Written from Haiti by Laura Mackie, June 2008 team member:
624 patients.
That’s how many we’ve seen thus far. Thousands of Tylenol and multi-vitamins given out. Hundreds of smiling faces.
It’s hard sometimes to grasp if or what kind of difference we are making here. Many of the faces are so stoic it’s tough to get a smile. Others soften with a greeting of “bonjour” and the children warm up to you as soon as a lollipop is in their hand.
I once read about a doctor who devoted his life to ministering to health needs in Haiti. He said “Giving people medicine for TB and not giving them food is like washing your hands and drying them in the dirt.” That quote struck me because we are here for one week. And teams come here three times a year. The beauty in this clinic is that there is ongoing medical care to meet the ongoing needs of the people here. We can see patients, start a medication, and encourage them to come back in a week or maybe a month to follow up with the nurses who are here routinely.
What a blessing to know that when we leave the clinic, doors do not shut but continue to welcome and treat the everyday needs of Terre Blanche.
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