First Village Clinic

We emailed this out the morning of Tuesday, March 15.

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Good morning, America! This is Katie reporting to you from Haiti. So sorry we didn’t get a blog out last night. Alyssa and I sat with the computer for about an hour trying to get internet connection with no avail. So here’s my attempt to get you guys up to speed on the adventures from yesterday…

We woke up to a typical Haitian morning – roosters cock-a-doodle dooing at 5:30 am, a breakfast of baked oatmeal, and all 20+ of us piling in the trailer to head out to Des Champes for clinic. We encountered a few traffic jams, criticisms from locals, and some very rocky roads before making our first stop at an “orphanage” afflicted with malaria.

As the doctors began to treat those suffering in the home, I made my way to the back of the hut to play with one of the orphan toddlers. I became disheartened as I could not seem to crack even the slightest smile from her after several attempts. This child had been through more loss and abandonment in her mere two and a half years than I had in my twenty-four. What a sobering way to start the day…
My spirit slightly lifted as we pulled up to the church in Des Champes and saw a multitude of parents and children anxiously awaiting our arrival for clinic. As we set up and began seeing our first few patients, I noticed a familiar face – one of the teenagers from the orphanage had made his way to clinic to be treated individually.
After his physical needs were met, he confessed a need for spiritual healing and a relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. After coming to the Lord for salvation, I led him over to the church pastor for prayer. Without even the slightest indication, I began to weep and weep and WEEP at the joy of this soul being saved for eternal life!

Two others were also saved later in the afternoon – one being a frail 80 year old woman!

As a young lady who just recently surrendered my life to the Lord (3/13/10), I cannot believe I am witnessing others find salvation in Him. If you told me a year ago, I would be in Haiti planting these seeds of hope and the healing of the Lord in others, I would have never believed you! It is such a blessing to be able to share the grace and life I received when I traded my life for the life and
spirit of Christ.

We view Haiti as a poverty-stricken third-world country in desperate need of our help, intelligence, and monetary resources. In contrast, we view America as the wealthiest land of “freedom” in no need of external aid of any kind. The primary focus God has been impressing on my heart while I have been here in Haiti is how absolutely backward we have it in America. America clings to materialism and pleasure for comfort and fulfillment, while those in Haiti cling to family, the community of believers, and total dependence on the provision of God for sustenance. America sees beauty in sky-scraping lofts, while real beauty is so obvious in the natural landscape and architecture
designed by our God here in Haiti. America stresses over self-inflicted endeavors to gain worldly success, while there is no evidence of selfish worldly gain here in Haiti.

Mark is really challenging our group with going back to Houston and being “radical” for living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s true – the place in which we will all have the greatest impact is in our workplace, amongst friends, and in the comforts of our own home. By seeing the true transformation that Christ brings to those who trust Him and Him alone, we can in turn plant seeds in others. The mission field is not simply in third-world countries. The mission field most available to us (and the one we tend to ignore the most) is our homeland. America is starving for the Gospel, and as each day passes
here in Haiti, this is what I am beginning to realize more and more.

I am so excited to go back to Houston and live radically for the Lord.

My plea to you today is to do the same. Christ never said His way would be easy. In fact, He said it would be narrow and full of persecution. I hope that both you and I can experience this persecution and take JOY in it and in knowing that along with the persecution Christ suffered on Calvary comes eternal life to those who believe and live radically for HIM!

Until tonight’s update,
Katie