Humbling Day in Haiti

I am so grateful and humbled to be here in Haiti once again with another amazing team!!

Today was our first full day serving the people of Haiti and what a welcome we received.  We set off for the new hospital that treats sick and dying babies for those that can not afford medical care.  When we arrived the smaller babies were all laid out on a play mat.  A tiny girl about the same size as my beautiful grand-daughter saw us coming and quickly crawled off the mat towards the door to my feet and raised her sweet little hands up for me to cradle and hold her.  My heart broke along with the team and we ended up having an amazing morning playing and loving up the babies at the new Hospital.  They have a nice new courtyard and even a playground for the children.  It was fun to blow bubbles with the kids and have them chase after them as well as see the small smiles on the kids too lethargic with mal-nutrition to play.  While it is always hard to let a cuddly little child back down in their crib, there is another set of hands just down the isle lifting up for your love and attention. A little angel decided to join me on my rounds and gently rocked, swayed, and sang with me while holding on to my skirt as I held baby after baby.  I was humbled to look around and see the wonderful staff caring for so gently for the children and for my team who took the courage to step outside their comfort zone and lead with their hearts!!

The afternoon was the dichotomy of the morning.  We went trepidatiously to the Hospital for the Sick and Dying Adults.  Rather than the crying, laughing and screaming that accompanied our morning, we were welcomed to the sound of the patients saying the Rosary in Creole.  We were welcomed with smiles and quickly went to work pampering and loving up the patients.  It is such a humbling experience for someone who does not work in the medical field to show the compassion and love so very needed by those who are ill.  But it did not take us long to dig in and spend 5-10 minutes making every one individually feel special; for the women especially to be pampered with powder and a leg or foot massage to ease some of their pain and suffering....to be a princess in the moment.  As we worked our way through each ward, we witnessed the severity of their conditions.  Many suffered from severe mal-nutrition, tuberculosis, cancer and AIDS. 

As we got to the end of the corridor there were several small little heads peering out the doorway waiting for their turn to be pampered.  The girls were only about 7 or 8.  One little girl at the door way grabbed my hand and quickly led me down an isle of hospital beds until she got to hers.  She jumped down, smiled and waited for me to start the pampering....it was precious to see that when her turn was up and everything was "c'est bon", she would round up the next girl until every one of them had their turn.  For some reason the thought I could sing and kept repeating "chante, chante, chante"  meaning sing.  Thanks to Mr. Cepress, my french teacher for 4 years in high school some 30 years ago, I was able to join them in a couple of rounds of Frair Jacque and Sir Lopone:-)  It was heart breaking to know why they were there, but so very grateful for the loving staff that care for them each and every day.

It is always humbling to witness such joy in those that have so little and wonder if there is something to this idea of simplifying one's life rather than chasing the American style dream.  I will have to give this idea some serious thought!!