This past Saturday started out like any other Saturday. We were all buzzing around Hope Center, cleaning the dorms for the next team, packing away the groceries the cooks bought in preparation for another week of team meals, reorganizing the clinic for another week of seeing patients, etc. when suddenly there was a loud rap on the back gate of the compound. When Tony opened the gate, there was a thin, young woman who could barely walk, obviously in tremendous pain, holding her hand that had been loosely wrapped in gauze but was quite saturated with blood. Two men held her up on either side, and they were all very much in distress. Tony quickly helped the woman to the clinic and began to check on the injury. She explained to him that someone came to her house that morning and when she opened the door, the person at the door attacked her with a machete and nearly sliced her hand off. Her hand was deeply gashed across her palm and on around to the top side. The tendon of her pinky finger was obviously severed because it was hanging to the side and she could not lift it. Tony was afraid bones were cut as well. As soon as he saw that the tendon was cut, he realized we needed to get her to a hospital. About the time he was headed to the house to check on some things, I walked out and could immediately tell by the look on his face and his three unfinished sentences started at once that something was terribly wrong. He explained to me what was going on and I rushed over to the clinic to see how I could help. As soon as I saw her, my heart wrenched for her and I knew I needed to go with her to the hospital. The two men with her wanted to take her to the hospital on a motorcycle tap-tap, and she clearly would not have made it to a hospital that way. She couldn’t even walk! I asked Tony if I could go with her to the hospital, and he said I couldn’t go to Port au Prince, but I could go as far as to Ganthier to help secure a tap-tap to get her to the hospital. We lifted her into the truck and she immediately fell back on my shoulder in tears. I held her and began to pray. On the way down the road, we passed Jacques’ truck near the orphanage. Tony asked Jacques if he could take her since he speaks good Creole as well as English. We switched over to his truck and off we went. She wimpered softly through the fog that the medicines had brought upon her, and tears continued to gently stream down her gaunt, ebony cheeks. Jacques proceeded to make phone calls to see where we needed to go. I continued to pray. He decided to take her to a clinic in Fond Parisienne that has an ambulance service and doctor on duty. We took her in to see the doctor. He decided to x-ray her hand to see the extent of the damage. Hallelujah, there were no severed bones, however, he confirmed that the pinky tendon was severed and that would need to be fixed before sewing her up. He wrote us a letter of admittance to the emergency care hospital in Tabar, gave her a pain injection, and off we went again, this time to Port au Prince. (He would not agree to an ambulance) I decided to sing to her to see if that would help calm her spirits. She slowly drifted off into a deep sleep as we jostled around in the back seat of the truck while passing over portions of the highway that were covered in pot holes, cracks, and rough terrain. After driving for about 45 minutes, we finally reached the emergency care facility. I took her in while Jacques parked the truck. The hospital staff had me take her over to a gurney in an open waiting area then communicated to me that I would need to wait in the waiting area where there were no less than 70 people. After praying with her one more time, I obeyed and waited for Jacques. He informed me that her family had called and that they were on their way to the hospital too. After being assured that they were almost there, we decided to go on out to the truck to prepare to head back to Hope Center. After a few minutes of waiting, Jacques said, “There’s more to this story than just a guy attacking her with a machete. This lady is involved with voodoo.” He explained that she had said some things to him in Creole that I didn’t pick up on. From there, we proceeded into a conversation about the voodoo culture and the things that are practiced and believed in Haiti connected with voodoo. It is truly something that most Americans simply cannot wrap our brains around. One thing is for sure. It is very sad, very violent, and very evil. I am praying that Marie realizes that Jesus loves her and that He is the reason she has survived this terrible act of violence. I pray that she will return to our clinic soon to see Tony and hear more about the love of our savior, Jesus Christ. I pray that she will be saved and healed and will no longer be tormented by the life she has been living under the curse of voodoo and violence. I pray that she knows she is loved. My heart is heavy for Marie tonight. I wonder if she is at home now. I wonder if she is thinking about the prayers she heard whispered over her. I pray that the Holy Spirit will give her peace tonight and that she will KNOW where that peace is coming from.
Tag Archives: but god ministries
By His Hands We are Fed
It has been an amazing week since I arrived back in Haiti. I wish I could share every detail, but I don’t have time to write it all and you don’t have time to read it all. However, today I just could not postpone writing another day. Today God showed up in a mighty way. This afternoon, about an hour before we were to walk back into the village to have VBS with the children in the back of the village, a young mother and her mother showed up to the clinic with a baby. As soon as Tony saw him, he thought the baby resembled the twins he has been taking care of for several months. This baby was very malnourished, just like the two he had seen a few months ago. Come to find out, his mother is the sister of the mother with twins. This child is fourteen months old, but he looks like he is three months.
This is Davenson and his mother Daena. His is fourteen months old but only weighs about fourteen pounds. Please pray for provision and improved health.
At first it seemed as if the mother didn’t want to feed him, but we soon found that she was just feeling helpless because her child wouldn’t eat. The reason he wouldn’t eat is because all she had to feed him was corn and he couldn’t eat corn. The nurses with the team who have been working in the clinic this week fed him some formula, and all he would eat was about two ounces. He immediately fell asleep.
The team felt led to give the family some food, so they asked Tony about it. Tony told them where he keeps the extra beans and rice for families who move in and Stan took the large ring of keys to the storage place to get the rice. There were about 40 keys on the ring and the door opened with the first one Stan tried. We got a 40 lb bag of rice, a gallon of oil, and a bag of dried beans and walked with Daena, Davenson, and his grandmother far into the village to deliver the food supplies.
The grandmother carried her grand baby along the trail through the village to their house. Soon he woke up and could actually hold his head up! It’s amazing what 2 ounces of food did for his energy level. Someone handed him a cracker and he held it almost the whole way home.
We all followed the grandmother and daughter through the brush down the long dirt pathways of the village all the way to their home. At one point, the grandmother took me by the hand and began to share with me how happy she is that God has brought us to her village. She said that she had prayed for God to provide for her family, and He sent Tony to the clinic of Hope Center and he gave them food to help her grand babies grow. (I was pretty excited that I was able to understand her as she said all of this in creole!) She and I began to sing “Mesi Jesi” (Thank you Jesus) over and over again. I put my arm around her and we walked and swayed as we sang together.
Standing in the grandmother’s home, we prayed for her family. We prayed for God to continue to provide for them and protect their health.
The grandmother showed us her home and told us that we were welcome. She asked us if we would pray for her home and her family. We stood in her little home made of mud and sticks and prayed for God to protect their health, provide food and safety, and give the grandparents wisdom as they continue to raise their family. After we prayed, we went back outside and made an exciting discovery. Daena was so excited that little Davenson was actually taking the bottle that he had refused earlier at the clinic! She was elated!
Davenson happily takes the bottle his mother is giving him. She was elated! Her baby was finally eating!
We visited a little while longer and took a few pictures then headed on back to Professor Soloman’s school to do VBS.
Here is the grandmother with her twin grand babies and Daena with her baby Davenson. All of the babies have been severely malnourished, but God is providing for them….by HIS hands we are fed!! Hallelujah!!
I was completely moved by this experience today. It tears my heart out every time I see children who are starving and their desperate parents and grandparents seeking any help they can find for their children. The thing is, we see this nearly every single day. But you know what? God is moving every single day too. The very reason we are here is by His hand. The very reason we have food to give to people in need like this is by His hand. The very reason people come here to help in the clinic and share the love of Jesus with our people is by His hand. God is providing in amazing ways, and the people in this village are so very grateful for the ways God is answering their prayers.
God is great. God is good….and we THANK Him for His provision of food. By HIS hands, they are fed, as He gives us daily bread.
“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19
Comfort from the Father
Sacrifice…
You know, I have heard it said many, many times that Jesus Christ knows our struggles and He can understand and identify with things we are going through, for God’s Word says in Hebrews 4:15 “We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” His Word says that there is no difficulty or trial or temptation that we can go through in this life that He was not faced with in similar fashion. He also knows that we, unlike Him, are fallen creatures. He was without sin because He is God – He “knew” no sin! He was the “I Am” that spoke to Moses through the burning bush, and He is the “I Am” that He claimed to be when he spoke to the Jews and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM” in John 8:58. The Word says, in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” And in Philippians 2:5-8, the Word states, “Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it something to be held as equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”
Wow. Today God has been speaking so much to me about this very thing….sacrifice. I know God is speaking to me about this because I spent most of the night last night speaking to HIM about it! You see, Tony and I both have been becoming very weary under the burden of the calling He has given us. This is not to say we have second guessed the call and the decision we made to surrender everything we knew as normal to become full time missionaries in Haiti. It just means that there have been times when we have found ourselves simply very tired and crying out to God for relief. Last night, as I cried out to Him for strength to continue on, He began speaking to me as my Father often does, saying, “My daughter, I love you, and I know how you feel.”
This cross reminds me of the sacrifice our savior gave to leave His Heavenly home to provide a way of reconciliation to me. Thank you Jesus!
It’s been a remarkable, yet at the same time, difficult six months for our family. We have experienced what it means to sacrifice in many ways. However, at the same time I have to ask myself, have we really? It certainly and often feels like we have! When we think back on what our hopes and dreams were years ago when we signed papers on a piece of land and began looking at house plans with dreams of building our own home there, our vision for the future did not include giving up everything and being divided between the US and Haiti. We did see our dream come true, and we lived in the house we built for twelve years, watching our children grow up and enjoying many, many fun times with them and their friends. Actually, when we look back, we realize that we have been blessed in so many ways. God has given us two amazing and talented boys who have been a constant source of joy. He has allowed us to travel all over the world whether through sports events, family vacations, or mission trips. He has given us gifts and prepared us for this time in our lives in such a way that we recognize that we are perfectly designed for such a time as this. In our weariness, it so easy to focus on the sacrifice and sometimes feel exasperated. However, just about the time we both feel exhausted under the weight of our current circumstances, Jesus reminds us of His sacrifice.
Think about it. Jesus left the glory of Heaven to become not just a part of humanity, but a sacrifice for the sins of those He came to serve. He gave up everything for us, and we questioned Him, rejected Him, and ultimately sent Him to His death. It was all part of a plan that He knew had to take place, and He willingly gave Himself. In one of His most human moments throughout the time He spent here, he cried out to God, when Matthew 26:39 describes that “He fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’” Because of His love for us, He willingly went along with the plan. He knew that in order for us to be reconciled to God, He had to give Himself as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. Was this easy for Him? NO! Was it necessary? Yes.
So when I compare our sacrifice to His, I come to realize that ours is small, yet He doesn’t see it as such because He comforts us when we cry out to Him! He says, “I know how you feel,” and He does!! He left His home and His father. He went to a place where life was very different and difficult. He experienced what it felt like to give up everything and serve with no real home to call His own or income other than what God provided through those He chose to use to bless and provide for Him. He sacrificed it all only to be unappreciated and taken for granted by those for whom he gave it all. He knows how it feels to be separated from His home and the comfort and glory of Heaven to go to a place of anger and filth and despair. Yet He looked around at the people He came to serve, and He felt nothing but Love. THAT is the key!
We turn to Him and we ask Him to let us focus on His love for us so that we can in turn love on those we now serve THROUGH Him. Just as Jesus had precious moments with those who truly loved Him and followed Him, we too have many, many precious moments with others who He uses to bless us – from precious Haitian brothers and sisters in Christ, to serving brothers and sisters on mission teams, to attentive brothers and sisters here in the US, God uses so many others to bless us in unimaginable ways. We turn our focus to Christ and His sacrifice, then we lift our eyes in praise to our loving Father who truly does know how we feel, and we are comforted and refreshed.
God has given us many precious moments like this one to be thankful for!
I am so thankful for a Father who loves us unconditionally and has a plan beyond our ability to comprehend. It is a good plan, and we trust Him. We are experiencing His grace and provision unlike anything we could ever have imagined. We are blessed to be used by Him daily, and we serve Him with GLADNESS!! Most of all, I am thankful that He loves us enough to comfort us. He is Good ALL THE TIME.
Our Crossgates Family praying for us before we moved to Haiti. Oh how we cherish the prayers of those who are led to pray!!
Filed under Haiti
Spring Break at Hope Center
I have been working on this post for two weeks now. It has been extremely difficult to write it just because I am writing about our time together as a family in Haiti over spring break and I just didn’t want it to end! I think I will start with a recap…. It has been a difficult year and yet it has been a glorious year as well. To think, this time last year we had just returned from Spring Break in Haiti with a team from Petal, and we were making plans to move to Haiti to serve full time. Now, a year later, we have sold a house, two vehicles, all of our furniture and most of our belongings, moved to Haiti; opened the medical clinic full time; opened the dental clinic (Tony learned to pull teeth); finished the orphanage; began making our house a home by painting walls and building cabinets; raised money for scholarships for over 200 children in our village; built over 20 houses and moved 18 families out of a tent city and into those houses; hosted many, many teams that have come from the states to serve in VBS, construction, medical and dental clinics, evangelism, and discipleship; taken mobile clinics to remote parts of Haiti; hired a Haitian pastor and countless other Haitians who for the first time have steady income for their families; seen over 150 people come to know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior; and now we are about to begin having services in our new church. Of course, this is not a complete list either! If I listed out everything, it would take forever to list and forever for you to read, so I have mainly hit the high points. In the midst of all of this, our family was faced with a difficult decision to sacrifice time together as a family in order to give our youngest son an opportunity to finish school in the states. It changed the dynamic of our experience dramatically, but God has assured us over and over again that we made the right choice and that He has the whole plan under control. This decision, however, has required more faith and trust in God than even our first decision to sell everything and move! We have had to trust that God would provide us a place to live while here in the states; trust that He would provide support that would cover the increased cost of living in two different countries for a period of time; trust that He would sustain us while being separated by so many miles and missing out on precious moments that we would prefer to enjoy together as a family. But God does sustain us, and He has provided in ways beyond our imagination, and for that we are so thankful. It is so hard…but it could be a lot worse, and we are thankful for what we have and how God has blessed in so many ways along the way. Now to Spring Break… Before we all arrived in Haiti as a family, the Lord made a way for us to be able to do some things together in the states as well. The week before spring break, we were invited to Briarwood Presbyterian church in Birmingham, AL, for a missions conference. God blessed us beyond our wildest dreams by introducing us to so many new friends and giving us many opportunities to visit with other missionaries and share the story of our mission to Haiti to countless people in Birmingham. We are so thankful for the new friendships we made during our time there!
During the conference, Tony and I sat on a map where Haiti is located and the children prayed for us and our mission. Such a powerful moment!
This is our first host family, the Shirley’s. Such a precious family!! We were so blessed to get to know them! I wish I had gotten a picture of the Warren family too! We stayed with them the second part of the week. Both were so gracious and a JOY to stay with!
At the end of the week, Tony went to Brandon to get Jacob and take him down to Dallas for a soccer showcase, and Jonathan and Katelyn came to Birmingham to finish the week with me and catch our flight to Haiti for Spring Break. I am so thankful that Tony could take Jacob down to Dallas and watch him play soccer. It is hard for me not being in Haiti, but I know it is also very hard for Tony not being able to see Jacob play sports. It is a sacrifice we have both committed to, but it is not easy by any means. We are thankful for chances to be able to to do these things that we used to take for granted before our call. At the end of the weekend, Tony and Jacob caught a flight from Dallas, and Jonathan, Katelyn, and I caught a flight from Birmingham, and we all met in Miami for our flights to Haiti together. When we arrived in Haiti, the team from Grace Chapel in Madison was already there. As always, God had already planned to have the perfect group at Hope Center for such a time as this. The team was a group of young people all around Jacob’s age that worked on construction and VBS with children on the Hill. Jacob had planned to go to Leoganne and join up with a group from Crossgates that was serving at an orphanage there, but after getting to Hope Center and getting to know this group of teens, he decided to just stay home and serve with them instead. I was actually glad it worked out this way because our family was together all week instead of separated once again. We enjoyed working with the team on a few things, but we also enjoyed just being “home” together as a family during this time as well.
Meal time with our team from Grace Chapel
All the young folks on the team playing cards together
Hanging out on the water tower. Fun times together!
Playing with the kids from the village by the soccer field
Jacob riding Bicly’s donkey
Family picture in front of Hope Center
Neighbors from the hill came to help pick beans for dinner
Me and sweet Bicly
Each mealtime, our cooks, Vierge and Therese, wanted to have their picture made with the food. They are so proud of their jobs!
Children having fun at VBS
We gave out lots of hugs and Easter suckers to the kids, and we enjoyed just walking around in the village and visiting with friends that we enjoy catching up with when we return to Haiti. We got to celebrate with the families on the Hill as they experienced electricity at their houses for the first time. We got to see great progress in the construction of the church at Hope Center which has made us look forward even more to worshipping with our Haitian brothers and sisters this summer. There was one really cool moment in clinic during the week that I wanted to mention. On Thursday, Tony sent for me to come down to the clinic to meet someone. Sitting there in the chair next to Tony was this precious elderly man. Tony introduced me to him and explained that this is the man who walks 8 hours every two weeks to come have his blood sugar levels checked and refill his prescription. He lives up in the mountain area. After kissing my hand, he immediately started trying to tell me something. Vladimir interpreted and I learned that this is the man who is responsible for initiating God’s vision for Hope Center and calling us to Haiti in the first place. He said, “I am the one who went to the mayor and explained that we need to partner with someone in the US to build a clinic here.” He is such a precious man!!
Sweet elderly man who walks 8 hours to the clinic every two weeks
Another precious moment was when Tony showed up in the house in the middle of the morning with this sweet baby in his arms. She is 3 months old but she looks like she is 3 weeks old! Her mother brought her into the clinic a few weeks prior and Tony was not sure if the baby would survive. She was severely malnourished and very sick. Tony prayed for the baby with the mother and asked God to give him the wisdom to prescribe the right treatment and for God to give health to this baby. God has answered his prayer! The baby is healthy and growing! Hallelujah!
Three month old baby that we have been praying for. God is answering our prayers and healing her body. Hallelujah!
At the end of our week together, we all went up to Thoman to go to Mathurin’s church. Jonathan and Katelyn sang and Bicly joined us for church and dinner. On the way back down the mountain, we all stopped to take in the beauty of God’s creation and take pictures. It was a PERFECT week, and we are so very thankful for the time we had to spend together!
Tony & Mickie on the way home from church in Thoman
Family time!!
Jonathan & Katelyn at church in Thoman
Jacob in Thoman
We thank you all so much for your continued prayer support as we seek to find a balance between serving in Haiti and supporting our boys as well. God is teaching us so much about our faith and perseverance at this time. As I studied the book of Hebrews this morning, God reminded me that the picture of our life doesn’t always look the way we thought it would look, but that doesn’t make it an imperfect picture. God’s plan IS perfect, and if we just trust Him and remain faithful to Him, He WILL bless us and reveal to us the perfection of His plan eventually. So many of the heroes of the Bible endured great hardship. They trusted God and He brought about so many mighty things for many years to come through the perseverance of His faithful servants. I want to be a faithful servant in both the work He has called us to as well as the role He has given us as parents. In both He is creating a legacy of faith that will endure long after we are gone. That is His perfect plan, and we are honored and committed to that work. HE is faithful to complete that good work through us, and no matter how hard it is sometimes, we will never give up on His great plan for our lives.
Filed under Haiti
Our God is MORE Than Enough!
Daniel, our new pastor at Hope Center, takes a picture of Stan Buckley and one of our new residents on the Hill at Hope Center as she receives the keys to her new home. Thank you Lord for Your provision!!!
Miss Marthe, age 82, climbed up in the cab of the JAC truck and waited with a smile, for the move to her new home on the Hill in Galette Chambon.
At the tent city in Delmas loading up the JAC truck for the first trip back to Hope Center.
Truck overturned on the road.
Bulldozer working the road after truck overturned.
Tony meets with Yonnell Hyppolite and his family while neighboring children come to welcome the new family to the Hill.
Sainte-Vierge and Marie Therese, our new Hope Center cooks are so thankful for their jobs at Hope Center. Thank you Lord for leading us to these two women. Please pray for continued understanding and clear communication as they learn so many new things required with their job. Before working at Hope Center, they had never used a stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, or washing machine and dryer. Life suddenly went from hard but simple, to complicated yet convenient. It was a lot to learn in a short period of time though. They have thanked God over and over again for giving them so much new knowledge….things you and I take for granted. 🙂
This is Joresse. He has a huge burden for the education of the young people in his village. He is a translator for Hope Center, and on the weekends, he teaches English, music, and computer at a school in the village. He does not get paid a thing for his time, but he knows that as he helps educate children in the village, their lives will improve.
Before leaving Monday, we made a quick trip back to the back of the village to a little school where one of our translators teaches English on the weekends. His name is Joresse and he teaches young Haitians English, music, and computer classes for free in his spare time. He has such a heart for the educational progress of the children of his village. His recent request for English Picture Dictionaries was miraculously met when he received exactly enough books from people ordering them through Amazon and sending them to But God Ministries. We delivered them on Monday before I left, and the students were thrilled! He is pretty sure the classes are going to grow now that God has not only provided books but He has opened the door to send American missionaries to the school often to help with classes. Joresse did ask me to get the word out that they need laptops for their computer class. Right now they teach a class of 15 on one very old desktop computer. They not only teach the basics of computer usage, but also Word, Excel, and Powerpoint….but again, on that ONE computer. I told him that I would get the word out and then pray that God would move to provide more computers. If you know of anyone who has a laptop they would like to donate to us to take to their school, please let me know. Of course, it needs to work and have decent battery capacity since they don’t have constant, reliable electricity. I know that God will provide for their needs as we pray, and Joresse knows that too. I am so very thankful for his servant’s heart.
Presenting the new textbooks to Joresse and some of his students. They were so thankful. More books will be needed as more and more students begin taking the classes.
Thank you once again for your prayers and support as we continue on this journey. As I have been writing this post, a song by Lincoln Brewster has been in my head that says, “You’re amazing – More than amazing – Forever our God – You’re more than enough.” Our God is indeed more than enough. We have cried out to Him, and He has heard our prayers. As we have sought Him with everything we are, He has kept his promises, and he has been faithful to provide for all of our needs. Words cannot describe how amazed we continue to be by the love the Father has for his children…He is indeed enough.
Walking in His Steps,
Tony, Mickie, Jonathan, and Jacob West
Creole to English Dictionary
Many of you have asked me, “What can I do to help you in Haiti?” So I try to let people know when I know of a need! There is a local English school that needs books! Here’s the book they need. Amazon.com has it for anywhere from $15 to $31. We need at least 15. One of our translators, Jorese, teaches at this school, and he is very concerned about the education of young people in our village of Gallet Chambon. He talks with Tony often about how he would like to see them learn English to better their options in the future. Jonathan, Jacob, and Tony actually went with Jorese to his school while we were there at Christmas and Jonathan taught them a song in English. It was “Lord I Lift Your Name on High.” After going to the school, Jonathan became burdened for them too. Of course, I like to look for God’s hand in everything and how He moves things to happen in order to bless people, so when Tony told me about this book Jorese said they needed, I immediately realized the reason God had the boys go to the school over the holidays! God wants to use people here to bless these students by buying them books! Wow. That is so exciting!
Above is a picture of the dictionary/textbook they use in the English school down the road from our house. Send me an email if you feel led to purchase one (about $16-20) and I will let you know where to send it!! If you want to just go to Amazon.com and buy it without emailing me, that’s fine too. Just make sure you have it delivered to our But God Ministries office. Here’s the address:
c/o Stan Buckley
But God Ministries
1440 North State Street
Jackson, MS 39202
Stan is going down there near the end of January and he has said he can pack some extra things. Wouldn’t it be exciting for him to show up and give Jorese enough textbooks for his students each to have one?! Oh my, I can hardly stand it, I am so excited. We have an AMAZING Father who knows our needs, and He is constantly working in our lives to meet those needs.
Thank you!…and be led!
Walking In HIS Steps,
Mickie
A Story of Healing and God’s Provision
Today I am just overwhelmed with thanksgiving to God for the miracle of healing and provision that He has performed in our lives. Every day God sends hurting and sick people to Hope Center – many walking hours from far into the mountains, seeking not only free healthcare and medicines, but prayer from a God-appointed, miracle believing man who loves the Lord and loves the people of Galette Chambon, Ganthier, Haiti. That man is my husband, and I am so very thankful to God for the miracle He has worked in our lives to move us to this place where we can serve Him and BE the love of Jesus to so many people every single day. Again, I am simply overwhelmed by the many testimonies God has given us in just the few months we have been on this mission.
Tony holding his first spend-the-night patient at Hope Center Clinic. A two-week-old preemie who’s mother was suffering from sepsis but has now been healed!
On Tuesday of this week, around 7:30 in the evening, a local tap-tap driver brought a young mother to Hope Center Clinic for emergency medical attention. She had given birth to a premature baby girl two weeks ago, and at this point, she could not walk, she had a fever of 104, abdominal pain, and low blood pressure. Her aunt held the tiny baby who was sleeping soundly, not having a clue that her mother’s life hung in the balance, needing nothing short of a miracle. Tony and Vladimir (our interpreter) and Ray (a dear friend and SP Chaplain visiting Tony right now) prepared for the task set before them. The air was heavy and urgent. Ray immediately began praying, and Vladimir and Tony set out to ask the questions necessary to diagnose the problem. In his heart, Tony prayed that God would give him wisdom and understanding to provide the care to this young mother that God would have him give in order to save her life. Within a few minutes, Tony had diagnosed the problem as sepsis and started IV fluids and antibiotics and something to reduce the fever. Desiring confirmation of his diagnosis and plan of action, Tony began to seek consultation with an OBGYN doctor and friend who had been at Hope Center just weeks ago. The doctor confirmed that he felt Tony’s diagnosis and plan were indeed correct and that she was better off at Hope Center than going to a hospital because not only had God provided the understanding and expertise, but He had already provided all the supplies and medicines she needed to get better. As soon as Tony could get a break, he went in the house and called me and asked me to get all prayer warriors on board to pray for this young mother because her condition was very serious. I sent out an email as well as a Facebook status, and within minutes hundreds of people started praying for a woman they did not know, but God gave them a burden to pray, so in obedience they prayed. “Praying” said one, “Done,” said another,” “Lifting her up,” answered another, and the responses went on and on. God had begun a chain of power that reached beyond an ocean to literally hundreds of people within minutes, and His power began to manifest itself in the body of this woman. Within two hours, her temperature had gone down to near normal and her blood pressure had returned to normal as well. She was still very week, but she was recovering miraculously. She rested in the clinic through the night, and Tony checked on her periodically. Above is a picture of Tony with the sweet baby.
This was our first spend-the-night patient at Hope Center, and as God provided everything this mother needed medically, He also provided for her family. You see, most of the time Hope Center is full of visiting short-term mission teams. Our women’s and men’s dorms are usually full to capacity and then some! However, this particular week, there is no one visiting besides Ray and Stan, our BGM CEO. That meant that an entire dorm sat empty – available for over night company! The young mother, her baby, and her aunt, who was attending her, stayed in the clinic, and several other family members, who came along on the long journey down from the village of Thoman in the mountains, were able to stay in the men’s dorm. Knowing this day was coming, God provided for this family’s needs by providing a place for them to stay while they waited for a miracle. Oh but wait! That’s not all!!
With no team staying at Hope Center, we normally would not be prepared to feed any extra guests. However, last week, our sweet friend Bicly had come by to share some fresh baked rolls with Tony, Vladimir, and Ray. After tasting the rolls, Tony asked if he could buy some from Bicly. Bicly said that he could not sell his mother’s rolls, but he could go back to the bakery and get some for Tony. So Tony gave him some money – a Haitian bill equivalent to about $13. He told Bicly to buy him a few rolls. Bicly went to the bakery and returned with $13 worth of rolls!!! Tony had three bags of rolls – enough to last him for at least three weeks!! He called me and said, “I don’t know what I’m going to do with all of these rolls!” Well God did know. God was preparing for a few guests! Tony was able to prepare breakfast for the family the next morning before going back to the clinic to check on Mom and baby. Hallelujah!
Tony needed a straw so his patient could drink while continuing to lay in the bed. He looked around and saw some oxygen tubing and cut a piece of it to use as a straw. If you look closely, you can see the straw coming out of the cup. 🙂
So the next day, after taking breakfast to everyone, he found Mom doing much better, but baby and a fever of 102 and was crying incessantly. Tony prayed for wisdom and decided to try ear drops. Within seconds of applying the ear drops, the tiny, baby girl became quiet. He started the baby on antibiotics as well, and she fell asleep in her aunt’s arms. Next, he checked on Mom. She was free of fever and her blood pressure remained normal. He started another round of IV antibiotics and prayed with her. Afterwards, he gave her a roll with peanut butter and a glass of Gatorade. She was too weak to sit up, so Tony created a bending straw for her to drink from by cutting some oxygen tubing. He sent me a picture of his ingenious work. Ha! He was quite proud of his resourcefulness. 🙂 Oh, and the rolls Bicly bought are there on the plate next to the glass.
As Mom began to be nourished, she also began to regain strength. By Wednesday afternoon, she was able to WALK out of the clinic to the ladies restroom to get a shower. Her family was elated to see her walking ON HER OWN. God had truly spared her life and performed a miracle in their lives, and they were quick to give God the glory!
Today – only two days after arriving at Hope Center near death – Mom and baby have been discharged to go back to Thoman. Baby is getting antibiotics and ear drops, and Mom is continuing on antibiotics as well. Both are continuing to be lifted up in prayer by countless believers who are rejoicing in the miracle we have witnessed this week. Not only did God provide healing, He provided food in advance for her family, shelter, wisdom in her diagnosis and treatment, strength as she recovered, medicine and supplies needed for treatment, and lots and lots of LOVE. This is truly and exciting day at Hope Center in Galette Chambon, Haiti, and we are rejoicing once again over God’s provision and guidance.
It is such a privilege to be a part of what is going on in this village. I thank each and every one of you who prays daily for our family and our ministry. I thank those of you who sacrifice each month to provide the support needed to keep our family on this mission. I thank all who follow the events that happen at Hope Center and rejoice with us over all of the ways God provides. I thank the prayer warriors who are faithful to jump into action when a prayer request is posted. Most of all I THANK GOD for what He is doing through all of us as we travel together on this journey. You have no idea how your words of encouragement, support, and prayers bless us. They really, really do. 🙂
Praise be to God for his provision!!!
Mickie
Filed under Haiti
God Knows Our Needs…from Tony West
I received this touching email from my husband this week, and I decided I would just post it as my next blog post. I am going to add in a few pictures as well. It blesses us so much that so many of you pray for us and support us through But God Ministries. We would not be able to daily reach out to so many people if believers weren’t faithful to trust God’s guidance. You all bless us as you lift us up. Thank you….
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Dear Mickie,
Tuesday, I had planned to have the day off. My plan was to get up early and read the Word with a cup of coffee. I did have one patient to see. Mirline had been in the clinic Monday night with a fever of 102. It was otitis media and horrible bronchitis. She had to have nebulizer treatments and medications to treat her infection, fever, and cough. I told her mom to bring her back Tuesday morning at 8:00 for another treatment. (I did not expect her mom to have here at the exact appointment time).
<<<<This is Mirline in her little school uniform.
G came to the door at 8:00 to tell me that I had a patient to see. I misunderstood him. I thought he was talking about Mirline. However, when I got outside, not only did I see Mirline, but I saw the waiting area was full of patients! There were 7 additional patients to see besides Mirline. They were all from the village where I went a few weeks ago with a midwife to a delivery. They had to cross a river to get here. The river level is up right now, and the currents are strong. It was a dangerous trip for them. After crossing the river, they then had to walk another hour to get to the clinic for a total of about 3 hours of walking. There were 5 children and 2 adults. The two adults were there because they brought the children. They had minor needs. Four of the children were very sick with fever and congestion. The other child had severe pain in her leg. She had to be carried in to the clinic. They all were assessed and treated and discharged with a bag full of medications and a few treats. 🙂 The children all needed antibiotics. We had exactly what they needed. The girl with the leg pain needed more than ibuprofen or Tylenol for her pain. We had Darvocet and topical lidocaine patches for her leg. We had exactly what she needed. We gave her the medicine and prayed with her. Within the hour, she was almost pain free, and she WALKED out of the clinic! One of the adults is the midwife that invited me to the delivery. I was humbled that she trusted me to take care of her grandchild and neighbors. I am humbled that God uses me to touch the lives of so many people daily who would otherwise die without medical attention. I get to see His miraculous healing power every single day. God is so good.
This is a mother of twins who came to the clinic recently. Her children had never seen a doctor before. They will now receive regular check ups and health care. Praise God!
God has provided us with with all the right medications and supplies exactly when we needed them in order to care for the wonderful people of this community. When Dr. Sullivan was here a couple of weeks ago, he commented that we were better stocked than some of the family medicine clinics in Mississippi. Each time a team visits Hope Center we gain supplies, medications, skills, and years of clinical knowledge freely shared. I am so thankful for all of this. I am so blessed to be a part of what God is doing in Haiti. One big need has been dental care. We have tons of supplies and equipment, and we have a huge need for dental care, but I just have no training in dentistry, so I haven’t been able to take advantage of what we have. Recently, God sent a team from Hattiesburg to Hope Center and a young dentist named Drew Middleton took me to school! He taught me how to assess dental needs and extract teeth! I am so thankful that God is providing not only the equipment and supplies to take care of the people of this community, but the training as well. I am just completely blown away by this. It’s additional confirmation that God is doing mighty works here in Galette Chambon. I am thankful to Drew and all of the other team members from all over the US who come here to share their gifts, talents, and expertise with us at Hope Center so that we can continue providing care to these beautiful people whom God loves.
Tony with Drew Middleton learning how to remove teeth in the dental clini
Today we had a lady out in the waiting area that was lying on the steps of the dental clinic. I asked her come into the clinic to lay on the stretcher until I could see her. She said she had severe abdominal pain and that she had lost a baby earlier this week. Initially I thought maybe she had a miscarriage or had a baby die at birth. Neither was correct. Earlier in the week, she had an 18 month old child die suddenly. She didn’t know what illness the child had. I assessed her and realized that her major problem was grief. I treated her medical needs, gave her her medications, then I asked Ray Meany to spend some time with her. (Ray is a dear friend of mine who I met through Samaritan’s Purse last year, and he has been visiting here with me all week.) Ray’s training as a first responder chaplain was exactly what this woman needed. He spent time with her and discovered that she was not a Christian. He took time to share Jesus with her, and she accepted Christ! We had exactly what she needed. God provided. I thought Ray had come to Haiti to support me. Ha! Although he has been a lot of fun to have around while there has not been a team here, he has been tremendous with the patients while they wait patiently to see the doctor. Again, God is providing all of our needs.
It is great that we are meeting the needs of the people. But what I am more glad about is the fact that we are doing so through the love of Christ as outlined in 1 Corinthians 13, “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” This was validated a few weeks ago when I asked the community leaders how they thought things were going here at Hope Center. They said that they were very pleased with the care that their people were receiving, but they were especially pleased with how we were showing love and loving on their people. That thrilled my heart.
Apparently the leaders of the community of Galette Chambon are not the only ones noticing what God is doing here. Today some Haitian congressmen came to Hope Center for a visit. They had heard that wonderful things have been happening here, and they wanted to come see it for themselves. We had a fantastic visit, and I even got to treat three of them for health issues. As we gain trust among the leaders of this nation, we spread the good news that Jesus loves the people of Haiti, and that God can and will provide for their needs. By they way, I have invited the mayor of Ganthier and his family over for dinner when you and the boys get here. Be thinking of a real “American” meal to cook for them. Vladimir and I have both been bragging on your cooking. 🙂 They are looking forward to meeting you all and visiting with our family. I am looking forward to sharing my family with the mayor too!
Thanks for encouraging me to write about events of the week. It s helpful. I hope the message of the notes is clear…. God is proving everything we NEED. Trusting in Him is not a risk at all; it’s faith that is moving mountains.
I miss you and the boys very much! I am counting down the days until you and the boys are home with me.
I am attaching a few more pictures that I thought you would enjoy sharing on the blog. Thanks for keeping that up. People need to know what God is doing here, and they need to know what to pray for.
Blessings to all….
Tony
I got a really big hug from Esther Geoffroi after I returned from my visit to the states in October. I was gone for 18 days and to Esther it must have seemed like an eternity. I know she is going to be very happy to see you and the boys when you get here. Everybody will be actually.
This father brought his little boy to the clinic a few weeks ago. They waited for a very long time before finally getting in to be seen. The boy was very hungry so I gave him a little can of Pringles. He fell asleep standing there with his hand in the jar.
What It’s All About
Today I sit anxiously awaiting the return of one of the teams that has been at Hope Center this week. It’s a team from Jackson, and not only do they have the remainder of the clay orders, but they have PICTURES from this week’s mission events!!! I can’t wait to see them and share them with all of you!! I have many stories to tell, but I want to put pictures with the ones I share. Stay tuned…..I
In the meantime, there is one story I cannot withhold from you because it completely melted my heart. This week has been a very tiring week for Tony, both physically and emotionally. It was his first week back (seems like an eternity to me), and he set foot back on Haitian soil with a team from Hattiesburg, Ms, there to run a medical clinic and dental clinic in tandem. This is exciting because we have seen soooo many people who desperately needed dental attention. On top of that, Tony has looked forward to learning many things from the dental team so that he can continue to meet the dental needs of the people of our village. We have a very nice dental clinic with tons of supplies and such, but he had no idea what we had and how to use it. He looked forward to being schooled this week…..and that is exactly what happened. Well, that and much, much more of course. Tony is so excited to know how to pull teeth now, and he can do it without causing pain to his patients, so that is really exciting. Thank you, Lord, for once again for Your provision!!
In addition to getting to learn in the dental clinic, we had a rather extensive medical team at Hope Center that included several doctors, including a dermatologist. Isn’t it amazing to know that God is providing not just general medical care to the people of this village, but specialty care….and FREE! These are people who get up early in the morning, many before daylight, and walk for hours in the dark with only the light of kerosene in a vegetable can to try to see a doctor. They will wait not just for hours, but some will wait all day long to see a doctor about a need that they have been having to ignore for months because they could not afford to get medical attention anywhere else. There are many unusual skin conditions in Haiti that need medical attention, so having a dermatologist there to see about these specific needs is such a blessing!! And here’s the biggest blessing….in just four days, this medical team saw over 500 patients and the dental team treated about 150 patients. Now THAT is exciting!!
Needless to say, for Tony, who is not only helping with the medical teams now, but he has also taken on many more administrative tasks now that I am not there, is very tired today. There have been meetings upon meetings upon meetings all week long with groups and individuals as we take care of other needs in the village besides medical care. There have been meetings about the orphanage, meetings about the school, meetings about a church BGM is helping to build, and meetings about general activities going on around Hope Center. It’s a lot to take in and a huge load to carry. I have prayed and prayed for my precious husband as he has flexed his administrative muscles this week. He is so compassionate, yet very detail oriented, and that is what makes him so good at what he does, but it can also be very tiring. Well, our God is a loving, compassionate God, and He knows that Tony needs a fresh touch from Him on a daily basis. God uses so many people and situations to do just that….every day. I am so thankful that my husband is in the hands of such a loving and personal God. This leads me to the story I want to share with you….
Yesterday, Tony and Vladimir went into the village for yet another meeting at one of the schools there. It was a difficult meeting, but God led the meeting and God provided the needed words to communicate what Tony needed to communicate. Hallelujah! After the meeting, Tony and Vladimir were walking along the dusty pathways through the village on their way back to Hope Center, and they were having a conversation about why we do what we do. He began to share with Vladimir about the scripture in Matthew 25, verses 31-40 where it says,
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
After sharing this passage with Vladimir, Tony said, “When we take care of the sick; when we give people water; when we give them clothes to wear and food to eat; when we love on the lonely and give hugs to the hurting, we don’t do it for our own glory or to gain points with God or anyone else. When we do these things, we are sharing the real love of JESUS. We do these things because the love of Jesus is INSIDE of us, and in our love and reverence to Him, His Love pours out of us to others. THAT is why we do what we do.”
Just as Tony was saying this, an elderly woman came running across an open field towards where Tony and Vladimir were walking. She was waving her arms in the air and yelling something they couldn’t understand. They stopped and awaited her approach because they knew she was coming to them. When she reached them, she began to hug on Tony, kiss his cheeks, and tears were streaming down her face. He understood some of what she was saying as she cried out, “Mesi Jesi, mesi Jesi!” (Thank you Jesus) Vladimir began to interpret to Tony what she said after this. She was saying, “I came to you in the clinic, and I was sick and you prayed with me and gave me medicine, and now I am well. I was so thirsty and you gave me a drink of water. I was hungry and you gave me some crackers to eat while I waited. Thank you, thank you, thank you Jesus for sending this man to our village.” Oh my goodness, I can hardly type right now for the tears filling my eyes. The screen goes blurry and my fingers shake. God sent this precious woman to assure Tony that what he was explaining to Vladimir was right on point. God assured Tony and Vladimir both through this woman that His Word is ALIVE, and His Word is being acted out every single day at Hope Center, and He DOES bless it. As if this wasn’t enough to knock their sandals off, they continued on their journey back to Hope Center and a middle aged farmer approached them as they were nearing the soccer field. He went to Tony and shook his hand in the usual Haitian fashion. Theirs is not a casual shake of one hand to another. They take your hand in theirs, then touch your arm or hand with their other hand as if to say, “I want to bless you with BOTH hands.” As the man shook Tony’s hand, he asked about Jacob. Tony explained that Jacob is not in Haiti right now, but he is coming back in a few weeks. The man proceeded to tell Tony and Vladimir that he misses seeing Jacob in the village. He said that Jacob would always stop and talk to him and practice his Creole with him and teach him English words so they could communicate better with one another. Then the man said, “One day I was hungry and Jacob went to his house and got some food for me. I was also thirsty and he also brought me something to drink. God used Jacob to bless me, and I appreciate it very much. I really do miss that boy.” Tony and Vladimir were both just amazed at what they were hearing. It wasn’t that they were surprised that Jacob ministered to this man and we never even knew it; it was that once again God sent someone to confirm His Word to them….”Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” God was once again confirming His blessings upon our work there and assuring Tony that He has used and will continue to us ALL of us in His plan.
Tony and Vladimir continued on their journey to Hope Center with a renewed and refreshed spirit. God sent these people along the pathway to bless them in return for their blessings to His people. His blessings are fresh and new every single day. We praise Him for being ACTIVE in our lives and taking care of every single detail. We praise Him with all that we have, all that we are, and all that we do. Oh how He loves us!!
Stay tuned for pictures of the week!!!
haitiwest 