I don’t remember if I have shared this yet, but the US armed forces are here on a humanitarian mission. Apparently it is an annual event, but it is the first time that they have been to the northwest region of Haiti. The will go to several (I think 8) countries in the Caribbean and South America. Haiti was the first this year. The USS Iwo Jima is off the coast of Port au Paix. About 45 minutes west of us. They are doing health screenings on shore, and taking some of the patients on our waiting list out to the ship for surgery. The Seabee’s are on our compound doing construction projects, including creating a men’s and a woman’s restroom in our surgical ward. 2 commodes and 2 shower stalls each. That will help greatly with getting patients ready for surgery and taking care of them after.
Their being here has reminded me a lot of my time in the Navy. For those who don’t know, I trained as a surgical tech in the Navy and spent 9 ½ years serving. I was particularly reminded today of my time on the USS America. Lori and I were folding linens and I remembered the other surgical tech and I doing what we called “The Sheet Dance” (a little embarrassing I know, but I do have a point to make). Then all of a sudden, I recalled a great deal of my time on the America. I was the senior tech of 2, so I was in charge of the operating room. When we weren’t busy there we worked in the ER or sick call, or helped out the supply department.
Have I mentioned what Lori and I are doing in Haiti these days? We will be coordinating the surgery teams and the operating rooms. To do so we have to organize the supply system. The only time we are not doing those things are when one of the short term or full time missionaries is sick and needs taken care of. They come to us and we handle it if we can or ask one of the Haitian doctors for help if we need to.
The more Lori and I think about our pasts, the more we realize how long God has been preparing us for this very season of our lives. And He reminds me of that at just the right times too. I’d like to tell you that everything has gone smoothly our first month here, however I can tell you that it’s nothing I haven’t seen before, and nothing God can’t handle.
“The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world”. 1st John 4:4
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
The quote from 1st John brought goose bumps. Would you agree that " the one who is in you" is the potential you that God created? The you that you spend your life striving to become?
ReplyDeleteSomtimes I think you sell yourself short, believe it or not. I'm confident that there's nothing YOU TWO can't handle, with Gods help.
Keep up the good work.
Love You Both
Mike