The Haitian Helpers

As many of you know, last month I broke my finger while playing a game with the kids at my work. As I sat next to the doctor waiting to schedule surgery, holding my newly straightened finger, a million and one things started racing through my head- "Everything happens for a reason, what is the reason in this?"- "How will I pay for this? I have no money."- "Can somebody please get me another Advil or something?!?"- "Why did it have to break in half? I don't want to have surgery."- "What if I can't go to Haiti because of my finger? Oh man!"- "My finger won't be the same for months? Months is plural!" - "Where is that Advil?" - "My finger is the size of a hotdog." - "I can't feel my finger, what if it gets stuck like this forever?!?" - "Forget a hotdog, it's the size of a sausage!"

I broke my finger at a 90 degree angle. This is a picture before the doctor reset it.

I think the doctor could tell something was bothering me because he asked me what was on my mind. When I told him about Haiti, he just gave me a little smile before answering my question. After he told me that I could still go to Haiti, he told me about some doctors that he works with who do a bunch of work in Haiti. He said maybe after I got out of surgery I could meet them. So less than a week later, I sat in a reclining chair with an IV in my arm and a mask on my face asking everyone around me, "Where are Haiti's friends?". Obviously the medicine was getting the best of me. When I woke up from surgery, I looked at the nurse and said, "Will you please help me find the Haitian Helpers? I really need to talk to them!" She explained to me that "The Haitian Helpers" were at lunch, but they all worked in the rehabilitation center, so I'd be meeting them in a few weeks.

I went into surgery with 2 hands and woke up with this on my right hand. Cast #1.

Three weeks later, I was going to rehabilitation therapy, ready to meet the Haitian Helpers! I sat down at this table and laid my hand on a hand rest. Across from me sat this nice lady named Pat. She asked me a few normal meet and greet questions, which gave me the perfect opportunity to talk about Haiti. I had struck gold! It turns out that Pat is planning on going to Haiti next year with the Haitian Helpers. When I told her how much money I needed to raise, she told me to come back with a support letter for her. After she put me in my new cast, she called one of the doctors into the room. He was the man I had been looking for all along! He and I talked for about 30 minutes about his non-profit organization and all of the work they were doing in Haiti. He showed me pictures of the places they had been and the things they were doing. Then he introduced me to his partner, who also sat there with me and talked about Haiti for another 15 minutes. At the end of the appointment, I sat there holding my finger in a new cast, with a million and one things racing through my head.

The pins holding my finger together

Cast #1 off, waiting for cast #2

Mrs. Pat made cast #2 quite stylish! :D

 
 Two weeks later, I sat across from Pat as she made another cast. At the end of my appointment, I gave her a support letter and started to gather my things to go home. She looked at me and said, "Honey, it's not time to go yet!" and she ran to the back of the room to get something. She came back with a smile on her face and slipped a check into my hand. Again, I sat in my car on the drive home, holding my finger in a new cast with a check in my pocket and a million and one things racing through my head- "Everything happens for a reason." - "Now my finger looks like a hotdog and the cast looks like the bun." - "God, how wonderful You are!" - "Thank you for giving more people a heart for Haiti." - "God, I don't know why I broke my finger, but thank you for introducing me to them. Thank you for letting our paths cross." - "God, thank you for Pat, please keep her safe in Haiti." - "You know God, this may be wrong, but if there are more people who have a heart for Haiti, you can break all of my fingers to get me to them!". Haha.

So in all reality, this experience has taught me so much. Every cloud has silver lining; Pat and the 2 doctors (aka. "Haitian Helpers") are the silver lining I've found in this cloud. Here I am standing in awe at the work God has done, knowing that He's not finished yet!

On my last visit, they removed the pins, and showed me some exercises that will help me regain the strength and motion in my finger. Right now, I am cast free and I get to see Pat and the Haitian Helpers once a week!

After 6 long weeks, the pins finally came out. This is a reminder than healing takes a lot of time.

Total money needed to go to Haiti:  $17,294
Prayers: Haiti, Rachael and I, donations, healing of my finger, a completed job description, and for my team to experience God, do His work, have safe travels, and leave a long-lasting impact on Haiti as we travel there in 10 days