Hope

God is at work even in the tragedy. I can only tell what I saw, and that is a tiny little snapshot in a huge city. The Manna team had been working at Haitian Community Hospital and there were hundreds of people being treated there. Everyone was setting up tents and mats outside because most people, especially after the second earthquake on Wed., were afraid to be inside. There were so many people with broken bones and large wounds and a lot of amputations and the need for follow up care was great. There was a little boy named Anson who had a broken leg and an external fixator. Brad was cleaning his incision which was becoming infected. Anson was full of smiles and never complained, even though he was going to have to return to the OR to have the incision "washed out." I saw him again after he was taken inside and someone had given him a soccer ball to hold, so I stopped to talk with him and his dad. We talked about "futbol," and I found out that dad and son both liked to play. Anson was only 4 years old and his dad wanted to know if he would ever play futbol again. I pray he does! Please pray that the infection in his leg is cleared and someday Anson and his dad will kick the soccer ball together again.
I was truly blessed to meet a young lady named Maude. Maude is a nurse and it was necessary to amputate her leg due to the injuries she sustained in the earthquake. But when Brad introduced me to her, she had the most beautiful smile that lit up her whole face! She was so grateful to God to be alive. She was not mourning the loss of her leg, but talking about her plans for the future. She wanted to get a prosthesis and practice nursing again so she could continue to help others. What an amazing testimony to her sweet spirit!
These stories help me remember that this is a tragedy for the country, but each individual is walking through it and have their own story to tell. We will continue to pray that the "stories" will bring glory to God. What an honor to serve a God who brings hope in the midst of tragedy.