Medical Clinic in Haiti...
August 19-22, 2012
"Nanpwen malady ki pa gen remed...”
"There is no sickness which does not have a remedy…”
Recently we had two great mission teams combine for a wonderful mobile clinic outreach in the village of Despeezo, the Holland Team and the Jentezen Franklin Team. The Holland Team included: Jessie, Carel, Gerrie, Pieter, Ritie (Grietje), and Robert, Christiaan, Tamara, Jacqueline, Henriette, Sandrine, Trinske and Durkje.
The Jentezen Franklin Team included: Ellis, Andres, Robert, Pastor Jason, Leila, Jackie, Felicia and Cindy.
There were four villages that came together in Despeezo to receive medical help, so it took a LOT of help working in the clinic.
Setting Up…
We took the first day to pack medicines and learn how to work together as “one” team, in order to help all the people who would be coming for medical care.
Just think, we would be working in three languages...Creole, English and Dutch.
Everyone worked together putting up a huge tarp.
The guys and gals secured the corners.
Getting there…
The road to Despeezo was rough and the air was full of dust...
...but soon, we arrived and began to set up the clinic under the blue tarps.
The bathing/wound care area was set up near a tree...
Florence, one of our orphaned children, and one of the team members worked together in wound care...
They cared for many children...
Inside the Church at Despeezo...
With so many needing medical help, we set up a “waiting area” inside the church. I went in every ten minutes to triage and bring out those who needed care first...
Under the Clinic Tarps….
Back outside, I helped where most needed. Here I am helping Daniel, our interpreter, understand a dossier of one of our patients.
There were lots of mother's asking questions.
We had a Haitian nurse finding and explaining medicines to the medical staff and to the Haitian mothers...
Although it was quite windy, we continued to have the clinic under the tarps...
The people who were elderly, those who cannot walk, the most critically ill and the babies were in the worst condition…
We listened intently as each one explained his or her problem.
The Pharmacy…
Thanks to our wonderful partners who sponsored this clinic and all the medicines, we had a large pharmacy filled with life saving medications.
These poor people could never, never afford to go to a doctor or even buy any type of medicine. Now, they were able to have wonderful Christian care...
All the medicines are labeled and color coded, then labeled in Creole…
Each medicine bottle had to be filled before we left and the lids “duct-taped,” so they would not leak...
Some of the guys put the frames together to hold the shoe bags.
The Clinic runs smoothly until...
We are thankful that we did a lot of work prior to the Clinic or things would have gotten out-of-hand. When desperate mothers come with babies, “everyone wants to be seen at the beginning,” and things went well until the winds came.
A couple of guys found a tree to help hold up the big tarp.
Later in the day, the harsh winds blew the center “pole” down from under the big blue tarp, and it began to rip….The wind began whipping and tearing all the tarps…
We had to move the Clinic “inside the tiny school classrooms…”
It was crowded, but we made it work!
Some of our patients were afraid.
The Assessment Areas...
Working in third world countries always has “language challenges,” but this time it was even more challenging. Some of the Holland Team members who worked the assessment areas, had to have a translator who went from Dutch to Creole and back.
The Wound Care Area...
All of the Jentezen Franklin Team helped with Security or as a “helper” to the nurses, and they were such a huge blessing!!! Over in “wound care” Florence, one of our older orphaned children, worked with some of the Holland Team who spoke English...they worked well together.
Much of what we saw that day was malaria and skin diseases, but sometimes, there were those we could do little for...like this poor old lady with “half of her foot” missing. She thinks someone put Voodoo on her, so the nurses treated her and gave her what medicines they could and sent her out for prayer.
There were many with leg infections or terrible sores.
The Eye Glasses Department…
In the U.S. no one wants to wear glasses, but in Haiti “all teenagers and young women want glasses because they are stylish!”
These wonderful reading glasses were donated by Joyce Meyer Ministries, and they were all new, so we wanted to make sure that “only those who needed them, got them.” We saved these for the “Senior Citizens” who could not see to read their Bibles or thread a needle. They went away very happy!!
The Last Stop….
The “last stop” for the patients is the most important...the “Prayer Area.” We are so thankful to Brother Ellis from Pastor Jentezen Franklin’s Church, and Andres who ministered in this area. Brother Andres prayed for everyone in Spanish, Brother Ellis prayed in English and the interpreters prayed in Creole! You could really feel the Holy Spirit all the way inside the Clinic!!!! It was incredible!!!
Thank you everyone who sponsored Worm Medicine and Family Packs and to the Love A Child Partner who sponsored this Clinic!!!! If you wish to give toward a Mobile Clinic like this, please click the button below. Your gift of any amount will bless hundreds of poor and help us touch their lives with the Gospel!
Or, if you want to come to Haiti and join a Mobile Clinic, we welcome you!! You don’t have to be a professional medical person, just be in good health and have a heart to serve! Below you will see opportunities to serve on future medical teams.
We Need 3 Additional Nurses and Doctors and 3 or 4 Additional Non-medical Volunteers for each of these Mobile Medical Clinic Trips to Haiti.
Oct 10-20 to remote mountain village of Covant whose people have received no medical care since 2011. Team will stay in Covant.
Nov 5-10 to village (near LAC Village) with greatest medical need. Team will stay in LAC Village. Medical needs are extreme in Haiti's poorest villages.
These are trips that will change your life. Please contact Shar at 239-210-6107 or send an email to shar@lachaiti.org for details.
Keep a watch on our Upcoming Events schedule for additional future medical teams to Haiti!
God bless,
Sherry
