A Cool Michigan Reception

Hi All:

We had a pretty uneventful trip back home after a great, eventful week in Haiti. We got up at 1:30 and left a bit after 2 am, despite Dr. William thinking we could go at 3 as our plane left at 10:21 for Miami and it would usually take 4 hours at that time of the day, as there are few crazy drivers/people other than ourselves, so he figured a 7 or so arrival would be decent. However, I am notoriously a slow driver in somewhat less than perfect conditions, and potholes, uneven pavement and a large number of vehicles without tail lights, a significant number without headlights travelling in the dark adds to the challenges of navigating a vehicle in Haiti with innumerable obstacles to safety. Using signals is purely an optional suggestion, assuming, of course that they even exist or work. Add to that the couple hundred speed bumps (the raised bumps added to slow down the crazy drivers) and the tens of “dos d’ane”s that are strategically placed to wipe out unsuspecting vehicles with a dip in the road placed to further inhibit speed, one has no need of speed traps for myself. These dips, called after my relative, the Haitian Donkey’s back, the dip that the poor creatures have due to the chronically large burdens they carry, are often at an angle to the road direction, so one wheel drops and, while it is coming out of the planned dip, the other front wheel drops and one can really lose control of whatever already careens down the road at an angle due to being piled high with goods (and a person or so braving the trees while riding way on top). We saw a bus that lost control and ran off the road last week, killing all 45 people inside as well as the people in the house it blew through, a grisly sight.

Duane, who would leave at midnight if he could further avoid the traffic on the road, and I decided 2 am would be less likely to cause us ulcers in fearing a late arrival at the airport, and we were thankful we did. Even at that time of the morning, there were an unusually large number of private vehicles, plus quite a few fuel tankers and other heavy trucks out, presumably as they had been blocked by the riots/demonstrations all week and wanted to take advantage of getting somewhere before others had similar ideas and would try to stop them. Even the market in Port au Prince was already quite active, including the wheelbarrows hauling 3 or 4 skinned pigs to the sales, where they would be chopped with a machete into however many grams of meat you would desire, including the bone chips produced during the cutting process in the price, of course. So, we were very happy to arrive at the airport at 6:45 am and just check in almost the first in line. We had 4 suitcases of materials for the women’s center, as this Haitian Donkey doubles as a hauler of the embroidered materials and other handiwork back to the States for churches to spread out for donations back to keep the center financially solvent. Duane had put the power washer part in his carry on and was rejected by security, but otherwise we had a great trip back home, even switching out the part in Miami and putting it in one of our suitcases (which had already been checked when he was sent back from the Haitian version of TSA, so he checked his carry on to Miami and we corrected things after immigration in Miami, as Duane and Ruth stayed in Florida a few days to visit grandchildren). As our flights went through Philadelphia, we avoided the still troublesome Chicago area in our travels and were thankful to the Lord that He had caused me to use a new flight course (not an option in the past with American, but it is a hub for US Airways). The old route was too short a layover for a group to risk in Miami, so I opted to choose getting home at midnight instead of the alternatives. Everyone but myself welcomed the air conditioned American Airlines lounge temperatures on our arrival in Port, most everyone joined my opinion when we received a cool welcome at 45 degrees in Grand Rapids.

Our Friday was busy but profitable. I ended up doing a complication from our sister hospital, a patient I had seen and treated a couple years ago, then had further surgery there a couple weeks ago and now decided to visit me again to correct the abdominal hematoma from the latest surgery. I drained the large blood collection, washed it out and left most of the wound wide open and pray that she will do well postop. The young man with the possible poison that Mike and I admitted on Thursday with presumed renal shutdown (a favorite method of getting the voodoo doctor to put a curse on those who oppose your life choices in Haiti), seemed very much alive when we last checked him Friday evening and we pray this will continue. We shared tracts with him to read as he recovers, or even to consider if he doesn’t, as eternity seemed (and still is) a very near and distinct possibility for him, as dialysis is not an option. He was weak and troubled but definitely alert and communicative, so hoping that our desperate treatment will have long lasting results.

My attempts to make a site visit to Cap Haitian to look at residency options available there, both for ourselves or possibly having one of our doctors go up there for a 4 year training stint, has run into a dead end street for the time being, as Dr. Mario Florestal, the OB Gyn physician who graduated from our medical school and managed to get a residency slot there a bit over 4 years ago and now works for our sister hospital, Bonne Fin, works 3 weeks straight and then has the 4th week off starting in November, but I am reluctant to spend either Thanksgiving or Christmas away from home as my own future is not all that definitive and would like to maximize family times when possible.  So, hoping to go in January, 2015 while our team is working on roofs, remodeling termite eaten cupboards and shelves, putting up the toilets behind the clinic on that new septic system and a host of other projects that seem to sprout up and demand attention. The power washer broke down while Duane had the guys blasting the layers of grease, dirt and other questionable items deposited on the areas around where the merchants cook and peddle their wares in front of the hospital gate. We plan to move them across the road to see if we can keep things cleaner around the hospital itself, then use this site to let our patient’s families cook for themselves and the patient, as well as doing their own laundry there and sleeping in the hostels, instead of all over the hospital floor, making movement and patient care a risky business, especially by the dim lights when we only use a few batteries to light the wards.

We spent a fair amount of time as the leadership of the hospital, trying to figure out how to reduce costs with the government mandated minimum wage increases, especially with our increased number of diabetic patients who come with nonhealing leg ulcers/gangrene and we end up trying to keep debriding the wounds for months before getting to the almost inevitable amputation under life conditions in Haiti, thus causing a bill that, even by our charitable institution’s lower rates than most anywhere else, is too much for the already impoverished individual to settle. Almost all other Haitian hospitals just refuse to care for the patient, so we end up with considerably more than our share of these indigents. I never mind caring for them, but it is a struggle to try to keep the hospital solvent and also sustainable in the future while showing Christlike compassion to these seriously ill individuals with such chronic, incurable conditions. Pray that we will have His guidance, attitudes and wisdom in doing His Work His Way at Centre de Sante Lumiere.

In His Service,

Bill x 2, Sue, Jen, Duane, Ruth, Mike, Joshua (and we sent Dr. Mary Preston home to Virginia on her own today, haven’t heard if she made it yet)

Internet Finally Works

Hi All:

We know a number of you were praying for our flexible travel plans, thanks to the person sabotaging the radar system in Chicago, so wanted to contact you, but the lightning sabotaged the internet in Haiti for the last week, so the phones and internet were all down. I called Karen on my Haitian phone after our arrival but that did not work at all and the message that I was alive and back at work was hardly intelligible. So, we just got things up and running here today.

I normally have a few hectic days to end my week before I leave for Haiti, as I need to get all my Sunset patients taken care of, plus regular clinic work and that makes for a lot of charting to do in the evenings. When told by many individuals that I might have to change the plans for our team of 6, a call to American Airlines just ended up with a message that all agents were terribly busy and to call back later, no surprise. So, just kept on doing charts until they called me to inform me of the cancellation via a message, no live person, of course, at 10 pm on Friday. Since departure was scheduled for early afternoon routing through Chicago, trying to find alternative routes became a priority and I spent the next 3 hours negotiating flights via American agents booking on US Air, which company is in the process of merging with American Airlines, but the merger has more holes in it than glue at this stage. Essentially, they could promise me nothing other than that  we would get charged for both bags that we had been promised free by American We always get one free for whoever is on my ticket up to 6 people and they usually give a second bag free for missions trips, which Tom Failing’s nephew had arranged for us beforehand. Plus, they stated that we would still have to collect our bags at 10 pm in Miami, haul them somewhere and recheck them the next day, and pay for the second bag, in the wee hours of the morning, a real hassle with the plane full of Haitians who sort of abide by their own set of rules. Since anything on the west side of the state runs through Chicago, that was not an option, so we were thankful that Dan Boerman graciously volunteered to take the baggage and half the team to Detroit and Karen and Marsha Langdon, Mike’s wife, took the rest of us, a real blessing. We arrived early at Metro and the Lord answered our fervent prayers by giving us an agent named Charlie O who was very kind and checked the  bags all the way to Port au Prince (a savings of $240 for the group, but just as important, giving us at least another hour of sleep, as we could get up at 4:30 am to make the flight instead of 3:30). He also only charged us for the second bag when I explained the situation, a second blessing.

US Airways planes seemed much older than those of American, but the flights went great and smooth, we caught some sleep. Since I had already had a 4 hour night of sleep on Friday, at least getting another 4 1/2 on Saturday made things more tolerable.  We met Dr. Mary Preston in the Port au Prince airport, as she flew from Ft. Lauderdale on an earlier flight, and all our luggage made it, a bit beaten up but intact. Hers didn’t, but we decided not to wait til the afternoon Lauderdale flight arrived as surgery clinic awaited me after the almost 5 hour road trip, we hate to make the patients wait too much longer. Again, by the grace of God and through your prayers, customs was a breeze and we made it to the truck by 10 am and had a decent trip to the hospital.  Clinic was busy, the normal patients except I had a first experience. As you know, cellphones are often attached to one’s hip in the States, there are more of those here than one would expect with the poverty and they also seem  irresistible. I was doing a pelvic exam on a lady that I would operate on later this week when her phone rang on the table a bit from the exam table and she jumped up and ran to answer it while I tried to retrieve my hand as quickly as possible. The Haitian nurse and doctor in the room with me were just as surprised (and amused). She told the party that the doctor was examining her and she would call back, hopped up on the table and waited for me to finish the exam, like it was “all in a day’s work”.

As this is the year for elections again, there have been a lot of riots in the major towns/villages along the route we have to take, as disgruntled people with much time on their hands than maybe they should is a recipe for trouble. We were thankful that they usually riot on the weekdays, thinking to have a greater impact on the commercial situation and thus disrupt those who might be able to do something about the injustices they perceive to need rectifying. However, we had to send Brenel, our maintenance individual to Port with the proper papers to get Dr. Mary’s suitcase on Monday and he ran into all sorts of trouble on the way back with it, getting here at 10:45 pm from a 5 am start on the express bus line, as the riots tend to disrupt anything of that nature. The government, likely using earthquake funds to supply their need for more cash, handed down an edict to raise the minimum wage, something that will cost us at least another $1000 per month, plus stimulating additional griping by those who get a higher wage now but will feel that the government raised the other employees wages, why can’t the Christian employer do something nice too. Just another reminder of governmental decisions often resulting in less than the most desirable long range results.

Duane and crew did a wonderful job of fixing the septic system to the point that it is usable. It still needs the rest of the second tank dug through the trash that has accumulated around the hospital over the years of use. Littering is not considered a bad thing. While we are driving to the hospital, plastic pop bottles, Styrofoam food containers, wrappers, etc, are tossed from the pickup/truck taxis flying along in front of us and bounce off our vehicle. People just walk and let similar items fall on the floor as they stroll along, including in the hospital, although Dr. William’s idea of placing a number of trash cans (many donated by Bob’s Disposal in Cutlerville) has helped in the hospital compound. Now I want to work on the area around the walls if possible. No one ever accused me of not having foolish dreams of progress, I suppose I wouldn’t be here otherwise? Anyway, the septic leak is corrected and the second hole and corresponding drain field is in progress. Plus, Dan Boerman (on the phone), Duane, Daniel Zales (a German missionary here teaching mechanics in the workshop), along with (in decreasing value as we go along) Dr. Moise and myself, were able to get the sterilizer and boiler going again as it wouldn’t work on Monday and we had done 5 hysterectomies plus a few smaller cases using most of our sterile supplies, and were dead in the water. Plus, Cayes General has been sending their material to us to sterilize as their machine doesn’t work, so there was a ton of stuff to prepare.  Dan Boerman did a great job of directing us to diagnose and repair each step in an organized fashion and then Dr. Moise and I babysat the machine til 10 pm, when the cycle was done and we could safely sleep knowing that we could do the 7 hysterectomies scheduled for Tuesday with proper equipment.  We had just settled down in bed when an ambulance came up to the gate, siren howling. Cayes General had sent a driver to get their equipment, despite the fact that we had called them and told them it would not be cool enough to open the door safely until much too late at night (and I didn’t mention that neither Dr. William, who was on call, or I wanted to sort out the material after midnight). They protested that they had several cases they still wanted to do that evening?, but we told them that we couldn’t control the breakdown either and they finally went home, only to return at daylight the next morning.

To end on a very positive note, Dr. William has been burdened about all the patients in the hospital who cannot go to church on Sunday and with my encouragement, started a morning service for patients and families right after my August departure. This week, Duane and Ruth, plus Beth and Mondesir, attended and there was a lot of enthusiasm at the service in our new chapel (thanks for all who helped make that great addition possible). Patients were wheeled in on wheelchairs, etc and much positive was generated in the way of people making spiritual decisions as a result. We praise the Lord for this very encouraging development and pray that it will continue and reach many more patients and families.
With thanksgiving for you all, and to Him Who makes life possible,

Bill, Duane, Ruth, Mike, Josh, Bill and Sue, Jenn and Mary

Together again

Hello friends;
It has been an exciting, eventful summer for us. Our first ever grand daughter Ellyanna was born to our daughter Carly and her husband Eylar. Deb and Katie went to British Columbia for the big event while Tim and I stayed in Haiti and held down the fort.

Many thanks to those who have sent us jars of peanut butter. We now have a “sports night” every weekend for the young people from our local village and we serve them peanut butter on fresh bread. It was great during the summer as all the local young people were in the gym playing sports rather than going to the beach parties.

Together with visiting teams we were able to do three large (25 couple) weddings this summer.

Usually the team is awake at 5:00 am the day of the wedding, preparing the sandwiches for the reception. We then drive out to the village where the wedding will be held (this can take 30 minutes to 4 hours) and immediately we set up and start getting the brides
and grooms dressed. We take wedding pictures and then send the couples into the church for the ceremony. Then after the ceremony is the reception and then the drive back to the camp. While some team members unload the vehicles, others begin immediately to print out the pictures and make up the wedding albums.. Sometimes this can take until midnight or later and then first thing the next morning we head back to the village to deliver the albums in exchange for the borrowed wedding clothes. Here is a picture of the wedding albums together with a gift of a health kit for the new couples.

We are also very thankful for those who continue to send children’s clothes. It is a joy to be able to give them to the needy around us.

About a month ago after the Renault Sunday school, some friends carried in a man named Julio. Julio unwrapped his leg and showed us his problem. Tim braved the incredibly sickening smell and got within 20 feet to take a look and take a photo. It had started as a small infection on his baby toe, and he had never gone to the hospital. His foot was dead and was literally rotting at the end of his leg. Thanks to the generous partnership of friends, we have a fund available to send people to the hospital, so we quickly sent Julio.

Just this past week we received this email from fellow missionary Beth Newton who works at the hospital..

Hi Rod,

Just wanted to share the joy of God’s work.
Sunday morning the gentleman who had the bad gangrene which necessitated an
amputation attended the Sunday morning service at the clinic chapel. The man, Julio, responded to the invitation at the conclusion of the message and wanted to repent and put his faith in Jesus. He and his wife say they will live in Cayes now. He will go with a letter to present him to a local pastor. He seems healthy and thankful now.

It was God’s hand of mercy at work.
Thanks for bringing him to us.

Beth

Thanks for your continued support and prayers and partnership.
bye for now, Love Rod, Debbie, Tim and Katie

If you would like to watch a video of our girl’s volleyball team, here is the link;

A Disappointed/Sadder Donkey Heads Home Again

Hi All:

This update is a bit late for a variety of reasons. Partially, it is because the head is still not clear about what exactly is, has and should happen on the scene in Haiti. As that is about as inexact as it could be, this is part of the reason I have waited to write what is going on, so as not to state things inappropriately, etc. So, understand that what I am sharing as prayer requests come out of a mind that has not really been able to sort things out properly but definitely need the Lord’s wisdom and direction as to proceeding.

First of all, the Mardi Gras week went by fairly nicely, we only had a few assaults and injuries from the area, thankfully. On the trip back home, we left early to be sure we didn’t arrive at the airport too late with any possible revelers in the streets slowing us down. At about 3 am and again about a half hour later, we ran into two drunken groups that were spilling into the streets and we had to carefully proceed, as we didn’t want to stop and have the vehicle trashed by the out of control crowd, yet we wouldn’t want to hit any either. That was the first disappointment, seeing the depravity of man so evident. The majority of the people have hardly enough to feed themselves, yet having a party that still goes on in the wee hours 4 days after the main event is over with only negative results possible at that time of the day/night and week seems so senseless and sad. But, we were glad to make it back to the airport and on our way.

As I have shared in the past, we have struggled to make some sense out of the financial situation with USAID and the administrator in charge of the funds for both our hospital and Bonne Fin, as things have deteriorated steadily over the last few years. I have tried quite diligently, with the help of my coworkers, to try to bring this to some semblance of order since early December, as the MSH group (the Haitian people hired by USAID to administrate the program in Haiti for them) were passing off the scene and another group, called Pathfinder, possibly would take over, but they would reduce the number of programs by 50% in the attempts to pass the workload and costs to the country, rather than always funding it, at least in principle. I have tried to contact the person (a Haitian pastor) on numerous occasions, we scheduled meetings with the MEBSH authorities (also all pastors) who are in charge of this program, as well as our two hospitals, the schools, the nursing schools (2) and the medical school from which my 5 doctors graduated, but could never come to any understanding of where the funds have gone, to the tune of over $100,000 USD for our hospital program alone, more for the other hospital, if I understood it correctly. On the March trip, we again tried to set up a meeting when this individual would be able to bring facts and checks, bills, etc and try to figure out where the missing funds are. The only time he could make it was 4 pm on Friday, not the greatest for me as we leave at 1 am on Saturday and there are a number of loose ends I would like to wrap up, but this is an important issue, so we of course came. About 33 of our employees are engaged in these preventative health measures and paid by USAID in working with AIDS, TB, vaccination programs, etc. However, he was a no show, so nothing could be sorted out again. I find this very discouraging, as, of all people, our pastors should attempt to be blameless, as exhorted in I Tim 3:2 and in several other places. It seems less and less likely that this will be cleared up, let alone proceed in the future on such shaky ground.

Also, as many of you know, since 2004, I have been training my Haitian doctors to be able to continue the work of CSL, should I no longer be able to continue, and specifically working with especially Drs. Moise and William to teach them surgery in the hopes that they could be accredited in some fashion by the government and continue doing surgeries when I am not there as they are capable. They have done over 4,000 cases thus far, mostly with me, but now with an increasing number of other surgeons, so they have learned other techniques to broaden their armamentarium, as we all did in our surgical residencies. A year ago, Dr. Luke Channer and Beth Newton met with one of the main governmental authorities who is symphathetic to our cause, but she suggested that I set up a surgical residency program as there are only 2 programs in the country, both in Port.  As I could not attend the meeting due to my surgery in Pittsburgh, I didn’t consider this an option, as my long range plans have to be tempered by the prognosis I carry. However, today is the one year anniversary of my 15 hour marathon surgery (not a marathon for me, technically, as I slept through it all, but certainly for the 4 surgeons diligently picking out tumors from my abdomen and doing other questionable deeds to my insides, plus for my faithful family, who have really kept me going in the days immediately afterwards and the year that has followed) and we are prayerfully considering this as the (apparently) only viable alternative. Since this would be a 4 year program and would have to be combined with our sister hospital, Bonne Fin, we are slowly and prayerfully proceeding, asking God for wisdom to not do something unwise or not in His plans for us or the hospital/doctors involved. With the addition of several younger, energetic US surgeons to help me, I am hopeful that the program could begin soon and, in God’s time, be carried out, if He so wills. So, join me in prayer for guidance, remembering that John 15:4 says, “Abide in Me, for without Me, you can do NOTHING.” There is a lot to be sorted out and arranged yet, if this even is to proceed, but we are making careful steps forward.

Another sad item to share is that many of you have heard of my sister Marge and husband Harold, who have also helped a lot with the work in Haiti, as well as coming down with a team yearly to help out with projects there. They were the recipients of the “Montezuma’s Revenge,” struggles in their trip in December, from which all have recovered well. However, he has had increasing amounts of back pain, Xrays that I did in January were not out of the ordinary for our age (he is 6 yrs younger than I), so when the pain did not respond, we did a CT scan of his abdomen while I was in Haiti with my family and the Hordyks. The results have shown advanced cancer of the pancreas with spread to the liver, thus unresectable, at least at this stage. He has had increasing amounts of pain and we have started chemotherapy in hopes of slowing it down, but this has been the most significant of the discouraging notes I have to share with you. As you know, my prognosis was about as dismal a year ago and I praise the Lord that I am doing as well as I am and am praying the same for my brother (in law, also Theresa, my office nurse and a great assistant to the work in Haiti both in the US and there on her trips there, is his sister). Our Lord is able to “do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. (So) Unto Him be the glory.” Eph 3:20-1. We know we have a glorious eternity, thanks to our Lord, but also pray that we will be faithful to Him in the days and months He chooses to give us to serve Him on this earth.

In His Humble Service,

Bill and crew

Centre de Santé Lumière Update

I cannot believe that I have already been home a week. Readjusting to our climate [the seal around the jet bridge would not come out in the cold in Chicago, so got a good taste of the cold there after 3 weeks of sweating], USA medicine and trying to catch up on things left undone in my haste to leave has been hectic. However, I must admit that, despite the minimum 110 hours/week surgical residency I did in my younger years, the 3 weeks in Haiti were probably the longest sustained time of pressure to keep going I have ever experienced. I enjoyed helping the people, being able to tend to their physical and spiritual needs. We saw 40 decisions to follow Christ during that time, including a hardened father whose children have attended the Wray’s Sunday School for years but who was always a bit nasty towards the work there. He had a crushed tibia/fibula, open, requiring frequent dressing changes to clean up the wound, before we could cast it and send him home. He really was transformed during his 3 weeks in the hospital, seeing us caring for others long into the night, etc. He was very open and was avidly reading his Bible when I left, praise the Lord, and was glad that I had been able to get to Haiti and specifically to the hospital and staff with whom I have worked for 6 years now.

As we could not have done this work alone, I would like to take a minute to thank all the others, those who came to give me a break and the people behind the scenes who have made, and continue to make the work in Haiti and specifically at Centre de Santé Lumière possible. My wife has kept the home fires burning. The first week was probably the worst as I had little ability to communicate with her, even email being spotty at best. I was glad for her getting the updates corrected and sent out to so many people who were concerned and I had left many things undone, as I left home within an hour of notification by John Vrooman. He, incidentally, became ill as he spent all day, every day, back and forth to the Cayes Airport, arranging the relief flights for medicine, personnel, and rice and beans, etc from various sites so we could distribute them to the neediest areas. I think he just got his resistance down but he is better and we appreciated his help getting me and many others in and out.

As I have mentioned earlier, the missionaries around the hospital, almost to a person, went way above and beyond the call of duty helping keep the hospital supplied, hauling patients to other facilities when needed, hauling volunteer Haitian staff to and from the hospital. We used a bunch of unemployed Haitian graduate nurses; Michigan is not the only place with super high unemployment. These missionaries also hauled food supplies from the airport and out to distribution places, procured fuel for our generator, which we frequently had to buy in gallon jugs on the street. This definitely is the way Christians, Christ followers, are supposed to work to help others and I was very appreciative of each and every one. Many of the Haitian hospital staff also worked well beyond the normal amounts expected, including Dr. William, my assistant medical director.

I have mentioned the pleasant surprises of teams that showed up rather unannounced but who then worked really well together with us at CSL, our hospital, up at Bonne Fin or at the government hospital at Cayes, where things needed more organization from all we heard. The official name of this hospital is Hospital Immaculate Conception, HIC, which also is running about 80 beds, as we were, but also with lots lying on the ground anywhere possible, hoping for someone to help them soon. Drs. Jon Roberts and Rick Honderick, Family Practice from Missouri, helped for a week and Jon will return on the 12th of March for another round wherever he is needed. He has been a regular supporter of the work in Cayes, both by helping me get supplies and coming at least once yearly with a medical/building team. The team that showed up in church on my first Sunday there helped tremendously with the hundreds of dressing changes, helping me in the OR as possible, since we had 3 C sections to add to the fray of trauma patients. [These 3 did well, though one gave me an anxious night as the bleeding mother had too low a  blood count to operate without first transfusing her, but the Red Cross was way behind on finding blood, understandably.] This team included a med/peds hospitalist who took first call for us a couple nights, staying in the room next to me so that if I were needed, I could answer a few questions and get back to sleep in a minute, which was greatly appreciated. Then there was the team that literally landed at our doorstep courtesy of the US Marine Helicopter. They wanted me to fly back with them, an option for hardy souls, my stomach keeps me out of that category, especially when Steve, the plastic surgeon who worked so well with me for a week described his own stomach flutters as the helicopter weaved in the breeze over the Haitian mountains. I don’t think there is enough anti nausea medication in the world. A couple of them, Shelby Rodgers (ER doctor) and  Bobbie Joe Page (Paramedic) stayed an extra week to allow continuity of care from  my departure to the arrival of Steven Anderson (who was the director at CSL when I came in 2004), with 2 family practice residents from the program where he works in Wyoming. Then Luke Channer, a general surgeon from the West, came last Monday and has tried to complete the surgeries we were not able to do as the patients were not yet clean enough for grafting, or whose infections were still needing further debridements, etc. Thus the large patient care demand is being met.

A HUGE thank you must go to the small team from Bahamas Methodist Habitat, specifically Abraham, Matt and Cameron, who sleep on the floor in the temporary warehouse they use, since housing is expensive in Nassau. They use this warehouse to store supplies they receive from the US donors, sorting the supplies, then flying them to various sites in Haiti, including the four hospitals in Cayes. (The Eye and Ear Hospital has been temporarily converted to a general hospital to help with the patients fleeing Port au Prince). These folks have organized the services of over 100 volunteer pilots who have brought their planes to Nassau with supplies, and many then spending a number of days flying to the various small airstrips in Haiti to deliver supplies and personnel. I am in admiration and great appreciation for the work they are doing.

There are also many unsung heroes in the U.S. I would like to mention: Those persons and organizations who have maintained supply chains so that we whom the Lord has called to work on the front lines of this trauma scene can continue to have what we need to serve those who have lost even the little they had before the quake hit on the 12th of January. My office coworkers here in Michigan have cared for my patients who suddenly didn’t have their regular doctor to see them when they were ill. We also appreciate the patience of those whose appointments had to be canceled, especially my Sunset patients, who have developed an attachment to their oddish doctor who abandons them regularly for a week a month, now suddenly for 3. Then there is our church, Byron Center Bible, which has been supportive of our work for years and maintains a Haiti Fund for our hospital ministry, covering all overhead for this fund; these last weeks have required much more work sending receipts and keeping records. They also have an extensive email prayer mailing that has helped me keep going when there wasn’t much gas left in the tank in the wee hours of the mornings. Others people have organized a blog (way over my technologically challenged head) to keep people informed more easily, have forwarded emails to family and friends to inform and to increase prayer support for our section of Haiti or have contacted radio stations or possible donors by the dozens, all to make the needs known. Then there are hundreds of people, even smaller children in grade schools, who have gathered supplies and worked for funds to donate to help us carry out the huge task of caring for the traumatized Haitians who have presented themselves at our hospital in these 4 weeks since the quake hit, having lost everything. Finally, we appreciate greatly the teams, especially those led by Dan, Duane and company, who sent and funded the two containers of supplies we received in the last 2 months, including one which arrived 2 weeks after the quake and the supplies were very useful in helping care for the hundreds of homeless we are housing at the camp for the next while. Many prayers were said because the location of this container was unknown for all that time.

The Lord willing and American Airlines resuming flights, we hope to be back in Haiti on the 27th. There are still questions as to how to arrive at the hospital from wherever we land, if we can get into the country. Only the Lord knows what will transpire between now and then, but pray for wisdom, as it will be a team of 18 total. 2 nurses are scheduled to arrive on the 21st, a week early, and stay for 3 weeks to help fill the gap, then 16 more including 5 more nurses, a family doctor plus myself, arrive on the 27th, if possible. The team was scheduled to do building at the camp, but that is not possible now. We have projects which could be done if some patients are well enough for discharge, otherwise we will have plenty of work on unfinished projects as well as new jobs needing to be done because of the quake.

Thanks once again to everyone for all you all have done to make the ministry for Christ possible at Centre de Santé Lumière in Les Cayes, Haiti.
Bill