Sandy Returns to the "Great White North"

Saturday August 23

The cows are in the garden, the laundry is on the line and the rain is coming down.

This morning I did the daily physiotherapy for Jasein Garcia while Sandy did the laundry outside. 

Jasein is getting stronger, his incision has completely healed and he maintains a positive attitude.

Wednesday we return to Santo Domingo for another assessment of his condition and for some pointers on the direction his therapy treatment should go.  For more info on Jasein visit our blog at 

http://web.mac.com/daveandsandy/losalgodones

Sandy has been working hard at keeping the medical clinic up and running.  She has been doing most of the real work, organizing the medicines and directing the afternoon clinics that Dr. Lambert comes in to do once a week.  We have been blessed with two indispensable volunteer helpers.  Gerry and Phil Staples, a retired couple who live in Puerto Plata, who also help out at Dr Bobs.  Without their help keeping the clinics going would be impossible. 

Although not officially opened we have been holding clinics three weeks in a row and the doctor has seen approximately 135 people in three afternoons.  

We are still going in to help out at Dr Bobs twice a week but we rarely have to take patients now as we often visit Dr Lamberts other clinic in Congrejo with people from our village.

Sandy's health has been steadily improving as mine seems to have been declining.  I ended up having to see the doctor myself this Wednesday's clinic and was put on antibiotics for bronchial problems.  However today I feel great.   We have been into the hospital in Puerto Plata about three times in the last little while with women about to give birth, thank God it hasn't happened in the car yet.  The last time the woman was refused admission because she had not had her, required by hospital regulations, ultra sound.  Doctor Lambert came to our rescue meeting us at the hospital and directing us to a 24 hour clinic where we waited (the woman lying on the floor in labour) for the technician to come in and do it. (Another 500 pesos).  Then we went back to the hospital where she could now be admitted.  She gave birth in the morning and is now back in the village with her baby daughter.      

This morning we had a request to visit an older man(80) from the village who had collapsed in the fields and only been found a day later laying out in the hot sun.  We mixed up a pitcher of rehydration salts and ice and I visited him.  He looked about 90 pounds wiry and strong but thin as a rail.  I think we have another victim, oops, I mean candidate for our feeding program.  I joke about victim because Doctor Bob just gave us a large bag of donated nutritional supplements which we give out but the way they taste you wonder wether you're doing anyone a favor. 

We are grateful to have had several requests for info on ways to send packages to us here in the D.R. but most inquiries we have made have been very discouraging due to the cost of shipping and the cost of import duties which seem to be at the whim of whom ever looks at it(potentially 30-40% of the perceived value).  At the moment my best suggestion is to wait for Sandy to return to Canada in September and send it back with her or with anyone else who may be visiting the D.R. (any takers? we could use the help).

Yes, unfortunately for me Sandy returns to Canada for all of September bringing with her some much needed good weather and her smile.  I will stay here and try to keep up with the clinic and  other assorted "problemos". 

We did receive some encouraging news.  Today, as I was leaving the home of the older gentleman, I bumped into Elio leading a group of very distinguished looking Dominicans around the village, they were filming for Christian television and there was a doctor with them who looked in at the old man.  One of the men with them pulled me aside and said he believed they were very close to getting permission to build the homes in Los Algodones.  I couldn't help it, I cried. (so what else is new?)  As they were leaving I noticed the diplomatic plates on the vehicles.

One last thing. " la Esparanza"  (the Spirit) is the new name for our village soon to be built, thanks be to God.

God bless you.  Thanks for your prayers.

Dave and Sandy, yours in "la Esparanza"

The Jasein Garcia story

The Jasein Garcia story

Saturday, July 26, 2008

This month Sandy and I were given the awesome privilege of accompanying

a young boy from our village to Santo Domingo for an operation

thanks to a small group from First Baptist McKinney, Texas,  

After visiting Los Algodones with Mission Direct earlier in the year the small

group "GRACE SIX" raised $1500. to provide an operation for Jasein Garcia.  

Thanks to the efforts of John Huizinga and Dr Janet McCabe surgery was 

arranged at Centro de Ortopedia in Santo Domingo through Doctor Scott Nelson

and CURE INTERNATIONAL.

Here is what Doctor Scott said about Jasein.

Jasein has a type of cerebral palsy which is a short circuiting between the brain and the muscles.  There are all types and variations of this.  Different types of the body can be affected as well as various muscle manifestations and levels of intelligence.  Pre operatively Jasein was a minimal ambulator.  He has problems with balance and involuntary movements (athetosis) that can not be significantly improved by any types of procedures.  These typically are static – not improving or worsening over time.  However some of his deficits can be overcome by training therapy etc. just as any of the rest of us would learn to do a new sport.  He was noted to have an internal torsion of his Left femur and a contracture of the Left knee.  These both can be improved with surgery which we performed on July 22.

 

The surgery went well as planned.  The femur was cut and derotated and securely fixed in a position 40 degrees externally rotated from where he was.  As well some tendons behind his knee were lengthened.  The hardware is strong and can tolerate weight bearing.  He is to keep his knee immobilizer on full time for 4 weeks then may remove it in the day time only for another 4 weeks after which time he does not need it.  He also was given a plastic brace to help align the L foot which can be used as needed.  He does not need anything special in the weeks to come and can begin some short distance (in house) walking with assistance as his pain permits.  Starting in 4 weeks we can begin a more aggressive program of exercises and mobilization.

 

Scott Nelson MD

cure INTERNATIONAL

As of today, thanks to God, Jasein is smiling, strong and positive but there is still a long road ahead and we ask for your prayers .

Living in L.A.

Dave and Sandy   

Written june 22, 2008

(Moving) and the heat is rising...  Sandy and I have spent the last two weeks moving into the new apartment in the medical clinic in Los Algodones.  An interesting experience in this heat and humidity as the least bit of exertion leaves us completely soaked.  (The little kids look at me with funny faces because I'm completely wet and they are cool as a cucumber)  Elio's friend Guiseppe helped us by loading all the big things like the fridge, stove and bed into his pickup truck.  Guiseppe retired from his job in Germany and now devotes all his time  as a volunteer, working supervising the construction that Fundacion el Samaritano is doing in Los Algodones.  He is there early every morning making sure everything goes smoothly and has blessed us with making sure our apartment is cosy and that everything works (rare in the D.R.)  The kids of the village love Guiseppe as you can see from the pics on our new "imac" web site. (look for the link to the top right corner of our blog).

(God answers prayer)  Recently Sandy and I were feeling very discouraged so we prayed for a little encouragement.  God answered this prayer in abundance with encouragement from the people of L.A., with visitors with Mission Direct, with emails and with a return visit from Bill Stephenson of Barrie Ontario.

(Mission Direct blesses Algodones)  This week was a very busy one with a group of 40 from Texas here with Mission Direct helping out in Nazareth and Los Algodones.  They spent many days in Algodones working at the building site and establishing relationships with the people of L.A.  Wednesday afternoon they blessed Algodones with food for every family in the village.  Because of the amount packed into every bundle this was not a very easy task and they struggled carrying the food packs to every home.  Also the children of one of the families of the group made a financial contribution towards books for the school library.   There were many other things that the group did to bless the village and us.  We thank them for the encouragement that their love in action is to us and the people of Los Algodones. 

(Bill Stephenson and Pastor Joseph go to Haiti)  Let me tell you a little about Bill and Debbie Stephenson who have been periodicaly visiting the D.R. for a little over three years now.  We first met them about one month into our stay here when they visited L.A.  God has touched Bills heart with the need to reach Haiti with Jesus Christ.  Teaming up with Pastor Joseph, Bill is developing a plan to start a training centre to equip Haitian Ministers to return to Haiti,  plant churches and spread the Gospel there.  This Saturday Bill and Pastor Joseph went to Haiti to see the situation there.  They return here on Wednesday.  We look forward to hearing how the trip went.  God placed this plan to train Haitian ministers on Pastor Joseph's heart and he has been faithfully searching for ways to bring it into being.  It is exciting to see Gods hand in all of this.  I'll write more when they return but there are other exciting developments that I'm not at liberty to mention yet... (Please keep them  in your prayers).

(Small change, big Blessing)  Moses Di Sabatino, (Elio's friend)  visited Algodones recently and blessed us with a gift of support for some of the new parents in the village.  Apparently one of the ladies in his church saves up her small change and contributed it all to help out  in Algodones.  This will help out Jimiy and his wife in particular who have a newborn and no job, and need the extra support.  

I have to apologize for the lack of email communication recently as the move to L.A. has deprived us of easy access to an internet connection.   

Thank you for your continued prayers, we could not do this without our family in Christ helping us.  

Your friends, living in Los Algodones...

Dave and Sandy Chapman

Six Months in the D.R.

June 10,

Here we are entering the sixth month of our stay in the D.R..

This is the halfway point.  Is the glass half full or half empty?

At the moment we are spending a lot of thought evaluating what we have been doing, praying and asking God to direct us.  Our time has been spent helping at Dr. Bobs and visiting the village with our first aid kit and basic drugs for colds, flu, scabies, parasites, fungus, headaches and fever. We have helped villagers get to clinics and hospitals and paid for tests and medications that they could not afford.   As well we have tried to target those in the most need of food and nutritional supplements and discretely give them packages.

I feel that I need to explain the reason for the need to be discrete, it  is not to protect the identity of those receiving assistance but rather to protect ourselves from being mobbed.  When others in the village find out that we have packages of food they ask for food too (as they are all hungry) .  

We also need to assist without creating a dependance on assistance, for this we need Gods help to show us the way.  We would ask for your prayers about this.

To our shame the one need lacking in the village that is not being addressed is the need to know Jesus Christ.  Please pray also that God will provide a way for us to share the knowledge of Jesus with the people of Los Algodones, and that God will make our last months here profitable for His Kingdom.

The village needs your prayers as we do also.

God Bless you all...

Dave and Sandy Chapman

The Constant is Christ

The Constant is Christ.

This past and present month have been a kaleidoscope of disjointed moments strung together like coloured beads on a string.  The only constant being "Christ".  

My eye, a video camera.  The movie plays and I hang on, having no control of the direction.  As in a dream none of the action makes any sense.  The sites are surreal and distorted, sounds and voices have no meaning.  Each scene is strange and completely unconnected to the one before.  I am led about as a lamb.  

One moment I am in a small, hot and dusty village surrounded by ragged, hungry people with their hands outstretched.  The next I'm moving through Los Vegas airport on a moving sidewalk with all the wonders of the world visible through walls of glass.  Long causeways are lined with shops and restaurants and people are stuffing things into their mouths.

I'm in a hospital where walls are peeling, people line the halls, equipment is old and patched. Patients fill the wards laying on old dingy mats.  They must bring their own sheets and food, a friend or family member must run out to buy their medicine.  It is hot and the smell is bad.  

Then I'm in another hospital, clean, quiet, completely equipped.  Patient care is controlled by computer software, nurses push laptops on wheels through the halls and provide drugs and care according to a doctors notes.  Patients lie in adjustable beds, water comes with ice, the nurses are a "button" away.  Anesthesia softens every pain.  There is a lovely room for the families of patients to wait in and relax.  It has a fridge, microwave, coffee machine and television.   Comfortable couches and books are arranged in a pleasing and convenient fashion.  

Hot and sticky, I'm driving through blue smoke with the windows wide, nine people in a Suzuki Sidekick.  Dodging motorcycles, pedestrians, dogs, chickens and potholes.  

Suddenly I'm being driven through a snow storm on a mountain road the heater on for warmth and the morning sun just starting to colour the horizon....

This past month with the loss of my mother has been quite a shock and left us feeling pretty vulnerable.  Sandy and I appreciate all the notes of support and especially your prayers.  

Thank You Runnymede, our family in Christ.

Dave and Sandy

Fair Trade - being a good steward

The Spirit has been pointing his finger at me lately.   Asking me why? questions.

Is always getting the best deal, being a good steward?

Am I thinking in terms of winning and losing when looking for the best price?

Do I fear being taken advantage of?

When I have a choice do I resent paying more than I have to?

Am I allowing feelings to influence my actions when it comes to money?

If everything comes down to saving money as the bottom line, is that being a good steward?

Am I being thoughtful enough?

We are considered by most of the locals to be "Gringos", North American or Canadian tourists.    We don't have a real job.  We drive a car.  We can afford gas.  We live in a real house.  We have a fridge and a stove with an oven.  We have running water.  We shop at the Supermarcado and eat - every day. . . By Dominican standards we are wealthy.

As a "Gringo" I'm expected to pay a higher price for everything... and I resent it.  But why?

Is it because I don't feel priviledged?  Do I think I deserve what I have?  

Why do I see no injustice if I live at a higher standard than the rest of the world?

The bible says I have a responsibility for the poor.  

So I give money, and medicine or food or clothing, 

I'm doing what Jesus said to do and I feel good about that.

But it's not the same when I attempt to make a purchase of local food or products!

Why do I resent paying someone a little extra for their products or services?

Especially since I'm still paying less than I would in Canada for the same service?  

By paying a little extra I'd be helping the individual develop a business.

(But I haven't been feeling good about that!  As a matter of fact I've been feeling ripped off.)

Funny.

Isn't accepting the 'rip-off' really the opportunity to give to the poor, to acknowledge the worth of their workmanship, and allow them to retain their dignity?

I remember Jesus said something about turning the other cheek. Or, "if someone asks you for your coat give him your shirt also"?  

Is refusing to feel "ripped off" in the same spirit?  

I realize most of you are way ahead of me on this one.  I'd like to hear what you think.

Yours in Christ

Dave Chapman

(Edited by Sandy, thank goodness)

Saying Goodbye to my Mother

Seattle Airport -Departures

My sister Denyse, brother Steve, Sandy and I left Osoyoos this morning at 8am.  

Stopped by the hospital to say goodbye to my sister Anne (who had spent another night with Mom at the hospital).  We all said our last goodbyes to Mom.  

Then we got on the highway and had a quiet drive through the mountains to Maple Ridge, and at 3:00 dropped off my sister Denyse at her home. It was then that we received the news that my Mother had passed away at 2:00.  We drove on to my brother Steves home in White Rock.  We had a quick dinner with  Steve, his wife Margie and daughter Ashley and they drove us to the Seattle Airport. (another 3 hours)

Feeling absolutely cold emotionally, drained and exhausted.  

Now we fly to Houston Texas, then to Miami and on to Puerto Plata.

We should arrive tomorrow around 1:30 pm.

At the moment I don't feel anything but I'm not looking forward to the time when it all starts to sink in.  

My mothers last hours were very difficult to watch as her physical suffering increased.  When we first arrived she was able to talk with us and her intellect stayed keen even under the effects of medication and pain.  The last few days though, she responded only with hand and body movements as verbal communication became impossible.  In the middle of it all I leveled anger, confusion and accusations at God.  It was very hard right then to accept God as merciful or compassionate, loving or kind. Why should my mother have to suffer like this?  What benefit could come?  I found my faith sorely tested as appearances did not conform to what I thought they should be.  Yet I knew how strong my mothers faith was and wondered if She was questioning these things.  She, trapped inside a cocoon of physical misery that is our mortal body, no longer able to communicate other than an occasional moan that escaped as nurses shifted her position every couple of hours to ease the pressure on bedsores.  There was no way to know as she appeared to slip beneath the level of consciousness, her lungs laboring as fluid increasingly continued to interfere with her ability to breath. 

 

Still, as the hours and days passed I felt that I  received unspoken answers to my questions and doubts.  I can't describe it logically or put it into words but peace quietly enfolded my soul.  

Unfortunately it was not so for some members of my family who's anguish caused them anger, pain and bitterness.  I had no answers to give them, nor any words that would comfort .  I could not seem to share what I had received.

And so we take another step forward, just trusting ...

Thank you for your prayers.

May God bless you and keep you.

Dave Chapman