Haiti Day 2

I received a warm welcome from the staff today. They have prayer and worship at 7:30 every morning before work. They pray for the nation, the patients, and the work that they are doing in the clinic. I prayed and worshiped along with them  and have been invited to join them every morning before work. They sing of the same hymnals that we use at my church at home.

In some ways Haiti is different and yet so similar to home: the food, the singing, the language, and the good natured humor reminds me of my home church. But the infrastrucre and the regular black outs are different...

 I told the staff that I only speak Creole no French, no one seemed to mind. One staff member tried to speak to me in English and was told to stop putting on aires and speak Creole. This made me laugh. He is apparently the chatter box of the team. I have been introduced to everyone but I am so bad with names that I will have to be more attentive when people are spoken to so as not to insult anyone by failing to call them by name.

I worked with a doctor today that was exceptional. I later learned that he also teaches at the medical school, which may explain why he is such a great teacher. He was so patient with me and explained everything to me. He evern allowed me to examine patients and asked me what my questions to acertain what I knew.

I shared my plans to work and teach medicine in Haiti with him. I wondered if he thought they were feasable, apparently I have nothing to worry about. So I am going to focus learning as much as I can  in medical school and leave the rest to God.

This is truely an amazing experience. And to think that I have only been here for 2 days!  

Haiti Day 1

I made it! I feel like I am coming home....to the mother land!

I got to the airport in Miami super early and met the undergraduate student from Duke who will be working as a team outside of Port-au-Prince. I recongnized one of the students from my time at Duke. I met another student who happens to be the president of the organization I started while I was an undergrad: The Haitian Student Alliance. Wow, they are really doing well.

The flight to Haiti was short and safe. We then were taken to a nearby hotel to eat and clean up before going our seperate ways. On the ride over, I couldn't help smiling whenever I saw something that reminded me of my previous trip or something I read about Haiti. The Haitian in me was contented and the cultural anthropologist in me was having a field day! There is something about Haiti that makes my heart skip a beat. I think its love :-D 

Of all the places I have been, India is the only other place that reminds me of Haiti. One of these days I am going to sit down and parce out what it is about India that makes me think of Haiti and vice versa.

I was given a hand held phone and dropped off at the Haitian Outreach Ministires (HOM) compound/guest house (which is steps away from the main clinic I am workign in) and told that I would be in good hands. I was honored that I would be given so much freedom as compared to the undergrads. I was also surprised at myself for not being more anxious about being left alone to navigate a new environnment that seemed to be in the middle of nowhere given the winding off road path we took to get to HOM.

As God would have it, I truley am in a safe place. I have received a warm welcome from the guest house staff and residents and can't wait to meet the staff at the clinic tomorrow.

Its my Birthday!

It a rainy cool Wednesday. I got to class a little late and I am a little unclear about what is happening in class, but life is so good. I wish I could share how good life really is.  All I can say is that God is good! 

I've had to make some difficult decisions. The last year has certainly been more difficult than I could have imagined and frustratingly so, but I think I have learned a lot about myself. I think I am well situated to learn and grow in ways I did not realize I need growing.

So, what am I thankful for and hoping for this Birthday? 

THANKFUL...

1. I am thankful for an unshakable faith in an amazing God! 
2. I am thankful for ways in which I am changing and growing as an individual and as a future physician. 
3. I am happy to be alive and loved by people that I have known all my life and people that I have only known for months. 
4. I am thankful for another year of health and access to my life's ambitions

HOPING...

1. Increased patience, discipline, and tolerance for new and different experiences 
2. More people to love 
3. Growing faith community at school 
4. Continued health 

The 7 UPs

1. Wake Up  Decide to have a good day. 'This is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.' Psalms 118:24

2. Dress Up   The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. 'The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.' I Samuel 16:7

3. Shut Up Say nice things and learn to listen. God gave us two ears and one mouth, so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking. 'He who guards his lips guards his soul.' Proverbs 13:3

4. Stand Up . . . for what you believe in. Stand for something or you will fall for anything. 'Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good...' Galatians 6:9-10

5. Look Up . . to the Lord. 'I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me'. Philippians 4:13

6. Reach Up  . . for something higher. 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.' Proverbs 3:5-6

7. Lift Up . . your Prayers. 'Do not worry about anything; instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING.' Philippians 4:6

Inspired by BREATHE

Trust in the Slow Work of God

Reposted from Journeys in Truth and Grace

Above All,

Trust in the Slow Work of God

Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything
to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way
to something unknown,
something new.
Yet it is the law of all progress that is made
by passing through some stages of instability
and that may take a very long time.

And so I think it is with you.
Your ideas mature gradually. Let them grow.
Let them shape themselves without undue haste.
Do not try to force them on
as though you could be today what time
-- that is to say, grace --
and circumstances
acting on your own good will
will make you tomorrow.
Only God could say what this new Spirit
gradually forming in you will be.

Give our Lord the benefit of believing
that his hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
in suspense and incomplete.
Above all, trust in the slow work of God,
our loving vine-dresser.

Amen.

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a French Jesuit, paleontologist, biologist, and philosopher. 1881-1955