Hi! I’m Jeremy Seitz, and it was my privilege to recently go with a relief team to Haiti. Prior to leaving, I tried to mentally prepare myself for what would come. My sister gave me some advice, “Just take one person at a time.” I didn’t realize how handy that would come in later. Our team was faced with daily situations we were not equipped to handle. So many people needed surgery, and other medical attention that we were not equipped to give them. We were able to meet the needs of many, but felt the overwhelming pressure of the need to do more.
One day, we set up a make-shift clinical in the mountains of Port-au-Prince. Some of the people we went to had never seen a white person before. At this time, I was doing the routine duties of checking vital signs and giving out vaccinations. Over a small hill came a man yelling in French. We quickly turned our attention to the man and saw him carrying his 15 year old daughter. Quickly my good friend, Lisa, and I rushed to his side to see what the commotion was about. Instantly Lisa’s face told me we had a serious problem. Lisa began explaining to me in medical terms what was going on, and even though I only got about half of what she said, I knew the girl needed emergency surgery if she was going to live.
The leader of the tribe explained through an interpreter that there was no hospital close, and even if we did manage to get her there, no one would let her in. God wasted no time in letting me know I had to do everything I could to get this girl to a hospital. The team of nurses I was with simply did not have the strength needed to carry this girl over the mountain to the hospital. I quickly volunteered a few of the tribesmen to help me and off we went. How I prayed to God to help me. My physical body was in no shape for the trek. With God anything is possible.
When we finally reached the hospital, it was as the leader had said, they would not let us in due to the enormous amount of people already inside. Through a crack in the gate I spotted three American Army nurses. I began screaming, “American! American!” They spotted me and came to hear my explanation of the urgent situation. They said they were on their way back to the Army Hospital and would fly the girl and her family with them to get the surgery she needed.
With tears streaming down my face, I thanked them and headed back to the clinic. On the walk back I realized how much God knows each of us. Even though I am not an experienced medical provider yet, He knows how He can use each of us to do His work. He knew, with His help, I could get that girl to the hospital. He knows my lungs were powerful enough to yell and get the attention of those army nurses! He knew me before I was born. I am so grateful that he can use me for His good. God is so good. Jeremy
Take it with You
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:13,14).
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