Hi everyone!
I just thought I'd give you an update on what is going on here in La Romana and some of the future plans we are making.
First of all, today is a big day on the construction front! We are pouring the roof for our new Emergency Room at the Good Samaritan Hospital! It's all hands on deck as the group from Sterling, MA is here to help. Fred Tanner, our long-term volunteer from East Greenwich, RI FBC, is helping to organize the group's work today and coordinate this big job. We are all so excited! After spending a couple of months working in the ER this year, I see such a need for a new and more modern ER to better serve patients. There will be a covered entrance where ambulances and other vehicles can unload and load patients as well as easier access to our new CT scanner.
This leads to the second big news...our CT scanner has been installed and is fully functioning thanks to the folks at General Electric who came to oversee the installation. A lot of preparation has been happening for months with electricians and technologists (and again, Fred!) to make sure that we could get the CT scanner up and running this month. The one glitch was that the UPS (battery backup) that came with the scanner, was damaged and cannot be used. We are working around this, though, and will soon be able to provide this much needed service to the eastern region of the Dominican Republic. A big thanks to RI Hospital and Dr. Joseph Callaghan who got us going on this project by donating their used scanner!
Medical clinics in the bateyes are up and running strong since the end of December. We've had medical and surgical teams plus physical therapists, audiologists and dentists here this year. It seems that God just continues to bless the work here as we remain faithful in serving Him. We have a new C-arm x-ray machine as well as a portable x-ray machine that will be able to be used in our operating room during orthopedic surgeries. Nikki Gottier, our volunteer from CT, has been a tremendous help with our medical teams in providing a consistency as the teams change from week to week. Cyndi McNamara, a volunteer from Abington, MA FBC and a member of my MPT, has been invaluable in her help with the hospitality issues surrounding at least one group a week (and sometimes 3 or more!) as well as helping to update the contact lists for all of the groups who volunteer in La Romana. I don't know what I did without Fred, Nikki and Cyndi here before now! Thank you to all the churches and individuals who are supporting them in their volunteer position here in the Dominican Republic as well as those who are finanically making it possible for them to be here and help with the ministry. We have a couple of other volunteers that will be coming later in the year as I leave for Home Assignment. Crystal Diaz, from the Wallingford, CT area, will be helping with children's activities and group support and there are a couple of other people on the horizon that are considering a volunteer stay in La Romana. Please pray for these decisions.
Finally, it's almost my birthday!! I will be a young 29 year old (or so the Dominican's tell me...I don't argue with their guessing my age!!) on March 19th. Looking back on my 29ish years and the 9 years I've been here in the Dominican Republic with International Ministries, I have to recognize all of the abundant blessings that God has given me in my life. I have more friends than I can count, a job that I love with my whole heart and the respect of people around me. God is so good! There are always stresses and hard times but in the end, I am enormously blessed in my life. Please continue to keep me in your prayers and thoughts throughout this next year as I travel and speak on behalf of International Ministries and your brothers and sisters in Christ here in the Dominican Republic.
Love in Christ,
Kristy
I just thought I'd give you an update on what is going on here in La Romana and some of the future plans we are making.
First of all, today is a big day on the construction front! We are pouring the roof for our new Emergency Room at the Good Samaritan Hospital! It's all hands on deck as the group from Sterling, MA is here to help. Fred Tanner, our long-term volunteer from East Greenwich, RI FBC, is helping to organize the group's work today and coordinate this big job. We are all so excited! After spending a couple of months working in the ER this year, I see such a need for a new and more modern ER to better serve patients. There will be a covered entrance where ambulances and other vehicles can unload and load patients as well as easier access to our new CT scanner.
This leads to the second big news...our CT scanner has been installed and is fully functioning thanks to the folks at General Electric who came to oversee the installation. A lot of preparation has been happening for months with electricians and technologists (and again, Fred!) to make sure that we could get the CT scanner up and running this month. The one glitch was that the UPS (battery backup) that came with the scanner, was damaged and cannot be used. We are working around this, though, and will soon be able to provide this much needed service to the eastern region of the Dominican Republic. A big thanks to RI Hospital and Dr. Joseph Callaghan who got us going on this project by donating their used scanner!
Medical clinics in the bateyes are up and running strong since the end of December. We've had medical and surgical teams plus physical therapists, audiologists and dentists here this year. It seems that God just continues to bless the work here as we remain faithful in serving Him. We have a new C-arm x-ray machine as well as a portable x-ray machine that will be able to be used in our operating room during orthopedic surgeries. Nikki Gottier, our volunteer from CT, has been a tremendous help with our medical teams in providing a consistency as the teams change from week to week. Cyndi McNamara, a volunteer from Abington, MA FBC and a member of my MPT, has been invaluable in her help with the hospitality issues surrounding at least one group a week (and sometimes 3 or more!) as well as helping to update the contact lists for all of the groups who volunteer in La Romana. I don't know what I did without Fred, Nikki and Cyndi here before now! Thank you to all the churches and individuals who are supporting them in their volunteer position here in the Dominican Republic as well as those who are finanically making it possible for them to be here and help with the ministry. We have a couple of other volunteers that will be coming later in the year as I leave for Home Assignment. Crystal Diaz, from the Wallingford, CT area, will be helping with children's activities and group support and there are a couple of other people on the horizon that are considering a volunteer stay in La Romana. Please pray for these decisions.
Finally, it's almost my birthday!! I will be a young 29 year old (or so the Dominican's tell me...I don't argue with their guessing my age!!) on March 19th. Looking back on my 29ish years and the 9 years I've been here in the Dominican Republic with International Ministries, I have to recognize all of the abundant blessings that God has given me in my life. I have more friends than I can count, a job that I love with my whole heart and the respect of people around me. God is so good! There are always stresses and hard times but in the end, I am enormously blessed in my life. Please continue to keep me in your prayers and thoughts throughout this next year as I travel and speak on behalf of International Ministries and your brothers and sisters in Christ here in the Dominican Republic.
Love in Christ,
Kristy