Decompressing and processing...

Sitting in my living room with a fever from some exotic Haitian virus watching the superbowl with muscles aching, dizziness and a headache - but in the lap of luxury (three HOT showers later), I am just beginning the processing phase of mission trips - what did I accomplish? What was accomplished in me? Did I make a difference? Certainly, it was never really about me.. The amount of work to be done is astounding, overwhelming and seemingly hopeless. In my mind, I know God is bigger - in my heart I have no doubt God is bigger. I humbly resist the urge to make sense of the "why's"...who am I to presume the mind of God? The presence of God is unmistakable..and the healing of God cannot be denied. It is beyond question to me that He called me to demonstrate His love. Being there gave hope to those I attended and the team. It amazes me, that with all of our defects and shortcomings, our tendencies to struggle with doing the "right thing", He chooses us to comfort others and introduce them to an authentic, simple powerful encounter with Jesus. No pews, no hypocrasy, no judgement or secondary gain...at the end of the day it is about what He reveals of Himself to us, in His own time and for His own purposes. This time, His purpose was to be His hands and feet and voice to comfort His children. Thank you all for the steady prayers-I could not have survived without them, and certainly would not have recognized the blessing.

Home from Haiti

Thank God, Devin arrived home today! We are off to replace his phone, but will post stories later. Thank you all for the prayers and please continue to pray for that country. There are still sick, injured and dying and will be for a long time to come. I heard today at the Verge conference that we have the potential to be the closest to Jesus in our suffering, so pray for them to meet Him during theirs.

Long Day

Long day in the field: I was asked to return to the outreach makeshift clinic adjacent to the large tent city across the street from the presidential palace - now in ruins - and saw a ton of patients.  The stench is atrocious...wafting humanity without sewage, and trash strewn everywhere in the humid heat of Haiti...   Although mostly routine acute care Gyn, it was a wonderful opportunity and to pray with almost every one of the women I saw.  Their countenence changed from cold, unsettled and somewhat indifferent, to friendly and gracious and sincerely grateful for someone to care about their emotional and spiritual health more than their physical health.  Most of them were from the thousands of tents set up across the palace, and essentially all of them had been displaced and had lost loved ones and/or were injured in some way during the earthquake. They are very stoic and very resilient.. Part of our team went with our private security team into the "really bad" areas of PAP and people basically brought out their worst cases  - one dead - and they were stabilized and tranported either to us or to the hospital.

Lots of docs and nurses and supplies abound, though organization and efficiency is, as you can imagine, very limited.  Everyone here is used to being "in charge"! But gracious hearts and like-minded common courtesy abounds - prayers are being answered left and right.  We share stories of how we saw God moving in amazing and miraculous ways when we get back to the orphanage, because the overwhelming sense of the enormity of this situation can easily  get you down... We may not be able to bring hope to everyone, but we are bringing restoration and hope one person at a time...

Hands and Feet

Slept great last night. Yesterday was serving in a large makeshift clinic across street from demolished palace - mostly routine Gyn stuff , one miscarriage - lots of docs and nurses and tons of meds and supplies thank God, just not what I needed.. The acute gruesome emergencies are over and things are mostly third world medicine. Mainly everyone in need of feeling a loving hand on their shoulder. Virtually everyone I saw lost someone close to them, and no one shows it except in their vacant expression

Finding Faith in a Lost iPhone

Well, we have officially lost our link to Devin. This was his text to me today:

I lost my phone...Not real easy to retrace all my steps either...this is our team leader's phone-just needed to let you know things are fine-unbelievable destruction and resilience I love you!! Kiss all the kids!!

Very quickly, I realized where I was putting my faith. I have a small panic on simmer. As long as I could maintain contact with texts, phone calls, videos and emails, I had nothing to worry about. Now...I am worried. So much for my peace. God has successfully called out my idolization of the iPhone. That is where I was seeking comfort, not in Him. Well, I have to seek His peace now, don't I? I guess He wanted me to feel a tiny bit of what the Haitians are experiencing by shaking my world up a little. This is NOTHING in comparison, but it sure has changed my perspective of things. I am humbled and amazed by how well He knows me. I hate not being able to communicate, but still I know that God is sovereign.

I was just talking about James 1:2-4 today, but it wasn't in reference to me. Ha, ha!
It is now...

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Obviously, I lack wisdom, so if you are reading this would you please pray James1:5-6 for me?

"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault , and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."

I will post whatever info I get, but it looks like you will hear more from me than Devin. We will have to wait until he comes home for the stories, I guess. Please continue to pray for safety, perseverance, divine order, reliance on God, opportunities, and for the willingness to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit. And it wouldn't hurt if you asked God to give back the iPhone!! ;)

Catherine

Pictures

Here are some pictures that Devin has sent from his iphone. The first one is an abandoned 7 week old baby. The girls are post-op patients being cared for at the orphanage. Graceyn and her friend Kate made bracelets for them so that they knew they were being prayed for in the US. Devin gave them to them, prayed over them and showed them a video of Gracey. He said they loved it!

There is also one picture of the surgical field hospital and one of Devin's team's security. That one in particular makes me feel better!

Video 2/2/10

Devin Arrived Safely

I just heard from Devin and he has arrived safely in Port-au-Prince. They were at an orphanage where they will sleep outside in tents for tonight. They were about 1/4 mile away from the airport and he said that when the planes took off you could feel the rumble. He wasn't sure where he would be posted yet. There were several possibilities, including the Palace hospital, setting up a new hospital about an hour away in St. Mark, or traveling by helicopter to remote areas to do clinics. He sounded upbeat and excited to begin. They were just about to go out into the community, so hopefully there will be more stories later.

Thank you to everyone who has promised to pray and for keeping up with Devin's journey. He said today that he feels your prayers because he definately has peace about being there. There were a couple of doctors there who were very sick with a virus, so please pray for them as well as protection for Devin and the team of nurses with him. Feel free to pass along the blog address to anyone you think is interested, as I don't have all of the appopriate addresses.
--Catherine

Base camp

Found our way throgh the border and unbelieveabe traffic, international military convoys and not so near misses (fender bender with an 18wheeler) to our base camp in a YWAM affiliated orphanage here in Port-Au-Prince. Three possible assignments: mobile clinics in the "tent cities", treating patients in the massive clinic set up outside the collapsed presidential palace or performing surgeries in one of the standing hospitals. We'll be leeping in tents for the next few nights.

Had some long talks with some other docs (both picked up some harsh GI virus) here to get a basic idea of what major medical issues we'll be seeing.

Some major warnings: giving someone food or money in plain view of others could and has literally started a riot. Also, never get separated from your team. We have security guards, and I don't plan on testing the waters against their advice! The tram is really tired and adjusting to the climate, but those of us from Texas (with Starbucks!) are ready to go! Looking forward to seeing a few hundred patients a day very soon!

Border crossing

Blog: 4am Zzzzz ....Hello Starbucks VIA! Stir in a little Dominican Folgers and BANG!  Packed in the minibus like UT fans at the Cotton Bowl, we're headed to either Port-Au-Prince or St. Mark - about an hour from POP evidently refugees are pouring into this area and a new medical camp is needed to be  set up.   ...6 hours, and about 2,000speed bumps  later, we've finally reached the border - lots and lots and lots of huge trucks loaded with all kinds of dry goods and materials just sitting here in a bottleneck....as are we evidently.  Just another couple of hours (?) to our destination- God willing.  

Getting there..

Starbucks vs Dramamine : ZZzzzzzzz Dramamine WINS!!
My immediate team from Austin (Stephanie Brown my loyal nurse at Rennaisance, Jamy Dillon a NICU nurse from St Davids and Tammy Noel a Texas Orthopedic RN perioperative specialist ) is in expectant excitement mode - kinda like early labor ;). Everyone we meet is supportive and offers prayers and pensive smiles - thankful someone else is able to go and somehow represent their affections and desires to hold a frightened child or satisfy some dire need... We are blessed to to represent!

Leaving Tomorrow

Packing for Haiti- thank God for a supportive loving wife! ...looking forward to what God will open my eyes to, and what He will reveal in my heart. Having served in the D.R. and Middle East, I welcome the challenges ahead in the confident hope that God will provide the motivation and strength to follow through on what He has in store for me and the team of 20 from all over the country. Although I have experience with medical outreach in third world countries, I've never participated in disaster relief before. Port-Au-Prince airport is still closed, and we will fly into the D.R. and road trip many hours to Port-Au-Prince. I have very few details on when, what, where, etc. at this time - just going on faith and the knowlege that He is enough...