The day after the team’s arrival in Hinche, we traveled to our first medical clinic in a nearby village called Papaye. It seems an overstatement to even call it a village as it was hard to define where it started or ended. It was simply a few houses dotting the countryside with the yellow and brown cement church that HEF built at the top of a small hill with a cluster of more humble dwellings around it. The church also serves as the school during the week so the children could not have school inside. The clinics are arranged with the  pastor who informs the village people of the clinic and facilitates the organizing of the patients.

On our arrival in two pick up trucks, one loaded with Rubbermaid bins full of meds and supplies we noticed the rows of impeccably groomed little children seating on benches right outside one of the church walls. They were orderly and surprisingly quiet as the team visited them. They were waiting for their meal of the day to be served at 10:00am. ChildCry, another ministry of Times Square Church is now helping HEF fund these daily meals which may be the only meal these children will have each day. We were told that most will have nothing to eat during the weekend because their only meals are provided at the school.

The team set up quickly as the lines of people waiting to see the doctors grew outside the church door. Some had walked miles to get here and patiently waited outside under the hot sun. Tickets were given out per family. Each ticket often represented four to five people as mothers and fathers brought their children to be seen. There were many babies and pregnant women. The children seemed cared for and very clean. Some wore their Sunday best which broke our hearts.

The OnCall team brought three doctors, two nurses and four volunteer assistants ready and willing to do whatever was needed. The team we worked with from California brought two doctors and two nurses. Each doctor paired off with a nurse at a separate station to maximize the people treated. Some of us assisting quickly learned to be bush doctors and treat the simpler cases by asking the right questions via an interpreter, taking blood pressure, and sending our patients off with multivitamins, antacids, pain killers and very often antifungal cream!

As the people were brought in all the children were given worm pills. The littlest one by dropper. The doctors helped the worst cases and the elderly first. All children were given multi-vitamins and when possible lollipops!  We saw all kinds of ailments from club feet and abcesses, to growths and anemia. Many of the children were treated for scabies. An eyeglasses station was set up to test people that would be given reading glasses or would be referred to an optometrist coming at a later date. The most serious cases were referred or taken to the local hospital with money to cover the fees. The need was very great but the team served with all their heart and prayed with those who needed prayer.

We were done by 12:3opm after treating what seemed like hundreds of patients and returned to the compound in Hinche blessed and ready for another day.