The “Epiphany 5” returned to Boston Sunday pm 10 April with all of us in good health, a little fatigued but all energized by our mission experience.
SUMMARY: We provided medical care and medications for over 500 Haitian patients - many mothers, babies and children as well as elderly patients. We used much of the 500 pounds of meds and materials which we brought, and drew other items from the well-stocked guest house pharmacy. We left our unused meds for future mission groups.
We set up clinics in four different villages outside Leogane, which gave us a chance to explore Haiti en route to each village. Mary Provo suggested the Haitian riverbed trip in the Daihatsu truck would be a remarkable Disney attraction! Susan Almquist made her debut as a videographer with her digital camera as we travelled through the transport hub on the edge of Leogane. She might share a clip of the swarming chaos with motos, trucks and buses doing a daring ballet on the roadway!
We thoroughly enjoyed our home in Haiti, the guest house at L’Hôpital de Ste Croix’s [HSC] which is FABULOUS... OK, it may have 1950s décor (at least for now), cold (or lukewarm) showers, mosquito nets over the single hospital beds.... BUT the guest house is more than ‘a clean, well-lighted place’ as it offers great organization, security, wi-fi, and wonderful dinners from the local house cooks. The guest house is managed by volunteers. Dr. Bob Sloane and his wife Robin of Fort Worth handed the keys over to current director David Paige of Arizona only 8 days ago, and we learned a great deal from both the Sloanes and Mr. Paige.
The guest house optimized our “time on the ground” with food, shelter and transport – and was a fabulous value at $50 a night. Alas, it is shutting down for hospital renovation over the next seven weeks, so the staff of five fabulous cooks will be reduced, the team of translators may be out of work with no medical missions, the three skilled drivers may not be so busy.
We nested our suitcases in suitcases for the return trip and headed back along the lumpy, long and winding road to Port Au Prince. We found the departure process at the airport straightforward (even with three scans of our luggage and carry-ons!) as we awaited the flight north in a modern air conditioned terminal.
"Be the change you want to see in the world" said Mahatma [Great Soul] Ghandi. That was a mantra at the Harvard School of Public Health when Linda got her MPH a decade ago. We hope that we have made a contribution to that positive change and have left Haiti in a bit better shape to move forward.
With deep appreciation for everyone’s support, prayers and pills -
- Nick, Linda, Susie, Mary, and John
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