We made it to Miami. Yolaine a Haitian who works here in the US as an RN, and Fitz a Haitian who works in the US as an MD joined us, so the team is complete at 10: Yolaine, Fitz, Sarah B, Sarah C., Heather, Carleen, Vicki, Kelly, Michael, and myself. We are meeting up with the other members of the plane in the morning and will work on getting all the cargo on board. There is so much cargo, that the passenger list is only 30 people: our team of 10, a number of nurses from another organization who will be going to an orphanage, and a group of US security personnel. We aren't so sure we are going to make it through TSA without some hassels especially since we have to take all of our stuff through the scanners, etc, rather than checking it. It's a long story better as to why we have to do this and left for another time.
We've been watching the news and I have been getting reports from the ground. Still a little unsettled. Okay...a lot unsettled. We'll take things as they come, and go where we are pointed. I won't be able to send any blogs while we are there as you can imagine. But I promise to update as soon as we return. And as far as returning goes...we don't have a way back yet. Honest. True story. So we are counting on all of you to pray our way home. A magic carpet ride so to speak. I'll know Thursday or there about. And if I can get word out somehow, I will.
So give thanks for what you have and for what you've been given, and for that which you have been protected from. We go to a place less fortunate with heavy hearts and spirits. But if we look at those who are suffering with a smile, with encouragement and with grace, we may see a smile or two. What a privilege it is to serve. To serve those who reach out to us. To hold the hand of one who is suffering and looking, asking, begging for help...to be the one to offer all that. It will be done with grace and love. No more, no less.
In all things give thanks,
David
Our mission is to help The Forgotten Children reach their God-given potential by creating opportunities for spiritual, social, mental and emotional development, by ensuring that their physical well being is optimized. David H. Beyda, MD Medical Director, Medical Mercy
- David H. Beyda, M.D.
- Phoenix, Arizona
- I am a pediatric critical care specialist working at Phoenix Children's Hospital. I was the Medical Director and Division Chief of Pediatric Critical Care for 23 years, and stepped down to become Medical Director for Misson of Mercy.I am responsible for the medical care of 40,000 children that Misson of Mercy cares for in 22 countries. I grew up overseas (Africa, Southeast Asia) from the time I was 7 years old until I went to college. My father was a career US diplomat. I started my third world medical involvement when I was 15 years old working with medical groups in Laos, and learned to fly riding with Air America pilots in Laos and have been a pilot for over 30 years. My first formal medical mission as a doctor was in 1979 when I served as director of pediatrics in a refugee camp on the Thailand-Cambodia boarder (Khao I Dang) at the age of 27 years old, still in my pedicatric residency. My heart is in third world countries caring for the Forgotten Children.