Feb 12, 2010

Good morning!
One month ago today, 23 of us were physically together in a village we have grown to love, in a country that will never be the same. The rest of you were together with us and Haiti via every form of media/communication possible. We have all become part of an event that literally rocked the world. The reality of this earthquake and all the images we have seen are strong for all of us, and they have moved each and every one of us into some form of action. Thank you!
For our team, our 23, the experience is more than our actions. It is multidimensional. Yes, we have images that are traumatic, even haunting, same as everyone else, but we have the blessing of remembering each person we met. We can still see into their eyes – young and old, despair, hope, laughter, love, loss, God. With these images we experience the activation of all our senses. We still feel the Haitian breeze, warm sun, cool night air; the hands we were holding, broken bones we were setting, wounds we were washing, veins we were missing, the pit in our stomach and the acid in our mouth, the warmth of the blood that was flowing…the warmth of the breath that was still pressing on and the warmth of the hearts that were breaking. We hear the sounds of Haiti – words we don’t understand, but intonation we do. Crowing, barking, drumming, singing, giggling, crying, praising, rumbling, moaning, yelling, mourning, roaring, hugging, holding. Smells of delicious food, fresh air, diesel, betadine, antibiotics, dust, death, jet fuel, soap, and clean linen wave in and out. And with each wave, the taste comes back too, some extremely pleasant, others as offensive as it can get - but all a reminder of our humanity intertwined. Simply put, we are people, together, and God is here too.
One month later Haiti is still as real as ever. Thank you for continuing to be part of this reality, for joining us in this deeply sense filled journey ~ sue