Another Amazing Week at Mountain Top Ministries

It is good to be back in Haiti!  There are changes on the horizon, but this week was a good reminder of how far we have come and how the Lord has been with us each step of the way. God brings us exactly where we are supposed to be. The challenging part of this process is that it does not always feel all that miraculous each step of the way. It certainly is not always easy. We had an amazing Oregon medical team serve at Mountain Top Ministries this week (plus one amazing team member from Texas). We are so thankful for their generous hearts and calling to serve the people of Haiti.

Vanessa reading to a patient (son Josiah in background)

God blessed us with an incredibly smooth week. Sometimes we are blessed through challenges, but this particular team was relatively small (15 team members- plus some of us in the Sheppard family). Everyone just really worked together like clockwork. Each team member served with a willing heart in whatever capacity necessary. This has been a joy to see!

Joan and Linda

There were some slow days, which was unexpected since this was the first clinic of the season. There were other days where we were incredibly busy and saw over 200 patients in one day. Praise the Lord! On the slower days, the team was able to spend more quality time with each patient.  On the busy days, we were thankful that so many people received care.

Joan, Cheri, and Gussie

We were able to pray with each patient as they came to the clinic. This was such a blessing! Although the patients suffer from physical ailments, a great percentage of people ask for prayer simply to be closer to the Lord. What a humbling experience to hear the prayers of the people! On the last day of clinic, some of the patients could not be seen at the clinic and began to walk back down the mountain without receiving the medical care that they needed, but then they walked back up to where a team member was praying with patients. They stood in line and waited for prayer.  They knew they could not be seen by a doctor that day, but were thankful to simply receive prayer.

Sweet girl in the clinic

Josiah, Billy, and Elisa counting pills

What we experience in Haiti is such a contrast to what we are accustomed to in the United States.  With so many resources at our fingertips in the USA, it is easy for us to lean into those resources and not even realize that we are doing it. We often do not realize the blessing because many of the blessings in our life have become the “norm”.  The privilege of basic necessities quickly become rights and if we are inconvenienced when trying to access these “rights”, we get completely bent out of shape.

If we were to walk for over three hours, wait for nine hours in the sun, and then are asked to come back in a month because we cannot be seen, we would likely be upset that our needs were not met instead of being grateful and appreciative that someone at least “tried” to help us and prayed with us.

Julia with school children

Christina and Sarah seeing patients

In many ways I think we are less likely to turn to the Lord in the USA because we do have so many resources at our fingertips. It is not uncommon to hear people say that they did this or that and then “all they can do now is pray”. We first do everything in our human power and then only if that does not work, we lean into the Lord.

This past year in particular, we have been praying daily that we turn to the Lord for ALL of our needs before turning to resources, conveniences, privileges, and even basic necessities in life.  We know that the Lord is the great provider and healer. We are so thankful to be used by the Lord in whatever capacity He calls us to. Please pray for the team as they journey back to the United States!