Randolphworldministries.org

MEDICAL MISSION TRIP 2006
2006 Randolph World Ministries, Inc. Team Members

Accomplishments of the 2006 Medical Mission Trip
Through the generous contributions of my laboratory partners I was able to deliver 21
boxes of laboratory supplies weighing 255 pounds. Most of these supplies will be used in
the laboratory at Bethesda Medical Center, our main Haitian clinic. The remaining
supplies were specially packed for the mobile clinic we provided for the first time this year. Some of the supplies delivered will be consumed by the lab in one week, while others were donated in quantities that may last until next year's trip. My team and I performed a complete inventory on these and all the existing lab supplies. In addition, I am planning to send a shipment next week to provide some emergency supplies that I discovered during my trip. While in country I was able to evaluate all the old laboratory tests and introduce two new tests; creatinine and Prothrombin Time (PT). The creatinine test is used to evaluate kidney function. Our new missionary physician is treating hypertension more aggressively with drugs that can cause kidney damage. The creatinine test allows him to maximize the positive effects of lowering the blood pressure without harming the kidneys. The PT test is used to monitor patients on a blood thinner called Coumadin. The PT test results tell the physician whether to increase or decrease the Coumadin dose. If the dose is to low the patient can develop blood clots that can lead to strokes and heart attacks and if the dose is to high the patients can bleed excessively. Including these two new tests, our laboratory now performs 27 tests making it one of the most comprehensive labs in the area. This year there were 6 people on my medical team to include a laboratory colleague (Mona Hebert) who served on my team the last two years, my daughter Christina making her second trip, and three first time team members. These three new members included a laboratory colleague from Minnesota (Mary Belanus), a nurse friend from Dallas (Ron Oeth) and a senior student in my clinical laboratory science program (David Vu). We were able to offer free screening to 166 patients for general anemia, sickle cell anemia, HIV and hepatitis. The highlight of the 2006 trip was the mobile clinic. Our new missionary physician (Gavin McClintock), Ron, Mary and I packed 15 boxes of medical supplies to be used for a mobile clinic we provided in a remote mountain village. The village was a 2hr drive in the back of a truck followed by a 2hr walk through the mountains. The mountain villagers met our truck at the base of the mountain where the road ended with 12 donkeys. We strapped our 15 boxes of supplies onto the donkeys and set out up the narrow mountain path. We were greeted in the village by a choir of school children singing a welcome song in English. We left at 6:00am and arrived in the village at noon. We ate and set up our clinic is a church with a dirt floor, tin roof and stick walls. We strung cord to suspend sheets to partition the small church into a registration room, an exam room, a lab room, a pharmacy room and a prayer room. The patients were registered, seen by Gavin, tested by me and Mary, provided drugs and nursing procedures by Ron and prayed for by two Haitian pastors. We saw 42 patients the first day and 62 the second. We brought three patients down the mountain with us to receive more specialized care at a city hospital. The most memorable was a 3 year old little boy who was brought to us with a temperature of 104.5 and listless. He had a WBC count of 35,000 (very high) and symptoms of meningitis. He was on deaths doorstep. Gavin suspected meningitis and instructed Ron to start an IV to provide antibiotic all night and we prayed for him continually. By morning he was better but still in need of hospitalization. We sent the little boy and his mother down the mountain ahead of us. When we reunited with them at the base of the mountain we were delighted to see the little boy sitting up and eating. Another person snatched from the jaws of death. However, the best part was that his Voodoo practicing witchdoctor grandmother accepted Christ through the ordeal of her grandson. The pastors purged her home of all Voodoo paraphernalia and the kingdom of God grew by at least one. By the way, the little boy had burn marks on the base of his neck which are the marks of a Voodoo ritual designed to heal a fever. The ministry continues to grow as individuals like you share the vision and join in the effort. I ask that you keep my four partner networks in your prayers and in the forefront of your mind. It is through the growth of these networks that the ministry develops. Network #1 involves people who share the vision and are willing to make an annual or more regular contribution to fund my mission trip, monthly supply shipments, and medical supplies that are not otherwise donated. As this network grows the total annual contributions that exceed my personal expenses can be applied toward the purchase of laboratory materials not received through my laboratory donors (see attached expense ledger for 2006). Network #2 includes my many laboratory friends across the country. These individuals are constantly surveying their lab storerooms seeking to identify and donate usable laboratory materials that would otherwise be discarded. Not only did this network provide most of the material I delivered this year, but it also provides materials throughout the year that I ship to various Haitian labs on a monthly basis. Network #3 includes laboratory supply companies that donate new materials and recently outdated supplies. This network has the most potential for growth and represents the best measure of success for the ministry. Network #4 involves individuals with a medical background who show an interest in joining my medical mission team. If you know any health care professionals (nurses, PAs, OTs, PTs, laboratorians, pharmacists, RTs, RDs, physicians, etc.) who feel led by the Lord to get involved in part-time medical mission work, please provide them my contact information. Over the past year God has finalized a few ongoing situations and opened some new doors. As you know Randolph World Ministries, Inc. has become a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. However, most notable is the arrival of Gavin McClintock, an Irish physician who is a full-time missionary at Bethesda Medical Center, the main clinic we support. Words cannot describe the caliber of this man both professionally as a physician and spiritually as a man of God. We were able to steal away a few hours and plan the future of Bethesda Medical Center and our mobile clinic activities. Although our plans are ongoing and subject to change, we are like minded on the future of Bethesda and the outreach activities we plan to continue. Bethesda Medical Center is already a well respected clinic in the northern sector of Haiti, but make no mistake about it, the best is yet to come. On a professional level, I am working on a new testing method for sickle cell anemia that will allow us to differentiate the more severe from the less severe forms so we can determine who needs therapeutic interventions. The type of testing necessary to make this distinction is routinely performed in American but requires equipment and expertise that precludes incorporation in my Haitian labs. My goal is to develop a simple and rapid method capable of making this distinction in severity and to write a grant to fund the therapeutic intervention. Gavin and I are also pursuing ideas to write grants to develop an HIV program and to expand the services of Bethesda Medical Center. Over the past year another volunteer, Jim Schoeberlein, has been developing a website for the mi to see the fruits of Jim’s work and to learn more about our ministry. The growth of this ministry is because of you and in spite of me. That is a reflection of God's providence and a measure of His blessings. I thank you for your past support, ask for your ongoing prayers, and hope for your continued partnership. We are the body of Christ and together, with Him as the head, we can make a difference. Feel free to contact me at any time to share ideas about how the Lord is planning to bless Randolph World Ministries, Inc. through your partnership.

Source: http://randolphworldministries.org/trip2006.pdf