My Trip to Paul Farmer's Hospital

I am a huge Paul Farmer fan.  I have been ever since I read Mountains Beyond Mountains my freshman year of college.  I have always wanted to visit where he worked in Haiti, and last week I had a chance to!  A cardiology team was coming to Paul Farmer’s new teaching hospital, and Stephanie had two kids who needed to see them.  Since everyone knows how much I love Paul Farmer, Stephanie knew she would not have to convince me to be her other person on the trip. 

It was a long trip.  The hospital is in Mirebalais, which is about an hour outside of Port-au-Prince.  We left here on the midnight bus to go to Port-au-Prince.  We then took a bus to Mirebalais.  All in all it took about 12 hours for us to get there.  We dropped our stuff off at the hotel, and Stephanie and I went to visit the hospital. 

Me outside of the hospital

We had a friend who was able to give us a tour of the hospital, and I was absolutely blown away.  The hospital was so big and beautiful.  Everything was very well laid out and surprisingly clean.  There were fans everywhere, and they even had these UV lights all over that are supposed to kill germs in the air.  The hospital included a men’s ward, women’s ward, children’s ward, maternity, a surgery center, ICU, neonatal ward, and so much more.  They also have a therapy center, lab, ct machine, x-ray, and more! It raised my standards on what the quality of hospitals can be here (with the right funding that is).  Here are some photos of the inside of the hospital.

The children's ward

Playroom for the kids

One of the consultation rooms

The hospital gave me conflicting thoughts on its sustainability.  The entire hospital is run by solar panels, and all the money was raised BEFORE they built the hospital.  However, when a patient comes to the hospital, all they pay is the equivalent of $1 US.  That means that they could get a ct scan, surgery, stay in the hospital, and get rehab all for $1 US.  While that is absolutely wonderful for the Haitians who cannot typically afford quality healthcare, it would not cover hardly any of the expenses of the hospital. 

As much as I loved being able to visit the hospital and see some of Paul Farmer’s work, it was also hard.  We often deliver babies by cellphone light in our birthing center.  If a baby stops breathing and needs to be put on oxygen, we have to think about if we can turn the generator on.  Premature babies who need to be in an incubator have pretty much no chance here.  Yet this hospital had an entire neonatal ward!! I would by lying if I said I was not jealous of some of the capabilities that they had. 

As we were walking to the hospital, Stephanie and I were talking about how different the town was than Saint Louis.  No one yelled out “hey blanc” (hey white person).  No one seemed shocked to see us.  We talked about how it was kind of nice.  However, by the time we walked back to the hotel, we were missing the atmosphere of Saint Louis.  In Mirebalais, people may not have been phased that we were white, but they also did not care that we were there at all.  We had to ask the security guard a question, and he completely turned around trying to avoid us.  We may hear “hey blanc” a lot in Saint Louis, but everyone says hi and everyone is willing to help.  This all may sound silly, but I was thankful for a reminder of how much I love life in Saint Louis.

The next day we took the two kids for their check up.  One problem that is often in Haiti is that if you go to a medical facility with a white person you typically get pushed through faster/a better quality of care.  We were pleasantly surprised to be put at the end of the line to see the cardiologist.  We were even more surprised to get two good reports from the doctor!  

It was a quick trip, but I am so thankful for the opportunity.  I am thankful to fulfill a dream of mine.  I am thankful to have been able to see how another hospital runs.  I am thankful for two clean bills of health for the kids.  And now, I am even more thankful to be home where everyone says hi and asks how I am! 

Spiritual Warfare in Haiti

Spiritual Warfare is real everywhere.  It is just as real in America as it is in Haiti.  However, I feel like there is one major difference.  In America, spiritual warfare is often disguised in music or movies.  In Haiti, spiritual warfare is not always so disguised.  It is the actual battle between the power of God and the power of voodoo. 

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Ephesians 6:12

Voodoo in Haiti is real, and it is powerful.  A bible study I am currently doing explained, “the original word Paul used for struggle is ‘palē’ which means a fight or contest among opponents waged in close, hand-to-hand combat with the goal of pinning down and defeating one’s rival.”  This battle is real here.  A couple weeks ago we visited with a pastor who said the lady next door to the church was a voodoo priestess.  They were having a war.  While he was having church services, she was having voodoo ceremonies.  The battle is raging there. 

Another example of this battle was this past week.  For Christians, this week was a week leading up to Resurrection Sunday.  A week spent remembering the sacrifice that Jesus made for us ending in a celebration of his resurrection.  However, for voodoo this week is always rara.  Rara is a voodoo celebration where different bands march around playing music and drinking, often armed with guns or machetes.  My friends have told me I do not even want to know some of things that go on during these celebrations.  When one band meets another band, they often fight and many people (even innocent bystanders) are hurt.  They also will destroy people’s gardens and property simply because they can.  We were not allowed to leave campus for the week because it was not safe.  Many of my Haitian friends have told me that they celebrate rara during the week before Easter because they are celebrating Jesus’ death.  Their biggest celebration is always on Good Friday, the day we remember our Lord Jesus as dying on the cross.  They related these rioting bands to the riots that were held against Jesus surrounding his death. 

A book I am reading explains, “Voodoo is not just part of Haiti’s heritage.  It is not just for the uneducated, a way of explaining what seems unexplainable.  It is not just about cultural expressions of music and dance.”  Voodoo is real, and it is powerful.

This past week was also women's conference at our church.  Conference is a week of worship and evangelism.  Every night the church was overflowing with people.  We sang; we danced; we listened to sermons.  While we were doing this and fighting to win souls for Christ, the rara bands were encouraging people to join them.  The battle was real.  I wrote in my journal how this week the air felt charged.  The spiritual warfare was so prevalent.  On one night of conference, a rara band actually went right past the church.  Shortly after they passed, we sang a song with lyrics that said "satan you lose!"  There are no words to describe the feelings during those moments.  To hear and see the voodoo band walk by and feel the evil that occupied them and then to sing that song was extremely powerful. 

Throughout the week, over 20 people accepted Christ at conference.  Several parents of children in the nutrition program were among those 20.  I have been working a lot with one boy in the program named Benji.  His dad accepted Christ during conference!  

Benji and his dad

While I am so thankful for the 20 souls who were saved, victory is not always the result.  While the church was winning souls over for Christ, there were people choosing the other side as well.  Sometimes it is simply too late.  Two days ago Benji's dad came and asked if I would go pray with his cousin who was sick.  When we were hiking up the mountain, I was so inspired by this new Christian walking with his Bible in his hand to share the gospel with his family.  I would love to tell you that we were able to persuade him to accept Christ.  Even better, I would love to tell you that he accepted Christ and was healed.  However, that is not always what happens.  For us, it was too late.  By the time we got to the house, the man had died.  Please join me in praying for this family.  Pray for this new Christian, that his faith may not be wavered in this situation.  Pray that he still has the courage to share the gospel with the rest of his family, before it is too late for them too. 

These past two weeks have been hard, and they have been trying.  There have been moments when I have rejoiced, like when my friends accepted Christ.  However, there have also been moments I have mourned.  The battle is real, and we will keep fighting it.  I am so thankful to know that victory was found on that cross nearly 2000 years ago.