My Journal from Haiti Trip (Feb 2010)

2/3/10 Wednesday 7:40pm
We are on our way to Atlanta, then to Miami, the first part of our trip to Haiti. Lorinda and I were both caught by the TSA in Dayton, OH with our liquid content -- I lost a jar of peanut butter (it's considered liquid, wow.) and Lorinda lost a gallon bag full of little apple sauce and fruit cups, and her DEET. Thankfully we ourselves made it through even though we are 70% water.
This afternoon, our Haiti flight was finally confirmed for Sat. 11:00am. Because the small airport in Haiti can't handle all the rescue and cargo flights, the military has taken the control and flights can be cancelled or delayed anytime -- hence our original flight for tomorrow morning has been cancelled as well. But now that we have a new flight that is confirmed, it should help us know how to plan for next few days in Miami. This is truly an adventure getting to go down to Haiti during this time. Somebody asked me how I felt. I hadn't even thought about it. But I think I'm somewhat scared with all the unknowns (for example, we don't even know how and when we can get back exactly), filled with questions as to how and in what way I could be helpful in this mess, and anticipating strains on my body, mind and soul. Having friends to travel with certainly makes this trip more enjoyable and less scary. Overall I am thankful for this opportunity.

2/4/10 Thursday 9:23pm
Who would have thought we would be in Naples today anticipating a beach day tomorrow. Thank God, Lorinda found a friend who lives 2 hours away from Miami that was willing to host us until Saturday. We got a small rental car that barely fit all of our stuff and ourselves. Trudie was our designated driver through the dangerous Miami. Lorinda was the designated passenger seat driver. And I was the designated sleeper in the back seat and navigating the route now and then on my phone -- I completely missed the whole drive through the Everglades. This afternoon, we spent lots of money buying more supplies that were requested from the group that we will be joining in Haiti--pedialyte, vitamins, ointments, razors, etc. Costco and walmart got lots of business from us.
The great news for today was that we would be able to use our phones down in Haiti for Free -- thank you, AT&T. Praise the Lord. Communication has been very limited between the group in Haiti and us. This will help tremendously for us and for others who will be volunteering in Haiti later.

2/5/10 Friday 12:34pm
We had a nice walk at the Naples beach to work off our Floridian French Toast from the First Watch. Gary was nice to take us around the ritzy town and walk the beach with us. While we were walking the beach I got a call from Tracey (a friend of ours who left a couple of days before us) in Haiti saying that she is sick already along with many others. Something they ate might have caused diarrhea. She recommended us to bring some electrolyte packets for ourselves. Now I'm scared again. We are going to give more business to Wal-mart again this afternoon and stock up on more food and water to take with us. Thankfully there is no weight limit on luggage from Miami to Haiti.

2/5/10 Friday 10:03pm
We now have 3 big boxes and 1 duffle bag full of stuff, 2 cases of water, and a tent to carry besides our own belongings. Tomorrow is the day. I was cherishing everything for the last time -- last good meal at a Chinese restaurant tonight, last warm shower, last blowing drying of my hair, last night on a nice matress. Of course, all this is only for a week but I am afraid that it will be a long one week. I have nothing to be afraid except that I forget how God has led us in the past. The Lord will be with us. May the Lord fulfill His will through us.

2/6/10 Saturday
Started the day early driving to the Miami airport. We sang hymns and read some Bible passages to help us remember that we were in Sabbath hours. We met up with the rest of the team from ACTS at the airport - two Haitian translators (Sandra and Emmanuel), 1 medical student (Allen--he is a friend of Tim's and mine and I didn't even know he was coming), 1 OB resident (Lisa), 3 nurses (Shirley, Trudie, and me), and 1 PT (Lorinda). That morning, Michelle e-mailed and asked me to be the teamleader when she found out that Leroy (our leader) couldn't make it. His flight to Miami was delayed.
We flew on a charter flight called Vision Air. It was a regular size plane that could seat about 150 people. The flight wasn't full but everyone's luggage in the cargo probably made up for it. There were many from University of Miami going to help at the UN medical tent. I'm not sure who all the other groups were. The flight was uneventful and short only taking 1.5 hours to Port-au-Prince. Once we got to Haiti finding our luggages while they were being unloaded on the tarmac was quite a mess. Thankfully we met up with Janine from ACTS in that mess and got ourselves and our million luggages on the bus which was very old and beat up. On our 1 hour drive to the SDA hospital (we could have driven there in 20 minutes if the road was better and the bus was smaller), we were shocked by what we saw out the window. The devastation and poverty of Port-au-Prince was beyond our imagination. Rubbles and trash piles were everywhere. We were soon covered with dust and sweat as our welcome to Haiti. As soon as we got to our base camp which is located right across from the hospital we found a spot to pitch a tent and got ourselves oriented as to what we will be doing the next day. Trudie and I will be at the post op unit and Lorinda, we found out, was the only Physical Therapist for hundreds of ortho patients. We were told that they were desperate for nurses in the hospital even that night.

2/7/10 Sunday
We went to bed last night with the generator noise blasting in the background, and woke up this morning with roosters crowing, and the noise of the crowd forming a line outside of the clinic door which is located less than 100 feet from our tent. Today, Trudie and I were assigned to work in the post op. We took care of Ortho patients and post C-section moms mostly. The supplies in the hospital were not only limited but unorganized. The French volunteers and American volunteers didn't know how to communicate well with each other. We didn't know how to care for patients whose surgeries were done by French. We couldn't read French writings and they couldn't write English. Translators were short everywhere. We were told that the local translator volunteers were all at church today. Seeing a new born brought to a post-C section mom was the most exciting and happy thing I saw. We shared the book, Steps to Christ in French, with some of the patients. People were so receptive. One lady hugged the book and kissed the picture of Jesus on the cover. It took so much work to bring these books down here but today was the last day we ever saw these books again. The box was lost in the sorting of supplies by others and I was sorely disappointed. Hopefully they will be found again and used by someone soon.

2/8/10 Monday
What an exhausting day. Trudie and I went to the Mobile clinic for the first time. Post op days were much easier than we realized. A group of 5 medical providers and other supportive staff went out to an orphanage school. Inside a small concrete room without any windows, we were terribly hot. The mob of crowds was pushing their way to get in the line before our supplies ran out. Many of them were plagued by dehydration, headache, dizziness, and skin diseases -- many of which can be prevented if they had shelter, food and water. It was difficult. I wished we had food and water to give them. Some of them told me that they weren't able to sleep at night because they don't have anywhere to sleep and mosquitoes were torturing them. I wished I had mosquito nets to give them. One child had mosquito bites all over the small body and they were infected. His little feet were badly scabbed over from constant scratching. The needs were overwhelming and way beyond what we could do for them. We had to work with less than ideal situations -- inadequate equipment, medicines, resources, and personnel. We did what we could.

2/9/10 Tuesday
Due to the low number of medical providers, we could only run the main clinic today. No mobile clinics. The goal is to run 4 mobile clinics besides the 1 main clinic and also help at numerous orphanages. But volunteers come and go, and today was a low number day. I had an awesome translator working with me though, named Johnny. This Baptist Haitian friend was the best I could ask for -- calm, caring, good at English, and spiritual. Many of these young translators are out of job. Here they are working for someone worse off than they are and they can also be fed. Many of them had lost families themselves, but hadn’t had time to grieve. We had two ladies who were giving mental and emotional support and the translators were in need of such assistance as well. After hearing of Shirley's inspiring example of praying with every patient, Trudie and I also started praying with some of the patients. That was very nice to do and my translator encouraged me by saying that sometimes praying is the best thing we can do for these people. God, help these people. We had a shorter day than expected. Cooler and more controlled environment was helpful for my body and soul. No AC or anything, but just having a few windows where breeze can come through every now and then was better than yesterday. The people at the main clinic seemed to be sicker. There was one baby who had full blown pneumonia that needed to be rehydrated and to receive IV antibiotics. He had been almost lethargic for four days. We took him across the street to the hospital right away.

2/10/10 Wednesday
Ten more volunteers arrived late last night -- A group from Virginia who had flown to Dominican Republic and crossed the border driving 9 hours on the rough Haiti roads to get here. It was a blessing to have more help. We were able to run two mobile clinics today besides the main clinic. Trudie and I went out again to a mobile clinic -- the bus took us to a remote place up on a hill. We had a couple of emergency cases that needed to be transported to the hospital -- a mom who went into a labor and a person with an injured foot. These people seem to have even less than others we've seen. Many of them only ate one meal a day and drank one cup of water a day. People were scared to go inside the partially damaged buildings that used to be their home. One lady was just sleeping on the street only covering her head with a towel in this scorching sun.
Tonight, Lorinda, Trudie and I went to the Killick Coast Guard base where US military was providing medical care to the community. They had been here since a couple of days after the earthquake and they were getting ready to leave. Thank God for their service. We went there to gather up some medical supplies they had left over. They were generous to give us whatever they had and even offered us some MREs (Meals Ready to Eat). It was fun spending some time with them sharing stories and eating MREs under flashlight.

2/11/10 Thursday
I woke up not feeling well. I got the traveler's diarrhea. Mobile clinic was not an option for me today. I stayed at the main clinic close to the bathroom. I have never gotten sick on a mission trip like this before. I went through ample amounts of hand sanitizer but I guess that wasn't enough. There were several team members who were sick for various reasons - travelers' diarrhea, nausea and vomiting due to dehydration and heat, and passing out with exhaustion. For some reason, we had unusually short clinic day at the main clinic. I was able to rest a bit and take it easy. But I felt bad for resting. I grabbed some medicines and tried to sort them while I was resting.

2/12/10 Friday
Good bye Haiti, our departure day has come. We left some of our stuff to be used by the staff there or to be given out to the local people. On our way to the airport, we saw several churches having one-month post-earthquake mourning ceremonies. Many of the people were dressed in white. Haiti has declared three days of fasting for this purpose starting today. Mobile clinics were canceled because the locals said they would rather fast and mourn than to receive medical care. After we left we were told that the hospital also had a slow day. We got to the airport at 11:30am and it was 11:30pm before we actually got on the charter flight back home. We had an opportunity to fly on a six-seater plane back to Florida, but that was going to take 6 hours. I would have died of air-sickness. Last time I got on a 4-seater I was throwing up in less than 20 minutes. We didn't expect that our wait would be so long -- our flight was delayed several times due to US officials coming in to Port-au-Prince that day and bad weather in Miami. We were running low on food and water for ourselves. I wondered if this was a glimpse of what the Haitian are feeling now -- hardly any food, water and shelter. The 12 hours spent on the tarmac made us even more sick. Lorinda and I were in bad shape with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea on our way home. Wow, I'm glad that day is over.

2/13/10 Saturday
We arrived in Miami at 1am. We were ecstatic to be back in the US, but we were beat. God provides for all our needs -- one of the nurses who were in Haiti with us had just come back a couple days before we did and she lived 15 min away from the Miami airport. Her husband picked us up from the airport in the middle of the night, and we were in bed by 3am Sat. morning. With generous hospitality of Micheline and George we recovered well throughout the day.

2/14/10 Sunday
At 2:40pm Lorinda and I landed in Ohio covered with snow. What a stark contrast. No more sweating here. No more mosquitos. Home sweet home. I'm so glad to be with Tim again. As I enjoy my family and home, I still think about Haiti -- those who have lost their family and home. I would encourage you to do something for Haiti too -- check AMEN, ACTS World Relief, Maranatha, ADRA, etc. Do something.

From Tears of Sorrow to Tears of Joy

This is an article written for a friend of mine for his magazine.
by Sunny Arakawa with Tim Arakawa

“Good bye, Mom,” I yelled out, waving my hands as the automatic glass gate separating us slowly slid shut. Only 14 years old, I clutched my bag a little tighter and fought back my emotions, fearing that tears would only make things more difficult for the both of us. I turned and slowly headed down the jetway toward the airplane waiting to whisk me to the United States. My final destination was Oklahoma Academy, a Seventh-day Adventist boarding high school located in the cornfields east of Oklahoma City. But during the ten hour flight from Seoul to Los Angeles, the tears began to flow as I realized what it meant to say good bye to my dear mother and hello to a new life in America.

When I first arrived at Oklahoma Academy, I had no real intention to become an Adventist. To be honest, I knew very little about Adventist beliefs except for the curious fact that they attended church on Saturday. This was in stark contrast to the many other Christians like me who went to church on Sundays. In fact, I would not even have known about Oklahoma Academy except that, back in Korea, an Adventist friend of my mother had taken an interest in me and recommended this school in America. At that time, I don’t believe that any one, including my mother, understood how much my life was about to change forever.

“Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work” Exodus 20:9-10

One of the first things I noticed when I arrived at Oklahoma Academy was that we not only went to church on Saturdays but also didn’t do anything related to work, business, or school on that day. Our work-study program required students to work four hours every day except for Saturdays. Up to that point, I had never really worked in my life. Of course, I washed dishes at home and cleaned my room regularly, but besides that, I did not have much exposure to actual “work.” My body, unaccustomed to labor at all, now grew weary after a long week of toil. By the end of each work week, I was ready for a break. I also noticed that by late Friday afternoon, all class work was set aside, the laundry room was closed, and the dormitory was cleaned in preparation for Sabbath. Even the girls lined up to iron their dresses before sundown on Friday. Little by little, I was learning that the Sabbath was a special day to worship and meet with God, an occasion important enough to prepare for.

“For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day” Exodus 20:11

Much more than a time to be physically and mentally rejuvenated, the Sabbath hours provided an opportunity for gaining spiritual strength as well. Frequently, my classmates and I spent Sabbath afternoon in nature listening to the cheerful songs of the birds, the wind rustling the leaves in the trees, and the babbling of a sparkling stream as it meandered through the countryside. Sometimes the academy staff took all the students camping on the weekend. One of my fondest memories of these camping trips was sleeping on a dock over a lake. I remember gazing into the blackness of space at an incredible canopy of innumerable, twinkling stars as the water gently lapped against the wooden dock. There I could understand what it meant to hear the voice of God in the quietness of our soul and surroundings. In this kind of environment I could take the time to reflect on the priorities, the direction, and ultimately, the meaning of my life. In the cool, crisp air near a calm, peaceful lake with the majestic mountains rising all around, I could truly find rest for my soul and body.

“Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.” Matthew 12:12

The Sabbath also became a time to serve others, to spread this Sabbath rest to those less fortunate. On many Sabbath afternoons, the students visited with and sang for the lonely elderly people in the nursing home nearby. Looking back, they were always so glad to see us and hear us as we sang and played their favorite hymns. How they appreciated our youthful efforts to make a joyful noise! We sat next to their wheelchairs, sharing hymnals with them, singing with them, and mingling with them. As their hearts were touched through our company and in the powerful messages contained in the simple hymns, we too were blessed as we ministered to them.

Through these experiences I gained a new meaning for the Sabbath. I have come to understand that the Sabbath is a day set aside to think beyond myself and my own little world, and to look toward something much bigger -- a God of love and mercy whose greatest desire is to restore His image in us. Throughout my years at Oklahoma Academy, I became more and more convicted about Biblical truth, including the Sabbath, and during my senior year, I chose to be baptized as an expression of my love and commitment to Jesus Christ.

Immediately afterward, I began praying that my dear mother would experience the same rest that I had found in the Sabbath. Thirteen years later, I flew back to Korea to visit my mother. This time I did not have to fight back my emotions. Instead tears of joy streamed down my face as I watched my mother immersed under the waters of baptism into the Seventh-day Adventist Church. What a privilege it was to spend the Sabbath together as members of the Seventh-day Adventist church for the first time. My prayer is that God will help us to be faithful so that we may never have to say “good bye” again but enjoy the Sabbath together for eternity.

5 things I like about being Tim's wife

When I was younger (in my early elementary school years) I wondered why in the world would any girl want to hang out with boys. Girlfriends were the best thing in the world (and I still couldn't live without them). On the other hand, boys were kind of awkward and rough, and they were meant to be kept at least 10 feet away from us girls. I definitely couldn't have imagined having a guy best-friend. I mean, I thought I would marry a man some day but I hadn't quite developed my appreciation for them quite yet. But over time, as I got more mature, guys became "cooler" in my estimate, and I have even developed likings to few guys on the way. But even then I didn't quite understand how fulfilling a woman's life can be with a man that God brings in her life.

These are the five things that come to my mind as I reflect on how much I appreciate having Tim as my husband and best-friend:

1. Committed companionship - It's a wonderful thing to have a committed companion. We are the priorities to each other than anything else in this world -- work, school, ministry, social life, hobbies, etc. It gives me a sense of belonging that is different from that experienced in parent-child relationship. As a child, I have been much more on the receiving end and my parents more on the giving end (thank God for them), but between Tim and me, it's mutual, closer, and deeper.

2. Helpmeet - God made Eve for Adam that she can be a helpmeet for him. I try my best to be that helpmeet for Tim, but Tim also is a helpmeet for me. He fills in so well where I lack -- he analyzes situations in an objective way when I am in a fog, guides and encourages me in the spiritual things, and even helps out in the daily mundane things of life that must be done.

3. "Let this mind be in you" - Our marriage is helping me to understand and experience the "Love" that God intends for us to partake in. It makes me more aware of my selfishness and leads me to develop the unselfish love, the love that puts others first before myself. It will be a lifetime learning experience for me. I am more like Christ because of Tim's example.

4. Personal growth - Tim inspires and motivates me to be involved, grow, and increase my usefulness in this world. He is interested in my interests and encourages me to develop and multiply the few talents that the Lord has graciously granted me that I may be a faithful servant returning more than what was given.

5. Ample supply of endorphin - Tim is so much fun to be around. His sense of humor keeps my life filled with extra laughters. Life isn't always rosy, but even during the rough times, "a merry heart doeth good like a medicine."

I am happy in his love and much blessed to be his wife.

"Will you marry me?"

Yes, it's for real. Tim asked me to marry him yesterday at the top of the Snow Summit Ski Resort at Big Bear mountain. He planned out everything so well that I was completely clueless until the very moment he got on his knee and pulled out the engagement watch. I couldn't believe it! I thought it was going to be a special day to enjoy skiing with him after getting 6 inches of snow over the weekend, but I didn't know just how special it was going to be. The day was way beyond my expectations. It was a beautiful day in more ways than one.

It was around 3pm. He wanted to take a break and check out a little lodge at the peak and take a picture there. Sure, it looked like a nice spot to take a picture with lots of trees spread among the snow capped mountains. Well, it turned out the lodge was closed and we found the back patio to be a nice quiet spot just for us, hidden from all the skiers and snow boarders. It was there he went on to present to me his three gifts that he smuggled up to the peak in his ski jacket unbeknownst to me.

The first gift he gave me, he said, represented the time of our past experiences -- a small double picture frame that had a picture of us on one side and a bible verse on the other. It said, "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it." Psalms 127:1. This represented a fun and enjoyable times together as well as the rough time of separation we went through that led us to wait on God and trust in His building. If you are not too familiar with the meaning of this bible text to us, read the last post below. God is faithful.

The second gift was to represent the current chapter of our relationship -- a fresh-cut soft pink tulip in its beautifully perfect shape. This came with a small note that said, "Love is a plant of heavenly growth, and it must be fostered and nourished." (AH 50) A pink tulip was the first flower ever that Tim gave me early on in our relationship. Ever since than this has become one of my most favorite flowers. This flower symbolized our love for each other that is carefully and tenderly cultivated right now in His love.

The last, but not the least, he pulled out a blue watch box as he got on his knee. He said this gift is to represent our future together. To be honest, I really couldn't remember much of that moment since he knelt down with a watch box in his hand. I gasped in a total shock, definitely unexpected and overwhelmed in joy of what was about to happen. Thanks to Tim who got a short video clip of the moment in hiding, I can now actually remember what he said. He said, over the four years he has come to admire and respect me, and believed that God has led us together. Then, the precious four words were spoken... "Therefore, I want to ask you, 'Will You Marry Me?'" I hugged him and hugged him so more, and shed few tears, and of course I said, "I will!"

It was perfect. I loved it. I loved it!

As if this wasn't enough, I was surprised again to come home that was gorgeously decorated, filled with soft yellow lights and ivy, candles, balloons, tulips, wonderful smell of italian dinner, and most importantly our beloved friends. The rest of the evening was spent sharing our stories with them, enjoying the homemade manicotti and other yummy foods. Many thanks to my sister, roommates, and friends who made the day all the more special with their labor of love and their presence to share the moments.

I deeply felt loved...

Except the Lord build the house - Part II

Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.
Ps 127:1
Click here for Part I.

There is a man whom I respect very much. He loves the Lord and his fellowman. Since Oct 8, 2005 until Oct 8, 2007, I have hardly seen or talked with him. I had no clue what would come out of our relationship when we went on our separate ways. Our parting words were, “the Lord will bring us back together if it is His will.” I think separation is one of the hardest human experiences on this earth. The last two years, I felt as if someone had blindfolded me and I knew not where I was going with my life. Many times, I read and reread the stories of Abraham. Though I did not know the path ahead, what I did know was the surety of God's Word and His faithfulness. As I tried to scratch my own ideas and allow the Lord to draw the picture, I rested my case in the Lord and held on to Him for daily strength and direction. During these times, there were two lessons that I began to learn of Him and to understand:

1. What it means to love someone -- It is more than experiencing butterflies in the stomach. It is more than the heart’s desire to spend every moment of life’s journey with the one whose company you enjoy so much. It is a combination of all the above and a sincere desire and decision to look out for the other person’s happiness above your own.
2. What it means to wait on the Lord -- It means to acknowledge the superiority of the thoughts and plans of the Lord to my own, and to submit daily with these words: “Not my will, but Thy will.” It also means to trust the Lord in His workings and keep our hands out of where they don’t belong. Abraham and Sarah didn’t need to involve Hagar to see the earnestly desired son Isaac. Simply relying on the word of the Lord, and waiting for Him to fulfill the promises to show His goodness would have saved the unnecessary heartache and family grief that they had to experience.
   

By God's mercy and faithfulness, Tim and I enjoy each other’s company once again. The Lord works in mysterious ways and although I don’t claim to understand all the workings of the Lord, one thing I do know is that He is trustworthy.

It is not good that the man should be alone...

Go, Daryl!

Ahhhhh.....
Carlos, Carlos...Dr. and Mrs. Proctor zipping by.


Two most beautiful and happiest people on earth today...
Few of the Advent HOPErs take hold of this prime photo opportunity. Rest of them are busy eating the cake.

I must say this was one of the most fun weddings I've been to. One comedy after another... I pray that their new home may be full of joy and laughter in love even through thick and thin!

Dafne's White Coat Ceremony

Speaker: Dr. Gina Mohr, Family Medicine (Pallative Care)
Dr. Christianson coated Dafne.


Dafne with other students after the ceremony.
You know who...

May the Lord help you be the healing hands of Jesus!