Cambodia: Day 6 - Good news

Kelly is returning from Bangkok tomorrow with good news. He passed all his tests, and is ready to come back. We are anxious to see him back and to have him with our team again.

We saw 350 patients today, no drama, and a very nice day. Everybody is tired and off to an early nights rest before we leave for Ang tomorrow. It's all good.

In all things give thanks,

David

Cambodia: Days 4 & 5 - Grace defined

There is never a good time to share disturbing news. However, news like this needs to be shared to simply remind us of how vulnerable we are at times.

We arrived at the village to find a swarm of people waiting for us. Within minutes of our arrival a torrential rain started, leaving us ankle deep in mud and water and little dry place to set up our examining tables, pharmacy, registration, glasses, and spiritual counseling. But as always we were able to adjust and within an hour we began seeing patients.

By 11 a.m. the drama began.

Kelly our main missionary here, was said to be sitting in the van cooling-off and not feeling well. I went to check on him and found him to be extremely pale, diaphoretic, and slightly incoherent. With backup called, a blood pressure of 80/30 was recorded and I quickly put in a large bore IV and ran 1 L of fluid in as fast as I could. We transported him to the hotel bypassing hospitals as it is said that one goes go to hospitals only to die here in Cambodia. At the hotel with the team now back at the village seeing more patients, I gave Kelly two more liters of fluid and watched him closely. By the time the team returned from seeing about 170 patients for the day, Kelly was feeling better but now complaining of indigestion. It was that very word "indigestion" that was of concern. By now it was clear that we had to move Kelly to a higher level of medical care. But first I needed an ECG. The first hospital we tried sent us away telling us they did not have an ECG machine despite the fact that they were a trauma hospital. We drove into town and found a roadside medical clinic and we rescued in old ECG machine. The primitive ECG that I was able to obtain showed significant and concerning changes. It was clear that we had to move Kelly to Phnom Penh. At 9:30 at night we began the four and a half hour drive in torrential rain to Phnom Penh in order to get Kelly and his wife on an airplane in the morning for Bangkok. By early morning Kelly and his wife were on their way to Bangkok and I tried to get the MAF airplane to fly to Battambang, but it was down for maintenance. So another 4 1/2 hour ride by taxi this time back to Battambang to meet the team for the rest of the day's clinic. We wound up seeing 350 patients today. I just heard from Kelly who confirms that there is a strong probability that he has had a small MI and he is scheduled for a stress test in the morning and that he is doing well and in good care. Grace was with Kelly and still is. There is always grace from He who leads us and directs all that we experience.

But there is another part to the story. This afternoon I saw a 41 year old man with complaints of a fast heart rate for over a year and a 30 pound weight loss over the last two years. He was extremely cachectic, anxious, and sick. His heart rate was 125 and his blood pressure was 160/110. He said he had seen 2 doctors in the past, both of whom said that he had heart problems and that they would not do anything for him since he had no money and told him to go away and that he would die soon. He had no family and lived alone and came to us for reassurance and help. This man was no different than Kelly, entitled to the best care available and an opportunity for cure. But because of what he was, a poor man, he was denied that which is a simple right: compassion. I started him on medication and arranged for weekly follow-ups with the hopes of finding a way to get him the care that he needs. And for all that I'm embarrassed to say that I pretended to be better than those two other doctors simply because I gave him some medication.

I am not a god in a white coat, and for me, kindness and compassion has not come easily. There are many definitions of grace and for me its definition came one afternoon as I cared for a young child in the intensive care unit: grace means simply moments and gifts of kindness. Both Kelly and this man received grace today. But the thing that's missing the most is what happens because of that grace. Kelly will get better because of grace. That man, despite grace, will more than likely die. As I watched him walk away, I saw his hand clutch the medicine he was given and look back just once, before he disappeared. I caught his eye, and gave him a smile, but he looked away. Grace. Moments and gifts of kindness. I pray that where ever he goes that grace goes with him. May kindness and compassion be with him always.

In all things give thanks,

David

Cambodia: Day 3 Sunday

A praise band, worship, clapping, singing, and a sermon from Pastor Don, started off the day. We attended Battambang Asembly of God church this morning and from there we moved into the first day of our medical work. We saw 80 patients in about 3.5 hours, with every thing running smoothly from registration right through spiritual counseling and pharmacy. The 4 of us who were examining patients, moved slowly at first, then picked up the pace as we got used to our interpretors and the types of illnesses that were being presented. We have a medical school graduate and a 3rd year medical student working with us. While the patients were being seen, the construction team put together a play ground set for the church, and the pharmacy guys and gals had everything organized so well, that the flow was quick and streamlined.
And of course,there is always a story or two. She is 24 years old, shy, and quiet. I saw her for complaints of headache and menstrual cramps, but knew that there was more to what she was telling me. With a little coaxing, Chhaiden my interpetor and medical student, got her to tell us why she really was there: she had been diagnosed with leukemia 2 years ago, and she was waiting to die. She wanted to know if her death was going to be painful, and if it was going to take much longer. I looked at her and thought no way she has leukemia. She was healthy, not anemic, and had lived 2 years with a diagnosis that kills within months without treatment. In questioning her more, she said that she had had a blood test that showed more white cells than red cells and they said she had leukemia and that there was nothing anyone could do. It had to have been a lab error, or a mis-interpretion of the values. She had lived for 2 years waiting for the end. I assured her that she did not have leukemia, and that she would live a long time. She simply said thank you, smiled, and walked away. I watched her as she went to get her vitamins and some ibuprofen for her menstrual cramps that I had prescribed, no emotion showing in her walk or face. You would think that the news I just gave here would have been joyous news, but after 2 years of waiting to die, I guess one has to take time to accept that life will be around for a while. I wonder if she was a little disappointed. Perhaps she had prepared herself, and now she has to look further down the road to a life that may not be much better than the death she had been expecting. Living in Cambodia is not for the faint of heart. She was ready for death. For you see, she had with her as well, a letter to her mother and father that she was going to give to us to pass on to them when she died. As she walked away, the letter that was clutched in her hand, disappeared into a trash bin and I wondered what she said in that leter to her parents. But on the other hand, I'm glad that they will never have to find out. Not for a long time at least, if ever...

In all things, give thanks,

David

Cambodia: the Start

Day 1:

We all make it to Phnom Phen, meeting at the airport, and finding Kelly (boy) and Mark Larson, 2 of the missionarys that we will be working with. Luggage makes it, everyone is tired, and it begins to rain. The end of monsoon coincides with our visit.

We check in to the Sunway Hotel which is right across the street from the American Embassy. A short period of rest and a shower, and we regroup for a team meeting with dinner at our favorite restaraunt, the Rendevous. The week ahead of us is full. After looking at the places we'll be going to, we may be seeing over 2000 paitents. The four of us who are medical look at each other and wonder how we're going to manage that. It is clear that the members who came to do some construciton may be working with the medcial team alot more than expected. Here's what is planned:

Sunday: Chruch in the am and clinic for church members in the afternoon: 125-150 patients
Monday: Dambok Kpus village - about 40 minutes by car, isolated, no electricity, bamboo huts: 400 patients
Tuesday and Wednesday morning: Prey Dach school and village: 700 patients
Wednesday afternoon: Salaa Hope school: 160 patients
Thursday: Ang school: 600-700 patients
Friday morning: Battambang AOG school: 50 students
Friday afternoon: flight back to Phnom Pehn

Saturday, Day 2:

The weather is overcast, with a hard rain during the night. I get on the internet and check the aviation weather for our area, and the airprots we'll be flying out of and to. The weather is marginal, but doable. I call Emil our MAF pilot and he has already flown to a pat of Cambodia in the morning and says that our flights today are doable. Becasue of weight limitations on the airplane, 2 members have to drive to BB: Mike and Tim. The rest are going to fly: 5 on each flight. I fly the first flight with a new MAF pilot from Australia, Paul, and we leave a little late. He is kind enough to let me do the flying, and off we go. The ceilings are at 2000 feet so I "scud run" the whole flight: flying just below the clouds. I flew at 1500 feet which gave us a great view of the country side. I skirted severeal heavy rain cells, and climbed once to get over a mountain ridge, but overall, it went well. The second half of the team came later in the afternoon.

We arrive at the clinic at Salaa Hope school to find members of the school and villages bagging meds. The next 5 hours is chaotic organization, with counting pills, labeling, bagggies, putting pills in baggies, sorting, and packaging. We ended up with over 26 suitcases, and rolling cargo cases of meds. By 3 in the afternoon, over 30 people were working on getting the meds ready for our first clinic in less than 16 hours.

A late dinner, and rest at the Golden Gate Hotel, our safe haven for the week: hot water, A/C. a bed, very slow internet, but internet all the same and thankful for it. All for $12 a night. You gotta love Cambodia.

In all things, give thanks,

David

Cambodia

I leave tonight for our Cambodia trip. I’m leaving before the team to go visit my father who is in Bangkok and will meet up with the team in Phnom Penh on Friday October 26^th. This is going to be an exciting and different trip. We will be flying MAF from Phnom Penh to Battambang, making 2 trips to get everybody there. Then it’s off to 5 villages and schools to see children and families, a little construction, and some new sites. I’ll be updating our trip as often as I can, so check back often.

 

Kelly

Don

Marcia

Pam

Joshua

Tanner

Sam

Mike

Jessica

Timothy

Jeremy

 

Be with us….

 

In all things, give thanks,

 

David

Dominican Republic Medical Mission Summary

After 5 days, 2260 patients, and alot of heat and sweat, we left DR. We had some remarkable stories to tell, alot of wonderful people we met, and brought His love to those who came. Here is what we did:

Patients seen: 2260
Teeth pulled: 30+
Dental hygiene class: 1000+
Glasses: 500
Spiritual counseling: 1700+
Number of prescriptions filled: 6000+


In all things give thanks,

David

Day #5: Dominican Republic

"The place of 100 Fires." That's the name of where we were today. Where we saw 550 patients. An area hit by fires, poverty and crime. 200,000 people live there, isolated and struggling.

The clinic went very well with a patient flow moving things along at a brisk pace. We saw young and old, sick and really sick. We saw more of what we had hoped not to see: despair and hopelessness. A 16 year old girl who we think really was about 14, came with her 4 brothers and sisters all of whom she was caring for. Their shanty had burned down, their father left them and their mother worked the streets. And this young girl was 7 months pregnant.

I was examing a 6 year old boy who reached out his hand and openly started begging. He patted my pockets and put out his hand palm up.

There were more stories, more heart wrenching moments. But we expected no less. We were sent and saw. We left and remembered.

In all things give thanks,

David

Day #4 Dominican Republic: "Say it isn't so..."

Called the police today. Had to. By 11am we had a mob brewing and a crowd getting out of control. We shut the clinic down, the cops dispersed the mob, we closed the doors to the clinic, had a team meeting, prayed... and then we had lunch.

Everything was going well until there was a lapse in crowd control. We were in a church with a lot of people getting through the doors and the team surrounded by people wanting to be seen. The crowd outside over ran registration and those with numbers began to panic and started to enter the church demanding to be seen. By then I was outside with Yolie trying to make sense of what was going on. It didn't look good to either of us, and that was when I told someone to call the police. They arrived pretty quickly and took control for the most part, but there was still chaos. We were witnessing first hand, desperation from people who had nothing, who wanted to be seen, who needed medicines and who knew that there would not be another chance. Could we blame them? Not really. The team was calm, and since most of the team are seasoned Medical Mercy members, they knew the drill when I announced a shut down. Details aside, we got things under control by 1:30pm and saw 400 patients today.

Marien is 5 years old and not a sponsored MoM child, but we were seeing her as we do the whole community in addition to the sponsored children. She is the only surviving triplet born at 7 months gestation, 2 months early according to her mother. The other 2 triplets were still born. She is healthy, bright and loveable. And here's the catch: according to mom, when Marien was delivered, she was breathing, but just barely. The doctor said to the mother "Take this parasite home to die." What? I asked the mother to repeat what she just said. "Take this parasite home to die." I got another interpretor to verify the translation of what the mother was saying: "Take this parasite home to die." Say it isn't so...but it is the truth the mother said. I had to stop for awhile and simply hold Marien. What a world we live in.

They buried Pastor this morning right around the time that I was examining Marien. I have been thinking about him alot since yesterday and now have Marien in my mind. A life taken, a life given. The one taken from neglect. The one given as a grace from God. Or am I being too harsh? I have to believe that the people here are inherently good people, with good intentions, and virtues. I believe all that, is hidden under the hardship of living in poverty and abondonment. Sometimes we do things to survive that are not very pleasant and we witnessed that today. To come here with the intent to show the love of Christ is a hard taskmaster. These past 2 days have proven that. But there is something more that we intend to do and that is to make ourselves aware of who we are, not what we are: vulnerable, fallible, and weak souls, who struggle every day to do the best we can, knowing that He is in control of everything. Just like the mob today, the Pastor dying yesterday, and Marien living as a human being and not a parasite. And for all of that...

....we give thanks always...He is in control and we believe in Him. Simple as that.

David

Dominican Republic Day #3: God said no....

The Pastor was large in height and size, but gentile in heart and mind. He came to see me the day before yesterday and I spent an hour with him watching him struggle with the pain. It had been 2 years since he had felt the tingling in his legs, and then the numbness, making it difficult for him to walk. He said that the pain was unbearable and that on Sundays when he preached, he leaned on the pulpit and leaned on God for strength to get through. I watched as he struggled to get to his feet when I entered the room. I watched as tears came into his eyes when he talked about the last 2 years.

After the tingling and numbness started, he went and saw several specialists, including an orthopedic surgeon and a neurologist. He had a CT scan of his back which was read as a herniated disc between L5 and S1 and a nerve conduction test on his legs which revealed little motor function or nerve input. He was told that there was nothing that could be done and that he would be paralyzed from the waist down very soon. He was given a prescription for Decadron (a steroid) and Vitamnin B6 which he was told to inject himself with in each ankle every other day, as that would help delay the paralysis. He did this for 2 years. He spent all that he had on tests, medicines, and syringes, leaving nothing for him to support his young wife and son of 4 years old. The Pastor was 46 years old. He had just started a new church and MoM had found a sponsor to build the school and structures to support over 100 Forgotten Children. His ministry was moving forward but he wasn't.

I examined him, confirmed that in fact he had severe neurologic injujry to his legs and that he was close to being paralyzed. I asked him to get me all the medical records he had and that I would meet with him again after I reviewed everything. We prayed and he was carried out to a waiting car.

Yesterday, I spent an hour going over his CT scan, his nerve conduction tests, his reports from the orthopedic surgeon and the neurologist, and found that the herniated disc was in fact treatable. I don't beleive that the doctors cared as the Pastor was a poor man, with little to offer in terms of payment. As I was putting everything away I came across a chest xray. There was no report. It revealed a very large heart with a large aorta. No one had told him about this. He was not being treated. But his wife did tell me today that he had thought that there was somethign wrong with his heart and a yer ago got an electrocardiogram on his own but never had it read. I was ready to see him back and make arrangements to have him get additional studies and help for his heart and surgery.

This morning when we arrived at Hosa the place where we saw 410 children today, Yolie from MoM came and asked me when they could bring Pastor to see me. I said anytime, and when he was called, I was told that he was excited and happy that we were going to meet again. He knew that I had news and that we could help him. His wife called a taxi, and as they waited for it, they prayed, sang hymns, and talked about how the pain and suffering would stop soon, and their ministry and love for the Forgotten Children could continue. As they prayed the taxi arrived. Daisy, his wife, later told me that as they prayed, Pastor called out "Daisy" and when she opened her eyes, his hands were curled and he was blue. He collapsed. The taxi that had been waiting to take him to news of a way to make him better now took him to the hospital where he was pronunced dead half an hour later. I found out when we got the call a few minutes later. I was at the hospital soon after.

I spoke with Daisy. She said that Pastor was the happiest she had seen him in years, knowing that we may be able to help him. He couldn't wait for the taxi to arrive. I struggled with whether I should tell Daisy what I found: that there was a good chance that surgery would work and that he would walk and the pain and suffering would be gone, and that no one picked up on his heart condition and that I was going to make sure he was treated. Would that make it all worse? Would it be better if she didn't know? Or would she feel comfort in knowing that we would have been able to do something for him? I told her. She listened, tears falling. We cried, prayed and parted ways. I ache knowing that Pastor could have been helped. I ache for his young wife and his 4 year old son. I ache for the ministry that now will be void.

God is in control. He is all powerful and all knowing. When the taxi came to take Pastor to come and see me, God said "No". I will never understand how this all came together. The timing of it all. The meaning of it all. But then I'm not supposed to. I can however, shake my head in wonder as to why God does what he does, and harbor a little anger. He will understand. There will never be a moment when I will feel entirely myself again. We change after something like this....and that is what God is intending all along.

This trip has not been without its ups and downs. This story is the worst of it all. It is a story that must be told, simply because it was clearly God directed and God driven. And for that we must be thankful. Pastor may have suffered more if he had not been taken. Maybe. I don't pretend to know the answer,but I do know that the love He has for us is unconditional. At a time like this, I pray I can have the same for Him.

When I saw Pastor in the hospital , he looked peaceful. I held his large hand and looked at his gentile face. I could see his smile. For whatever reason, I felt a deep love for that man 2 days ago when I meet him. I don't know why, but I did. There are few people in this world who touch my heart and make me sing. He did that the other day when I realized that I could make him feel better. I should be singing now as Pastor is there with our Lord. I can't right now, but know that I will soon. The story will stay with me always, in a place in my heart and mind reserved for those special memories that will be brought out from time to time when I need them the most. The story is told. The memory is sound. The love is present.

If you live in the Dominican Republic, it is said that it is better to be dead than sick. How very sad that is. For Pastor, it may hold true. Know that I have a new fire, a new drive to have Medical Mercy make that saying go away for our Forgotten Children here in the Dominican Republic. Pastor has shown me the way.

In his memory, give thanks,

David

Day #2: Dominican Republic

We're tired. Over 500 patients today with a final number of maybe 568 people searching for help. Hot and crowded. Tomorrow we expect to see more. I'll add pictures and stories later but for righgt now know that we are beat.

In all things give thanks,
David

Children of God: Day 1 Dominican Republic

We started our medical clinics at the Child Development Center 001, named "Ninos de Dios" or Children of God. Very fitting. We traveled about 50 minutes out of Santiago to a rural city called Moca, and worked in the school. We didn't go into the barrio or slums where the children came from. It was a little too dangerous to do that. I may try and get the team into a barrio over the next couple of days, but they are cramped, narrow, full of drug trafficking, prostitutes, and crime. A place of Forgotten Children.

We saw 350 of His children today, and it was a great start!! The local team has done an outstanding job of getting the meds packaged, the tables, chairs, water, registration, interpretors, medical students, interns, dentist, spiritual counselors, and patient flow working without a hitch. Dental hygiene was the hit for the children, and the pharmacy ran like clock work.

It is very hot here, humid, and, overcast. The patients we saw were varied in complaints from joint pains, to severe vitamin deficiencies and sever anemia. We saw a little girl who had her fingers sliced open and had been taken to a local hospital to be sewn up with old silk thread and not told about follow up. When we saw her, her fingers were on the way to dying. We sent here to a better hospital and had her fingers saved. We saw a boy with severe vitamin deficiency and what I think is a variant of Marfan's Syndrome. The local people gave him a nick-name: "The Fish boy". He gets very high fevers and they have to put him in tubs of water to cool him off, thus the name "Fish boy". More rashes, scabies, and malnutrition.

We are moving along well, on this first day. We seem to be surrounded by Him. It's all good.

In all things give thanks,

David

Dominican Republic

We leave tomorrow night for the Dominican Republic. Five days of clinics, new places never seen before, and a country that just went through the effects of a hurricaine. It's wet there to say the least. There is a local team there now who is frantically getting everything ready for us: packaging medications to treat over 2000 patients, getting tents, transportation, housing, food, interpretors, and everything else. Wellington, the Field Director and Yolie, MoM's director for Central America's missions are heading that team. The 12 members of the US team are ready to go:

Kelly, Nicki, Paige, Troy, Tyler, Lisa, Aimee, Daniela, Erin, Placido, Lara, and I

Look for updates next week as we start a new medical mission in a country of Forgotten Children. Remember Proverbs 14:31 during our trip: "Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, but those who are kind to the needy honor Him." We go in His name.

In all things give thanks,

David

Things are moving...

...a little slower than usual, but it's all my fault. I got back from Swaziland and went right into pediatric critical care mode for 4 weeks straight. I'm finally catching up on stuff and catching my breath.

We leave in a few weeks for the Dominican Republic, a new country that we've never been to before, but are excited about. There should be alot for us to do, alot for us to see, and alot for us to remember. The crew from Mission of Mercy has been coordinating everything for us, and a few of the "home team" from Colorado Springs will be joining us there.

So here's what we are to expect: vitamin A deficiency, TB, some HIV, worms, Dengue fever, falcemia ( a from of sickle cell anemia), and a host of other diseases. We'll try and see about 1500 or so patients, have clinics at 5 of the Child Development Centers (CDC's), and make plans for ongoing medical care after we see just what they have there.

Start the prayers...'cause here we go again...

In all things give thanks,

David

Phoenix Children's Residents Swaziland Trip

Placida
Nicholas and Jenny
Becca






Us

Phoenix Children's Resident Swaziland trip

Leslie
Lara
Sahera
Lisa

Going home...

...and it starts again. Glasgow shut down, London on high alert and we take our time getting through all the security. Placida, Becca, Sahera, Lisa, and Leslie left 24 hours before Nicholas, Jenny, Lara and I. An interesting end to the trip...helping Forgotten chidren while a few try to destroy for no reason. Makes no sense...but then again, what does these days? Only He knows...
In all things give thanks,
David

Lions, elephants...

...and giraffes. Hlane game reserve is where we spent out last night, full moon, native dancing and the sounds of roaring lions close by as we slept. The game drive brought us close to big game, and showed us sites we may never see again. Africa. Beauty, wild, and yet full of saddness. We saw it all. We have memories forever.
In all things give thanks, David

Thursday 6/28

Another 300 patients today. We've seen 1300 patients in 4 days, many of which were truly Forgotten children. Today was probably the most difficult for us. We saw 3 children, 5, 6, and 8 years old who had been raped. We saw a man whose leg was so infected you could see his bone. A woman with breast cancer, a 9 year old with end stage AIDS. A very difficult day. A lot of praying and a lot of tears. A lot of love and a lot of hugs. Forgotten or not, all were seen and given the best we had. And for that, it makes it all worthwhile.

In all things give thanks,

David

Wednesday 6/27 - Swaziland

We started out in the rain. A small Carepoint in KaKhonsa, Gigi's Place, 300 patients, one tent and dirt. A lot of dirt. The rain stopped and the wind began. The tent broke apart, the dust covered us, and they still came. Children with AIDS, one 6 year old with lesions from being sexually abused, Pepe our patient from a year ago who has AIDS and TB, adults with chronic illnesses....people looking for a chance to live. We helped some...we hope...we pray. Or at least we showed them we cared. We could do no less...

In all things give thanks,

David

Tuesday...Madonsa

Three hundred. That's how many patients we examined, prescribed medications for, and got to know. Many were prayed with, many got tested for HIV, and many more were given another chance to live a healthier life. We saw some interesting patholgy today: cutaneous larva migrans (crawling worm under the skin), weird rashes, heart diseases, and varying degrees of malnutrition. The wind was picking up in the afternoon and we were seeing patients in a lot od dust. Children were coughing and wheezing and the nebulizer got a work out. A leg abscess was drained and a house visit was made. Just another clinic day in Africa. Just another day of love.

In all things give thanks,

David

Sunday and Monday

We arrived with no luggage. By late afternoon on Sunday 6 of the 9 came in with the last 3 arriving Monday. 1 piece went to Botswana. Go figure.

Right after we arrived, it was off to the hotel to shower then on to lunch. We then visited 2 hospitals, and the abondoned children. All the abondoned children were physically disabled or mentally handicapped and lived in the laundry room at the hospital. We saw a number of children who were really sick and being cared for by their mothers. We never did see a nurse or doctor. Then back to the hotel and early bed.

Monday started off early with 6:30 am breakfast. By 7:15 we were off to Logaba. Tents were set up and off we went. We saw about 350 patients, 88 of which we saw in about 15 minutes: normal physicals. A few cases of HIV, TB, and a lot of malnutrition and one Kwashiokor. We were tired and off to dinner and bed we went. Tomorrow we do it again.

In all things give thanks,

David

And so it begins...

We are somewhere over Africa headed to Johannesburg and we are late. We have an hour to catch our plane for Swaziland. We'll probably just make it but not sure about the luggage. We've been flying for 21 hours and had a 6 hour lay over in London. It's a long way to where we're going.....

Everybody is holding up well. The team is coming together, cohesive, and directed. We are ready. We are so ready that when we arrive in Swaziland in a few hours this morning, we are checking into the hotel, taking a quick shower, off to a quick lunch, then on to the local general hospital to visit the pediatric ward: babies lying all in a row on wooden tables, most with AIDS, children lying on beds with no sheets being cared for by their mothers, and a special area for abandoned children - those who were brought to the hospital by mother' or family and left. The Forgotten children. And so it begins.....

In all things give thanks,

David

Eyes open...hearts ready...

On Friday, 9 of us leave for Swaziland to run 4 days of clinics at 4 different Carepoints. What's unique about this, is that there will be 5 pediatric residents from Phoenix Children's Hospital going. They are using their 1 week vacation to experience caring for the Forgotten Children. As one of their faculty physicians, I will be giving lectures, we'll be having discussions, seeing patients in a semi-academic setting, examining patients, discussing cases, and learning. A pediatrician will be joining us who was one of my residents several years ago. My son who is in pharmacy school will be with us as well, and will run the pharmacy. And we will have a support lay person to help with all the stuff that needs to be done. We will be working with the wonderful Children's Cup missionaries once again. Here are descriptions of 2 of the CarePoints that we will be having clinics at:


Ka Khosa CarePoint: The Ka Khosa community is “the place where prostitutes and thieves are made” according to many locals. It is probably the roughest location of any of the CarePoints, but it also shines as a very bright light. In a community where alcoholism, drug abuse, and child abuse are rampant, there is a place of refuge for the children.

Logoba CarePoint: Prostitution, crime, poverty, and unemployment all plague this community of about 15,000 people. It is located about 5 km from the city of Manzini and is made up mostly of job seekers from the rural areas. Water is collected from a community tap and many homes do not have electricity. Currently, about 300 children come to the care point for feeding.

Be with us as we travel, teach, learn, love, and heal. Be with us as we look to recognizing why we do what we do. Be with us:
David
Nicholas
Rebecca
Lisa
Leslie
Lara
Jenny
Sahera
Placida


In all things, give thanks,

David

Dominican Republic (DR)

So, here it is, hot and humid, more MoM projects, more children, more need. We will becoming here the end of August. There are 5 Children Development Centers with about 100 children in each that we will be going to. Add the siblings, the parents and extended families, and we'll easily see 1500 or more patients. DR reminds me a little bit of Cambodia, maybe because of the weather. The areas that the CDc's are in vary in terms of poverty, danger, and isolation. We'll be in some pretty interesting places. The children over all are just getting to the point of being noursished thanks to the meals that they receive at the CDC's. I saw a number of Dengue fever cases, etopic rashes, upper respiratory illnesses, and malnutrion.

All the people I've meet here are fantastic!! They are very excited about us coming, and the support will be everything we look forward to. We'll be blessed again to serve.

In all things give thanks,

David

Observations....

On this trip to Honduras, I saw a Hassidic Jew and his young son put their tallits on and pray openly at the airport in Houston. Then I met a local pastor here in Honduras who had a shofar (ram's horn) in his church that he blew every Friday before the Sabbath and blew it for me as he and I recited a classic Jewish prayer. Now I'm sitting in the airport in Honduras and a family of Mennonites are sitting right across from me praying from a book that I don't recognize.

From all of this, God sure has been prayed to on many different levels, from different faiths, and perhaps for different reasons. But the fact remains that prayer occurs. He listens better than we do I suspect, and reponds in His own way. A Jew, Christian, and a Mennonite...how different....how similar.

In all things give thanks,
David

Honduras

I'm finishing up with an assessment trip to Honduras, and I can safely say that the medical needs of the children are already being addressed for the most part. "Child Development Centers" (CDC's) are MoM projects that care for 80-100 children each. There are about 9 of them, all in various stages of development. What is unique about them is that they are cared for, sponsored, by local churches. There are no missionaries involved, and each church has its own CDC. The medical care is provided by Dr. Paublo a young general practioner. He has most of the preliminary physical examinations on almost 1000 children served by MoM, and has a clinic already established where he sees some of the children in follow up and has some medicine to give out. Some of the projects are very poor and even dangerous. Gun toting guards are seen with delivery trucks who come to the projects. Tony, the Field director and I, have been pretty careful of our surroundings, and look both ways before we enter a dirt street or an ally way. The children for the most part are healthy, with malnutrion, skin rashes, and upper respiratory infectinos most prevalent. The poorer the areas are that we go to, the more illness I see. This seems to be a country of either "you have" or "you don't". Wealth is evident and so is the poorest of the poor.
For what it's worth, all the children, the CDC's, the churches, and those who care for the MoM projects are "wealthy" in their own right: He is with them, and has blessed them.

In all things give thanks,

David

Change is good...

We decided that Sri Lanka was just not going to be on the schedule for this trip. And Bangladesh therefore fell out as well. In less than 6 hours, we set up a scouting and assessment trip to Honduras and the Dominican Republic. I leave Thursday the 10^th and return the 19^th. Same dates as the trip for Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, but now it’s to Central America. This will be new territory for me, never having been to either country, but am looking forward to seeing how we can help with our scheduled medical team in late August. So here I go…to a different part of the world than originally intended, but with the same purpose. He has directed this….

 

In all things give thanks,

 

David

Where to now....

I leave on Thursday May 10^th for Bangladesh and for right now, Sri Lanka, to see what we can help with as a medical team in both countries. I say maybe Sri Lanka, because there is military strife going on there right now, and as of a few days ago, all commercial flights have been halted for night time departures and arrivals. Both my flights in and out of Sri Lanka are scheduled at night. I’ll be figuring this all out over the next 24-48 hours. There continues to be obstacles put in our path as we pursue His work where He tells us. And I assume that there is a reason for it. I don’t necessarily want to ask why, or even want to know, but suspect that whatever the reason is, He’ll take care of it. So, if I make it to Sri Lanka or not, and if I get there and back without packing along a few “kidney stones”, and if I don’t get stuck in Bangladesh for whatever reason, and if I get back rested enough to go back on call the next day back in Phoenix, and if He tells me where we should go with a medical team in August, I’ll be happy. Keep this trip in your prayers and thoughts…I’m not sure where it will lead me or the medical team, but I’m sure it will be an adventure.

 

In all things give thanks,

 

David

Sometimes I wonder...

...just how things are supposed to be. You look around the world and see what is and wonder why it isn't. Like, the people dying from AIDS in Swaziland, the poverty and filth people live in in Garbage City in Cairo, the maimed and broken people of Cambodia...and the children I take care of in the intensive care unit...sick, and trying to die. I wonder why this all is like it is. I think I know why. There are many reasons that things happen, but there are more times than not, when there are no reasons evident. And it is that very fact, that gets me to thinking about why. Is it because that through others, we see ourselves for who we really are, and are given an opportunity to become who we should be? When I meet the AIDS patient in Swaziland, the sick little girl with garbage on her feet in Cairo, the man with no legs lost from a land mine in Cambodia, and thank my lucky stars for what I have, I stop. I stop because of what I'm doing: thanking my lucky stars for what I have. A nice home, a good income, a wonderful family, food on the table, and just my life in general. But is it really about the "what"? I see those who I believe to be less fortunate than me, and realize that maybe they don't have it so bad after all. Especially those who profess their faith in Chirst. It's because they don't have "what". It's "who" they are that makes them thankful: faith driven, beholden to Him, far from needing "what", and looking to having a life in eternity. And so I wonder. Things are supposed to be what they are in order for me to see who I am. Thankful for being His servant, thankful for the gifts He has given me, thankful for the opporutnity to be with those who are true to themselves. I don't necessarily want to live with AIDS, or live in garbage, or live my life with no legs. But I do want to live my life comfortable with who I am with what I've got. And sometimes I wonder...could I be strong like them, believing in Him, regradless of what I have or don't have. I hope so...

in all things give thanks,

David