Leah’s Field Report: 2/1/10

“But he said to me, ‘my grace is sufficent for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” -2 corinthinas 12:9

What was my weakness on this trip? Well, I could list many…. But the one that sticks out is sickness. Just a few hours after Dr. Ernesto told Jonelle that the American men always get sick and cause him trouble, I wake up and throw up all over our house!

Sparing the details that only nurses care to know, I was not able to stop vomiting and came home (to my second home, the Dominican Republic) early with the half of the team that was bringing two other team members back for their flight. After the most painful and awful 8 hour van ride of my life they dropped me off at the ER where mis padres, the Guavaras, were waiting for me. I literally opened the door of the van and fell into Rafiel’s arms. I got IV fluids and an IV antiemetic and slept an hour in the ER. Then they gave me a Gatorade and I drank it all! (For those of you that know me well, I have never been so happy to have high fructose corn syrup in my life)

Come to find out when we got home from the hospital, Jonelle was sick too and the second half of the team was on their way home early with her… We spent several hours in the hospital with her today. We both agree that we have never been so sick before. Nothing we ate or drank can be pinpointed since everyone ate and drank the same things.

I felt very disappointed that I had to return to the capital early. We had some great plans for Sunday-we were going to worship at a Haitian church, revisit an orphanage, and go back the the hospital we worked at and are building relationships with (the hospital the xray machine is for. This is also where we were able to find insulin for a litte boy needing orthopedic surgery whose BG was in the 400s. Jonelle will be blogging this story of God’s sovereignty when we return home).

Needless to say, God’s plan is always greater than our own. There were some witnessing circumstances that arose in the middle of my vomiting (not a time when you feel like showing grace to selfish, unbelieving, reporters from New York) that we as a team could have never planned had we not been leaving Haiti at 4:30 a.m. Sunday. Gricel told me on the bus ride home that God is teaching us a new lesson everyday.

Although I will not know how the faith of our team impacted those New Yorkers, i know it was all for the glory of God. I know that in my sickness that God’s strength was carrying me the whole way. I hope that beacuse of my weakness that some unbelievers were able to see the greatness of God. The fruitful actions and words of my Dominican and American team members were full of grace in a trying situation. I love them all the more for that day!

His grace alone is sufficent through every thorn we have in our sides. In our weakness we discover more and more of his strength and sovereignty. Even though our trip ended a little early and we suffered a little, I can boast in Christ’s power! He is redeeming Haiti and the entire world! His kingdom will come! I am humbled that he uses me in my weaknesses.

Thanks to those who were paryig for us, the team, and Haiti, especailly my family at IK who prayed while I was on the van yesterday. Your encouragement has been wonderful and greatly appreciated.