As I flip through the pages of the Bible, I landed on Galatians 3:13 which reads “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us…”. When I came to Christ it was as if the blinds were taken off my eyes. I came to understand that Jesus came to this earth to redeem us from the curse of our sin. A perfect and holy God became man and bore the sin for us. As we close out week 1, I have reflected on this very thing, the gospel is what saves. The Lord has been so gracious to give us the opportunity to spread His good news to the people of the Dominican Republic. Each day of the week we went to a different village and provided healing for the body and the soul. I was impacted so much on how welcoming, loving, and giving the Dominicans are. Each day of clinic, we had patients that presented with many different illnesses that they needed care for. One of the most meaningful moments I have had thus far was my time spent in evangelism. Bobby, Gabby, Essie, and I were sharing who Jesus is with this one gentleman. He was so happy that we were taking the time to share Christianity with him and prayed with him that he decided to give us gifts. Immediately after we were done praying for him, he grabbed his backpack and began pulling out mangos one by one. He didn’t have much, but his mangos were a symbol of love and thanksgiving. It was a gift from his heart, and that is one moment that I will never forget. Another thing I loved about this trip was the stories our team all shared at the end of the day. We came together and delighted each night on what the Lord taught and showed us that day. We have shared so many laughs, our testimonies, prayed over each other, and have leaned on God throughout our time here. Thanks be to God, all glory to Him.
-Elyssa Hernandez, ACOM 2023
0 Comments
Fun Day
This weekend started on Saturday with a much-needed off-day and break as we got to decompress, relax, and have some fun together as team. A one-day guest pass to a resort a few miles east along the coastline from where we’re temporarily calling home gave us the opportunity to spend the day relaxing and rejuvenating through enjoying the beach, paddle-boarding, playing beach volleyball, kayaking, sitting by the pool, and partaking in an all-you-can-eat buffet. It was a lot fun and such a blessing. A restful Lord’s Day concluded our weekend after we had little to do except rest after church with a local village. A great time to relax and catch up on more rest while preparing for clinic for the week. I’m sad to say our first week is over but more excited than anything else to get back into the clinic to meet and care for more patients. It’s been such a blessing to get to meet and minister to, build relationships with, and hear the stories of some of the people of the Dominican Republic. The people are just like I’d heard they’d be—kind, funny, welcoming, hospitable, fun, and energetic. I already have a few favorite stories and moments from the trip and am looking forward to making more and sharing those when I get home. Brenton Bicknell, UAB Medical Student Hey everyone, Today was our last day of clinic for this week, and we wrapped up in a place known as el Bronce. Each day, a student has been assigned a role in each of the four stations through the clinic (triage, medical, pharmacy, and evangelism). Leading up to Friday, I had spent one day in triage checking patients in and three days with physicians in the medical stations to help gather information about current illnesses. Today, I had the privilege of working in the pharmacy station, which included filling medications as well as explaining to patients how to take these medications. It has been a fun experience learning the flow of the clinic. Reflecting back on our first week, I wanted to share my thoughts on one difficult aspect of the trip and one rewarding aspect of the trip. First off, the difficult – in clinic, we’re often seeing patients with a wide range of backgrounds, from children to people in their late 80s. Some of the issues we see simply cannot be addressed in a pop-up clinic like ours, and though we prescribe medications to help ease pain or discomfort, sometimes the illnesses are not treatable. This becomes especially difficult when it is an illness that can be treated in the U.S. with long term care or can be treated with lifestyle changes that the people we’re seeing simply don’t have the ability to make. It is something I feel like I have struggled with this week, especially in some instances when I feel like we are putting a band-aid on a bigger issue. That being said, there are a number of cases we have seen in which we have been able to help greatly, and it is important to remind myself that our support goes beyond just medical treatment. One aspect of clinic that has been incredibly rewarding is praying with patients after discussing medical treatment. Many of the people here are very receptive to prayer and often pray alongside us in their language, whether Spanish or Creole. We often all share smiles after praying, and there is something deeply gratifying about sharing smiles with someone else, despite the presence of a language barrier. Prayers for guidance, grace, and communication would be greatly appreciated going into week 2. So far, it has been a great experience growing closer to the team of providers and fellow students while helping bringing medical and spiritual support to different communities. -Beck Wilkes, Student at UABSOM p.s. If there is anything specific any of you would like to see included in the blogs, make sure to leave a comment underneath the blog. My name is Cory Dixon and I am a first-year medical student at ACOM in Dothan, Alabama! I have been blessed to be set apart for this trip to the Dominican Republic (DR). I just wanted to share a little about my experience so far here in the DR. We have been able to use medicine as a vehicle to share Christ to each of the people who come in to our clinic. Through the clinic, I have been blessed to see many villages and the heart of the people here. It has been such an honor to work alongside such amazing native missionaries who have pushed me as well as others to share the love of Jesus to their people of the DR. I will share just one of the many experiences I had here. On my first day of being in the clinic, I was working in evangelism with Spanish translators who were also missionaries. The problem we had was most of the people there did not speak Spanish. They were refugees from Haiti and spoke a native Haitian language. This becomes a problem as we translating from English to Spanish to Creole which is extremely hard to translate the gospel twice in three different languages. So, through God’s sovereignty I got to see our translator take the reins and share the gospel with the Haitian people whom we were serving. It came out of nowhere as trying to translate the gospel that many times became too difficult. It was amazing, and it showed me that we were there really to come alongside these wonderful people and help serve them so they can serve those around them. The gospel is real and was being shown by not only us but by the people of the DR. It was such an honor to just be able to be a simple cog in the machine to be able to share the gospel with these folks.
I hope this was encouragement to all of you because it was such an amazing experience that I had. I hope God is glorified through this writing, trip, and everything we do. All Glory be to Him. This morning when we arrived at our church in Monte Largo where we would be working, we had the opposite of yesterday: the church was large and spacious, there were windows, and a nice breeze for the inescapable heat. By His grace, we were able to serve these people to the best of our abilities for their medical needs as well as their spiritual needs. Although we did our best, we prayed with patients that the Lord may grant them healing, wellness, and that they may know the love of Christ in their lives, for we knew that ultimately, we are at His mercy. The day went well and students were able for have new experiences in the medical stations that they otherwise would not have had. For example, there was a pregnant woman who came to the clinic and we were able to provide her comfort after using a fetal doppler to let the mother hear her baby’s heartbeat. Today’s village was smaller and resulted in only half a day of clinic, which was a blessing to provide us with much needed rest for which we were all grateful. I look forward to continuing to serve the communities of the Dominican Republic through His glory. Vanesa Figueredo, ACOM Medical Student Upon our arrival to a village in San Pedro, our team was met with a challenge- a tiny church, half the size of yesterday’s, which left us wondering how we could fit all our stations and supplies. With the grace of God, the team was able to work together to make the best use of a small space. Despite the heat, it was beautiful watching all the volunteers from different backgrounds work towards the same common goal of letting God work through us to help as many patients as we can physically and spiritually. The team provided care to church and community members by listening to worries and treating them. It was a joy to watch the smile on the patients’ faces when we ask to pray for them at the end of each visit, and seeing how much a simple act means to them. Another thing that stood out to me today is that when a patient experienced an emergency down the road, part of our team was quick to run over and provide help with no hesitation, not leaving until ensuring the patient is taken care of. I’m grateful and humbled seeing what God has in store for us each day and how He can use us and push us to provide for others.
Sandra Fanous, ACOM Medical Student Today we went to a church in San Pedro. The team provided medical care to the residents, the pastor & his family, and members of the church. We provided care by treating abdominal pain, headaches, cardiac and respiration abnormalities, and skin irritations. We also provided evangelism care by listening to the patients and their stories. We shared the gospel with them, and it was a joy to see the patients leave with hope for their physical and spiritual well-being. There were many laughs and many tears. It was so fun to interact with the people here in the Dominican Republic and practice speaking their language while learning from their culture. Seeing the joy and wonder in the children here was so inspiring as well. An impacting moment from today was when we were standing outside of the church with the sun shining down. We all had a hand on the pastor, and as we were praying over him and the future of the church, I felt a wave of instant gratitude and thankfulness for the goodness and grace of God. It brought tears to my eyes while thinking back on all that we did today. I am beyond thankful for the opportunity to be here and serve Christ while combining my love for medicine and this culture. These are moments in my life that have impacted my walk with Christ and moments that I will never forget.
-Hunter Lane, UAB Nursing Student Today, we went to Catalina Island and saw beautiful palm trees, ate delicious food, and snorkeled. It was amazing to see God's beautiful creation and enjoy the clear blue waters, sunny skies, and summer weather. Luckily, the sun did not toast anyone. To end the day we adventured to the skate park for roller skating and sweet treats at Lily's Place Thank you all for praying with us this week. Continue to pray we have safe travels tomorrow as we head back to the states! Day 6 in the Dominican Republic
Today in San Pedro, the team was able treat many patients at Pastor Jose Ramon’s church. God’s presence is always in the midst of the environment. The gratitude from each and every patient warmed our hearts tremendously. We treated many different conditions that includes the following: tonsilitis, ear infections, bladder infections, overuse forearm injuries, low back pain, hypertension, and diabetes. We have been constantly reminded to be grateful for all the things that God has blessed us with, including the opportunity to help his people in other countries. We want to thank our team for working diligently to serve and treat people, the translators for explaining and translating information to the patients, and to SCORE International for hosting our stay and making this all possible. Congratulations to Doctor George Harris for treating so many patients. Today he treated about 44 patients by himself. The energy and passion he brought to the trip was unremarkable. Tomorrow, the team will finish the mission trip with a fun day at Catalina Island. Thank you all for praying for us while we serve the Lord and his people. -- Day 5 in the Dominican Republic
Today in Villa Verde, we treated the residents, the pastor, his wife, and the members of the church. The team was able to provide medicine, therapeutic interventions, wellness checkups, and spiritual care. We also were able to sight see and play with children throughout the village. God’s presence filled the atmosphere and the hearts of the people in Villa Verde. The people left with so much joy and gratitude knowing that we were able to help them with their spiritual and physical needs. Please continue to pray for the team and the people of Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic. Tomorrow we will be traveling to San Pedro to the church of Pastor Jose Ramon. -- Day 4 in the Dominican Republic The team had a blast today in Monte Cristi. We were able to serve and treat members of the community, local church, and the nursing home. Our students were able to give some great massages and administer a quad cane and a couple wrist braces. There were a variety of conditions that we were able to treat including stroke, low back pain, abdominal pain, hypertension, and fungus. We also provided spiritual care and encouragement to each patient. At the end of the visit, we were able to visit the residents of the nursing home and brighten up their day with music and dancing. Tomorrow we will be serving Villa Verde. As always remember to keep this team as well as our patients in your prayers. Day3 in the Dominican Republic
Today was the first day of service and the holy spirit truly shifted the atmosphere in El Penon. We were able to see more than 30 patients today. Each patient was unique in their own special way. These God-fearing people impacted our lives the same way we were able to impact theirs. The MD, PTs, PT students, and OT students worked diligently to adapt to the environment and utilize their skills in amongst a different culture. There were lots of laughter and joy that will be remembered for a lifetime. Next assignment will be tomorrow at Monte Cristi. As always continue to pray us as we let God use us in mighty ways. This is the day that the Lord has made! Today we attended a church service at Iglesia Bautista, and the topic of the sermon was John chapter 21. Afterwards, the team had fun in the sun either at the beach or by the pool. Tonight, we had fulfilling small group sessions and we are looking forward to serving and ministering to the communities in the week ahead. We ask that you continue to pray for us as we let God use us in mighty ways this week to help others.
Welcome back to our column,
Wow. Our days of clinic have come to an end. We truly cannot believe how fast the week has come and gone. We’ve been so blessed to apply our knowledge throughout the week and physically help these people of the DR. Today proved our growing confidence this week as all of the students started faithfully making decisions and doing precise injections, exquisite extractions, and peaceful cleanings. The special story from today is just the cohesiveness and calmness of the clinic today with everyone working in unity and selflessness. Over the week it has been incredible to watch this special group of people not only grow closer together, but also grow in their faith. It’s a beautiful thing to see so many people care for each other and come together to care for other communities. Today’s clinic was short, and we ended the afternoon early. This gave us the opportunity to pray over the pastor and his family of the church we were in today. It was evident that God has been moving in that community, and we prayed for continued blessings upon them. We are so grateful for this week, these people, these opportunities, and mainly for the Lord providing in so many ways and remaining faithful throughout many circumstances. We hope you’ve enjoyed the day-by-day details, but wanted to use today’s blog to speak about the way God has changed us this week. We are hopeful for a continuation of this faith when we get back to Birmingham. Now, for some comedic relief…we feel like we’ve only been mentioning Catch Phrase, which feels discriminatory towards the other games that have been a hit, including the legendary Qwirkle and Nertz. These games can get pretty heated (maybe not as much as a monopoly game), but we still try to keep it friendly when we Qwirkle. Alas, tomorrow we are headed to Catalina Island: BEACH DAY. After an entire week of tough work, we are being rewarded by a relaxing field trip to the bluest waters you could ever imagine. Stay tuned for the many, many pictures of resort-like beaches and specifically delicious pineapple drinks. Over and out for today, Halle and Sarah Jordan Hola amigos, we’re back again for another update! Another day, another stellar breakfast, what more is there to say? Just kidding, we’ll give you the full update you’ve been yearning for. After our morning worship and quiet time, we headed to eat some delicious pancakes to energize us for the activities of the day. After a short travel, we arrived at another village and set up in a small church with a pretty blue cross on the front. The town was known as the “green village” because most of the houses are painted green. There were many great stories from the morning and afternoon, we wish we could include all of them. Some of us have a touch of PTSD from encounters with crying children today, and might even be more scared of the children than they are of us:-) A boy from yesterday who we were unable to treat completely was able to come back to the clinic today, and our amazing Dr. Claire (who will never stop receiving shoutouts) was able to get that tooth out!! We had some other kids who also came into the clinic today who Claire and some students were able to comfort and get treated so compassionately. Also, Griffin got his first extraction today, yay!! Optometry station was especially special today, as Natalie and Malia both got a chance to step away and get a turn at the evangelism station. Shoutout to Jennifer and Hannah to getting out of their comfort zones so selflessly, and stepping in for the Optometry students so they could get that chance. Speaking of evangelism, Bobby and Dr. McClenny and their teams today were able to lead an 80-year-old man to the Lord which was incredible to hear about. A very interesting update from today was the exciting power outage that occurred near the end of the afternoon due to heavy rainfall. Doing dentistry in the dark was a new venture. Who knew you could take out a few teeth with only loupes lights? The rainfall was a unique experience, and honestly a peaceful and refreshing way to end day 4. Now we are reenergized enough for some Catch Phrase tonight and our last day tomorrow!! Overall, it was a great day with the people in the village. It was truly amazing seeing the Lord move in ways that we will never forget. ` Over and out for today, Sarah Jordan and Halle Thank you for staying tuned to our channel…
In case you were wondering, we did in fact choose sleep last night. Anywho, another wonderful day in the beautiful Dominican has come and gone. We had a great start to the morning with worship and then delicious empanadas for breakfast. We then ventured on over in our handy travel buses to a village school where we did a speedy setup for the day. The morning shift was rocky as we had many difficult cases. There were a few defeated students and dentists, but as always, the Lord provides. We were blessed to have an Oral Surgeon, Zach, to truly be so helpful. Cleanings and simple extractions also came and went throughout the day, with Hunter and Jennifer getting their first ever extractions completed!!! One special aspect that we have found on this trip is that helping these people can be as simple as holding their hand during an extraction. The trust that you can give to a child who is shaking with fear or even an adult with tears in their eyes is something not to be taken lightly. It may seem like we are just taking out a tooth in that moment, but to them it’s much more than that. We are thankful for the words of encouragement from each other as we go through these moments with patients together. It can be difficult to keep emotions in check when your emotions are hit high in some of the more difficult procedures. One patient today asked if he could pray over his dentists that had helped clean his teeth for him, and that was special to see the Lord working to bring his act of faith to us. It is humbling to see people who have so little be thankful for such simple acts such as a cleaning. Another shout out to our two wonderful optometry students, who we found out saw 53 patients yesterday…the dental students (with 9 chairs) saw 55, if that tells you anything! We are so grateful for another day of being vessels for the Lord’s work and cannot wait to see what tomorrow brings!! Over and out for today, Halle and Sarah Jordan Hello again to our fans, We are truly so sorry for the lack of humor and creativity yesterday, because we were very much lacking energy. But, have no fear – we are readier than ever to make you laugh. Day 2 here in the Dominican Republic started out with none other than coffee, worship music, pancakes, and devotional time. We loaded up again on the buses at 7:55 and headed to our next clinic destination. As returnees, we can confidently say this was the nicest clinic we have experienced so far: very spacious with lots of airflow. The morning consisted of LOTS of cleanings, a few extractions and restorations, and no mishaps, fortunately for us. The optometry students had an amazing morning, too. After helping a patient and praying for her, the patient wanted to pray for them, showing yet again the powerful move of faith in our clinics. After another lunch of sandwiches and the iconic Queso Lays chips, the afternoon was a lot of hard work. The second operative chair had to be shut off after the machines weren’t able to generate the burs or suction, but Dr. Claire Walker was being so incredibly supportive of the students. She also worked until the very last minute of clinic closing in order to remove a mesial root for the last patient. Another HUGE shout out to Christina for pulling her first tooth today! Led step-by-step by Tyler, she was able to grab a hold of the lower anterior and finally feel the adrenaline rush that comes with getting a non-restorable tooth out and giving immediate relief to a patient. Once we loaded up the trucks and made our way back home, we had another amazing dinner, then gathered in the upper room of SCORE to hear tonight’s speaker: Dr. McClenny. Normally being taught by him in dental school, it was especially sweet to be able to hear the way God moves through him and his advice to us about living the Great Commission through our careers. Now, we are lounging around trying to decide if 8:00 pm is too early to go to sleep, or if we have enough in us to ignite a game of Catch Phrase. Stay tuned!! Over and out for today, Sarah Jordan and Halle Welcome back avid readers,
We have officially completed our first day of our mission trip in the Dominican Republic. Juan Dolio has welcomed us back with open arms, as we immediately had a line of patients when we arrived to set up the clinic this morning. We started the morning off with a delicious breakfast, of course, then headed to worship and our quiet times. It is always great to start the day in prayer so that our hearts will be set on seeking and sharing the Lord throughout the day. We then hopped on our cute little buses and drove 45 minutes to a small village, where we began setting up in a quaint church. The first day brought its challenges, but we were able to pull off an efficient day in clinic and took care of quite a few patients. This included some really hefty third molars that gave our dentists a good challenge. We were able to give the people cleanings, extractions, and even some cavity removals and fillings. Along with our successes in clinic, we had amazing opportunities in evangelism with Bobby and Dr. McClenny sharing the gospel and leading many of our patients back to Christ. One special lady, Mrs. Margarita, has been away from the church for three years and was moved by the encouraging words of our evangelism team, proven by her spoken desire to go back to church on Sunday. This is just one of the many incredible stories shared today. The optometrists were able to supply glasses to many people struggling to see near or far. One little girl brought her Bible so that she could make sure her glasses gave her the ability to read the small text. We had beautiful weather today and are praying for a continued successful week that will bring the joy of the Lord to our patients as well as the care that they need. On a final note, we are especially proud of our D1 girlies who really jumped in today with injections and extractions even when they were nervous, and they did amazing!!! Although hot, sticky, and tired, all of us had great attitudes and are excited for what day 2 has to bring! Thanks to everyone for following along on the blog and for your continued prayers as we travel to different towns throughout the week. The 2023 Dental Team has made it safely to the DR with all their luggage.
Hello friends & family,
We enjoyed a little more rest this morning only to wake for COVID testing. After that unpleasant process, we loaded the buses for our rest day on Catalina Island. We drove to a city called La Romana, took our Dramamine, and boarded a boat! There was an unfortunate event with a smaller boat sinking near us but our boat was able to welcome them aboard. The Chilean children and grandmothers looked quite frightened but one of the students asked an interrupter to pray and thank the Lord for the protection he gave them. The family was very touched and thankful. After our short detour, we enjoyed snorkeling on the coral reef and cliff jumping before arriving on the island. The water is crystal blue and extremely salty so we were able to lay back and float quite easily! We were all marveled at the beauty of the island! The locals served us a lunch buffet—even had fresh fish they made over the grill. The team scattered—some chose to take a nap under the palms, others played volleyball and frisbee in the water. We worked on our bargaining skills while purchasing some surprises for you all and a few treats for ourselves! We left with our tanks filled! We returned back to the Score Facility to enjoy an Argentine Barbeque by a few local pastors. They served us a delicious meal of local meats and my favorite condiment chimichurri. The pastors shared their testimonies on how Jesus has worked in their lives to save them from desires of the world—they both dreamed of becoming professional baseball players in the United States. Our team has beautiful unity—lots of deep conversations coupled with plenty of laughter. It has been an amazing experience to see the students grow in their medical confidence as well as their boldness in sharing about what Jesus has done in their hearts. Many students have learned how to share the Gospel and pray with their patients, giving holistic care to the entire person: body, soul & spirit. We have approached the throne of God with our supplications. He is faithful and good, and we are spending our last evening together talking of everything He has done for us and through us for the Dominican Republic. The future of healthcare is bright with these men and women who will be caring for the generations of patients for many years—on U.S. soil and beyond. I dare to say, many of these students will one day be physicians who continue to give their lives and skills to serve patients all over the globe and to serve our Lord. Please pray for safe travels back for our team tomorrow. We are excited to share more stories with you. What a joy to watch the students live out Romans 10—“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” In Christ, Sarah Story, RN Natalie Barefield, PA-C What’s up everybody!
One last day of waking up before 6:00AM! Today marked our last day of clinic. As we filed in for worship at the crack of dawn we were filled with excited anticipation to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the Dominicans once again. We kicked off the morning singing to the Lord about returning to the heart of worship (the worship team being Dr. Brian Shaw, Ivana Smith, MC Carlton, and Seth Baxter, I would be remiss if I did not include the entire team’s names verbatim), and centering our souls on truth from the scriptures as Hope Harris led us for our devotions out of Titus 3. The mess hall was filled with hearty laughter as we gathered and ate breakfast together and we were soon loading the buses for a final time to serve the Dominicans. We unloaded our buses at Experimental (Municipio Consuelo), a village in which many of our translators and their families lived. It was a delight to serve and care for the families of our translators who have given so much of themselves on this trip to make our medical care and evangelism possible. It was a joy to see our translators showing us their children, mothers, and grandparents: trusting them to our care and inviting us into their lives in an even deeper way. There were many beautiful moments and stories shared today. We met a woman who came to us after missed periods, and after a pregnancy test we were able to share the (well received) news that she was pregnant! After giving her a supply of prenatal pills that would last for her remaining pregnancy, she was ushered to our evangelism station where she excitedly received Christ. There was a boy with a moderate-severe hydrocele on his testicle who we were able to start coordinating fundraising for within the church. There was a woman whose marriage was failing and whose life seemed to be falling apart, who we were able to encourage with the hope of Christ, and though she said she was not a Christian because she said she no longer read her bible or went to church anymore, she was able to leave with the hope and truth of Christ. As we packed up, the church was filled with song as we sang in Spanish with the Dominicans, praising the Lord in their native tongue. We prayed over their church, and before we disembarked for the SCORE compound, shared a bittersweet goodbye with the translators that we lived alongside and grew close with (shoutout to Willy and Piña, I love you guys!) When we returned, we met for our last session of worship, and our last session all together in the upper room. Tears fell as one after another student and doctor stood and presented passionate stories, wisdom, and testimonies. We encouraged each other to not let the trip ending be the conclusion of this beautiful family that God has brought together. We encouraged each other to not let the medical system and the culture in America to swallow us up and place idols in our hearts. We encouraged each other that we are not alone, and that we will always be here for one another. I am humbled to have been a part of a team that has welcomed outsiders with open arms and has loved and served each other with such tenacity. “Great Physician, heal through me”, I wrote these words in my devotional right before we began our first day of clinic. As I set up each chair of my station every morning next to Dr. Brian Buning, I would repeat this prayer. Through every early morning and every late clinic, through exhaustion and setbacks, God has used us to be His healing hands. We have been used as instruments of mercy, and that is a privilege that I cannot properly express into words. I am blessed that my first students were those on this team, and it is the highest honor that the first patients of my career were on this mission trip. I am undeserving to have met as wonderful people as these, but God has been kind to me. -- Dr. Brian Shaw Orlando Regional Medical Center – PGY-1 |
Archives
May 2024
Categories
All
|