Thomazeau, Haiti : Live Beyond : Day 2

These are my journaling’s from our 6 days in Haiti.

Day 2, Friday

Today was incredibly full of love and tears. As Widdy said in one of our interview pieces, he feels like he has found his purpose, his calling in life to help other Haitians, like himself, become a leader and help get their country out of the turmoil it is in.

We started the day with a bible study lead by Dr. Vanderpool, in which he encouraged us to live a life that we are selfless in. That’s so hard to do! It’s what the bible says Jesus did and how do you live like Jesus if you’re not completely selfless and helping others without ANY payment, EVER in return. These people we were about to see, have no way of giving back to us, but a simple thank you. These humans have nothing, no alternative. Live Beyond is offering them hope and healing. It’s the most amazing thing to witness.

You know the saying “a smile goes a long way”…these people are who that saying was coined for. Making them feel like a person who is cared about is all they want.

The maternal health clinics that we filmed and photographed today was so incredibly heavy, but so beautiful. We’re exhausted on day one, in the most rewarding way ever. We watched and heard stories of women with babies walking for miles and miles just to come to the Live Beyond maternal health clinic, where Laurie and Dr. Vanderpool and the Haitian staff would examine the expecting mothers, give them medicine and vitamins, food bags and treat their new babies.

At the end of today, Brian Canaday, Zak and I just marveled at how this project, on Day 2, is already changed us and our hearts! The landscapes of Haiti for visual artists is breathtaking, this island could be a tropical vacation oasis. However, we saw women and children today, who did not have enough nutrients to nurse their baby. Women who came by foot to the clinic down a treacherous mountain, with no shoes on. We are an hour plane flight from one of the richest countries’ in the world, how could this be such a devastated place?

Live Beyond is doing something miraculous and it’s so neat to be a part of.

To be a part of the incredible work Live Beyond is doing, I would strongly encourage you check out http://livebeyond.com/