Mobile Medical Disaster Relief

Second Anniversary of the Earthquake in Haiti

by David Vanderpool on 01/12/12

Today marks the second anniversary of the crushing earthquake which hit Haiti. At 4:53 pm 330,000 people were killed and close to one million were injured in the worst natural catastrophe in recent history. While billions of dollars and man hours have been spent, Haiti still lies in ruins. Close to a million people are still living in squalid tent cities with insufficient water, food and hope. UNICEF estimates that there are 380,000 orphans in Haiti, most of whom receive insufficient care. There is still no clean water, minimal electricity, no sanitation, no jobs and scarce food and medicine. Cholera is still rampant, claiming the lives of thousands of people who have no choice but to drink contaminated water.

As we go about our day today, eating more than we should, drinking clean water from our faucets, enjoying easy access to the best health care in the world, let's consider our neighbors in Haiti living desperate lives and dying horrible deaths only two hours from our border. Pray for the mothers and fathers who are losing their children to the painful death of cholera. Pray for the grandmothers who are slowly losing the battle of starvation.

Make a decision to help. Live Beyond...

Mobile Medical Disaster Relief

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A Team Member's Perspective: Natalie: Haiti, December 2011

by David Vanderpool on 01/09/12

Natalie was a member of the December 2011 Haiti team. She developed a support team of 40 people who prayed for her and supported her mission financially. This is the letter she sent out to her team after she got home from the mission. It's a a peek into a team participant's experience. Click here to read Natalie's account of the December Mission.

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A Team Member's Perspective: Les - Haiti, December 2011

by David Vanderpool on 01/06/12

This is another presentation of photos taken at the December Mission to Thomazeau, Haiti by Les, a team member.

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A Team Member's Perspective: Haiti, December 2011

by David Vanderpool on 01/05/12

Les, a team member from the December Mission put together a slideshow of moments from the week long mission. The people of Haiti tug at the heartstrings of us all, but as you can tell from this presentation, it's MMDR's partnership with the Children of Hope Orphanage and Hospice and the children and leadership there that most impacts team members. The friendships built are longstanding. Turn your volume up and click here for Les' slideshow.

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Palace

by David Vanderpool on 12/06/11

07.27.10

Port au Prince

Yesterday, we travelled to the tent refugee camp across the street from the palace in downtown Port au Prince. Twenty seven of us provided medical care for the 120,000 or so people who have lived there in squalor since the earthquake. The

conditions are deplorable as there are no sewer services, electricity, or clean

water. The people we saw were sick with cholera, untreated high blood pressure and diabetes and terribly depressed. As we attempted to alleviate their suffering, we told them about Jesus and prayed with them. Lord, please forgive us for our sel?shness and send more workers to minister to the suffering.

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Loosing Your Life

by David Vanderpool on 12/06/11

"He who pursues his own life will lose it. He who loses his life for my sake will gain everything."

I know a medical missionary who was traveling to a village in northern Mozambique to provide medical care and preach the Gospel to a predominantly Muslim tribe there. When the medical team came to the tribes' boundary, the chief arrested them and put them in jail because he knew they were Christian and would preach Jesus to his people. The chief and his henchmen continually ?red their AK-47's into the air and poked the medical team in their chests with the hot barrels. This and other abuse continued into the night. As their situation became more desperate, the team decided to start singing and praying, worshipping God with all their energy. As the sun came up and the team thought that they would be killed, the chief came to them and said that he would release them if they agreed to provide medical care in his village and treat his wives and children. Of course, this was the reason they came to this tribe in the ?rst place, so they agreed. Throughout the day, they worked to treat the sick and alleviate the suffering of

the dying. As night fell, the team put up a movie screen to show "The Jesus Film". When the chief asked them what they were doing, they explained that they wanted to tell the people about Jesus' saving grace, instead of throwing them back in jail, he approved.

Now this village has a church, the chief is a believer and many of the people have come to the Lord.

Whose life are you pursuing?

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Infanticide

by David Vanderpool on 12/06/11

Mary Jean was struggling. The earthquake 18 months ago had claimed her mother and father and her house. The subsequent cholera outbreak swept through her small village in eastern Haiti like a deadly ?ood. First her youngest child developed the fever then the diarrhea, ?nally the painful dehydration was too much for her and she joined the tens of thousands who had succumbed to the dreadful disease. Then she was pregnant, again. She delivered a healthy baby girl and for a moment she felt the warming joy that only that event can bring but without food or shelter for her other six children, she new that this baby hadn't a chance. She had heard of an orphanage in an adjacent town and there she went to see if they could care for her newborn. She knocked on the tired door hoping beyond hope that they would take her baby but as they were full, they turned her away to the darkening street. Disheartened, she continued to the next orphanage and the next and the next. She was told that there were 380,000 orphans in Haiti and only 100 licensed orphanages and all were brimming with hungry children brought by hopeless parents like herself.

As she trudged down the dark, dusty street, her baby crying for the few drops of milk left in her parched breasts, her head ached from the dehydration and the impending decision she was left to make. She was living every mother's worst nightmare. She couldn't bear to see her baby slowly starve but she was out of options so she picked up a large enough stone to make the deed quick and ended the misery.

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Kete Krachi, Ghana: June 2011

by David Vanderpool on 11/07/11

http://harrisonkatblog.wordpress.com/2011/08/06/kete-krachi-ghana-june-2011/

By Katherine Harrison

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Kete Krachi, Ghana: April 2011

by David Vanderpool on 11/07/11

http://harrisonkatblog.wordpress.com/2011/04/21/ghana/

By Katherine Harrison

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The Story of Mary Jean

by David Vanderpool on 10/19/11

Mary Jean was struggling. The earthquake 18 months ago had claimed her mother and father and her house. The subsequent cholera outbreak swept through her small village in eastern Haiti like a deadly flood. First her youngest child developed the fever then the diarrhea, finally the painful dehydration was too much for her and she joined the tens of thousands who had succumbed to the dreadful disease. Then she was pregnant, again. She delivered a healthy baby girl and for a moment she felt the warming joy that only that event can bring but without food or shelter for her other six children, she new that this baby hadn't a chance. She had heard of an orphanage in an adjacent town and there she went to see if they could care for her newborn. She knocked on the tired door hoping beyond hope that they would take her baby but as they were full, they turned her away to the darkening street. Disheartened, she continued to the next orphanage and the next and the next. She was told that there were 380,000 orphans in Haiti and only 100 licensed orphanages and all were brimming with hungry children brought by hopeless parents like herself.

As she trudged down the dark, dusty street, her baby crying for the few drops of milk left in her parched breasts, her head ached from the dehydration and the impending decision she was left to make. She was living every mother's worst nightmare. She couldn't bear to see her baby slowly starve but she was out of options so she picked up a large enough stone to make the deed quick and ended the misery.

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