Earthquake Reflections 2-Day 1

In many ways the second trip did not resemble the first at all. Yes the location remained the same as well as some of the Haitian staff. But......

On the first trip I reunited with many medical and missionary personal who I'd worked with on LaGonave or known since my childhood. Most but not all had Wesleyan roots. Because the clinic started up with the first group we learned as we went.

I didn't know one of the Americans or Canadians working on the Petiti Goave station. The routine of meetings, daily chores, name tags and schedule added a much stronger touch of American goal oriented attitude than in the first week. The attitude of working together and being willing to pitch in and help remained the same.

During the first week only the occasional news camera, visitor, or phone call reminded one of the outside world. An announcement at the morning meeting encouraged us to hold back a little so that when the American ambassador arrived in the early afternoon he'd see a busy well working team providing good medical care to earthquake victims.

Sunday crowds never match a weekday crowds but an announcement about vitamin distribution swelled the crowds to way more than could be handled. I remained in the back ground and prayed for a peaceful solution. The crowd and problem dissipated before the American military and Ambassador arrived.

Cory after spending some time Saturday in Port-au-Prince with the Relief International folks had been dropped off at the compound. His trip would occur the next weekend. My mom's heart swelled with thankfulness that he could spend part of Anna's 9th birthday with her.

We shook hands with the Ambassador as he was leaving and thanked many of the men with him for their service to American and in protecting Americans overseas. They reported that neither the old or new Embassies had received major structural damage. They also told us that the official death toll of Americans totaled a few dozen.

A few hundred patients received care-at no cost. Anna played with the campus kids. Eli helped pull expired medications from the pharmacy selves and count out pills into envelops already labeled for distribution. Cory used his Creole to explain to patients how to take their medications.

I helped here and there. My unique background and experiences again placed me in the role of advising to Haitian culture, medical treatment of tropical illnesses and how to treat common illnesses in Haiti. Interestingly I'm not much help in the pharmacy because I'd estimate that over half of the medications I'd not seen or prescribed ever or at least for the last 11 years. The field clinic's pharmacy contained more medications and a larger variety of medications that any hospital or clinic I'd seen in Haiti.