Dear Friends and Family,
I was able to have three good contacts with Steve today telling about more details of their situation at the clinic in Christianville near Leogoane. Steve, Dr. Arch, Mme. Desire and Roy and nine other missionaries make a total of thirteen helping to staff the mission. A number of those there during the earthquake returned to the US today. Two of the staff who stayed are nursing mothers with babies! The Haitian doctors on staff at the clinic had family members affected by the earthquake and left last week to care for them.
The clinic is located 2 miles from the Epicenter of the earthquake and they continue to feel aftershocks. Steve reported that they felt nine so far today, one tremor that knocked medicine from the shelves of the pharmacy. They have been consulting wounded people as they arrive treating them outdoors under the trees on tables. Steve said he and Arch set a broken leg on the back of a flat-bed truck. They kept busy most of the day seeing patients.
The clinic staff hopes to start seeing patients indoors in a nearby school that is still standing tomorrow which will be much easier on everyone.
Although our group had originally planned to leave Christianville tomorrow to return home to Limbe, they decided to wait another two days and not leave until Thursday. By then they hope others will arrive to replace them. There is a possibility as well that Doctors Without Borders might set up camp nearby but that is yet undetermined.
The staff got word that two Dominican helicopters were to deliver needed medicines to a nearby soccer field but that still hasn’t happened. There was some concern that the local people would think it was food supplies arriving and get in the way of the helicopters, but word was spread that it was medical supplies for the clinic. The hope is that the helicopters will still arrive tomorrow (Tuesday).
Dr. Jim asked Steve if he might visit a patient he had seen last week after the quake with a dislocated shoulder that he was able to adjust. Steve rode on the back of a motor-cycle to the shell of a home where the man lay. He was a tall muscular man and he was lying on a bed in much pain. A leaf doctor was treating his shoulder with leaves and poultices. Steve greeted them and asked to see his shoulder. It was badly swollen and obviously had become dislocated again. He did not feel it necessary to remove the leaves and tried to show respect to the Leaf- doctor. After much effort Steve was unable to relocate the shoulder and had to refer him to a hospital. Steve felt a strong leading from the Lord to stop and kneel beside the man and pray with him before he left knowing that finding a hospital who could help him would be difficult under the circumstances. The family was grateful for the time of prayer. Later Steve was able to send some pain medicine back to the man that Arch had brought with him.
Steve, Arch and Roy want everyone to know how much they appreciate all your thoughts and prayers for them and for all of Haiti during this hour of crisis. It is a time of stress but also they are so glad that they are there able to be of help. Please pray for food, fuel and medicines to arrive soon as their supplies are low. Pray for so many still suffering.
In love and hope,
Nancy (from Haut Limbe)
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