CARING HEARTS MINISTRIES and CTVN MEDICAL MISSION TRIP Serving the Poor and Needy in San Luis, Mexico Serving the deserving: I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. (Matthew 25:35-36) The king will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. (Matthew 25:40) and whatever you do whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the Father. (Colossians 3:17) Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! For there the Lord commanded the blessing Life evermore. Psalm 133:1&3 What an opportunity the Lord has given us to serve the deserving in San Luis, Mexico. God works through people and we are that people. We are His hands extended, and by the power of His Spirit we will see miracles take place. THANK YOU FOR YOUR OBEDIENCE TO HIS CALL! 1
Planning the Trip Why medical mission trips? James 2:14-18 reads What good is it my brothers/sisters, if a man claims to have faith but has not deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed, but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? Christ was our example as he reached out in compassion to touch the poor, the sick and the hurting. Medical mission trips are a way to be obedient to God s Word. There is much planning that goes into a medical mission trip. There has to be a desire to serve and to help the poor and needy. You then pray where God wants you to go, what all He wants you to do, and how you can accomplish what He has for you to do. Without prayer and seeking God in the planning stages, we would not be able to accomplish what He has set apart for us to do. After it is decided the dates of the trip there is a lot of communication between Caring Hearts staff and the Mexican government officials and the local point person to arrange all of the details necessary for the final approval. Arrangements must be made for travel, lodging, food and for all the supplies needed for the trip. Schedules must be made out and advertising of those schedules for the clinics published in the local areas where the clinics will be held so that the people will know the dates and locations of the clinics. Medicines are sent to Mexico prior to the trip so that the pharmacy can be set up before the group arrives. A smaller group will go early to not only set up the pharmacy but also the clinics. Each clinic has to be set up and ready when our medical team arrives. Caring Hearts Ministries decided in our planning stages we want to treat the whole person. We want to treat them medically, we want to treat them spiritually and we want to help by giving each family beans and rice and treating them physically. 2
Our treatment includes medical, optical (giving out reading glasses) and chiropractic treatment. Purpose INTRODUCTION For the national medical and political professionals: 1. They receive encouragement from your labor of love. 2. They observe and participate in a ministry that is ecumenical combining medicine and evangelism. 3. It gives them a chance to better understand we care for all of God s children and that we want to share with them His blessings. 4. It may encourage them to begin their own medical outreach within their communities. For the national church: 1. They may receive encouragement. 2. It may break down barriers between the different denominations. 3. It may contribute toward church growth 4. It gives the local church the opportunity to see the church at work doing as the scriptures tell us to do. Documents you will need 1. Passport is required by US government. 2. Copy of your diploma and professional training 3. Copy of your professional license and current registration 4. Completed application filled out and sent in 5. An Assumption of Risk form filled out and sent in 6. If you are bringing any medical equipment with you, make a photo of what you are bringing and write down serial numbers and any information about that piece of equipment. 3
Transportation We will be flying to Phoenix, AZ on an early morning flight. It is up to each person to get to the airport on their own. You must be at curbside at least two hours prior to flight time. Each person may bring one suitcase 10 x 14 x 24 inches. You are to tie a red ribbon on the handle and make sure you have an identification tag tied to your handle with your name and address. (These tags will be supplied by Caring Hearts.) You may also bring one small carry-on bag. Physicians, if you need to, you may bring a larger bag to include your medical equipment that you want to bring. We will rent vans to travel from Phoenix to Mexico. (A schedule will follow at a later date.) It is a three-hour-forty-five minute ride to Yuma, which includes a rest room stop. We will stop in Yuma for one hour for dinner. We then will proceed to the border; a forty-five minute ride. We will gather at a Circle-K gas station for about 30 minutes, and then proceed to cross the border. Once we cross the border we have a fifteen-minute ride to the orphanage where will be staying. The limitation on the size of your suitcase is due to van space. We have a laundress and we will be glad to wash things if you need them washed. Site Determination Caring Hearts Ministries past experience with medical trips tells us that the sites at the orphanage and the soup kitchen are the sites that are visited by the most people for treatment. We will have several clinics. One at the orphanage and one at another location such as the soup kitchen. The Mayor of San Luis will tell us where he would like to have the other clinics. Each site will have medical, optical and ministry teams. We will also have chiropractic services at some of the clinics. 4
Miscellaneous Information You will be staying at Bethel Orphanage located on Chipas Street between 31 st and 32 nd Streets. There are two numbers that you can give your family to call in case of emergency. They are the numbers of Ken (Ministry Administrator) and Juana Blose (Director of Education). Ken speaks both English and Spanish. He is originally from the US. His phone number in case of emergency is (011-52-653-517-0985 or 011-521- 653-108-7122). You may also use Bertha Bobadilla s number. (011-52-653-536-0500). Bertha only speaks Spanish, but just ask for Harold or Blake. Bertha will get one of them and they will get the person you are trying to reach. We will enjoy home cooked meals, cooked by our people. Everyone must bring a sports water bottle. We will have purified bottled water for you to drink. Each person must drink a minimum of 64 oz s of water per day. You will have a good bed to sleep in. Bring two single sheets and your own small pillow if you want one. Bring something warm to sleep in as it can cool off at night. You will be allowed to take one shower per day, your choice, morning or evening. Due to the shortage of water and sewage problems, the maximum time limit of your shower is two minutes. When you are finished showering, please dry off as much as possible in the shower stall to help keep the floors dry. Due to the sewage problem, you cannot put any tissue in the toilets. There will be a can next to the toilet to place your tissue. Do not flush the toilet with every wet. Try to get three to four wets per flush. (Your guess??). We send information to the Mexican government with names and addresses of those coming, what we will be doing, and where all we will be going. We ask that no one leave on their own to go some place without telling Harold or Blake where you are going. 5
We also ask that you NEVER go alone if you leave the clinics or orphanage. We ask that you use the buddy system when we are all traveling as a group so when we stop some where we know everyone is back in the van and we won t leave anyone behind in a restroom. (That has been done!) NEVER go anywhere alone. Caring Hearts joined together with Cornerstone Television s Mission Department so that we both can better serve the poor and needy of San Luis, Mexico. Paul Bixler, Tom Scott and the Board of Directors of CTVN, have a heart for children and serving the poor and needy. We are thankful to have this opportunity to be a part of the ministry of CTVN. Travel Schedule The schedule will be distributed at a later date. What will my day be like? Your day will begin with breakfast being served at 6:30 a.m. We will have morning devotions and fellowship along with guidelines for the day. (It is mandatory for all to attend devotions.) This starts promptly at 7:00 am. Between 7:15 am and 7:45 am, prepare the clinics, and load the vans for various clinics outside the orphanage. Clinics at the orphanage will start at 8:00 am. Clinics away from the orphanage will start between 8:30 and 9:00 am. Because we want at least one clinic open at all times, lunch breaks will be rotated between 11:30 am and 1:00 pm. Take at least one-half hour for lunch. 4:30 pm is closing time for the clinics. This means you may have to close the gates earlier and finish up with the patients that have already been registered. (Security at the clinics must judge when to close the gates for that day.) 6
At various times during the week there will be opportunities to visit the villages, dump, drug center, prison and various church services. How the clinics work Each clinic will have a receptionist table where all who want treatment must come to sign in. After the patients sign in, they will be given a number and a wrist band, which will identify when they will be called. If the nurse feels a patient cannot wait long, they can move the patient to the front of the line. We will have a preprinted form that must be filled out in it s entirely. The form will be in three parts. The forms will be numbered in sequence. The forms, after filled out, will be given to the patient for the patient to give to the nurse or doctor. The patients will first go to triage and then to see the doctor. The doctor will fill out his portion of the form. The patient will keep the form and take it to the next stop. Optical and chiropractic will work the same. Each patient will end their visit at the Ministry Department. After ministry they will be handed a bag of rice or beans and a Bible. Their wrist band will be removed and they will leave their medical form with the attendant. IMPORTANT: After the clinics close the forms must be turned in to the office personnel in the Pharmacy for counting. We must have a count of how many persons we served in each clinic. When we are through with our trip, we have to keep the top copy of the forms for our records. The second copy will go to the Mexican government. The third copy will go to the Mexican doctor who signed for us to operate the clinics. We will give a recap of our trip to the Mexican doctor and to the Mexican government. 7
!!IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR YOU TO REMEMBER!! No tissue in the toilets Put all tissue in the waste cans It is a must that all be on time for devotions in the morning and for meals. You must drink at least 64 oz. of water each day. Wipe the sand off your feet before entering the dorms and please keep the dorms as neat and clean as possible. ALL DRIVERS! YOU are responsible to load your van with water, Bibles, lunches, medicines, beans rice, reading glasses, supplies and your group. You tell the rest of your group what part you want them to do to help. Have your van ready to leave on time. MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS Please write up what medicines or supplies you want for the next day s treatment. Give the medicine list to the pharmacist and the supply list to your driver to be filled. Keep an accurate record as to what each patient s needs or treatment are and please try to write clearly. Our words for the week are BE FLEXIBLE! 8
CORNERSTONE TELEVISION AND CARING HEARTS MINISTRIES SHORT-TERM MISSIONS TRIP ASSUMPTION OF RISK AND WAIVER OF LIABILITY AGREEMENT ( AGREEMENT ) I, in consideration of my acceptance as a short term missionary with Cornerstone TeleVision and Caring Hearts Ministries, and and as a condition to my assignment, hereby acknowledge and agree that: 1. My involvement and assignment as a missionary is voluntary and I am acting under my own free will. 2. I am aware of the hazards and risks, as well as the potential for hazards and risks that are not obvious or reasonably foreseeable at this time, to my person and property associated with serving as a missionary, including, but not being limited to, death, personal injury or property damage caused by accident, disease, war, terrorists acts, weather conditions, inadequate medical services and supplies, criminal activity random acts of violence, or any other cause. I further recognize that such risks have always been associated with missionary service (2 Corinthians 1 1:23-28). 3. I ACCEPT MY ASSIGNMENT WITH FULL AWARENESS OF THESE HAZARDS AND RISKS AND HEREBY VOLUNTARILY ASSUME ANY AND ALL SUCH HAZARDS AND RISKS OF PARTICIPATING AND/OR VOLUNTEERING FOR THIS MISSION, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DEATH, PERSONAL INJURY, PROPERTY DAMAGE, AND ANY OTHER DAMAGE OF WHATEVER NATURE AND CAUSE I expressly agree that this Assumption of Risk is intended to be as broad and inclusive as permitted by law. 4. I attest and certify that I have no medical conditions, physical limitations, or mental conditions or disabilities that would prevent me from performing my duties or affect my performance thereof. 5. Cornerstone TeleVision and Caring Hearts Ministries undertake no direct legal or financial responsibility for my personal safety and well-being during my assignment as a missionary. 6. I am 100% liable for all expenses, including medical expenses, incurred as a result of any of the hazards or risks associated with my missionary assignment. I WAIVE, RELEASE AND DISCHARGE CORNERSTONE TELEVISION, CARING HEARTS MINISTRIES, THE CHURCH THAT I REPRESENT OR ANY AGENT OR EMPLOYEE OF ANY SUCH ORGANIZATIONS FROM ANY AND ALL LIABILITY, CLAIMS OR CAUSES OF ACTION FOR DAMAGE AND INJURY OF WHATEVER NATURE AND CAUSE WHICH I, MY HEIRS, SUCCESSORS, ASSIGNS, OR REPRESENTATIVES OR MY FAMILY MAY HAVE NOW OR IN THE FUTURE ARISING FROM MY ASSIGNMENT OR OCCURRING DURING THE TERM OF MY ASSIGNMENT. 7. In the event that I have minor children who will accompany me on my assignment, I, acting both on my own behalf and as their parent and legal guardian, do hereby assume all risks of death, illness, injury or property damage of whatever nature and cause that they may suffer during said assignment. 8. I FURTHER AGREE THAT I WILL INDEMNIFY AND HOLD HARMLESS CORNERSTONE TELEVISION AND CARING HEARTS MINISTRIES FROM ANYAND ALL LOSS, LIABILITY, DAMAGE OR COST OF WHATEVER NATURE AND CAUSE THAT THEY MAY INCUR AS THE RESULT OF MY ASSIGNMENT OR OCCURRING DURING THE TERM OF MY ASSIGNMENT. 9. I agree that I have received adequate consideration for this Agreement and I expressly waive any defense to the enforcement of any provisions of this commitment arising from a claim of lack of consideration and warrant that this Agreement constitutes a legal valid and binding obligation upon me enforceable against me in accordance with its term. 10. In the event that any one or more of the provisions of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, illegal, unenforceable or in conflict with the law according to the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which law shall govern this Agreement, the remaining provisions of the Agreement will not be invalidated and shall remain in full force and effect. 11. I HAVE CAREFULLY READ THE FORGOING AGREEMENT AND UNDERSTAND ITS CONTENTS. I AM AWARE THAT THIS IS AN ASSUMPTION OF RISK, A RELEASE OF LIABILITY AND A CONTRACT AND I VOLUNTARILY SIGN THIS RELEASE AS MY OWN FREE ACT. SIGNATURES: DATE: WITNESS: DATE:
Cornerstone TeleVision Network Caring Hearts Ministries Short Term Mission Trip Individual Application Trip-Tracking Number 021313 Group Leader Name: Blake Richert Full Name: Birth Date: Age: Home Phone: Cell Phone Email: Address: City: St: Zip Code Gender: Male Female Circle Please Previous Mission Experience No Yes, If Yes, describe briefly: Emergency Contact Phone Home Church: City: St. Skills, Talents or gifting: Spanish No Yes Fluent? Do you have your passport? No Yes Place of Employment: Job Title If student, school: Grade/Level I recognize that I am wholly and completely responsible to raise any and all funds necessary for the trip including travel, room and board and all cost involved with our team s purpose/project. I will fulfill all obligations listed below: A deposit of $300 per person will be forwarded to Caring Hearts to confirm my trip. (All checks should be made out to Caring Hearts Ministries. Please note the dates of your trip on your check.) Send to Caring Hearts Ministries, 309 Pine Hollow Road, Trafford, PA 15085 All team members will fill out and sign a CTVN/CHM Assumption of Risk Agreement and mail it, along with this application to Blake Richert, at the above address, no less than three weeks prior to arrival. The CHM Coordinator and team leader must be notified as quickly as possible of any cancellations. The parents of all minors, if not accompanying their children, must provide a notarized affidavit granting the group leader permission to take their children across the border. If only one custodial parent is traveling, a notarized affidavit from the non-traveling parent granting permission must be obtained. Parent must also sign the Assumption of Risk Agreement. Signed: Applicant Date Parent/Guardian Date
Dear Medical Mission Trip Volunteer, We are very grateful and thankful you have chosen to go to San Luis, Mexico with us to serve the poor and needy. We know you are doing a lot already by paying your way, giving of your time, and giving of your talents, and we thank you. But could you help us with a few more items? Would you ask your friends, relatives or whoever to help you and the poor from San Luis by doing one or more of the following? 1. Purchase a bag of beans for $ 55.00 (100 lbs.) 2. Purchase vitamins for the trip. We will use over 10,000 children s vitamins and over 5,000 adult vitamins. ( Sam s Club has a good price ) 3. On the last three medical trips we had an approximate shortage of funds to purchase medicine of $10,000. Can you help with a donation to meet this need? Please let me know if you can help with any of these items. You can bring the vitamins with you. But we have to know ahead of time if you are. Checks for beans, rice or contributions for medicine can be made out to Caring Hearts Ministries, send to Caring Hearts Ministries, 1 Signal Hill Drive, Wall, PA. 15148 Attention: CHM Med Supplies. God bless you, Harold McKamish hmckamish@comcast.net 412.287.6222 Blake Richert blake.richert@gmail.com 412.780.6303
CARING HEARTS MINISTRIES 1 Signal Hill Drive Wall, PA 15148 Dear On February 16-23, 2013 I will be going to San Luis, Mexico with a Medical Mission Group to provide medical care to the poor and needy. In addition to medical care we will provide ministry and beans and rice to the families. We are in need of the finances to purchase the beans and rice and medical supplies. Would you be able to do one of the following? 1. Purchase a bag of beans or rice for $ 55.00 (100 lbs.) 2. Purchase vitamins for the trip. We will use over 10,000 children s vitamins and over 5,000 adult vitamins. ( Sam s Club has a good price ) 3. Send a contribution towards the purchase of the medicine that will not be donated. (On the last three medical trips we had an approximate need of $10,000 for this.) Please let me know if you can help with any of this need. Contributions for beans, rice or medicine can be made out to Caring Hearts Ministries and sent to Caring Hearts Ministries, 1 Signal Hill Drive, Wall, PA. 15148 Attention Med Trip Supplies. God bless you,