Today I received the picture below of the ambulance MEMO is sending to the Shalom clinic with the new custom signage in Spanish. (Thank you Colleen of Signs Now for doing the signage free)
The city’s Tim Olson has spent hours of his own time installing lights and siren, and making sure everything is in top notch condition. (Thank you Tim)
Steve Wiebe a paramedic will be using medical supplies we have in our warehouse to fully stock it ready for use in El Salvador.(Thank you Steve). The plan is that he will go next spring to El Salvador to train the ambulance crew. We will ship it along with the digital X-ray machine Saturday May 17th beginning at 9 a.m. at our Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital warehouse. If you will be in town on the long weekend we would love to have you join us in getting this 55th container on it’s way.
Eduardo Pulin, who MEMO is supporting to provide help in getting the Shalom Clinic up and running will be back in Canada May 9th. If you are located in North Western Ontario you might like him and his wife Martha to come to your church to give a brief report on what he is doing with the aim of raising support for their ministry. Contact me. They will be available May 12 to May 26th
On April 30th Eduardo sent this letter. Read it and weep. (And Pray)
“Today was an interesting day. I was sitting having coffee out of the children’s dining room watching 2 little ones with the brooms cleaning the concrete yard of tree leaves, when suddenly a sequence of gunshots rang out 500ms from the home.
I found myself praying “oh God don’t let anyone die!” I looked at the girls and they continued their chores with no attention to what happened. Then 2 more shots. I heard the custodian said “they finished him.”
A hour later I was working with an 18 year old orphan/worker of the home. I asked him at a break time: “Did you hear the shots?” He said yes. I asked “Were you worried”? He says no. I replied, “Someone may die you know?” (as we knew later a grandma, her son and her grandson were murdered), his answer: “People all die sooner or later, what is the difference? I know Jesus and I will go to heaven – what different will it make when it is my time to die?” I wanted to be sure of his age so asked him again. He answered, “I just turned 18.”
He happens to be the director of worship in the orphanage’s little church. I went to their service last Sunday and he was trying to make people sing with joy in the Spirit. But he expects nothing from life.
Everyone I interview has the same history. People choose which child to abandon, and which to maintain. People die abandoned in the hospital because relatives can’t pay; others get a gun and kill the merciless doctors in a restaurant.
Fathers go to the US to work and send money back and sons use it for prostitutes.
The problem is beyond the gang violence. This sickness is greater than that. The gangs are just one of its symptoms.
But we have so many churches and so many pastors. There are even doctors working as pastors as second job. The country name in English is translated “The Savior”
For the first time I don’t know what to say. What to say to orphans that don’t know how to cry because they don’t know what to cry for?
What hope to share with them, when deep inside I will like to spare my own children from this.”
This is the dark place God has called us to “let our light shine”
We do have hope because we have a message of a Saviour that transforms lives.
Thank you for being part of this ministry by volunteering, giving, praying.
Jerome