Where He leads...: Medical missions with the Georgia BCM team

Medical missions with the Georgia BCM team

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Last week we had a medical team come to serve with us here in Haiti. The Georgia Baptist Collegiate Ministry appoints students each year to participate in their Send Me Now program. Students spend one week to a few months as a missionary in various parts of the world. This BCM team included many nursing students, three medical providers, and a few “odd balls” including a law student, journalist major, and future teacher. It was incredible to see how God used this unique team. By the end of the week you couldn’t tell who had previous medical experience and who didn’t. Everyone was pitching in to help in every each station.

Each day Monday through Thursday we went to a different church and set up a mobile medical clinic. The only exception was Thursday where we went back to the same church we were at Monday. So many people showed up on Monday that by early afternoon we realized that we would have to turn many away. We had yet to schedule our church for Thursday so it was decided we would come back and see the rest of the people on Thursday.

The week was exhausting, but God worked wonders through this team! The desire of Baptists 4 Haiti is to connect churches and ministries in the States with mission opportunities in Haiti. We want to accommodate the skills and desires of each team by connecting them with ministry activities here that will be fruitful. The main purpose of Baptists 4 Haiti is the same purpose Jesus outlined in the Gospels. Make disciples. We believe in forming relationships with pastors and individuals throughout the community and our desire is that these Haitian people will get more than just a flyby encounter with a missionary. Yes, we want to meet their important physical needs. But more than that, we want to take the time to get to know them personally. Pray with them. Answer any questions they may have about the Jesus we know, love, and serve. And we set up the mobile clinic with all this in mind.

Our staff was invaluable to us during the clinic. We even hired two additional translators to help us be more effective and time efficient. Our head security, Williamson, is our designated intake guy. He filled out the initial paperwork for each patient and gave them a number. Lamarre, our second security guy, called out the numbers and helped keep everyone moving through smoothly. When their number is called, the patient goes to triage. We had two students, without a translator at this station, taking vitals. Our law student, journalist major, and education major all learned how to do this and rotated in when needed. We had three providers, Fran (a retired nurse), Dr. Rogers (a gynecologist), and Anna (a nurse practitioner). The patients were divided between them. Sometimes they had a student helping or observing. I can’t even count how many medical problems they diagnosed and treated… skin problems, eye and ear infections, colds, fevers, joint issues, blood sugar problems, asthma; they even “diagnosed” a few pregnancies. After they were seen by the provider and a prescription was written out, they went to the “evangelism station”. Here one or two of the students and an interpreter would spend time with each patient. The focus of this time would be to encourage them spiritually, pray for any specific requests they had, and if led or asked, tell them about Jesus. At the beginning of the week when Roland told the team this would be a part of the clinic, no one seemed excited. They seemed a bit nervous. But by the end of the week, many would say this was their favorite part of the week. They grew more and more confident speaking boldly to people about their faith. Some of the patients said it was their first time hearing about Jesus. 13 people last week committed to a new relationship with Christ! I know that this time grew the students spiritually, and I hope they will carry this boldness back home and continue to share the truths of the Gospel with those they know or encounter who don’t have a relationship with Christ. From there the patients went to the final station, the pharmacy, where a plethora of medicines was spread out and ready to be dispensed. For many, these medicines would provide great relief for their symptoms and illnesses. For some, this would be just a small dose and temporary relief of ongoing medical problems. Either way, it is our prayer that they received an even bigger blessing… knowing they were loved by us, and more importantly, that there is a God who loves them and who desires to be an active part of their lives.

I am so thankful for and proud of this team who gave every ounce of their talents and energy to love on and minister to the Haitian people in this way. They worked diligently in what you can definitely call very uncomfortable conditions. One of the churches was Pastor Pilage’s church… the church on the mountain where the only way to get there is to walk up an intense, steep, and rocky trail. Thankfully he sent down some men to help us carry our tables and medical equipment. Of course there is no air conditioning in these churches and the environment is not like the sanitary hospitals and clinics they are used to. The team was stretched, challenged, yet blessed throughout the week.

This was my first experience with a medical team. Next time I’ll have to learn how to take vitals! :) There is a great need for teams such as these. Nurses, doctors, students, dentists, ophthalmologists, pretty much any medical need you can think of exists here and you could easily find 100+ people who would come, desperate for these services. Some people last week waited over six hours to be seen. Most people in Haiti are simply unable financially to get the medical attention they need. I already mentioned in a previous entry about my friend Josien whose son injured his arm and needed an x-ray. If I hadn’t have visited when I did, he would not have received any medical treatment. He didn’t have a full break but did need a cast. Through a friend’s donation, I paid for all of it. Imagine breaking your arm at seven years old, and without treatment, having mobility issues for the rest of your life. That is a grave reality here. Small wounds that become infected and turn into life-threatening problems. Premature pregnancies that lead to infant deaths. A toothache that turns into a painful abscess. Most of us from the U.S. take so much for granted. Think about the last time you went to the doctor. Maybe you got annoyed for having to wait an hour to be seen, or the parking lot was too small, or you had to give up your lunch break. I’d say the majority of you received the proper treatment, your insurance probably paid for most of it, you didn’t have to walk two miles to get there and the building provided protection from the elements… to name a few blessings. Come spend a day here and you will see a stark contrast to the countless blessings we have and take for granted.

I know these teams appreciate your prayers as they come through to minister to the Haitian people. God is doing a transforming work in the life of each team member. I praise God for that. And I praise God for the change that takes place in their lives during their week here and how God will use them in a new and mighty way as they return home and live out the purpose for which God created them.

Fran was a trooper! Each of the providers demonstrated amazing patience with each of the patients and each one of us who interrupted frequently with questions about this or that.

This is Trey, the law student, who split his time between evangelism and triage. It was such a blessing watching him and the others grow in so many ways throughout the week!

Dr. Rogers treating one of the MANY children who came through with various illnesses and problems. At one point, Anna spent an hour treating baby after baby who had high fevers.

The pharmacy setup at Pastor Bathelmey's church

The team also brought a few dozen pairs of eyeglasses and sunglasses. They were a hot item. We used handwritten eye charts and a Creole Bible to test their vision.

I spent a little time at the eyeglasses table and had a few curious children hanging around. I used the opportunity to snap some cute photos.

Every personal evangelism time ended in prayer. Many prayed to accept Christ for the first time. I also love this photo and the creative wheelchair that someone made for her. She had recently had an accident, I think she was hit by a car, and still is struggling to heal from her injuries.

A shot looking out from Pastor Pilage's church as two young ladies with their children left the clinic. The lady in the pink shirt on the left prayed to receive Christ. She definitely had a new bounce in her step!

Some of the prayer requests and testimonies we heard throughout the week broke our hearts. This lady found out today she was pregnant. She was excited though she asked for prayer that she and her boyfriend could get married. Another lady dealt with hearing the news much differently. When she found out she was pregnant she immediately broke down in tears. She said she already had two children and she was devastated, realizing it how difficult it would be to care for another one. We talked to another young lady who is terrified because a man is threatening to sell her into prostitution. Many others spoke of how their lives have been affected by voodoo and devil worship. The ones who have been delivered or saved from that praise God for that deliverance and testify that He is the only reason they are alive today.

Pastor Pilage's church on the mountain

Some of the kids who hung around Pastor Bathelmey's church

My favorite lady on the mountain. She is always so excited to see me. I always stop to greet her on the way up and down the mountain. I will try to remember her name next time!