Medical Missions
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The true purpose of Fort Hill Medical Mission is to try to alleviate some of the suffering endured by the poor. Since 1998, Susan and I and our wonderful teammates have been on 31 mission trips to many third world countries in Africa, Asia, Haiti, and Central America, accumulating 1 1/2 years outside the USA. Our main purpose is to find the cataract blind and relieve them of their blindness through surgery, doing so through the love of Jesus Christ. We have developed the ability to transport everything we need for operating room work, including microscope, autoclave, and all the instruments and equipment. We require nothing inside the countries except a reasonable place to work, a reliable power supply, and logistic support. Fort Hill Medical Mission takes care of the myriad details necessary before we get on the airplanes to head out. We are always seeking regions that have a great need for our services. We provide high quality, high volume cataract surgery over periods of 2-3 weeks, and it seems that God sends these locations to us — sort of like parachutes from Heaven. Fort Hill Medical Mission is the strong foundation upon which we stand as we carry out this work. We would be "dead in the water" without this wonderful outreach ministry of our church. Without your knowing, you are famous in many parts of the world. Your kindness, warmth, caring, and generosity are astounding. Why do we come — they ask. We come because we are sent — by God and by Fort Hill Medical Mission, Fort Hill Presbyterian Church. Haiti Mission Trip—January 2010
In January, Susan and I returned for a second visit to Terrier Rouge in northern Haiti with Leslie Hicklin, Laura Lefevre, Vernie Roberts, and Harold Cheatham. We worked with Bethlehem Ministry, a charity based in Athens, Georgia, which has built a school (600 students) and a medical clinic in Terrier Rouge, serving a huge region of northern Haiti extending from Limonade to the Dominican Republic border. We were so impressed with the efforts being made to help the people there that we agreed to return. The difference was that a terrible earthquake that occurred January 12, 2010 which has devastated Haiti both physically and emotionally. We came home greatly impacted by the suffering that now goes far beyond that ordinarily endured by these poor but very spiritual people. None of these trips could be accomplished without Fort Hill Medical Mission, the medical mission arm of Fort Hill Presbyterian Church. The encouragement of Fort Hill has been remarkable all through these 12 years, and I cannot express adequately my gratitude. May God bless us all!
Fort Hill Medical Mission's 30th Medical Mission Trip Report
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Joining us on this most recent trip were Raenota and Jack Merrill, Marlene Nicholas, Nancy Oates, Dr. William and Pat Stevens (Colorado) and Dr. Walt Donnelly (Connecticut). These truly fine people never complained or grumbled no matter what, and this was to be a destination requiring very arduous journeys going and coming. Our work location was the Kibuye Hospital in Kibuye, on the western side of Rwanda where we looked across Lake Kivu to the Congo. Other than a worrisome glitch going through customs in Kigali upon our arrival at 2 am November 1, where precious eye drops were removed from our bags and kept, we had no problems and were very well supported. Our hosts included a fine young man, Piet Noe, who is an ophthalmologist from Belgium serving with Christian Blind Mission (CBM) in Kabgayi, about two hours from Kibuye, the Kibuye Hospital and its staff, and even the Saddleback Church in California (Rick Warren's church).
Many patients had been examined prior to our arrival and those needing surgery arrived on a daily basis, allowing us to operate on up to 18 per day. Needless to say, such days as that required much work and energy. You folks would have been so proud of Nancy as she helped prepare the patients for surgery, showing great love for them and for the staff. She truly was an ambassador of good will. And proud of Marlene and Susan as they beautifully assisted the surgeons on the many operations, standing by their sides all day long. And proud of Raenota as she performed the multitude of tasks required of an operating room circulator. And proud of Jack as he cleaned to perfection the instruments after each operation, making them gleam for the next one. And proud of good friends from other states who worked so hard, sharing and caring, and adding tremendously to the ability to accomplish so much.
At the end of our two week stay we had operated on 104 precious people who offered us their appreciation with smiles and love, the best "currency" ever made. We were very pleased with how these people were doing as they left us to go back to their homes, sometimes hours away. Transportation to the hospital and back to their homes was provided, removing one of the biggest roadblocks the poor have in obtaining medical services. Those new eyes are now perfectly healed, with bright new vision giving them and their families relief, joy, and independence.
Rwanda is a beautiful country, truly the "land of a thousand hills". As you are aware, it suffered a terrible genocide in 1994 when 800,000 people were killed in 100 days. It will take a couple of generations for the horrors of that time to ease, but these people are making big efforts to move forward, and we were privileged to be with them. They offered us warm hospitality and friendship, and we are very grateful to have had the opportunity to be with them, helping in the special ways we could.
