January
2002
We accompanied a small team to the Dominican Republic in January, where we ministered to the poor and the sick in 4 different villages. The people, as always, waited hours in line to see the physician or dentist and receive free medication for their ailments. One area was especially poor, and there were many sick children there. We hope to return again to this area, bringing doctors, medicines and food. Below are some photos of the people and children our team ministered to on this trip.
This was an interesting trip. The San Juan River area is remote, beautiful, and pristine. There are no major roads leading into the area, so it is necessary to take a boat to reach the village people. We actually had to take a large boat to a certain point, and then a smaller boat each day from the beautiful rustic hotel where the team stayed. The patients came for miles on foot or horseback.
The most interesting case was a man who was brought on a stretcher, carried 8 miles, by 2 friends. He had been kicked in the abdomen by a horse, and had a deep abdominal wound. After we prayed for a miraculous healing of the man, who was very thin and emaciated, the wound was cleaned and treated, and antibiotics were given. Then, the 2 men who carried the man, thanked the team, and picked up the stretcher and proceeded on the long journey back home. We were amazed at the dedication and love of these 2 men.
We had many interesting experiences on this trip. At one point, as we were traveling in the larger boat, a smaller boat came along side our boat, and some of the passengers jumped from our boat to the smaller boat. We were informed that the border of Costa Rica was close, and in this way, people would cross the border without passing through customs. As always, God gave success and protection on our mission.
