Wednesday, April 28, 2010

It is 100 degrees in Haiti today. I am going there in 9 days. I put up my 'one person tent' in the living room. It's huge. I can almost stand up in it. 100 degrees and raining. Nothing dries. Ever. I'm gonna treat my scrubs with DEET, evil poison. Karen, the other midwife I'm going with, suggests that we pile all our stuff in my tent cuz her tent is weensy. I don't mind. We pitch tents on the roof of the hospital or in the concrete courtyard.

The hospital is no longer providing us with food. Sooooo, we don't know if there is a way to heat water...so, um, dry oatmeal, almond butter and raisins. For 2 weeks. It's probably better than what the Haitians have.

I'm bringing a skirt. I never wear skirts. I have one skirt. We might 'go out' so we need a skirt. Gardening shoes. That's what I'm wearing, on the plane, on the ground, in the hospital and not the kind with holes in them.

I'm feeling a little scared. What am I doing? What will I see? What will break my heart? All of it?

3 comments:

Wendy Birdseye Pavlus said...

I am sure that everything will break your heart, Beth. Shake you, scare you, depress you and uplift you at the same time. their reliance will amaze you and you will fall in love with them. Much love from me on your journey.

beth coyote said...

Wendy! Oh, yikes. Today my massage therapist called and told me her sons asked if they could donate to the Haitians through me. So she's bringing me $100 in small bills. The outpouring overwhelms me.

You'll come with me too.

Wendy Birdseye Pavlus said...

Hey Beth, You might want to rethink how you feel about skirts. You know the flowy, hippie skirts(you must remember those.....) In the HEAT, they are so much more comfortable than anything else. Something in a crinkle cotton. I always wear them in Florida or any other hot place I am visiting (I have kids in NC and VA). I would take more than one....