The Story Of Shada

Immediately after you cross the bridge out of Cap Haitien, Haiti, on the right is the community named Shada, home to several thousand Haitians. It is a slum beyond the imagination of someone who has never been there. The closest I have seen in Haiti is the famous Cite Soleil. in Port Au Prince. The biggest difference is that where Cite Soleil has charities providing medical care, orphan resources, and schools - Shada has practically none of these.

It does have a small medical clinic that is only open one day a week due to limited funding. The "playground" is next to the water. It consists of a hard packed dirt lot, with open sewer streaming through draining into the adjacent water front. The huts are packed so tightly together you're forced to turn sideways to navigate the narrow paths - Again streaming with open sewage.

A request was recently sent out for additional funding for the clinic to pay a doctor in order to open a second day of the week. The residents of Shada have no money. They have to wait for the free clinic to open to take a sick child in for care, even if it means waiting 5 or 6 days for the next clinic day. The days I worked there, I saw several children under 2 diagnosed with Tuberculosis, but not receiving treatment due to financial constraints.

The clinic at Shada has been run by a midwife, Madame Bwa, for over 30 years (She is one of my heroes). Her adult sons now work in the clinic with her helping register patients, triaging, and keeping the patient flow moving. The clinic is open until it runs out of medications for the day. This past Wednesday, although there were over 150 patients waiting to be seen, only 47 could be treated due to that's all the medications that were available.

The clinic is currently in need of a good supply of medications. Funding to allow it to be open at least 3 days a week. An area for a laboratory along with basic lab equipment. Perhaps most needed, additional space for patient waiting, treatment, and examinations. Two adjacent rooms are currently available for purchase for $4,000 US.

I plan to continue taking medical teams here for mobile clinics when possible. The coolest thing about Shada clinic is that it really is Haitian people administering the clinic and providing the care. They just don't have the material or economic resources to provide the needed care for their community due to the extreme impoverished state of the community. When I wrote about the playground above, I didn't write about the children playing on it. Without exception, they all have the red hair and pot bellies that come with severe malnutrition. Yet still they were having a blast playing football - With a mango.

Hopefully you will decide to be a part of the "All Things Are Possible" campaign. We are seeking 400 people willing to commit to donating at least $10 a month for the next year. Your donation will make a huge difference for places in Haiti like Shada. I have committed to helping sponsor a second doctor with a portion of your donations. If you would like to make a specific donation to help expand the clinic, open a school, or join the micro-loan program in Shada, this can be arranged as well.

Please send your donations to:
Campus Church
Attn: Amy Freeman
1525 Indian Trail Road
Norcross, GA 30093
Note: Randy Moore - Haiti Mission Fund

Peace and grace,
Randy

All Things Are Possible

We've all seen the stories in the news marking the six month anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti. The reality for the Haitian people is really worse than any news story or a photo can portray. Not only are so many still living daily with unbelievable physical losses; the deeper emotional losses will leave lifelong scars for so many.

My wife and I visited Passion City Church this past Sunday night here in Atlanta. As we sang "I believe in miracles... With God, all things are possible", I was struck with the significance of this for Haiti. He really is this country's only hope. In retrospect, I was also impacted by these words on a much more personal level. Upon my recent return home, I have gone to work for a home health company here in Atlanta in an attempt to help provide some of my own support for the work in Haiti. Noble? Perhaps. A sign of faith in God and His provision? I'm not so sure.

I have often lamented that by spending so much time in Haiti, I am unable to devote very much attention to the dreaded part of this mission - Fund raising. I am trying so hard to have the mindset that instead of asking for money, it is giving others the opportunity to help reach people until they are physically able to go themselves. Being home for a few weeks should be the opportune time to devote myself to this facet of my mission. Instead, I am working for enough to support the here and now.

Wrong road Randy! With God, all things are possible, and yes, I do believe in miracles. As we visited Community Church Sunday morning, our family was overwhelmed by their love, their prayers, and their incredibly generous support. For me it was a much needed slap upside the head from God saying "I will continue to take care of you", just follow Me. Or, keep saying yes.

I am praying that God will provide 400 people that will commit to supporting this work in Haiti with a $10 donation each month. While I would love to have you as part of this group, the impact it you will have on Haiti will be immeasurable. I will be providing frequent progress updates on this. If you or your company would like to act as five or ten donors, we won't refuse it!

Please email me at ramoo76@gmail.com or comment below with your commitment, Then send your donation each month to:
Campus Church
Attn: Amy Freeman
1525 Indian Trail Road
Norcross, GA 30093
Note - Randy Moore Haiti Mission Fund

Thank you in advance for your prayers for the continuation of this work as well as for your support.

Peace and grace,
Randy

Haitian Memories

While at an ice cream social tonight, a friend asked what was the most memorable event for me in Haiti this past trip. After a moment's thought, I told him about the motorcycle accident victims we transported to the government hospital, and one of the victims subsequent death due to poor care.

After leaving, anther memory came to mind. Probably deeper and more troubling as it is one of those issues in Haiti, or in our world, that no one will ever be able to really fix. On the Saturday evening before I left a wedding was held at the St. Francois Parish. This is very unusual as most union in Haiti are simply declared by the couple as they move in together and become husband and wife.

Watching the beautiful bride, the families, along with the wedding party, it was so incongruous with everything else Haiti throws at you. It had a definite sense of beauty and normalcy to it. As we watched the wedding party all load up in one vehicle - That would make repeated trips to transport the remaining family, Burton pointed out our laundress and the daughter of our cook. They had climbed up on a pile of shipping pallets in order to watch the pretty girls in their dresses.

No photograph could ever capture the mix of emotions written so plainly on their faces. Wonder. Awe. Hope. You could literally see the dreams in their faces along with the realization that those dreams would most likely never be fulfilled.

For some reason this moment really impacted me. The moment reminded me that there are unfair things in Haiti, in our world for that matter, that neither I nor any other human will ever be able to fix. It is really easy to get spread thin in Haiti with such significant problems practically everywhere you turn. I am very committed to focusing on one or two projects going forward and then doing them to the best of my ability.

Helping provide surgical and mobile medical teams in Haiti will remain at the top of the list as will the development of a hemophilia patient registry and treatment program. I am praying hard that God will open the needed doors for these projects to go well and that they are in line with His will.

In the short term, I am starting a nursing job tomorrow here in Atlanta in an effort to get my finances at home in better order. I am currently planning on returning to Haiti around the middle of August. Again, like the plans above, I am putting all of this in God's hands. It seems the more I plan and make my own strategies, the more He does to remind me that He is in control and will guide me if I allow Him. It really is still all about just saying "yes" to him.