(Picture is of a Cholera clinic not the Oriani clinic)
Nov 11
It’s been interesting and busy the last few weeks. We have really enjoyed being involved with the cholera center. It is really cool to see people come into the clinic on their deathbed and then in a few days... go home perfectly healthy. I thoroughly enjoy stopping in there daily and I try to make a point of visiting each bed and chatting abit, and sometimes praying with them. There have been interesting answers to prayer too. God is so good! As a church we sometimes all walk over there, and sing and pray with them all. Tonight, there is one of our families that comes to church that has their 14 yr old girl, and also their 10 yr old boy laying in there on IV fluids. The boy only came down with cholera less than 20 hrs ago, and he looks like he could die any minute. We have prayed for his recovery and for strength for the family. Please join us in prayer for them. There have been about 25 deaths in the last month, but without the cholera tent and nurses here, it would have been much higher. With all that, plus our own clinic (which is running very smoothly), the emergency trips to Port with seriously sick or injured people, plus our church families and other people that need visiting, it keeps us fairly busy. Seems like way too often I don’t get home in time for lunch, or in the evening for supper on time. I may only be half a mile away, but as we walk these muddy roads we are pressed up on all sides with people wanting/needing to talk. Walk a few hundred feet, and then another person is waiting by the road to talk. I finally get home only to find someone leaning against the fence, waiting for me for an hour already. So many requests for aid, for medicine, for loans, or just to share their problems with someone who listens. It takes the leading of the Holy Spirit to be understand their heart’s cries, and in weakness offer them advice etc.
Candace and the children are doing well and have been busy as well. Lacey is still doing an awesome job with the school children, and Trev is happy working at CPS a few hours away. CPS is still rebuilding homes for earthquake victims. Zack is soon starting a welding shop with one of our church brethren here. They are excited about that. They feel they will have lots of work beings there is no welder around within even an hour’s drive. Many people have little repairs that need done on garden hoes and tools, wheelbarrows, bed frames, etc. Our younger children have lots of friends here and often our front yard is full of children playing and chasing each other. We feel we would rather have children play in our front yard rather than have our children outside of our sight, but lately our church brethren here are scolding us for being too involved with children. They say too many of these children are little thieves etc. We have lost a few little items but not much.
About 3 months ago during a all night rainstorm, while we were gone, and while a trusted church brother was sleeping in our house, we had 2 large solar panels stolen. We grieved their loss and it caused us to be more suspicious of people, but yesterday... when I went to the clinic, I found the 2 stolen panels laying beside the building!!! Wow, the thief must have had a scolding from God on that, plus he likely found they were a hard item to move or sell here because everyone knew we were missing them. So he gave up and anonymously gave them back in the night. How cool, eh? He has never confessed it but we found out who it was.
The people here in this area here have been in a dark time. Their farming has mostly failed due to 6 months of rain, their commerce and little booths by the road don’t produce much income because nobody has cash to spend, there are no construction jobs anymore because of the rains and lack of money. The price of fertilizer has tripled in the last year so they can hardly afford to buy it, yet without it their farming for sure doesn’t pay. So they are going hungry. Our hearts bleed for our dear friends. One of the many many examples is our church brother Dieu Fe who has 12 mouths to feed, and his school teaching job is bringing in about half of what he really needs to barely support his family. All his other projects have failed, and so now his kids are crying with hunger pains. He is begging for a loan to start another little business selling fuel out of a 55 gal drum, by the road. How much should we help these many situations? Do we give or not give? Do we loan sometimes or make a policy of never loaning? How do we help without creating dependency on foreigners? What would Jesus do? Would he just say “God bless you, go be warmed and filled” ? Questions questions. One thing is clear... Christian charity should never fail, even if we can’t help every monetary need, we can show love, and help point them to the gospel of Jesus and the love and understanding of a Father in Heaven.
For you who want to look up some scriptures... look these up and sometime send me some of your impressions. James 2:15 +16, Mat 5:42, Det 15:7, Pr 19:17, Pr 28:27, Pr 21:13, Mt 9:5, Luke 7:48, Acts 3:6, Matthew 26:11, Matthew 10:9&10 and many other interesting verses speaking of money matters, loaning, charity and poverty.
We have been talking of our need for an ambulance… It now looks favorable that God thru a very generous donor is providing one for us. Thanks Jeff!! For those of you who want to see what it will look like… do a Google image search for “Pinzgauer Ambulance”. It is an interesting machine!! More about that when we get it in a couple months. J
Christian Aid Ministries has been able to very generously help with some of our much needed medicines and some other supplies. Thanks to all you at C.A.M.!!!
We thank the others of you who have donated money for the clinic, parts and tires for our truck, and those of you who are helping sponsor our teacher (Lacey Toews, Pincher Creek AB), and also the clinic nurse (Ashley Dirks, United Center KS). God bless you for your support. We never have a big surplus of funds, but we have never run out.
I want to close with a plea and a prayer for nurse. Ashley is willing to stay on and help translate and show the new nurse what we are doing etc, but we need to have someone within the next few months. If you know of anyone, please send me a name and email address or contact info. Please help encourage a nurse to consider a 6 month term here. The pay is nil to nada, but I am confident in saying the blessings will be rich and innumerable. Living conditions are very good, and weather up here in the high altitude is nice and cool. The community people are our warm and friendly protectors.
If God grants this terrestrial ball more time, someday we will need to be looking for a replacement couple for ourselves. Someone who can be clinic administrator, a “people person”, medicine buyer, and etc. No medical experience needed. Think about that too.
Wishing you all the nearness and goodness of God,
Keith Toews
Administrator- Confidence Health Center
Oriani, Haiti
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