to I spoke with a doctor at a partner hospital at the end of their working day, on Sept 22nd.
They were grieving the death of a patient: they felt isolated, helpless and frustrated. They could have saved the life but for lack of basic emergency room equipment and staff training. The patient was losing blood, they knew what to do, but essential equipment failed, basic treatment supplies were not there, and the ER team didn’t seem understand the urgency…... the golden hour passed.
The story was familiar; I have worked in similar circumstances with sadly similar heartbreaks.
The young doctor might leave in search of job satisfaction and sanity, and I would understand.
Our funds for Haiti programs are dwindling, sadly we must cut back activity in the south, as a result, some of our beneficiaries will fall prey to gangs.
The Haiti situation is discouraging; the young doctor’s grief is heartbreaking. The consequences for communities served in both countries are dire.
It is absurd to think that God is not interested in Haiti and that He cannot equip one ER department with trained staff and supplies.
However, the temptation to these thoughts is powerful because of the severity of these conditions.
Yet God invites us in such times to review His character and find in His attributes facts to sustain confidence when we are losing hope. He can and will empower us beyond our known capacity. We can soar, but unlike eagles, operate outside the confines of the physical laws of energy, outside the wisdom of conventional economics.
Powered by God, omnipotence transforms our weakness and deficiencies through divine intervention.
We see on a small scale our usefulness and relevance in the work already done.
I heard recently from Zimbabwe that midwives are saving lives by applying knowledge and skills gained over three years of in-service training programmes sponsored by EMAS Canada.
God is not ignoring us, He is inviting us to reliance on His support.
You can be part of His miracle of boundless aid to people who trust Him for their generosity.
Act now: Contact me to learn more about training an ER team for a mission hospital and sustaining EMAS programs in Haiti.
Peter Agwa is the Executive Director of EMAS Canada. A physician and surgeon in his native Kenya, Peter has a passion for Christ-centred healthcare and has a wealth of experience both hosting and sending short-term mission teams. Subscribe to Executive Director's Blog