Hands and Feet of Christ

     Today's journey led us into the mountains of Haiti to a remote medical facility led by a father, two sisters and their families, a newly arrived family from Kentucky, and about 120 Haitians that are employed and taught to give medical care to the thousands that have visited the facility since it's beginning in the 1990's. The facility was expecting to see about 180 patients today, deemed as a slower day by those we spoke with.
There was much to see as we toured the old buildings that do not resemble what I think of as a health care facility in US standards. There were two rooms in particular that stay in my mind that I feel like I should share with you.
     The first was referred to as an emergency/procedure room by one of the sisters who is a nurse. She has dedicated that past 17 years of her life to this area of Haiti; learning the needs of the residents and how to teach/provide, or assist in finding assistance for their health disparities. I am a nurse by background and could not resist asking about the most difficult procedure that is preformed in the room. The nurse looked at me. She said that it is not a physically difficult procedure, rather emotionally, mentally, and spiritually difficult to remove the rotting eyes of children and adults which is caused by basic vitamin deficiencies. So easily preventable. Vitamins are the biggest need at this facility.
     The second room is an intensive care unit for babies and children. No monitors. No IV pumps. Just cots lined up with listless little ones being looked after by caring Haitian women. All of the children struck me. The first I noticed while staring into the room was a small child that whimpered with each effort he made to move his tiny body. The nurses did not know the story of this little boy, only that he was brought in and severely malnourished. His arms, skin attached to bones. His abdomen, grossly protruding. His legs, peeling and swollen. A feeding tube in his nose. This little boy is in such a state of malnourishment that his cells have begun to break down due to lack of protein. The gravitational pull of the fluid that has escaped his breaking down cells led to such severe swelling in his tiny legs that his skin has stretched to maximum capacity and is now breaking and peeling. We were told that this little one has been being treated for a few weeks and is not responding well. The staff continue to pray and care for him to the best of their ability, but there is a high likelihood that his small body will stop fighting to hold on and he will become another that was treated too late.
     I couldn't help but feel like I need to do more to help these children and adults. I am a nurse, but do not feel prompted at this time to leave my Minnesota life to live in the hills of Haiti. What's wrong with me? In reality, there is nothing wrong with me not feeling prompted to live in Haiti. It would not be fruitful, nor the intention of God, for everyone with a medical background to live at a health care facility in remote village. God has created us in such diversity that we are all called to be the hands and feet of Christ by using our unique gifts that have been provided through Him.  Each of us is called to help those in need in some way... financial backing, supply donation, networking skills, or prayer would help to provide for the Haitian people and are all extremely important.
     How thankful I am for the diversity of God's people and that through Him we are each equipped to love and care for one another. The question I now need to ask myself is in what ways has God equipped me to act on behalf of Him to care for those in need and how am I using or possibly wasting His gifts.

Thank you for your prayers, thoughts, support, and time reading this blog.
Danyell