MONDAY MORNING REFLECTIONS - GOD OF WONDERS, WORLD SERIES, FRIENDS IN HAITI

You and I live in a world of great challenge and contradiction. Tomorrow is Election Day and praying people, reflective people, people who care--are reminded of how much is not in our hands. It's in those moments that I take a step back and remember the One in whose hands I place my life.



Now to the World Series which is not all that serious a matter (unless you are my new friend James Nored).

Lee vs Freddie Sanchez in the Series opener

Who would have thought that Cliff Lee was so vincible? Lifted in the 5th inning during the opener, the ace showed us that anyone can have a off night. Even Superman.  Unfortunately the Rangers bullpen had two over the cliff nights as the Giants hitters buried the Rangers in a two game hole. Tim Lincecum was not unhittable, but I suspect as the thing gets to a fifth game, he'll still prevail.

When all is said and done, however, I like Nolan Ryan's strategy to eschew pitch counts and develop pitchers who can hold up in the long haul.

I have a good friend in Haiti named Lynn Byers. Our church helps support her as spends six months doing medical work.  Recently she posted on her blog some insights I found quite intriguing snd gave me some insights into praying for Lynn and Haiti. Lynn wrote:

      I am thankful for another week to be alive, healthy, and able to do the work You have asked me to do. I thank God for sleep and a joyful spirit. I pray for wisdom in making my decision to stay here or switch hospitals. I am so thankful for the wonderful time and people I've met here.

      My conversation with Dr. Marvelo has been on my mind. He said they have 4 free immunizations in Haiti. TB, MMR, tetanus, and pertussis. But the other ones, such as hepatitis, typhoid, etc are very expensive. I told him yes they are expensive. I paid at least $300 USD to buy them all. He said most of the doctors here cannot afford the immunizations, but they should have them. I think the conversation struck a cord because I remember complaining to myself back home that I had to pay so much for the immunizations. I was annoyed because my insurance wouldn't cover it. But, at least I was able to get them. It's a reality check to myself that I have no reason to complain.

     He told me there are 4 main sports played in Haiti- soccer, basketball, tennis, and ping-pong. That is because they are the easiest to set up and less costly than some sports. Those of you who know me well know my opinion on the ridiculous amounts of money spent on sports in America. He said they don't have a carnival like other Caribbean Islands, but they have concerts at the end of February for 3 days in PaP. He was saying PaP used to be beautiful and lots to do, but not anymore. I know it has to be hard to see the city you grew up in in rubbles. Also, he said the crime is much worse. He said he can't even talk on his cell phone for fear that someone might steal it at gunpoint.

     I love learning about Haiti and hearing stories. There's a lot of good and bad in every country. I lift up Haiti in prayer- the health care and education system; the upcoming election; the crime; the rebuilding; that your truth will be spread and accepted. 

Read more of Lynn's posts at MISSIONARY NURSE HAITI 

Then there's another friend Steve Mossburg, Director of Project Help-my denomination's mission presence in Haiti. Steve recently wrote about the cholera outbreak in Haiti.

"Shirley and I arrived back in Haiti on Sat. 10/23 I had been expecting this trip might be different and we could start establishing a mission routine not so filled with drama. That was not to be as I received an e-mail on 10/20 informing me of the cholera outbreak in the Artibonite valley where we live. As more and more cases were showing up at the hospital in St. Marc the largest city in our area we made plans to set up a cholera ward in our PH-H clinic in Pierre Payen. On Friday the day before we arrived they treated 20 patients by noon on Tuesday the number was up to 112. Fortunately we had already scheduled a medical team from Pennsylvania to arrive on Oct. 23 rd so we quickly asked them to resupply with IV fluids and antibiotic. Some reports are showing the epidemic is slowing down and from what I have seen from my travels this may be true.

Our medical team had been scheduled to do surgeries ( general & Ortho) , we also had two ultrasound techs come to train and do exams and a gynecologist. They have kept busy not only doing those things but with several emergency patients including car accidents, examining babies such as the little 15 day old who was born in the 7th month of pregnancy. The mother has been very sick so she was unable to breast feed but the baby has hung on by getting a little bit of formula down.

Perhaps the most disturbing was the 12 year old girl referred to us from the Mission of Hope at Titayian. She had fallen off a donkey 2 weeks ago and was not getting any better so they brought her to us for a possible surgery. Our lead surgeon examined her and felt she had a broken or fractured femur and possibly a lacerated liver. He scheduled her for an ultrasound and Xray. I told the ambulance driver and nurses who brought her to go on back to MOH and we would contact them later with the results. I had just finished eating lunch and someone came to tell me she was dead I at first couldn't believe it so went over to see for myself . I was shocked to see that someone who 15 minutes earlier had been sitting in a wheel chair eating a cracker had died. Our doctors felt terrible about this but suspect a blood clot broke loose during her 45 minute ambulance ride up to Pierre Payen. Even though we are able to do a lot of things to bring better health care to Haiti it is still disturbing for me each time someone comes to our facility with hope that we can help them and they die at our hospital."

 

More from STEVE