South Trinidad Mission

Posted 21 Sept 2016

Hello Colleagues and Partners:

Great to be back after a very rewarding project in South Trinidad. Thanks to the leadership of the Agards and Horrells, with their families, whose energy and positive influence gave impetus to the mission in the first place and, under God, made it possible. Thanks to the 70 other physicians, physician's assistants, nurses, the pharmacist, and the medical students and other skilled professionals and unskilled volunteers, who undertook the selfless midnight flight from the USA to Port of Spain, and the journey from Port-of-Spain to San Fernando, and from San Fernando to Point Fortin deep in the Southwestern peninsular of the island nation. 

Thanks also to the scores of local partners - from the Defense Force and the Ministry of Health to the Pathfinder bands parading through the town and to local church members and community leaders - who gave so much to make the project a truly outstanding event. The ethnic and cultural mixture of the team was a sight to behold, a thing of beauty. Indians, Pakistanis, a Filipino nurse, an African cardiologist, Americans of America, a Laotian, blacks, whites, browns, yellows - all in one common cause, vividly exemplifying what the world needs most in our time, namely, harmony in diversity. Whew!!

Every morning we assembled to board the military buses or maxi taxis that took us on the 40 mile journey from the Palms Hotel in the city of San Fernando to the under-served Borough of Point Fortin, deep in the southwestern peninsular where the project was located. Pleasant countryside; the La Brea pitch lake made famous by Sir Walter Raleigh; signs along the way of the American fast food industry cashing in and extracting whatever they could get for themselves; signs of some wealth hidden in some exclusive places; but, the deeper we went in the southland, signs of under-development and neglect. 

Arriving in Point Fortin after one hour travel, we immediately encounter the reason we had come - the crowds, with all their multiple felt and un-felt needs, their unfulfilled dreams -- waiting from as early as six in the morning, waiting in the church and the church yard, waiting under the dozen tents set up for the various clinics, waiting with their individual stories, waiting with patience, waiting with expectancy etched on their faces,  waiting perhaps for miraculous cures.   

I would give thanks especially because, once again the divine hand came through in support of his continuing healing ministry and ministers - no accidents, no incident beyond our capacity to cope with or resolve. In one long weekend (Friday through Monday) over 2000 patients were attended to, including an amputee and a few other surgeries performed at the local hospital. Orphanages and homes for the abused were not neglected. Many others were ministered to in various ways, including those attending the seminar (Forgiveness and Wellness) I had the privilege to conduct on Saturday. The Saturday night birthday celebration with the Bradshaw-Edmund clan, courtesy the Mariners Club, added a warm glow and a lighter touch to the heavy overall program and reminded us of the importance of family solidarity.

So much more to report, but enough said to give you just a peek. The contributions of those who could not personally go on the mission, but who gave of their means to assist aspects of the project, are deeply valued. Many volunteers are already gearing up for upcoming projects. Stay tuned

Please find attached a piece I found in Spectrum Magazine - and Innovative way to provide health and development services to under-served urban communities. Check it out.

Blessings

Hedrick Edwards, Ambassador 

HANDS International

Trinidad and Tobago Medical Mission

http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2016/08/31/doctors-hands-international-trinidad/89682494/

Pathway to Health Los Angeles, CA

https://vimeo.com/169935867

Pathway To Health Los Angeles Review Video from Your Best Pathway to Health on Vimeo.

Nepal Mission Update

Everyone,

Today started out as a beautiful day and we all left the hotel very early this morning and headed to the Government Teaching Hospital where we were expected and was introduced to the doctors and nursing staff during grand rounds. The hospital Director  invited us to work with them in serving the people of Naples. Dr. Parikh remained at the hospital to perform some angioplasties scheduled yesterday. The remaining team members then purchased supplies to share with the day's needy clients. We then proceeded to the Helping Hands hospital in the upper mountainous area but the amount of patients there  very limited. The Red Cross representative for the area then invited our team to serve higher up the mountain and he along with his team would accompany us. We then elected to do just that and drove through some unsteady roads by mini van as far as the vehicle could take us; we then trekked about half hour to the mountain top and immediate set up a mobile clinic. We had serve about fifty to sixty clients when the earthquake struck. It was the most awful and disturbing feeling to watch the genuine fear in the people's eyes. Women and children started crying, some clients clung to our providers refusing to let go while everyone started running to an open field. Everyone seemed confused and very worried. We were told by the Red Cross worker that we were the first medical team to come so far into their village to serve the people. When the earth settled we decided to climb back down to safety. We then rushed to the hospital to locate Dr. Parikh because all phone service was disabled and found mass confusion. Patients were in the street, medical staff and doctors all trying to keep the patients and their family calm. We connected with Dr. Parikh and everyone started cheering. Our team then returned to the hotel and waited for the trekking team who arrived to cheers, hugs and kisses by  us all.

We then had a brief meeting decided to change hotel location and  settled on the Radisson. The United States Army are also staying at the same hotel. During dinner I asked if anyone wanted to return home that we would do all in our power to get them home. Up to date no one has volunteered  to return home. Tomorrow we will access the situation again and then decide where to serve. We are most welcomed by some NGOs here.

Thanks for your support!!!!!

Rey Agard

HANDS Partners to Nepal

Posted by Paul Thorpe · April 30 at 8:44pm · Edited · 

Hi Friends!

I am sharing some information gathered from Ingrid Agard of the East Division of HANDS INTERNATIONAL.

As you may know the devastation that took place in Nepal is something we should address and help our fellow man as best as we can. The Delaware team that served in Haiti will be serving in Nepal leaving in the next few days. HANDS INTERNATIONAL was instrumental in making that mission to Haiti a success, and we hope it can do so again. Dr. Agard, the President of HANDS INTERNATIONAL will again be spearheading the mission and wants you to be updated on the information.

The East Division of HANDS INTERNATIONAL will be actively involved with the planning and support of the mission to Nepal. The first team will consist of approximately 12, with subsequent teams to follow. Anyone interested in serving or helping in any way let us know.

The West Division of HANDS INTERNATIONAL will assist the East Division financially. Monetary donations can be sent to:

HANDS INTERNATIONAL
P.O. Box 1805
Loma Linda, CA 92354

Please pray for the team as they serve in Nepal.

Antigua Mission Trip from August 15th to August 25th of 2014

http://handsinternationalantiguamission.wordpress.com/

Forgiveness for Wellness

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3xFdTu7W9TlXy1JLWVDT1o5ZG44T2l6MHR3anlicTF1Uk40/edit?usp=sharing

FORGIVENESS FOR WELLNESS:

A NEGLECTED SCIENCE AND ART RE-DISCOVERED

Seminar on a forgotten factor in reducing disease risk

and achieving optimum health and wholeness

Presenter:

Hedrick J. Edwards, DHSc., MA, MSPH

Health Summit Convention

Sponsored by

Caribbean Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventist

Health Ministries Department

St. Johns, Antigua and Barbuda

August 17-23, 2014

SEMINAR OBJECTIVES

At the conclusion of this ten-hour seminar, participants who attended and actively involved themselves in the learning opportunities provided will have sufficient exposure to the philosophical, theoretical, technical and practical aspects of the art and science of forgiveness to be able to do the following:

·        Describe the role of violations and grievances in the causation of human disorders individually, socially and globally.

·        Explain how unresolved crisis, including moral crisis, impair the immune system and lead to disease

·        Identify specific health conditions associated with chronic anger, vengeance and the unforgiving disposition

·        Trace pathways and processes in psycho-immunology in relation to wellness

·        Define what forgiveness is and what it is not

·        Employ several models to clarify forgiveness and wellness concepts

·        Methodically integrate the principles of forgiveness and reconciliation in real life situations 

UNIT ONE: INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW

FORGIVENESS - A NEGLECTED SCIENCE AND ART REDISCOVERED

“One of God’s better jokes on us was to give us the power to remember the past and leave us with no power to undo it. . . There is no delete key for reality. And it comforts us little to know that not even God can undo what has been done. . . If we could only chose to forget the cruelest moments, we could, as time goes on, free ourselves from the pain. But the wrong sticks like a nettle in our memory.

The only way to remove the nettle is with a surgical procedure called forgiveness. It is not as though were the remedy of choice among other options, less effective but still useful. It is the only remedy”  (Lewis Smedes).

FORGIVING, WHEN YOU COME DOWN TO IT, IS AN ART, A PRACTICAL ART AND SCIENCE, MAYBE THE MOST NEGLECTED OF ALL THE HEALING ARTS. IT IS THE ART AND SCIENCE OF HEALING INNER WOUNDS INFLICTED BY OTHER PEOPLE’S WRONGS - AND BY OUR OWN WRONGS. (L. Smedes, adapted). 

A.     THE NECESSITY - BOTH PERSONAL AND GLOBAL

1.      Documentary 1: Forgiveness Stories of Our time [50 minutes]

2.      The Case Against forgiveness

3.      The Case for Forgiveness

B.     PERCEPTIONS FROM AUTHORITATIVE SOURCES

UNIT TWO: THE PROBLEM

A.  TEN REASONS WHY WELLNESS IS INCOMPLETE WITHOUT FORGIVENESS

    1.  The Nature of Violations and Grievances - Normal Abnormalities of the Human Condition

     2.  Every person has had a grievance story – Violator, Violated or Both

     3.  Self-righteous Defensiveness or Denial: A Pathological Reaction

     4.  Hatred or Bitterness: Another Systemic Pathological Reaction

     5.  The Immune System Challenged

     6.  Intensive Personal Impact of Unresolved Grievance: Systemic Stress-induce Disorders

     7.  Extensive Social Impact of Grievances – on Family, At Workplace, In Church, In Community, etc.

      8.  Some Scientific Correlates of Health and Forgiveness

      9.  Alternatives to Forgiveness Generally Complicate the Effect of Grievances

·        Repression of Grievance. Does Damage within before showing signs without

·        Denial of Grievance. Living a lie. Neither Mind nor Body Lies – they Cringe or Crack

·        Proactive Revenge to Prevent Anticipated Violation. The complications

·        Reactive Revenge to Cure Experienced Violation. Complexities of Retributive

·        Severe Sanctions: Incarceration for Violations - Execution/capital Punishment

·        “Vengeance is mine”. Two reasons why God reserved it for himself alone.

        

      10.  Forgiveness Deficits Contributes to more Deaths than Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Cancer combined

B.     DOCUMENTARY 2: A GLOBAL GREIVANCE STORY [Peter Jennings]

  “Out of the mouth of babes” – Trauma! Anger! Hate! Prejudice! Fallacy! Understanding! Forgiveness?

1.   Group Discussion: Complexities of Forgiving. Consequences of Vengeance – short tem and long term. 

      2.  Written Assignment. State insights and understandings on forgiveness you derive from the documentary.

C.  TWO LEARNING MODELS

     1.  Ways of Relating: Centrality of the Zone of Respect

      2.  Wellness Trajectory Options: Ending, Descending, Transitioning, Ascending, Transcending

UNIT THREE: THEORIES, CONCEPTS AND CLINICAL OBSERVATIONS

A.     THE INTER-DIMENSIONAL MODEL

1.      Context for a Forgiveness Paradigm

2.      At what Point or Points can Forgiveness be Located in this Paradigm? 

B.     OTHER IMPORTANT FORGIVENESS THEORIES AND CONCEPTS

1.      General Theological Concepts: Sin, Guilt, the Ethics of Forgiveness

2.      Ancient Biblical Wisdom and Modern Scientific Observations Converge

3.      Forgiveness in Sabbath Rest, the Sabbatical Year, and the Jubilee Year

4.      The Argument of Jesus: Role of Truth in Bondage and Freedom 

5.      Critical Crisis Theory and Post Traumatic Embittered Disorder (PTED)

6.      Psycho-immunology and Some Mechanisms of Disorders of Psyche, Pneuma, and Soma

7.      Other Wellness Findings and Clinical Manifestation

C.     DOCUMENTARY 3: A PERSONAL GIEIVANCE STORY – KARLA FAYE TUCKER

1.      Group Discussion:

2.      Written Assignment: Your analysis of and Reactions to the main scenes of the Documentary. 

D.     LEARNING MODEL: BREAKING THE PATHOLOGY WITH GRACE INTERVENTION

1.      The Pathology cycle

2.      Definition of Grace

3.      The Many Forms of Grace

UNIT FOUR: PRINCIPLE AND DYNAMICS OF FORGIVENESS

A.     PRINCIPLES OF FORGIVING AND BEING FORGIVEN

1.      Forgiving is a Law of Life and a Way of Life – a Lifestyle

2.      Forgiving is Primarily for One’s own Good

3.      On its Highest Level Forgiveness is a Conditional Trust, not an Unconditional Gift

4.      Some Nice Things Forgiving is Not

5.      Other Principles and Examples

B.     PRACTICING THE SCIENCE AND ART OF FORGIVING

1.      The Ideal: How God Forgives

2.      Prepare for the Long Haul: Forgive as Often as You have been Forgiven

3.      Forgiveness Discipline can be Learned. “If you can see it you can be it”

4.      Owning Our Pain and grief

5.      Taking Our Time 

UNIT FIVE: PATHWAYS TOWARD RECONCILATION

A.     THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION:  A GIFT

B.     MODEL PATHWAYS OF GRACE AND RECONCILIATION

1.      The South African Model: Truth and Reconciliation Commission

2.      The German-Jewish Model

3.      The Rwanda Model

4.      The Paul- Onesimus Model

C.     WHAT THESE MODELS TEACH ABOUT CREATING PATHWAYS OF GRACE

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

·     When you forgive you set a prisoner free and discover that you yourself are the prisoner freed

·     Chronic guilt, anger, and bitterness are disorders that predisposes one to serious health risks

·     Forgiveness is based upon a choice to break the chains of anger, hurt and vengeance

·     Forgiveness is the only remedy for healing wounds inflicted by others and by ourselves

·     Forgiving someone else, yourself, or accepting forgiveness sometimes require time and patience

·     Forgiving is a way of life, a lifestyle that can be cultivated – not a single event or action

·     A wholistic health care system is enhanced by integrating Forgiveness Therapy in its routine procedures

·     The forgiven and forgiving person has a solid foundation on which to build a wellness lifestyle

·     Society will be healthier if families and churches designate April 1 as Forgiveness and Reconciliation Day.

USEFUL REFERANCES AND RESOURCE MATERIAL

Books:

Fred Luskin. Forgive for Good.

A Proven Prescription for Health and Happiness

Published by HarperCollins Inc. 10 East 53^rd Street, New York, NY 10022.

[http://www.harpercollins.com]

Lewis B. Smedes. Forgive and Forget.

 Healing The Hurts We Don’t Deserve.

            Published by HarperCollins Inc. 10East 53^rd Street, New York, NY 10022

[http://www.harpercollins.com}

Lewis B. Smedes. The Art of Forgiving.

            When You Need to Forgive and Don’t Know How

            Published by Moorings. A Division of Ballantine Publishing Group. Random House, Inc. Nashville, Tennessee

Robet D. Enright. Forgiveness is a Choice.

A Step by Step Process for Resolving Anger and Restoring Hope.

                Published by APA Life Tools. 750 First Street, NE Washington, DC 20002

[www.apa.org]

Grace Ketterman and David Hazard. When you can’t say “I FORGIVE YOU”

Breaking the Bonds of Anger and Hate

Published by NavPress, P.O. Box 35001, Colorado Springs, CO 80935

DVD Documentaries

As We Forgive.

This is an account of the struggles and triumphs of the people of Rwanda in their effort to come to grips with and find healing from the horrors of tribal genocide and irrational hate.

Distributed through Sound Enterprises, Inc. 1325 W. 1^st Ave, Suite 205, Spokane, WA 99201. [www.asweforgivemovie.com]

The Power of Forgiveness.

Featuring Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, Thich Nhat Hanh, Thomas Moore and Marianne Williamson

Producer and Director: Martin Doblmeier.

[www.firstruefeatures.com]

Forgiveness Stories of OurTime

            Focuses on four individuals who have lived through unimaginably painful events and their struggle to forgive

            Distributed by Lorder HT Digital, 56 W  56^th Street Suite 805, New York, NY 10036 [www.alivemindmedia.com]

The Power of Forgiveness. The Story of Karla Faye Tucker

            Distributed by Vision Video, Box 540, Worcester, PA 19490

            [www.visionvideo.com]

Healing America’s Wounds

            A Call to Repentance and Reconciliation

            Global Network Productions, Inc.

            www.globalnetworkproductions.com

            1-800-862-6247

Invectus (The story of Nelson Mandela and the method he used to triumph over the abuses of Apartheid)

            Distributed by Warner Home Videos, 400 Warner Street, Burbank, CA91522

            Invictus.com                 warnervideos.com                    www.nelsonmandela.org