Our medical team met at the private airport hangar Sunday morning. Our team was comprised of: 5 orthopedic surgeons, 1 general surgeon, 1 family physician, 1 ER doctor, 1 internal medicine doctor, 3 anesthesiologists, 2 surgical assistants, and 3 nurses (myself included). Our team members were from Austin and Dallas. I was thankful the two other nurses are my dear friends: Lindsey Griffin and Jenny Husband. God is so good like that :) After a quick debrief led by Joel Hurt (an orthopedic surgeon and coordinator of our team), we loaded into two small jets (once belonging to Bernie Madoff...God has a funny sense of humor). My heart was full. I simply could not believe within 3 hours, we would be landing in Port-au-Prince. He had moved so quickly to provide this trip on such short notice, and simply removed barrier after barrier to make a level path. I was so overwhelmed by His provision.
Lindsey, Jenny, and I sat in the back, as we discussed possible scenarios. None of the team members honestly had a clear picture of what to expect, so we began roughly organizing our plans to the best of our ability. Once we'd settled logistics, we began reading scripture out loud. As we did, the three of us decided what better way to put on our spiritual armor than to write His truth on our arms...so we did. We wrote scripture on our arms to encourage one another, ourselves, and our future patients (Unfortunately, the minute we landed the high humidity quickly removed the scripture, but we still were encouraged during the plane ride ;) ). As our plane descended into Port-au-Prince the plane gradually grew silent, as all eyes peered out the windows. Lindsey, Jenny, and I quickly huddled together and prayed: for Jesus's redemption, healing, endurance, strength, unity, and peace.
We were greeted by the leaders of MOH (Mission of Hope) at the PauP (Port-au-Prince) airport. The first thing I noticed once we landed was the smell. It was very distinct, like burnt rubber. I knew the reason for the powerful smell, and my heart broke at the thought of so many lost lives. They loaded us (along with our slew of medical supplies) onto a school bus, and we made our way to Mission of Hope (approximately 20-30 minutes outside of Port-au-Prince). As we drove through the capital, the bus was silent. We absorbed the landscape, the people, and the devastation. Once we made it to Mission of Hope (a 70 acre plot of land with high security), we unloaded our belongings and began setting up the hospital we would be running. Since our medical team was so well rounded, we had the ability to open up our own hospital (God is good). There was already a clinic on the MOH compound, so we essentially took over this clinic building and made it into a hospital complete with: 1 operating room, 1 ICU/ER room, 1 pharmacy, 1 PACU (post anesthesia recovery room), and 1 post-op ward. We were up until about midnight completing this transformation.
Our bodies were physically tired, but our hearts were bursting with anticipation and purpose. I could not wait for Monday. I was so ready to love the broken, hurting, and lost with His love. My soul was singing.
He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive.
-Luke 20:38
Currently Playing: "Truth (Helios Remix)" - Balmorhea
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