Knoxville — Knoxville’s Alan and Amy Zoutte made their annual trek to Haiti last month (Feb. 3-12). After the earthquake that struck Haitian capitol Port Au Prince in January, access to that city has been limited. Officials do not even like aircraft to fly over and observe the devastation.

“They really don’t want you in Port Au Prince,” Alan said.

That was fine with the Zouttes, who flew into Capacion before making their way to Pignon. Each year, Amy assists Dr. Chris DenOuden with eye examinations and surgeries. On this trip, they were able to see 1,333 patients, perform 65 surgeries and distribute 193 pairs of eyeglasses. These are all record numbers for these missions.

“It was the best trip in six years,” Amy said. Part of the success for this trip is that there was equipment in place to prescreen patients before the missionaries arrived. They also had access to the Legacy 2000, a machine that enables doctors to perform cataract surgeries at a quicker pace.

Patients were divided into screening areas. On trips past, the people know the end of the mission is coming and begin to start shoving. A native was taught how to screen patients, to give the doctors more time to treat the patients. These new measures kept people more under control.

“That made it so the doctors only saw half of (the commotion),” Amy said. This year, it was probably needed.

Because of the quake, Pignon has been flooded with refugees from Port Au Prince. The Zouttes recall one Pignon native who, when they began their missionary work, boasted that he knew everyone in town. This year, he said he did not know anyone.

If things were desperate in Haiti before, Alan says it has gotten worse. Alan’s role on the mission is to help build and improve infrastructure.

“This year, the people were a little more restless,” Alan said. “People just don’t have any money and there is no system for people to earn money.”

Schools remain closed in the capitol city. Because of this, the schools in Pignon had to be closed.

Missionaries who have taken in a family or two prior to the quake are now struggling to feed an exponential number of people. The population of the town of Pignon has at least doubled since the quake.

With the increased demand for assistance, the supply of assistance has gone up. The Zouttes encountered a group of surgeons from West Virginia who had been seeing patients in Haiti for three weeks.

Getting in to Haiti was nearly hassle-free for the Zouttes, but they did have to pay more for customs. They said there is no government in Haiti right now, so corruption may be on the rise. In any case, they were glad to get through customs with all of the equipment and supplies they brought.

“It’s not going to stop what we do,” Alan said. Outside the hospital where Amy was working, a man suspected of trying to steal a bull was almost decapitated.



He suffered chest trauma. A surgeon was available and treated him.

“The guy left the same day,” Alan said.

There may be hope for Haiti’s economy, as there are thousands of acres of sugar cane grown in the country. A new rum industry that could employ hundreds is expected to open soon.

“It would at least be an export for the country,” Amy said.

The Zouttes actually slept through an aftershock while they were in Haiti. It registered 4.0 on the Richter scale, but they did not notice.

“We didn’t believe it at first,” Amy said. “We thought they were dreaming.” They hope it is the one and only quake they ever experience.

Despite the new challenges this year, the Zouttes are undeterred in their continuing desire to help the citizens of Haiti. They have a renewed sense of appreciation for our country.

“You don’t realize how well you have it here,” Amy said. “It definitely gives you a different perspective and an idea of how lucky you are.”

When they returned to the United States, there was a man, estimated to be in his 70s, offering them juice and cookies on behalf of the Red Cross.

“You know that was for the earthquake,” Amy said. It was the first time they had received such a greeting upon their return.

The man’s gesture reminded them of important lessons. Not only should Americans be thankful for what we have, but we all have the ability to do something to improve the world around us. It is up to us to take advantage of it.