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| Solencia Altidor, CHE trainer. Photo by Deborah Carr (www.deborahcarr.ca) |
In our writing workshops in April, led by Deborah Carr, Solencia wrote the following piece after being given the prompt "I remember a place." Since it's about overcoming fear during travel, I thought I would share it with you today. Sadly, she received a phone call just this morning from a friend on the island that she writes about here -- there was a boat that sank this morning, and 13 of the 23 people on board have not been found. There are very real reasons to fear traveling here, whether by land, sea, or air.
I remember a place
Solencia Altidor
I remember a place...I went to a Training of Trainers 1 (TOT 1) in Mombin Crochu. As we were traveling, we reached the village of Pignon. After that the roads were terrible and I got very discouraged. I decided I would never travel to that area ever again. While I was at the training I was very happy because it was the first time I received training to become a trainer, which would enable me to work in my community with the Community Health Evangelism (CHE) program.
Another time there was another training in the same part of the country, and even though I'd said that I would never go back there -- well, I felt that God wanted me to continue this work. God gave me the courage and I went there again. It makes me so happy now to be a trainer, working with the CHE program.
I remember a place that I went: [the island of] La Gonave. Before going there, I was someone who was deathly afraid of the sea. Medical Ambassadors Haiti decided to send me to facilitate at the TOT 2 in La Gonave. I was so afraid – I don't even go swimming in the sea, I'm that afraid of it. I got together with my good friend Liz, and she gave me a lot of advice, she encouraged me to not be afraid, because it's God who makes all things. She spent several days praying with me to take away the fear that was inside of me. I went, and I'm no longer afraid. I even went back to La Gonave a second time, because I need to transmit what I've learned with Medical Ambassadors Haiti.
Now I'm no longer afraid – they can decide to send me anywhere and I can go because God took away my fear.
(c) copyright Solencia Altidor. Used with author's permission.
