Mission Trip Report Day Seven:

After a long and exhausting day at the clinic yesterday, we came back to the hotel for dinner. Afterward I learned about an incident at Bombita, where they treated a woman with a bite from a recluse spider. It was several days old and the effects of necrosis from the venom had spread to a diameter of about 4 inches. The doctor was able to clear away all of the dead, infected, and damaged skin (debriding) and then treated the wound with antibiotics so the patient will probably have a full recovery.

Today was a whirlwind of activities in the morning and an afternoon of relaxation. We set up a clinic at the local Sosua public school and saw all of the students there, providing a brief EENT exam (Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat) as well as screening them for significant and potential health problems (as best we could). One of my memorable patients was Ivan Castillo, an eleven-year-old who loves to play baseball, and is the catcher on his team. He mentioned that his shoulder was sore from throwing the ball and, as a former catcher (recreational softball), I could understand his problem. Every time the pitcher throws the baseball toward home plate, if it isn’t hit by the batter, it is caught and thrown back. The catcher throws the ball almost as many times as the pitcher, yet if the pitcher get tired he is pulled for a reliever; not always so for a catcher. I encouraged him to tell his coach about his arm and to ask his coach to help him learn proper throwing mechanics, just like he would for a pitcher. I hope that someday I will be watching a MLB baseball game and hear the announcers commenting on “the young catching phenom from the Dominican Republic, Ivan Castillo”.

Of course there were many other students that I saw today, some of the little girls as naturally beautiful as any magazine or runway model, and some of the little boys as handsome and composed as any TV reporter. Another favorite was Yorelvis, who was so full of giggles and mischievous smiles, I know he is “that student” that gives teachers grey hairs, and will someday be a great stand-up comedian.

After we saw the students, we were able to see some of the teachers as well. We dispensed lots of pain relievers – ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and naproxen; with the explanation these were to relieve pain from headaches, backaches, and students. They laughed and agreed that yes, this would be a great aid for them. Now I know what to get for my sister, the Middle School teacher in the Fulton County school system for Christmas… please try to act surprised when you get a care package of Aleve and Tylenol from me Betsy.

After lunch we were free to do some exploring and while some went horseback riding, and some went snorkeling, I went to Puerto Plata to go shopping with about nine others. It was fun to be with my new friends and to explore a little. We went to a Supermercado that was like a Super Wal-Mart, with both groceries and general merchandise. I was able to buy souvenirs and mementos of my journey and a few gifts to bring back to the states.

Tomorrow, we will meet as a group one last time to debrief, and then finish packing and head to the airport for our flight home. It will be hard to say good bye to my new dear friends as I head to the gate for the Atlanta-bound flight, while they all head to Orlando. I will miss them, and I will look forward to a reunion a year from now as we gather to do this again. God has done, is doing, and will continue to do a great thing here, in the people of Sosua, Bombita, Redemption, and Puerto Plata through the efforts of New Missions. He has also done a great work in me.

Mission Trip Report Day Six:

Today was a day that solidified why I was to be here on this mission trip. We had split our medical team in two, sending half to the clinic we were at yesterday and the balance to the New Mission School in Bombita, about 10-15 minutes away by vehicle. I was on the team that was at the clinic. We arrived just after nine and were beginning to set up to receive patient at ten (although as we rolled into the compound in our “safari trucks” there was already a crowd of over thirty patients gathered and waiting under the tent in the worship area).

I had a table assigned to me for the supplies I would need for triage and treatment, and was just getting ready to set them out when a commotion at the front door caught my attention. A young lady, doubled over in pain was whisked into the clinic being supported on both sides by two men, and accompanied by at least one other woman. She was in obvious distress and was quickly taken to one of the doctor’s exam rooms and placed on the table. Presuming this to be a trauma related incident, I immediately went to the room and offered to help the doctor.

We began to do an assessment, checking pulse, blood pressure, and other vital signs. We were hindered by the fact that the young woman was Haitian and spoke Creole. One of her male friends that had helped her get to the clinic spoke enough Spanish to translate for the Doctor who is bilingual in English and Spanish. Apparently this pain had been low grade for several days, possibly even a week, but had gotten acutely severe this morning. Through a series of exams it was concluded that she most likely had an ectopic pregnancy or other reproductive organ issue. We gave her a shot for pain and I was able to start an I.V. and push some fluids to combat the dehydration and blood loss. We called a taxi and paid the driver to take her to the hospital in Puerto Plata. The doctor wrote out a detailed assessment and treatment summary and gave it to the driver. She, her friends, and the I.V. bottle, sped off.

In reflection, we did what we could with what we had, and hopefully saved her life. When I compare how the event went contrasted to what would have happened if she were in Roswell, and had walked into a fire station, I am reminded of how blessed we are in the U.S., and how desperate the need for better health care is here.

Comparatively, the rest of the day was mundane and routine. I am reminded of the sarcastic comment, “Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?” My ever-present God-sent interpreter Dorcas, and I saw men, women, and children – lots of children – with colds, headaches, backaches, fevers, and other similar issues. We tried to give each one a good assessment, lots of love, some over-the-counter medicine, and a Dum-Dum lollipop. I referred several of them to the doctors for further assessment. Most importantly we tried to show these patients that there is a God who loves them, who cares for them and who has a special plan for their life. Dorcas, sweet blessed humble servant of God, that she is, was able to share the plan of salvation with several of the patients – augmenting the fabulous job being done by our outreach team. It is our goal that every adult and school age child we encounter hears the gospel presented to them through the drama, and through group presentations, and by personal, individual witnessing.

When we board the plane on Friday and head home, what we leave behind in terms of treated patients will be significant. Most importantly of all however, is what we leave behind in lives that are forever changed and secured for eternity because they now have a personal relationship with Christ. Life for the people we saw this week will probably not get much better. Poverty will most likely be their lot until they die. How important it is then, that they have a hope and a security in the knowledge that there is an eternity that awaits them. They need to know that Jesus will liberate them from the shackles and burdens of this world and will call each of them by name, and say “welcome home.” That is what this week is all about – may I never forget it.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,

Scott

Mission Trip Report Day Five:

After an exhausting day and a later-than-I planned evening writing about the events of yesterday, I finally went to sleep around 11PM. My mind was still reeling from the sights at Redemption Village - of the little children in their uniforms, their parents, and their living conditions. My heart hurts for them, and I pray for extra special blessings upon the teachers and administrators who will still be loving, caring, teaching, nurturing, and sharing the good news of the Gospel, long after the lingering odor of this gringo’s fragrant AXE deodorant has finally subsided.

Today, I got promoted. After being an orderly at the school yesterday and being tasked with the responsibility to herd, hunt, and help, today I was asked to take a seat in the triage area and assess patients. What a might privilege and awesome responsibility. The process went something like this: Greeters would record the patient’s name, their age, and general complaint(s) then give them a number. When it was time, an escort would bring the patient to one of four wonderfully skilled, experienced, and wise nurses, or to me, an old, retired EMT who is much more at home with a sucking chest wound than I am with a snotty-nosed infant with ear aches. Nevertheless, God is good, and provides for all our needs.

My saving grace today came in the body of a blessed saint and a humble servant of God, Dorcas Perez. She was my interpreter. She is a wife and mother, a native Dominican who immigrated to the U.S. as a young teenage girl, and now is a wise woman of God who oozes the love of her Lord from her every pore - not in a syrupy/sappy way, but with a calm and gentle-but-insistent desire for everyone to have a personal walk with Jesus. While I would be writing my notes on the patient, Dorcas would be talking with them about their relationship with Christ and explaining the plan of salvation using the colored beads on her special bracelet. With her every word and deed she radiates Christ.

See paragraph two above and guess what I was inundated with all morning. Yet, with the assistance of Dorcas, I was able to assess and treat several little “ninitos” with de-worming medicine, liquid acetaminophen for teething pains, and ear aches, and liquid cough syrup for their congestion. The reality quickly became that instead of shying away from children, I was actually taking too long with them. Occasionally I would get to assess a teenager or adult, but the wee little ankle-biting crumb-crunchers are now my favorite patients – and not just because every time I gave one of them a Dum-Dum lollipop, I got one for myself.

Never once did I ever forget that it was not my skills, nor my experience that made it possible for me to assess these patients and recommend a course of treatment, or perceive that they might have a greater need and refer them to a clinic Doctor. It was only by the grace of God and the skilled interpreting skills of Dorcas.

Tomorrow I will be at the clinic again. Half of the medical team is going to the village of Bombita, to hold a make-shift clinic in a school similar to what we did at Redemption. I am part of the remnant that will be left behind. I am excited and praying that I am able to provide not just physical assistance, but also spiritual assistance as well.

I can’t really believe that I have been doing this now for five days. Time is flying by so quickly. I know that your prayers have been effective. Although we have had some infirmities amongst our team, they have been relatively minor and treated quickly and effectively by our medical doctors.

Please continue to pray for:

…The entire team as we continue with our mission efforts, and that we would never forget this scripture: “For what shall it profit a man if he should gain the whole world, but lose his soul?” While we are the hands and feet of Jesus the Healer, by providing healthcare and medicine to the meek and lowly, we are also the voice of Jesus the Savior, providing the hope of eternal life to all who would believe.

…The children and adults of Bombita and Sosua, who will receive medical care, spiritual guidance and an opportunity to accept Christ through the efforts of our evangelistic team tomorrow.

…Me, as well as the specific patients that I will see tomorrow. I don’t know who they will be or anything about them other that they will have come to the clinic having some sort of complaint. Whether it is a backache from improper lifting, a runny nose from a cold, a skin rash, or some other malady, pray that I would have the wisdom to diagnose properly and provide help and relief for their malady.

…All of the families of the missionaries in our group from Orlando (and other places) who are trying to survive without their loved one(s) while they are in the Dominican Republic.

Finally, please pray a very special fervent and sincere prayer for the sweetest little angel I ever saw, who looked at me with that telling blank stare and that aloof ignoring-of-the-cacophony-and-chaos-around-us attitude that made me suspicious of her ability to hear “normally.” When she failed to react to a loud hand clap 4” above her head, and snapping fingers at several locations around her head and out of her eyesight, I had to have a doctor look at her. His exam was inconclusive but in general agreement that there was some degree of hearing loss that needed further testing. Sadly, we don’t have anyone with the special skills and equipment to give her a proper assessment with us, so we can only hope and pray that God will soon send an audiologist or someone similar who can diagnose and provide help.

Leaning on the everlasting arms of Jesus,

Scott