Introductory Comments By W. H. Lamb

One of the rewards of working with a group of Patriots, as I have been doing for many years, both as a commentary writer for The Times Examiner and within my own personal writings from time to time, is that I’ve had an opportunity to meet and/or communicate with many others all around our nation, and in a few other countries, whose concerns over upholding the work of our fellow Christians, and whose cares about the attacks on our constitutional liberties, mirror my own endeavors. 

I first met Dr. Anne Livingston almost ten years ago, when I was working for a local grocery store where she shopped when she was home on a furlough from her medical missionary duties in Haiti.  We both had a mutual friend who would tell me, from time to time, about the “adventures” of a missionary/doctor close friend of hers, and in God’s perfect timing I eventually got a chance to meet this dedicated servant of our Savior, a physician/surgeon/missionary to Haiti:  Dr. Anne Livingston (now retired), during one of her occasional visits back to Greenville. 

We all know of the turmoil and political chaos that has been happening in Haiti over recent years, to such an extent that Dr. Anne’s missionary board felt that it was advisable to have her leave Haiti a year or two ago, for her safety.  So she did, and is “somewhat” retired today (although dedicated servants of God are never truly “retired”.  A few months ago I asked her if she’d like to “update” her two-part article she wrote for The Times Examiner back in October of 2019.  She replied with this “update” on some of her memories of her experiences in Haiti.  It’s a two-part writing, but we’ll publish both parts at the same time here in The Times Examiner.  I think you’ll enjoy them.

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Patient Stories From Her Clinic Ministry in Rural Northern Haiti

I saw a lot of patients and family members during more than thirty years of ministry in northern Haiti, and certainly have lots of stories to share.  Here are some of them, along with thoughts and lessons learned.

Some stories are funny.

--Do you object to dancing in the clinic? (Summer 1993)

A middle-aged man (probably a grandson) brought an elderly lady to the clinic and placed this small heap of humanity on the exam table.  She was 108 years old (they had the birth certificate!), and her belly had been hurting.  I examined her and noted she had an abdominal aortic aneurysm, which may have been the source of her pain, or she may have had a virus.  We talked about basic care and something for pain, and I reminded the gentleman of the lady’s age.  We agreed she could come back at the end of the week if the family so desired.

   On Friday, this lady walked into the clinic and the man helped her onto the table.  She was much better, the pain was gone, and she was eating.  When we were done, I asked her if she could get down from the table.  Sure!  She got down, and holding onto the table, she shook one foot and leg and then the other, and then headed toward the door jigging while all the waiting patients laughed.  When she got to the door, she threw up her arms and I heard a voice say, “Praise God!”  There was a lot of joyful laughing from everyone then.

• “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine...” (Proverbs 17:22)

-- How fast can you hear?

Haiti has diplomatic relations with Cuba, so we had Cuban doctors working in Haiti.  A lady came to our clinic after going to one of those doctors, and she had a LOT to say, all of it very fast and I’m not sure she took a breath.  She had gone to that Cuban doctor, but it wasn’t like coming to me, they didn’t understand anything, they didn’t help her at all, she knew that I would understand what she was saying....  You get the idea.  I was praying that I could keep up enough with the torrent of words so that I would have some hope of understanding and responding reasonably.  The staff laughed afterward because she was talking really fast, even by Haitian standards.  The encouragement to me was that I actually did understand her, which meant that I had learned the language fairly well.

It had been very important to me to learn Haitian Creole first, and then start the clinic. An interesting medical insight came out of that. People frequently complained of “fever in the blood.” When I asked if it was a high fever (think malaria or typhoid fever), the response was, “No, no, it’s a fever in the blood.” My staff could not give me any help, and it sounded like anyone translating for teams in other areas had simply said the patient had a fever. The patient was treated for malaria, and then went to another clinic a couple of weeks later with the same problem. Careful questioning as well as physical examination made me suspect non-dysenteric amoebiasis, which is milder than amebic dysentery and often not detected by lab. That meant a different medication, and patients started getting better. And we started getting a reputation for being able to cure this problem. Speaking and hearing the language was important, but so was actually examining the patient.

• Do you pray for your missionaries who are learning a new language? Not just for the ability to speak, but also for the ability to hear. That makes a difference in no matter what work is done with other. We need to understand people so that we can share the Gospel of Jesus Christ clearly in ways that they comprehend.
• ”For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen... of above five hundred brethren at once...” (I Corinthians 15:3, 4, 6)

-- An interesting way to learn a new word.

Frè (Brother) Rebò, an elderly deacon (now emeritus) came to the clinic with a rash around his belly button.  It didn’t look infected, and there was nothing in the history to explain the problem.  I gave him some cream, and told him to come back a few days later. This elderly man was having trouble with his belt buckle, so, with his permission, I started to help him.  And the belt buckle started moving!  There were bedbugs in the loop holding the buckle!  He started giggling, I learned a new word (pinèz), and we all had a good laugh.  The problem was very evident, and so was the treatment!

• “Pay to all what is owed to them... respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.” (Romans 13:7) This was a reminder to treat people with respect because we never know when we might be in their position.

Some stories are hard.

-- Laughing in the face of death. (July, 1997)

I was called to the clinic early one morning.  A man had been found unconscious, and they brought him to us.  There was no injury, but the waiting patients said they knew the man and he had a reputation in town for his heavy drinking.  A good clue.  I started an IV and checked his blood sugar at the same time.  19?!!  I didn’t know a blood sugar could go that low, and thought he might be almost dead.  The U.S military had given us surplus meds before they left in 1995, so I had vials of Dextrose on hand for this emergency. To the amazement of the waiting patients, the man woke up in a few minutes.  Pastor Thelamour and I talked to him for a long time about his need to trust Jesus Christ.  He treated the whole thing as a joke and laughed, saying he had cheated death.  Evidently he did the same thing again a few days later, but with no one to rescue him that time.  We heard of his death two weeks later.  He had been found slumped over after drinking.

• “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.“ (Prov 1:7) There are people all around us who think they can continue to “get away” with risky behavior and go their own way.  We can sow the seed of the Gospel, but the Holy Spirit must cause the seed to grow.

-- You call those friends? (Late summer, 2012)

A man came to the clinic with congestive heart failure, cirrhosis, and emphysema.  We gave him medications and talked to him about his spiritual needs.  He and his friends didn’t have any time for church, but they had lots of time for getting together and drinking and smoking.  Even his heart problems were likely the result of all that drinking.  The medications made a big difference, and he came back saying he felt better than he had in 10 years.  We talked to him about his so-called “friends” and his need for the Friend that sticks closer than a brother.  He repeatedly said he would think about it.  I returned to the States for a couple of months.  When I was back in the clinic, I learned that his man had died before Christmas after returning to his friends and his old ways.  The choice was deadly, and so was his rejection of the Savior.

• “...know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” (James 4:4) Friends are really important for good or ill.

-- I’ll think about it. (Around 2015)

One of the hardest patients for the clinic staff was a man brought by his son one Saturday just before noon.  The man’s heart failure was so severe and he was so short of breath that he couldn’t lie down for even a few seconds.  We talked to him about his urgent need to trust Christ.  I told him I didn’t know if he would live through the weekend, and maybe not until that night.  Wouldn’t he put his faith in Jesus Christ?  His reply?—I’ll think about it.  A couple of hours later, our clinic receptionist Mme. Pollion passed his house on the way to visit a friend.  The man was on his porch, and she again urged him to consider finding salvation in Jesus Christ.  His response was the same.  When she returned a short while later, the man was dead in his chair on the porch.

• “And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.” (Acts 24:25) There are things in our lives which we should not put off.  There many not be another opportunity.

Some patients can be scary.

-- Your next door neighbor is a what?! (About 2011)

We have probably all seen pictures of witchdoctors decked out with feathers and fright costumes.  In reality, they look like your neighbor, often dressed in jeans and a T-shirt or a plain dress –like my neighbor Mme. Julienne who is a mambo (witch).  She came rushing into the clinic courtyard one afternoon with her son Emam.  He had arrived home very sick, and she had called her bokor (voodoo priest, witchdoctor) friends to help, but they all said he was dead.  We were able to treat him, and to her it looked like a resurrection.  The young man claimed to be a born-again Christian, but his mother still trusted the spirits who could not help him.

• “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” (Luke 16:31)

--It makes a big difference who you serve. (about 2006)

Frè Lorius, one of the deacons in the church, came to Christ in his 40’s after an ungodly life.  Sadly, his children followed in his old ways.  His son’s legal wife and son’s mother (both godly women) brought the son into the clinic one afternoon because he was not well.  Guess not!!  No pulse, no blood pressure, but he was talking.  I promptly got Pastor Thelamour with me because this looked like it might be demonic.  God graciously answered prayer and helped me get an IV started on the first try.  1 liter fluid—pulse; 2 liters—blood pressure;  3 liters—feeling great.  We talked to him about his spiritual needs, but he wasn’t interested.  After all, he was better, wasn’t he?  The next morning, one of the men on staff went early to pray with this patient, but he was already gone.  That was when I found out he was a bokor (voodoo priest).  He had a badji (voodoo house) at one of his other “wives’” places, and was afraid someone would hear he was dead and try and take his dedicated things.  His problem was likely due to his spirit guide punishing him.  After his father died, he tried poisoning the rest of the family to get everything for himself, but they survived.  He himself died a couple of years later

• “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” (Proverbs 16:25) Satan is a hard master, but his man had willingly given himself for demonic service, probably for money and power.

-- A shocking statement.  (about 2015)

A man came to the clinic saying he had not slept for a month.  I promptly called for Pastor Thelamour because I suspected there was a spiritual problem.  The man was a bokor, and had finally gone to one of his bokor friends who proceeded to tie his wrists with a rope after stringing the rope over the ridgepole, pulled him up so he was hanging with his feet off the ground, and then knocked his front teeth out.  Then this man made the shocking statement—“I love Satan.”  With everything else, the man now had permanent nerve damage in in right arm.  So I said, “Let me get this straight—You haven’t slept for a month, you have nerve damage, rope burns and no front teeth...” and he interrupted, “Yes, but I love Satan.”  It’s the only time I heard that in all my years in Haiti.  He loved Satan and did not love God.

• “Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.” (Judges 10:14)

Some stories have blessed and sweet endings.

-- An uncommon diagnosis. (1990)

In 1990 some men carried an 80-something lady down a mountain in a chair made of logs.  She had some problems walking, as well as some vague symptoms.  She remembered stepping on a stick that broke the skin of her foot a few weeks earlier.  I was concerned about tetanus since everything (people, horses, donkeys, etc.) uses those paths, and that was what she had.  That disease has a high mortality in the very young and very old.  Sè Mathélus was praying that God would grant recovery because the neighbors were saying that she was the victim of a voodoo curse, and she wanted them to know the God she worshipped was more powerful than voodoo spirits.  We were able to get the tetanus toxoid and serum, and the disease finally stopped its progression.  Recovery took a couple of months, but that summer she was able to walk to the river for the church baptism.  Her only complaint (with a coy smile) was that she could not walk as fast as she used to.  She died in 2002 at the age of 100, all those extra years a testimony to the greatness of her God.

• “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.” 
• “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” (Hebrews 13:15)

-- Blessing in sadness. (about 2018)

A woman who weighed maybe 80 pounds came to the clinic with her daughter, who had just graduated from high school.  Most years I would see a woman with a similar story—usually in her late 40s or early 50s with a vaginal discharge that had been treated at several clinics or hospitals (with no exam) for bacterial or yeast infection with no results.  The woman’s history usually included a husband who had been involved with multiple women years before.  I examined this woman and found her problem was severe—Stage IV cervical cancer that was filling the vagina and causing some problems with urination. In general, doctors in Haiti do not physically examine patients, and even if they suspect bad news, they don’t tell the patient so as not to discourage them.  I was concerned that these people understand how serious their problem is, with the desire that they prepare both physically and spiritually for the end of their life.  Before I talked with the lady about her problem, I asked if she had a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ.  What a blessing to hear that she and her daughter were born-again Christians.  Then I told her the diagnosis as kindly as I could, and we talked about what to expect and what she should do soon before she was unable due to pain.

Her daughter came back a couple of months later, thanked me, and told me her mother died about three weeks later, but that they had been able to make necessary funeral plans and arrangements for her daughter’s life and enjoy each other’s company because of what they knew was coming soon.

• “...Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5)

-- It’s never too late. (around 2015)

Simbert Joseph was an 87 year-old man with heart disease and high blood pressure who came to the clinic with his daughter.  I asked him about his relationship with God through Jesus Christ and he admitted he did not have one.  I dealt with his medical problems and then asked Pastor Thelamour to talk to him.  M. (Mr.) Simbert became Frè (Brother) Simbert that day.  He was doing better the next time I saw him.  There was a reason for his daughter’s big smile.  Her father was the last family member to trust Jesus Christ for salvation.  He was still faithful to God several years later. 

• God still pursues sinners in their old age, right up to their last breath. He is so gracious!

-- Finally, an answer to a physical problem and to an eternal need. (summer 2018)

A young man in his 30’s came to the clinic after going to two hospitals in the Dominican Republic and a clinic in Haiti before arriving on our doorstep.  He had a mass at least 8 inches long and 4 inches wide on his lower inside right thigh that had been there for about 10 months.  He had been told that he had an abscess, but no one had ever put a needle in it to drain the pus that should have been there.  He also had lost a lot of weight and had trouble breathing, and I found large lymph nodes in his groins.  I put a needle in the mass to show him what I already knew, namely that there was no pus there; this was a major spreading tumor that was already in the lymph nodes and lungs.  Then I talked to him about his spiritual needs, and he told me had heard the preaching message and had accepted Christ as his Savior that morning.  We talked about what was ahead, but especially how he was now looking forward to eternity with His new Savior.  He died two weeks later—and entered his Savior’s presence.

• “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither sorrow...” (Revelation 21:4)

--God may delay, but He does not forget.  (Summer, 1994)

“...my word...shall not return unto me void.” (Isaiah 55:11)

  Julien Pierre was driving a vehicle in Hinche (about 23 miles from St. Raphael) when a passing truck threw a lot of debris in his face, including a piece of glass that cut him just below the left temple.  There was a lot of bleeding, so he went to the hospital there, and they stitched the wound with something bigger than button twist—no anesthesia.  It looked like the wound was healing, but then it opened and started bleeding again.  So  he went to the health center in St. Raphael, and they did the same treatment.  The same problem recurred, and this time he came to our clinic.  The wound was infected, and the absorbable sutures were falling apart.  It was possible the temporal artery had been injured, and I was glad to see there was no nerve damage since the injury was in the area of the nerves that control that side of the face.  I put him on antibiotics, and hoped someone had not put a needle through the artery.  Ten days later, everything was healing well, but there was a pea-sized, pulsing lump under the skin.  Uh-oh, that meant that an aneurysm was there and growing, and it needed to be tied off or it would rupture.  Julien would not go anywhere else, so I proceeded to do the job under local anesthesia.  (That has raised eyebrows among medical listeners!)  Jackie Dunn, a fairly new nurse in her 60s (second career) was God’s provision for the extra hands needed to do this work.  Julien’s wife sat through the whole procedure, which was successful with God’s help.  It took time because I needed to avoid the nerves.  I found out afterward that she stayed because the previous time the table had been covered with blood.  She was impressed with how little blood was lost this time.  The wound healed after the operation, and there was no nerve damage.  Pastor Thelamour was our assistant, and he made sure the patient heard the Gospel.

About 15 years later, a man came to the new clinic location with a visitor on a motorcycle.  While she was looking at the clinic set-up, the man came over to me and asked, “Do you remember me?” (That is not my favorite question.) It was Julien Pierre, and he wanted me to know that he had put his trust in Jesus Christ five years after I had operated on his face.

Sometimes we think people are not listening when we share the Good News of salvation with them.  They probably hear more than we realize, but may have to work through their backgrounds, their ideas of religion, and their trust of what has been presented.  God’s Word does not fail, and we need to leave the outcome to Him.

• “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”    (I Corinthians 15:58)