I Am Amazed!

Wow, the trip is back on! And instead of being six months later, it is now over a week sooner! Yikes! Lots to do! I am excited and nervous, of course. The team is from an organization called Faith Care who was scheduled to go a week prior to our team. There needs to be much coordination in 11 days:

-Find air transport to/from Ft. Lauderdale,FL. We depart February 11th or 12th, and return February 20th. I have a couple flight vouchers for when we were bumped from a flight returning from Phoenix a few weeks ago that would cover it. The other option is Mission Aviation Fellowship, which is located here in Nampa, may be able to get me to Florida, but only if they are already going there. Dave Fyock, a director with MAF wants me to call him on Monday to discuss this option.

-Get time off work. I had already canceled my time off request for the following week that we were slated to go. The hospital is more than willing to work with me to cover the six shifts that I am already scheduled to work. I should know by Monday, February 1st.

-Get my travel shots. The CDC has just published a new list for Aide Workers going to Haiti. Of course, they aren't covered under my insurance, so I will have to come up with another $200 to pay for that. I have faith that it will all work out. People have been very generous so far!

I was very encouraged recently by many people that want to help:

-One of the Pediatricians that practices at Saltzer told me his young sons were glad that my trip was delayed so they could save up to help support me. Now that I'm going even sooner, they may not save a lot, but their heart to help was moving.

-My employer, Mercy Medical Center, has been extremely helpful in offering help in many forms.

-From my per diem job with MedNow Home Infusion: the last few patients that have finished with their therapy have donated their unused medical supplies.

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Just a few thoughts I would like to share with my readers:

When I stop to think how my life turned out the way it has, and how things seem to just fall into place, I feel more than lucky. I feel blessed. I also feel like I'm getting away with something because I in no way deserve anything I get. Actually, the entire concept of "deserving" anything in this life is such a strange concept. If it were true, you would be forced to draw the line somewhere between what you deserve and the idea that sometimes, bad things happen.

Did I deserve such a great family? Could I have chosen them? Or was it random? Did those people in Haiti that have lost so much deserve it? Did the ones that escaped injury or death deserve to have lived? Don't get me wrong, I think I deserve a speeding ticket for driving over the posted limit. I deserve to be mistrusted if I cheat. But those are things that I choose to do, and that is a consequence. There are good consequences and bad ones, to be sure.

I would like to offer up some thoughts that make me scratch my head in wonder:

-I have wanted to go on medical missions since graduating from Boise State Nursing in May 2007.

-I have had a heart for the people of Haiti after meeting many and seeing them in dire circumstances while I was serving in the US Coast Guard.

-I asked my dad to let me know when and if he was going back to Haiti after his trip last year. I reminded him in December, he called me a week later and said there was a trip in February.

-I applied and received my Passport in less than three weeks, and I didn't have it "expedited".

-After my trip was canceled last week, and after becoming resigned to the fact of not going for up to six months, I got a phone call yesterday with this opportunity. I had no luck trying to sign on with another relief organization.

In other words, I feel that I was meant to go. I would still love to serve side by side with my dad in the future. In fact it was he who helped this opportunity happen. I hope to come back from Haiti changed, I don't think I'll have a choice.

Thanks for listening to my ramblings. I will keep you all updated as new developments happen. Please keep me and the team from Faith Care in your thoughts and prayers!

-Your friend,
Steve