Hope Force teams continue to bring hope, healing and hygiene to Haiti; Japan Update

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International health agencies continue to monitor the outbreak of cholera in Haiti as the deaths associated with the disease approach 5,000. A water-borne disease, cholera is very difficult to eradicate once it has taken hold in a population and experts recognize it will likely remain present in Haiti for several years. Hope Force International continues to partner with Medical Teams International (MTI) in the fight against the disease as well as the associated health care challenges experienced by earthquake survivors living in Haiti’s expansive “tent cities.”

Hope Force Reservist Patrick Evers just completed a week of service in Port-au-Prince working in one of the main tent cities. “Much of our focus has been on OB, GI and health maintenance interventions – I believe we contributed meaningfully to those with whom we came in contact. One surgery we did in the clinic was on a young man with a half-inch barb wedged deep in the lateral aspect of his right foot. It required anesthesia to complete the removal. He certainly seemed grateful!”

California native, Eric Miller joined Patrick for the deployment: “Our week has been awesome. We only pray that we have represented HFI in the best light possible. We have made some great friends and taken care of some amazing and strong people. It has been a humbling experience to say the least. Upon arrival, we were whisked away through the streets of Port au Prince and were soon exposed to scenes that are worlds away from the streets of Los Angeles. Within minutes of taking in the foreign scenery what begins to emerge is a clear view of the people. People were working with strong hands, sturdy backs, and hopeful determination as they try to eek a living out of bad luck and poor beginnings.”

Patrick and Eric contributed to the healthcare program being delivered through MTI’s Caanan clinic which is located adjacent to Port au Prince. “I think one of the most interesting aspects was to see that the patients had the same needs, same illnesses, and same concerns as any other patient in any other part of the world,” explains Eric. I think a common misconception is that one would need special training to practice medicine in such a setting. The saving grace is the fact that human beings across the globe have the same susceptibilities and same vulnerabilities no matter where they come from. I am glad to be walking near God and am glad to have the opportunity to offer help in this situation."

Patrick and Eric departed Haiti on April 9th as Hope Force Founder, Jack Minton, arrives with a team of seven Reservists to continue the focus on the village of Sous Savanne. “This will be our first medical intervention in the community and we have a strong team focus on health assessment as well as Community Health Education. We are pleased to be partnering with B-9 Plastics in Rochester, New York, as we install two water purification units in the village. Pure water is by far one of the highest priority needs for the people, so this will be a large leap ahead in terms of health and sanitation. The hygiene gift bag initiative has proved to be more successful than we could have imagined, so we have a large number of helpful gifts and health items to distribute!”

As the Child Sponsorship Program continues to grow, close to 80 children are now sponsored, which translates to 400 people benefiting from the food security aspect of the program. Families in Haiti are large, so now that the program is beginning to be well-established, Hope Force will be seeking additional sponsorships for children in larger families. Click here to see a video highlighting some of the children still in need of a sponsor. Thank you for your prayers and support for this upcoming deployment.

Japan Update: Hope Force has been working with our partners in the field to ascertain how we can best help in the aftermath of the terrible earthquake that struck Japan one month ago. Outside medical help from other nations has not been requested. However, similar to the aftermath of large disasters in the past such as Hurricane Katrina, there is a need for trained caregivers to help the survivors process their loss. HFI is blessed with many highly-trained Critical Incident Stress Management responders – and we are working toward the goal of sending in a CISM response team. Please continue to pray for the nation of Japan during this time of crisis.

Bulletin: Hope Force International has just been asked to send a surgical team to the nation of Libya in response to the mass casualties from the current conflict. This effort would be in collaboration with one of our key partners. An update will be sent when more information is available.

With hope and appreciation,

Jack and Cherie Minton
Founders, Hope Force International

Hope Force International, 7065 Moores Lane, Suite 200, Brentwood, TN 37027, (615) 371-1271,

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