Today was our final day in the clinic and we went to La Buen Samaritan Hospital in La Romana. We partnered with the Physical Therapy department. It was a really small department, so we were able to bring in and set up our portable treatment tables in the hallways and therefore see more patients. The therapists were very appreciative of us being there and were eager to see how we performed treatments and get new ideas since our education systems are both different. We did gait training for patients with strokes, exercises for strengthening, worked with a patient who had ALS, treated several orthopedic patients post-surgery from motorcycle accidents, treated some patients with back pain, helped a patient who had a shoulder impingement, treated another patient who had a rotator cuff surgery and saw many others.
Like every other day, we prayed with the majority of our patients today. We were able to encourage brothers and sisters in Christ, and also share with some who have never trusted in Christ solely for their salvation. Today we shared the gospel with Edgar who is a 17 year old boy who had been run over by a motorcycle and after several surgeries he ended up with one leg shorter than the other. He was walking with one crutch and after helping him with some exercises we gave him a cast shoe. After treating him, we were able to pray with him and his mom and present the gospel to them. Although his mom professed to be a Christian, he had not made a personal decision to follow Christ yet and so today he made that decision! Praise the Lord! Throughout this week we have taken time, whether it be on the longer bus rides or during our evening time of worship to share our personal testimonies. It has been such an encouraging time to hear how the Lord has worked in each one of our individual lives and how he is still at work. One of the songs we sang today was How Deep the Father’s Love. Not only do the words of this song portray a glimpse of each one of our stories but it also represents the message that we were sharing this week How deep the Father’s love for us, How vast beyond all measure; That he would give His only Son To make a wretch His treasure. We are all so grateful for how we have witnessed the Father’s love this week and how we have been given the opportunity to proclaim this love in the Dominican. Please pray: -for those who have prayed to receive Christ that God will continue to work in their lives and that they will be able to get connected with a local church -for those who heard the gospel and did not respond, that God will continue to water those seeds -for the staff and workers at SCORE, that the Lord will continue to bless them and their ministry Mosquitoes smashed to date: 435
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Today we spent the day at La Romana Rehabilitation Hospital where we partnered with some local physical therapists and occupational therapists. We treated a lot of patients, had numerous gospel conversations and prayed with the majority of our patients. Today, we even witnessed the youngest child yet to consume the Word of God… literally. While treating an active 18 month old, the little girl got ahold of a new testament and took a bite out of Matthew. Talk about consuming the bread of life! (See picture above!)
Five people prayed to receive Christ as their Savior today! Praise the Lord! The youngest was a 14 year old boy who needed therapy after almost losing his hand when someone tried to kill him with a machete. After treating his hand, we were able to share the good news of the gospel with him and give him a bible. Another patient named Maria needed a walker, and we were happy to meet this need. After treating her, we were able to talk with her and her daughter. She ended up being a believer but discovered that her daughter did not have a personal relationship with Jesus. So Brittney and Catherine were able to lead her to the Lord and celebration ensued. Leigh Ann and Andrew were both able to have conversations with the clinicians about their personal relationships with Jesus, and both of the two leading therapists Juan and Ana professed to know Christ. They were thoroughly encouraged by our intentionality with sharing the gospel and praying with the patients. It is awesome to see how God has formed this team and brought 3 therapists with different specialties. Each day we have seen an even spread of orthopedic patients, pediatric patients and neuro patients, and each therapist has been able to work within their area of expertise. We have had some awesome translators and are truly grateful for how they have come along side us and helped us communicate, build relationships and share the gospel with our patients. We could not do this work without them! Please pray for our time at Buen Samaritan Hospital: -that our focus will be on lifting up Christ -that God will continue to open eyes and soften hearts -that conflicts that arise will be resolved in loving compassion -that we will be filled with energy on our last day treating patients Mosquitos smashed to date: 316 Today we headed to MUSA hospital to help out in the understaffed physical therapy department. When we arrived the halls were lined with people waiting for treatment. The morning was a blur as we saw patient after patient. However, we were able to provide numerous patients with assistive devices and train them how to use them so that they could interact in the community. Andrew was in his element as the hospital had a small pediatric clinic and he was able to treat the kids and minister to their families. It was a learning experience for us to see how physical therapy and medicine are different in the Dominican Republic, especially in free government hospitals.
Today we gained a new brother and sister in Christ! Kristin F. was able to share the gospel with a man named Miguel. This was his first time hearing the good news of the gospel and he prayed to receive Jesus Christ! Leigh Ann, Yemisi, and Kristen had the opportunity to work with Nelly at the end of the day. She was recovering from a stroke, and was walking fairly well so they decided to do high level balance training with her. They had a lighthearted therapy session with a lot of laughter and shared the gospel with her at the end of the treatment. Nelly was eager to begin a relationship with Christ and after praying with her, she was overwhelmed with joy. This evening we had the opportunity to relax and go to the beach. During our evening worship service we were also able to hear from Nate a local missionary pastor and were encouraged in our obedience to share the gospel knowing that it is ultimately God’s work and for his glory. Please pray: -for our day treating patients at La Romana Hospital -for boldness in Christ to fight the spiritual warfare we will encounter -for grace to respond to anything the Lord brings our way Mosquitos smashed to date: 234 (Kristin SQUISHED a BIG one on the bus!) Today was a good day! We are off to a good start! We went to Montecristy and treated about 30 patients from the community and the nursing home. We broke into four teams with differing roles.
Camille and Kristen B. worked with Dr. Bob doing triage. They met patients and conducted interviews to determine if they could benefit from physical therapy. They also performed other necessary medical tasks included taking blood pressure, giving steroid shots and even extracting foreign objects from people’s ears! Kristin F. and Yemisi worked with Lauren treating mostly orthopedic patients. One of their patients was an 82 year young woman. She was experiencing joint pain throughout her body because she walks door-to-door sharing the gospel with her community! They were encouraged to be able to meet both physical and spiritual needs by massaging her muscles and praying for endurance both which will allow her to continue her work in the village. Brittney and Catherine helped Leigh Ann treat mainly stroke patients. They had the opportunity to lead a 91 year old man named Juan to the Lord! Even though he had language deficits from a stroke, the Lord was not limited by this barrier to reach his heart. We were encouraged to welcome this brother into the family and get him connected with the local church. Dylan and Beth assisted Andrew with a variety of patients. They had numerous opportunities to pray with people and met some professing believers as well as some who were resistant to the gospel. One woman walked in with a large open diabetic foot ulcer on her heel. After cleaning the wound they were able to provide her with dressings for her wound and diabetic shoes. Today’s challenges came in the form of language barriers. We did have Spanish to English translators but several of the patients spoke Creole and could not understand the translators. We were still able to treat these patients, but our communication just required more charades! Please pray for us as we go to the MUSA Hospital - that we will see people through God’s eyes (1 Samuel 16:7) -that we will have discernment in treating patients and determining correct diagnosis -that we will continue to have good health and stamina Mosquitos smashed to date: 233 12 people, 24 bags and 10 hours later…. We’re HERE!!!!
Tomorrow morning we will be heading out to Montecristy which is a nursing home facility where we will be working with elderly residents and people from the village. We are really excited but are tired from a long day of traveling, so we’re praying for rest tonight as we start off the week tomorrow. We are so thankful for all of the prayers and support we have received from our friends and family! Our current goal upon arriving to the Dominican Republic is to smash every mosquito in sight! :) Please pray: -that we will have strength and energy as we start the week -that we will have boldness and discernment in sharing the gospel -that God will use us and speak through us as we work with our patients -for God’s work in the lives of those who do not know him yet |
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