Barbara's friend Jane recently returned from Haiti and kindly agreed to write a short post about her trip. A huge thanks to Jane for taking time to write this, and i pray that you'll enjoy reading this as much as i have.
Haiti
The opportunity came along for me to go to Haiti with Samaritan's purse and I felt that it was God's will that I go. I was initially very excited but as it came closer to leaving, I was slightly nervous about the prospect of nursing very sick people in a foreign country. The team that I travelled with from the UK were a very inspiring bunch and we bonded immediately!
My first impressions of Haiti were that it is a beautiful country and rich in scenery surrounded by beautiful waters. However no sooner had we left the airport the reality was extreme poverty, people living in tent communities, squeezed into very limited space with bad sanitation. My work in the purpose built cholera treatment and prevention clinic was challenging but at the same time very rewarding. We were up for work every morning at 04.30 and working 12 hour shifts. Cholera is a terrible but treatable disease which strips people of their dignity. The clinic was set in the middle of a slum called Cite Soleil. This area is dangerous and Samaritan's purse is the only NGO which has ever been granted access. The area is troubled by gang warfare and the political situation is far from stable due to current elections for a new president.
I must stress that God's hand of protection was upon us the whole time. And without God, we could never have accomplished all that we set out to do. So as I return to work and life here in Ireland, I want people to see the work that God has done in the lives of the Haitians. We are only the vessels that he guides and works through.
I met so many people from other parts of the world and although we came from very different backgrounds and cultures, we all shared one common thread and that was to serve the Lord Jesus Christ by serving those less fortunate. That bond united us and enabled us to eat, sleep and work together and become good friends in Christ. It was so refreshing to meet people with such similar vision and passion for serving!
Jane
Jane
