On July 9-16, 2010, the Christian Medical Association (CMA), Savannah Campus, went on their first mission trip to Guaimaca, Honduras. The group collaborated with BMDMI ministries and stayed at Hospital Bautista, a compound with a church and running hospital as well as living quarters for missionaries. The 35 member team was made up of 15 medical students along with nurses, doctors, PAs as well as family and friends. Chris Gaunder, a current medical student and former President of CMA (Savannah Campus), helped organize and lead the team that week. A team member stated that “Gaunder really was a great leader and really served his team and the community well. He allowed God to use him during this experience.” On Saturday, April 3, 2010 a 5k was held on Tybee Island to raise money for the trip. Over 200 runners signed up for the race and close to $5,000 dollars was raised. All of the proceeds went to help with the costs of travel, also to buy supplies, medicine and medical equipment. While in Honduras there were many opportunities to serve in different ways. An orthopedic surgeon, his PA and surgical assistant carried out a variety of surgeries from ACL replacement to removal of vestigial toes, allowing a little girl to wear shoes for the first time. A family medicine doctor out of Rincon, Georgia helped lead the field medicine team. The MD students helped setup a clinic with a "pharmacy" in various areas in the community. Russ Fitts, team member and MD student said “members of the community would gather in long lines and wait all day to be seen by the team of doctors and staff. Throughout that week we saw close to 1000 patients.” Other opportunities the team was involved in included; painting the hospital and reorganizing equipment, assisting in providing the compounds with clean water, distributing beans and rice to the locals and visiting local schools and orphanages. Mercer University School of Medicine’s Christian Medical Association (Savannah Campus) will return to Honduras on July 8-15, 2011. The team will be involved in many of the similar opportunities as last year. For the 2011 trip there is a team of about 30 members and they are still trying to raise support. If you're interested in supporting the 2011 Honduras team you may email Russ Fitts. All donations are greatly appreciated. Fitts will travel to Honduras again in 2011 and stated, “most importantly, our hope is to share the love of Christ in all this, not only by trying to meet their physical needs, but by sharing with them something that will last eternally, Jesus Christ. In addition, I feel that it may have been more of a blessing to myself and other members on the team. I believe it was and is a definite time of growth in our individual relationships with Christ.” To read the story, or watch video, go>. | |
