FPC-Midland Belize Mission: Bedside

From November 8th through the 15th, 2014, a team from 1st Presbyterian Church-Midland will be traveling to the Central American country of Belize, and working with The Word at Work ministry. This will be an opportunity to reach out and share the gospel with the people of Belize while working side-by-side with the local community and The Word at Work staff on a much-needed construction project ... all of this building upon a foundation of relationships that was laid early this year.

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Bedside ...

I have accompanied Dr. Greg Bartha before, in the course of housecalls at people's homes in Belize ... but this time around, there was a difference.

As I posted earlier today ... while our primary focus remains our relationship with the people of Sven Mile / El Progresso, and the construction of a home for one of them, we are also exploring other mission opportunities in this nation, with the help of Tim Tam and his Word At Work staff.Today, one part of our team was exploring those opportunities, while the rest of our team returned to the village for another day of service at the home construction site.

Our 'explorers' spent the second half of the day in Belize City. There, we learned about a growing program for patients in need of hospice care, and their families. We also learned how we could support this program, and visited with some of the patients that it serves.

Following our prison visit, we were back on the highway, and headed into the heart of Belize City (the nation's largest community), stopping at Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where we picked up Dr. Beatrice, then heading out for lunch.

Dr. Beatrice is an anesthesiologist at the nation's largest hospital, which is a full-time job. But she also heads-up the Belize Hospice and Palliative Care Foundation that is based in Belize City, with programs in other communities.

At the table were Dr. Beatrice, Word At Work's Tim Tam, Pastor Walter Thompson, myself, Dr. Greg Bartha and Harold Howard, who has worked as a hospice volunteer in West Texas. During lunch, Dr. Beatrice and Dr. Greg had a chance to get to know one another, and to 'talk shop' about their respective hospice care programs.

"BHPCF is an organisation compromised of volunteers to serve with compassion,love and humility to the terminally ill cancer patients of Belize. The mission of the BHPCF is to operate a palliative care program for the country of Belize that will make physical , psycho social, and spiritual care services available to those who have been affected by or diagnosed with a life-limiting illness, ensuring physical integrity and quality of life as inspired and sustained by God."

After lunch, we visited Dr. Beatrice's home,which also serves as the BHPCF office for a chance to meet those who help with the program ... then it was time for the house callls.
As I said at the start of this post, I have accompanied Dr. Greg Bartha before, in the course of housecalls at people's homes in Belize ... but this time around, it was different. The issues are - in some respects - of a very different and far more serious sort ... but they are still addressed with care and thoroughness ... to "serve with compassion,love and humility."

While the doctors conducted examinations and consultations with the patients and their caregivers, other members of our team visited with family members. As each visit neared its end, everyone would come together with the patient, holding and comforting one another, for prayer.

Please keep us - Pastor Walter Thompson, Dr. Greg Bartha, Becky Holmes, Pat Hunter, Jeff McDonald, Chrissie Mee and Casey Smith, Dr. Beatrice and her volunteers at BHPCF, those served by BHPCF, our friends in the community of Seven Mile / El Progresso, and our WAW  partners - in your thoughts and prayers.

Got questions and/or comments for our team? Send them through the link at the bottom of this page.

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