Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Haiti 2012: Ashley

       Having been on several other mission trips before, I thought I had it all figured out. However, God had something totally new in store for me. The clinic here in Haiti is completely different. Imagine 8 Americans, 2 Haitian dentists, and 3 Haitian nurses all trying to work in two small rooms without any form of air conditioning and one extremely large language barrier. But through all of that, God had a plan.
        We are blessed to have an oral surgeon traveling with us. Thus, I had the opportunity to see some amazing surgeries that I may not otherwise have the opportunity to see. One little girl had a a mandibular tumor removed, and another woman had sebaceous cyst removed from her cheek that she has had for over 10 years. I cannot even begin to explain the hospital conditions here in Haiti. We were told by a local that the yearly budget for the entire hospital is $50,000. At times, there is not even enough oxygen for all the patients. In the operating room that we used today for our surgeries, we were in constant search of simple supplies such as syringes and local. However, in the end, God provided!

       On top of all that, this was a day of many firsts for me. Not only did I get to perform my first filling on a real patient, but I was able to practice cutting a flap and placing a suture. But again, God was only getting started. Every night we have been going to minister to our partnering church here in Haiti. For some reason, God laid it on my heart that I was much more need with the older youth and not with much more desirable younger children. Little did I know that God was using me to help inspire and teach the youth of Haiti about sexual purity. When I was first told that this was what the team wanted me to speak about, I was petrified. Not only is that age such a hard one to reach, but with a subject such as that one, it made it even that much tougher. However, God gave me a little extra Jesus juice tonight. Hopefully, as scared as I was, at least one Haitian teen was able to be reached.

        God is moving in miraculous ways here in Haiti. I thank God everyday that I have this opportunity to witness here in Haiti. I am blessed to be here with this team. Praise be to God!!!
 
Ashley
UTHSC College of Dentistry

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