The Beacon Team arrived in September and began work immediately. Friday night, Dr. Milton, the Dominican doctor with whom RMI partners, came to introduce himself and share details about what to expect and how the medical clinics would operate. The next morning, the team got up very early to make their way to the first Haitian medical clinic, which was held at a Haitian church. This was actually one of the churches that the team visited last year. They helped build the church, and it was neat for them to return this year and host a medical clinic in the completed church.
On Sunday, the team got up very early again to meet at another Haitian church at 7:00 a.m. for the church service, and then they began the medical clinic afterwards. There were many children at this clinic who loved playing with the team and having the team create countless paper airplanes for them.
At these medical clinics, patients began by providing their names and information and then had their blood pressure checked. They then had a meeting with Dr. Milton and discussed their symptoms with him. He checked what he had on hand to help them or provide them with continued medications that they would come back to the clinic to collect monthly. If their symptoms required more in-depth treatment, he provided them with information on visiting his clinic, which he offers at no charge.
After meeting with Dr. Milton, they would obtain any necessary medications and then proceed to the glasses table if they required corrective lenses. There were glasses to help with reading for near-sighted or far-sighted individuals, so we had a station set up with some tools to help determine who needed what. We also had a table set up of donated clothes, which was a huge hit and went really fast. The team also brought some toothbrushes and toothpaste kits, which went like hotcakes on the very first day.
Throughout the rest of the week, the team went to another Haitian medical clinic. However, Dominican immigration presence was strong in this community, and immigration stationed two soldiers in front of the road that led to the church to scare Haitians away from the medical clinic. This was a profoundly eye-opening experience for the team, enabling them to gain a firsthand understanding of how this affects the lives of Haitians.
The other days, the team went and were the hands and feet of Jesus to Dominicans in nursing homes. When you think of nursing homes, the ones in the DR are nothing like those in the US. One of the team members stated that our homeless shelters are nicer than these facilities. The people helping these older individuals in the nursing home are doing their best, but they only have limited resources and assistance. The Beacon team was the first group of any kind to come and pour love into the residents.
They took the time to perform medical tasks with Dr. Milton, scrubbed the floors and walls, and helped to bring dignity to each resident by determining if glasses would be beneficial and providing them with a pair. They had a vast ministry of presence at each of these three Dominican nursing homes, helping the residents feel seen, known, and loved by their Creator.
All in all, the team assisted around 160 Haitians at the three medical clinics and approximately 40 residents between the three Dominican nursing homes. We were very thankful for the Beacon team’s willingness to pitch in and help wherever they were needed. They got their hands dirty, but they did it with joy and shared the love of Christ with some very needy Haitians and Dominicans.
