More than I planned for!
Trip Start
Unknown
1
4
5
Trip End
Ongoing
Jacmel, Haiti
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Visiting third world counties truly has opened my eyes to what I have in life. From basic running water to a roof over my head. I live in a world where if the AC is off for more than an hour you would think that the world was coming to an end. In Haiti, people are still living in tents 6 months after the earthquake with the nearest creek or a contaminated well being the only sources of water. Those that have rebuilt or was lucky that their homes weren't destroyed, sleep in tents as well at night in fear of another earthquake. I'm actually writing this after a recent trip to Mexico as well. While in Mexico, I experience an earthquake that registered 5.7 which was nothing compared to the one in Haiti. It really made me think about the people of Haiti and what they lived through on that day. I almost felt like it was God was saying to me that night.....don't forget.
Sadly, what I will always remember most about Haiti was the last night we spent in Port au Prince. It was a long, hot night but I wouldn't know for several hours the lasting effects that Haiti would have on me. We got up early Friday morning and started our journey back to Bristol. It was a long day and after two days of not having a shower and a week of not shaving, I was looking forward to getting home. When I got home that evening and while shaving I noticed a lot of swelling on my arms but didn't really think a whole lot about it as I had a lot of bites on me already but upon taking my shirt off to shower is when I noticed that over half of my body was cover with what my doctor believes to be bed bug bites. Eventually on Saturday I talk with my Doctor and he puts me on Prednisone and while it did its magic on the bites it took its toll on me in other ways. Side effects I experience.....increased appite and thirst, upset stomach, an inability to sleep good at night and I became very moody. So, with 3 days until I was scheduled to go on another mission trip to Mexico and the bites gone, I decided to stop taking the Prednisone all together. Not a good idea as I believe I experienced withdrawls from the drug. I had a headache for 5 days and my stomach stayed upset for 4 more days and I'm still not happy about the 5 pounds I gained in a little over a week. All in all, Haiti was more than I planned for but I have no regrets for going and I was proud to work with a team of people that loved God and wanted to make a difference in the world.
