Haiti Medical Mission Trip

July 2-10: Port au Prince (and surrounding areas), Haiti
International Medical Relief Mission Trip

Haiti was an INCREDIBLE life-changing experience and 9 days very well spent. I went with an organization called International Medical Relief, on a team of just under 40, including doctors, dentists, NPs, RNs, and students. It was amazing to see so many people, both professionals and amateurs, care so much about helping others. It was also awesome to be able to share the experience with Rob, since we share the same major along with an eagerness to see/experience different things. Also, it was great to be together because I think it's hard to describe in words the full effect of this experience to someone who didn't live it. I loved that we go to do it together, and it didn't hurt to have someone to carry much-too-heavy bags for me when I couldn't. ;)

The first two days were the most testing. Even going through customs immediately upon arrival was eye-opening. The airport conditions were poor, to say the least. Customs officers' booths were made of worn down wood. There was no revolving baggage claim, just a giant pile of suitcases for arriving passengers to dig through. There was no air conditioning. And locals on the street were posted up outside the airport fence, staring at us as we walked to the parking lot. Wow. We arrived at the orphanage we were to stay at for the week, unpacked our bags, and sort of got settled. Showers went like this: grab the 5 gallon solar shower bag, walk it across camp to the well, pump water into the bag, walk it back, hang it up, pull the nozzle on at the end of the tube, shower. I didn't get much sleep the first night, and honestly wondered how I was going to get through the week. Little did I know, it would be one of the most rewarding weeks of my life.

one of our two buses for the week

bunk room

our cots with bug nets on top... those didn't last long

showers

water well and big black drinking water tanks

bunk room on right, common area on left

As you could guess, the streets of Haiti were a lot different than the states. Most of the roads were gravel, and most of our drives were beautiful. Haiti was green -- long stretches of green fields leading up to green mountains on the horizon -- it was gorgeous!

Time sped up when clinic days got rolling. Every day we took buses to our clinic site, took a little to set everything up, and started seeing patients. Every morning, there were tens, even hundreds of patients already waiting in line at the site before we even arrived! It was humbling to see how needy these nice people were for medical attention. From little babies to senior citizens, we saw people of all ages with all sorts of chief complaints. As a team, we saw a few cases of malaria, lots of patients with worms, kids with ringworm, extracted a LOT of teeth, and performed a handful of surgeries, just to name a small fraction. Here are some pictures from different clinic sites throughout the week.

first clinic site

line of patients outside clinic before we even got there

Rob and me at IDP camp (internally displaced persons)

one of my favorite pictures

clinic day 3 exam room

Rob extracting a tooth

Dr. Marks helping me extract a tooth

first time ever doing this!

Assisting Winson, our trauma surgeon, in extracting a lipoma from a woman's armpit area

During our time there, we saw just under 2000 eager patients. I learned SO much over the week, and am very grateful to have worked with such gracious and patient doctors under the leadership of Karla Prentiss, without whom this trip would not be possible. To me, the fulfillment you get after helping someone better their life is unparalleled and no doubt solidifies my passion for medicine and helping people in need. I think it's one of the best experiences one could have!

We were rewarded with a couple perks during the week. Our second to last night in Haiti, we got to have dinner at the UN. We didn't see anything "official," but it was still cool to have dinner there. The food prepared for us at the orphanage was good all week, but we were all excited to have a classic American meal.

Lisa and Karla, our chief nursing officer and team leader. Awesome people!

Karla had a surprise for us on our last night in Haiti. We got a party at Club Indigo beach resort! It was beautiful and much needed leisure time for us to wind down from a busy week of clinic.

Serving in Haiti was truly one of the best things I could have done with my time this summer. It was humbling, refreshing, and encouraging to see a team of well-accredited people taking time to help brothers and sisters in need. It was an honor to serve with such amazing role models! Hopefully one day I can return to Haiti, or any other country in need of medical attention, and maybe by then I'll have more experience and will be able to offer my skills to help more people.


Visit www.internationalmedicalrelief.org if you're interested in joining a mission or making a donation. Share it with your friends!

A Little Slice of Heaven

June 19-24, 2011: Joni and Friends Mission Camp, retreat for families with disabled members.

Muskegon, Michigan - home of Maranatha Bible and Missionary Conference Center. Or, in my opinion, the best camp on earth. Before this retreat, I had never worked with anyone with disabilities, nor did I ever find time to really serve God--I was a believer and follower, but never considered myself a "strong" Christian. And so, I was presented with little pleasant surprises day after day at Joni camp, and it turned out to be a bit of a life changing experience for me.

My mom seeded the idea of serving at Joni camp towards the end of spring semester, excited that scheduling-wise, it fit perfectly into my hectic suitcase summer. Muskegon was only a 4 hour drive, and having a mother so gracious to finance my summer adventures, I agreed. Besides, I had never been to the other side of Lake Michigan, away from my beloved hometown's coastline of tall skyscrapers and man-enhanced beaches. Seeing a more peaceful, natural side of "the lake," as we Chicagoans call it, couldn't be such a bad thing.

the "other side" of Lake Michigan

boardwalk on the beach

Mona Lake

Lake Michigan sunset from the pool

The first day and a half at camp, when it was only the STM's (short term missionaries, they called us), went by slowly. We got briefed on stuff like wheelchair basics, autism, controlling emotions, daily schedules, etc. and of course were introduced to the impressive camp grounds. They had a kid's dream vacation--tubing, boating, zip line, horseback, climbing wall, pool, beach, delicious food, and free ice cream--all wrapped up between two lakes into a few beautiful square miles tagged as Maranatha. The best part: everything was wheelchair accessible, and the mission of this retreat was to fulfill campers' wishes. There was nothing they weren't allowed to do. Special harnesses were purchased for the zip line (a quadriplegic man was able to ride), tall men stood alongside the horses to ensure safety during campers' rides, and wheelchair ramps led to pontoon boating, just to name a few. After the families arrived, it seemed that we were all of a sudden in fast-forward.

A boat ride, ho-down, petting zoo, beach day, countless delicious meals, and a few thousand calories later, I found myself at the end of the 5 day camp, not ready to leave. It's hard for me to put into words what I took away from Joni camp. It really was one of the best things I've ever done in my life. People of all ages with disabilities were allowed to "be free" (the theme of this year's camp) and do/say whatever they wanted, without anyone turning an eye or giving them a weird look. The atmosphere of the camp was sooo rich in love for these people, and for Jesus. I was blown away at how all the STMs had such a will to serve, without looking for anything in return. I was even more touched by how genuine the disabled campers were. They didn't care what you looked like, what designer you wore, what you drove, or how many times you had messed up in your life. They loved you for you, and they told you every day! Isn't that what God wants from us after all? These people with disabilities are a blessing and constant reminder of what it is to live sincerely, candidly, and open, the way we all used to when we were innocent young kids. Out of respect for the families, we aren't allowed to post pictures of their kids without permission, so the only person I'm allowed to share with you is my camper, Marin. She is in a wheelchair, but lives her life as well as any of us do, and holds a deep passion for God. She is my age, in college, and extremely smart! I had a great time with her and her mom at camp!

If you haven't heard of Chuck and Emily Colson, Google them! Chuck Colson was a Marine captain, has worked next to President Nixon in the White House, and is the father of Emily. He was also the first person to go to prison after the Watergate scandal. After losing everything, he gave his life to God, and is the founder of one of the most successful prison ministries in the world. Emily is the author of the book Dancing with Max, a story about her autistic son and the testing journey of his childhood, raising him as a single mother. I would highly encourage you to read the book. It gave me a greater appreciation for autistic kids and the strength of God's love.

If time and scheduling allow, I will definitely be back at Maranatha next June for another round of Joni camp. I can't wait to be back in that atmosphere. I think my STM team leader Carol said it best, "This really is incredible, I envision this is kind of what heaven is like."

Ciao Italia... I'll see you again

My short time in Italy accounted for 10 of the best days of my life. I got to meet great people and experience great places, culture, and of course pizza and gelato.

 I fell in love with the Italian culture... their rich history, their language, their architecture, and the beautiful country itself... it undoubtedly surged my passion for travel. I would love to not only go back to Italy, but see the world, experience everything, and meet everyone! A artist by the name of Juan Gutierrez sang in one of his songs, "we are all one in the same, we are lovers and brothers and sisters and most of all friends." He was right on. The world is full of interesting, diverse people, and I LOVE learning where other people come from and what their story is. Next time I go abroad, rather than do lots of touristy things, I would like to live in one place, soak up the culture, experience how others live, and meet more people. So grazie Italy for serving as the start to my exciting summer and reinforcing that the world is big and beautiful and always open for adventure! And thank you soccer for being the stepping stone of this opportunity. I'll miss all the girls so much!

 Ciao Italia, I'll be back soon. Meanwhile, my summer goes on... next stop: Muskegon, Michigan. Andiamo!

Lake Como

June 11, 2011: our last day

Today started with the toughest wake-up of the trip. One more day in Italy? What am I gonna do without gelato, lasagna, pizza... and how can I ever get myself to eat previously frozen pasta again? We all reluctantly woke up (kind of, we were never fully awake in the mornings), had breakfast, and took a short bus ride to beautiful Lake Como, the deepest lake in Europe! The town of Como was less touristy and more cultured, a perfect way to go out in Italy. It was set on the southeast end of Lake Como, across from gorgeous green mountains sprinkled with residential houses. Our plan was to take a 1 hr and 45 min boat ride to Bellagio to check out the scenery and marvel at some more mountains, but a huge afternoon thunderstorm derailed our plans, so we just decided to drink wine on a covered patio on the lake. Not bad, besides the part where the not-so-modern sewage system overflowed onto the street. I'll spare you those pictures (yes I did take pictures of it) but here are some from our day in Como

Lake Como

Some of the team

Streets of Como

Great pizza

Our last gelato :(

One of my favorites from the trip!

After a wet day in Como, we jumped on the bus and headed back. Our last night at the hotel consisted of packing, lots of cheap wine, and a good dinner, with all intentions of going out with a bang. I would say we did pretty well.

Some of the girls with Pino our driver and Sara (to his left) our tour guide. They were so good to us, we were so lucky to have such gracious, awesome people to take us through Italy!