Those of you who know me well are aware of the mishaps that happen to me. . .most of which I know are God's way of reminding me to not take myself too seriously and to keep on laughing trough it all. My adventures in Haiti have been no exception. Here are a few of those that come to mind:
- During my first visit to Haiti we stayed in Port au Prince for a night before heading to Thiotte to do medical work. Of course the basketball junkie in me couldn't turn down an offer to play a game with some of the Haitian boys living at the house. The unfortunate consequence of the game was a blister the size of Texas on my heel. Fast-forward a week. . .I had a nasty cellulitis (skin infection) around the blister and could barely put on a shoe. A few of the docs that I was working with feared that I could have anthrax (?!?!) so I, like several of the patients, ended up with an IV and antibiotics. That being said I didn't let is slow me down too much; spent a day in a chair checking people in then got back to seeing patients.
- While in Haiti for the summer my friend Alex' brother unexpectedly died. Alex was working as my translator at the Hospital I was volunteering at and without him I was at a loss since I don't speak Creole/French. When he asked me to come with him to the funeral I didn't hesitate to accept the offer. We travelled part of the way in tap-taps; they are the mode of transportation of most Haitians. Tap-taps are usually small pick up trucks with 2 benches running lengthwise in the back. You hail a tap-tap the same way you would a taxi, and when it's time to get off you tap(tap) on the side to let the driver know you want to depart. You then pay whatever fare is determined by the driver's right hand man. After transferring from one tap-tap to another I had found a seat while Alex was paying the fare. When the tap-tap began to take off leaving Alex behind I had a moment of panic. I'm not especially a nervous person nor a nervous traveller, but I had a true moment of panic. Before I knew it I was crying. . .well bawling. . .and saying 'stop, stop, oh God, please stop' . . .I did not have the sense to tap to let the driver know to stop. With Alex running behind the tap-tap it did finally stop about 200 yards down the road. Even with Alex safely inside, and with him reminding me I looked like a fool, I couldn't get myself to stop crying.. . big, juicy tears flowed for miles. Later my Bridget Jones-esque moment did provide much laughter for the both of us during a difficult time.
I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS DONATIONS!! I'm so thankful for your support. Today I got great news from an independent pharmacy in Pittsburgh who is going to donate $500 worth of antibiotics and sell me more at cost. That is huge as much of what I anticipate encountering in Haiti is skin infections (after injuries) and diarrheal illness (due to the lack of clean water). Because of your donations I will be able to buy the medications and medical supplies needed for the trip.
Please continue to pray for those suffering in Haiti! At times when you feel helpless never underestimate your strength in lifting up another in prayer. The 6 week old infant who survived until today. . .that's a true miracle and a speaks to the power of prayer.
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