Guatemala Disaster Relief Update
Dr. Jim and Monica Lindgren and the Window of Hope Disaster Relief team have responded to the current crisis in Guatemala following the eruption of the Pacaya Volcano and the heavy rain, mudslides and flooding from Tropical Storm Agatha.
Since arriving on site we have been able to partner with our in-country network of churches and NGO’s to provide relief on a number of fronts.
The need is great and the “crime scene” of the disaster is spread out over a large geographic area. This is represented by the included photos and the stories we are hearing from the victims. We have worked both in the metropolis of Guatemala City and in the more remote rural areas. Today Dr. Jim flew with other organization leaders to a small air strip and then took a pick-up truck and a boat trip across Lake Atitlan assessing the communities of San Lucas and San Antonio. There we heard the heart breaking story of 3 families who all lost homes and family members to mudslides. One particularly sad report was from San Antonio where a number of people were moved from an area thought to be at risk of a slide only to have been moved directly in the path of where the actual slide came down. The result was tragic. One young girl lost both parents and is now left to face life as an orphan.
The stories are all equally painful and it is our desire to provide real hope and comfort to all who are suffering during their moment of need.
Our friends who work here full-time have begun a plan and are buying property to assist the 3 families mentioned above. We were able to provide a water filtration system for them to prevent disease and are providing medications to a physician who works with this ministry team.
To summarize, since arriving in Guatemala we have been able to:
1. Educate 120+ leaders to provide health information to the victims so they can avoid illness (water purification techniques, hygiene, food preparation, etc.).
2. Provide food for distribution to those at highest risk
3. Provide medical clinic to victims suffering from illness and the stress/grief as a result of the disaster
4. Distribute water filters to multiple sites to provide thousands of gallons of clean water daily
5. Assess needs to insure those suffering get care and are not taken advantage of – and to insure aid does not go to those who do not really need it
6. Assess current needs and work to develop local, indigenous and sustainable responses to restore communities to wholeness
7. Develop partnerships to work together to problem solve rather than reproduce efforts among local and foreign organizations
Many thanks to all of you who continue to hold us up in prayer and to those who have provided funding to our disaster relief efforts.
Your prayers and gifts are truly making a difference.
Be Blessed,
Window of Hope
Teach Us Your Ways – A Daily Devotion Inspired by Haiti
Exodus 33:13
“If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”
To the people of Israel God showed his acts, but to Moses He showed His ways.
Today while rushing to get to a field hospital in Port au Prince, then off to receive a team at the airport (all to help Haiti), it was very easy in the heat of the moment to work on problems without seeing THE problem – hurting people. As we rolled up to a security gate a large UN bus blocked our path. It was a bit of a nuisance as we had so much to do and so little time – all good stuff but…
I watched as the bus driver stopped and handed a Halal MRE (meal ready to eat) to a small Haitian boy standing at the gate in front of us. I then noticed the Jordanian patch on his military uniform and was challenged by his compassion and the significance of the moment. It is so easy to help the crowds but miss the individual person. Yet this driver was moved to act and to serve. It provides a reminder of what our own Lord modeled so well – that while Jesus could speak to multitudes, He always ministered to individuals.
Can we not also keep our eyes ever open to see both the near and the far? The crowd AND the little boy who needs to eat? Let us as believers learn from the heart of God who speaks to us even using those who do not share our faith. In so doing may we not only learn the acts of God, but also His ways. Then may we too see the joy of compassion ministry reflected in the full toothed smile of a little boy who will get to eat tonight.
Dr. Jim Lindgren is President and Founder of Window of Hope and an ordained minister in the Arizona District. He has led a disaster medical response team to Haiti and collaborated with Convoy of Hope to provide relief to the victims of the January earthquake. Convoy has provided over 3.6 million meals to the hungry in Haiti.
At PaP Airport
Very quick but productive trip to Haiti working with the health cluster at UN and collaborating with several hospitals to link them in with each other for personnel and supplies.
Today I caught up with and ran around with Fire Captain Paul who is back to help receive the surgical team from Mission Outfitters which includes one of my med school classmates. Just before they arrived I got a big surprise by way of an email that my flight out tonight will be earlier than scheduled by a fair bit.
I had to scramble with my bags on a moto-taxi last second but now am through security and waiting for the earlier Air France flight. The bugs with the re-opening of commercial flights still need to get worked out. To my chagrin there is no toilet after security and to stay hydrated I drank my water before they took it as I went through security. With a bit of effort I went back and forth and now am waiting with a bunch of people crammed like sardines in a sauna box.
I must say my life is so blessed though compared to those who live in poverty and suffering here in Haiti. For this reason we are committed to the sprint and marathon of the relief and to bringing hope and healing to this nation.
If flights go well I should be at the Pan American Health Organization HQ in Washington D.C. tomorrow to continue the collaboration and assistance with the medical relief efforts here in Haiti Many thanks to all the organizations who are working together on this and who are supporting our efforts and in turn Window of Hope theirs.
We are blessed to have you on our team and appreciate so much your love and support.
Be Blessed,
Dr. Jim
Back to Haiti
Thanks for your patience with us while we have been catching up. I spoke in 3 church services yesterday in the Seattle area to share the stories of our work and to fundraise for the ongoing work. Flew back to Phoenix this morning and my wife met me at the airport with new clothes, malaria medicine (this time we have time to take it – my Haitian guide got Malaria during my last trip in so please pray for Jude’s health). She also brought me snacks and supplies so I could take off again this afternoon. Should arrive in Miami late tonight and Lord willing be on the ground again in Port au Prince tomorrow morning. I will be there working on the hospital bed and capacity process and to help receive a couple sets of surgeons heading in to work in the hospitals. I will try to keep periodic updates though time has been the challenge lately. Please continue to hold our team up in prayer and thanks for your ongoing financial support. We are committed to bringing hope and healing to Haiti. More when I can. Dr. Jim
February 18, 2010
Sorry for the silence. We made it home and I made my appointment today with the retina specialist. The exam results were good. I likely was experiencing a prolonged ocular migraine from sleep deprivation giving me visual field problems for about 3 days. The retinologist says my retinas look good and I don’t need to go back for a year! Thanks so much for your concern and your prayers. Much appreciated.
We are doing laundry and trying to catch up on mail and emails (about 250 in my inbox this morning!). I will be heading out Saturday for a quick trip to the Seattle area for 3 church services (morning at Mountainview Assembly of God at Smokey Point Campus then Marysville Campus and evening at Lake Stevens Assembly of God). Come out if you can – I will be talking about our work in Haiti. I will then return home Monday morning and participate in another conference call with the Haiti Hospital Bed Capacity and Capability working group Monday and then plan to head to Haiti and Washington D.C. to work on the same this week. We continue to collaborate with our friends at Convoy of Hope and are working to supply medical professionals to areas of need working beyond and across organizational lines to benefit the people of Haiti.
You guys are great. We’ll try to keep you up to date on our activities. We may not have daily posts due to the administrative workload and travel but we’ll do our best.
Thanks and God Bless. Dr. Jim
Headed Home
Just finished a conference call with those working on real time hospital bed and capacity information for Haiti. People way more important than I’m used to talking with.
We then boarded our plane in Miami and are getting ready to head home. Hopefully the next posting will be from Phoenix before heading out again!
February 15, 2009
Well we made it out of Corn Island. The skies opened up and rain poured forth just as we were loading up to go to the airport. We arrived to find a mess of people who couldn’t get out the day before since there had been a lot of wind and rain. My wife had confirmed our seats and so we were able to get on the flight out and made it back to Managua.
When we arrived to the hotel, we were surprised by our collaborating doctor Dr. Jose in the lobby. The ministry of health wanted still more paperwork from us. We ended up spending a few hours fulfilling their requests. Not a fun experience but I think our compliance will help us to stay in good standing and help us with all of our future permissions to work in country.
We finally finished typing up paperwork on letterhead and submitting forms at about 5pm. We lost our day of rest but once again it is all worth it to see those in need receive care and the hope of the gospel preached both in word and in acts of compassion.
In the end we donated about $19,000.00 worth of medication and supplies to the people of Nicaragua. We treated nearly one tenth of the population of Big Corn Island and saw 1% of the islands population respond to the gospel message. Amazing!
We look forward, Lord willing, to returning home to Phoenix tomorrow evening. Jim has an appointment with a retina specialist upon return as I am having problems with the vision in my left eye. I would appreciate your prayers regarding this. We also have a Pastor’s wife who is ill in the hospital following child birth and request your prayers for her.
Thanks for all you do and for being so faithful.
Dr. Jim
Window of Hope
Feb 14, 2010
Great day. Slept the first full night in a month last night so I was relaxed and sleepy all day! We spent time with our driver and despite a rainy day went around the island on a mini-tour.
Finished with church where we preached. Told stories about Haiti and then 2 Chronicles 16 (King Asa) that some heartache and disease can only be healed by God. The gospel message of hope was well received and one family in particular came forward for prayer and reconciliation. Well worth all the preparation, travel, sleep deprivation, etc.
Back to Managua in the a.m. Then on home Tuesday to plan return to Haiti. Our team is great and it has been a privilege to work with our local hosts and the people of Corn Island.
Dr. Jim
2.13.2010
We finished up clinic today. The team did a great job. We saw a total of 745 patients in 3 days (nearly 10 percent of the population). This included 490 medical patients, 93 dental (56 teeth extracted and 50 cleanings). We saw 166 optical patients for glasses and filled 1,862 free prescriptions. We also cared for 169 patients younger than 7 years of age (lots of babies!). Great impact physically and spiritually with many first time decisions. We were greatly looked after by our host church and finished our closing hugs and goodbye ceremony singing in Spanish, Hebrew and some of us in English.
Tomorrow night I will preach in the church and share stories of Haiti.
Thanks for praying and for supporting Window of Hope.
Dr. Jim and the Corn Island team.
