So we were up early this morning preparing for my flight to Cap Haitian, ready to leave by 6am, and if you are at all familiar with Haiti and the Haitian concept of time you know that there really is not one. And if there is a possibility that something could go wrong, it will be sure to do that at the last minute. So two of the vehicles refused to start right when we were needing to leave this morning. And before I had spent time in Haiti this would have had me stressing but after having now spent three weeks in Haiti, one learns to adopt the laid back Haitian attitude. I really hope that this is something that sticks with me because it is much better and much healthier than stressing out over every little thing. It really and truly does take a lot to get a Haitian individual stressed out. To cut that story short, I did make it to the airport with plenty of time to spare and flew to Cap Haitian on the smallest plane ever! Sara's(my dear friend) dad was there to greet me when I arrived and I must say I am staying at what most be the most beautiful place in all of Haiti, the Mont Joli Hotel. Sara's father manages the Mont Joli hotel and has made me to feel like I was part of the family from the moment I arrived. It is what one might classify a resort...I think they might even have hot water! And it is the weirdest thing to have air conditioning, honestly I think I now prefer no air conditioning after having gone all this time without it. I must also admit that moving from a mission mindset to more of a tourist mindset has and continues to be a very difficult transition.
I have already made some new friends from Tennessee here at the hotel. They too invited me to join their medical group for this week but the timing as far as flight coordination did not allow for it. We did however walk the streets of Cap Haitian today on our way to the Hospital(to fill prescriptions for those in the pediatric ward) and it really was an experience in itself. Most of the time in Port au Prince I have been in the back of a truck as we traveled but to be actually walking and interacting with the people around town was really neat. Hospitals here in Haiti are so different than those back home. If you are fortunate enough to have access to one of the few hospitals in Haiti, when you arrive you are placed in a big room with all the other patients and when the doctor treats you they write out a prescription though they know that most of the people will not be able to have that prescription filled. This aspect is not all that different than healthcare at home but for most of the people here, insurance of any kind is unheard of. Which in turn brings up the point, why go at all? What if it were not for people like this who answered God's call to serve and help the people that find themselves in such a bind? It is just unfathomable to me to see God work in such amazing ways. There are over 40,000 missionaries currently serving in Haiti! How can anyone even doubt that we serve a powerful God? What else can explain so many people uniting and sacraficing to such a degree? I continue to be amazed at how God is working and ministering to His people in Haiti. "We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God-those whom He has called according to His plan." (Romans 8:28) I pray that He continues to call people to serve and minister to the suffering Haitian people so that they might come out of this tragedy stronger than ever and rooted in His Word and His promises.
Above is a photo of my room here in OCap and the view from my window...gorgeous!
No comments:
Post a Comment