“JESUS THANK YOU FOR LOVING US”

My husband David and the band of brothers from Columbus, Ohio have been in Port au Prince, Haiti for 10 days now. Information has come to us in brief bits and until now there has not been much to report. They have set up camp in the UN base at the Port au Prince airport and they are working with the University of Miami Mobile Hospital. It has 275+beds and they are constantly full. The team has set up 3 remote medical clinics and treated more then 300 patients just in these clinics alone. Steve (physician), Tim (EMT) and JD (nurse) have been mostly working on wound care that is beyond nasty but they said they have saved a lot of limbs. Mark and David have been running logistics for the entire project! They have been transporting patients who are getting well back to their families and brining in more patients. Praise the Lord for he is using this small group of men in mighty miraculous ways!

Today I actually got to talk to my husband. It was so good to hear his voice and I was reminded of how much I love him and how proud I am of him, the team and countless of other Americans and international volunteers who have answered the cries of the Haitian people.

It is hard to process the magnitude of this situation. We are receiving tons of information from the media. However, much of the devastation and suffering cannot be shown on TV. David said that he and the other members are well but the need is overwhelming. He said “we have lost some and we have saved some”. And then he said that he has been in awe of the grateful spirit of the patients. Almost without exception, even through the pain they smile and thank the doctors and nurses and anyone who helps them.

They are feeling the prayers of the people sustaining them through very long days of looking into the eyes of the sick and the dying. They know that they have saved lives and limbs and they ask that people continue to pray as they push through another week. Steve, Tim and JD will be returning home on this Saturday, February 6th. David and Mark will stay and help to transition the new medical team from Open Hands into the hospital.

Over the past 4 days I have heard numerous news castors ask this question: Is there really any hope for Haiti, can it ever be rebuilt? Each one faced with this question without any hesitation responded….YES!!

The truth is Haiti NEEDS more volunteers, more resources or more money. But Hope for Haiti cannot come solely from more. The source of hope for Haiti can be found in this true story shared with us today from our team.

May this be the resounding picture we have of Hope for Haiti.
Two tents holding 275+adults and children broke into spontaneous praise singing “Jesus thank you for loving us”. “Jesus thank you for loving us”!