The Haitian Donkey is back in Pittsburgh, then Haiti

Posted on October 23, 2016 by Shelby

Hi All:

I thought I should send an update to help sort out some of the craziness that has crept into our lives the last few weeks. We underwent the last treatment in Pittsburgh on September 23 through the 30th, it seemed to go better than the previous one and the weekend seemed better, only a bit of vomiting, fever and chills. I was able to work Monday through Wednesday, though I wasn’t as perky as I wanted to be, just figured it was the combination of the chemo and the anemia wearing me down some. However, Wednesday through Sunday I developed increasing amounts of fever, chills, nausea and retching. I tried malaria and antibiotic treatments, and, after 2 days of no progress, ended up in the ER and Blodgett Hospital for 6 days with E. coli sepsis, the source never was found, but, by the grace of God, with a blast of antibiotics, I improved and am feeling my old self again, though a bit more anemic as they took almost a unit of blood out of me with daily blood cultures and other draws.

Thankfully, I was able to work last week, as well as organizing our team who will accompany Dr. Luke, Micah, Tabitha, Karen and I on the 5th of November. We now have a team of 6 builder/construction types as well as several support staff to try to find food and prepare it for our week there. As all the animals and crops have been washed out to sea with the hurricane, we will bring along most of our supplies, including food and tools as well as (hopefully) a number of water filters to pass out, as cholera is a significant threat to the survivors of the flooding. This is requiring considerable planning on the part of Karen and Kathy, trying to feed 14 people with limited supplies for a week. I think we may be eating a bit different than other times, but I am sure it will be good food and when we consider what our Haitian brothers and sisters likely don’t have to eat, we will thank the Lord for whatever we receive from His bountiful hand.

We also are thankful that Kurt Kooinga was able to replace Dave Weener, who was unable to get a week off from his job, to complement out team. Tom Failing and I will try to get the tickets switched in the next couple days. We also are going to try to see if American will allow up two bags each, at least out of Grand Rapids for the 6 of us leaving from there, as we have a bunch of stuff to bring along, doesn’t hurt to ask. Dan, Duane and my brother Butch have been repairing what they can at the hospital and starting to help the employees who have lost their roofs from the hurricane. They and their Haitian crew have been able to repair some, have obtained a bunch of tarps from Samaritan’s Purse to cover others and our team will continue the repair process. Many of the people have so little to start with and this blow only discourages them further. Pray that we will be able to help a number of them with their houses and that Drs. Jo (Psych), Luke and I in surgery as well as Tabitha helping in the OR, will be able to alleviate some of their suffering.

I again apologize for my rambling style, but wanted to get an update out, especially for prayer for God’s wisdom and direction, as well as health and strength for the teams leaving Haiti this week (Butch’s church team and Dan and Duane) as well as those of us heading out soon (Dr. Jon Roberts will have a team to help the Wrays at camp, as well as doing some medical treatments while we are at the hospital).

As always, we appreciate your encouragement of our ministry for Him in Haiti.

Bill, Karen and the Haiti Team

A Request for Help Again

Posted on October 14, 2016 by Shelby

Hi All:
I know that we have sent out a lot of requests for help in the last while, but Dan Boerman called me last night to ask if I would send out another request for some more assistance. He is at the hospital with Duane, they and their Haitian coworkers have repaired the hospital roof, have been clearing all the fallen trees (normally, looking out the back of the administration building towards the town, there was a line of trees along the border of the hospital property, and, if one was a bit discouraged with all the poverty, disease and devastation in Haiti, one could just sit there for a bit and think more pleasant thoughts) and planning on ways to help all the suffering folks around the hospital. Unfortunately, he says all the trees are down, taking down the hospital fence with them, so security is compromised. I think Dan is heading to the Samaritan’s Purse warehouse today to see what he can beg off them in the way of supplies for the folks of the hospital area. Pray for wisdom for Dan and Duane as they prioritize all that needs to be done for relief of suffering and in a way that brings God glory.

So, his request is that I try to recruit some more help for our November 5 trip to Haiti. It has become our custom that a mechanically trained individual accompany me each trip, ostensibly to repair the hospital physical plant, some of which is 70 years old and a bit decrepit, but also to keep an eye on the feeble medical aspect of the team and help him lift his suitcases (I try to convince them I am just fine, they don’t always agree). However, they would like more help for Micah Baxter in repairs to the hospital and surrounding houses. It seems that all the hospital employees are safe, but almost all have lost their tin roofs and thus have no protection for themselves or their belongings from the rain, sun and robbers. As a result, one of our immediate goals is to try to cover their houses as soon as possible, as we need them work at hospital but they also need to provide safe housing for their families. As someone may have the time and ability to go but not the finances, contributions toward the generalized effort would be greatly appreciated.

Dr. Moise and Dan report that the hospital really survived physically quite well, some wet supplies, but nothing significantly damaged. He said that they are overwhelmed with work as many of the injured have nowhere to go, as the government hospital is deep in mud and the staff have gone to their homes in Port, etc to ride out the storm’s effects. So, we are thankful for God’s protection and provision for our people and are praying for his guidance for all of us as to how to best proceed.

On a personal note, I am lean, mean and hungry this morning, remaining without the ability to eat (and now also drink) anything, waiting for them to replace a port in my left chest (they pulled the one in my right chest Wednesday evening, waiting 48 hours to put a new one in in case it is the source of my infection, so far, no one knows for sure) for continued IV antibiotics at home as well as TPN. Then I will be released from prison some time this evening and hope to return to work on Monday. Pray for my coworkers here as my sudden, unplanned sick leave has put a strain on their workload and patient care and I have chemotherapy in another week, then back for a week and then off to Haiti, hopefully with some newly recruited help.

Once again, many thanks for your prayer and support of our work for Him in Haiti.

In His Service,

Bill, Karen, Dan and Duane and the rest of the Haiti Team

SIRS and Haiti

Posted on October 12, 2016 by Shelby

Hi All:

For some of you, Pastor McGee of Byron Center Bible Church has been faithfully contacting me (well, maybe Karen, as I have been “out of it” for the most part, barely able to totter to the bathroom, feeble as can be) and sending you updates via the church email. He asked that I give you a more thorough update for myself and what we know of the Haiti situation. So, will do my best, knowing that I do not have “complete knowledge” of either situation.

As you know, I had round #3 (of 4) of my vaccine injection, followed by the injections of Interferon and Rintotolomod for the rest of the week. I felt quite decent on Friday, the 30th, after my injections so we headed home, thankful to be doing so well. Saturday had some ups and downs, felt great in the morning and helped my brother and Duane unload some donated medical supplies, ran some errands and went to see my little sister, Shirley who has spent over 2 weeks in the hospital, having had almost every test in the book and we aren’t any wiser. Her asthma is much improved, but no reason can be found for total passing out episodes. The evening was rather nasty with fever, chills and retching again.

I was a bit under the weather for the next 4 days, but was able to work in the office, though easily fatigued, to be expected, of course. However, Wednesday night, I spent the whole night hugging the “Porcelain Queen,” having shaking chills, fevers to 103 plus and retching. The next 3 days continued much the same, I started an antibiotic and a treatment course for malaria, seemed to make some improvement on Saturday and could do a few things around the house and clean up some of my office paperwork backlog. I was a bit encouraged but Saturday night things became considerably worse and I could no longer stand up, navigate and just had continual shaking chills all night. Sunday morning, Karen hauled me to the Blodgett Emergency Room, I could hardly make it to the car even with Karen supporting me. I knew the ER doctor from years in the past and they all were superb in rendering care, starting 3 powerful antibiotics IV immediately and he agreed to leave me here instead of a transfer to Butterworth (they don’t like treating cancer patients at Blodgett as oncologists don’t come here). My diagnosis is SIRS, Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome, with growing out E coli from all blood draws, source unknown. Plus, my littlest sister, Shirley, was here, so we could see each other. Within one hour of my admission, they transferred her to Butterworth anyway?

I have made considerable progress though now waiting for them to remove my port, give me a 48 hr “holiday” and then replace it on the other side. We are pushing them to do it before I leave, so the insurance will pay for it (Our special friend, Dr. Dan De Cook, did the other two for me in his office “the old way” most graciously, saving us $14,000 but we have no more catheters, as he brought the other two back from Bangladesh). I hope to return to work next week, as I have been negligent too long in my work duties.

Dan and Duane arrived in Haiti last night by way of Puerto Rico, as there are no landing lights in the Port au Prince airport so their flight was routed to Puerto Rico for the night. Hopefully they can do some repairs to the hospital, some homes and the camp, depending on what supplies they can find. Beth Newton reported that a 40 ft container of supplies sent to Cayes by another organization was robbed along the road as the lawless elements always take advantage of difficult situations, it seems. My brother, Butch, who has gone many times to help me at the hospital, likely will leave this weekend with his church team to work at the camp, where there is a lot of cleaning up to do before they can consider repairs, surely. Pray for their stamina and health, as cholera is gaining ground again with the less than perfect hygienic conditions. The report is that there is moderate damage to our hospital, significant loss to 7 missionary homes and the government hospital is non functional, so more workload for our staff. Samaritan’s Purse is setting up a mobile hospital in Cayes and that will help.

So, thank you so much for your continued patience with us as we try to live and serve our Savior as He gives us opportunity. We appreciate your prayers and support. Again, pardon the somewhat rambling style, but consider the source and the condition of his mind?

In His Service,

Bill, Karen, Dan, Duane, Butch and the Rest of the Haiti Team

Hurricane Fund

Posted on October 7, 2016 by Shelby

All,

Duane and I leave for Haiti on Monday. Pray for safe travels and for us to be able to make a difference for the people of Haiti.

Dan

Hi All:
In my last update, the news we had was that the hospital roof was intact, although there is considerable damage to the surrounding structures and much of the town was totally flattened. Dr. Moise, my assistant medical director, who is doing a marvelous job in my absence, called me briefly today to ask for help. The connection was lousy, glad there even was one, and I didn’t get as many questions answered as I wanted, but the news that I did get was that 4 of the hospital roof sheets of metal had been torn off and the hospital patients got soaked on the rains, etc. As far as he knew, all the employees were safe, though many have lost a section of their homes and the mud drenched all their homes with several feet worth.

Thus, Dan and Duane are making tentative plans to fly to Haiti if they can get MAF to fly them out to Cayes (as the bridge in Petit Goave, about half way between Port au Prince and Cayes on Route National 2, the only road to Cayes is washed away, so no traffic, also no diesel fuel for the generators, an item of prayer) to repair the hospital as soon as possible. We also, as our non-profit, would like to try to raise funds for 2 hurricane relief projects, one to repair the hospital and help the poor fund of the hospital to care for patients who need care but have nothing and a second to help Rod Wray with repairs/ reconstruction to the Camp and the Renault Sunday School/Feeding program. I know we have already asked for funds for the “Rice and Goat’s Project,” but if the Lord would have you help us with either of these projects, as normal, 100% of funds raised goes to the repair project.

If you would be willing/interested in supporting either of these two projects, please send the funds to either:
Centre de Sante Lumiere
c/o Dan Boerman
PVI Industrial Washing, Inc
2886 Clydon Ave
Wyoming, MI 49509

and designate it for the Haiti Hurricane Relief Fund, either for the Hospital or the Camp/Renault.

Our faithful staff (all of which serve unpaid, of course and we appreciate them tremendously) will be sure it gets placed in the right fund. Again, thanks so very much for your repeated support of our work for the Lord in Haiti, both prayer and financial, etc.

In His Service,

Bill, Dan, Duane and the rest of the Haiti Team

From the Wrays

Posted on October 6, 2016 by Shelby

Dear friends and family,

Tim here again with another update from my parents. With help from the people of Tiveni they were able to clear off the road and reach the camp this morning.

“The camp is unrecognizable. The whole drive out to the camp reminded me of scenes following a tornado, except here the devastation goes on and on.”

Rod, Debbie, and Katie worked to begin cleaning up the camp today and prepared the girls and boys dorms for locals who lost their homes and no longer have shelter. They will house 200 people from the village. The main generator was underwater so Rod began the task of disassembling and cleaning it out, with hopes of starting it tomorrow. Due to the lack of power and water they returned to Cite Lumiere for another night, but hope to stay out at the camp starting tomorrow.

The people of the village gathered and thanked the Wrays for saving their lives by warning them of the storm and setting them up at the French Canadian compound up the road. Pictured right is one of the homes in the village.

Rod had recently stocked up on Manna Pack rice for the Renault sunday school program. Luckily, it survived the storm and they were able to begin distributing it to the locals today.

Thank you for your prayers and support. We will keep you updated as we hear more.

Tim (Rod, Debbie, and Katie)

Serving God In Haiti

Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the people of Haiti through medical help and the truth of God's Word.

Tag Archives: Hurricane Matthew

The Haitian Donkey is back in Pittsburgh, then Haiti

A Request for Help Again

SIRS and Haiti

Hurricane Fund

From the Wrays