Medical Missions

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.

Rwanda Trip

I wanted to let you know of several upcoming adventures.  A group of nine will depart for western Rwanda on October 30 (an auspicious day as it was Halloween Eve and also my birthday).  We will landed in Kigali and were transported to Kibuye on Lake Kivu, bordering the Congo.  We will work there for at least the first week — and perhaps the second if the need would dictate that.  Or we may work the second week in another region needing us.  We have the full welcome of the Rwanda Ministry of Health and also the friendship of a Belgian ophthalmologist stationed in Kabgayi.  Email contact with him is a wonderful luxury — no, really a necessity.

Our team will include Raenota and Jack Merrill, Marlene Nicholas, Nancy Oates, Dr. Walt Donnelly of Sharon, CT, and Dr. William and Pat Stevens of Fort Collins, CO — along with Susan and me.  This is truly a very experienced team and we hope to operate on 180 cataract blind while we are in Rwanda.

You all know of the tragedy of Rwanda which culminated in the attempted extermination of the Tutsi tribe by the Hutus in 1994.  More than 800,000 were brutally killed in 100 days.  The country is making remarkable strides to pull itself up from that horror.

Future Mission Trips

In January 2010 we will travel again to Terrier Rouge, Haiti — the location of our most recent effort this past April.  Susan and I will stay 3 weeks and have 2 teams (11 days each) come be with us back-to-back.  Travelers will include Laura Lefevre, Leslie Hicklin, Harold Cheatham, John and Cathy Spragins, Jim and Vernie Roberts.  Gus Gustafson is strongly considering going to help those in need of dental care — and, of course, Jim Roberts is a dentist.  He could enjoy "double duty" if he wishes.

We are so fortunate that we can pack our bags and go anywhere in the world to do our work.  We are self-contained, needing only a power supply and interpreters and beds and 2 meals per day.  Thank you for your care and for your support.  God bless you all.