Mission to Haiti
from Jordan Bennett, Cory Smeltzer and Sara Demaagd

A team of students and faculty from Belmont University School of Nursing is ministering in Haiti during Belmont’s Spring Break.  This is the second year a team has traveled there.

Hello all! What an incredible first full day in Grand Goave, Haiti!  Our day was as full and busy as it was hot.  We began with a traditional Haitian breakfast: spaghetti! It was actually quite delicious, we are considering bringing this tradition home to the states.  After breakfast we got to ride in the back of a pick up truck through the little town of Grand Goave to the Siloe school and church.

At this site is the Pharmacy that supplies the mobile clinics we were be bringing to different communities Monday-Thursday of this week.  We spent most of the day organizing the medications and supplies.  We pulled expired medications and packed up the materials we will need for our mobile clinic and makeshift pharmacy.

In addition to organizing and packing the clinic supplies, we got to meet and interact with some local children.  We fell in love with their smiles and contagious laughter.  One of our Haitians friends Junior told us not to worry they are not laughing at us, Haitians just love to laugh always.  We all decided we want to laugh a little more in our lives. What a great lesson to learn!

Junior also shared some life lessons with us including one shared while riding on the bumpy road in the back of the pick up truck.  He told us the bumps were good for your health.  So naturally we questioned why, he replied that its a natural gas reliever.

When we got back to the clinic (around 5:30) we all headed to the beach for a quick swim and to enjoy the beautiful sunset.  What a treat to get to see the sun sink below the mountain ranges in the distance.

We ended the day with a wonderful Haitian lasagna (made by the sweet Haitian ladies who cook all our meals for us).  Some CBF missionaries in the area for tomorrow’s church dedication joined us and shared their wisdom from their 25 years spent working in Haiti. They  shared their knowledge of their work with Cholera as well as countless other stories.

Overall we are all looking forward to a good nights sleep, the church’s dedication, and teaching English classes tomorrow.

Love to everyone at home!

Jordan, Cory, Sara, and everyone else!