A Neighbor Dropped By

Last week’s clinics were well beyond full. Actually there isn’t too much strain even when there are large numbers, since usually after I begin seeing patients I simply just keep plugging along one at a time. By the end of the day I usually make it home without much trauma to myself. One thing that is necessary though is a protection system that has a sense when people are there for the sole purpose of having their physical, psychological, or spiritual ills evaluated and treated, rather than persons who simply want to get to see the white Dr. to see if he will give them some money. (Please know, I have told these people over and over that I am a Registered Nurse and not a doctor but in recent years I have even given up on the explanation since it seems that the only thing in their understanding that differs between the two is their sex.) My usual interference for this job is Eden, my nurse helper, and Pastor Francois, who helps Eden out and also collects the money. They usually do a good job, but Thursday my first patient was a lady who was about 60 years old. She came in, greeted me, then when I ask her what her problem was she let me know that her only son had died. She told me that she had no husband and as she teared up she explained in great detail that she didn’t have enough money to go on with life. At this point I explained everything that she didn’t want to hear: the reasons why there was such a thing as a medical clinic, which was to treat problems of the patients who were having pain, sickness, or other things like that. I also told her that it was not my responsibility to take care of these problems for her but that of her family, friends, church and neighbors. . .

Then it hit me. I didn’t know the book or verse but I knew someone somewhere asked something like “Then who is my neighbor?” And I was simply defenseless.

Well, time passes. I got through the other patients that day, although it would have been easier had the first patient had a severe case of bronchitis or arthritis. I deal better with those. Did I give her money? No. Should I have? I still don’t know since I do know the reason for both sides of this argument. I did encourage her in her struggles though. I hope her other neighbors do better for her than I did.

And so it goes!

John

Are You Kidding Me?

I have a bachelor's degree in biology. I am a Registered Nurse. I have practiced medicine in Haiti for the past 22 years. Then I take this test. It's just not fair. I think I'll go eat worms.

And so it goes!

John

CHRISTMAS

In John 1 verse 10 the Bible says that the word became flesh. The Message puts it this way, “The word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood. We could probably even rephrase that to read that the Word of God became flesh and blood and was laid just outside our door. From there he will move to save all of creation.

For a number of years the concept of the Christ of Christmas has been difficult for me to get my mind around. I just couldn’t find a way of understanding how the God of the universe had anything to do with gift giving, Christmas trees, and Santa Claus. So, for a number of years I went along with things as usual but really desired to spend the holiday all wrapped up in the things of the nativity. I really had no desire to have a Christmas tree and would have gladly sacrificed it for a life size nativity scene in my living room. But I never did. I guess I succumbed to social pressure and jingle bells.

I guess the way I came to confront the issues of it all was when I wrapped my mind around the fact that Christmas was REAL. Not that I came to believe that it happened exactly as some think on December 25^th or that there were three wise men instead of two or twelve. But I did come to the reality in my mind that a little, helpless, and hopefully breastfed baby was born and lived a human life and after growing up struggled with eternal questions and overcame those questions enough to become a human sacrifice for me and you. Thanks be to God!

I think of this most often when I see some of the little babies at my clinic. If you don’t know it yet I will tell you that 6-7month old babies are perfect. They are old enough to be fun but not old enough to be prejudiced. They don’t know a white person from a blue. When I take them in my arms and talk to them believing they must have a great vocabulary, their mother is quick to advise me that “they can’t talk.” Then they begin to smile and laugh and in their own way let me know that if I were holding the Christ child he would do the same. He would smile at me then wiggle his body back into the comfortable folds of his mother’s body.

I pray that this Christmas will bring with it the knowledge of the reality of the Christ child. May he be real and smile with you.

May you and those you love have a Blessed Christmas.

John, Jodie, and Jessica Ackerman

Thanksgiving

We always celebrate our Thanksgiving on the Friday after the traditional Thursday Thanksgiving. We have a tradition of going to our friends the Vervloet's home after the clinic and school on Thursday evening just to have a chance to spend some quality time talking and in general solving all the world's problems during that evening. Then on Friday we, along with about 20 missionary and embassy friends, do the turkey thing. We stuff ourselves sort of like our parents used to stuff the turkey then we stop and wait till we have enough room to ingest the great deserts. Following that it's back to more general talking and even a great football game, that is if you're not an LSU fan. But of course that went to three overtimes, which delayed our traditional time of sharing.

For about ten years now as our celebration winds down in the evening we always gather in a circle and each share those things for which each of us individually give thanks. Surprisingly, we have never had one person who wouldn't be part of this tradition. Although the Kleenex box is usually depleted by the time we finish it has always been a time of renewal and often even healing. I thank God for giving us this time. Although many would say that what we do is give thanks to people instead of God, I would say that if you actually do this in honesty and openness just the opposite happens. We end up giving thanks to God for all these things and people that he has brought into our lives. No, this is not a time to worship people and appreciate God; it is a time to appreciate and verbalize our dependence, appreciation, and love to people in the context of worshiping God. I believe that maybe we should be doing more of this kind of thing instead of sitting (or standing) in lines together, singing words that others write, and reading about and listening to someone talk about things that we believe we are doing in the way God would have us do anyway. I tend to believe what I have described is what is today referred to as worship. I believe that definition needs to be broadened to include more the speaking of good words and doing of good things to and for those we are called to love: our families, friends, the Church, the world, and God.

Now that my tirade is ended here is what I give God thanks for, especially today:

1. The job he has called me to do and the country he has called me to serve, Haiti. Not a lot of people get to do exactly what they want to do in life. I do. In that context I especially give thanks for the the little 6 month old babies who when I speak to them smile back at me knowing that they are loved.

2. I thank God for my wife Jodie who puts up with all my weirdness and loves me in spite of it.

3. My daughter Jacquie who is far too much like her father. One of these days that may haunt her with lost jobs, fewer friends, less money, and at times a tough life. But what she does give that makes her so special is truth and honesty. We never have to question where we stand with her. She tells us she loves us in no uncertain terms whenever we communicate and is never afraid to disagree with us when she knows she is right (and sometimes when she doesn't).

4. I thank God for Kevin Bonewitz who I really don't know well but upon Jacquie's recommendation (she married him) he must be a great guy and someone who is will be a large part of our family.

5. My daughter Jessica who is just one of the neatest kids around. She is now in process of a major life change in that she is starting to take her education seriously and finally all those things that she knew she couldn't do, she now can. She is unswerving in her beliefs and life style. Last year she started practicing a vegetarian diet and since then is yet to eat something that could smile back at her. She has been practicing the discipline of fasting one or more days a week. Although I bug her about not losing too much weight she just tells me to go away and goes about living her life certainly much better than I ever lived mine.

6. Our fellowship at CSI. For a little over a year we have been worshiping with a group of missionaries and an occasional government worker. It isn't all that I've ever dreamed of in the worship sense but it really fills a void in my life with something good.

7. My friends. As you can probably tell if you don't know me personally I'm not all that easy to live with. As a friend introduced me last week, “this is John. You don't have to worry when you talk with him. He'll tell you where you stand.” I trust it's not quite that bad but I do realize that occasionally my overemphasis on honesty does make it hard for those acquaintances to take me on as one of those people they would most like to hang around. So those of you who are left, I do love you and thank you for being a big part of my life.

8. I thank God for Steve Hersey, truly the finest high school teacher I have ever met and who could have taught in most any university in the States. Two years ago he stepped down from his teaching position at at Quisqueya Christian School and took over as the director. This was necessary because of some prior “stuff” in the leadership of the school that I won't go into. But Steve is doing such a great job and is helping to mold possibly the finest PK-12 school in this country.

9. I thank God for all our supporters that sacrifice to keep us here and let us do the things that we believe God is calling us to do. (Refer to #1) We have a number of churches and individuals who make it possible for us to live here and do what God calls us to do. We thank God for sending those supporters our way.

10. Lastly, You. Thanks for reading the blog. I hope it hasn't wasted your time and hope you don't leave here an enemy because you disagree with what you read. Remember, most all my friends disagree with me. They just love me in spite of it.

Part of the group at dinner

And So It Goes!

John

A Strange Sight

When visitors come to Haiti one of the things that many of them are surprised to see are the number of people who are carrying and using cell phones. Actually we have three very active cell phone companies in Haiti. Two of them, Voila and Haitel are under Haitian management but Digicel is a fairly large international company who has just recently (two years ago) come to Haiti. When they came in they came in with a bang. The first month they offered free phones to anyone who had Voila or Haitel phones who would exchange them for a better phone and charges that were cheaper. Needless to say the Haitian companies weren’t all that happy to have the new visitors in town and often let it be known that it was just unfair that their government would allow foreigners to come in and give competition to the home team. But there seems to be enough room for all three companies to function here without a lot of loss in income. It’s still fascinating to watch each of them come up with new gimmicks in order to get the people in their front doors.

This is a picture of the front wall of a Digicel office located in the Delmas Area. If you can’t make it out, it is a line of people waiting with their cell phones and chargers to get a chance to charge their phones from the extension cords that come from the Digicel office. That seems like a great idea to me. They must have realized that most Haitians only get two hours of electricity a day. I would say Digicel has done their homework.

And So It Goes!

John