- I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.
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UPDATE #23
The plan is for the team to be picked up in Carrefour by the Dominican driver who has been transporting the teams of doctors back and forth between Santo Domingo and PAP. He will take them directly to the Hotel Santo Domingo where they will spend Saturday and Sunday nights. Then, they catch an early morning flight home on Monday morning. Please pray for safe travel tomorrow and that the team stays healthy as they travel towards home!
UPDATE #22
From Dan Rodriguez:
Prayer is the fuel for this trip. We see it daily.
To all,
Our internet access has been very restricted, sorry for the very limited info via email. I've sent John some info to prep Team 2, but I believe this is only the second update of what's going on down here. I started this trip with a daily journal documenting all times, actions, contacts, etc., and until today have kept up with it, but this morning has been very busy finalizing our operations, and getting things set up for the next team. In the back of my note pad, I started bullet points titled "God's hand at work" for this trip. I have NOT been able to keep up with that list at all! We start each day off with a brief devotion led by one team member and then pray. We end each evening with a team meeting recounting our days activities. I absolutely cannot keep up with all the answered prayer. We usually end up sending teams in three different directions and each person comes back at the end of the day with incredible stories.
Today, Leland and Jim went back to Leogane with new team of doctors that just arrived. Leogane is about 45 minutes away (without traffic) and had been much harder hit by the quake than here in Carrefour. Leland had set up that remote clinic the past few days and had established some vital contacts with the community and medical resources available. The clinic handles all minor injuries and sicknesses (EMT'S, Paramedics, M.D.'s). The more critical patients that come to them get transported to a Canadian NGO (Canadian Relief Foundation) which is operating a mobile hospital, complete with x-ray capability. They can do most everything (including amputations), but severe patients get sent to their military hospital off shore. Leland has established all these contacts and needs to "pass command" to the next wave of doctors that just arrived.
Brian Price, our logistics expert (and all around nice guy), is also tying up loose ends in his department. Gathering another load of meds, baby formula, blankets, etc. and passing off vital contact info to his suppliers/recipients. He and Pat are also assessing needs of other ministry relief efforts to pass off to Team 2.
Most of the team is continuing to provide medical care out of the clinic run by our host, Terry Nelson, the pastor of Light Ministries. The clinic is operating out of his damaged church building and is a mixture of M.D.'s, nurses, paramedics, EMT's, and translators. They are seeing about 350 people a day. Our guys have securred a "tap-tap" for ambulance transportation. A tap-tap is basically a brightly colored small pickup truck with a raised shell and bench seating in the back. They have him standing by for $20 per day. The more serious patients at our clinic get a ride in the tap-tap to either Adventist Hospital or a land-based extension of a U.S. Navy hospital. We average about 3-4 transports per day. We might not have a light bar on our ride, but the contacts we've established at both hospitals have afforded us almost instant access to these facilities.
As we finish up our 'mission' here in Carrefour, we are also starting to pave the way for Team 2. Additional medical teams are headed this way from "City Care" and our job here in setting up operations is coming to an end. Needs in this country are endless, but we found another ministry at an orphanage where Team 2 will be operating out of. We've relayed info on critical contacts, housing, travel, and needs assessment for their area of operation. And we absolutely trust that God will provide all the necessary direction for them in his perfect timing. We've found it often changes daily, but always for a reason.
One event happen two days ago that you might find a parallel to. The clinic was just about ready to close and five of us were walking up the street to look at a damaged structure. (A local Haitian man had asked us earlier if we could survey his property for damage) As we were walking along this busy street, traffic was humming/honking in both directions, pedestrian traffic was equally congested, and the street vendors were squatting over their wares for sale. Soon, we approached this man sitting upright in the 'gutter' with his legs extending into the street. His shirt had been ripped off of him, he was filthy and without shoes. He had open/infected wounds on his legs, shoulders and back, and a swollen, infected foot. He was extremely dehydrated and had a death stare permanently afixed to his face. And all of life around him just passed him by (literally).
And along comes these five firefighters for Christ led by this random local. The Haitian man who wanted our assistance also wanted us to walk right by this man sitting in the gutter. But we couldn't. We stopped and tried to get help. He was more serious than our clinic could provide, and the clinic was now closed, but along came this vehicle with a big red cross on it. It was two people from the Danish Red Cross. We waved them down, they stopped, but they could not help because they had a meeting to go to. We asked the police officer (directing traffic right in front of this man) if he could call for an ambulance. But he said none were available, and he could offer no assistance. So, a couple of us ran back to get the stretcher and tell the doctors not to leave, while another started giving the man water assessing his medical needs. The strecther came, he was loaded, taken back to the clinic and treated. He then got a ride in our tap-tap to a more advanced medical facility.
The Haitian man leading us up to his property was demonstrated what it means to love your neighbor. He was also presented with the Gospel message and given a New Testament with the parable of The Good Samaritan circled. We received the blessing of being used by God and to sort of live out a modern day parable. Luke 10:25-37
God is doing mighty things,
Dan
UPDATE #21
Vinny will be working on logistical support today...pray that they "find favor" wherever they go! One of the most exciting things he told me this morning is that they are not only helping Terry Nelson' ministry, they are helping locate supplies and donations and then MAKING CONNECTIONS so they can get those supplies and donations to the right people who need them the MOST!!!!! He said that Brian Price is an AMAZING catalyst for connecting with available resources!
Our guys are also persistant with making sure the donations go to the right place. Yesterday, they had some donated food and they went to 3 or 4 different sites before they found one that really needed it. Danny Caldwell and a team took some donated food to an orphanage about an hour away...I think the family has connections to this orphanage through a cousin.
Today another group is reorganizing the medical supplies and setting up the clinic so it "makes more sense"!! God is using so many of their skills and talents!! They will leave the clinic well stocked and well organized for future use.
They have transport arranged to pick them up around noon on Saturday and drive them back to Santo Domingo. He is a driver that has been transporting the teams of doctors back and forth. He will drop them off at their hotel on Satuday evening!!!!
UPDATE #20
From Irene Price:
Hello from kingsburg! Well today, thursday, we spoke with Brian again! We are feeling a little spoiled! The girls were so excited to hear Daddy's voice! Brian is doing well... I think maybe yesterday was a slump day for him. I encouraged him the best I could and let God do the rest. Well guess what... He said today was a great day... there were so many emotional connections he didn't even know where to start! What a feeling...we have so much to be thankful for!
UPDATE #19
Vinny said that although he often is just reporting details of their day (due to bad phone connections and busyness), he wants everyone to know that all day, every day, they are operating with prayer and a sense of dependence on God. As they pray, He answers! One moment that stood out to him yesterday was when he and Danny (Caldwell) had just prayed with a woman who had walked into their "clinic". She was a Haitian Christian and had a finger that needed to be amputated. They were trying to figure out who could treat her and in walked an American doctor from a team who were on the way out of the city. He said, "Is there anything I can do to help you?" He was able to do the rustic, make-shift surgery which probably saved the woman's hand and possibly her life. Vinny said it was like an angel walked into that room just at the moment they needed him. The team of (Episcopalian) doctors then left some medicines and supplies with our team.
I talked to him this morning and he said there was a rather large aftershock early this morning that had them all awake!! Today they are planning to treat more patients. When they arrived this morning, the Haitian police officers from the substation across the street were helping them to organize the waiting crowds. He said they have been very helpful to the team and it has been a very orderly process.
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