My friend’s account of Haiti

My friend’s account of Haiti

February10

We have not had swim-related or team news for a while, so I am posting this account of Haiti by my friend, Yong. He is an interventional radiologist in Orange County area, who volunteered his time to go to Haiti after the earthquake. If you ever meet Yong, you would think he was Dr. Doogie Houser; I mean he looks like he should be in high school still. But when you get to know him, you know right away he is a great guy–honest, sincere, and full of energy. I should tell you that he is a great doctor, but even better of a person. Here is his acount in his own words:

All day long he craves for more, but the righteous give without sparing. (Proverbs 21:26)

“It is good to be back home. My recent visit to Haiti was eye opening and heart breaking. As most of you know, I traveled with a team of ten people representing four local churches and comprised of two docs, a medical technologist, a firefighter, two EMT’s, and a few spiritual leaders. We were armed with 30 containers packed with medications and other donated medical supplies. We flew into Dominican Republic and drove by bus 8 hours over bumpy roads into Haiti and were met by multiple machine gun wielding guards who required of us bribes so that we could enter their country to help their hurting people.

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"(Hebrew 13:5-6)
For various reasons, we chose to work in the town of Croix des Bouquet, a poverty stricken town 7 miles outside of Port au Prince. It had seen very little of the international relief up to the time we arrived. We created from scratch a makeshift medical clinic in a small cinder block room on a community church compound using the boxes we brought to transport supplies as our examination and treatment tables. I personally treated well over a hundred patients each day we ran the clinic. We performed minor procedures including wound debridement and cleaning. As the week wore on, the disease seemed to shift rapidly to primary care and people sought treatment of ailments they suffered from even before the earthquake. Parasitic conditions, TB, and malaria are endemic to the region. Many patients came in showing signs and symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder and most are still sleeping outside fearful of additional aftershocks. I saw many children who had lost a parent or both. There are no words or medications to comfort patients such as these. Because of the lack of clean water, we so many cases of various infections including urinary infections.

I am in pain and distress; may your salvation, O God, protect me. I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. This will please the LORD more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs. The poor will see and be glad you who seek God may your hearts live! The LORD hears the needy and does not despise his captive people. Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and all that move in them, (Psalm 69:29-34)
Without exception, all the people we met were hungry. Food is in relative short supply and that which is available is too costly for most. Much of our relief funds raised were therefore used for food relief. We had no access to the pallets of food brought into the U.N. by larger organizations, nor to the water. Bags of American rice were purchased for $50 each. We bought and gave, bought and gave, until we ran out of money.

We did make a few trips into the heavily damaged Port au Prince. The city is coming back to life as these are a resilient people. We felt no real danger in the city, but of course we took precautions to ensure our safety. Much of the relief planning occurs at the U. N. where organizational meetings take place constantly.

"If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker. For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! (Galatians 2:17-21)

We slept in tents filled rolling around in dust and kept company by mosquitos and biting ants. We showered and ate when we could.

This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. (1 John 3:11-15)
After a week of medical and food relief, we made our way back to Dominican Republic saddened by the magnitude of the devastation witnessed and encouraged that we made at least a bit of a difference, and grateful to our friends and family in the States who supported our trip through financial support, supply donations, or most importantly through prayer.

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:16)

Thank you,

Yong Park”

Thank you, heavenly Father for the people in our lives who encourage us by living Christ's example and you for teaching along the way.
We pray that you would bless the work of Young and his church groups hands.
May their labor not only favor, success and prosperity, but great frulfillment.
We pray that their work was successful like a tree planted by the stream of your living water, which will brings more fruite in season.
Help us to be closer to the light of your love and grace.
Make us a team living together, overlooking each ofther's faults and work together for the profits to honor our God. 
Help us to put aside worries and fears and only serve you in ministry thet helps others.

In  Jesus name we pray, Amen


 
 
Please spend time reading your Bible with your child.
Blessed is the one who reads the words, hear the words and keep the words. (Revelation 1:3)