Jenny Dick reflects on her medical teams to Haiti in the 1980s and then again in 2017 with Haiti Foundation of Hope. Here she shares a story of seeing God at work through His people.
Mirliene’s Story
I was blessed to be part of two medical teams between 1983 – 1985 as a nurse volunteer, along with Dr. Joe Markee. We were part of a team being sent from the Free Methodist Church of Yakima, Washington. God worked in such miraculous ways on each of these trips. The following experience left a beautiful impact on my heart and faith.
Mirliene’s repeated visits to the open-air windows and door of our make-shift clinic that blistering hot November day in Savanne Carree were beginning to wear on my nerves. We had been so busy and the needs were so great. Her continued request to have her inconspicuous keloid (nodular scar) removed seemed a low priority considering the suffering we were seeing.
As the clinic day was coming to a close, Dr. Joe told me we could only see eight more patients before our source of light went behind the mountains. As a nurse leader that day, I was tasked with helping decide which eight patients we would see. I prayed for God’s guidance to assist us then stepped outside into the throngs of people. I was accompanied by Geno, who looked like a NFL lineman, as my bodyguard, and Delamy, a young local Haitian assistant pastor, as my translator.
We negotiated a path through the crowd and the desperation on the people’s faces was evident. From emaciated babies to wounded people, suffering was everywhere. They grabbed at us begging to be seen by “the blanc doctors.” Overwhelmed, we continued to ask God for His guidance. Mirliene appeared again among the crowd, continually following us and begging to be seen. I really noticed her now, perhaps for the first time. Her well-kept appearance made her stand out among all the poverty-stricken people. With the help of Delamy, we shared that our priority today had to be the very sick.
After the eight patients were selected and taken into the clinic, Mirliene came to the side door pointing to her shoulder and she was again told we couldn’t see her. Somehow, she maneuvered her way through the side door and started pulling at my apron! It was then that a sense came over me that we needed to see her. When told she could take a seat and I would talk with the Dr. Joe, she was elated!
As the sun was almost behind the mountains, I explained to Dr. Joe about her persistence. He kindly said that he thought we had enough generator power left to remove her keloid but would need staff to volunteer to stay over and assist. While flies were landing on the sterile surgical field, the volunteers held flashlights to aid Dr. Joe as he removed her keloid. Throughout the procedure, Mirliene was very talkative. Midway through, Delamy announced that Mirliene wanted to commit her life to the Lord and accept Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior! The room filled with cheers as her procedure wrapped up.
Mirliene was overwhelmed with joyful emotion while Delamy prayed for her and as she asked the Lord into her life. She shared with us that she had wanted to accept Christ for some time, and she knew the medical teams that come to her village every November could lead her to the Lord.
February 2017 HFH Medical Team (Jenny front row far right)
I returned to Haiti in 2017 some 40 years later. This time to Terre Blanche with Haiti Foundation of Hope. It was remarkable to see the changes and advancements that were happening in Haiti! This time I saw hundreds of patients being seen every day through the partnership of Haitian medical staff and team doctors such as Dr. Joe, nurses and other volunteers. No one was turned away this time! It was pure joy to hear the waiting patients singing hymns of praise. Electricity and running water now enabled us to take care of patients around the clock.
I was overjoyed to see a school in full operation with meals being served to hundreds of students. And, key to all of the ministry here in Terre Blanche was Pastor Delamy – no longer young – and now the managing force for the Clinic of Hope and HFH’s work.
What a blessing to see the amazing changes since my first trip in 1983! It is beautiful to see how the role of the team has changed. We are walking beside our Haitian brothers and sisters in a wonderful partnership. Our God is good. He is faithful!
by Jenny Dick, HFH team member
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