Looking at the big picture can be overwhelming. Hundreds of thousands of people dead. Approximately 300,000 injured. A million homeless. Mass graves. Looters. People desperate for a roof over their heads and some food. How do we even begin to make a difference in the wake of such a tragedy as the earthquake in Haiti? It seems nearly impossible to even scratch the surface of their needs when looking at them as a whole. But these are individual people. These are children who need parents, parents who need food, friends who need medical care. These are people who need us to reach out our hand and help them, one by one.
ServLife set out to do just this, sending a team of six doctors, five nurses, and a coordinator to the capital city of Port-au-Prince on January 28. The team worked at a temporary hospital set up by Mission Haiti that was one of two in the area, attempting to serve and treat the 200,000 people that are currently residing there. Gideon Tsang, the ServLife volunteer and team leader and Pastor of Vox Veniae church in Austin, TX said that this hospital was one of the best in the area – organized and well-staffed by health-care professionals from around the world who, when they left, equipped a team of Haitian doctors and nurses to keep the facilities running.
ServLife provided 1500 pounds ($260,000 of value) of medical supplies which came just in time, according to Tsang. He said, “Every morning we awoke to a line of hundreds waiting to be seen. The supplies were practical and a good fit for the needs of the Haitian community. The hospital could not have sustained the rush with their existing pharmaceutical supplies.” One by one, the team of doctors and nurses reached out to the community to meet needs. An area populated by approximately 200,000 is an overwhelming task, but when the day is done, and the ServLife team has seen a few hundred patients, and wakes up the next day to see a few hundred more, the impact is great.
Haitian lives were destroyed in an instant with the impact of the earthquake. Little by litte, that impact is being lessened as teams go down to serve and meet needs. ServLife had the incredible opportunity to meet tangible needs and make a difference in the lives of the Haitians. Even so, there are so many more needs to be met, and so many more people to be reached there. It’s an enormous task, but one that will be accomplished by faithfully helping and giving. One by one, every single life that was affected by the earthquake can be changed.
Joel Vestal reflects, “Responding to Haiti can seem like taking a drink of water out of a fire hose but we must continue to pray, act, give, and go as we are able. Please pray as we continue to see how ServLife will best be helpful to the people in Haiti.”
Click here to see our goal and give
(Source: ServLife News by Sarah Buckner)
(Posted: Feb. 15, 2010)