“How was the trip?” Family and friends were eager to hear about their adventure as fourteen Statesboro residents returned from their week-long medical mission trip to the Dominican Republic. Bearden Ministries in Waynesboro, Georgia, organized the trip.
The question was difficult to answer – and not just because they had been traveling for over 12 hours.
The place they served has a complicated history. The Bateyes of the Dominican Republic are ground zero for a humanitarian crisis that began a century ago.
The people they served were difficult to categorize. They included all ages and two languages, and their medical needs ranged from eye drops to urgent care at the nearest hospital.
The trip had a lot of moving parts. In Atlanta, the Statesboro team joined 15 more volunteers from other cities; then eight Dominican interpreters and one Dominican doctor joined the team once they arrived in the country.
Every morning the group was driven by bus to a different site.
730 people provided care
The medical mission team visited sites in Batey 7, Batey 8, Batey 9, Las Robles, and an orphanage in Barahona.
At each site, they set up and operated an intake station, labs, pharmacy, and eyeglasses station in tin-roofed churches and schools with no air conditioning.
Their presence had been announced by word-of-mouth through local churches, and all the people who came for care were seen.
Over five days, the team served 730 people.
Team touched by the people they served
The stories of the people who came for medical help are what the volunteers were most eager to share. It’s difficult to understand a complicated situation, but individual stories are more easily grasped.
On their first day, Physician Leslie Pittman remembers a three-year-old girl and her mother who had fled Haiti just three weeks prior to visiting the clinic.
Their home had been destroyed in a gunfight while they were still inside. Although they escaped without injury, the girl had an accident at the place where they were staying.
A falling cook pot caused splash burns on her back and legs. The wounds were already healing, but Pittman could tell the girl’s mom was nervous.
“She couldn’t take her daughter to her job with her, and she didn’t know anyone in this country,” said Pittman.
“When I asked if there was anything I could do for her, she just said she was homesick. I had no medicine for that, but we prayed together for a little while.”
Interpreter Laurie Cigal told the story of a young man who came to the clinic with an abscess on his leg. He had been injured seven years prior, at the age of 20, but his wound had never healed.
Unfortunately, he will need surgery to amputate his leg, and that is medical care he is currently not able to access.
Physician Randy Smith was struck by a paralyzed man whose injuries were the result of a gunshot wound he had suffered during the robbery of his cell phone.
The man was now confined to a chair and needed medical attention for his bed sores. Since the clinic did not have an examination table, he had to be treated in his home.
Physical Therapist John Kimes showed a woman some exercises to help decrease her scar tissue. Her arms, legs, and stomach were badly burned when she was caught in a field fire.
She had not received the physical therapy she needed at the time, and she will ultimately need surgery to get relief from the scar damage.
There were also several patients who came for treatment, then stayed to help translate for patients who spoke Creole.
“Amongst people with basically nothing to give, they were very generous with their time and help and understanding,” said Pittman.
Wheelchairs
Before leaving the U.S, the team was notified of two children that were in need of wheelchairs.
One boy was getting around on his hands and knees, and another girl had to be carried everywhere.
The team had already arranged a flight through Missionary Flights International to transport the needed supplies for their mobile clinic, so they added donated chairs to the cargo.
“That simple gesture was probably the most impact we had. Their lives will be completely different now,” said Smith.
More than medicine
Although the team brought medicine, supplies, and expertise related to healthcare, all of the volunteers were quick to say that their purpose in traveling to the Dominican Republic was a response to their Christian faith.
Many said they wanted to “be the hands and feet of Christ.” Each day began and ended with worship and prayer, which the team saw as essential to their work.
“If we were left to think this was being accomplished in our own strength, it would be disheartening to think how much work there is to do,” said Pittman.
“But through faith in Christ, we can … know that He will bring in other workers to help our brothers and sisters in need so that those who already believe can be supported in their faith, and those who do not yet know Him will be able to see Him through us.”
Plans to return
More than talking about their recent trip, the team would like to talk about their next trip.
One goal would be to send a construction team to rehabilitate a permanent clinic that has fallen into disrepair.
Ultimately, a medical team visiting each quarter could provide ongoing support to the region. Smith has already started talking with leadership at Pittman Park UMC, the team’s church sponsor, about next steps.
