Well our summer rush of teams of has just about come to an end! Since our last update, we have hosted 29 teams! These teams were a combination of medical, dental, sports and construction. It was an awesome summer of ministry.
My first medical team of the summer was with Windsor Rd. Christian church from Champaign, IL. We visited an area in the mountains that I had not been to in some time. A town called Guayavillo. The mountains in the Dominican Republic are just gorgeous! The temperatures are always so much cooler than down in the city and it is so wild looking! Love it! It has probably been about 3 years since I had participated with a medical clinic there. We hosted the clinic in Pastor Fabio and Antionia's little church that sits on the side of the mountain. We had two doctors on this team, a few nurses, and three EMT's that came to serve. It was a great time together and we always learn so much about each other and the people who live in the community. They are all so sweet! Because I was pregnant, I received a lot of extra attention! They always made sure that I was sitting down, didn't bend over, and had plenty of water...and fresh fruit to eat. The people that we were able to serve in Guayavillo had your typical illnesses that you would see in the States with the exception of parasites!
The incident that I remember the most from that clinic was one day there was a Haitian woman who showed up for clinic. It's always hard to guess how old they are because life it so tough for them, and to me they always appear much older than they really are. She looked really ill, blood pressure was high, couldn't hardly walk by herself. She came alone we thought at first and she didn't speak any Spanish. This can be really difficult for the doctors to communicate with her and form a plan of treatment when you can't even communicate? After some asking around, we found out that her husband had come with her and he was waiting outside. Not only was he there but he could speak some Spanish. We brought him back and found out that she was pregnant (about 3 or 4 months) and that she thought she was going to lose her baby. On top of all the other medical issues we had also found out that she had drunk some liquid poison to abort the baby. It was difficult to find out exactly why she did this, but the reality is that often times it is because they can’t afford to raise the child. The doctors and I talked with her and formed a plan of treatment and provided her with some medicine for her blood pressure. We urged her to go to the hospital for additional treatment, but she didn't want to go. The group of us prayed with her and for her child. We also made arrangements for her to see us again so we could further evaluate her the next day, but she never showed up. We were able to get a report from Pastor Fabio and did hear that she was better...as for whether she was still pregnant, nobody seemed to know. In two days of clinic, the team was able to give treatment to about 750 people.
This y
ear we had 7 medical/dental clinics. We were able to hold the clinic in several churches in the Santiago area, in the mountains and also had a couple of clinics down in the batey's. When I wasn't working in a medical clinic, I was helping future medical/dental teams prepare for their trips this fall and next spring. I answer their specific questions about how the medical/dental teams operate, how to collect their medicines and what's the area like that they will be going to and how to prepare spiritually/emotionally for what they are going to experience. I love answering their questions, especially when it's a new team. I love to hear their excitement and hearing how their trip impacted them personally as they return to the States!
I just started maternity leave this week. We have the nursery all set, we just need a baby! My official due date is September 11th, although my doctor’s have been telling me the past 2 weeks any time now. Every morning when I go for a walk, I tell God…”OK…today is a good day!”. We will see what happens, but for sure if Colton doesn’t come by September 9th they will induce me. My family is convinced that the baby will come on the most important day in September…which would be the fourth….. The big Kentucky vs. Louisville football game day!
Eric has been really busy as well. Over the summer he has worked with the teams daily, facilitating their experience. He has spent numerous days out in the hot sun working on constructions sites, playing football with the teams, organizing children’s ministry, and helping to supervise service projects for our pastor’s churches and homes.
One o
f Eric’s highlights of the summer has been realizing that while we work in the Dominican Republic and Haiti we are also reaching the Americans. A great deal of people who come down to serve with us are in a place that they themselves are searching or crying out to God. It is awesome to see how a week of serving others breaks them down and they open up to God. The opportunity to feed hungry children, sweat in the sun building a church or just the giving of themselves in some way either restores their passion in God or we gain a brother/sister in Christ. This summer we had a team of 100 young adults that were in their 20’s come down on a trip. Towards the end of the week we had the whole team out by a river eating lunch and a couple of people got baptized. It was awesome was to see the spirit of God working right there at the river . We had 25 Americans who came forward to accept Christ and be baptized!
It is our constant prayer that while we share the gospel with the Dominican’s & Haitians that we also share with each other. This year we will have over 1,000 people come on short-term trips to the island and those are a 1,000 people that can have a major impact where they live.
Eric is busy working in the office right now. He is assisting Brook on the annual Golf scramble fundraisers in both Chicago and Louisville. He continues to work on our internship programs, partnership projects, building cost analysis and conferences.
We also wanted to let you know about an event that is taking place here in Louisville, KY on October 16th, 2010. Eric and I are hosting a "dinner & movie night" called "Impact 2010" This is not only a fundraisor for our us, but a night for us to connect with people who are not only interested in mission, and they would also love to be a part of our ministry as well. Eric and I would be happy to send you fliers to hand out. So invite your small groups and your Sunday school classes!
As always, We covet your prayers!
