Yesterday was 9 months since the 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti; and in three weeks I will be back on Haitian soil. This time I am bringing down a team with me; four other nurses from my BMT unit will be joining myself and Ryan on a two-week volunteer stint at J/P HRO.
I am excited, scared, anxious to return to the land I have grown to love. Excited to see the changes, see old familiar faces of hardworking individuals who are there out of love and dedication. Scared to see what damage the storm on September 24th did to our dearest hospital and camp. Scared to see what my husband and friends think of Haiti; will they be pleased with our progress? Disappointed in how little has been done? Will they love it like I do?
And I am anxious because I want to convey my love for the country with hope of better times, and motivation to achieve this.
Its been five months since I've been in Haiti! And yet after visiting it three times in four months I still feel like it is my second home. Home of another kind; a place where hope is abundant, along with suffering. And yet hope seems to prevail. Hope is the unspoken word on a mother's lips, the silence in a child's eyes; the laughter in a teacher's lecture. It is the pulse of Haiti. I feel it every time I return, and I hope to spread that hope even more.
I've missed a couple of entries from my last trip; I will hunt them down and post them asap.
And again, I am collecting donations: paypal me to guineveredorwardatgmaildotcom or send cheques (email me for the address). Thank you all for your continued love, hope, and support. Pa bliye Ayti.
Earthquake facts fyi:
http://www.dec.org.uk/item/425
