Community Christian Church

COMMUNITY Making an IMPACT in Haiti

Written by Dave Ferguson Monday, 25 January 2010 07:45

Chris Savini and Bill Gossman are in Haiti making a difference because of the contribution from COMMUNITY attenders.  Chris and Bill attend COMMUNITY and when the tragedy in Haiti occurred they volunteered to go and do what they could to serve.  Chris has taken several missions trips to Haiti and speaks Creole and Bill is and ER Physician trained in disaster medicine.  They traveled in Haiti with The Global Orphan Project Team from Kansas City, a ministry partner of Restore Community Church which is part of our NewThing Network of churches.  The tragedy they are seeing is beyond description but how they are serving is directly impacting lives and it is because of your donations. To make a donation, click here. Bill Gossman was able to call his wife and relay some details of the conditions in Haiti.  Read what his wife relayed to me below:

I was actually able to hear his voice tonight!  Bill sounded so worn out and I could hear the concern and stress in his voice.  He didn't even know where to begin when it came to describing what he was seeing.  Chris and Bill have been working with The Global Orphan Project in Haiti and when they first arrived the injured people were being brought in to them and Bill was treating them as best as he could.  He was setting fractures, amputating limbs and fixing dislocations all without any anesthesia and it was hard to see so many, especially the children, in so much pain. They are in Port Au Prince where they have set up a medical clinic in one of the hospitals. Bill said it is not unusual for him to be the only doctor caring for over 300 patients! Patients are brought in to them constantly and some are too sick to treat and many have died. They have set up a make-shift morgue where they place the bodies and he said they are stacked higher than he is tall. 

Bill said that now begins the hard time of the disaster.  They are beginning to see the results of living in unsanitary conditions  - dysentery, meningitis and infections.  Everyone, including his team, is sleeping outside because the buildings are too unstable.  He also said that the people of Haiti are becoming desperate as food and water begin to run out.  They still need people to be making donations so the basic needs of life can be brought into Port Au Prince to care for  so many who are now homeless.. 

Thank you COMMUNITY for giving to the Haiti disaster fund and making an IMPACT!