Power Struggles

For the past few weeks, I haven't felt much like writing. Me, the once-teenage OCD journal-er with notebooks filled with thoughts and every life event dutifully recorded for future generations to hopefully never see, the one with great aspirations of seeing her name on a book in a library someday (on the front cover, not inside it :) ), the one who finds it therapeutic to put her frustrations on paper and then throw it away.  Yes, these recent events just took the creative thought from my mind.  I know there are a lot of people back home who are wondering what's going on, and so this is an effort to communicate about our situation.

For a while now, I've felt like sometime I'd be writing this post.  Like it was inevitable.  The hospital which had once given electricity to the community in years past had come to a point where there was not enough water to run the hydro and had to augment with lots and lots of diesel generated power.  The community was slowly "weaned" off, and finally about six months ago, the power was officially taken away.  With the installation of the solar system, I figured it was just a matter of time before someone got upset that they weren't getting some of it again.  The how and the details have been surprising though.

Almost three weeks ago, we woke up Monday morning to a phone call.  The hospital driver was trying to get down the mountain to Cavillion, a town right on the main highway, to pick up hospital employees and bring them up to work.  Each morning and evening he makes this run.  But today he couldn't get through.  Burning tires crossed the road, and threats of harm to the vehicle stopped him.

Through the day, we were able to gather bits and pieces of why this was happening.  Electricity, anger over employees getting laid off over a year ago, a desire for more local people to be hired by the hospital, and the (untrue) thought that statements had been made against the locally elected government official.  Most of this was wrongly directed at our Human Resources manager, who is Haitian, but not from the local area.  Some of these things were hard decisions that were made over long periods of time with much prayer and thought.  These decisions were made in the best interest of the hospital.  Other things are just simply false or completely misdirected.

Police from Cavillion came up to try to break up the demonstration, but when rocks were thrown at them and they were highly outnumbered, they headed back down the mountain and the road remained closed.  It was late afternoon before most of the employees were able to get rides on motorcycles up to the hospital, and the next day, the road was blocked again.  The clinic which is usually full on Tuesdays had a minimal amount of people.  Could this go on?  How would it affect the hospital?  A few weeks before, we had full capacity inside the hospital, and were trying hard to find beds for the people that were coming.  It was so exciting!  Now we were wondering how this recent problem would affect that.  Would people hear Bonne Fin was having trouble and would it take weeks - months perhaps - to gain confidence to come back again?

Satan knew how to attack.  Bringing so much on at once.  Along with this, there were major water problems David had to deal with, and Rick, Kurt and Linonce (David's garage/woodshop/yard boss) were all gone in the States, leaving less people to handle the problems.  We were awakened several nights to no electricity, and when David would try to call the hydro, the guys were having difficulties with the telephone and so he had to turn on the generator a few times.  Then Cassia started teething those great big one year molars, had a fever and was super clingy for several days.  The kids started taking turns waking each other up at 5:30 or earlier in the mornings.  This was not working out well.

We stayed close to home those first few days.  We sent out prayer requests and felt that God was just giving us a calm.  We prayed that even though we were angry and frustrated with the seeming insensibility of this all, that we could be loving and kind and a Christ-like witness.

David had called and asked to speak with the Kasik (an elected official for Bonne Fin).  Tuesday afternoon he showed up...along with the First Mayor, Second, and Third Mayor of Cavillion, two judges from Cavillion, the Police Commissioner from Aquin, and one party from the manifesting group.  For the most part, they seemed to be very understanding and seemed to want to help seek for a solution to the problem.  They even spoke of how that even though people were local, it did not make them the best choice for an employee if they were not properly qualified.  We felt like things were going in the right direction.  They listened as the power situation was explained, and were pleased to hear that there was a generator available if the community could form a group to run and manage it.  A meeting was set for Saturday between the Mayor and the community.  We prayed for Saturday.

Over the past 2 1/2 years, we have spent a LOT of time trying to learn this foreign language.  Seeing the growth is exciting, and being able to hold conversations is really nice.  David was super glad that he was able to follow what was said in the meeting pretty well, as things can get confused in translation.  But that same level of being able to understand more comes with something I was not prepared for - entering volatile conversations.  And that is what got me into trouble.

Wednesday happened.  The road was open because it was market day, but there was still strain.  I went to surgery as usual, and missed (another) spinal.  After the case, some of us gathered around in the middle area.  There was some talk going on about not liking the newly installed security cameras, and I jumped into the conversation.  To me, it felt like the whole world was against us.  The people demonstrating obviously didn't trust us.  The employees seemed to be not trusting of the administration's decision of why the cameras were put in.  I tried to explain that they were installed (for one reason) in case anyone would come and steal from the OR.  My comment was taken as somewhat of an accusation, that maybe they were not trusted.  Anyway, it was not a very good situation, and although some people agreed and thought that the cameras should be there and they didn't have anything to worry about since they do their jobs and don't steal, other people walked out on the conversation.  The whole situation was extremely stressful, and took a few days to clear up.  But in the end I came away with some lessons learned, about when to not enter a conversation, and some cultural lessons.

Wednesday also confirmed why we need the cameras, although I didn't know it at the time.  Threatening notes were posted in and out of the hospital against another one of our employees.  It seemed like if it wasn't one thing, it was another.

Friday morning, one of our guards was attacked while off duty, by some of the same people that are causing these issues.  The police came to the hospital trying to catch the men who did it, and it sounded like an action packed adventure :)  They caught one person who had been more of a bystander to the attack, but neither of the men actually involved were anywhere to be found.  Then the group headed down the mountain to talk to the judge and get warrants served.  There were threats to block the road again so the group couldn't come back up, but it didn't happen, probably mostly due to the fact that one of the involved parties was being given a ride back up in the hospital vehicle.  How's that for "if your enemy hungers, feed him"?

Saturday evening was the meeting, and we sat around, praying and wondering.  We got a few phone calls from a hospital employee who wasn't there but had heard from someone else.  It sounded like it was going well, but then a comment was made and the whole meeting broke up.  At least it ended peacefully, but it was disappointing that there were no resolutions made.

Even with all of this going on, we have seen positives.  That first week, the clinic numbers were still really good.  There was a work team that had to spend a few days in Cayes before they could come up, but since then we have had a few teams to come provide help with inventory, odd jobs that need done, orthopedic surgeries, and dental clinics.  People from other communities have stepped up and told the demonstrators that they are hurting the hospital and hurting their businesses, and that they won't stand for the road being blocked anymore.

The next Friday, the HR manager came back up to the hospital, which was met with a lot of anger and resistance.  When he tried to leave, the air was let out of his tires.  When David tried to air them up again, he was surrounded by a mob of people who wouldn't let him.  How's that for feeling like the whole world is against you?  The group finally allowed the HR manager to leave in a hospital vehicle along with other employees, and I could hear them cheering his descent all the way at our house.

I am so glad that David and my roles are not reversed.  While he can stand there in a mob of people and just think and pray, I would be spouting off my very finest Creole telling them how immature they're acting and stomping my foot once or twice for emphasis.  After all the lies, stress, accusations, impeding of progress, and straight up laughing-in-your-face, D has just "taken it."  It's been a huge lesson to me, about how to not fight the way they fight, but to fight through prayer.

Thanks everyone so much for your prayers on behalf of us and the hospital.  We have felt them in a very real way.  Please continue to pray for a peaceful resolution, for us that we will be a Christlike witness and communicate effectively (with no foot-stomping :) ).  Pray for those who have been verbally and physically attacked.  Pray that the community will rise up in defense of the hospital and all the good it does, and will stand against the small group that threatens to undo it.  Pray for those who are against us, that their hearts can be changed.  Pray that they will not believe the lies that the Deceiver tells them.  Pray for God to bless them.  Jesus reminds us that the battle is not against these men, but against the Ruler of Darkness.  "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,  but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

We don't know when this will be over.  It has a potential to hang with us for a while.  There has been a lot of talking, meetings, and trying to explain things going on.  Some people listen reasonably, but others just don't want to listen.  There was a meeting yesterday that was very discouraging.  There are so many unreasonable demands being made.  If it weren't so serious, it would be almost funny the new things this group comes up with almost weekly....cheaper healthcare, more community people employed by the hospital, firing of certain staff.  The community generator solution is essentially off the table, they don't want to hear about that...they just want the hospital to give it to them.  David says it's like the liberal's attitude in the States...we want it, we want more of it, and we want it for free.  Sorry folks, it simply doesn't work that way.  Right now, we don't see a way out of this, at least not anything WE can do.  If this turns around, it will ONLY be of God.  "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

This is my Father's world,

O let me ne'er forget

That though the wrong seems oft so strong

God is the ruler yet.

This is my Father's world

The battle is not done

Jesus who died shall be satisfied

And earth and heav'n be one.