Mar
8
Written by:
Felicia Fox
3/8/2010 3:50 PM
I had an amazing weekend. It was one of those weekends that I know I will be talking about for the rest of my life. It changed me. That’s why I’m sharing this blog with you today instead of the usual Wednesday or Thursday blog.
I spent this weekend in Atlanta delivering the hygiene kits our children made for Haitian refugees to my friend, Amanda. I arrived and quickly learned that she had planned for me to go with her the next morning to meet some of the refugees. It had never crossed my mind that I would be able to meet some of the refuges. The next morning Amanda and I headed out.
We made our way to a hotel where seven of the refugees who were released from the hospital were staying. I was not ready for what I experienced. Amanda knocked on the first door and we were greeted by a middle aged man on a walker. He had been badly burned from his waist to his knees. We could see his bandages because he was not wearing any pants. It was clear that he was in a lot of pain. He spoke English. He had been a doctor in Haiti and told us he had dedicated his life to helping others. He knew God would help him now.
He took us to the next hotel room where we meet a mother and her 13 year old girl. They did not speak English. The mother was amazing. She quickly agreed to help the other hurt Haitians on her hall. She was the only one who was well. Her daughter had a head injury. The mother explained to me the best she could that her daughter had been hit in the head by falling debris during the quake. The mother also took my hand and rubbed it tenderly over the head wound that was healing. She wanted me to see and feel what had happened to her child.
The third room we visited belonged to a woman who looked to be about 20. Her leg had been crushed during the earthquake. I was struck by how lonely she must have been. She was all alone and could barely move. She could not speak English. She was laying there in her dark hotel room. When we walked in her eyes lit up, she smiled and waved. It was like she just needed the presence of someone else.
We then went to visit a young man. He had pelvic, kidney, and leg injuries. He had been reading his Bible before we came to visit. He had it lying on the bed and I could make out in French that he was reading from Psalms. We talked with him for a little bit and he even sung a little for me while Amanda was on the phone.
The last room we went to was the hardest for me. It belonged to a 15 year old girl and her father. She was completely burned from her waist down. She was in a lot of pain. I will never forget the way she looked. The pain was written all over her face. She motioned for me to join her on the bed. I sat beside her and she wanted me to see her burns. I looked as she pulled her hospital gown up and showed me the third degree burns on her hips. It broke my heart.
I wasn’t prepared for the pain and heartache I saw this weekend. I’m still processing it. I’m sure I will be for a long time. Please pray for the people who have been affected by the earthquakes.