Day 1

Today was our first full day at Children’s International Lifeline. When missionary teams come to do God’s work a plan is set up for each day for what we are to accomplish while we are here. Today, like any other day, God had a few plans of his own that were not on our agenda.

Some of us woke up to a rooster that was not aware of the time. He apparently thought the “crack of dawn” was 3:30am. Once we moved on from our plan to terrorize him while he was asleep we got on with our work and headed to a makeshift clinic in Arcahaie. We had physicians, nurses, a pharmacy staff, and runners all coming together as the “Body of Christ” to help His people. Most of the people were in with minor issues and able to be treated quickly and efficiently. We saw close to 200 people.

Two patients however were on a list that was not our own. A man came in with a fever of 105˚, lethargic, and dehydrated. Joyce quickly started an IV as Pam got vital signs and the team worked together to stabilize him.

After being there for three hours we started to pack things up and again God made an executive decision. He had another person in mind for us to see. She could barely walk and her husband practically carried her in. Joyce got an IV in and the team worked around her to stabilize her. Dr. John assessed her and decided with her abdominal pain she needed to be seen in the hospital. Joyce and Chris rode to St. Marc’s Hospital.

Then we went to the open market. People were selling everything, everywhere. You saw things like raw meat with flies on it, people selling food (rice and beans), and people selling clothes. It was crowded and chaotic. It was amazing to see where and how they shop. It was a busy day and as I rode in the back of the truck and the air dried my soaked clothes for about the third time today, I was looking forward to relaxing and having a shower.

All of a sudden the truck came to a sudden stop and we circled around to where there was a crowd of people. A man who had been walking was hit by a car and the person who hit him had driven off. His knee was cut open, his head was bleeding, he had an open fracture of his arm and he was unconscious. We worked together to log roll him onto a board in case he had a neck injury. Then quickly off to the hospital we went. The hospital was a clinic. They bandaged his wounds and started an IV. With no way to treat his head injury the doctors determined he would not make it.

As I stood there looking at him questions were flying through my head, “Does he know Jesus? When can his family come? Why can’t he be in America so he could stand a chance to live?” And I realized our mission field is never what we can expect or anticipate it to be. Our mission field is different every day and it is always according to His Will. May our hearts always be in alignment with his so when it’s our time to see him we will hear the words, “Well done my good and faithful servants.”

-Michelle