Happy Inconvenience Yourself Day!

Happy Inconvenience Yourself Day! What, you’ve never heard of this holiday? Well, neither had I, until a couple of days ago. Inconvenience Yourself Day is a day dedicated to going out of our way to be kind to others, “to focus on inconveniencing ourselves instead of inconveniencing others” (www.inconvenienceyourself.com).

Even though I’d never heard of this holiday before this week, I think it’s a great idea, and it’s made me reflect on how this concept relates to our work.

We’ve got a great group of volunteers who inconvenience themselves all the time to help us provide quality medical care—through helping in the warehouse, working on the Clinics in a Can, doing secretarial work, etc. This work isn’t always fun, but our volunteers have really been great about giving of their time and talents to help us serve.

Our faithful donors inconvenience themselves frequently by making financial sacrifices on behalf of those we serve. Area clinics, hospitals, pharmacies, and doctors’ offices inconvenience themselves by saving useful medical supplies to be sent to countries like Bolivia, Liberia, and Haiti. Saving these items can take up time and space, but it means a lot to those who will receive them.

We are truly grateful to all of those who inconvenience themselves so that we can serve.

Most of all, though, we’re thankful that God inconveniences himself for us. It wasn’t convenient for him to die on a cross, and it isn’t convenient for him when we frequently mess things up. But that’s what grace is all about. I’m so glad we have a God who prioritizes us, rather than convenience.

Clinics, Liberia, and life at Hospitals of Hope

It’s been amazing seeing the way the Clinics in a Can have come along in the last couple of weeks. We’ve had a great group of volunteers coming in every day for the last few weeks, and Hutton Construction donated several of their employees for about 3 weeks. The clinics look great, and they’ll be a huge blessing to many in Haiti.

This Clinic in a Can project has definitely been a learning experience for me. While I haven’t been involved in the hands-on details, like sheet rocking and plumbing, I am learning my way around Home Depot, and I can now tell you what, exactly, a down cut jigsaw blade is!

Mike and Daniel are in Liberia right now, where they’ll be installing the medical equipment that we sent in December. The container has arrived in port and should be released from customs soon. Please pray for the quick release of the container and for safety as they unload it and install the equipment.

While they’re over there, I (Leta) am here in Wichita, working with volunteers to equip the clinics, pick up supplies, and run the day-to-day business of the office. There’s plenty of work to keep us all busy, so, if you’re in need of something to do, I could definitely put you to work. :) (You can send me an email at leta@hospitalsofhope.org or call me at 262.0964 if you’d like to come in.) Or, if you’d like to just drop by and see the Clinics, I’d love to show them to you; just give me a call to let me know when you’re coming. Either way, we’d love to see you!

Clinics in a Can

Thanks to many of you, we're making great progress on our Haiti relief efforts. As many of you know, Hospitals of Hope constructed a self-contained medical clinic in a shipping container -- called a Clinic in a Can -- in 2005. This clinic was initially utilized in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts and was then sent to Les Cayes, Haiti. This clinic is currently being put to use by relief workers, as refugees flee from Port Au Prince to the surrounding communities. But with hundreds of thousands injured, many hospitals destroyed, and relief teams operating in the open air or under tents, more medical facilities are desperately needed.

We plan to send 2 Clinics in a Can and a small hospital constructed out of 3 other shipping containers, and, thanks to your support, we should have the first of these clinics finished next week. We have had a number of volunteers coming in to help, and Hutton Construction has donated the time and expertise of many of its employees. A number of other local businesses have pitched in, including Wesley Medical Center, Castle Door, A & H Electric, Wilko Paints, and more.

To learn more about what we're doing in Haiti, or to see pictures of the Clinic in a Can, check out our Haiti Relief page. You can also find a list of items we still need there. If you're interested in donating items or in coming in to help out, give us a call at 316.262.0964 or email info@hospitalsofhope.org.