Just a little over a year ago, the nation of Haiti suffered a severely devastating earthquake leaving nearly 100,000 people dead and over 1.5 million homeless. In addition to to the immediate loss of life and physical damage, many more are still suffering from diseases such as Cholera in the wake of the corpses still trapped in the rubble, a lack of safe, clean water and generally poor sanitation.
I am going on a medical relief mission trip to Haiti from April 30 to May 7, 2011. As part of a team of approximately one dozen people, my primary responsibility will be to assist in the management and operation of the pharmacy (aka count pills and be the phamacist's "gopher"). I also will assist in the logistics of transporting the medical supplies that the doctors and nurses will be using to meet the most basic physical needs of the people (grunt labor, go me!).
I ask for two things. First, we need your prayers. Not just for the success of our work, the provision of supplies and funds and the safety of our team, which are serious concerns, but for the good works that we will be doing to touch the hearts and lives of the Haitians whom we will be serving. We desire that the people to whom we will minister will see the pure love and grace of Jesus displayed in our lives and actions, knowing that most of them are practitioners of voodoo, animism, spiritism, mysticism and the dead works of formal religion (with many freely blending them in a pseudo-christian syncretism without distinction) with no knowledge of the true Gospel.
Second, we need your direct assistance, both in resources and finances. We want to take as much medication as possible. While here in the States there are strict rules that require the disposal of drugs long before their effectiveness and safety are compromised, most other nations, especially those in such dire need as Haiti, will gratefully accept anything they can acquire, even if it is past its official US "expiration date" as long as it is still otherwise safe and effective. There are programs available through major pharmaceutical companies and hospitals to receive for free or purchase at a substantially reduced price such life-saving medications that are near their expiration date. In addition, those of us going on this mission are all taking time off from work, many of us using our vacation time and own resources to make this possible; unfortunately, several of those going have limited financial means and need to raise funds to cover the cost of airfare, local transportation, lodging and food.
Please pray with us as we ask God for His hand of blessing and protection as we prepare to reach the Haitians with Jesus' love by meeting these most basic physical needs. Also please seek God as to how you might be able to assist us in our mission, both sacrificially giving of your own financial resources and seeking donations of supplies for distribution to the Haitians.
If you would like more information about this mission project or how to make a tax-deductible donation, information is provided in the mission information letter from Whipping Post Minisitries and the requested items list.
Please take the time to pray about this serious need and how God may use you to help share his love and mercy with the Haitian people. Thanks!
