The Foreign Service Journal, April 2010

38 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / A P R I L 2 0 1 0 room. And for the next 24 hours, embassy staff from every section did all that was necessary to ensure their safe departure to the United States. That night was just one compo- nent of our efforts. Our part in the crisis is ongoing, and we may con- tinue to be a stopping point for evacuees. In the coming days, our thoughts will be with everyone there, and our hopes will be set on the healing and rebuilding of Haiti. Kelia E. Cummins Vice Consul Embassy Kingston S TRENGTH IN THE M IDST OF C RISIS A significant turning point of my young, yet eventful, FSO career is undoubtedly my TDY experience in Port- au-Prince following the Jan. 12 earthquake. All of my consular and cultural expertise rose to the surface and al- lowed me to maintain a pleasant demeanor even while coping with tremendous stress. I felt valuable to the State Department and was proud to serve my country during this time of need. Many memories come to mind: 16-hour shifts, the blazing sun, loud Air Force engines, random stenches, never-ending thirst, sleeping under a desk, and “Meals Ready to Eat.” Of course, we TDYers only had to face those challenges for a short period. And relatively speak- ing, such adjustments are a piece of cake when compared to the bigger picture: the fact that a country like Haiti, al- ready facing so many challenges to its infrastructure, crumbled in less than a minute. American citizens and many other people turned to the U.S. government for as- sistance. In addition to performing their many duties, Foreign Service personnel in Haiti, whether assigned there or on TDY, served as counselors, entertainers, first-aid assis- tants, janitors and much more. I operated purely on adrenaline. I could not sit down, but constantly kept mov- ing. Not only did we improve the situation we were fac- ing, but we managed to bring a smile to the devastated faces before us. What was most rewarding to me was seeing people through the en- tire process. I pre-screened evac- uees outside the embassy walls, translated and processed paperwork in the courtyard, distributed food and water inside the lobby, moti- vated people to contribute to main- taining a sanitary area, conducted interviews behind the lines, used a megaphone to redistribute travel documents, loaded people onto buses, assisted in boarding them on the airplanes, and explained our consular efforts in Creole at a press conference for local journalists. It was rewarding to be thanked for my dedication even by those I sternly turned away for presenting fraudulent information. They appreciated the fact that my colleagues and I were doing our best to carry out a fair and transpar- ent adjudication process. I learned that the Haitian people are among the strongest in the world. They will make the best of what- ever challenge faces them. They will not give up hope until they find solutions to their problem. During this ex- tremely stressful situation, what kept me going was the random smiles and jokes I was able to share with the evac- uees. Many of them had lost just about everything, yet they were still able to share a smile with me. I am grateful that the long hours I had put in at the visa interview window in Kingston trained me to reach decisions in a short amount of time. I even appreciate the demanding American citizens who came to my window there, training me to handle difficult situations and reach solutions. I now see the value of the French and Haitian Creole classes that my parents forced me to attend as a child. And I am grateful for the strength I gained as a Hurricane Katrina survivor. All of these previous challenges gave me the strength to be an effective officer during this emer- gency evacuation. Still, when I returned to my post in Jamaica, I was most grateful for my comfortable bed! Régine René Vice Consul Embassy Kingston F O C U S In addition to performing their many duties, Foreign Service personnel in Haiti served as counselors, entertainers, first-aid assistants, janitors and much more.