Found in Translation

I can't do justice to how exceptional the translators were! The triage team was fortunate to have worked with the translators on a daily basis. They were students at UCNH, who are majoring in Business, Agriculture, Art, Theology or English. It was their summer break, so they were volunteering to assist us in order to earn scholarship money. Most of them had only been speaking for less than a few years, some as short as 6 months. Overall their English was strong, and they put us to shame as they speak French and Creole too.

They were as much part of the team as any of the nursing students as our work would be obsolete without them. They were doing the job of both the nurse and the patient. Having to translate the patient's stories and concerns to us, while translating our questions and health education. I don't know how their brains go back and forth from language to language. We had grueling 12 hour plus days, sometimes without a break and the translators plugged along, never complaining. We would ride home on the truck completely exhausted, yet they would sing or share stories that would make us laugh, they had the ability to keep our spirits high.

What really stood out to me with the translators was their heart. One day I was working in the pharmacy and I promise you that every single child I treated, I made cry. As soon as they would walk in the small room I would greet them and bam-tears all over the place! Sometimes all it took was them to look at me, and they were instantly hiding in their mothers arms. Instead of developing a complex, I realized that 1. Many of these children have never seen a white person before 2. I probably look a little intimidating with my medical scrubs and supplies 3. The medications I'm giving them are disgusting, some even make me gag. Without any prompting on my part, the translators I was working with that day, Maxsul and Ronel, were quick to try and appease the babies and children. I came equipped with stickers, but if I reached out the kids would scream, so Maxsul and Ronel would take them and put them on the children's hands or faces, instantly settling them. If the stickers wouldn't work, I had candy, so the translators would unwrap and hand it to the child. And if all us failed, they would rub the child's back, and do whatever they could to calm them. I was impressed by their sincerity and commitment. They could have easily just gone through the motions, and translated the words, but they were just as invested as we were in helping these patients.

This was a common theme with all the translators. They valued serving others, and they genuinely cared for their community. At the end of a long day, I had a translator come up to me and thank me for leaving my family and raising money to come out to Haiti. He said he was so thankful for the volunteers and how it speaks to him that others would sacrifice to be of service to his people. I didn't know what to say, as to me it didn't seem like a sacrifice, it's what I wanted to be doing. But I was humbled to know that I wouldn't have had the opportunity if it wasn't for the generous support I received from friends and family. His gratitude really belongs to you.

The translators really gave us an opportunity to have more direct contact with the Haitian culture. Some are now like family and we have kept in touch over email and facebook. James (top picture) and Michael (bottom picture) are two in particular that I spent a great deal of time with and I respect them both to no end. They are hard working, loving and just a joy to be around. If anything, I learned more about God through their actions, dedication and strong faith.