The first time I had opportunity to just play with people and make them laugh was while taking blood pressure. It became more and more evident to me how important greetings are to the Haitians. They won’t talk or look at you until you greet them. I didn’t want to just relate to them like a doctor taking their blood pressure but also as someone who seemed to care. So, I made sure to say, “Hello, how are you?” and “God bless you” in the best Creole I could manage to each person. But then still, it felt like they are patients and I’m a doctor (which I am not J). I then started making a fool of myself to make them laugh. I wanted to make it clear that I wasn’t so high and mighty that I couldn’t be laughed at. I would make weird faces and make-pretend different things for the kids. Needless to say, they would smile. 

In most of the clinics there were plenty of kids to try and entertain. One time, when we had enough people passing out clothes, I started a short soccer game with maybe six kids and soon attracted a crowd; few of which I could persuade to join us. They could all whip me, of course, but it was still fun. In another clinic, Martha (our physical therapist) and I made balloons out of rubber gloves and handed them out. This started some balloon passing games and somehow kids started multiplying. I got them doing imitation games, which consisted of dancing, clapping, running around, falling over, and making funny noises. 

One of the most amazing things about being on the mission field is the complete reliance on God. In everything that I did while in Haiti, I was forced to rely on God and that is really quite a treat. Sometimes at home, I get into the easiness of life. Stuff is always handed to me, and I try to think that I can live for God in my own strength. But in Haiti, it was just awesome to be surrounded by so many spiritual warriors and mature, passionate believers. Everything we did, we knew it was only by God’s grace.  

I also found that even though so many of the Haitians were so clearly devastated and had lost all hope, so many more had found hope, and were praising God. It was such a blessing when I encountered these people. They just had such a tangible joy about them, such a peace. It was most amazing when I was able to pray with them. They would really enter into prayer with me, praising God in Creole, and blessing me in the meantime. Their faith is so strong, and their love and hope and joy and peace are an encouragement to me.

Bigger

Situational sadness feels like a waste
Chaos and circumstance are hard to face
Pressures increase and present their case
As God steps in and redeems the chase

God in his mercy and grace on the move
More than one can imagine or simply remove 
Job and our suffering are BIGGER than we
God is the ruler over earth, man and sea

Job’s story unfolds as trial takes a hold
Trusting in God’s glory yet standing so bold 
Seeking refuge a trust in God’s BIGGER plan
This ruler of creation is in absolute command

Every good perfect gift comes from above
Remembering all things as a labor of love
Sensing my need and with so many questions
Resting in silence what appears from Heaven

Every loss and grief as reality pounds within
Immense sovereign God takes a walk to begin
Job honored by God speaks out from the storm
Redemption flows in as love heals and restores

Job replied to the LORD said thanks evermore
No plan is a thwart praise to You all the more
Good things come from You though Satan is mighty
No need to demand answers for You are the ALMIGHTY

Job 42:3 (Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version)

“You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things too wonderful for me to know.”

Trials and adversity have a way of reminding us that we are not the center of the universe. Pain has the power to point out our insufficiency. It reminds us of our naked insecurity that comes in this fallen world and the vast dependency upon the God of the universe. It forces us to depend on others, walk in humility and turn to the LORD. When suffering, sorrow and pain has thrown us a strong curve and we have nowhere to look but up, then it is in that moment that we truly see God!

Composed by Nancy Clone (Faris) Byrne on January 28, 2010 as a reflection on the purpose of suffering and to trust in the fact that God knows the BIGGER plan in our own personal lives as well as Haiti.

This poem is currently in the process of submission to the Library of Congress, therefore do not print, use and/or copy without permission. Thank you.

Video shown at the opening of the 6 o'clock news (2:24)

Andia Augustin's interview (10:24)

Andia Augustin's Skype call with Pastor Augustin and Franchette (12:46)

Even when I attended college here, all the books that I read about Haiti only talked about the constant unrest and their voodoo practice. I have met very few Christian Haitians. Most of the Haitians that I met had a very strong belief in witchcraft and voodoo. When I first heard about the earthquake, my first biased remark was "God is trying to speak to that country.” After that, I thought no more about it. I saw a couple of the pictures, heard bits and pieces on the news and left it at that. Then you had all the negative behavior that was on the news.

One day, I thought about if I should go there for relief effort. I convinced myself, “No, I would not.” One night, while at home, I received a call from Robert Rose. All he said was, "Sheena, we are going on a medical mission to Haiti and I would like you to join the team.”  I cannot express how I felt. There were no words to describe my elation!

I emailed my supervisor that night about 9:30 PM and told him that I needed to meet with him first thing the next morning. Bright and early at 7:00 AM, I was at work. All I said to him was, “Sir, I have been called and I am going.” I did not need to give him any more information. He knew right away that I was referring to Haiti. I had no reservations or fears about what I would do if another earthquake occurred while I was there. People whom I told about my upcoming trip had reservations and some tried to persuade me not to go. My answer was, “If I am called, I obey.” 

The 10 days that I spent there working with the Haitian people and seeing other parts of the country have totally changed my opinion and how I will view that country and the people. I stand guilty of accusing everyone who lives in that nation of being voodoo worshipers.  I can now say that I am wrong. I met some beautiful people there who are Christians and are willing to stand for Christ. I prayed with some of the patients I worked with and others I sent to the prayer station.

However, I will not forget one patient, Kadet Fausher, who escaped the earthquake. I saw him and when I asked if he knew the Lord, he said he no longer believed because of the earthquake. I then asked, “Who do you think protected you that you are here today?” He looked me in the eye and mumbled something that was not pleasant. I knew this because my translator became very upset. I told my translator not to worry but tell him, “that even if he did not love my God now, my God still loved and cares for him.” I looked him in the eyes and smiled.
 
With tears rolling down his face, he told my translator that he wanted me to pray for him and that he wanted to accept the Lord right there at my station. I was lost for words. I had prayed for people before and sometimes wondered if my prayer made sense.  Just looking at his face and the feeling that I had after we prayed is an experience I will never forget.

Since I have been back, I have been telling people about the Haiti that I saw, the people that I had met, and what I have learned about that country. I no longer judge them and have no reservations about joining another team on a trip there.

Initially, I left my backpack with passport and camera at the airport in the Dominican Republic. We had to return to the airport at 11:30 PM to pick up three ladies that had missed their flights. I was wiped out as it was!  Anyways, after arriving, I began to help them load their luggage onto the cart to head out to the truck.  We were twenty minutes into our drive back to our hotel when I realized I left it there.  What a shocker!  But it ended up a security guard had found it and nothing was missing. So for the whole trip one of the gals reminded me constantly to make sure I had my backpack.

I also got a burn on my forearm when the radiator reservoir blew up on the pickup truck.  As well, I got my leg scraped up when a heavy bag fell out the back door of the school bus onto it.  I had plenty of doctors and nurses to take care of me! So the Lord had everything figured out for me ahead of time!  I sure appreciated everyone’s prayers for us!  God is good.

Our team of 28 doctors, nurses and helpers arrived in the Dominican on the 14th.  We spent the night there and left the next morning at 5AM to head across country to Port au Prince.  It was a seven hour trip by bus.  We spent our first few days in Port au Prince.  The team brought lots of medicine and was able to help everyone that came through the clinics.

So, on Tuesday, we did our first medical clinic at a refugee camp in Port au Prince. The camp we set-up a clinic in is located where the epicenter of the earthquake was. The team ministered to 350 people that day.  Some of the problems included cuts, children with scabies, dehydration, mental stress from loss of family, coughs and congestion from dust inhaled, children with high fever and diarrhea.  One lady had a foot injury with open wounds and infection was setting in.

One man at the clinic had had a stroke and his left side was paralyzed.  He came to the clinic in a wheelchair.  He could just barely move with help.  Martha, a physical therapist there, took off her shoes and gave them to the man to see if that would help him walk better.  After working with him, she asked Reese, an 85 year old prayer warrior on the team, to pray for him to be healed.  After he was prayed for, he stood up and walked with a cane out of the clinic with Martha's shoes on!  Praise God!

Altogether, 1,600 some people received medical help at the five clinics we held during our week spent in Port au Prince and in the Les Cayes area.  We saw many miracles of healing take place. We saw backs healed, eyesight restored, and fevers leave children.  I, along with Reese and some others on the team, prayed for everyone that was seen in the clinics.  We would pray with them after they received the medical help.  God met us there and confirmed His word with signs and wonders!  After this, Pastor Ignace would talk with each person and ask them if they knew the Lord.  Most everyone that wasn't a Christian accepted the Lord.  282 persons accepted Jesus Christ as personal Savior!  Pastor Ignace told me that since the earthquake there have been thousands coming to the Lord through churches across Haiti. They are seeing a great revival.

We are so grateful for the hard work and dedication of all the members of the medical team.  This team of medical missionaries led by Doctor Joe Cacioppo is under the covering of International Christian Resources.  These teams travel worldwide offering their assistance.  I considered it a real privilege to be able to work alongside them.  May the Lord continue to prosper this ministry.  In the coming days, I feel they will be needed more and more.

Pastor Ignace is concerned about the needs of the people.  Rainy season is coming in April and sturdy shelters are needed as well as improved sanitation facilities.  Of course, the need to provide food and water will always be heavy on the hearts of God's people.  As you know, this situation will continue for years to come.  The media may have left the country but we cannot leave them.  I pray the Lord will always keep these people's needs foremost in our prayers. 

We arrived in Port au Prince in the afternoon somewhat late due to a student demonstration in the Dominican Republic. It was done by some students that were unhappy with the school that the government had built. We pulled up to the Presidential Palace in Haiti to see the devastation caused by the earthquake. The palace was almost totally destroyed. As we looked around the surrounding area we could see that some structures were seemingly untouched by the quake while others were in total ruins.

We were met by Pastor Ignace and taken to the OMS Guesthouse in Carfou. There was some damage by the quake there too but it did not seem to be as severe as in Port au Prince. We were given room assignments and took our bags to our rooms. Then we went to have supper. The food was very good. It consisted of beans and rice with a Creole dish with vegetables and a sauce that was mildly spicy and was very good. After supper we sang some songs and had a short briefing on what tomorrow would bring; then off to bed.

We drove through the areas affected hardest and the devastation of the downtown Port au Prince area was the worst. There was block after block of collapsed buildings. Yet every once in a while there was a lone structure that was hardly touched by the quake.

We spent two days in Port au Prince doing medical clinics and then we went to Les Cayes to do some more clinics. The farther we went from Port au Prince the less damage there was but it was apparent that a major earthquake had taken place. The roads had cracks in some places that were big enough to damage cars and trucks if they were not careful.

As we traveled to Les Cayes, I was amazed at what I was seeing. I had been led to believe that Haiti was a wasteland but what I was seeing totally contradicted what I had been led to believe. Everything I saw was green and lush. There were banana, mango, breadfruit and other fruit trees all over the countryside. We passed farms and gardens with crops in them. There were people in these fields working them and tending to them. It was obvious to me that there were many hard working people in Haiti that had an abundance of pride and were very industrious. Not only will these people overcome the earthquake but they will rise above it and rebuild Haiti into a country they can be proud of.

We arrived in Les Cayes and went about getting ready for the clinics. On the first day of clinic we went to Ducis. People were already waiting when we arrived. We treated 362 people that day and 46 of them came to JESUS. Praise GOD!! There were some people from Port au Prince in this village and some of them had suffered injuries in the quake. Our medical team may have been the only source of medical care these people would ever receive! It is so remote here that it is doubtful that anyone from the big city even knows they exist!

The people of Haiti have been neglected for decades and yet they are resilient and a hard working people. Governments come and go but the Haitian people will remain and flourish. But now they need some help and encouragement and most of all they need JESUS CHRIST!!

It’s Dr. Michael Ashby’s first day back to work at Martha Jefferson Hospital after spending 10 days treating patients in Haiti. As an emergency room doctor, he’s seen a lot, but he said he’s never seen conditions like he saw there.

“You see patients, you do what you have to do to take care of people, but afterward, it’s pretty intense,” Ashby said.

He’s had a chance to reflect on his experiences in Haiti since being back. Despite packing plenty of supplies, Dr. Ashby’s team still ran out because of all the patients that needed treatment.

“We ran out of antibiotics,” he said. “We ran out of vitamins.”

Part of the reason Haiti needs outside medical help is because their major hospitals collapsed. It hits close to home for Ashby. Many medical students died, including one who stayed with Ashby’s friend.

“One of the physicians was supporting the medical student that he lost, so that city has one fewer doctor than they would have had,” he said.

There are fewer doctors to treat the many infections associated with living in close quarters. Since the earthquake, tent cities have sprouted up, which have become breeding grounds for certain diseases.

“We saw scabies, which is a skin mite. We saw lots of diarrhea. If one person got a cold, it would spread through the community, so we were seeing lots of things with infections.” Ashby said.

He took thousands of pictures to better remember the hundreds of patients he treated. Ashby treated an elderly woman who needed care for her infected foot. It was a painful operation, but it was successful. Despite the suffering, she still managed to smile, and Dr. Ashby has a picture of the two embracing in a hug. It’s clear that neither doctor nor patient will soon forget the other.

Ashby is the vice president of medical affairs at MJH. He traveled to Haiti with a team of two dozen doctors and nurses through International Christian Resources charity out of Blacksburg.

The intensity was in every aspect. Even getting to our work sites was arduous and dangerous. With all the acrid dust blowing up in the air one could not see the car ahead us and, more dangerous, the huge holes in the road left by missing manhole covers were also invisible.

Everywhere we went we saw the effect on the people, most seemed to expect that no real help was coming. But in getting down to work we witnessed a transformation. What seemed like, at a distance, a hopeless situation, up close and personal we saw God at work. He has taken this tragedy and has used it to break the devil’s hold on this nation.

We treated 1622 patients in ten days. 282 came to a saving knowledge of Christ. We watched God miraculously heal hundreds. And we watched as He transformed the hearts of thousands, maybe a nation, from one of total despair to one of hope and peace. An elderly man came in wheelchair bound from a stroke he suffered in the quake’s aftermath. He left walking only with the occasional use of a cane. A blind woman regained her sight. A deaf man regained his hearing. Our Lord performed one miracle after another.

The most awesome was the transformation of us. We went into this totally devastated city, struck by what appeared to be unmanageable needs, thinking there is just nothing we could really do. Then we witnessed what God could do and He was using us to do it. What a transformation. What an awesome God we have.

Not knowing what was about to be told, it was explained that she had been under her house for three days. Her best friend dying on her shoulder and then to hear she had lost her nine year old son also. Suddenly I had tears streaming down my face and an overwhelming feeling of pain, sorrow, and frustration flowing through me. I began to think as she must have thought of her only son whom Jesus placed in her care to protect and raise up for God. And then to have him taken away in the blink of an eye. I can't bear to think or imagine.

Then I thought, OH JESUS, PRECIOUS JESUS, to know you died for us to show the only way to God is through You, Lord Jesus. God had the same pain for sacrificing His only Son as this woman is going through. Then I'm praying and realizing she is carrying a heavy load. But You, Jesus, are in front of her, beside her, behind her, but most of all, You're carrying her!! So my faith is restored to know, Lord God, You have her, me, and every situation in the palm of Your hands. Through everything You’re the light that shines in the darkest of times!!

Food to go in individual bags

Chruch members working all night re-packaging

Loading the bus for the trip

Bethanie school bus in Port au Prince

Speaking to the crowd

Franchette overseeing food distribution

 Distributing food

 Patiently waiting

 Franchette at work

Reaching the hungry

Dated January 21, 2010

Yesterday, January 20, with a team of 20 people from our main church in Les Cayes, we left our compound at 4:00 a.m. and headed to Port-au-Prince. We arrived there at 9:00 a.m. We went with two vehicles, a big yellow school bus and a pickup truck with the goal of distributing aid. We were armed with shoes, clothes of all sizes – even for babies, bras for women, underwear for men and women, pads for women, lotion, shampoo, toothbrushes, laundry detergent, sheets, soap, spaghetti, beans, rice, bread, 5,000 water bags and 20 gallons of water. We even had basins!

To make this possible, we had asked our congregation to bring clothes in good condition. We were amazed at their generosity! They did not have any money to give but they brought LOTS and LOTS of clothes. They also dedicated their time to make packages for their fellow brothers and sisters from Port-au-Prince. From 2:00 p.m. and all through the night, they worked tirelessly to measure the food, put different sizes of clothes in the bags – until it was time for us to go.

Prior to us leaving, we had contacted several pastor friends of ours in different parts of Port-au-Prince, in hope to cover as many areas as possible. We had chosen churches as places of distribution because these churches are the pillars of the community. When we arrived, we divided our team in two. Ignace was with one group. Franchette was with another.

Our first stop was in Carrefour, the epicenter of the earthquake. We gave supplies to about 400 people. Then we went to Delmas 33. There, we met Pastor Luc St. Felix, and we gave him and the elders of the church enough food to feed 500 people.

We also went back to our Bethanie Church in La Plaine. And there, we distributed food to about 250 people. Our fourth stop was Bourdon at the Church of God Headquarters. There were a lot of people there. We were so surprised by the crowd. We started distributing and 1,600 people benefited but there were so many people that we just left the food to be distributed.

We used the assembly line technique to distribute the supplies and we did not expose them all at once. Then, we went back to Delmas 31, at the St. Louis de Gonzague School, which is a big locale. There were so many people – thousands and thousands! We requested the help of the local police, and that was the only camp that we had requested the help of the police, due to the size of the crowd. We gave food to about 800 people. People started to be unruly at one point, and we left the food with some leaders that we had identified.

Church of God of Prophecy on the Bicentenaire was another place that was filled with people. We estimated about 900 to be there. We did not stay to distribute but we gave the supplies to the committee of the church. We did the same thing for the Church Théophile of Martissant. We left supplies with the pastor and the committee of the church for about 600 people in their community.

Souray is a place where people sleep on the streets with nothing but sheets to cover themselves (even before the earthquake). We gave supplies to 150 people on the lower part of Souray and to 200 people on the upper side of Souray.

We worked nonstop and did not even take a break for lunch or dinner. It was hard to navigate at times in PAP because of the debris on the streets and obstacles but we were able to make all of our stops.

On our way back at 7:00 p.m., about an hour into our drive, around the city of Leogane, our school bus began to overheat. We would put water in the radiator, and it would not stay in. It would flow back out (refouler in French). We would put in more water, wait for it to cool and repeat that process over again. When we got to Ti-Goave, and noticed that the bus was overheating even more, we stopped. We took the women with us in the pickup and headed to Les Cayes. The men stayed with Jean-Marie (our driver) and the bus. We ended up getting into Les Cayes at 2:30 in the morning.

We brought back some injured people with us but their cases were not as severe.

We would like to share a particular story that struck us. On our way back to Les Cayes around Cote Plage (Carrefour), we were flagged by a woman on a motorcycle taxi. We asked her where she was going and she told us that she was trying to leave PAP to go to Léogane. In her hands was something wrapped. When she stepped on the bus, we realized that what she was holding were twin babies of a month and a half. They were just discharged from the hospital. She told us that we were angels sent from God. We gave her clothes for her baby and her family, some food and some money and dropped her off in Léogane.

We hope to be used by God to reach as many people as possible. We also have medical teams that will be coming up in the weeks to come from the States and hope to provide care to those refugees that are now in Les Cayes.

Thank you for keeping Haiti in your prayers and hearts.

Police helping with crowd control

People waiting for food

How long will I have to wait?

Bags of supplies

Bags of food and water

Bags of clothing

Being a blessing

Ignace and church members at work

Les Cayes church member at work