Just when we think that everything is in place, the ground shakes and it all tumbles over. Such is the case with our well intentioned plans to go to Zimbabwe. A team of 26, planning for a year, stacks of credentials collected from the medical folk who were going, over 200 emails (yes I counted them), and a lot of behind the scenes work from a group of dedicated, tireless, and uncomplaining partners on the ground in Zimbabwe went all for naught in a matter of days. Getting approval from those who would credential us to practice medicine in Zimbabwe was not to be. New plan. Swaziland. It took just 3 days to pull it all together, with our partners in Swaziland openly agreeing to welcome us and to make flight changes, hotels, arrangements, and notify the team so that they could decide if the change in where we are going would change their heart for going. Nope, it didn't. So, off we go to Swaziland in one week to go to 5 projects, work with 48 health care workers, do public health education, first aid training, VBS, and more. We'll see patients, children and adults, making sure to do what we do best. Follow God's lead. And that's what it all comes down to. God's lead. I'll be traveling to Zimbabwe and Mozambique after Swaziland to see how we can help. So, if you are curious about how it all plays out, check back. In the meantime, I'm following my "leader". Him.
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
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- 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.