posted May 24, 2010 7:26 PM by Jim Ingram
Jan 12, 2010 at about 5 PM a magnitude 7.0 earthquake rocked Haiti, one of the poorest nations in the World. The quake destroyed countless buildings including the Presidential Palace, UN headquarters, the National Cathedral, and the main jail. It is now estimated over 500,000 people were killed or injured and over 1,000,000 made homeless. The true death toll will never be known as there are many who disappeared in piles of rubble and the mass graves used to bury the dead.
I had been busy preparing my 12th mission to Panama Feb. 20 - 28th, to build a couple of homes in a remote Indian village with 11 other men from SonLight Community Church. We saw the devastation and yearned to go help in any way, but had no connections, no game plan, and really no business going right away. We had a wonderful trip to Panama but I remained troubled by the desperate needs and God's calling on my heart.
When we touched down in the States I checked my voice mail and had a message from my dear friend, pastor Dan, who invited me to go to Haiti, just 4 1/2 weeks later. The mission was to go to Damou Christian Mission where we would encourage the missionary, Miss Tina, and gather information about local needs and any opportunities for help. My role would be Team Doctor with the possibility to treat some of the sick and injured as needed.
By April 3rd, we had boots on the ground in Haiti. What we saw was complete devastation. Rubble, dirt, trash, and need everywhere. There was a great hustle and bustle of towns still packed with people, doing who knows what. People surviving in any way possible. Countless thousands living in tents on porches, in yards, in highway medians, road sides, and great tent cities. People rushing around in taxis, buses, and "Tap Taps" which are the motorcycle taxis rushing in and out everywhere. People rummaging through trash, bathing on the street, and washing their clothes at public water spouts.
We met 13 some kids orphaned or displaced by the earthquake - families dead or unable to care for them, now getting shelter, food, and love at the home of the missionary. We visited the tent city where 6 - 7,000 people were thought to live, packed like sardines in a muddy soccer field, with nothing to do for work, little security, unstable food and water, and a looming health crisis with the start of rainy season.
We heard about the spiritual oppression of Voo Doo with 80 % of the people practicing Voo Doo. Paralyzed by fear, lacking freedom in Christ and oppressed by the forces of darkness. We heard of the challenge of survival in a society that doesn't provide education to it's citizens. How does one afford school when you can't afford food? How does a mother choose between food and school every day?
We saw church members praising their risen savior on Easter Sunday, then visited them in their devastated homes up in the hills later in the week. Home after home, needing repair or replacement, unsafe to live in. We spoke to the English teacher whose two room home could collapse at any time with his family inside.
We saw children with malaria, Typhoid Fever, malnutrition, lice, and scabies. Children struggling to live in a dark, barren place.
We saw many encouraging things. Miss Tina welcoming kid after kid into her home for love, food, shelter, and to know Christ. The residents of the tent city organizing in order to lead and provide for themselves. Pastor Gerrard and Roro using their language skills, connections, and church buildings to provide makeshift hospitals, medical translation, and pastoral care to numerous people. We rejoiced that they had seen more conversions after the quake than ever before. We helped lay the foundation for the foster home, toured the assisted living facility, and visited the shut ins. We purchased over 1100 pounds of rice, soap, and beans for distribution to the needy in the church and school. We also met many of the people who live in the 46+ homes Tina hopes to repair or replace with God's good grace in the coming months and years.
We left blessed with the opportunity to be a part of God's plan for Haiti. We left with new friends and family in God's kingdom and a new burden to join the work in Haiti. We are overwhelmed by the need but know our God is big enough to meet all of our needs. |
posted May 11, 2010 6:43 AM by Jim Ingram
posted May 6, 2010 6:33 AM by Jim Ingram
Trip Report under construction! |
posted May 6, 2010 6:31 AM by Jim Ingram
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updated May 12, 2010 4:22 PM
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There were challenges but we accomplished our mission and made many friends along the way. Our mission was to take us to the islands but due to bad weather and high winds we were diverted to Lajero in the mountains to build an open air church that was composed of metal and concrete. The weather cooperated (no rain) and temps were in the 90’s. The work was tough but very rewarding. A number of the Indian men helped us and in 5 days the church project was completed. Our medical team went to different villages each day to give out medicine and vitamins and also check people’s eyes for glasses. In four days they saw over 1200 Indians and gave away over 900 pair of eye glasses.
Although we built a church and treated medical and vision needs, our main purpose was to help lead the Indian people to Jesus Christ. Every night the pastor of the church held a worship service for the Indians and each night more and more of them came. Many of them would walk over an hour half to come to the service. The last night they were able to hold the service in the new church. The church was packed and also was the area around it with too many Indians to count. It was an amazing sight.
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posted May 6, 2010 6:30 AM by Jim Ingram
Trip Report under construction! |
posted May 6, 2010 6:30 AM by Jim Ingram
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updated May 11, 2010 6:12 AM
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January 2008 was the first SonLight Construction trip to Panama. With the leadership of Dave Right and Dan Van Gordon we assembled a team of men and traveled to the village of No Tolente, where I had been on several prior occasions. They needed a school and we needed to encounter God in a real way. We needed to be challenged to serve God better and learn how God had blessed us so greatly.
The Construction trip went really well. God showed up with us. We had an amazing time not only building a building, but building our relationships with each other and also with God. We had devotions every evening where we challenged one another to step out of our comfort zones and begin serving God in every area of our lives. Many lives were changed and incredible bonds made.
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posted May 6, 2010 6:28 AM by Jim Ingram
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updated May 12, 2010 4:29 PM
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Our trip in January was the second dedicated American medical mission team to the area. Our team consisted of Dr. Jim Ingram, Dr. Mike Kooistra, Dr. Bill Hedrick, Karen Sibery, Diane Howe, and Mark Carter from Ft. Wayne, Auburn, and Angola, and Dr. David Craigie and Donna Heintz from Colorado. We joined the Panamanian doctors who go out to the remote villages every two weeks. We traveled to nine different villages from the mountains to the coastal and Island areas. We saw about 1,500 people, dispensing parasite medicines, vitamins, cold medicines, and antibiotics to anyone that needed them, free of charge. This year we were able to bring equipment from Kendall Optometry ministry which allowed us to measure prescriptions needed and match the prescription with our computerized inventory of donated glasses. We dispensed 400 pairs of prescription glasses and three or four hundred pairs of reading glasses. Our medical work is detailed more fully here.
Mark & Jim search computerized inventory for a prescription at the annual Christian Indian Conference in the mountains
Mark measures a handicapped woman in her home! He'll go anywhere to help someone in need.
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posted May 6, 2010 6:27 AM by Jim Ingram
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updated May 11, 2010 5:51 AM
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This trip focused on one of the biggest problems the Indians face - lack of clean water. We paired with a missionary from Guatemaula and an expert in water issues from Colorado and toured the country looking at the resources and possibilities to bring water to the Indians. We built relationships and developed plans for initiation of well drilling projects.
On the medical side, we toured the local hospitals in David for the Latinos and also the hospital built for the Indian population. We saw clinics in remote areas and discussed possibilities for pairing with my Family Medicine Residency to provide training opportunities.
This was a great opportunity to understand in more detail the challenges the Indians face and the uphill battle in resolving some of those issues. I enjoyed seeing great men of God in action, developing relationships, brainstorming, and praying for God's providence. |
posted May 6, 2010 6:26 AM by Jim Ingram
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updated May 10, 2010 7:47 PM
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January 2006 was the culmination of some long term dreams. We assembled a crew of doctors, nurses, an Optometrist, and some other helpers and trecked all over the coastal areas of Panama, the mountains, the border with Costa Rica and the poor area of David. All in all we had a great time, learned a lot about logistics and needs, and made lots of great Panamanian friends.
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posted May 6, 2010 6:24 AM by Jim Ingram
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updated May 6, 2010 6:53 AM
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I once again joined White River Christian Church traveling to the village of Toris Creek, where we built seven homes and a school. There we encountered real opposition from the local religious leaders, "The Mama Tata." They recognized that bringing education to the people would lead to a diminishing of their power and their control and abuse of the people.
We set up tents in the wetland and got to work building the structures. The villagers couldn't believe that we would travel from America to build them homes and improve their village. They marveled that we would donate our time and materials because of the Love of Christ. Behind the scenes a conflict waged between the forces of good and evil. As we built the structures others conspired to burn them down. As Juan prepared an end of the week church service and celebration, another village plotted to disrupt it. The local supporters prepared to welcome hundreds of villagers to come and see an evangelistic movie while we built home by home slogging through muck and wetlands.
At the end of the week we had a large celebration and evangelistic service in spite of theft of all of the food the villagers had prepared for Indians coming in to the service. In Juan's amazing style, he ended up meeting with the opposition and the "Mama Tata" leaders and agreed to provide food and generators for their upcoming yearly meeting. In response, they asked him to meet with them and tell them about Jesus!
I joined Panamanian medical staff and we were able to do medical clinics here and throughout the area, treating parasites, malnutrition, and infections throughout the region. During this trip God showed me the extreme power of sacrificial service in advancing the Gospel and impressed on me the need to begin leading trips independently. |
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