Gary) piled into ONE vehicle. Now this was in a 10 passenger van! On top of that, we all had our backpacks with us as well! We were a sight to see! We didn't think anything about us all stuffing into one van with absolutely no leg or breathing room! This was what we were used to. It was actually quite humorous to think that merely a week ago, half of us were in this exact van. While the other half were in another taxi! Saying that we became close over the past week would be an understatement.

We left the airport parking lot and started driving through the streets of PAP. I almost started to cry! We were driving on a paved road! No rocks/boulders, bumps, ditches. Nothing but flat, smooth pavement! I was so excited (so was my bottom)! Not only that, but we had A/C! Yes, a nice cold breeze blowing in my face! It was glorious! A/C and paved roads may not seem like a huge luxury to most people, but I know that I will never take them for granted again! I also will never complain of another pothole again! (If for some reason I do, please remind me of this post!)

After a short drive through the streets of PAP we arrived at our hotel for the night, The Hotel Montana. Now I had no clue what to expect. From everything we had experienced so far, nothing was extravagant or luxurious, until now! We pulled up to the hotel and it was absolutely gorgeous! I was blown away! This place was like an oasis in the middle of the desert!
There were stunning plants, beautiful handmade wooden furniture, breathtaking sculptures, and vibrant paintings everywhere! It was so large that you could easily get lost in all of the little nooks that were tucked away throughout the hotel.

Outside of Hotel Montana

As we walked into the lobby, I immediately felt out of place. This hotel was frequented by dignitaries and celebrities. And here I was a dirty sweaty mess and not in the usual attire I would be wearing in such a nice establishment. Also, my feet were still stained a nice orange/red clay color! Lovely!

The Lobby/check-in area. Notice the wrought-iron wall that was open to the elements! Gorgeous!

While we were waiting to check in, a couple of people went to the bar area and were able to get a coca-cola on ice! It was a nice refreshing treat!

The beautiful lobby, chandelier, plants, staircase!

While we were checking in, Pere Soner arrived with all of our luggage. He took all of our luggage on the ferry bright and early this morning and traveled with it all the way to the Montana! What a great man! Our poor bags looked out of place as well. They were all dusty and damaged! Not comparable to the Louis Vuitton bags right next ours!

The Hotel Montana's logo in stained glass.

Laura and I were roommates! We got checked in and took an elevator to our room! It was so lovely! We had two double beds, balcony, bathroom with shower and toilet, television, air conditioning, even an ironing board! We quickly put our stuff away to return to the lobby. A few of the team members wanted to go into town to visit a cathedral and do some shopping.

An example of one of the colorful rooms!

Pretty nice huh!

Terrace overlooking pool area.

View from our balcony overlooking the main patio with huge oak tree and pool.

Gary drove some of us to the cathedral. It was huge! There were multiple murals and an enormous organ. It was absolutely beautiful!

We were able to wander around and explore all of the intricate details in stone work and paintings. It was truly exquisite!

Once we were done touring the cathedral, we were taken next door to a little gift shop. They had such a wonderful variety of things like canvas paintings, metal work, wooden carvings, jewelry, and other nick-knacks. One cool thing about this store, was that all the proceeds went to the churches school! We were on a time limit, so I was running around like a mad woman to make sure I got everything I needed/wanted to bring home. Once we got all of our souvenirs purchased, we hopped back in the van to go back to the hotel for lunch.

We had reservations at The Panorama, the hotel's restaurant. It was open to the elements and had the most spectacular views of PAP!

Looking over the balcony down into the restaurant. Yes there is a pond in the middle! How cool!

These were the views from our table! Can you believe it!

It felt like we were on top of the world!

Ed was not feeling very well so he skipped lunch. The rest of the team sat down for a fabulous meal. I enjoyed a club sandwich and french fries! Those were the best french fries ever! On this club sandwich they put an egg on it! Different, but good!

As everyone was enjoying their meals and stuffing their bellies, I started to drift off to sleep on Brewster's shoulder! Poor Brewster! I was so exhausted. I decided to go up to the room to try and take a nap.

Stunning hand carved furniture.

My favorite painting in the hotel!

Once I got back to our room, I decided that I could not waste such a beautiful, hot and sunny day inside! I changed into my bathing suit and went down to the pool area. I figured that I would at least get to spend time outside, even if I was asleep!

When I got to the pool, a few of the other team members were already there! It was nice to just relax/decompress, enjoy each other's company, swim, and spend time outside in awesome weather! I totally passed out on the lounge chair! I think I drooled some!

When I woke up, I didn't remember where I was. I felt like I was in a dream. It was so crazy to think that just a few hours ago, we were in a totally different world (but still in the same country)! I started feeling very guilty. I felt so horrible that I was swimming in a pool, eating a hearty meal, sleeping in a nice cozy bed with air conditioning, having all of these wonderful amenities and luxuries, when I knew that so many people (not very far from me) were suffering so horribly. Some veterans had prepared me for "re-entry" back into the real world and how hard it might be for some people. I guess this was my first dose of re-entry reality. It was a very hard pill to swallow, but I knew that I had to continue on with my life. I was somewhat relieved to know that my life was now changed and that I would continue my trips to Haiti. Even though I was leaving Haiti physically, this wonderful place will always be in my heart.

Once I completely woke up, I returned to our room and got to take a HOT shower! Oh my goodness! It was amazing! This was the first time that I was able to REALLY wash my hair and body for an entire week! As you can imagine, I totally enjoyed it! I took my time showering and getting ready for our final dinner that night. While I was getting ready, the sun was setting and I was able to get these beautiful pictures off of our balcony.

I left our room and headed down to the hotel boutique to buy a few more souvenirs to bring home. Then I met the rest of the team under the big oak tree on the patio for a cocktail hour before dinner. It was a nice night under the stars and seeing all of the lights shining bright down in the city. Ed was feeling a little better and came down from his room for dinner. Frederick and Dr. Flanagan joined us for dinner also! It was so nice to have the opportunity to meet Dr. Flanagan, as I had heard many stories about him. He brought his adopted Haitian grand-daughter and her mother as well. The two ladies spoke no English, but we had Frederick and Dr. Flanagan to interpret for us!

We ate dinner at the Panorama. Again, the food was awesome! I enjoyed the salad bar (yeah veggies) and a pasta dish! It was a great dinner and time for fellowship! We laughed so hard and had some fantastic conversations! After dinner we all shared some delicious desserts. The evening was so great and I didn't want it to end. When we scraped the last plate clean and drank the last drop out of the glass, we decided to call it quits for the night. We were able to get one last group picture by the pool! I can't believe the trip is almost over!

The awesome team!

Coming Up Next...Almost Home

I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane

2009-09-01T23:25:00.009-04:00

Tuesday, October 14th, 2008: Day 6

Mandy came into my little room around 5:30 am and woke me up. I did not sleep well last night. Down here in Anse-A-Galet, it is much hotter and there is so much more noise. I definitely slept better when I was in Lotore! How can I complain though, I had a bed to sleep in. A roof over my head. Food in my belly and access to bottled water! I am beyond blessed!

I got dressed and ready for the day. Today we were flying from the island of La Gonave back to the mainland/Port-Au-Prince (PAP)to spend the night. Our flight was supposed to leave at 7am ,so we had to have all of our bags/supplies loaded up in a truck so they could be put on the ferry that was leaving at 6am. All we kept with us were our backpacks.

We had a short breakfast of peanut butter and bread, coffee, and cokes! We then said goodbye to everyone else at the compound. We all loaded into the ambulance. That is 14 passengers, plus our driver Arturo! We were a sight to see! We were like the clowns crammed into the tiny clown car!

We drove out of the gates and through the streets of Anse-A-Galets. Of course the ride was bumpy, but we have become immune to it now. It is second nature!

We arrived at the "airport" terminal....

Here's the runway...

When we got to the airport, I expected our putt-putt plane to be there waiting for us. It was no where to be found! I was told that out plane might show up! What...it might? Ok, so we just waited. Just go with the flow!

We were able to appreciate our beautiful surroundings, and the view was spectacular. We were overlooking the water with sailboats and the beautiful mountains in the background.

Matt was being adventurous and went exploring.
Cynthia, Chris, Julie, Mandy, Chris, Leslie, Brian, and I waiting at the airport.

Our "ground crew" consisted of one tiny old Haitian man. He had to be over 70 years old. He wore an orange reflective vest and waved a little Haitian flag. He was cheerful and so excited to see us! He hugged and shook hands with all of us. You could tell that he took pride in his job. He was absolutely precious! I wish I had a picture of him...darn.

It didn't take too long for our plane to arrive. We all loaded up and were distributed in the plane to make sure the weight was balanced. This time I was not nearly as scared or anxious to fly. I was some what prepared for the flight.

As we took off, I glanced out the window to look down at La Gonave. My heart sank into my stomach and it took so much effort not to burst into tears. I was not ready to leave. I was overwhelmed with emotion and was shocked at how I fell in love with this place. It is said that Haiti is the country that the world forgot and La Gonave is the island that Haiti forgot. I know I will never forget this beautiful place!

It was heart wrenching to watch the little island get farther and farther away; knowing that we were going home, and we were leaving people that did not have one. Knowing that we would be eating a wonderful meal later, and that we were leaving people that didn't have enough money to feed their children. Knowing we would be able to drink water out of our spickets at home, and that we were leaving people who were dying of thirst. Knowing that we had jobs to get back to, and leaving people who don't make more than $ 2 a day.

As quiet tears streamed down my cheeks, I said goodbye to the island. The place that opened my eyes to new things. The place where I learned so much about myself and what I was capable of. The place where I developed amazing friendships. The place that strengthened my faith and relationship with God. The place that changed my world forever. Good bye La Gonave.

Coming up next...Back to Reality

So long, Farwell...

2009-08-25T21:38:00.008-04:00

After we finished our awesome swim, we loaded back into the ambulance and drove back to the compound. When we arrived at the compound it was just about dark, so the generators were in full gear. Everyone was busy trying to pack up all of their stuff now, because we had to have all of our bags ready to go before we went to sleep.

Before I knew it, it was time for dinner. Tonight the ladies prepared a feast! We had a huge spread of food and it all tasted so good! I had rice with veggies and beans, fried potatoes and plantains! This dinner was bittersweet. It was our last night on La Gonave and we all knew that our mission was complete. We all realized that this might be the last time that we would all be together at the same time again. On the same note, we were excited to go home to see our families.

After dinner, our interpreters returned to say goodbye. We all exchanged phone numbers and email addresses in hopes of staying connected. Hugs were given all around and a few tears were shed. These men were a part of our team, our family. We would not have been able to do what we came to do in Haiti without them. I will truly miss Webster, Dens, Bob, and Jean Louis.

Webster

Webster is a wonderful man! He has such a gentle and caring soul. Webster truly cares for every patient he sees and treats everyone like a family member. Webster is a hard worker who doesn't quit until the job is done. He loves working with Mandy and helping all of his Haitian brothers and sisters. He is one of the kindest persons I know.

Bob

Bob is a jokester who keeps everyone laughing. No matter what the scenario, he makes sure everyone has a smile on their face. He is also all about getting the work done and will help anyone to get the job accomplished. Bob might be a little hard and sarcastic at times, but he really is a big teddy bear and has a great personality!

Dens

Dens has such a sweet spirit. He is a quiet man but speaks volumes through his artistic abilities. Not only is he fluent in English, Creole, French, and Spanish, but he was self taught! Dens is so knowledgeable, loyal, and kind! He has been a translator for almost every single mission trip our group has been on!

Jean Louis

Jean Louis is a man that is willing to do whatever it takes to help people. While we were working, he was pulled in every different direction and never complained once. Jean Louis is a patient and kind man who stops at nothing to make you happy. He might have a hard shell, but once you get to know him, he is a big sweet heart.

Once we all said our goodbyes and got one last group picture together (which I don't have. I don't know why), it was on to our last devotional which was lead by Mandy. We met on the porch of the rectory. We opened our devotional in prayer and then Mandy asked us what was the most profound thing God had done for us on this trip. Each person shared their story. It was so cool to see how God used each of us in different ways. Each story ended up having something about how close we all had become over the course of this week. I felt the same way.

I was very emotional during my time to talk. If you have ever seen me cry and try to talk at the same time, you know it is pretty scary! I wasn't able to say everything I wanted to say because I was a blubbering mess! I was sad about our team "breaking up" and going our separate ways once we returned home. I was also sad about physically leaving Haiti for fear of losing my Haitian lifestyle/mindset. Things just made sense to me here. Things just seemed so much simpler and raw in a way. Being here made me realize what is truly important in life and I was afraid that once I left, I would lose it. I felt so much closer to God while in Haiti and I was terrified of not having that when I returned home. It's amazing how I was taken out of my comfort zone but ended up feeling more comfortable than ever! I know it might sound crazy, but it's true!

It's amazing how a few days ago, we were 13 individuals starting a journey together. Now, we are leaving Haiti a family of 13. I love every single person on this trip, and I am so blessed to have befriended them. I have had such a wonderful experience that words can never fully explain. I have also had so many opportunities to see, try, and do new things that I would not have had elsewhere.

Once all the tears were shed, we ended in a long prayer of thanksgiving and for safe travels tomorrow. We all hit the sheets early so we would be ready to catch our plane at the "airport" at 7am.

I slept in my own little bedroom again. It's amazing how different this room/bed is now compared to my first night here. After staying in Lotore the past few days, I now felt like I was staying at the Hilton! I got to sleep on a bed! With a pillow! I had a window! With glass! We had a toilet! The kind that flushes(with exceptions)! We had a faucet and shower! With running water (remember, don't get it in your mouth though)! It was a great feeling to have all of these things again (even though we did okay without them)! However, my mind was never far from the Haitian people. Some who have nothing, literally.

My nightly prayer from my journal: Thank you Lord for revealing to me that I am capable of doing anything. Thank you for calling me to do you work and serving your people. Even more, thank you for giving me the ears to hear your call. Thank you for every single person on this trip. They have all impacted my life in ways they will never know and I am so grateful for them. Thank you Lord for this wonderful and eye-opening experience. I pray for continued safe travel and for all the Haitian people in their everyday endeavors. Thank you Lord for all of your magnificent and bountiful blessings!

Coming up Next...Let's Go!

You've Got Mail

2009-08-21T22:12:00.003-04:00

I have forgotten to tell you about one very important thing. Every single day I was on our trip, I received mail! Real mail!

From the moment I stepped on the plane, to my first morning in Lotore, in church, and my last day in Haiti, I received some form of mail from home. Before I left for Haiti, my mother secretly wrote notes, cards, and letters for me to receive every single day I was away. I know. She is so adorable and sweet! She packed my first card into my carry-on backpack so that when I opened my bag on the plane, I had a farewell card to read to send me off!

She was so sneaky and gave all of the other envelopes to Mandy. Mandy was my Haitian mailman (or lady, whatever) and I didn't even know it! My mother dated each envelope with the day Mandy was supposed to give it to me. So each morning I would either wake up with my mail on or around my bed or, when I left a room and then returned, a card would miraculously appear! It was so fun and I loved it! Every day I looked forward to opening my mail!

Some of the notes were silly and made me laugh and others made me cry. The letters made me feel so loved and special. My mom also included scripture and insight from her trip to Haiti on some of the cards. Every day I was able to get a little piece of home, so that was awesome! I am sure it helped me not get homesick also!

My sister even joined in on the action, so I have gotten lots of mail. I have saved every single piece of mail and will forever cherish each one!

Thanks to all who have sent me mail in Haiti! Special thanks to Mom and Angela!

How bout a dip?

2009-08-21T12:36:00.009-04:00

Not too long after we arrived back to the compound in the ambulance, the big truck rolled in right behind us. We unloaded all of our bags, boxes, and supplies and took them to their designated areas. The interpreters left the compound so they could go home to see their families. They planned to return later in the evening to say good-bye.

We were all relieved to be on stable, non-bumpy ground at St. Francis Church in Anse-a-Galet! Everyone stayed in the same area/room as we did on our first night here. The girls were in the rectory, and the boys were in the dorms over the school.

As we were unpacking and re-packing our bags (which were filthy and covered in red dust), we were told that some local woman were setting up a little market for us to buy souvenirs! The ladies set up their handmade crafts, jewelry, and embroidered linens. Duns (one of our interpreters) also came to sell some of his amazing paintings. There was a gentleman who brought some huge and absolutely gorgeous conch shells to sell to us! I got some cool things to take home to my family and also a few things for myself.

After market, we had the opportunity to go swimming! I changed into my bathing suit and we all piled into the ambulance, again! Dave decided to stay at the compound to go through all of his stuff and take a little nap. Frederick was able to join us though, so that was nice.

Arturo drove us through Anse-a-Galet and down to the coast. It was interesting to drive through the streets and to see how different things were down here compared to in Lotore. There is so much poverty here and it is incredibly dirty. I was shocked at the amount of trash there is, and it is everywhere! The surroundings in Lotore are much greener and lush with trees and shrubs. Don't get me wrong, Lotore still is very poverty stricken, but I think it is beautiful.

As we got closer to the coast, I caught a glimpse of the water. It is absolutely gorgeous! It's totally Caribbean! I know that Haiti is located in the Caribbean, but where we have been and what we have been doing did not seem like we were on a Caribbean vacation at all!

Even as we were driving along the water line, I was surprised that the water was so calm. Not only that, but also how much trash there was along the beach! I was thinking in my head, "I'm not swimming in that!". Arturo continued driving us to a more remote and cleaner area, so all was good. I was shocked to see that there really wasn't any sand at the beach! The beach consisted of smooth stones and conch shells!

Some of us started gathering stones and shells to bring home while others just dove straight into the water. It was just starting to get dark when we got there, but we still had enough light to see the absolutely gorgeous view!

See how clear the water is! Absolutely spectacular!

We had to wear shoes into the water because of the slippery rocks, sea urchins, and possible glass. It was an experience for me walking into the water and trying not to fall!

Once I actually made it into the water (without falling), I submerged myself in the salty, cool, clear water. It felt amazing! I bet you could see all of the dust and grime floating off of my body! It felt so good to just swim and float around. We all were acting like we just won a prize and felt like kids swimming. We were so excited!

Laura even brought some shampoo with her and was passing it around to everyone so we could wash our hair! It has been a long time since anyone has had the chance to wash their hair or be completely immersed in water! We all loved every minute of it! Thank you Lord for this awesome experience!

Before we knew it the moon was coming out, so we had to pack up our little beach party and head back to the compound. But before we left we were able to get some pretty cool pictures!

The swim team!

Left to Right: Chris, Frederick, Leslie, Brian, Laura, Brewster (back), Cynthia, Matt (back), Me, Mandy, Billy (back), Ed, and Julie

The ladies under the moonlight.

Leslie, Laura, Me, Cynthia, Mandy, and Julie having fun!

Coming up Next...Time for Goodbyes

Last Day at Lotore!

2009-08-16T16:47:00.012-04:00

Monday, October 13th: Day 5

I had a great night sleep and was the first girl to wake up this morning! I am not a early riser, so this is a big deal. I woke up at 5:15 am! I stepped outside our room and took a deep breath, enjoying God's beautiful creation. I am in awe of the beauty here! This place is so unbelievably beautiful. Some people have said that God has forgotten about Haiti, but I know now from being here that this is far from true.

I got dressed, packed my last minute stuff, and rolled up my sleeping bag. While packing, I started getting sad. I knew that we would be leaving soon. Too soon for me. I have not even left Haiti yet and I am already missing it!

We all gathered for breakfast and enjoyed our last meal in Lotore!

Everyone is bright-eyed and bushy tailed this morning!

Chris and Brian joking around.

Everyone got a good night's sleep, so we all were in a good mood!

The topic of conversation this morning was how well did everyone sleep last night with all of the new arrangements. Brian got a very restful and undisturbed night's sleep. Sadly, I cannot say the same for the other guys. Last night as Matt and Chris were resting happily with Brian now out of the room. They were awoken to snoring, again! Chris got out of his hammock and searched the room for the culprit. He thought it was Ed so he shined his light in Ed's face and woke him up to tell him to be quiet! Poor Ed. So Ed turns over on his side and Chris goes back to his hammock. As Chris was getting back in his bed, he heard the snoring again! He then realized that is was not Ed that was snoring, but Dave! Chris decided to give up after that! Poor Ed was woken up for no reason and accused of something he didn't even do! Of course it was not funny at the time, but when the story was told at breakfast, we were rolling with laughter!

Cynthia's air mattress survived the night and was fully inflated in the morning! She slept on a cloud! Laura did not fall out of the dental chair, so that was good!

The ladies made a special breakfast for us this morning. We were a little unsure and didn't know what it was. It looked pretty harmless, so I tried some first! Yeah, a huge step for me. I know!

It was like a porridge or cream of wheat. It was a thick consistency that had a slight sweet taste to it. I don't think we ever found out what it was made out of, but it was pretty good!

Ed obviously was very excited about it!

During breakfast Brian said, "Carrie, we have to find you a goat so you can get your picture". I couldn't believe that I almost forgot and that Brian actually remembered! I went with Brian outside, put on some gloves (you never know what kind of diseases these animals may have, no matter how precious they are!) and searched for a baby goat. Those suckers are fast! Brian finally grabbed one and handed it to me. He was bleating and scared, poor thing! I repositioned him and Brian took the picture!

I am so excited I got my goat picture! Thanks again Brian!

Before we knew it, there were tons of people waiting to be seen. We were scheduled to leave at noon to return to Lotore, so we had to get on the ball. We all manned our stations and assumed our positions!

Before we got started, we noticed the children playing in the courtyard. They were playing/dancing in a circle and holding hands. Leslie joined in on the fun!

Laura had the opportunity to give a donkey his vaccination!
Go Laura!

Me and my friend/interpreter Jean Louis

We had a very busy morning and saw many patients. I saw one man who had a nasty cut to his finger. You could almost see the bone! I irrigated and cleaned it as best I could. I called Matt and Chris over to look at it and to see if they could stitch it up. They said that they couldn't put sutures in it because the wound was too old. The only thing I could do was clean it and put a dressing on it, so I did. I gave the gentleman an antibiotic and some supplies so that he could do some dressing changes at home. Even though this was a very minor situation, it felt really good to physically treat this man and get my hands dirty, so to speak.

We finally finished seeing all of the adults. We then moved on to the school children and performed well child checks. Mandy, Billy, Matt, and Chris saw all of the children and then they came to me to get stickers and t-shirts. Mandy was given a ton of t-shirts that were left over from the Murrells Inlet "Blessing of the Inlet", so we were giving them out to the school children!

Our little patients sitting and waiting so patiently!

All of the school children lining up to be seen.

Aren't they so funny!
This little girl was so sweet!

While I was sitting next to the windows, little girls would stick their hands through and I would paint their finger nails! I brought some nail polish with me, but never had the chance to paint any one's nails until now!

Aren't their nails so pretty!

I didn't have the chance to do very many nails, but I did give the polish away to the little girls.

After all the children were seen and all the t-shirts were given out, we were able to gather all of the children together to get a group picture!

Rounding up the kids!

The school children in their new shirts! Look closely,part of the team gathered in the back!

Looks like a storm is brewing too!

I was blown away by the children. They were all so well behaved, never complained, cried, or fought with one another. Some of the American children need to come to Haiti to learn how to behave!

Before I knew it, the big truck was here and we were packing up all of our stuff. The big truck was loaded up quickly and the majority of our team wanted to ride in the back rather than in the ambulance. I guess they thought it would be an easier ride. I however was totally happy to ride in the ambulance (really a Toyota 4 Runner, if you were wondering). Because so many people were riding in the big truck, I was able to sit in the front seat all by myself. Of course Arturo was driving us!

As I got situated in the front seat, I turned around and noticed that I had an audience!

I think this picture is so cute!

Matt, Cynthia, Chris, Webster, Mandy, and Jean Louis riding in the big truck!

Laura rode in the big truck and was able to get these pictures.

Cynthia, Matt, and Chris.

Laura, ready to ride!

Let's go Leslie!

Before I knew it, we were pulling away from Lotore! I can't believe that our trip is over and we are on our way home already! The big truck was in front of us so the ambulance was stuck behind them. We could see everyone in the big truck, and they had a full load!

This one guy had to hang onto the back of the truck standing the whole time!

As you can see in the picture above, the big truck is open on the top and very tall. As they were driving, all the people in the truck were getting beaten by tree branches. They kept having to duck and dodge all the branches! From the ambulance point of view, it was really funny to watch. Especially because people thought it would be so much better in the big truck. Sorry, but it was funny!

We finally got a chance to pass the big truck and Arturo took off like a bolt of lightning. Well, maybe more like a fast turtle. Anyway, we got a huge lead on the big truck!

What a beautiful mountainside!
I gave Jean Louis my visor to keep. So he is now doing some free advertising for my Brother-in-law's landscaping company! I don't know how in demand landscapers and irrigation systems are in Haiti though?

A house on the side of a cliff!

Webster, Julie, and Mandy crammed in the big truck!

So as soon as we got our lead on the big truck, what do ya know, we got a flat tire! We all bailed out of the ambulance and Arturo kicked it into high gear. He was like a one man NASCAR pit crew! He changed that tire in record speed! At least it felt like it! Well the other men did help him, but still he is a machine!

While I was using my "girl card" and being useless, some little children came running up being curious. They started yelling "blanc, blanc"! They were so excited to see us. I waved at them and they came over. They were so cute and funny! They would come over to me very slowly and cautiously, like tip-toeing. Then they would reach out their hand to touch mine so slowly. Then they would quickly tap my hand and run off laughing and screaming! They were so hilarious! I felt like I was a circus side show!

Before I knew it, the tire was changed and the guys were yelling at me to get in the truck! As I was jumping in the ambulance, the big truck came barrelling around the corner! Arturo kicked it into gear and we were able to stay in front of the big truck! We were able to gain our lead on the big truck again. Before I knew it, I couldn't even see the truck again.

The trip down the mountain was long and bumpy, but also sunny and beautiful! I had taken Dramamine before we left and I actually started to fall asleep a couple of times! Can you believe it! I was able to get a couple of pretty pictures though.

God's beautiful masterpiece!

On the drive down, Ed kept trying to take pictures of the "road" to show how bumpy it is. For some odd reason though, in every single picture he took, the road would look completely flat on his camera screen! We have no clue why that was!
This one I took turned out pretty well, don't you think?

Before I knew it, we had arrived back in Anse-a-Galet! We drove in the gates of the compound at St. Francis church and parked. It was so nice to be "home". I was totally exhausted, sweaty, and covered in dust! It was a good day!

Coming up next...Last night at the compound

Last Night In Lotore

2009-08-15T13:42:00.005-04:00

After the group got back from their hike, I took a shower and it felt awesome! I then repacked my bags to have everything ready to go tomorrow to return to Anse-a-Galet. Before I knew it, it was time for dinner. Can you believe it, I ate beans and rice! Dinner was great but the company and conversations were even better! We all have so much fun together, laughing and telling stories. I really love our team! I don't think I could be here with a better group of people.

After dinner I tried to feed our scraps to the super skinny dogs that hang around. I think they enjoyed it!

Poor Chen's! They need some love too!

Soon it was time for our devotion, Billy was leading tonight. He spoke about Joseph and the struggles he went through. Billy then asked us to share any struggles we have had in life and how we have overcome them with the Lord's help. Our entire team shared many personal stories with one another. It was so awesome to see how God has worked in so many peoples lives. Everyone felt very comfortable and knew that our personal struggles would not be discussed with others outside of our circle. Our team has a special bond with one another that will not be broken. It is a hard thing to explain, but still very cool!

After a long session of prayer, we ended our last devotion in Lotore. I am actually sad about this. I thought that I would be so homesick and now I don't want to leave! I know this is where God is calling me to be, so I know I will be back.

Okay, as I told you once before, the ladies sleep in one room and the men sleep in another. That statement is only 3/4 true, that is because Billy does not sleep in the same room with the other guys. Billy has been out casted from the men's room due to his snoring. Apparently it is so bad that he has to sleep all the way across the courtyard in the church! Poor Billy. However, he has come to love his "own" private room. Okay, this story is going somewhere. I promise.

I am sure all of the guys snore, but apparently Brian is much worse than some of the others. Matt and Chris have barely got any sleep this entire trip. They wake up every morning absolutely exhausted from lack of sleep. They determined that Brian was the culprit, so they teamed up and kicked poor Brian out of the men's room to go sleep with Billy in the church! What can be worse than getting kicked out of your room you may ask? Getting kicked out of church also! Billy wouldn't let Brian come and sleep with him! Okay, don't worry. This was all in good fun and no one's feeling were hurt. Brian ended up finding his very own room to sleep in. He slept in the pediatric clinic room!

As the ladies were walking to our room to go to sleep for the night, I noticed something glowing in the dental clinic room. As I walked into the room with my headlamp on, this is what I found.

Two cute kids! They somehow found their way into the dental clinic. They got scared and couldn't find their way out! Poor babies! Our interpreter Bob came over and carried them outside to find their Mom (I hope). They were so cute!

This night Laura was so sweet and gave Cynthia her air mattress to sleep on. Cynthia has not gotten a good night sleep the entire time either. Every morning she would wake up on the hard concrete floor because her mattress lost air! So, tonight Laura moved the dental chair into our room and slept on it! Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do!

My nightly journal prayer: " I thank you Lord for this day of worship. I thank you for my Haitian friends and our awesome team that have become my family! I thank you for providing us with strength and endurance. I pray for all of the people we have seen and cared for in the clinics. I pray also that they have come closer to you Lord. I ask that you work in their hearts and bless them. Thank you Lord for working in my heart, giving me confidence, patience, and peace. Continue to work in me Lord. I pray that I am always working for you and praising your name every step of the way. Let the work you have done for me here, not disappear once I return home. I thank you Lord for all of your wonderful blessings! Amen."

Coming Up Next...Last day in Lotore!

Another Day At Work!

2009-08-04T21:21:00.011-04:00

As soon as church was over, we jumped right into clinic. We had a huge crowd waiting for us! When we were ready to start, a lady that had passed out was brought to us. She was carried into the adult medical clinic and placed on one of our cots. Her husband and daughter were with her and we found out that she was 4 months pregnant! Her blood pressure (BP) was 70/40! For those of you who do not know, that it is very low and scary! The average BP should be 120/80.

We all immediately sprung into action and of course we had a huge audience! This was the first emergent situation we had so far on this trip. I know this might sound weird to most people, but to me it was really exciting! We checked her blood sugar (for hypoglycemia-low blood sugar) and hemoglobin (the protein molecule in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the body's tissues and returns carbon dioxide from the tissues to the lungs) for anemia. They both tested normal.

Cynthia immediately started an IV and we gave her a bolus ( a large amount, quickly) of IV fluids. Of course we had no IV pumps, so Brewster rigged the IV fluids to hang with a piece of rope hanging over the rafters! How McGiver of him! Our patient ended up getting a total of 2 liters! She was not bleeding or cramping, so we were pretty confident that this had nothing to do with her baby. After finding out a little more information from the family, we believed that she was just overheated and dehydrated. You would be too if you were 4 months pregnant and walked 3 hours in intense heat to go to church and clinic!

I stayed with our patient, held her hand, gave her water, prayed, and continued to check her BP and pulse while she laid on the cot and rested. Her BP was improving and she started to wake up. Slowly but surely she became more stable.

While the rest of the team started seeing other patients, I stayed with my lady and her family. Her daughter was scared so we tried to re-assure her and gave her a little stuffed animal. After a little while, my patient told me (through a interpreter) that she had to pee! For her to be awake, talking, and needing to pee was so great! I checked her orthostatic BP (laying, sitting, and standing) to see if she was stable enough to be on her feet. Her BP was fine and she was able to stand without feeling dizzy. I assisted her to the outhouse and she actually did really well. Once she peed, we walked back into the clinic for her to rest a little longer on the cot. While she was resting, we were trying to make arrangements to get her home without her having to walk. We were able to get someone with a motorcycle to drive her home! We were so relieved to know that she did not have to walk 3 hours back home.

After she drove off into the sunset, I jumped right back into seeing patients with Matt and Chris. However, soon after I joined in, Chris had to bail out. Chris had not been feeling well all morning and had to make many trips to the outhouse. It all caught up with him and he had to go lay down in the girls room. Poor Chris! So Matt and I continued with clinic until it was time for lunch.

The ladies prepared rice and beans, delicious. Our team each brought some of our own food (crackers, granola bars, nuts, canned tuna/chicken, dried fruit, etc) so we would break out our stash at lunch and for snacks. Leslie and I shared a can of mandarin oranges! They were so good! Yeah fruit!

We rushed through lunch because there were a TON of people waiting to be seen and we wanted to see as many people as we could. As I walked out of our dining room and was heading to the clinic, I saw this little boy (WARNING: Below picture may not be suitable for some people).

This little boy was burnt by falling into an open fire! Poor baby.

Everyone got back to work! Mandy, Cynthia, and Webster were busy seeing all the babies!

Cynthia preparing to give this baby a shot.

Poor little bottom.

I then made my way back into the adult medical clinic. Here are pictures of the entire process.

Signing in/registering with Leslie with help from interpreter Jean Louis. Behind them on the left is Duponte checking BP, pulse, and temperature. Then on the right is Brewster taking pictures of each patient so we can keep it on record.

Then they move over to the next station to see Julie and Billy to have their finger pricked with a lancet to have their blood sugar and hemoglobin checked. They were able to get the results in seconds! This was the first time they have done lab work in Haiti! I thought that was really cool! When they were done, they would wait to see a doctor (or me). Here are the doctor stations! Matt and Bob (in front). Chris and Duns (in the back).

When the patient comes to our station, they bring us a piece of paper with all of their information (picture, name, township, age (if they know it), vital signs, previous diagnoses, etc). We then do a physical assessment and the patients state their complaints (obviously through an interpreter). We then make a note of their complaints/diagnosis on that paper and we collect them before they leave. The papers are then taken back home, categorized and placed into a computer system to update all of the patients files! Yes, it is a long process, but it is so helpful and better for the patients continuity of care.

Once the patient is treated and given medication, they leave. Then the whole process starts all over again! Exhausting, isn't it?

After lunch was over we got to do a surgery! Well, it wasn't anything life threatening, but it was still cool! A lady had a Lipoma (a benign tumor composed of fatty tissue)on the top of her foot. It was so bothersome that she had a hard time wearing shoes! Chris performed the surgery while Matt assisted him. We brought some sterile equipment, drapes and suture kits; but I am sure it would have been a little different if it was done in the states! However, the guys did the best they could and I was very impressed and intrigued!

I am so happy and excited to see and do things that I would never get the opportunity to if it was not for this trip. Chris and Matt have showed and taught me so much. Not only has it been spiritual and educational, but I have had so much fun! I am so blessed to be with this group and it is nice to see that these doctors are actually human just like me! This trip has been so amazing! I am enjoying myself so much here. I really don't think I am ready to leave yet! I know that may sound crazy though, but it is true!

As we were seeing patients, we quickly realized that we were running out of medications! We re-grouped with the team and Pere Soner to discuss the situation. We decided to go ahead and medicate with what we had and then we would write "prescriptions" for the medications that we didn't. Pere Soner or Carmel were then going to travel to another village/clinic that have medicines and will then bring them back here next Saturday. Then the patients will be able to return with their prescriptions to retrieve the medicines they need! Whew, that was exhausting!

The dental clinic was in full swing! Laura and Dave were busy all day long extracting teeth.

Here are their Haitian dental assistants and the sterilization area.

During lunch Dave broke away early to take a quick nap.

He is exhausted!

The Vet clinic was trucking right along also. Today no goats or other animals died, so I guess it was a successful day! Just Kidding Ed!

After all of the clinics were done for the day, some of the team wanted to go on a hike. Here are some pictures from the hike.

Matt with his Haitian friends!

Chris surrounded with love!

Matt hiking with new friends!
Cute little goat at night.

I really needed some time alone, so I stayed on the compound to relax and do some journaling. It was an awesome and exhausting day, but I loved every minute of it! I can't believe it's almost time for us to leave!

Coming up next...Last night in Lotore!

Rise And Shine And Give God The Glory Glory!

2009-08-04T08:33:00.011-04:00

Sunday, October 12th: Day 4

I slept well last night on my air mattress. I was very lucky that mine stayed inflated throughout the night. Poor Cynthia. Her air mattress has lost air every single night since we have been in Lotore. Every night she tries a different air mattress, and every morning she wakes up on the concrete. Hopefully tonight she will get a good night's sleep!

I woke up around 5:30am to prepare for church. The plan for the day was to attend church and then have clinic later in the afternoon. I got out of my bed, got dressed, and had my hair braided by Mandy. It was a very cool morning because we had a big storm the night before. It was a very calm and pleasant morning and I had the opportunity to walk around the compound and take some pictures. It was so beautiful this morning! Here is just a quick reminder of the layout of the grounds.

From left to right: Adult Medical Clinic room/Men's sleeping quarters, cistern, and cook house.

L to R: Pediatric clinic (behind Ambulance), Cook's Room, Adult Medical clinic/Men's room.

L to R: Storage area, dining room, Girl's room, Dental clinic, Pediatric clinic, Cook's room.

L to R: Showers, Haitian Men's quarters, Carmel's Room.

On the porch outside of Carmel's room, some of the guys were practicing singing. They were also practicing on the keyboard for Church.

L to R: Carmel, Aurturo, Ariel, Dens.

I walked around the side of the building to back. Here is the pathway behind the school .

This was the beautiful view I saw as I came around the corner of the school.

Okay, this may be TMI (too much information). Some of you may be wondering (other's may not), how do you/where do you use the bathroom? I know, I have not mentioned it yet. Well, here it is. These are our bathrooms. If you take the pathway behind the building, this is where it leads you.

This little building has a total of 4 bathrooms. The 2 you see on this side with doors and locks, and then there are 2 more on the other side that are open to anyone, no doors. Our team uses the ones with doors and we are the only people with keys to the locks. This way it is a little cleaner and more private. Now remember, there is no plumbing here. All this is, is a big hole in the ground with this building fashioned over it.

This is what the inside looks like. Dave has brought us toilet seats! Now, these pictures will never do the toilet justice. Again, this is something you have to experience to understand. We bring our own toilet paper and hand sanitizer out to the toilet with us. Before you even get to the door, you can smell the stench! Using the toilet is like the last thing that anyone wants to do. It is much easier and pleasant smelling to just pop a squat and go in the woods. However, this is kind of hard when you have people everywhere and children following you constantly. So, sometimes you just don't have a choice and have to use the outhouse!

Before I go inside, I prepare myself and get everything ready to spend as little time in there as possible. I try to leave the door open a little while to air it out, yeah right! Then I take a huge breath and jump in! I will stop right there. I am sure you can only imagine what happens next.

Okay, sorry for the gross stuff. But hey, that is part of the experience right!

A really cool thing happened as I was leaving the toilet! I know, weird right! As I was locking the door to the bathroom, I heard someone call my name. I said "what". I looked around, and no one was there. I could not see anyone at all! I heard my name clear as day too. At that moment I realized that it was the Lord calling to me! How cool! It is amazing how clear it was. It made me think how many other times the Lord has called me but I was always too busy to hear or take the time to listen. What an awesome experience!

As I walked back around to civilization, I found a few children that live close by wandering around. Ed's daughter had snuck some stuffed animals in his suitcase to bring to the children, so he was passing them out this morning.

Little Richardson. How precious!

His sister, Italine.

I went back into our room to do my morning devotional and catch up on some journaling while waiting for church to start. It is so funny here because it seems as if the people have no sense of time. There is no set time for ANYTHING! Things just happen when they happen. There way of life is so different from our strict routines/schedules and always being so busy.

Laura took this picture of me.
Julie reading her book.
Chris and Matt waiting for Church to start.

I found Frederick reading his Bible.

This morning was very relaxed. It did not seem rushed like the other mornings have been. We all had the opportunity to take our time and enjoy the morning. It was very nice.

All morning, this sweet little old lady swept. She swept out all of the rooms to the building, the porch, and then the ground! Yes, the ground! I have never seen anyone sweeping the dirt before, and with such pride! I was amazed!

It was time for breakfast. I had a peanut butter sandwich and a coke.

I took this picture because I didn't think my family would believe that I would be able to have caffeine (like Coke) in Haiti!
Chris was not feeling very well this morning, but he was still ready for Church.

Dave enjoying his morning coffee!
The ambulance left yesterday afternoon and then came back late last night with Pere Soner! He made it just in time to perform church services this morning! It was the first time I met Pere Soner and he was very kind.

The Ladies!

Cynthia, Mandy, Leslie, Me, Julie, and Laura

The ladies dressed in our Sunday best!

Me and Bob!Ed and Laura

While I was sitting on the porch observing my surroundings, I noticed this young guy walking around the courtyard. I noticed that he was barefoot but carrying his shoes in his hands. I then saw him on the porch polishing/cleaning his shoes.

I quickly realized that he was walking around barefoot on the hard rock covered ground so he would not get his church shoes dirty! I was blown away! I have never seen anything like this before. It was a very profound moment!

Before I knew it, we started to hear music playing. That was our cue to head to church! As I was walking to church, I noticed everyone else arriving also. All of the Haitian people were dressed in their Sunday best. All the girls had beautiful dresses on and their hair was fixed perfectly with bows. They had on frilly little socks and patent leather shoes too. The men had on nice slacks, button up shirts and ties. Everyone looked so nice! I was amazed that everyone was able to keep so clean with all of the red clay everywhere!

The front of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church.
Walking inside the Church.

All of the benches that we were using for clinic had been moved into the church earlier to be used as pews for the service. If you look to the very front of the church, you might be able to see a long concrete bench to the far right. That was where our team was designated to sit. In front of the entire congregation!

As we were walking in, the church as filled with music and joyous song! Oriel was playing the keyboard and a Haitian lady was using a microphone (powered by the generator) to sing. Of course it was all in Creole so I didn't understand, but it was still very beautiful! It was so amazing watching all of the Haitian people singing praises to God, even under their circumstances. It was very emotional watching them and realizing how truly rich they were in spirit.

The service was conducted by Pere Soner and Carmel, completely in Creole. Even though we did not understand what they were saying, we were able to follow the flow of the service. It was kind of interesting. I guess it was repetition from church at home (i.e. The Lord's Prayer). I really enjoyed listening to Oriel and Arturo playing guitar and keyboard and singing.

All of these little children were squeezed onto one small bench for church. They were so cute! I was amazed at how well behaved they were. There was no crying or arguing! Some of the American children need to come to Haiti to learn how to act!

Brian was even invited on stage to sing a song in English! He leads music/worship at his church at home. His song was very beautiful, I was very impressed! Brian receieved a round of applause from everyone once he was finished!

Brian singing!
The team sitting up front.

Precious little girl with her Sunday bonnett!

Pere Soner took a moment out of the service to introduce our team to the congregation and they all applauded us, how sweet! We then had a time of offerring and greeting. It was very nice because every single person in the church wanted to greet or pass the peace to each team member! It took a while, but it was such a wonderfully nice gesture! I loved shaking hands and spreading peace to everyone!

Soon church was over and we all spread out into the courtyard. It was time for us to change into our scrubs and get ready for clinic.

Sweet little girls!

Many people set up a little market in the courtyard to sell fruits/vegetables and other things.

Coming Up Next...Real Drama

Just A Regular Saturday Night In Lotore!

2009-08-01T07:11:00.006-04:00

Saturday night after celebrating our Gamecock victory, it was time for dinner. Again, dinner was a nice spread of food that the ladies had been preparing all day long. I ate fried plantains, pommes de frites (french fries, or at least they looked/tasted like it), and my ever favorite rice and beans! There were some other questionable things (mostly meat) on the table. I am so sorry, but I am not interested in being adventurous when it comes to meat. Here is why.

Today while Ed was vaccinating a goat, it literally keeled over and died! No explanation or advanced notice, it just fell over! Apparently it was old. Of course, Ed was not prepared for this (especially with such a simple procedure) and was totally humiliated! He felt so bad for killing the goat, because animals are such prized possessions (for food, money, transportation, etc.) to the Haitian people. I think he or the church ended up giving the family money to buy another goat, so at least the family was compensated.

Ed was telling us the story while we were eating dinner. All of a sudden, we heard some goats bleating outside our window. Their bleating sounded exactly like they were saying Ed's name! "EEEEddddd". We all began laughing so hard! Not only that, but Ed said that when the goat died and the family realized it, they were not overly upset. They asked if they could eat it and started butchering it right then and there! Now for you and me, that may seem a little odd. But to the Haitian people, that is totally normal and acceptable.

So, the family started butchering this goat with a machete and were walking around the courtyard and school with bloody goat parts! Yeah, very appetizing! I don't think anyone ate goat that night for dinner for fear of eating the goat that Ed accidentally killed! We all felt bad for Ed but it was so funny! This obviously became an ongoing joke for the rest of the trip!

Rest in Peace

After our enjoyable dinner of laughter, fellowship and food, it was time for our devotion for the night. Ed was leading devotion tonight. He spoke about the fruits of the spirit (Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control). Ed said that that he always feels like he carries the fruits of the spirit with him while he is in Haiti, but it is harder for him to carry them at home.

He also spoke about his call to Haiti and how he feels so much closer to God here than any other place. I totally agree with him and feel the same way. I don't know what it is? The Haitian people? Being out of our comfort zone and normal routines? Stripping down to the bare minimum? Being in such beautifully natural surroundings? Not having other distractions? It is hard to explain and understand unless you have been here to experience yourself.

Ed shared some of his thoughts from a journal entry that he made on his very first trip here. It was cool to hear what he experienced and how these trips to Haiti have changed his life. He encouraged everyone to start a journal if that hadn't already. That way, you could always remember your experiences and how you felt in Haiti so you will never forget once you got home.

Ed then asked all of us to pray for one another. Each person was instructed to pray for the person to their right and how they saw the fruits of the spirit in them. I was blown away by the prayers that were said. It was so wonderful to hear people say such great things about one another. I feel like in today's society so much is focused on the negative, so it was refreshing to hear people focusing on only positive things! The prayers were so unbelievable that I was moved to tears! It was an awesome devotion!

Once the devotion was over I used the satellite phone to try and call my Mom and Dad. Of course, with my luck, no one was home. I was able to leave a message to let them know that I was okay at least!

This was the prayer I wrote in my journal before going to bed on Saturday night. "Lord, thank you for this awesome day and experience. I cannot thank you enough for blessing me the way that you do. Thank you Lord for our team and the Haitian people. I pray that I go home a changed person. I feel like you are working in me in ways I have never felt or expected to feel before. Thank you for putting things into perspective for me. Help me to never take a single blessing you bestow upon me for granted. Thank you Lord!"

Coming Up Next....Time for Church

Clemson vs. Carolina...In Haiti?

2009-07-28T03:37:00.007-04:00

I know. Who would have thought that while on a mission trip to Haiti, there would still be competition between Clemson and Carolina! Well there was and continues to be!

Everyone was prepped before leaving to bring "your colors". That means orange for Clemson and garnet/black for University of South Carolina. Throughout the week everyone wears their colors to support their team. Of course, I root for the best team around, The Gamecocks!

Matt wearing his USC visor.

Julie wearing some Gamecock scrubs.

Matt and Chris sporting their Carolina visors with Gamecock cheerleader Leslie!

Julie, Mandy, Matt, and Webster.

We know who they are rooting for!

Cynthia and Mandy sporting their orange bandannas for Clemson.

Brewster was able to bring a satellite phone with us on this trip, which was very handy. It was mainly there for emergencies, but everyone was able to call home if they wanted or needed to. While Brewster was on the phone with his wife, he found out that the Gamecocks beat Kentucky 24-17! When Brewster shared the news we all cheered! All of the Tiger fans were bummed because they lost! Hanging out on the porch, celebrating the Gamecocks victory!

Leslie brought out USC tattoos and all of the fans displayed them proudly! We attempted to take a picture of the "winning team", but are photo was not taken properly (of course it was by a Clemson fan)!

We tried it one more and and almost got it right!

Go Cocks!

Me, Brian, Matt, Leslie, Chris, and Billy(squeezed on the end).

As soon as our picture was taken, the Clemson crew had to come and interrupt our moment of joy! Typical.

Cynthia and Mandy trying to sabotage our USC party!

Even our Haitian friends are choosing sides and they have never even heard of Clemson University or USC! Arturo and I.

I guess the rivalry will never end!

Can I Get a Witness

2009-07-25T05:06:00.006-04:00

After the adult medical clinic was done for the day, I began writing in my journal. While I sat down on one of the steps to write, about eight Haitian children came to sit with me. They would just sit next to me and watch me write or want to touch me or hold my hand. They were all very sweet! Every once in a while some of them would say "blanc" to get my attention. Blanc means white in Creole. Most children have never seen a white person before so they don't know what else to call us. I do not take offense to it at all.

Many of the children would ask for things, usually tennis balls. They will say "Give me ball", which sounds almost like bowl. I had a hard time understanding what they were asking me at first, but I figured it out soon. They would point to things on your body and then point to themselves, meaning that they wanted you to give them that thing. We were told to try not to give out things to the children until the end of our stay, otherwise, we would be constantly asked for things. It was hard saying no.

While I was finishing up my journal entry for the day, I looked around the courtyard and noticed Jean Louis (one of our interpreters) sitting alone. We had worked together during the day, but I didn't really know anything else about him. I went over to him and asked if I could sit with him, he said that it was okay. I had the opportunity to learn about him, his family, and the Haitian culture. I had many questions and he graciously answered them all! I told him about my life and showed him pictures of my family that I had brought with me. I was intrigued with our conversation and the fact that I was actually able to communicate with him so easily!

I then did something I don't think I had ever done before. I asked him if he went to church and if he believed in God. He said that he did believe in God but did not go to church as much as he would like because of his job. He said that when he is not interpreting for our groups, he does other jobs to provide income for his son. He said that he is busy working, so that he is unable to go to church.

I shared with him some of my personal struggles and told him that it took me a long time to put all of my faith in God and give up control ( or the control I thought I had). When I finally realized and put God first in my life, everything else fell perfectly into place, just as God wants it to be. I shared some special scripture with him and we prayed together. I feel that we made a very special connection and became instant friends!

I was in complete shock because I had never been a witness to anyone before! It was so crazy because it came so easily! I was overwhelmed and so excited that I was able to share the word of the Lord with someone else! It was an amazing feeling!

My friend in Christ, Jean Louis!

2009-07-21T02:20:00.011-04:00

Saturday, October 11th, 2008: Day 3

I woke up at 5:30 am this morning! This is about the normal waking hour for us in Lotore. I had a pretty good nights sleep. I didn't even need my fan or anything (that is a big deal for those of you who do not know me)! I did not get attacked by any large bugs. I didn't have to get up in the middle of the night to pee and my air mattress did not lose any air! Overall, I had a wonderful nights sleep. Other team members were not so lucky as I came to find out at breakfast!

Once I got out of my cocoon, I got dressed. Now you wouldn't normally think this is a hard task, but things are a little different here. Remember our windows. The ones that don't have a closure to them, so that anyone that is around can look in on you. Yeah, that makes things a little more difficult, considering that there were already a ton of people waiting to be seen!

I did the best that I could and jumped into my scrubs as quickly as possible! I then brushed my teeth. How, you may ask since we have no sink. I apply my toothpaste to my toothbrush and then take a sip of my bottled water that is constantly attached to my hip. I then start to brush my teeth. As I am doing so, I take a walk outside of our room and around the side of the school. I then spit on the ground and rinse with my bottled water. There you have it! It's not too complicated!

Now it was time for breakfast!

Matt and Chris do not look to thrilled this morning. I think someone either needs some coffee or Pepto-Bismol! Mandy and Brewster getting some grub!

Ed , Billy, and Matt enjoying coffee!

Breakfast was not as huge of a production as dinner was, but it was still very nice. I believe there were some eggs, bread, juice, coffee, and cokes. I had a piece of bread with peanut butter on it and a coke! The breakfast of champions! There was also a special Haitian jam/jelly called "Chedek" (pronounced sha-deck) that many people put on their bread.

Once breakfast was done, we all stepped in to gear and got things ready so we could start seeing patients! I began filling cups of Vermox (for internal parasites) to hand out to everyone and restocked the pharmacy. We then gathered into the courtyard and held hands to pray. This time the prayer was sung! Of course it was still in Creole, so I didn't understand. It was so beautiful though!

After the prayer, clinic officially began and everyone went to their designated areas. I was in the medical clinic again today and I started right off the bat seeing and treating patients! The crazy thing was that I was not even nervous! I knew that was from the Lord. Plus I had three "real" doctors around me for help/questions if I needed them.

One thing I never thought about before until this trip, was how reliant we are on our translators.For some reason (ignorance), I thought that we would be doing all of this on our own. Oh, how wrong I was. We would not be of any good without our translators. I am so grateful to our interpreters because without them, we could not do what the Lord had called us to. Our interpreters were: Dens, Webster, Bob, and Jean Louis. They all speak very good English and our wonderful with the patients.

Bob and Jean Louis

Dens
Webster

The waiting room, the porch.

Once the patients waited their turn, they registered here with Leslie. An interpreter would collect their personal info (name, age, township, etc.) and fill out our registration form. Then they had their blood pressure, pulse, and temperature taken by our Haitian nurse, Duponte ( I am sure I spelled that wrong). The patients name was written on the chalk board by an interpreter to assure correct spelling. Then Brewster would take their picture to have it placed with their information on their chart (only if they had not had it completed before).

After that process, the patient would go see Dr. Billy and Julie to have their lab work completed. They would have their finger pricked with a lancet and then their blood was tested for their blood sugar and hemoglobin. Then the patient would wait to be seen by either Dr. Matt, Dr. Chris, or myself.

Bob and I seeing a patient in one station and Matt with Dens in the other.

After the patient was seen by one of the "docs" and given medicine for their ailments, they left. Then cycle would then start all over again. This happened until we saw every patient or it became dark, whatever came first!

Matt and Brewster munching on some beef jerky for a snack!

While the majority of the team was inside the school building in the shade, the vet clinic was outside braving the elements. Dr. Ed "Ed Vet", Brian, and Frederic held the vet clinic on the side of the school building under some trees. While taking a break, I was able to see them in action. I was blown away with the number of "patients" they had!

They were constantly busy seeing donkeys, horses, cows, goats, pigs, and some dogs!
Look how cute the momma and baby goat are! I totally became obsessed with the baby animals! I made it my goal to pick up and take a picture with a kid before I left!

I found out that most kids (baby goats) do not need to be tied down or have a leash like the older ones do because they always stay close to their moms and will not wander off, how cute!
Frederic and Ed Vet hard at work!

I was so intrigued watching these guys work with the animals. They were vaccinating, neutering, and treating wounds (saddle sores). I was truly amazed at their skill and patience that God has given them!
These guys worked so hard all day long! They were outside in the heat with the bugs and surrounded by animals and their excrement's! Let's just say that they all needed showers! Not only that, but they had to deal with the owners of the animals. Some people would get upset that their animal did not get the same treatment as someone else, regardless of the type of animal or problems it was having. If one animal got two shots and someone else got three, this could potentially create problems, so these guys had to be very aware of their surroundings and be quick on their feet! Ed said that he thought a lady cast a voodoo curse on him because he didn't give her animal the same vaccination as her neighbors! Don't worry, he didn't turn into a chicken or anything! Just kidding!

In the dental clinic, Dr. Dave and Laura were machines! They were set up in the corner room with the most windows so they had the best light! They wore headlamps so they could see into the patients mouths.

Dr. Dave looking for some supplies while he has an audience!

This is the table of supplies and tools that they used. Dr. Dave performs extractions (pulling teeth) during clinic. One of the main crops in Haiti is sugar cane, so everyone chews on the sticks. Without proper hygiene their teeth rot and become extremely painful. They come to see Dr. Dave to have their tooth/teeth pulled for some pain relief.
This is a picture of Edward. He is a school teacher and helps Dr. Dave in the dental clinic when we are here. He speaks some English and is able to help organize the patients as they come in.

There are also two ladies from the community that come and help sterilize the equipment/tools in between patients. Yes, they do sterilize the equipment!

Dr. Dave is such a hard worker and will not stop until every patient has been seen for the day. He even works into the night until he can't see anymore! His job is physically exhausting but he never stops!

Laura was such a wonderful asset and assistant to Dr. Dave. She is a registered nurse who usually works in the operating room. She has never done any work in the dental field before. I was amazed at her willingness to step out of her comfort zone to help where it was needed. Usually Dave is on his own, so I am sure he appreciated an extra set of hands! I think Laura really enjoyed herself too!

While Dave and Laura were yanking teeth, Dr. Mandy and nurse Cynthia were in the pediatric clinic seeing all the babies!

Cynthia taking a much needed break in front of the pediatric pharmacy!

I didn't get to see the ladies very much because they were so busy and their room was usually full of people!

One thing I found very interesting about the pediatric clinic was that the entire family came to the visit. The mother, father, aunts or grandmothers would bring all of the children of the family at the same time. I guess that was different for me because I don't have any children myself and don't need to go to the pediatrician. I don't know if that is just a Haitian thing or not.

Webster helping Mandy interpret for one of her patients.

Like I told you before, Mandy is one of our veteran team members. She has been on multiple trips and truly has a love for Haiti. She has always run the pediatric clinic and has been blessed to have her own interpreter, Webster. They work very well together and over the years have become very good friends!

Mandy, Cynthia, and Webster were an amazing team! I really enjoyed watching them work together. You could tell just by watching them how happy they were to be helping the people of Lotore. They were so calm, patient, and loving to all of the people they came in contact with, no matter their condition.

A daughter and her mother waiting to be seen by Dr. Mandy!

The ladies that prepare our meals work tirelessly all day long. Before sunrise to way after dark, these ladies are cooking for us! They are unbelievably amazing in what they prepare in the environment and tools that they have to work with.

Here are the ladies preparing and cooking our dinner in the cook house. Of course this is a favorite spot for all of the puppies hoping for some scraps or something to fall on the ground!

The dogs are so sad and skinny here. It is truly a fight for survival everyday, just like the people. The dogs in Haiti are not treated like ours, or at least mine, in the U.S. These animals are not pets but are considered pests to these people, almost like cockroaches to us! My heart truly breaks for these poor dogs.

Dave and Laura greeting some locals.

We took a break for lunch and had a chance to sit, eat, and rest for a little while. Even though we were tired, we quickly got back to work because there were so many people still waiting to be seen. After lunch it suddenly got very hot! We plugged away continuing to see patients.

I saw a number of patients today. Many had minor complaints like body aches, headaches, stomach pain/indigestion, and weakness. Then there were others who had hypertension (high blood pressure), anemia, and a few curve balls. I had one lady with multiple lumps in her breasts. There was really nothing that we could do for her at this clinic, but we were able to refer her to a clinic down the mountain in Anse-a-Galet. However, we have no idea if she was able to get transportation down the mountain or have the money to see a specialist.

Of course I had Matt, Chris, and Billy at my side at all times. I asked them many questions and I was so grateful to have them! They are really great, smart and fun guys and I enjoyed their company! They were willing to answer any questions, show me new things, and gave me opportunities to do/see things I would never have gotten before. I am so grateful and blessed for their friendship and guidance!

A picture of the porch with all of our patients waiting to be seen.

The courtyard was full of people! There were many children playing ball and having fun!

We finished the adult clinic at 4:30pm today. Overall it was a wonderful day and we were able to see and treat many patients! It was a wonderful feeling knowing that you helped so many people!

Coming up next...USC vs. Clemson in Haiti!?

Sleep Tight. Don't Let The Bed Bugs Bite!

2009-07-19T19:11:00.004-04:00

Once everyone finished seeing their last patients for the day, my first clinic in Haiti was officially over. I went out into the courtyard to see what everyone was doing. There were many locals still hanging around even though the clinic was already done. I saw Oriel, (the blind man who traveled with us from St. Francis Church) he was playing his guitar and singing with Duns (pronounced "Dens") one of our translators. They played guitar and harmonized their voices beautifully! I loved listening to them even though I had no clue what they were singing about due to our language differences!

Once their voices were exhausted and before it became dark, I decided to go to the girls' room to set up my bed and make some sense out of all my mess.

My corner and bed.

The Girls Room.

If you were wondering, the floors are concrete. They are constantly covered in a nice dusting of red clay (which gets on everything, as I was prepared for). You can see our "windows", they are bricks turned to the side so there is always some air circulation (Haitian Air Conditioning). However, they are always open so there is not much privacy. We have a tin roof and a wooden door. I felt like we had very nice accommodations and I was very grateful!

After my bed was all set up, I got to take a shower!! A shower you may ask. Yes! Again, I didn't really have a clue what to really expect. I didn't think I was going to get a shower in Haiti at all, so this was a wonderful blessing! However, to most people this would not be considered a shower but more like a bird bath. I did not care at all, it was water and it was cool!

One of the shower rooms. Yes it has a door!

Let me explain how this process works. As you can see from the above two pictures there is a large basin in each shower room. There is a cup in each basin so you can dip the water out and then pour on your body/hair. Then you wash with soap and rinse as explained earlier. I wet my hair but was unable to wash it because I did not want to waste any more water.

There is a hole in the floor so all the water drains out of the room. Now remember, you cannot. I mean CANNOT open your mouth or you run the risk of getting ill. Even after knowing this, it is still hard and it requires much concentration. Not only that, but there is no lock on the door. I was trying to hurry up in fear that someone was going to swing the door open on me!

These showers are only used by our team and translators, they are not for the public. Some people chose not to bathe, but I will not disclose that information for fear of retaliation! Just Kidding!

Overall, the experience of showering was glorious! After a day of traveling on the dusty roads and being all hot and sweaty, this was the perfect ending! I am sure everyone else that was in close proximity to me appreciated it as well!

Once I finished with my shower and put on clean clothes, it was time for dinner.

This is our dining room. We have a window with a nice view overlooking the vista.

It also provides a nice breeze.

For each meal, we move the chairs from our clinic into the dining room while we eat and then we move them back. The ladies that traveled with us from St. Francis Church brought all of our plates, cups, and utensils. I was blown away by the set up and even more so with the amount of food they prepared for us!

The view from the other side of the room.

You can see all of our coolers that keep our bottled water, cokes, and a view adult beverages. There is a door to the room so we can keep it locked while we are working. However, when we are eating, we like to keep it open to get a nice breeze.

There were only 13 spots available at the table so our translators were not able to eat with us. They ate in another room with the ladies who cooked and other helpers. I was upset that we couldn't all be in the same room, but there just wasn't enough space. Plus, they wanted to treat us like guests and make us feel welcome and special in our own room.

When preparing for this trip, I was told not to expect much when it came to food. Mainly due to the recent food shortage crisis plus all of the recent hurricanes that ruined many crops and other food sources. These ladies went above and beyond! We had a huge spread of food! I ate my staple Haitian diet, rice and beans! I also tried a lasagna dish with a Haitian twist! It was a little spicy, but it was very tasty!

I had a bottled water to drink, but others had some special adult beverages. Some Haitian beer was brought up just for us, it is called "Prestige". I did not partake in this delicacy, but I was told that it is pretty good! No one got intoxicated or anything, just a night cap!

Our first dinner was very enjoyable. It was nice to have everyone in the same room again and to hear about each person's day. We shared all kinds of stories from the day to catch up. By this time it was getting dark. Good thing we had our trusty flashlights and headlamps. It was funny because 5 of us had the same exact head lamp!

While we were busy eating, there were men putting up wires across the ceiling in each room of the building. In each room on the wire, a light bulb was placed. They then connected the wires to a generator! Yes, a generator! I had absolutely no clue that we would have electricity in Lotore! Once the generator was all gassed up, we had real light! No need for flashlights and head lamps now!

Now that dinner was over, we gathered together in the men's room/adult clinic room for a time of reflection and devotional. With the nice hum of the generator and children's laughter outside our room, we opened in prayer. Mandy led devotional tonight and wanted everyone to share something positive from the day. Each person said something about another person whether it was about their positive energy, patience, kindness, diligence, etc. We had a long session of prayer which was very touching for me.

After devotional, Mandy passed out bandannas to everyone. I chose blue, of course! These bandannas have a long history. They have been handed out to the team members for years. They originated from driving down the dusty roads to and from Lotore to Anse-a-Galet (St. Francis Church). At this time, they were driving in an open bed truck, so all of the dust would blow in their faces. One year someone decided to bring bandannas to put around their mouth and nose to protect them, and they have been a tradition ever since!

We said our good nights around 9pm. You may think we are fuddy-duds but we were all so exhausted!

Once I got in bed, I wrote in my journal: " I am so eager and willing to do God's work. I pray that God works in me and that I can glorify his name. Thank you Lord for bringing me to this beautiful place. I realize that I am where you want me to be. Please change my way of thinking and my heart, continue to help me realize that I have absolutely nothing to complain about. I pray that I will continue to have a servant's heart and be generous in spirit and heart."

Coming Up Next...What a Wonderful Day!

My First Haitian Medical Clinic!!

2009-07-14T00:57:00.011-04:00

After we said our prayer, we all went to our designated spots for the day. Quick reminder:

Pediatric clinic- Dr. Mandy and nurse Cynthia

Dental Clinic- Dr. Dave and nurse Laura

Veterinarian Clinic- Vet tech Brian, Veterinarian Dr. Ed, and Frederic

The Vet Clinic

Adult Medical Clinic- Leslie (registration), Brewster (Photos), nurse Julie and Dr. Billy (Lab), Dr. Matt, Dr. Chris, and nurse Carrie (seeing patients).

Dr. Billy ( I love his hat. It says "Haiti or Bust")
Julie checking blood sugars and hemoglobin levels.
Brewster getting some great pictures.
Dr. Matt, Leslie, and Dr. Chris ready for clinic to start!

We were ready to start seeing patients and they had already begun lining up!

As I told you before, I was put into the adult medical clinic serving with Matt and Chris. To be totally honest, my fear started to creep back in. The thoughts of being inadequate and not being able to help anyone began consuming my mind.

My job was to see patients which means: complete a physical assessment, listen to their symptoms/complaints (with help from a translator), and then treat the patient with medicine or other interventions if necessary or available.

I was a little nervous, so I asked the guys if it was okay for me to watch them in action so I could get a feel for the flow of things. They were both so nice and told me that that was fine and I would be okay. I didn't want to be a bump on a log, so I offered to do whatever needed to be done. I handed out Vermox to all the patients as they came in the door. Vermox is a medicine that treats all kind of worms (yeah, I know it is gross). It is safe to say that almost everyone in Lotore has worms due to poor water sources and living conditions.

I also helped distribute medicines to Dr. Matt and Dr. Chris from our pharmacy.
The Pharmacy is made out of two pieces of plywood placed on top of wooden benches. Then all of our prepackaged medicines are placed on the table in order depending on their type. Yes, there are people that package all our our medicines for us before we leave, what a blessing!

I observed Matt and Chris (which they told me that I did not have to call them "Doctor", I found this weird at first but got used to it quickly). They were unbelievably helpful and so nice! They showed me how they did things from start to finish. They told me what to do or what medicines to prescribe for each symptom. Dr. Billy had developed a list of all the medicines we had with us and what each med is used for. He also had a "cheat sheet" of common symptoms/complaints and what to look for with each thing. All of this was very helpful. Remember, I have never done anything like this before.

It was amazing to see how the whole flow went so smoothly. I was looking over the guys shoulders and getting the medicines they needed. I felt like I was learning so much so quickly. During this process, they would quiz me. They would tell me the symptoms/complaints of the patient and then would ask me what medicine they should be given. When I got the answer right I was elated! Of course, I didn't get everything right, but I was never berated or made fun of. They would tell me what medicine would be the best and then explain to my why. I was so grateful to have them with me! I was blown away by their patience, kindness, and knowledge!

Before I knew it, Chris asked me if I would see a patient. I did not even hesitate, I went for it! I actually saw a patient (with a translator of course)! I then gave them the correct medicine for their problem! It was exhilarating and terrifying all at the same time! I quickly realized that I really was capable and that I had a wonderful group of references for questions or anything else I needed! Thank you Lord!

Everyone in all of the clinics were very busy this day and we were able to see many patients! Things got stressful at times (lack of communication, not knowing where things were located, the heat, crowds, etc.), but we were all able to pull through!

We finished our clinic around 5:30pm after taking some of the overflow from the pediatric clinic so Mandy and Cynthia could finish at a reasonable hour. It was amazing to see the teamwork and diligence everyone had. I was so proud to work with all of those amazing people!

Chris resting in his hammock after a long days work!

Coming up Next....My first night at Lotore!

We Made It! We Actually Made It!

2009-07-09T22:56:00.007-04:00

So we pulled into our new home in Lotore! We left the compound at 6:30 am and arrived in Lotore at 9am! While in Lotore, we stay at St. Barnabas Church and the school located on site. I was told that when these mission trips first started to Lotore, they slept in grass huts! So as you can see, there has been much growth and development over the years.

This is the view as we pulled into our home for the next three days. St. Barnabas Church is on the right. The school (and where we hold clinic for the week) is the building behind the church.

This is the school building where we spend most of our time. The two doors to the left are the showers. The other rooms are our clinic rooms, sleeping quarters, and dining facilities. My expectations were so low, but I was pleasantly surprised at how nice our accommodations were!

The front of St. Barnabas Church and the steeple.

When we pulled into the courtyard there were a view people around. I noticed one older lady in particular. She started to clap and wave her arms in the air when she saw us. It was a very touching moment.

Brian stretching his legs and taking in the surroundings of Lotore! He finally made it!

This is the end section of the school. The two black doors that you see are to the largest room in the school. This is where we hold the adult medical clinic and it is also the men's sleeping quarters.

This is the mango tree that provides shade for our patients while they are waiting to be seen. The small brick building behind the tree is the cook's house. It is a small room where the ladies prepare all of our delicious meals. The brick structure in between the school and the cook house that is low to the ground is the cistern. The cistern collects rain water to provide the people of Lotore and surrounding townships with some source of water. It is not the cleanest, but it is water.

This is a picture of some of the locals waiting for our arrival.

That is the ambulance parked next to them.

This is the view standing on the porch of the school and looking at the back of the church. Do you see the wooden benches? Those are the school children's desks, church pews, and serve as our clinics seating! Highly functional furniture to say the least!

The smaller building to the left holds the shower stalls, our interpreters sleeping quarters, and Carmil's room. Carmil runs the school and conducts church services when Pere Soner is not there. The black door on the bigger building to the right is a storage room. The door next to that is our dining room.

This is the ladies room! Laura and Leslie are loading up with bug spray!

This is the view outside of our room looking through the brick "windows". It is such a beautiful view, don't you think! See all the cute goats everywhere!

The view down the porch with all the doors open.

Our Backyard! Can you believe how beautiful!

A picture of our beloved Chen!

Once we got to Lotore and explored our new surroundings, we realized that we didn't have any of our stuff. There really wasn't anything to do at this point and we just had to wait for the big dump truck to come with all our supplies!

Here the team is contemplating our game plan in the adult medical clinic/men's room.

About an hour and a half later, our truck and stuff arrived! Yeah!

There were many helpers around to unload all of our stuff. Everything had to go to designated rooms, so I tried to stay out of the way because I had no clue where everything went. Thank goodness there were people around that did know what to do!

More locals came once they heard or saw that we had arrived.

These people were already lining up for the clinic!

Look at all that stuff! Yes, those are Cokes and other Haitian soft-drinks!

Here are some of the local children looking through the window.

This became a very common picture as they were all very curious to see what was going on.

Cynthia and Mandy setting up the pediatric clinic! Notice the posters on the wall in yellow. Those were made by Mandy's two sweet daughters! The have pictures of themselves, drawings, and sweet words written in Creole for our Haitian patients to enjoy! They have learned so much about Haiti from their mother. You can tell that they have the heart and passion for the Haitian people and they are very eager to come with their Mom one day!

Once the trucks were unloaded, we began unpacking our stuff and setting up clinic. Again, I did not know where things went, so I felt like I was in the way. I really wanted to be helpful, but I didn't want to make a big mess of everything. I knew there was a method to the madness though. I roamed from room to room to try and offer my assistance to whomever needed it.

Once we got everything unpacked and into place, it was time to start clinic! No waste of daylight here! We all gathered into one big circle in the middle of the courtyard. We held hands and prayed together. Of course the prayer was in Creole, so I understood nothing. However, I did feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. Even though I did not understand the prayer verbally/audibly, I did understand the prayer in my heart.

My prayer I wrote in my journal on this afternoon before we started clinic: "Thank you Lord for bringing me to this place. I pray that God uses me in the place he needs me most. I pray that I am a blessing to others and in return, they are a blessing to me. Lead me and guide me Lord."

Coming Up Next.....It's Clinic Time!

On the Road Again!

2009-07-08T20:39:00.016-04:00

Okay, so we are off! We are all packed into the Ambulance and we are on our way to Lotore (pronounced: Low-tor-ray)! The trip is approximately 25miles from St. Francis Church to Lotore, however, it takes about 2 1/2 hours! Yes, you heard me correctly.

Driving through Anse-A-Galet.

The trip to Lotore was interesting and rocky to say the least. I have never seen "roads" like this in all of my life! They consisted of rocks, boulders, and sometimes mud. We scraped bottom many times and had to literally climb over mountains! Nothing, I mean nothing, can prepare you for this ride. You must experience for yourself to understand!

Our driver Arthur (fondly named Arturo by our team) is amazing! I have never seen driving skills like this before. The Ambulance is a stick shift, so already I have respect for him because I cannot drive a manual! He has taken this trip many many times and has memorized every bump, really! He could probably drive it with his eyes closed! Arthur (pronounced by the Haitians-"R-2" or "Ahh-too") speaks Creole but does know some English words. During our trip, he would point things out and would tell me about them. He was my personal tour guide! He is a very kind and gentle person; small in stature but big in heart and strength!

Here are a few pictures of our drive!

Arthur has also been nick-named Mario after Mario Andretti. On the chance that we would get a flat or even paved (only about 10ft though, if that) part of the road, he would take off! Mario would gun it, going top speeds of 30mph for about 10 seconds until the bumpiness started all over again!

During our meetings before we left for Haiti, I was told the roads looked like dried up river beds! I think that statement is accurate!

I was told that there is not normally water on the roads, usually they are very dusty! This was left over from all of the hurricanes!

The team enduring our bumpy ride!

That is our big dump truck in front of us carrying all of our supplies.

As we began our drive, we rode right along the coast. It was a beautiful site to see. It was hard to get a good or accurate picture because of all the bumpiness! Arthur was very sweet and when he noticed that I was trying to take a picture, he would slow down so I could get it! I thanked him but told him not to stop just for me (he still did every other time though)!

Climbing Up!

Going Down!

As we were driving, we would travel through different towns. There were people, donkeys, goats, chickens, and dogs everywhere. They would be so close to the Ambulance and I would start to tense up expecting us to hit them! Arthur would always miss, of course. He would then look at me and laugh and say "It's Okay Carrie".

One township we drove through actually has a STOP sign! The funny thing was that Arthur didn't even stop! He did put on his blinker though!

One thing we all noticed was that the dogs on the island of La Gonave all look exactly alike! We would be driving and would see a dog. Then ten minutes down the road we would see the exact same dog (or so we thought) again! It became an on-going joke throughout the trip. Everyone kept joking about how fast the dog was to be able to get in front of us! It was like playing "Where's Waldo" but re-named "Where's the Chen". It was a fun game for us to play and it kept us entertained!

Do you see the resemblance?

Some dogs (or "chen" in Creole) are a little skinnier than others though.

At some points I had to hold on for dear life because I thought I was going to be thrown out of the truck! I could not imagine how the rest of the team felt in the bed of the red truck!

Yes, this is the road!

We had to stop a couple of times throughout the trip to let everyone in the back take a break and stretch their legs. Leslie and I would switch places so our legs would not fall asleep! We never got a flat tire (which is a big surprise) but we did get stuck in the mud once! We all had to pile out again to get the truck free.

All the Americans looking at the tire stuck in the mud! We were very helpful, can't you tell!

It didn't take long for us to get out of the mud because of our fantastic driver! We were not very far from the compound so Billy decided to get out and walk the rest of the way! We all thought he was crazy, but once Billy has a plan, he sticks with it! The rest of us started to feel a little guilty after realizing that the oldest member of our team was walking while we were riding! Age means nothing to Billy! He is the most active and fit almost 80 year old man I know! He truly is an amazing man and never lets anything hold him back!

These are pictures of homes on our way to Lotore.

Welcome To Lotore!

Let's just say that this is a journey I (and my backside) will never forget. I can't believe we actually made it safely and in one piece! Thank God!

Coming up Next....First Day in Lotore!

"It's a beautiful day in a third world country!"

2009-07-06T01:38:00.009-04:00

Friday, October 10th, 2008: Day 3

I had a hard time falling asleep my first night in Haiti. I have never felt heat in the middle of the night before! I thought it usually got cooler, right? I was sweating in my sleep! It was difficult for me to fall asleep, mostly from my anticipation for the morning and all the events to come. But, the heat and the barking dogs didn't help my dreams either.

(FYI: As my family and close friends know, I have to have a fan to sleep. I am very needy I guess. They all thought it was hilarious that I was going to Haiti and I would not be able to bring my fan with me. They didn't think I was going to survive. Well they were wrong, sort of.)

Okay, so as I am trying to dozing off, I heard a noise in my room! I looked over my shoulder and a heavenly angel was at my bedside wielding a FAN! I never saw her face, because it was dark. All I saw was her and the fans silhouette. She plugged the fan into the only electrical outlet in my room and this wonderful breeze hit my face. It was magnificent! I was so excited that I forgot what little Creole I knew and just said over and over, "Thank You". How could the fan work without electricity you may ask. The people from the compound decided to leave the generators running all night long so that their guests (us) would be comfortable. I could not believe that they would have gone to such great lengths for us. What a wonderful and unexpected blessing, one of many on this trip.

I was woken up at 5 AM by a sweet voice saying, "Good Morning. It's a beautiful day in a third world country!". Mandy came in my room to get me up and ready to hit the road. I groggily got out of my bed with my wonderful fan and roamed around aimlessly. I finally woke up and started to get dressed and packed all my belongings, again. Mandy gathered all of our important items (i.e. passports, cash, credit cards, and cell phones) and put them in a special place for safe keeping while we were gone. I was told that we did not need to take any of those items with us, except a little cash to put in the collection plate for church on Sunday. Today was our day to travel to Lotore (the community where we hold our clinics and stay overnight), basically our home for the next three days.

I tried to get my stuff together quickly because I did not want anyone waiting on me! I was able to leave a few items in my room that I did not need to take with me (dirty clothes, bathing suit, extra clothes for traveling home, etc.). That helped to make my bag a little lighter too! As I walked out of the rectory, this was what I saw. Our ride!

This huge truck was getting loaded with all of our supplies for the trip. I knew that we had a lot of stuff, but I was not prepared for all of the other stuff that had to go with us that I didn't even think about! All of our bottled water, food, dishes, pots/pans, and many other boxes and bags of things! There were many people around helping carry and load things too. Come to find out, they were all coming with us to Lotore! I had no idea that much stuff and so many people, other than our immediate team, went with us to Lotore. It was a big effort!

This is a Chen (dog)! She looks sweet, but I think she was the one who kept barking all night!

Nurses Cynthia and Carrie (We had to have proof that we were in Haiti).

Mandy, Julie, Cynthia, and Brian ready to load up!

Chris, Matt, Dave, Billy, and Ed ready to hit the road!

We all had one last bathroom break (Remember, if its brown flush it down. If its yellow let it mellow. It is a strict compound rule!).

Our Haitian team members ready to go.

Yes, they are all riding in that one truck!

Our first team photo!

Back Row: Brewster, Brian, Chris, Matt, Dave, Billy
Front Row: Laura, Me, Cynthia, Ed, Leslie, Julie, Mandy

Eleven of our team members rode in the ambulance. Leslie and I squeezed on top of one another in the front seat with our driver Arturo. The rest of the team sat on two rows of benches that were situated across from one another, so they were facing each other. They all had to position themselves with who's legs would go where as they were all intertwined with one another.

The Ambulance.

Billy and Chris in the Ambulance.

Julie (eye still healing) and Cynthia squished together.

Brian and Laura (at least someones happy)!

The back of my head and a glimpse of Leslie up front. Ed smiling big (this was the beginning o f the ride though).

Chris and Brewster (always with a camera handy)!

Mandy and Matt decided to be a little more adventurous and ride in the bed of the little red pick-up! They rode with our cooks, translators, helpers, etc.

Now remember how I told you about my good friend Dramamine. Well, we became best friends quickly! Let's just say the ride was just a little bumpy!

Coming up next....On the road again!

Information and Correction

2009-06-30T04:02:00.007-04:00

My friend Burt and team member on my third trip is a wonderful and intelligent man. He has been all over Haiti many many times. He even can speak fluent Creole, very impressive! He reads my Blog on a regular basis and is always giving me positive feedback! Thanks Burt! He recently sent me an email providing me with more information/history of Haiti and a correction from a previous post. I am so glad to have Burt who knows way more than I do about Haiti , and to provide me with information I do not know and correct me when I wrong. Thanks Burt, you are a good friend. Please read what he has to say below!

My Friend, Burt!

"I also especially enjoyed your photos of homes you passed on your way from the ferry up to the compound. The last one is wonderful both from an artistic standpoint and for what it shows. In this same post, you show the high compound walls with rows of conch shells and broken glass along the top as substitutes for razor wire or metal spikes. In your last photo, you show a home enclosed within a very low wall, two-courses high. One might ask, this wall obviously is too low to protect the home from intruders, so what's the point of having it?
The walls we see in Haiti enclosing individual homes, household yards (lakou) and larger compounds (e.g., St. Francis) are commonly there for security and protection, but there's more to them than that. The concept, like many things Haitian, originates in West Africa where homes, yards and compounds traditionally have been enclosed by packed clay walls for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. They were high enough to slow down an intruder, but couldn't keep out a determined one. Their primary function was, and still is, to define social space. The space within the walls is the family's and must be respected. The space outside the walls is public space and doesn't imply the same obligations. One of the most evident characteristics of this distinction between family and public space is in the fact that in both West Africa and in Haiti, one keeps the family space clean. That's especially evident in your photo. That's why almost everyone sweeps clean their yard or compound every morning almost always with a brush broom of palm fonds -- whether the yard is paved or simply packed earth. And that helps explain why you'll see trash and garbage thrown anywhere outside these walls. Since it's public space, no one has a responsibility to take care of it. Even if one tries to be a good citizen & clean up litter, someone else will just litter it again -- so why bother? Occasionally, the Haitian government goes on municipal clean-up campaigns, but there's little money for them to do this -- which is too bad, because it would provide good employment for many people.
Even if the kloti (enclosing wall) is only a foot high, everyone is expected to respect it. For example, when one wants to enter someone's yard, they call out "honè" (honor) to ask if they can enter. If it's OK for you to come in, the host will reply by saying "respè" (respect). If there's no response, either because no one's home or because they don't want to see you, you shouldn't enter.
One final editorial item, the town where St. Francis of Assisi Church is located is "Anse-à-Galets" (note the hyphenated "à" in the middle) which means "Harbor of Stone" and refers to that low limestone ridge that extends into the gulf on the north side of the harbor and forms a natural breakwater. That probably explains why the largest town on Lagonav (the Creole spelling) is located here. Anse-à-Galets isn't just a town; it's also one of two geographical areas called "communes" or "communal sections" on the island -- the other one being Pointe-à-Raquette, which I think is the commune in which Lotoré is located. "

Burt catching a ride with some local Haitians!

Merci Burt!

First night in Haiti!

2009-06-29T23:25:00.010-04:00

After my new friends left for the evening, I walked onto the other side of the compound to meet up with the majority of the team. As I walked through the school, I found the team hanging out with some local children in the school yard.

Me, Matt, Ed, and Brian hanging out with new friends.

Me, Laura, Matt, new friend, and Ed

One really cute thing that I love about the Haitian children is that they LOVE to have their picture taken. Not only that, but they have learned that they can see it immediately and they all want to! It is like a fun game for them. Most them will point to your camera and say "photo, photo". That way you know they want their picture taken. You take their picture and as soon as you click the camera, they all come running over to see themselves. Everyone crowds around pointing, laughing, and making comments (in creole of course, so I don't understand). I think it is so cute!

Cynthia surrounded by her new Haitian friends

One thing I was told about before we left and then quickly realized myself was that the majority of Haitian people (mostly children), have no understanding of personal space like us Americans. They like to be as close to you as possible. For some people, I guess that may be a problem, but it doesn't really bother me much. I might feel bad for them because I am all sweaty and stinky!

I had a group of girls come and sit around me. They took my hair out of my ponytail and started playing with it. They braided my hair and pulled it up, I had a nice hair-do!

Ed let this boy hold his camera so he could take pictures, he was so happy!

After the girls were done with my hair, they started asking for almost everything on my body. They would point to something like my hair rubber band and then point to themselves. They asked for my sunglasses, ipod, shoes, watch, anything that was removable. I was prepared ahead of time that people would be asking for things. I felt really bad and wanted to give the little girls stuff, but we were told not to give anyone anything while we were at the compound. It is a strict rule. I guess Pere Soner does not want the people of the compound to beg, so we are told not to give.

We hung out for a while watching some boys play soccer with a tennis ball! So, this now sets up the next story. Brian came on a previous trip, but he never made it to Lotore. While at the compound on his first day, Brian decided to play soccer with some of the local kids. Not that big of a deal but, he was playing on uneven stone and in flip flops! He ended up falling and breaking his leg. A compound fracture to be exact! If you are not into medical terminology, that means that the bone broke and then came out of the skin! Yeah, gross, I know. Poor Brian.

Of all times and places to have such a horrible injury. Thank goodness he had an ER doctor and a Podiatrist with him! To make a long story short, Brian was shipped back home to be fixed and never made it to Lotore. He did end up healing well and decided to give this trip another chance!Brian made it very clear that he was not going to be playing soccer (especially in flip flops) on this trip! Matt, Chris, and Ed were some of the guys that were on the trip with him during his injury, so of course, they had to make as many jokes as possible on this trip. Once we got to the compound they kept saying jokes like,"Brian you have been here for three hours, only two more to break your record". It was really funny, and Brian took the jokes well and even joined in with them!

While hanging out in the school yard where Brian had his accident, some of the guys decided to recreate the scene of the accident!

Yes, this is a life-sized chalk outline of Brian's body.

Please note his broken left leg!

Brian reenacting the injury.

What a great sport!!

Brian, I am so glad you made it on this trip! It was such a pleasure to meet you, work, worship, sing and laugh with you! I am so happy that there were no injuries this time! Way to go!

After all of the shenanigans, it was dark and time for dinner. The ladies from the compound had been preparing our meal all day long! Remember, no microwaves here! We all sat down for dinner in the rectory dining room (remember those beautiful handmade wooden chairs?). I was actually a little scared and did not know what to expect for our first meal. I did not want to show any disrespect to the ladies that had worked so hard on our dinner. I was in awe over the amount of food they prepared for us. I was not expecting anything really, especially after all of the uproar of food shortages and hurricanes. I could not believe the spread of food they set before us!

I decided to eat rice and beans ( a Haitian staple I have come to love), fried plantains, a pasta dish (I am not really sure what was in it, but it tasted good), and coleslaw (FYI, if you ever go to Haiti, the coleslaw there is extremely spicy!!). I quickly decided that I was vegetarian (while in Haiti) and passed on the Conch, Lobster (I think), and Goat (Cabrit in Creole). I was completely satisfied and stuffed with my vegetarian meal. Thank goodness my other team members love Conch, Lobster, and Goat. I think they ate all of it, so I am glad none of the ladies feelings were hurt!

After dinner was over, the team met on the porch for our nightly devotional. Dave led the devotional this night. We opened up in prayer and then took some time to focus and pray for Harriett and Stoney and the tragedy that had occurred earlier in the day. It was a long but very needed prayer session. Dave then spoke about the Lord's call on our lives and how we each answered his call to be here in Haiti. Dave read some scripture and then others shared their stories of how they have answered the Lord's call. It was a very spirit filled and moving devotional.

After everyone was dismissed for the night, it was time for bed. But wait, I got to take a shower first. Yes, a shower! We actually had a bathroom with a working toilet, sink and shower! The lights/generator was not on at this point, so I positioned my flashlight just perfectly on the sink. I was told before we left to make sure that you do not drink the water in Haiti. That means in the shower too. Have you ever tried to purposely not let water get in your mouth in the shower? It is harder than you think. If you don't think so, try it tonight.

So I turned on the water and there was this tiny stream of water. Now when I say tiny, it was like someone was spitting through a straw! I am not complaining at all because it was nice and cold and felt awesome! Plus, I didn't even think that I was going to be able to take a shower at all once I got to Haiti, so this was a wonderful blessing!

It's amazing how things that seemed so small and insignificant to me before were now such a big deal! I know that I am blessed, but I realized it even more once I was in Haiti. One thing I learned from Haiti is to never take anything for granted!

Now it is time for sleep! Thank you Lord for this day of meeting new friends and safe travel!

Coming up next...The Road

Ray of Hope

2009-06-28T21:26:00.006-04:00

After my complete and total breakdown, we had real work to do! We had to go through the catalog (papers with patients photo and history) of school children from Lotore to alphabetize them. While doing this, I began to feel very sleepy, so I wanted to go and take a nap. I went into my room to lay down, but there was a fly fest going on! I didn't know if it was just my room, so I went to check out Mandy, Laura, and Cynthia's room.

Dr. Mandy unpacking

There was a double and single bed in their room, plus they had a FAN! I started to become jealous and almost decided to move into their room with them! There was no electricity on at this point, so it didn't really matter. The electricity is produced by generators, and I was told that they do not usually turn them on until night. I quickly realized that it was way too hot to lay down anywhere to take a nap, so out to the porch I went again for some comfort.

Hanging on the porch writing in my journal

Even after my breakdown and recovery, I was still feeling the language barrier. I didn't feel like I could communicate to any of the Haitian people and this made me feel very disappointed. While I was sitting on the porch journaling (which is how I have been able to remember most of my details), I heard music! Now, if you do not know me, I love music! I especially love the acoustic guitar! I looked into the courtyard of the compound and this is what I saw.

Oriel and two Haitian students learning to play guitar

I realized that Oriel was playing guitar and teaching two other Haitian boys how to play! I was immediately drawn to them. I knew that Oriel spoke English, so I knew that there was at least one person I could converse with! I was so excited! I approached the guys and said hello. To my surprise, the two young guys could understand and speak some English! I asked the guys to play a song for me, and they did! I cannot remember the two boys names. They were names that I could not pronounce and had never heard before. I was to embarrassed to keep asking their name and to scared to say it in fear of my saying it wrong! Soon another boy joined us, he introduced himself to me, his name is Stanley ( I could actually say that name!).

Stanley

I was pleasantly surprised that Stanley spoke very good English! Stanley borrowed Oriels guitar and began singing. I was amazed at his musical talent. He was very good, and he's only 13 years old! He sang many songs in creole and the other guys would join in to harmonize; it was absolutely beautiful. One thing I believe is that music has no barriers. I can appreciate music and song no matter what language. Again to my surprise, Stanley and Oriel sang some songs in English! I was blown away!

One thing I thought was very cool was that the songs they sung in English were songs of praise to God. I felt like God was telling me again, " You are where you are supposed to be". I was filled with the Holy Spirit and knew that I was where I was supposed to be, no more doubt for me!

Stanley jamming on the guitar!

I felt so comfortable now! I was just sitting there listening to beautiful music and song. I totally got lost in the moment and did not even realize how long we had been hanging out. A few team members stopped by to join in on the fun. Cynthia and I even sung "Amazing Grace" for them!

Laura hanging out with the boys!

I was loving every minute of this experience so far! Some of the boys had their school books with them. The boy in the picture below took out is book and would point to a picture. He would say what it was in Creole and then I would tell him what it meant in English (i.e. Dog=Chen). It was a fun little game and I think we both learned something! I decided that I would really like to make an effort to learn Creole so that it would be easier for me to communicate in the future. He fondly referred to me as "my friend"!

Me and my new friend!

As I was intrigued with them, the guys were also interested in me! I showed them pictures of my family and my dog Pebbles. They enjoyed the pics and began asking me many questions about my life. They asked me if Pebbles ( a 4.5lb Chihuahua/Yorkie mix) was nice, if she was fed everyday, and if she got baths. They were very amused to find out that Pebbles sleeps in the bed with me and that she even has clothes to wear. Someone then asked, "does she go to school too?". I thought that was a very silly/cute question, but soon realized that some dogs really do go to school (obedient school). They thought all of this was hilarious. In Haiti, dogs are not considered pets or part of the family like most Americans do. Haitian dogs are pests to them, which is really sad to me.

Soon it was dark, time just flew by! The boys had to go home, so our jam session was complete. I was a little saddened because I had enjoyed myself so much, but I was now even more excited for the next step! Thank you Lord for these wonderful people who have welcomed me with open arms. Thank you for shining your ray of hope and for allowing me to see it!

Coming up next....First night in Haiti

Doubt

2009-06-26T23:41:00.004-04:00

While walking around the compound taking pictures, I was wanting to meet some local Haitian people. Some people were intrigued and happy to see our team, but others did not seem interested in us at all. I guess I wasn't really sure what to expect. I was told stories about how the Haitians were dancing and singing, surrounding the team, shaking their hands when they arrived. I didn't think that we necessarily needed that kind of welcome, but I guess that was the scenario I had in my head upon our arrival. Don't get me wrong, everyone that I had come in contact with so far was very nice and welcoming.

As I was walking around the compound I saw many school children around (they all had matching uniforms). I noticed that some of the children were laughing and I was under the impression that they were laughing at me. I instantly began feeling insecure, especially because I had no clue what they were saying! At this point I was completely aware of the language barrier.
I sat down on a step feeling defeated, and we hadn't even started working yet! All of a sudden this little Haitian girl approached me. Without saying a word, she bent down and kissed me on my sweaty cheek. I was in awe of her genuine and sweet action. I felt like she was an angel sent from above to say "It's okay, you are supposed to be here. Don't worry". I think it is so cool to see God work! He knew exactly what I needed at that moment to help ease my insecurities. Thank you God!

Before I knew it, it was time for our team meeting to discuss the plans. Dr. Billy took the lead and began talking about the clinic and was assigning our positions. Dr. Mandy would be in the Pediatric clinic and nurse Cynthia would assist her. Dr. Dave would be in the Dental clinic and nurse Laura volunteered to assist him. Dr. Ed, Frederic, and Brian would be in the Veterinarian clinic. Leslie would be in charge of registration or the "front desk". Brewster would take pictures of each patient as they were checking in. Dr. Billy would be in charge of "the lab" and nurse Julie would assist. Dr. Matt, Dr. Chris, and I would be in the Adult Medical clinic.

Just so you know, before we even left for this trip, I never really knew what I would be doing. I was never told ahead of time which clinic I would be in or what my job title was. Yet again, I had no clue what to expect, but I was willing to do whatever needed to be done. Before we left for Haiti, I was told many times that there would always be a job that needed to be done and that I was capable of doing anything. I never doubted anyone and never really gave it much thought until this moment. I was scared to death!

Dr. Billy said that I would be working side by side with Dr. Matt and Dr. Chris. That meant having my own station. What, my own station??? Yes Carrie, your own station. I was told that I would be treating/diagnosing patients!! Now remember, I am a nurse. A very new nurse at that! How can I do what real doctors do? I was extremely nervous and completely insecure in my knowledge and ability to care for these people as everyone thought I could. I had no clue what to do or say.

I couldn't believe that everyone on the team was acting so calm like, "yeah, Carrie will have her own station, cool" while I was totally freaking out on the inside! Apparently, everyone else knew much more than I did, or at least they had faith in me that I would do a good job. I felt completely different. I thought that I was not going to be any help at all and that I would be in the way. I quickly realized that the devil was putting these thoughts into my head, and the bad thing was was that I was listening to them!

Our meeting was adjourned. I felt totally alone and defeated at this point, thinking that I could not live up to everyones expectations of me for this trip. I found Laura sitting on the porch. I went over to her and explained how I felt. All of my doubts, fears, insecurities all came pouring out. She listened intently and then began to ease my fears. She told me that I was more than adequate to be on this trip and that no matter what came my way I would succeed at it. Mandy soon found us and joined in on the conversation. Between Mandy, Laura, and prayer, all of my fears disappeared! Praise God!

I have never felt like that before. It was very comforting to know that I had friends to rely on and to lift me up when I was feeling down. Thank you Lord for my wonderful christian friends!

"Cast all anxiety on him because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything , by prayer and petition, with Thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the Peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Jesus Christ." Philippians 4:6-7

Coming up next....Hope!

The Compound

2009-06-23T02:23:00.009-04:00

After a short but bumpy trip, we made it to The Compound. Well, the official name is St. Francis Episcopal Church. This church is located in the town called Anse Galet on the island of La Gonave. We pulled into the gates that surround the compound. After we spilled out of the truck, I started taking pictures so I could document everything!

St. Francis is not only a church, but it is also a school. This church also hosts many other missionaries throughout the year.

This was the truck we rode in from the airport to the compound.

The truck pulling up bringing the rest of our team that could not fit on the first trip.

The team unloading at our "home" for the night.

While I was walking through the compound, I heard some children's laughter. I looked up and saw these school children hanging out of the windows to see the foreigners! I thought it was really cute!

Like I have said many times, I did not really know what to expect. So far, things were going pretty good.

Cynthia looking up at the school children.

Brian meeting Oriel.

We were all introduced to Oriel. He is a blind man who lives at the compound. To my surprise, he spoke very good English! One thing I learned and came to love about Oriel is that he wants to hold your hand while he speaks to you. He is a very sweet man who loves the Lord and he loves to learn. He is also extremely talented. He sings very well, plays guitar, piano, and the accordion! He speaks Creole (the Haitian language), French, and English. I found out that Oriel was going to be traveling with us up to Lotore in the morning. I was was looking forward to getting to know Oriel better.

The rectory (girls sleeping quarters, kitchen, and dining room).

Mandy was our only female veteran, so she took charge and showed all of the girls around. She lead us to the rectory (the aqua building) where we would be sleeping for the night. Like I have said many times before, I had no clue what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised to find that we were sleeping in rooms with actual beds! Here is a picture of the room that I had all to myself.

The ladies that run things at the rectory and cook all of our meals are so lovely. They showed us to our rooms and made us feel at home. Oh, and each of us had our own towel at the end of our beds! I was not able to communicate with the ladies except through smiles, but it was the best we could do!

The guys were staying in another building on the other side of the compound. Once everyone had gotten settled into their rooms, the guys met us over at the rectory in the main dining room to each lunch. I helped the ladies set the table while they put the finishing touches to our meal. Now this was my first official Haitian meal. I had no clue what to expect. Our lunch consisted of ham/cheese sandwiches with a tiny piece of tomatoe and lettuce, mayo and ketchup. I was amazed at how they gave everything to us and how far they were able to stretch what we would normally consider a small amount of food so far. It was an interesting meal but I was extremely grateful for it!

Once we were done with lunch the team hung out on the porch of the rectory, it was one of the coolest places because you were out of the sun but still had a nice breeze. While on the porch I got to meet Frederic.

Frederic attempting to teach us some Creole.

Frederic is a wonderful christian man and I am so honored to have met him. Bonus points, he speaks English! Frederic lives in PAP with Dr. Keith, an American veterinarian. Dr. Keith came to Haiti over 20 years ago on a mission trip. Once he returned home he told his wife that he felt lead to move to Haiti. Not shortly after, he and his wife and two children moved to Haiti and they have been their ever since! What an amazing story of how the Lord leads us to where we are supposed to be.

Dr. Keith started training young Haitians how to be veterinarian and vet techs. He took Frederic under his wing and trained him. Originally Dr. Keith was supposed to come with us to Lotore, something came up and he was not able to come, so he sent Frederic in his place.

The team hanging out on the porch beating the Haitian heat!

The view from the porch of the rectory.

The concrete thing on the left is a cistern (a device that collects rain water).

FYI, it is safe inside the walls of the compound, don't be scared off by the bars! One of the rules for the trip was to not leave the compound walls. However, we were free to roam inside of the compound. Here are some pics of inside the compound.

The bell tower of St. Francis Church.

Haitian security system, upside down conch shells cemented to the top of perimeter walls!

Some people use broken glass pieces as well.

St. Francis school and play yard.

Cynthia meeting some of the school children.

Beautiful palm

I thought this tree was really cool looking!

Brewster hanging out with some local carpenters.

The local carpenters above, made the majority of the furniture in the rectory. Just so you know, they made all of it by hand, no power tools here! They make truly beautiful pieces, don't you think?

Almost finished dining room chairs.

The view of Anse Galet from inside the compound walls (see the security system).

I couldn't believe that there were so many conch shells around!

I was so happy that we finally made it to the compound! It all felt very surreal to actually be in the place that I had heard so much about! I felt that the trip was really happening, and I couldn't wait to see what what was going to happen next!

Coming up next...Doubt

On the way to the Compound

2009-06-23T01:03:00.009-04:00

Okay, so we started our trip from the Lagonave "airport" to St. Francis church (the compound)with all of the ladies stuffed into the truck.

Laura and Leslie were sitting shotgun. Cynthia was sitting on Mandy's lap! Julie and I couldn't even fit in the picture!

Here are some pictures of houses along our trip to St. Francis Church.

I thought I was prepared for what I would see and encounter. I was told many stories and shown countless pictures. My mother actually went to Haiti in 2001 with the same church that I was with on this trip. My mother is a dental hygienist, so she helped with the dental clinic. She went that one time and I remembered her telling me stories about how much that trip changed her outlook on life. I thought it was really cool that I was carrying on her/our families legacy in a way. I thought she helped prepare me for what I would experience and see. However, I realized during this trip that you never really see Haiti unless you see it with your own two eyes. Let's just say I was blown away!

UP, UP and ...OVER?

2009-06-19T22:52:00.013-04:00

We made it to the "small airport" safely and with all of our bags! This airport consisted of charter planes. Once we unloaded our stuff, we had to go through "security". I have quotation marks around security because the metal detector we had to walk through was not even plugged in!! So much for feeling secure? We took a seat and waited, something I became very good at quickly. One thing I learned with traveling to Haiti; you rush to wait.

Brian, Brewster, Matt, Ed, and Me waiting for our plane.

We thought we made arrangements with one of the charter planes to fly us over to the island of La Gonave. When we got to the airline desk, it appeared that they didn't know we were coming or their was some miscommunication. So we waited, and waited some more. At this point I realized how HOT it was! Especially since there was no air conditioning (I didn't know what I was thinking?). During this time we used the bathroom, ate some snacks that we brought along and tried to help doctor Julie's eye.

Cynthia waiting oh so patiently.

Nurses Laura and Cynthia at the "small airport".

Chris, Matt, and Brewster hanging out.

While Julie was picking up her back pack with all of the traveling, she ended up scratching her eye. Thank goodness we had a whole bunch of Doctors and Nurses around! She was given some eye drops and medicine for the pain. Her eye was constantly draining and it was so sensitive to the bright sun so she had to wear her sunglasses and keep her eye closed as much as possible. What a stinky way to start a trip in a third world country. Poor Julie!

Laura looking cute ! Poor Julie in the background with her injured eye.

Leslie and the Veteran working their magic at the ticket counter!

After Leslie, Dr. Dave, Dr. Billy, and Dr. Mandy spoke with the airline, things started moving along! While we were waiting to board our plane, Gary and Jean Louis took all of our luggage/supplies to the boat to have them ferried over since we did not have enough room on our little plane.

Okay, now when I say little plane, I mean little plane! We loaded onto a 15 passenger propeller plane, or as I fondly call it, the "Putt-Putt Plane". We had to be seated strategically by weight to assure the plane was balanced. At this point, I was starting to get a little nervous. I immediately began praying.

The team loading up!

I think some of the others were a little anxious as well. People started joking around asking "What is the in flight movie for today?" and "What beverages will be served on this flight?", etc. The jokes distracted me from realizing what we were about to do.

I sat next to Laura and Ed. When the pilots started the plane, it was literally putting (see, the name was suiting). I think I saw some ducked tape holding the wing together? FYI, I am not complaining, I am just including important details! Once we began taxiing down the runway I held onto Ed's leg for dear life, constantly praying.

I can't believe it! We made it off the ground! While in the air, there were some questionable maneuvers. I think I cut off the circulation to Ed's leg! I continued to pray to God for protection and peace. I was able to take a couple of glances out the window the appreciate the beautiful aerial views.

Oh, one thing I forgot to mention. The flight, from take off to landing, was no longer than 15 minutes! We went up, over the Gulf of Gonave, and down onto the island of La Gonave. The island is about 10-20 miles off the coast of PAP, Haiti. So, before I knew it, it was time to land.

Ed told me to look at the runway, I said "what runway?". All I saw was the coast, dirt, and patches of grass. We started going down and I began to panic a little. I had no idea where we were actually supposed to land. As we started to go down, the pilot immediately pulled us back into the air. I asked Ed what happened and he said " Either he missed or he was scaring the animals off the runway". WHAT?? Did he just say what I thought he said?

We circled back around and then started to go down again. This time we actually landed!!! We didn't hit any animals or fall off the runway into the ocean or anything! Thank you God for safe travel! I now was able to start breathing normally! We unloaded out of the trusty old Putt-Putt plane. Here is a glimpse of the runway.

One end of the runway...

and the other.

The Putt-Putt Plane

When we unloaded, there were a few local Haitians that came out to welcome us! Some people appeared very excited to see us, others were quiet and kept to themselves.

The team waiting for our ride to St. Francis Church

These little boys were so excited to have their picture taken. They were amazed looking at themselves on the digital camera screen! I was told by a Veteran that for some of the children, this was the first time they were able to see themselves. They were very cute and sweet.

The following pictures are what I like to refer as the airport terminal!

Airport parking lot

Little Haitian girl greeting us!

Soon after we arrived, our ride came to pick us up. Claude greeted us and to my surprise, he spoke some English! He helps run the school/church of St. Francis Episcopal Church at Anse-Galet on the island of La Gonave when Pere Soner (Pere means Father in French/Creole) is not on the island. Pere Soner is responsible for us while we are in Haiti. We arrange our trips with him and he assures that we have all the people and supplies we need for the week. On this trip, Pere Soner was not in Haiti. His wife was pregnant at the time with her third child. They were in New York to receive medical care because of her complicated pregnancy (she and baby are fine now).
The team talking to Claude (in the orange hat) next to our transportation.

Mandy, Cynthia and Julie waiting to go to St. Francis Church.

Now that our transportation had arrived, all of the ladies (Mandy, Leslie, Cynthia, Laura, Julie, and Me) loaded into the cab of the truck with a driver. A total of 7 people inside one truck. We quickly learned that we were going to become much closer sooner than we thought! Our carry-on bags and the guys loaded into the back of the truck. Once everyone was loaded, we were off to St. Francis Church (or the compound).

Coming up next....A Day at the Compound

We Made It!

2009-06-17T01:24:00.000-04:00

We made it! We actually made it! I was on Haitian soil! We landed in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti (the countries capital city. I couldn't believe that we actually made it. This trip always seemed like it was so far away, so for it to actually be happening I was beyond thrilled!

During the flight we had to fill out a couple of forms to state what are purpose was while we were in Haiti, where we would be staying and for how long. We had to hang on to those forms to present them at customs.

We walked off the plane into the beautiful Haitian sunshine!

The poor airport (as well as the country) battled some major hurricanes this season.

As we entered into the airport there was a Caribbean band playing. They even had steel drums which I love. It made you feel like you were on a tropical vacation. I quickly came back to reality remembering what we were there for, no vacation here.

Brian walking into the airport ready to go through customs. Get your passport ready!

Some of the Veterans waiting for the rest of the team to de-plane!

We gathered all of our bags/supplies, they all made it! We breezed through customs with no problem. Now to remind you, I had no clue what was going on or what I was supposed to do. So, I did what I do best, wait for someone to tell me what to do! We loaded all of our stuff onto carts, we had at least three, maybe four. I felt like I needed to do something to contribute so I decided to push one of the carts that was loaded with boxes and bags. I was told that once we exited the airport it would be mayhem and people would attempt to take and carry your belongings for you so then you would have to pay them. I was told by Dr. Dave, "do not let anyone take this cart from you".

I was prepared, or so I thought. I guess no matter how many stories people tell you, it is a totally different thing to experience it for yourself. It was madness. People were everywhere! Haitians were yelling, trying to carry your bags for you (exactly as I was told). Now remember, we are in Haiti, they speak Creole ( a dialect of French). I had no clue (yet again) what anyone was saying. I was in a full fledged culture shock at this point. Instead of having a freak out, I held onto my cart for dear life and stayed on the heals of the team member in front of me.

I quickly noticed that Haitian men with uniforms were taking all of our team members carts from them. One man tried to take mine and I continued to hold tight and kept saying "NO". I felt really bad, but I was trying to follow the rules. I found out that the men were authorized to carry our luggage for us, so really it was okay for him to carry it for me. However, the less people that carried our things for us, the less people we would have to pay (oh, okay. I get it now).

We made it to our vehicles in the parking lot. Dr. Dave came up to me and said, "Carrie, your the only one who listened to me and held onto your cart!). I laughed but felt good that I actually did something right! Some of the Veteran team members were talking to a couple of men. Obviously they knew them from previous trips. I met Gary, he is our driver while in PAP. The other man is Jean Louis, one of our interpreters. He lives in PAP but travels to the island of LaGonave with us to help at our clinic.

While we were loading our luggage two men approached us with their horns and played many songs for us. They even played our national anthem which I thought was very nice.

Dr. Dave was our banker while on this trip. He was responsible for handling all of the money. Everyone gave Dave cash before we left so that when we needed to tip or pay people, he would handle it. Dave's new name became"Big Boss", since he was the man with the money. Dave payed the gentlemen that helped handle our bags and we all loaded into the van driven by Gary. We followed closely behind the truck that was carrying all of our luggage/supplies.

We took a short drive, about five minutes, to a smaller airport. On this drive I tried to take in as much scenery as I could. I wanted to see everything. I had my face smashed against the glass so I wouldn't miss a thing. I continued to be in culture shock seeing the amount of poverty there was. It is not something I think I can explain. I will try to do it justice with pictures, but I still don't think anyone totally gets it without experiencing with their own two eyes.

Coming up next........Our last flight (at least for this leg of the trip)!

Change in plans

2009-06-16T16:49:00.001-04:00

Thursday, October 9th, 2008: Day 2

At about 2:30 am Mandy and I were woken up by someone pounding on our door. I was totally confused and disoriented. I thought we had overslept and our clock was wrong or something. Apparently, Harriett and Stoney had a family emergency and had to rush back home immediately. They caught the first flight back to Pawleys to be with their family.

Everyone was upset and no one really knew what was going on. We all knew that God had a plan and we just had to trust and follow it. We all met and immediately began praying for Harriett, Stoney, and their family. Through prayer and thoughtful consideration we decided to go forward with the trip, even though we did not have our commander in chief with us.

Now it seemed like everything had changed. The mood was very somber among the group. Mandy was now in charge of the trip, taking over Harriett's "job". Mandy has been to Haiti many times (she actually can't even remember how many times she has been!), is organized, and knows how things are supposed to work. She took over all of Harriett's papers, files, and bags of information. I was amazed at how this tragedy brought the best out of our team. Everyone stepped up and did what needed to be done, no questions asked.

We had to re-pack some of our bags since we no longer had Harriett and Stoney with us. We arrived at the FTL airport around 6 AM and all the bags were checked in. The people from the airline did end up helping us, they allowed us to take 16 bags even though we now only had 13 people! Praise God, a prayer had been answered! We had Leslie (who used to run a travel agency) take over the airline stuff and she worked her magic! Bless her heart, she worked so hard and spoke to every supervisor to assure that we had all the supplies/bags that we needed. It didn't hurt that Matt was standing close by and all the airline workers (Tito) developed a crush on him! Sorry Matt.

The back of Leslie's head at the ticket counter. Thanks Leslie!!

The Doc's

Dr. Billy, Dr. Matt, Dr. Dave, Dr. Chris (hiding), and Dr. Ed at the ticket counter.

Dr. Chris and the other Docs!

Check-in was smooth and all of our luggage/boxes were within the weight limit! We did have to leave some bags and things at the Hotel that we could not take. We decided that we would pick them up on our return flight back home.

Me, Laura, Brewster, and Dr. Mandy checking in at FTL airport.

Julie and Cynthia

Now we headed through security. For those of you who have traveled recently, you know what an ordeal it is to go through security. Taking off your shoes, placing your liquids in a clear Ziploc bag and taking them out of your carry-on, taking off your jacket and placing your carry-on into the bins to then place onto the conveyor belt to be x-rayed, going through the metal detector, etc. I did have to have my bag searched because they wanted to see my fan/light that was battery powered. They let me go on my way without any other problems. Everyone else made it through unharmed!

We did not have to wait long before we boarded our flight. Upon boarding, the flight attendant had to check mine and a few other team members carry-on bag because there was no more overhead bin room. So many people had carry-on's because of the new 1 checked bag per person rule. The flight to Haiti was pretty full. I ended up having an aisle seat and I got to sit next to a young Haitian woman and her daughter.

Dr. Ed sat behind me on the flight to Haiti!

Sweet Laura sat a few rows ahead of me! Let's go!

We had a good and uneventful flight! Most importantly we made it safely! Thank you God!

Even though so many people had told me stories about previous Haiti trips, I was still so unsure of what I would see, how I would feel, and how I would be affected. Well, we'll see!

Up Next.....We Land in Haiti!

First Day Continued

2009-06-15T16:48:00.000-04:00

Okay, so everyone was checking in and getting settled into their rooms. Mandy, who was my roommate this night told me that the hotel did not have any open rooms with two beds. So, that meant we were going to share a king sized bed together! I said "sure, I just hope I don't come onto your side of the bed!".

Like I told you before, we were able to store all of our big supply boxes and other luggage we did not need in our room in an unused conference room. Once we found out that we were unable to check more than one bag apiece on the flight tomorrow we had to do some repacking. We had to decide what to pack and what to leave behind because we did not have enough space to bring everything. Not only that but we had to be within the weight limit of 50lbs. We borrowed the scale from the fitness room and had Matt as our personal bag weigher. We would pack a bag/box, then he would pick it up and step on the scale. It was probably not accurate, but hey, you got to work with what you got! I was amazed at the packing expertise! These people are pros!

Matt weighing our bags!

Mandy checking the scale.

Everybody freshened up and then we decided to go to lunch. Chris used to live in FTL so he knew of a cool place close by that we could walk to. It was a beautiful day so it was nice to walk! We ate at this little fish joint that was right on the marina. We were all able to sit outside on the dock to enjoy the nice weather. Because we had such a large group, we had to split up our tables. I sat with Brian, Cynthia, Matt, Laura, and Leslie. The food was really good but the company was even better. We were all able to get to know one another better, so that was cool.

Once we finished eating we noticed a big commotion in the water. I looked down at the water and there were hundreds (I am not exaggerating) of mullet fish jumping and flying out and across the water. I have never seen anything like it before. I had no clue what was going on. The waitress told us that the Jack fish was trying to eat the Mullet fish so they were trying to get away! It was so crazy to watch! Every couple of seconds you would see this huge wall of fish and water coming at you! Some fish even landed on the dock and had to be thrown back in!

We walked back to the Hotel and were given some free time to do whatever we liked. I went to the pool and swam. I then attempted to read but quickly fell asleep due to my insomnia the night before! I woke up after my nice cat nap and showered. We made plans to meet in the Lobby at 5:30pm to do a little "get to know you" exercise.

We all met in the lobby and we played a couple of games that were fun. First we all sat in a circle. Each person was supposed to say their name and three facts/info about ourselves. I can't remember everything I said but I do remember that the last fact I said was that I was the youngest person on the trip! It was funny because then another team member on his turn ( I think it was Ed) said, "and I am not the youngest person on the trip". The other game was that we had to each write down a fact about ourselves that no one/or not many people knew. Then, we each had to pick a piece of paper and read the fact aloud. Then, you had to guess who that fact belonged to. Some people got theirs right away. Others were much harder. Overall, it was a fun game and a good "ice breaker" to learn something about everyone.

Harriett made a point and asked that we all try to get to know people/team members we don't already know. Many people had been to Haiti together before, were friends, or went to church together. Harriett said that it was important for us to know everyone because we would become a family on this trip. One of the "rules" was that we had to sit next to someone we didn't know as well, and that we had to sit next to someone different at each meal. I was glad that she talked about that because knowing me, I would have sat next to the same people I knew well and would not have stepped out of my comfort zone.

After our meeting, we walked to a local Italian restaurant called Georgio's. Of course Chris was friends with the owners and suggested it! I walked side by side with Julie. I had never met Julie before and she joined our team about two weeks before we left. Julie is from Mount Pleasant, SC. She was a nurse ten years ago and currently is a stay at home mother. She is very involved in her church and is ever-growing in her faith. For her, this trip was most definitely a call from God. At this time she had been experiencing some major turmoil in her life. I was and continue to be amazed at her strength and was in awe of her complete and total trust in the Lord. I was so happy to have the opportunity to talk with her and it made me even more excited about the trip knowing that we were going to Haiti together. Julie truly is an amazing woman and I am proud to call her my friend and sister in Christ!

We had a great "last supper" (our last meal before getting to Haiti). I sat next to Brian and across from Harriett. Brian is a wonderful christian man. I had never met him before this trip. He works as a Veterinarian Technician at one of Ed's Vet Clinics. He is a family man who is very involved with his church. Brian actually is the song leader/choir director at his church. Brian has a fabulous sense of humor and always keeps me laughing! I was glad I had the opportunity to sit next to Brian and get to know him a little better. This was actually Brian's second trip to Haiti, but he never actually made it to Lotore for clinic ( I will explain more about this later).

It was nice for me to sit across from Harriett so I could ask her a zillion questions. I still did not really know what was going on even though we were on our way. Harriett was so sweet and gracious to answer all of my questions and trying to easy my anxiety! Harriett and her husband Stoney have been making trips to Haiti since the beginning. These mission trips are very important to them and they absolutely love doing them. You can see the joy they receive by going on these trips. They are a wonderful christian couple who have answered the call on their lives to serve others. I am honored to know them and thought of it as a privilege to be able to experience my first Haiti trip with them.

After dinner we walked back to the Hotel to get some shut eye. We had a big day ahead of us! It was really nice to have that day of travel and fellowship before we made it to Haiti. I was so exhausted that I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the fluffy pillow. Thank you Lord for this day; for safe travel and the team!

And we're off!!!

2009-06-11T03:34:00.001-04:00

Haiti Mission Team Members October 2008!
Harriett
Stoney
Billy
Dave,
Mandy
Ed
Matt
Chris
Brewster
Brian
Leslie
Julie
Cynthia
Laura
Me

Wednesday, October 8th, 2008
Now this day actually never started because I never fell asleep from the night before! I was soooo excited and nervous that I did not get a wink of sleep. The thing I was most worried about was my bag. I had packed and repacked at least ten times making sure I had everything. I was so scared that I would forget something or that my bag was going to be too heavy. Of course I was anxious about the trip too!
I finally got out of bed at 4:55 am and started getting ready and pack yet again! My Dad offered to take me to the airport. He is so sweet considering I had to be at the Myrtle Beach Airport by 6 am. Dad actually called my cell phone at 5:18am and said "I am outside and ready to go when you are." I rushed to get everything together and gave Dad my bags to load up the car. I then said goodbye to my Mom, my dog Pebbles and our family dog Belle.

Dad and I had a nice slow trip to the airport. We stopped at a gas station and Dad bought me two scratch off lottery tickets, hey you never know! Well, I didn't win anything. I was too nervous to eat or drink anything at this point for fear of vomiting it all up later! (Sorry if that was too much information, you'll get used to that soon if you don't already know me!) FYI: I get car sick/air sick very easily. I keep Dramamine in business! Dad and I were actually the first people to arrive at the airport. As we were unloading my bags and walking into the terminal I saw Gary and Laura! Gary and Laura are dear friends of mine and we go to the same church. Laura was coming with me on the trip (which I was super excited about) and Gary was dropping her off.

Dad insisted on staying with me in the terminal until I was literally on the plane, just kidding. He did stick around to meet the entire team just to make sure I wasn't going with a whole bunch of crazy people! Apparently he was pleased with the team and gave me his blessing! Dad helped watch bags, carry things, etc. I know Dad was nervous about me going on this trip (especially considering the fact that the last trip was cancelled due to violence, etc.) he just wanted me to be safe. He's a Dad, it's his job! It made me feel really special that he stuck around to make sure I was okay! Thanks Dad, I love you!

Soon all of the team members arrived. It started getting a little crazy trying to keep us and all of our luggage in place as well as everyone else that was traveling that day. I just decided that the best thing for me to do was to stay out of the way until someone told me to do something. Remember, I had never done this kind of thing before, so I had no clue what was going on.

Harriett took on the role as our fearless leader. She has been on so many trips to Haiti she has lost count. She was responsible for all of the planning, flights, communication; pretty much everything I would never have thought about to do. Harriett is amazing! Harriett asked for all of our passports so we could get checked in to the airline. We received our boarding passes and then they started weighing our bags! My bag fit the measurements perfectly but they didn't even weigh it!!! My bag was totally fine, all of that stress for nothing!

I then officially said goodbye to Dad and we made our way through security. We had no problems what so ever, yeah! Once we made it to our gate people bought some coffee, drinks, breakfast, etc. Before we knew it, it was time to board. I got on the plane and was able to handle my luggage fine. I carried on a book bag and then my carry-on wheeled duffel bag. I got a window seat and sat next to Matt and Laura! All I knew about Matt before this trip was that he went to church and was an emergency room doctor. I know that is pathetic, but this gave us the opportunity to get to know one another better. I was so glad I got to sit next to him!

The flight was fine but I didn't feel the greatest the entire time. Even though I took my Dramamine before the flight, my tummy was not very happy! No worries, I did not have any upchucking! Anyway, we made it to Fort Lauderdale, Florida (FTL)!! We claimed all of our bags, they made it! Praise God! We were going to stay in FTL overnight to then catch the very first flight to Port-Au-Prince, Haiti (PAP) in the morning.

The Team waiting for the shuttle

Brewster taking pictures, of course!

Look at all of our luggage/supplies!

Harriett, Billy, Stoney, and Leslie stayed at the airport to speak to the airline we were flying on in the morning to try and convince them to let us check more than one bag a piece. While they were trying to work their southern charm, the rest of the team took a shuttle to the hotel. We arrived at the hotel around 10:30am but they told us that we could not check in until 3pm. We hung out in the lobby and were able to store all of our big supply boxes in an unused conference room. Soon the group that stayed at the airport arrived at the hotel to tell us that they were not successful. Oh well. Of course Harriett came to the rescue and worked her magic, we were able to check in extra early!!
My carpal tunnel is getting bad, so I have to stop. I hope to finish up the first day on the next post. Peace!

Support

2009-06-11T02:45:00.000-04:00

Some of you may be wondering, "How much does it cost to go to Haiti on a mission trip?". Well, each trip is a little different in price, mainly because of airline tickets. The trips can range anywhere from $1000-$1500 a person. This amount includes travel expenses, food, lodging, transportation, interpretors and much more. Again, you may be asking, "How could Carrie afford this?".

When I was planning my first trip (originally in April 2008) I did not have a "grown-up" job. Therefore, I prayed that with enough support financially, I would be able to go. I sent out a letter to many of my friends and family asking for donations. I was overwhelmed with the amount of support and encouragement I received in response to my letter! Not only did I receive funds for my trip, but people also sent me cards and letters that were filled with love and well wishes. I was in awe at the amount of support I received. Because of such gracious and wonderful people, I was able to raise enough money for my trip!!! What is even more exciting is that I was able to use the money for my first AND second trip!! God is so good!

I realize I am so blessed to have such a wonderful support system, not only financially, but emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually as well! I know that all things are possible with God and those who believe in him. If it is God's will, then there is a way. I am so grateful to all of the people who have and continue to support me. I cannot list names individually because this post will never end. You all know who you are! Many thanks to all! With your support, you have helped me answer God's call on my life. THANK YOU!!!!

Preparation

2009-06-07T11:56:00.000-04:00

Before I could officially leave on my first mission trip, I needed to be prepared.

Thanks to our fearless leader Harriett, she formed this list of things to bring/pack:

-picture of you with family that you don't mind leaving
-Passport and copy
-copy of medical license
-back pack
-bedding (sheet, blanket, sleeping bag, or hammock)
-towel and wash cloth
-flashlight or headlight
-water bottle
-hat
-sunglasses
-comfortable shoes, water shoes, flip-flops
-Ladies-conservative dress or skirt for trip to PAP and church
-Men-long pants and collard shirt for trip to PAP and church
-scrubs-for clinic
-shorts and t-shirts at compound or after clinic at Lotore
-sweatshirt (for warmth at night)
-bathing suit
-hand sanitizer
-ear plugs
-wipes
-snacks
-sunscreen
-insect repellent
-bring something garnet and black in defense of the the growing sea of orange (USC vs. Clemson)
(I will explain this in more detail later)

You will definitely need:
A sense of humor and a sense of adventure!

I was told to pack all of my clothes/belongings in Ziploc or plastic bags. Why you may ask? Because there is dust everywhere! Specifically in Lotore there is red clay/dirt. So, everything that is exposed (i.e. not in plastic bags) gets a nice dusting or red clay!

Before we left I received all of my vaccinations which included Tetanus, Hepatitis A, Polio, Typhoid, Hepatitis B, Malaria, and made sure I had all of my other routine vaccinations completed before we left.

I packed and repacked so many times to assure that I had absolutely everything I needed!
Now all that I was actually responsible for was my own personal stuff. I have not even mentioned all of the supplies that go with us. Again, this was something I had no clue about. There is such much equipment/medication that travels with us. Each doctor is responsible for their own supplies. Of course everyone works together to make sure that everyone has what they need. All of the medications are provided by our team/doctors, out of their own pocket. Some of them are able to get discounts through different organizations, but still, that is a huge expense! I guess I just thought there was some special fund that paid for all of this ( I live in a bubble). Women from our church got together to individually bag up all of the medication that we were to hand out during clinic, a huge undertaking!

We were scheduled to fly with a specific airline that will not be mentioned! This airline changed their bagging regulations and we found out that we were limited to only one checked bag per person! We couldn't even pay for an extra bag. Plus, each bag had to be 50lbs or less! The team decided that each person would carry-on their own personal belongings which had to meet the airlines carry-on regulations and had to be 40lbs or less. That allowed us to check 15 bags because we had 15 team members. Of course this was a little bit of a set back, but everyone foraged ahead for our mission!

Okay, I am packed! I have everything I need! I am ready to go!

All in Gods time

2009-06-06T21:39:00.000-04:00

I am amazed how God truly does have a plan for us. I thought I was going to go on this life-changing expedition to Haiti, but MY plans did not work out. As I mentioned in my previous post, we were supposed to leave for our Haiti trip, but it was cancelled the night before! Praise God that we listened to him and did not go because it was not HIS plan. Now looking back, I was not even remotely prepared to go when I thought I was.

So, I officially became a nurse and about a week later I had my interview for my dream job; to work at a local hospital on the Labor/Delivery and Post-Partum unit. Praise God, I was offered the job and of course I accepted! I started orientation about a week after that. Everything felt like it was coming into place for me, finally!

I shortly found out the name of the nurse that was supposed to be my preceptor (orienter), Cynthia. That is all I knew, I had never met her or anything. One day at church, I ran into one of the Haiti team member veterans, Dr. Mandy. I was asking her questions about when the next trip was scheduled, what were the plans, etc. She told me that it was looking like we were going to go in October. She told me a couple of people who were planning on coming. She said that there was a nurse at the same hospital I worked at that was interested in going. I asked her what the nurses name was and she said, "CYNTHIA". I about died. It was the same exact person that was supposed to be my preceptor!!! Lets just say that I got chills!

On my first day of work, I met Cynthia. We immediately had a connection because we knew we were planning on going to Haiti together in October. Again, I am in awe of Gods plan and his timing! He is always on point! Cynthia is a wonderful Godly woman who is very kind and has a gentle and caring spirit. She is also very calm and patient (very much the opposite of me, so I needed her). She taught me everything I know, well maybe not everything, but all the good stuff! I had a wonderful experience orienting under Cynthia. We worked together for about 8 weeks, so we had a good indication of how well we would work together in Haiti. Cynthia and I talked about our upcoming trip probably everyday we worked together. Lets just say we were so excited!

Up next....
The actual first trip to Haiti! We finally made it!

The First Trip...or so I thought

2009-05-25T01:18:00.000-04:00

I went to my first Haiti Mission Trip meeting at one of the "founders" homes. There were a few people at the meeting that I already knew from church, but there were a couple of new faces also. I was nervous and excited to hear all about the adventure I was getting myself into. Everyone that was at this meeting (except me) had been to Haiti before, so they all knew what was going on (I didn't have a clue). I just sat there smiling and trying to keep up. I was hearing all kinds of different stories and scenarios about past trips. Some of the stories were sad, others a little scary, but the majority of them were hilarious! I knew right then that this was a great group that I wanted to be a part of.

Since I was the only "outsider", I needed a little bit more of the basic information. I needed to know exactly where we were going and what was going to be expected of me ( I had no clue, again!). Our fearless leader and veteran (team member that has been to Haiti multiple times), better known as Ariett, filled me in on every detail there was. She has been to Haiti many times and is a wonderful christian woman.

One thing I quickly learned with planning a trip to Haiti is that nothing, I mean nothing is ever 100% certain. By that I mean that we have no control over the weather, the political situation, or airline schedules. One day the dates for our trip are "planned", then the next day they are changed again. Sometimes it is frustrating, especially when people have work/family things scheduled. I have now learned that this is all part of the experience. It gives me the opportunity to say "Okay God, you are in control. I trust that if this is your will, then it will be done". I have now adapted my Haitian way of thinking, let things happen and just go with the flow.

After about 3 meetings, it was finalized, my first trip to Haiti! We were scheduled to leave in mid April of 2008. I was prepared (so I thought), I had raised all of my funds through donations from family members and friends, bought and packed all of my supplies and was ready to go.

Well, like I said before, nothing is ever certain. Two days before we were supposed to leave for our trip there was a political uprising. The price of food had been raised in Haiti and the people were protesting. The people of Haiti were angry because they couldn't afford to feed their families. (I may not have all of the details 100% correct, so please forgive me if I say something wrong.) I read an article online during this time that people were eating mud cookies (mud that had been shaped in the form of cookies and baked in the sun). People were so hungry they were literally eating dirt!! My heart was breaking for the people of Haiti. Here is a link to an article and video about the protests. http://www.nowpublic.com/world/haiti-protests-food-shortages-5-dead,
Video: Click on the 7th video box on the left side of the screen.
http://video.google.com/videosearch?sourceid=navclient&rlz=1T4GPEA_enUS290US291&q=haitian%20protesting&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wv#

Due to the violent demonstrations (i.e. burning cars/homes, looting, setting up fire barricades in the roads, shootings, etc.) our team met the night before we were supposed to leave and decided that we should cancel the trip. We all wanted to go desperately, but knew that it was not safe for us to go. I felt really bad for the team members who had shut down their entire businesses for the week and now they weren't even going!

At this time, I had not become a registered nurse yet. I was babysitting for different families and studying to take my boards. So, once the trip had been cancelled, it gave me the opportunity to study even more. On May 9th, I took and passed the NCLEX (exam for my nursing license)!! Now I was even more official and knew that when the next trip to Haiti was planned, I was going as a NURSE!

Here we go...

2009-05-22T02:05:00.000-04:00

It is official... I started a blog! I am excited and nervous at the same time! I hope that everyone enjoys my stories and experiences about my mission trips to Haiti. I pray that this blog will allow those who have never been to Haiti, or on any other mission trip for that matter, to understand how important these trips are to me and all the other team members involved.

My sister started a blog of her own a while ago and I quickly became intrigued. I probably check her blog at least two times a day to see if she posted something new! She gave me the idea to start this blog. She told me that she almost started the blog for me on her own because I wasn't taking the bait. I thought it was a good idea, but I never thought it would be something I could actually do. Well, here I am. I started it. Now what? Oh right...I am supposed to tell you all about my love for Haiti!

Well, for as long as I can remember, I have always had a heart for mission work. I grew up knowing I was going to be a nurse, that way I could minister to and serve others. I remember going to church and hearing different missionaries speak of their experiences, I was blown away and knew immediately that this was what I was supposed to do. I was so excited! I always had the desire to do missions, but the time never seemed right. I went to College for four years and then nursing school for two more. Finally when I graduated nursing school, I knew my time had come! Time for mission work! (That may seem silly because you do not have to go to a different country to do mission work, you can do things right here in your own backyard.) I knew that I was called to do missions in other countries. I first thought that I was going to go to Africa, but that obviously was not where God wanted me to be because he brought me to Haiti!

After church one Sunday, I spoke to one of the mission team members expressing my desire to do mission work and that I would like to come to one of the trip planning meetings to get a feel for things. I went to my first planning meeting not really knowing what I was getting myself into, but I was excited to see where it would go.

I think this is a good ending spot for my first blog. I am afraid to make it too long, but I have so much to say!!! Next time, I will fill you in on my first scheduled trip.