Haiti - Day 2

For the love of DEET!

Our mosquito-swarmed team was split into three today!

One team joined an MMU (mobile medical unit), and the other two teams had SVT (Strategic Village Time) in the town of Source Matelas [pronounced “Seuss Maht-la”].

The MMU team set up camp in a local church, and gave free medical assistance, diagnoses, and prayer. Sweat-soaked and cheerful, the stories our nursing crew brought back would move you to tears.

Peter told us of a 10-year-old girl who was his first patient. Her hair was red, a common sign of malnutrition. Her illnesses were many, at the end of their conversation, he discovered she was recently orphaned and living on the streets. Ten years old.

And this was his first patient.

All in all, they gave care to (and prayed with) over 160 people, in partnership with local doctors and the pastors of the church.

In the next town over, SVT groups were paired up with translators and Village Champions and sent out into the neighborhoods. What’s a Village Champion? Glad you asked. It’s a pretty awesome program. Village Champions are native Haiti residents that are paid by Mission of Hope to serve as full-time pastors and advocates to the communities. Absolutely brilliant. And it works, too. The people in these homes lit up whenever our VC walked in.

At each home we encountered, we took a small census. We asked them about their families, their stories, their homes, their health, and their spirituality. And they asked us about ours. Then we gave them hygiene packets (soap, washcloth, toothpaste, toothbrush), and showed them how to use them, and (with permission) we ended our conversations with prayer.

Our conversations were NOT quick, though. The goal for SVT isn’t primarily information. It’s connection.

As we talked to them, their children tackled us, braided our hair, used us as climbing walls, stole our glasses, and filled our phones with selfies.

So. Many. Selfies.

Each house was unique. Some had cement floors, some had only dirt.

Some had block walls, some had tin, and some had merely sticks and tarps.

Some had water. Some shared a pump with a neighbor. Some had none.

Some had a designated latrine, while some left their owners using the corner of the yard. Or the street.

And I’m upset because one of my toilets (plural) at home leaks a little

Each family, each person had a different story, and they were eager to share it. But as the day went on, we noticed a trend. Not in the stories, but in the prayers.

Whether we met them in the neighborhood or in the makeshift church clinic, we discovered that every person asked us to pray for…

Health (for them or a loved one)

Kids (to grow up well and learn)

Provision (for food or shelter)

Guidance (to make good choices)

Protection (from the elements or enemies)

I don’t know about you, but that sounds an awful lot like the prayer requests I hear back home. From my church kids. From their parents. From my park families. From my own lips.

Strip away the walls we all live in:

whether they be brick or board,

tin or tarp,

drywall or dirt,

and we’re all still looking for the same things.

It ALSO sounds a lot like the prayer that Jesus told us to pray 2000 years ago.

Hmmm…

We ended tonight with a whole lot of reflection and a little bit of worship. We were definitely better rested today, thanks for the prayers & shout outs. Keep ‘em coming!

As always, thank you for supporting us on our trip! We couldn’t have done it without you!