Vision Mission Feb

Summitted Sue Den Oude

Survey From Vision Mission's Trip to Pignon Feb 4-11, 2010

Please give a narrative description of your trip include in it how many members accompanied you on this trip;
16

We made it back on Friday late afternoon, tired, but joyful for the work of the Holy Spirit in us and through us.

I will praise the Lord at all times.
I will constantly speak his praises.
I will boast only in the Lord;
let all who are helpless take heart.
Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness;
let us exalt his name together. Psalm 34:1-3

We give all praise and thanks to God for the following:
Safe travel.

For quick set up by the team and the ability to see 18 patients and do one surgical case on the afternoon we arrived...Amazing!
For the opportunities to pray with, cry with and comfort refugees and injured patients from Port au Prince.

For being able to see and screen 1333 patients in 5 days...only through God's help!

For dispensing 993 pairs of eye glasses (many were for patients from Port au Prince who had lost their eye glasses in the earthquake).

For the surgeons and surgery staff completing 65 surgical procedures and for their willingness to work on Sunday.
"Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?" Jesus said before healing the man with the lame hand on the Sabbath.

For all the work completed by the work team on the new hospital dorm.
It is almost ready for teams!

We ask for continued prayers for the following:

For the injured and displaced refugees.
For those who have broken bones and crushed spirits.
For those who are blind and cannot be helped,
For those who can be helped, but had to be turned away because our time ran out.

2. How did you travel to Pignon? Were there any problems with your flight and or arrangement? Do you have any suggestions to make this an easier process?

We traveled via MFI. No problems, except with customs. Customs sent an agent with each plane: one plane had passengers and the other had cargo. They then tried to charge us for both agents and for cargo. I refused to pay. We knew that PAP was not charging customs and we felt that we should not pay customs for all our supplies that were going to be donated. We ended up paying for the agents only ($189.00 each agent), but they were not very happy.

3. What were your lodging arrangements while in Pignon? MN dorm? Iowa dorm? Other?? Any suggestions? Recommendations? Did you have any problems? Do you have any hints or notes you want to pass on to other teams?

We stayed in the Iowa house and had a lovely stay. The only concern I have is that there were only a few towels in both the Iowa house and the MN house. I don't know where they go, but they have a tendency to diaapear.

Did you have any problems issues, occurrences that need to be addressed by the hospital or the Board?

Any help with customs would be great. I think the problem is going to escalate. We are going to contact our senators and congressmen. Anyone know how to contact the UN?