“Men anpil, chay pa lou” is the Kreyol proverb. “Many hands make the burden light. I hope that is the case. I met most of our team at the airport this afternoon. There are ER docs, family practice docs, orthopedic and trauma surgeons, nurses and the rehabilitation doc. They all seem like good people. They are earnest, and caring. Lines of concern mark all of their faces. We are all anxious to get there and do what we can to ease the enormous burden of suffering. We loaded bandages, needles, syringes, surgical kits, IV fluids, and as much medication as we could fit into our bags. LDS Humanitarian packed two bags for each of us: one with food, a tent and a blanket, the other with medical supplies. Some of the doctors swung by to raid their hospitals and clinics on the way to the airport for sutures and hard to get anesthesia drugs. In times of emergency doctors are good at doing what needs to be done first and filling out the forms later.

I haven’t done much suturing since my internship, but I still remember how to hold a retractor (it seems that was all I did during my 3^rd year surgery rotation). I know Haiti and Port-au-Prince well, I speak the language, know the culture and I have led medical teams to Haiti for the past 12 years, so I’ll try and be of use.

We are worried about security. A few years ago an HHH team scheduled a clinic in Cite Soleil, Haiti’s poorest slum. When the team arrived at the clinic location, a small house in the middle of Cite Soleil, they found hundreds lined up outside. It was immediately obvious that the supplies they had brought were woefully inadequate. The team began to see patients but a rumor quickly spread that leaders had put their own families and friends at the front of the line and that “blans” were going to leave after treating only them. It got ugly quickly. Shouts, threats, pounding on the door and the tin roof, the line broke into a mob and surrounded the little house. The team got to the van and escaped from the crowd by dumping the rest of the supplies out on the street while driving away as the mob fought over pills and bandages.

I have never really felt fear in Haiti with groups of two or three or ten. I have learned to keep far away from groups large enough to become a mob when passion and frustration spills over. I was given a blessing this morning of protection, safety and discernment from one of my church leaders. And I feel good about our trip. I hope however, that they have made progress with getting food and water to the thousands who need it. Even in January the Haitian sun is too hot. I can’t imagine sitting out under the sun all day with a grinding stomach and nothing to drink. Jan 16^th.