Travelling to Haiti makes me realize that I take a lot of things for granted. I've decided to list some of those things.
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Have you ever stopped to think of all the things we take for granted? Our ability to walk, talk, see, hear...all gifts/blessings from God. We take it for granted that if our shoes wear out or we just want another pair that we can go to the mall and get another pair, that the light will come on when we flip the switch, medical treatment any time of day or night, etc... Travelling to Haiti makes me realize that I take a lot of things for granted. I've decided to list some of those things. ![]() Home ![]() Good shoes ![]() Kitchens & appliances ![]() Transportation & ways to transport things ![]() Places to take our cars for repair ![]() Indoor plumbing ![]() Grocery stores ![]() Malls ![]() Washers, dryers, laundrymats ![]() A variety of food choices and as many meals each day as we care to eat. The village of Gramothe is a very blessed village in comparison to most other places in Haiti. God is doing a remarkable work there through Mt.Top Ministries! In the US we have SO much and take so much for granted! God has truly blessed us.
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I am working at the Mountain Top Ministries Clinic this week with a great group of people. Marcia, Anna, Kim, Jared, Haylee, Caitlyn, Elizabeth and Lindsey. We have seen about 600 patients this week to help them not only medically but to show God's love to them as well. It takes several people coming together with one objective to make a successful clinic. When the patient first gets to the clinic they go to the waiting area where they pick up their dossier. This is a record of all the previous times they have been there and what treatment they received. Then, there is the initial intake which involves taking blood pressure and weighing the patient. They then come and wait for an available provider. The doctor, translator and scribe work together to talk to the patient and find out why they have come to the clinic. People come from various villages in Haiti, some coming from as close as Gramothe & Thomassin to some who come from far away to seek medical care. They have a variety of health issues, some of the more common are acid, headache, diabetes, scabies, high blood pressure, pregnancy, colds and joint pain (which is understandable given their constant trek up and down the mountain). The patients are friendly and grateful for the opportunity to see a doctor and find relief from what ails them. Some of the babies may need to move on to the "scabies treatment area" where they are rubbed down by a team member with a mixture to treat the scabies. Most of them do NOT like it but we know they get relief from the treatment! The doctor typically writes a prescription which is then taken to the Pharmacy. There two team members work diligently to fill each prescription with care and accuracy so that the patient can then take home medicine to help them feel better. As you can see, it takes many people to put on a successful clinic, all who are equally important in the process. It is always a blessing to be part of a clinic-meeting the people, offering a loving touch and a prayer and being God's hands and feet to them. Oh yes, and of course....holding all the adorable babies!
Went to Haiti with Marcia, Caitlyn, Barry, Marty, Max, Dave, Jared & Scott. The guys were there to do some electric work and to put a roof on the room above the Clinic Waiting Area. Marcia, Cait & I were to do organizing in the Clinic. Met two young ladies from Canada, Ketsia & Ashley. They were in Haiti for 2 months. It rained, and rained. Did I say it rained? We were in the clinic working and didn't realize it was raining so hard. We happened to notice some water beginning to come in the door, and just about that time it was like a tsunami ! We couldn't get the door closed and the clinic got LOTS of muddy water in it. It took awhile to get all the things on the floor picked up and then it was getting dark, so we had to get off the mountain. The next day when we got to the clinic, a group of men had cleaned up all the mud! YEAH! We spent the rest of the day cleaning and going through things that had gotten wet. Moral of the story...SHUT the door when it rains really hard!!! Marcia also saw a few patients and I got to scribe for the first time! I really enjoyed that. We did an inventory of meds and went to Ann's to see a few patients. On the way back home we were driving down the main road and a truck was in front of us. There were several men in the bed of the truck, sitting on the sides. All of a sudden a man came tumbling out of the truck onto the street. We had to stop quickly to avoid hitting him. The truck paused, saw that he got up, and then they took off! He was really dazed and went to the side of the road to sit down. He had hit his head and was bleeding quite a bit. We gave him a paper towel (all we had with us) and another truck picked him up. Sure hope he was ok. All in all, the week was a good week and the men really got a lot done.
My co-worker Angie & I have had the priviledge of going to area churches and various local events such as the TH Triathalon, Haitian Flag Day in Indy, the Cory Apple Festival and the Covered Bridge Festival. We represent MTM and bring awareness to the community as to what Mt. Top Ministries is all about. It has been fun to meet with some of the student sponsors and people that have been to Haiti and to introduce new people to the ministry!
For many years the people of Gramothe lived without clean, healthy water. Now, they are blessed with a life-changing healthy source of water. There is a waterfall near the top of the mountain and thanks to some great people and lots of hard work, it is being piped down the mountain. They now have 27 spigots throughout the village and their own supply of fresh water to water their crops. Not only has this spring offered healthy water but a way to have more crops per year than ever before! After several years of clean drinking water the villagers are much healthier! Our team was able to hike up to the waterfall and it was awesome to see the source of such a life-changing gift from God...one we take for granted here in the United States!
In 2011 I have been blessed to be able to travel to Haiti 3 times, and will be going again in another week. I have had several generous donations for travel. Anyone who knows me knows that God has called me to this ministry and that I love to travel to Haiti to help in whatever way I can.
In February I was part of a medical team and worked as Pharmacist alongside Caitlyn. I really enjoy doing that, it is a fast-paced job and I feel like I'm part of the whole medical aspect of the ministry. On Sunday of that week we took a group of 14 to the beach to be baptized (13 Haitians and Anita from Mt. Pleasant church). It was a special time and I enjoyed being able to witness 13 Haitians being obedient to the Word! WEEK ONE: Dr. Marcia & Dr. Glenn saw over 400 patients in 4 days! What an awesome service to provide and what an incredible way to share their God-given talent with the people of Haiti. WEEK TWO: The team left but I stayed in Haiti to offer my "pharmacist skills" to the next medical team coming in! Dr. Mark saw around 400 more patients during the week. I met several great people, one of whom was Fran, who worked with me in the pharmacy. |
AuthorI am married to Bob and between us we have 3 adult children and 2 grandchildren. In addition to my family, one of my passions is photography. I love capturing someone's personality in my photos. I also enjoy scenic shots that capture God's beautiful creation and people doing everyday things that reflect their unique lifestyle. Another of my passions is being a part of Mt.Top Ministries. I know it is a God-given calling because it became such a large part of me, of who I am. I love serving people, being God's hands and feet. If I can make life a little nicer, a little brighter for someone and make them feel valued and loved then I have fulfilled my purpose! I LOVE being with the children. They are so precious to me. God has done remarkable things through Beth & Willem and I am very blessed to be allowed to be even a small part of it! Archives
February 2012
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