The Announcements

I saw this young boy at the hospital today. He suffers from cholera.

I heard from someone today that this cholera thing is all over the news up in the States. I don't know exactly how bad it is that they're reporting, but I do know that right now, just a hundred yards from me and my laptop are a several people recovering from this quick and terrible disease. I think, at least I hope, that they will be fine. Treatment for cholera is pretty effective with antibiotics and aggressive rehydration. The problem is that many cannot reach medical care before they are very, very sick.

I went to the church right down the road with my team this morning and the whole service was good. But I want to tell you about "the announcements." I frequently "do the announcements" at my own church back home, but I've never had to do announcements like theirs.

They only had one announcement today. The announcement in this church (and I'm guessing every other church in Haiti) today was about cholera: what it is, how to recognize it, how to avoid it, and what to do if you come down with it. They described how it is contracted through the water. They cautioned their people to not drink out of the river nor use that water to bathe or wash clothes. They explained the importance of good hand washing, of seeking immediate medical attention if they experienced rice-colored diarrhea. In very plain and frank terms they explained that cholera could kill them. And this is exactly how the announcement in church this morning ended: "If you get cholera you might die. Do you want to die or do you want to live? We want to see you next week, so follow this advice so we can see you next week."

Well, that about does it for the announcements in Haiti today. I guess I think of "the announcements" a little differently now.

Please pray for this little island of precious people. I don't want them to die. I want to see them next week.

Steve