As we sit here a few short days from Christmas many thoughts and feelings flood our minds and hearts. First, we want to tell each of you how much we love you and deeply appreciate your commitment to be a part of this ministry. It is so awesome to see how God uses any willing vessel as a means of pouring out help and hope to the Haitians we serve.
From little children who donate small amounts of change, to businessmen, to sacrificial widows who give the “mite”. We know families who surely are pulled many ways with financial needs, but give in obedience. We are grateful for gifts from the retirees living on a fixed income and or doctors and nurses who help us gather needed supplies to treat those who come to our clinic. We are encouraged by the churches and Sunday School classes who have caught the vision God sent us here to fulfil. The work is getting done. It is a beautiful testimony of unity and love in the body of Christ-everyone doing his part large or small making a strong beacon of the only true and lasting Light of the world.
It is hot and dry here, instead of snow-everything is covered with dust. We can say with certainty that the country is unstable, crime and violence are on the increase and economy sinks lower each week. We thank you for your continued prayers for Haiti, her people and the missionaries serving here.
While Zach and Lori were in the states, Licia and I diligently carried on the work here. The main thrust of course was clinic. There is no way for you to understand or for us to explain the conditions here-but we will keep trying. We’d start at 4am handing out numbers for admission into the clinic and by 430am we are seeing patients. Some days there were so many and they were so loud that they would wake us up at 3 or 330 (on purpose I think). Many walked 8 to 10 hours some camp out 1, 2 or 3 nights in hopes of being seen. What a dilemma when there are 250 -300 people and only the possibility of seeing 150 -175 daily. It tough, we do the best we can. Here is a sampling of a few of the cases we had….
Two mothers who had inoperable cancerous masses on their abdomen, a little boy who was walking behind a horse (which his mom told him not to do). The horse kicked him in the forehead giving a good illustration of a partial scalping. The 8 year old was thrown down a mountain, climbed back up and walked 4 hours with is mom to be sewn up. He was a perfect patient, I cried more than he did. Praise God & God alone that he healed without infection. Several TB patients, numerous minor burns and stitches entered our doors. One of the most tragic and difficult cases was 3 out of 4 in a family testing HIV positive. The mom, dad and baby had the disease and a 4 year old had been spared. It is not easy giving results like that.
We experienced many malnourisehd children and the percentages go up each month. But its not the numbers-its the faces that we look into the eyes telling the tale of suffering and starvation. We lost a little 7 year old boy who weighed not quit 30 pounds. He was only here 1 night, he has no mother or father and was so sweet, thank you Jesus for letting us hold and love him before you took him home. We saw a baby that had been abandoned in a ditch. A lady heard him crying and upon checking found him naked and covered in ants. She already raised 10 children -all out of the house now. She took him in and named him Lazarus, and kept thanking God for the wonderful gift.