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Although we are months removed from the daily CNN reports updating us on what was taking place in Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake, there is still much to report. The objective of this series is to inform you of the progress of rebuilding in Haiti that is made possible by the giving of many here in Bermuda. 

Since the January earthquake Cornerstone Foundation has been able to make five trips to Haiti in which a total of over 70 people volunteered their time and sacrificed vacation days to make a difference, one life at a time. 

We are so thankful for those who partnered with us to impact many lives over the past year. 

Recently we had a group of doctors that decided that they wanted to provide medical relief to those in the ravines as well as the displacement camp at Petionville. 

We are so grateful to have a team of doctors that volunteered their time to assist us with providing help to those who otherwise could not help themselves. 

This was the first time we were able to send a medical team from Bermuda with the Cornerstone Foundation. 

The Bermuda medical team consisted of Dr. David McGowan, Dr. Kudzi Charakupa, Dr. Gregory Bernius, pharmacist Anu Permaswar, RN Beulah Armstrong, and the first dental clinic led by Dentist Dr. Yvonne Chirimuta. 

An additional 17 Bermudians joined the team and provide programmes such as English as a second language, arts and crafts for the children, feeding programmes, ravine visits, and prayer for sick patients waiting to be treated at the clinics. 

The doctors worked at two locations: the Mission House of Caribbean Grace and the Petionville Camp. Prior to the earthquake, the lush green golf course served as the only golf club in Port-au-Prince; now the course is an organized, sometimes muddy, city-camp of 10,000 tents housing over 40,000 people! 

While the numbers of people in Petionville are staggering, the sight is nothing short of culture shock. And there are 40,000 individual stories to be heard as you walk and talk with the people.

In each of the trips we tried to make a few visits to the camp and we were able to build a working partnership with some of the organizations that were on the site. This is the same camp that actor Sean Penn has focused his attention to assist. 

Our partnership with Dr. Luigi, a Haitian national who oversees one of the five medical tents in the facility, was the result of our frequent visits to Petionville. 

Dr. Luigi’s tent clinic is also the only one that is open 24 hours per day, seven days per week. We brought the team of doctors there in order to conduct check-ups, diagnoses, and treatments for the people. It was the first time that we were able to offer dental work in the camp. The line was long as people were so desperate for dental care.  

The doctors of Bermuda worked extremely hard with minimal resources. 

Dr. Gregory Bernius stated: “It was a moving experience. At first I was a bit concerned because a great deal of the illnesses I saw I have not treated since medical school. I was surprised at how much I could recall… it had to be the Lord.”  

Dr. Kudzi stated how amazed she was at the level of needs there. “There were so many with infections that could have been prevented.” 

The team of doctors from Bermuda had volunteers as nursing assistants who, though they had no medical experience, did whatever the doctors asked of them. Among them were Berkeley Institute teacher, Ayeisha Vickers-Brown, Linda Rego of ER Aubrey Jewellers, Beverly Kaplen, Terri-Lynn Spencer and others. Each endured the heat and intense work schedule to ensure as many were treated as possible. 

As I reflect on the mission that was conducted, I am reminded of a passage in the Bible in James, “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:15-17). 

It is one thing to pray with people and share about God, which we did, but quite another to also be able to help in very practical ways. It adds to the truth of the message to love our neighbour as ourselves. 

These trips have opened the door for future medical teams to travel to Haiti in order to make a lasting difference. I am so thankful for many from the medical field in Bermuda that decided to go and help the people of Haiti. Many were not with the Cornerstone Foundation, but should be commended nonetheless. 

Once again, many on the trip learned the important lesson that Jesus taught… 

“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35).

Today I encourage you to see how you can meet needs right where you are: in your family, your neighbourhood, your school or your place of work. You don’t have to go to the mission field to help someone…there are people with needs right before your eyes. You will be amazed how far a little kindness can go.

To learn more about putting your compassion into action in Haiti and Bermuda through Cornerstone Foundation visit www.cfbermuda.org n

Pastor Gary C. Simons serves as senior pastor of Cornerstone Bible Fellowship.

Although we are months removed from the daily CNN reports updating us on what was taking place in Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake, there is still much to report. The objective of this series is to inform you of the progress of rebuilding in Haiti that is made possible by the giving of many here in Bermuda. 

Since the January earthquake Cornerstone Foundation has been able to make five trips to Haiti in which a total of over 70 people volunteered their time and sacrificed vacation days to make a difference, one life at a time. 

We are so thankful for those who partnered with us to impact many lives over the past year. 

Recently we had a group of doctors that decided that they wanted to provide medical relief to those in the ravines as well as the displacement camp at Petionville. 

We are so grateful to have a team of doctors that volunteered their time to assist us with providing help to those who otherwise could not help themselves. 

This was the first time we were able to send a medical team from Bermuda with the Cornerstone Foundation. 

The Bermuda medical team consisted of Dr. David McGowan, Dr. Kudzi Charakupa, Dr. Gregory Bernius, pharmacist Anu Permaswar, RN Beulah Armstrong, and the first dental clinic led by Dentist Dr. Yvonne Chirimuta. 

An additional 17 Bermudians joined the team and provide programmes such as English as a second language, arts and crafts for the children, feeding programmes, ravine visits, and prayer for sick patients waiting to be treated at the clinics. 

The doctors worked at two locations: the Mission House of Caribbean Grace and the Petionville Camp. Prior to the earthquake, the lush green golf course served as the only golf club in Port-au-Prince; now the course is an organized, sometimes muddy, city-camp of 10,000 tents housing over 40,000 people! 

While the numbers of people in Petionville are staggering, the sight is nothing short of culture shock. And there are 40,000 individual stories to be heard as you walk and talk with the people.

In each of the trips we tried to make a few visits to the camp and we were able to build a working partnership with some of the organizations that were on the site. This is the same camp that actor Sean Penn has focused his attention to assist. 

Our partnership with Dr. Luigi, a Haitian national who oversees one of the five medical tents in the facility, was the result of our frequent visits to Petionville. 

Dr. Luigi’s tent clinic is also the only one that is open 24 hours per day, seven days per week. We brought the team of doctors there in order to conduct check-ups, diagnoses, and treatments for the people. It was the first time that we were able to offer dental work in the camp. The line was long as people were so desperate for dental care.  

The doctors of Bermuda worked extremely hard with minimal resources. 

Dr. Gregory Bernius stated: “It was a moving experience. At first I was a bit concerned because a great deal of the illnesses I saw I have not treated since medical school. I was surprised at how much I could recall… it had to be the Lord.”  

Dr. Kudzi stated how amazed she was at the level of needs there. “There were so many with infections that could have been prevented.” 

The team of doctors from Bermuda had volunteers as nursing assistants who, though they had no medical experience, did whatever the doctors asked of them. Among them were Berkeley Institute teacher, Ayeisha Vickers-Brown, Linda Rego of ER Aubrey Jewellers, Beverly Kaplen, Terri-Lynn Spencer and others. Each endured the heat and intense work schedule to ensure as many were treated as possible. 

As I reflect on the mission that was conducted, I am reminded of a passage in the Bible in James, “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:15-17). 

It is one thing to pray with people and share about God, which we did, but quite another to also be able to help in very practical ways. It adds to the truth of the message to love our neighbour as ourselves. 

These trips have opened the door for future medical teams to travel to Haiti in order to make a lasting difference. I am so thankful for many from the medical field in Bermuda that decided to go and help the people of Haiti. Many were not with the Cornerstone Foundation, but should be commended nonetheless. 

Once again, many on the trip learned the important lesson that Jesus taught… 

“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35).

Today I encourage you to see how you can meet needs right where you are: in your family, your neighbourhood, your school or your place of work. You don’t have to go to the mission field to help someone…there are people with needs right before your eyes. You will be amazed how far a little kindness can go.

To learn more about putting your compassion into action in Haiti and Bermuda through Cornerstone Foundation visit www.cfbermuda.org 

Pastor Gary C. Simons serves as senior pastor of Cornerstone Bible Fellowship.

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