"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." -Prov 3:5-6 NIV
T-minus 2 days before we leave...duffel bags are getting filled, difficult choices are being made (Do I really need a toothbrush?....). Very exciting. We continue to see God's orchestration in bringing people and supplies together. Despite months of preparation we hold our plans and expectations loosely.
Here's a quick primer on what (we think) we'll be doing during our time at Project Mercy:
Pediatric Clinics - We plan to perform medical screening and treatment clinics for the incoming students of the Project Mercy school and two other local schools. These will be kindergartners as well as some older students who are in need of medical care. We plan on deworming, treating common infections and maladies, identifying children in need of more acute care and getting those we cannot treat fully to the Project Mercy hospital and associated clinics. We anticipate caring for 700-800 children.
Hospital Team - We plan to support the Project Mercy hospital (the Glenn C Olson General Hospital) with a team of urologic, gynecologic and general surgeons, an anesthesiologist, and OR/recovery room nurses. We hope to provide surgery for those waiting for operations, expand the knowledge base of the surgical staff, and enhance the utilization of the resources already in place. We anticipate performing 30-40 surgeries during the 8 days we'll be able to operate at Project Mercy. The most common surgeries are urologic, gynecologic, thyroid removals, hernias and trauma.
Childrens' Ministry and Public Health Education - We plan to provide vital public health information for the schoolchildren at a node in time when they are open to it. Primary lessons will focus on washing hands, food safety, avoiding insect-bourne disease, and water safety. The team will utilize skits, songs, puppet shows, games and arts to communicate and reinforce these lessons. We will also interweave the story of God's love for us and the gospel of Christ wherever and whenever we can in a way that can be received by the people we will be caring for. We want to show Christ's love to the community every moment we have with them by building relationships and caring for them in a tangible way.
Educational Support - We plan to provide educational assessment and tutoring for students identified as being at risk in their reading skills. We will meet with them, assess their needs, and attempt to craft an approach to strengthen their skills given the resources and personnel at Project Mercy.
Facilities Support - We plan to assess the physical plant needs of the Project Mercy hospital and school, most notably the power supply and power surge issues which can incapacitate electrical equipment. We will also assist with the maintenance and repair of hospital equipment in order to enhance the reliability of the services provided.
In all of these endeavors, we want to be flexible and open to whatever the Lord would have us do - so we write these plans in pencil....
T-minus 2 days before we leave...duffel bags are getting filled, difficult choices are being made (Do I really need a toothbrush?....). Very exciting. We continue to see God's orchestration in bringing people and supplies together. Despite months of preparation we hold our plans and expectations loosely.
Here's a quick primer on what (we think) we'll be doing during our time at Project Mercy:
Pediatric Clinics - We plan to perform medical screening and treatment clinics for the incoming students of the Project Mercy school and two other local schools. These will be kindergartners as well as some older students who are in need of medical care. We plan on deworming, treating common infections and maladies, identifying children in need of more acute care and getting those we cannot treat fully to the Project Mercy hospital and associated clinics. We anticipate caring for 700-800 children.
Hospital Team - We plan to support the Project Mercy hospital (the Glenn C Olson General Hospital) with a team of urologic, gynecologic and general surgeons, an anesthesiologist, and OR/recovery room nurses. We hope to provide surgery for those waiting for operations, expand the knowledge base of the surgical staff, and enhance the utilization of the resources already in place. We anticipate performing 30-40 surgeries during the 8 days we'll be able to operate at Project Mercy. The most common surgeries are urologic, gynecologic, thyroid removals, hernias and trauma.
Childrens' Ministry and Public Health Education - We plan to provide vital public health information for the schoolchildren at a node in time when they are open to it. Primary lessons will focus on washing hands, food safety, avoiding insect-bourne disease, and water safety. The team will utilize skits, songs, puppet shows, games and arts to communicate and reinforce these lessons. We will also interweave the story of God's love for us and the gospel of Christ wherever and whenever we can in a way that can be received by the people we will be caring for. We want to show Christ's love to the community every moment we have with them by building relationships and caring for them in a tangible way.
Educational Support - We plan to provide educational assessment and tutoring for students identified as being at risk in their reading skills. We will meet with them, assess their needs, and attempt to craft an approach to strengthen their skills given the resources and personnel at Project Mercy.
Facilities Support - We plan to assess the physical plant needs of the Project Mercy hospital and school, most notably the power supply and power surge issues which can incapacitate electrical equipment. We will also assist with the maintenance and repair of hospital equipment in order to enhance the reliability of the services provided.
In all of these endeavors, we want to be flexible and open to whatever the Lord would have us do - so we write these plans in pencil....
