Cholera

Now that the hurricane is past and the rains have stopped we are watching the cholera situation. The official count now lists the number of deaths from cholera nearing 1,000, with another 12,000 being treated. Because of the poor hygiene conditions in Haiti, the bacteria is spreading at an accelerated rate. The poor living conditions and lack of clean water aid the spread of the bacteria.

With the death rate exceeding 100 per day, there is a problem of what to do with all the deceased. There is a shortage of coffins and also unavailable space to bury the people. More and more cases are appearing in Port au Prince where the situation is especially precarious since the city is still full of rubble from the January earthquake and since so many are still living in tents.

People on the Dominican side of the border are watching the situation in Haiti and hoping the cholera will not spread to this side of the island. There have not been any "official" cases of cholera in the DR yet, although there have been several reported cases. For the past two weeks the border has been closed and the authorities are keeping a tight watch on anyone coming over the border, most Haitians are not allowed to cross into the DR. The border was opened for a short time this past Friday, and three women were trampled in the stampede of people that tried to cross into the DR. This is causing increasing tension between the two countries. The governments of the two countries are trying to come to an agreement of an orderly passage of people over the border, but until they formulate a plan, everyone is watching and waiting.

Thomas

This past weekend hurricane Thomas passed over Hispaniola causing flooding in Haiti and in the Dominican Republic. The first rains started at the beginning of the week and slowly increased as the week went on. By Friday, schools had canceled classes and the rains were coming down quite steadily. The rains continued throughout the weekend, and even this past Sunday it was still raining.

The flooding in Haiti has increased the fear that the cholera will spread. Health officials hope to keep the cholera epidemic from spreading to this side of the island, but with the flooding caused by the hurricane, the fear has increased that the original source of the cholera bacteria will now be swept over much greater areas of Haiti. There have been some reported cases in Port au Prince, but the greatest fear is that it will get into the "tent cities" and cause many more deaths. There have not been any confirmed cases of cholera in the DR so far. Now, the debate has become: can cholera be kept out of the DR - or if it is just a matter of time?

In an effort to keep the cholera from entering the DR, the border has been closed for the past week. Even "healthy" people are not allowed to cross since a person can carry the bacteria for up to a week without showing symptoms of the disease. There has been no word as to when the border might be re-opened.

photos from Listin Diario

Fellowship Sundays

Once a month the congregation gets together to enjoy a fellowship evening. This also works as an opportunity to invite friends and relatives for evangelism opportunities. We always meet new people and have many opportunities to witness. There are usually several activities going on at the same time - the men play dominoes, the children like to play games, the women may play board games or work on preparing the meal. The evening ends when a typical meal is served for all. These get-togethers are very well attended, over 100 people at the September one.

Cholera
The cholera outbreak in Haiti has officially recorded about 300 deaths. We have talked to some people who have actually been in Haiti - they say the number is actually much higher. Many are dying in the countryside without being "officially" registered as a cholera death. Here in the DR we are hearing on the news how to prevent the disease - washing hands, washing fruits and vegetables, don't buy food on the street. There have been some "rumored" cases of cholera here in Santiago, but health officials have yet to confirm that these cases are valid.

Christmas

"Se acabó el año". Christmas trees and decorations are in full swing here and have been for over a month now. The stores are full of Christmas merchandise and a night time drive is lit up with beautiful lights all over the city. Seems like everyone is anxious for the holidays!

Jimani

This past week the director of our Administrative Committee, Bob Smith, and a representative of the Committee on Relief, Mark Vance came to Santiago to meet with the people here. We had a day of meetings on Wed. including the seminary students, Rona-the Haitian pastor, several members of the church, and a visit to the Red Cross. After a busy day of meetings we began our trip to Jimani, the Dominican border town in the south that is close to Port au Prince.

We left Moca at 10:40PM with Juan Manuel as our Dominican driver (he is Alex's older brother), and he drives like a Dominican! We made it to Santo Domingo where we saw a HUGE convoy of military vehicles lined up at the toll booth. Most of us were trying to get some sleep but just when you almost fell asleep the van would hit a rough bit of road and bbbbrrrrrmmmm you would be rudely awakened, or we would hit a pothole (same result). So sleep came in small doses! Juan Manuel did know the way which made the drive quicker. We only had trouble in one spot where they had taken down the sign that was his landmark. We had to find someone awake (it was 3AM) to tell us which way to go. (We saw several watchmen and policemen sound asleep on their watches!).

We arrived in Jimani at about 5:30AM and decided to try to get some sleep in the van, while we were parked. That's when we all found out that SOMEONE snores!! So one person got a nice rest (where are the potholes when you need them?). Eventually a policeman came and told us we had to move the vehicle off the road, so we drove into the area where the international groups had set up camp. We found someone from the Defensa Civil who gave us some information about the situation in Haiti.

Everyone going into the country must now show their vaccination records. Everyone gets tetanus, rubeola vaccinations and malaria pills. These are the three main concerns at the present time. You are also warned against going into the country on your own. It is best to go along with a guarded convoy. Muggings and robbery at the border are quite a serious problem. During our conversation, we were informed about a hospital nearby that was caring for a large number of Haitians. We drove there to meet with the doctors.

The hospital was in two large houses that had been converted into hospitals. The first one was being used as the operating rooms and the second one housed the patients before and after their operations. We saw a constant stream of patients being brought in for surgery - most of them need amputations. The doctors explained that they do try to save the limbs, but many times the amputations are being done because of infections and gangrene. We also saw the area where they were receiving donations and Mark was able to contribute the medical supplies that he had brought along.

We walked down to the other building and saw many Haitians in various stages of healing. Because of the trauma of the earthquake, many of them have a fear of being inside a building. They are fearful of the building collapsing down on them - the children especially have this fear- so we saw many people who had dragged their mattresses outside and put up makeshift walls around them. While we talked and witnessed with some of the patients that spoke some Spanish, Rona began witnessing to them in Creole and spent a great deal of time trying to witness to them and give them some comfort and hope.

We started on our way back to Santiago and were enjoying a nice ride when we had a flat tire. We got the tire changed and then stopped in Santo Domingo to buy a replacement. There was a place not far from the highway that was open. The owner of the shop brought a used tire that was the right size and all SIX of the guys from the van examined the tire before a consensus was reached that this tire was acceptable. The new tire was put on and now we were ready for the last leg of the trip back to Santiago.

All in all, it was a very nice trip and we were able to accomplish our objectives: Rona was able to witness to some fellow Haitians, and Bob and Mark got the information they needed to set up further aid to Haiti via the possibility of volunteer WELS nurses and medical workers going to Jimani to serve there. We thank God for keeping us safe in all our comings and goings.

Obed Visits

Today we had a pleasant surprise when Obed came to visit during sem classes. He had a break at his work and was able to be in the DR for a few days and also was in Haiti visiting his family.

He went to see his parents who came through the earthquake fine. His brother, though, suffered the loss of his home and two of his children received injuries. When the earthquake hit his brother and his wife were not yet home so the children were alone. The oldest child, 11 yrs. old, was able to get all the children out of the house. But then they stood next to the building next door, about 3 stories high, which collapsed and two of the children were injured anyway. They took them to "Doctors Without Frontiers" who had already been working in the city and had their installations set up. The children were cared for and are recovering, but the parents could not find the children when they got home and it was not until the next day that they realized they were all alive and at the hospital.

Obed also talked about the violence in the country that is continually escalating. People are desperate to get food. Looting is rampant. He says that by 6PM everyone tries to find cover or shelter before it gets dark. He also referred to the kidnapping of children and thinks they will be most likely sold for organ trafficking. About five years kidnapping was a serious problem in Haiti and most of the children that were taken were sold for this purpose. The government made it a priority to get these kidnappers and many were put behind bars. Many of the people that were captured and put in jail have now escaped. It has been reported that 5,300 prisoners escaped in the earthquake. One Santiago newspaper ran a story about a Haitian woman who identified her rapist, here in the city, so we know they are crossing the border.

We asked him about the food situation. He said that there were some stores open but that all the prices had almost doubled. There also are no mechanisms in place for these stores to receive more supplies so they can only sell what they have in stock. We have noticed that the prices have also gone up in the DR. The government says that the provisions that are going to Haiti are surplus supplies and should not affect the availability of food here - but that is not the reality when you go to the store, especially in the poorer areas of town.

Other reports say that the Haitian hospitals are all out of morphine and analgesics, so they have nothing to give to their patients that have suffered amputations. The majority of the operations have been limb removal. The hospitals desperately need supplies: gauze, bandages, cotton, ibuprofen, antibiotics, intravenous solution, ... and the list goes on. The need is made worse by the fact that people are attacking UN convoys that are delivering supplies hoping to find food for their families.

In spite of all the tragedy and disaster we still find comfort and joy in our Savior's arms, remembering all he has done for us and rejoicing in his promises of forgiveness and eternal life when we leave this vale of tears. We continue to pray for wisdom and guidance in the midst of such sorrow and hurt and give thanks to a loving and merciful God who watches over His church and keeps us and guides in all His ways. It was with joyful hearts that we shared a devotion today with Rona and Obed and we give thanks to God for watching over them and their families.

I was sick and you visited me

I spend a lot of time in hospitals; not because I am a nurse and not because of poor health. The time is spent visiting and helping others who are seeking medical care. Health issues are a constant concern in a country where the majority of the population is poor. Unpaved roads, heavy rains with poor drainage systems, lack of pollution controls, littering all contribute to health problems.

Thankfully there are clinics available. You may have to wait eight hours or more for the doctor to arrive, and nine times out of ten you will be given antibiotics for whatever it is that you have, but people still use what is available.

Hospital stays usual mean bringing someone to stay with you. The room comes with a pull-out couch, but you bring your own sheet and pillow. You also must bring your own meals. You also bring your own clothes - no hospital gowns. When the doctor writes out your prescription, the pharmacy may not have the drugs you need.

Hospital visits are great opportunities to speak about Jesus, the Great Physician and how he heals of us our deadly sickness - sin. He is the doctor that is always available to listen and diagnosis your condition. And the medicine he prescribes, forgiveness, is never scarce or unavailable. Whatever our physical ailments may be, they are nothing compared to the pain of eternity in hell. Some physical ailments may not be cured, but the promise of forgiveness has no limits.

Substitutes

Substitute – "to put in the place of another person or thing".

Nate W. and Kathy S. worked as substitute teachers in the place of Julie and Polly while these two Kingdom Workers were at home recovering from pink eye (see the post titled "Quarantined" here).

To begin the day Nate and Kathy each made a trip to the girls’ apartment to pick up a copy of the lesson plan and a list of the student’s names. In the afternoon, they arrived early to set up the classroom and look for all the necessary materials to teach the class. The substitutes had also helped out with the registration and interview portion of the English classes, so they were not complete strangers to all of the students.

When the students arrived, we saw how disciplined they were. Everyone wrote their name on a sign-in sheet, put on their name tag and took their seat. Of course, the first question was, “Where is Polly? Where is Julie?” We heard many sympathetic, “Ooh”s when we explained their health situation.

The teaching went well and even though the students missed their teachers, they were happy to have substitute teachers so as not to have their classes canceled. Nate and Kathy were also happy to have this opportunity to serve. It made them appreciate all the teachers do to help their students learn a new language.

Quarantined

Almost two weeks ago, both of our EFL volunteers contracted pink eye (conjunctivitis). They woke up in the morning with their eyes pasted shut and endured itching and puffiness during the day. In order not to infect anyone else, both teachers quarantined themselves, staying inside their apartment for the next four days.

Since the pink eye didn't start until late in the week on Thursday, they missed only one evening of classes. (Kathy Strackbein and Missionary Wagenknecht were "guest teachers" that evening.) Julie and Polly were very conscientious *not* to spread the pink eye, disinfecting pretty much anything they touched for a week!

They were able to get some drops for their eyes and also antibiotics to fight the infection so that by Sunday afternoon they were back in the classroom. We thank the Lord for granting them a speedy recovery. The rest of us missed seeing them at their classes and get-togethers. Glad to have you back, Julie and Polly!!!

(posted by Kathy Strackbein)

Health Issues in Third World Countries

When people come to the Dominican Republic they usually know about the tourist places, eg. the beaches, the Colonial City, the whale watching, etc. What they don't always think about are the strange diseases you might come in contact with when you enter a different country.

Recently two members of our Christian family had very different health issues. One had several insect bites that became infected. At first, the doctors thought they were just simple mosquito bites and didn't do anything. When the infected bites grew to about the size of quarters, continuously oozed, and caused constant pain, the doctors finally realized they were spider bites. The bites were treated with antibiotics (twice a day injections for a week), lanced and drained. We are happy to report that there has been a complete recovery.

The second became sick and was diagnosed with dengue fever, a virus transmitted by certain mosquitoes. The symptoms of this disease are high fever, chills and general pain in your whole body. When you have dengue you need to rest quite a long time before you are back on your feet. After a week of continued high-grade fever and body aches, more tests were done, and it was concluded that the real problem was food poisoning. The correct treatment was given (different antibiotics). By God's grace, she has also recovered.

Thanks be to God for the recovery of our brother and sister. And thanks be to God for providing availability of treatments to help them recuperate.

(posted by Kathy Strackbein)

The Lord bless you with his Peace,
NW