A chaplain's view — the Haiti earthquake
Thu, 21 Jan 2010 - 4:52 PM CST
Today AG News received a journal from the U.S. Missions Chaplaincy Department. It was the journal of Lt. Marlin L. Williams, CHC, USN. Chaplain Williams, an Assemblies of God endorsed chaplain, had written down a few of his experiences while serving at a clinic aiding the injured in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake.
Following are his journal reports. They are not about the masses in desperate need, but rather individuals in desperate need. They are amazing moments frozen in time - or at least forever captured in the mind of Chaplain Williams.
Some people may wonder how one person or one small gift (financial or otherwise) could ever make a difference in the sea of this kind of devastation. Chaplain Williams learned, even when language was a barrier, that one person - one act of kindness - can make the difference between someone grabbing and clinging to a lifeline and someone letting a lifeline slip through their fingers in hopelessness....
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1) I was spending some time in the clinic trying to help wherever I could. I noticed the HM1 [medic] sort of stooping in the corner. I walked over to check on him - I thought something was wrong. When I got over to him, I saw that he was working on a precious little girl - about 4 years old and wearing a pretty white princess dress. Her injuries included a severely broken tibia and a pretty large abrasion wound on her arm. I began assisting HM1 with her treatment. The little girl was just darling and trying to be a trooper. She was quiet but you could tell she was in pain. I reached in my pocket and pulled out a Milky Way. I asked her if she liked chocolate - I think she got the point. After I gave it to her, you would have thought that she had never had a candy bar. I motioned to her that it was something to eat. She began to take a bite with the paper on. I opened it for her and again motioned to eat. She spent some time just looking at - turning it around and holding it up. Finally she sniffed it - licked it - and then took the tiniest nibble. You could literally pinpoint the moment that she tasted it. Her eyes lit up and the biggest grin came across her face. I continued to kid with her as HM1 finished up what he was doing. He had to move on the next patient and asked me to bring her to the helo. When I got outside - her parents were there waiting. I explained to them through the interpreter the process regarding the helo and that the doc wanted to send her to the hospital. It took about 30 minutes for them to agree - they were heartbroken that they couldn't accompany her. I did what I could to mark her with their information and comfort them. When the moment came to run out the helo - everyone was tear-filled. I let them get one last hug and kiss and then took off. When we got to the helo, the little girl was frightened and would not let go. She looked at me with tears in her eyes - I had them in mine, but I think she may have found comfort in that. I showed her (again) my cross on my collar and gave her the OK sign (it was so loud and windy). After that she let go and I placed her in the helo - I went to leave when she stuck out her fist (like I had taught her earlier) for a fist bump. After I ran back to the waiting area - I had a moment of prayer and hugs with the family.
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| Chaplain Marlin Williams comforting and praying for a child found alive after being buried under corpses for seven days. |
2) On the third day - I arrived at the clinic and found a little boy on one of the tables. He was about 5 or 6 - totally naked - and very scared. The story was that he was found (after 7 days) under a pile of corpses STILL ALIVE. It was very chaotic - and since he was 'relatively' ok - the docs were having his mom give him a sponge bath. She was obviously upset so I put my arm around her and offered help through an interpreter. She smiled and said, "merci merci." I helped her bathe her son. He wriggled in pain as he was very sore and emaciated (hadn't eaten or drank since the quake). When we rolled him over to wash his back - we noticed that half of his backside was covered in sores and open skin type infection. I called for a doc and they came over to treat. The poor little boy was shaking the whole time. He was reluctant with others - so I moved toward his head and cupped my hand under like a pillow. I made eye contact with him and began communicating to him through an interpreter (telling him that he was so brave - over and over) and through smiles. He was very receptive - I was the only one with my mask off and I think that helped (obviously - GOD's presence also). He began to calm down and I just stood there praying and petting him and holding his mother's hand - trying to keep them both calm. Around the time we finished I was called upon to help walk a severely injured (looked burned from head down to waist) to the helo. After I was done, I returned. By this time the boy and his mother were alone on the table that I had transported him to. I found her some Chapstick and gave her some baby wipes to help with his severely dry lips and skin. It was sort of funny trying to explain to her how to use Chapstick - but I think she eventually got it. As we were visiting - I got the word that our helo was about to land - I left him a roll of LIFESAVERS - which put a huge smile on his face. I was amazed how someone in so much pain could smile so big.
3) When I arrived on the first day things were very chaotic - they were really a "hot mess." We were immediately connected with the HS1 (USCG equivalent of a HM1) that had been there from day 1. He gave us a brief on what was going on. After he finished, he came up to me and gave me a big hug and thanked me for being there. He showed me the other corpsman that had been there with him from the beginning. They both expressed interest in talking later. He also mentioned to me that there was another chaplain and that I should connect with him. I began walking around and found the other chaplain - turns out he is from the same denomination (AG) as I, and we knew each other from previous training and meetings. He told me that there was another chaplain that I might know outside. When I found the other chaplain I was surprised to see that he was a buddy from seminary - also an AG chaplain. As the day carried on I continued to feel somewhat overwhelmed - but stayed people- and mission-focused. Another chaplain showed up at the end of the day. He was another AG chaplain and another buddy from seminary. God has a funny way of doing things. Knowing that out of all that chaplains that could have been there - mixed with the fact that we only have about 25 or 30 AG chaplains in the Navy - the only four that made it to the Haitian Coast Guard following the most devastating earthquake that they have experienced - all four of them were AG chaplains who were buddies (not to mention - all former USMC enlisted). This being the first time I have ever experienced anything close to this magnitude - I really needed something. God provided in a miraculously way through old friends and colleagues. This really gave me the extra boost, confidence and encouragement that I needed to carry out the plan of the day.
4) Everyone there thought that all of us were doctors. When I was approached - which was about every minute - I made sure that I let them know either through translator or my broken French and their broken English that I was a pastor not a doctor. For most this proved to be a positive thing. As word spread, people began to remember and recognize the chaplains or 'pastors' and would approach us for prayer either for themselves or for their injured family/friend. There were times where the person being prayed for seemed almost lifeless - however, wanting to facilitate regardless - I would always pray. There was one particular instance that I remember when I was outside. An elderly man approached me to pray for his wife. As I approached her I noticed that she was one of these who seemed almost lifeless - definitely unresponsive. As I knelt to pray, I began to feel God place words to pray - I had no interpreter but I didn't let that stop me. As I began to pray, I placed my hands on the lady. Others around bowed their head and listened silently. About half way through the prayer I was about to stop - thinking that she really couldn't understand me and I wanted to be able to move on to the next person. About that time, her hands began to rise toward the sky as she began to mutter what I only assume was her own prayer. When this happened I couldn't help but to keep praying. When we finished she opened her eyes and I gave her a hug. As I got up to leave her husband cornered me and happily shook my hand and patted me on the back saying, "Thank you, thank you." As I walked away I felt God speak to my heart telling me to never give up and to always let my prayers be heard.
5) As [AG] Chaplain Jerry Durham and I were walking around outside - Jerry pointed out an elderly woman that he had seen the day before lying under a tree. Her story was that she was the lone survivor of a nursing home that had collapsed. She had no one there to care for her. He told me that the day before he had asked them to IV her, but evidently it didn't happen. As we approached her I was taken aback. She was very old - probably the most frail person that I have ever seen. She was wearing a paper-thin pink nightgown. The only sign of life was her faint breathing. I knelt down to pray and as I did she grabbed my hand. This startled me a bit - but as I gently rolled her over - we made eye contact. I immediately began to pray. After I was done I tried to communicate with her to let her know that I would be back with help. I found a corpsman and had him bring IV fluid. We moved her up on the porch and into the shade by picking up the blanket that she was on. As doc worked on getting her IV, I knelt down to hold her hand. As he worked I was saying simple prayers - and again she made eye contact. I gently cupped her head with my hand and began 'petting' her and praying. In this moment I felt all alone with her, and even though I know she couldn't understand me, I felt as if she could.
Chaplain Williams and our other AG chaplains on location in Haiti are making a difference, as Williams' accounts show. Perhaps he's not impacting thousands of lives at a time, but each life he touches, one at a time, are lives touched with the love and care of Christ. It may seem like something "small," but for the individuals touched with this kind of compassion and care, nothing could be more significant.