I think the airport experience may be the most stressful part of the whole trip. Airports are no fun anymore and since they charge for luggage check now people try to carry on everything! Thereby backing up security. I am in Ft. Lauderdale at my gate, and I must admit that I am feeling alone and nervous. From what I understand the Port-au-Prince airport is chaotic!
Everyone has been so supportive so farj calling, texting, facebooking well wishes! I appreciate it so much! I do want to thank some people specifically as well. I do have faith, I don't talk about it often. But I do see His work in my life. There are people that I haven't even known for 3 months yet who are helping me out so much. First, my friend and co worker, Jenny Rhyne pretty much furnished my trip! She has traveled a ton to exotic areas and lent me her luggage, clothes (we are even the same size!) and gear. She has also given me some valuable advice. I would have gone broke boarding my dog, Frisco if it wasn't for my neighbor, David Yoder, who offered to watch him for free!my other co-worker, Briana Blackwelder has been so supportive and even gave me a care package on my last day of work including water bottle, bug spray, and first aid kit. Finally, my neighbor, Scott, drove me to the airport early this morning so that I wouldn't have to deal with the parking and shuttles ugh!!!
I don't really have any expectations. I'm going into this with an open mind. I have had e-mail contact the last few days with the PT that I will be replacing. I will meet with her tonite and I assume she will orient me. All I know so far is that I am staying at the Project Hope compound on the weekend and sleeping at the Adventist Hospital during the week where I will be working. I will not. Have any cell phone service, but I will have Internet at the facilities. Well, I'm going to get some food before we go since it will be beans n rice for the next coiuple of weeks. Oh, I apologize for the layout, I did this on my Blackberry, not easy!
Peace!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Preface
I leave for Port-au-Prince on Saturday morning. I'm a little overwhelmed right now, I'm not packed and feel like I have a million things to do. Typical for me. Good thing I took Friday off! Good thing my job let me take Friday off! Good thing my co-worker, Briana, convinced me to take Friday off! Thanks, girl, you are the best!
I want to give a background to this trip because it's interesting to me how life unravels. Sometimes history repeats itself and timing is huge! When I was in undergrad at University of Dayton, they had an alternative spring break in which students would go on mission trips instead of partying in Cancun. They had one group go to Haiti. They could only take a handful of students, so you had to apply. I was so excited, thought for sure I would get it. I didn't, and I was crushed. Fast forward to more than 10 years later, and here I am, on my way to Haiti. And I feel that this time I possess skills and experience that can benefit the Haitians significantly more than when I was a student.
I wasn't working when the earthquake occurred. So, naturally, like the rest of the world, I wanted to help somehow. They were inundated with volunteers initially, and really needed trauma crews. I was actually in Labadee, Haiti about 3 weeks after the disaster, on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Our port was nowhere near Port-au-Prince. In fact, we were on a resort area that was secured and guarded. No one could leave the resort, no one could enter it. Kindly, our ship delivered tons of relief for those in need. As I saw the palates of food and water on the dock as I disembarked the boat, it made the situation more real, and I just wanted to stay and help somehow. Not possible, of course. Less than a week after returning home, my sister's friend, Terry, not knowing my particular desires, told me that she had just seen a documentary that reported there was a great need for physical therapists in Haiti now. There was one PT for every 40 people who needed it. Well, I immediately researched it and applied to several organizations that recruit healthcare volunteers. I didn't hear anything for months even though I was free to leave at the drop of a hat. So by April, I decide to move on with my life. Just as soon as I started a new job in NC, I get a call from Project Hope. They want me to go to Haiti in May. I had just started a new job, I explained to them. Fortunately, I had signed a short term 15-week contract and would be available in August. She said she would get back to me when something came available. It did, and I seized the opportunity. . .
I want to give a background to this trip because it's interesting to me how life unravels. Sometimes history repeats itself and timing is huge! When I was in undergrad at University of Dayton, they had an alternative spring break in which students would go on mission trips instead of partying in Cancun. They had one group go to Haiti. They could only take a handful of students, so you had to apply. I was so excited, thought for sure I would get it. I didn't, and I was crushed. Fast forward to more than 10 years later, and here I am, on my way to Haiti. And I feel that this time I possess skills and experience that can benefit the Haitians significantly more than when I was a student.
I wasn't working when the earthquake occurred. So, naturally, like the rest of the world, I wanted to help somehow. They were inundated with volunteers initially, and really needed trauma crews. I was actually in Labadee, Haiti about 3 weeks after the disaster, on a Royal Caribbean cruise. Our port was nowhere near Port-au-Prince. In fact, we were on a resort area that was secured and guarded. No one could leave the resort, no one could enter it. Kindly, our ship delivered tons of relief for those in need. As I saw the palates of food and water on the dock as I disembarked the boat, it made the situation more real, and I just wanted to stay and help somehow. Not possible, of course. Less than a week after returning home, my sister's friend, Terry, not knowing my particular desires, told me that she had just seen a documentary that reported there was a great need for physical therapists in Haiti now. There was one PT for every 40 people who needed it. Well, I immediately researched it and applied to several organizations that recruit healthcare volunteers. I didn't hear anything for months even though I was free to leave at the drop of a hat. So by April, I decide to move on with my life. Just as soon as I started a new job in NC, I get a call from Project Hope. They want me to go to Haiti in May. I had just started a new job, I explained to them. Fortunately, I had signed a short term 15-week contract and would be available in August. She said she would get back to me when something came available. It did, and I seized the opportunity. . .
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