Haiti

The Hands of Hope also actively support and participate on trips organized by various social and community organizations.

Calvary Chapel Sawgrass sends a medical team to tend to islanders' needs.

By David Volz - Special Correspondent, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

The 13 people who traveled to Haiti as part of a Calvary Chapel Sawgrass medical mission team were amazed by the poverty they saw and humbled by the opportunity to serve people in need. Traveling difficult roads and ministering to people in small villages such as Crebe in a rugged mountainous region, the team recently spent eight days in northwest Haiti. It marked the fifth time a team from the church in Davie has ministered in Haiti. Three of the team members were born there.

"We set up a clinic and brought the people a lot of medications," said Dr. Helen Friedberg of Pompano Beach, who was one of the four people making a return mission trip to Haiti. "I personally brought $1,500 worth of medication. We were treating people who have had no medical care." Other church members also provided funds for medications and supplies. Friedberg said she and other medical personnel helped people of all ages and conditions, providing care to entire villages. "We saw a lot of kids with parasites, scabies and infected bug bites," Friedberg said. "We also gave vitamin and worm treatments to the kids. We saw a lot of kids with opportunistic infections and adults with chronic pain and stomach problems."

The real benefit of the mission trip was to show the love of Christ with people who are suffering great poverty, Friedberg said. "I go as a Christian and treat people who will run out of medicine. Haiti is such a mess bur it is gratifying to see God's work in that country. It is humbling to help these people. It brightened my day to see how they appreciated us," she said. Claudette Akpodiete, a nurse who went on the mission trip, was also glad to help.

"We saw patients from the community and the orphanage," she said. "We saw people with many skin problems and a lot of children who suffer from malnourishment. We gave them medication and dewormed them." Although the work was hard at time, Akpodiete, of Pembroke Pines, said she wants to go again. "The need there is great medically and spiritually."

Some of the team helped repair structures. Nicholas Morgan, a carpenter, performed work at an orphanage. "We put in a concrete floor and built benches," said Morgan, of Sunrise. "There are about 32 kids in the orphanage." Morgan said he wants to go back to Haiti and "bring shoes, clothing and seeds so the people can grow more food. I don't usually take vacation time but I wanted to go on this mission trip to serve the greater needs of others," Morgan said.

Leigh Seidner, who serves as director of missions for Calvary Chapel Sawgrass, called the mission effort "awesome." They went to an area where there is no running water or electricity. They were able to treat people who have medical ailments and are on the verge of starvation. Our church send 32 quilts mad by the Quilters Club for the orphans," said Seidner, of Sunrise.

We treat the sick, feed the hungry, house the homeless, comfort the discouraged and educate the poor. Our work is a result of our faith, prompted by love and inspired by hope. We follow high ethical standards in order to provide the furthermost benefit to those in need of assistance. We are committed to honor Jesus Christ in all that we do.

One of our objectives is to increase the awareness among the United States public regarding the needs of people in distress around the world to expand the scope of volunteers and donations for this purpose. We commit to use money only for the purpose for which it was raised.