The field hospital at Fond Parisienne

It is almost two weeks since we left Fond Parisien/Love a Child HHI field Hospital. I along with 15 other medi cal volunteers from Operation Smile took away many memories and stories but it seems we also left our hearts there in the dusty tents as a very unequal exchange. Usually when I return from such endeavors there is some sense of closure. But in this instance I feel a sense of loss that somehow I have abandoned the people of Haiti who face unbelievable hardship.
It was not just bearing witness to hardship that created such discomfort but rather experiencing the faith and strength of the patients we cared for. Or Madame Zachary who lost everything including her only child yet comforted me as I debrided and dressed her wounds. Although I have washed the dirt of the camp from my body and fingers I cannot get rid of spirit of the people that settled into my soul. I hear the songs of prayer and hope when I close my eyes to sleep...If you also worked in Haiti this year, let us keep in touch and share stories so we will remember and continue this work. Genie Lindsey