Hopeful in Haiti – 4 Months after the Earthquake
Never have I been SO ready for a missions trip as I was the week of May 15-21, 2010. Knowing the outcome from a week of spending time with the Lord, serving, giving, sacrificing, being blessed, blessing others, being out of your comfort zone, receiving new comfort, being tried and found fulfilled, seeing devastation and reward, being at your highest and your lowest – I knew the raw, deep, exciting experience I was in for. But at the same time, I was ready for this week because I needed some direction, clarification, peace, rest, challenge, truth and most of all - renewed sensitivity. And indeed, as always, I was blown away after an amazing week in Haiti.
Twenty five people made up the largest team I have ever flown with – 7 Oklahoma University women’s basketball players, 2 coaches, 2 scout players, 2 team managers, a team doctor, a mission’s pastor, and 10 volunteers. Because of my previous experience with the pastor and my basketball background, I was privileged to join the team, and from the beginning was excited to meet so many new people and serve alongside them.
The first observance of hope I saw in Haiti, was our plane filled with doctors and volunteer teams from all over the United States. I met strangers interested in what we were doing and excited to go serve as well. A plastic surgeon sat next to me from Houston, TX who had traveled to Haiti before the earthquake several times to perform cleft lip and palate surgeries for people in need. He and a team of doctors had not been back since the earthquake and were anxious to return and help. As I looked around the plane, I saw firsthand many Americans with hearts eager to do whatever possible for those less fortunate.
Upon arrival, the first thing that hit us was the humidity and heat. The airport was quite a site and I could not help but think of all the news articles I had read about the condition it must have been in after the quake hit. We stood in a warehouse of sorts, soaked in sweat, wondering how on earth we were supposed to get our bags. Thankfully, after an hour we found all of our bags and somehow made it to the street where Haitians surrounded us screaming to take our luggage. Mass chaos could be the best way to describe the 2 block walk to a school bus where we were greeted by begging children who only knew how to say “dollar” in English.
While I have seen poverty in third world countries before, nothing prepared me for the tent cities around the airport and along our drive to the mission. Thousands of tents inches apart, with no room for ventilation or privacy. You can only imagine the disease, hunger, and needs living there. These tent cities provided a whole new face to poverty that did not allow me to dismiss the images as if I had already witnessed something similar in other countries. Poverty touched my heart at a new level and it made me ache for those living and existing in it.
About 10 miles outside the capital city, we approached a hillside that served as a mass grave for 250,000 bodies that were killed by the earthquake. Not the sight, but the smell was the sense that made all of us stop in our tracks. We stared in disbelief as we couldn’t even imagine a number that large. Once again, the reality of it brought a new sense of awareness that we were there to serve these people who had suffered through so much.
The following day we ventured into Port au Prince. Again, I was unprepared for the devastation. It seemed in some areas that the earthquake had happened the day before. Piles of debris were on every street corner and while some structures stood intact, the next building would be complete rubble. We were told over 60,000 bodies are still believed to be under the debris unable to be reached or rescued. This served as another reminder that these people needed hope.
We were blessed all week to be accompanied by the Mission of Hope’s director, his daughter, and a local Haitian that survived the earthquake. Rueben had been sitting in class in Port au Prince, when the quake hit. As the ceiling and walls caved inward, he was the only one of several that survived from a 50+ class. Trapped for two hours, he told us of the struggle he had with God as classmates around him lost their lives. He told us of the wreckage and the desperation that followed and how through it all he only became more convinced of God’s love and provision. He encouraged us to realize that life is short and yet so worth living. Rueben challenged us to know exactly what we are living for and why we are here on this Earth. He moved us all by his testimony and it was a privilege to spend all week with him as he translated and shared his heart for a revival in the country of Haiti.
All week we spent the majority of our time at the Mission of Hope. We played with and held the 63 orphans who live on site. We spent time with 1300 school children from neighboring villages while hosting basketball camps and games. We also moved donated medical supplies while assisting the staff with whatever needs they had. The clinic now has a prosthetic lab and one of my favorite things to do was visit with the patients in rehab who had a leg amputated. Most of the girls were my age and were the happiest people I’ve ever met. I couldn’t help but want to be around them and although we couldn’t speak the same language, we were still able to communicate and have a great time. They taught me a little Creole and I taught them some English. One of the girls was pregnant with her second baby and was about 6 months along. I sat there and couldn’t imagine all that she had been through. I was amazed that she was so thankful and happy to be there, sitting in a 100 degree tent, waiting to get an artificial leg. I think that is what drew me to them… the wonder of their experience and their happiness through it all. God was reflected through them and it was such a blessing for me to spend time with them. One day I got to play “Santa” and take some extra donations around to each of the girls in the prosthetic lab. I gave each of them 10 bars of motel size soap, and the entire experience seemed unreal as I received the most sincere thank yous. This was definitely one of the highlights of the trip that will forever stay with me.
After seeing the poverty and devastation in Haiti, I can honestly say that I left the country HOPEFUL- the most hopeful I have ever felt after ending such a trip. The people of Haiti are desperate for revival and it is evident on their eager faces which have experienced so much turmoil. Furthermore, it seems the earthquake has also been somewhat of a blessing in disguise- as an overwhelming amount of attention, volunteers, and funds have been donated to the country. People are waking up to the needs in Haiti and change is on its way. Leaving the country, I knew without a doubt that leaders were rising up with a vision and dream for the future that the Haitians also believed in and wanted themselves. Our team was so blessed to be a part of this vision, if only for a week. It was truly a great feeling to be excited for the future for these wonderful people!
All in all, the trip was unforgettable and I really valued getting to spend it with the group. Most of the OU girls had never been on such a trip, and watching them give their hearts away while being moved and impacted was such a treasure. We were all able to become great friends through the experience and I’m excited to get OU tickets this season and watch while they repeat a Final Four trip!
Thank you to every single one of you who offered encouragement for this trip! I could not have done it without the support of my family and friends who lifted us up in prayer and gave financially so this trip could be possible. Some of you were just as excited as I was for the trip and I have had several people tell me that they would love to go out and do the same soon. What a blessing! Again, thank you so much for making this trip happen! Trips like these continue to shape me as a person and help me realize how truly blessed I am. And with this blessing, I feel called to give and serve. Thank you for making that possible.
It's south of Norman, actually in Goldsby, OK and is famous for fried catfish! So you know what my meal consisted of? Fried okra, fried catfish, and mashed potatoes with gravy! SOOO yummy! With live music and a great group of friends, how can you not love it?!? And then to follow up the great food, we hit up JR's... and when I say JR's, I mean a country honkey-tonk like you've never seen! Last night was only the second time I've ever been there, but the place is unforgettable! With a gravel parking lot, a tin shack, neon lights, and karaoke, it's straight out of a country song. Both times I've been there fights have happened in the parking lot and my eyes have been opened to a whole new world! But it's always a blast and it was definitely a country night to remember!
