Parenting, agriculture and life all have seasons. The LaGonave season was a tremendous season of learning: tropical medicine and agriculture, Haitian Creole and culture, small children and homeschool. We have learned many valuable lessons and will leave part of our hearts here. The Northern season will find the agricultural work taking precedence over the medical work. Homeschool will be replaced with OMS�s Cowman International School. Learning of Creole, Haitian culture and leaning on the Lord will continue to be part of our lives.
We see this move as the Lord�s way of expanding the agricultural education and our impact on the Haitian people. Words are not adequate to express our gratitude for your support and partnership. We hope that you will continue to pray and support the work during this transition period. The Lord is at work in Haiti and you are an important part of the team.
�But what about LaGonave?� many of you have asked. While our roles will be from a distance we plan to continue to support both the agricultural and medical work. Transition is always hard as pain accompanies change--even good change. So your prayer support is of great importance in the upcoming months both for our family and the work.
Thede travel to States June 12-July 31 Expansion of Agricultural work
Move to Fauche Fixing up the house at Fauche
Hospital staff: hire Doctor Finding a good vehicle for work in North
Irvines move to Haiti in June, sale of house Additional missionary staff needs
Carol and Helen�s move to States in June Expansion of hospital work with HIV/AIDS
Rous and Debbie in office Effective ministry: hospital, church and schools
That our efforts glorify God and build the Kingdom.
June 30th.
Fellowship and Food:
Allegan Wesleyan Church: 2469 118th Ave. Allegan, Michigan
1-5 p.m. Cory and Kris will share & answer questions at 3 p.m.
Food, drink and table service provided.
From US 131: Take Martin Exit 55. West on M 222 to 24th St. then North to 118th Ave. Then West 1/2 mile.
Or
South of Burnips on 30th Street to 118th Ave. East 2 1/2 miles to Church.
[269]
673-2573
Dear friends of the Wesleyan Mission in Haiti and the LaGonave Wesleyan Hospital,
For more than five decades dedicated Wesleyan medical missionaries and their Haitian counterparts have been God�s healing hands extended to the people of Haiti. Untold lives have been saved and even more importantly, countless souls transformed by Gods redeeming power as a result of this ministry of compassion. Only in eternity will the true value of this sacrificial service be revealed and rewarded. This important spiritual enterprise has never been without challenges; primitive working conditions, political instability, financial need, scarcity of resources, serious security threats, staff turnover; but in each one of these difficult circumstances God has answered the prayers of his people and rewarded the faithfulness of those who were willing to be his hands of mercy to the people of Haiti. Currently, the Wesleyan church continues to offer medical care in two locations; a small clinic/hospital near Port Margot, operated by the national church and a larger full service facility in the city of Anse-a-Galet on the island of LaGonave.
At present, the hospital on LaGonave is once again facing a significant challenge. On one hand, the hospital has unprecedented opportunities to expand its ministry to the people of LaGonave and to Haiti. The hospital has partnered with an organization called GHESKIO to provide innovative and much needed services for detection, treatment and support for those suffering with HIV/AIDS. The training, structure and financial support available to the hospital through this partnership are enabling the hospital to enhance its medical ministry not only to those who suffer with HIV/AIDS but to all of the patients who come to the hospital because of additional staff training, improved laboratory and pharmacy, among other benefits.
The immediate challenge is in the area of staffing. Many of you are aware that because of personal and family circumstances all three of the medical missionaries currently working at the hospital will be leaving in the next few weeks. Carol Earl, a Physician�s Assistant, arrived in Haiti in 1995 after a number of years of service in Sierra Leone. She has served on the hospital medical staff and for the last several years as director of the nursing school. Helen Jacobson, a Nurse Practitioner, has served in Haiti for 16 years in both medical and administrative roles. Carol and Helen will be finishing up their service in Haiti during the next few weeks and returning to the States. Dr. Kris Thede and her husband Cory have been invited to move to the Northern district of Haiti where Kris can support the medical work that is taking place there and Cory can begin a much needed agricultural project. They hope to be established in their new location by the end of August. All of these faithful and dedicated missionaries care deeply about the hospital and its ministry and are leaving with mixed feelings and yet all believe they are following God�s clear direction for their lives.
At present, for a short time, the Haitian staff is capable of maintaining the operation of the hospital. Every day the hospital yard is abuzz as the 24 nurses, our faithful physician and Medical Director, Dr. Ferdinand, some Cuban staff, lab technicians, security, patient records and cleaning staff go about their daily tasks. Across the street, the hospital administrator and his staff work hard to keep finances, administration, purchasing and inventory, maintenance and construction among other things operating smoothly. Quite honestly, our Haitian Administrator, Rousvel Michel and Medical Director, Dr Ferdinand are somewhat nervous about the departure of the medical missionaries. Perhaps God in his providence has orchestrated these circumstances to encourage our Haitian partners in ministry to step up to the new level of confidence that this situation requires.
Not all North American personnel are leaving; Debbie Mitchell continues to serve in the hospital administrative office, supporting the administration and financial management of the hospital. Joe and Pat Larakers, who serve with our companion organization, WISH, continue to direct this enterprise which supplies power and water to the hospital and station, as well as a number of other ministries. The Irvines have been released by Global Partners to go to the field and hope to be resident there by the end of July. At present there are four additional families at some point in the application/approval process to begin missionary service in Haiti, however, only one of these prospective missionaries is trained in the medical field and all of them face 12 to 24 months training and team building.
Global Partners is continuing to recruit Physician�s Assistants, Nurse Practitioners and Doctors for both short term and long term service to the hospital. Global Partners is also recruiting missionaries to support hospital administration, maintenance and construction and other ministries of the mission and church. Even as our Haitian leaders take primary responsibility, the services of expatriate medical personnel is still important and desired. Medical missionaries help to create and maintain high medical standards, bring specific skills that are difficult to find in Haiti, (especially on LaGonave), add an important training component, and model the practice of healing ministries as a way to reflect the love of Christ They also attract financial support and provide their valuable services at no salary expense to the hospital, and help create a positive image for the hospital in the community. The present staff will not be able to maintain the level of service that they provide, indefinitely, without the support of missionary medical personnel.
We need your continued support of the hospital through your fervent prayers, short term mission teams and financial giving. We have special need for medical missionaries. Please pray with us that God will place his call in the hearts of these needed laborers. Please respond financially to enable those who are called to quickly find the financial resources necessary to take their place in that long and yet unbroken line of Wesleyan missionaries willing to give their lives in service to the people of Haiti.
Until All Have Heard,
Dan Irvine, Field Director
For the Haiti Team