Our work begins!

     Come Monday morning our adventure with helping the people of Haiti began. Having experience in recovery my role the first three days was to recover patients post surgery. Having read up before our trip and having life experience there are many things in Haiti I expected; the heat, the poverty and the limited access to health care. What I wasn't neccessarily expecting was the overwhelming gratitude and appreciation of those it was my pleasure to serve in response to our help. The Haitian people I cared for and their families were so gracious and expressive of their appreciation it was warming to the heart. What I recieved from them was way more than what I gave; a sense of purpose, an appreciation for our health care system and gratitude for the abundance of blessings I have in my life. I also noted how important the family is in Haiti, their dependence upon one another and their willingness to care for each other. I am lucky to have strong family support, but I am witness too often in this country that many in this country do not share that blessing, it was a pleasure to witness the dedication and care they afforded to their loved ones. Life seems simpler, the concerns are more centered in making sure you have food and clean water, no taking up time with TV and video games. I appreciate the simplicity but understand that there are struggles there also.