A Thank You Note

The following is a thank you note we received after an emergency delivery of mattresses.

"I cannot begin to express to you how much I appreciate you and your staff braving the bad weather and bringing us the much needed mattresses. I have attached a few pictures of their arrival and our folks working together to get them unloaded. It is an honor and privilege to volunteer with you guys throughout the year.  Again, we appreciate Christian Service Mission and MedMission working together with us to make a difference in the lives of others, each and every day!

God Bless-

Nancy W. Ling, MBA

Director, Supply Chain Services

Princeton Baptist Medical Center"

 

 

Connecting Through Birthing Kits

A little over a year ago we received an email from a ministry partner who was returning to work with the Karen inside Burma. She recalled how a few years earlier we had supplied her with several suitcases filled with much-needed birthing kits. Her question: could we help her again?

Because time was short there was not an opportunity to send out a plea to our Global Women Groups. This time we called on Jim Tucker, our ministry partner at MedMission. Jim receives birthing kits and sees that they go with mission teams to parts of the world where they are most needed. Jim had a good supply of kits sent by GW constituents and worked hard to get them to our friend in time for her to carry them with her. And because you gave, GW had the funds on hand to pay for the extra suitcases.

We have just received a thank you from overseas: Dear All at GW and all who were involved in getting the birthing kits sent to me last year. Thank you so much for working together (GW calls it connecting!)to make it possible to receive the birthing kits, and thank you so much for remembering to send the fee to get them to Thailand – you are truly a blessing and I am very grateful for all you do!

When you give to the ministry of Global Women, you are funding our projects and underwriting our operating expenses. Your investment makes our ministry possible!

A Family Story

This is a post from the personal blog of Jim's son, Jimbo regarding a recent experience in mission:
I had the privilege of going to Haiti with the college ministry of Mountain Brook Community Church called UCF. We served with Canaan Christian Community a few hours North of Port-au-Prince. It was a pretty moving to say the least.
Ironically, one of the coolest parts of the trip for me happened before we even left. Our son Carson was asking us questions about my trip and we shared that some of the kids I would be working with in Haiti are orphans. In explaining what that meant, it seemed to hit home with him. In fact, later that night we found him pulling clothes out of his drawers and separating them into two piles - one for him to keep, and one for "Daddy to take to the kids in Haiti". Needless to say we took advantage of the opportunity to encourage his heart for kids in other cultures.
We ended up collecting clothes from Hayley's moms group to add to Carson's pile. When I checked in for my flight, half of my bag and an extra checked bag were filled with children's clothes for the ministries at Canaan. The pic above is Carson with the clothes he 'collected'.
Here are a few shots from my time in Haiti:

Me and some of the Canaan boys (Stevenson, Sanders, Wendy, Wesh, and others).

The ocean was beautiful (above) as were the seemingly endless mountains (below).

This last photo is of a boy who came out from his village to see the "blans" (white people) on the mountain trail. Please take a minute to pray for the people of Haiti. Pray that God will raise up a generation of Haitians with a passion for Christ above all else.

In Haiti

Jim is in Haiti with the Ebenezer Evangelical Mission. He is getting a better feel of what is needed on the ground and how MedMission can help. He will also spend some time connecting with other ministries including the Catholic hospitals in Port Au Prince.

The photo above is of the refugee meeting held last night at the Ebenezer Outreach.

Here is his lastest update: "Today (3/29) we visited the new site for the refugee camp. Beautiful spot, hard to get to because of the roads. [A church in] Newport, TN has pledged [a significant amount] to build a building to provide shelter for over 500 refugees from PAP."

Thank you for your continued prayers. Together we can make a difference, one life at a time.

Haiti Effort Update

Larry & Linda Ralph of Ebenezer Outreach-Haiti collecting barrels from MedMission for shipment to Haiti. The barrels contained rice, beans, canned meats, canned beans, personal hygiene items and basic medical supplies. These supplies were gathered by Mtn. Brook Community Church, Mtn. Top Church, Valleydale Church, Moody Elementary School, Mt. Laurel Elementary School and Spain Park High School. THANKS to all our partners for their support!

A Story from Haiti

Dr. Dick McGlaughlin (Mac), a doctor at St. Vincent's Birmingham, came to the warehouse and we gathered most of the supplies he took to Haiti. The story is wonderful and sad, emotion filled and uplifting. Mac came by the warehouse again this evening and gathered more supplies that he is taking with him tomorrow to Haiti. He simply stated that "all the stuff I got from MedMission was just what was needed in Haiti". This is why we do what we do ... to help those in need and "Make a Difference, One Life at a Time"!

Click here to read Mac's story

Update

MedMission is blessed to have these two great churches as partners. The first photo is of Mountain Top's Executive Pastor Wayne Hudson and Team Member Gwen Merritt presenting me with a check for Haiti Relief. The second photo is of Mountain Brook Community Church Senior Pastor Tim Kallam and Assistant Pastor Jimbo Tucker. These checks will allow us to purchase needed medications and ship our supplies quickly.
We are also partnering with Valleydale Church and Liberty Baptist (Chelsea) in our relief efforts. Three elementary schools (Mt. Laurel, Chelsea and Moody) have partnered with MedMission for Haiti Relief. These items will be collected and shipped later this month.

Saturday 9am to 1pm

We will be working in the warehouse this Saturday from 9:00am to 1:00pm. Feel free to come on down and help out. You can find a map to the warehouse by using the link on the right column of this page.

Thank You

Thank you to all of the volunteers who helped this weekend and everyone who made donations towards this effort. The process of getting supplies to Haiti has already begun and it will continue in the weeks to come.

In fact, tomorrow we will be helping load some supplies at the Birmingham airport on a plane headed for Ft. Lauderdale. Some of those supplies will be redistributed there to go directly to Canaan Orphanage, while others will continue on an already scheduled relief flight.

As mentioned before, there are logistical issues that make our task difficult, but we are committed to getting the needed aid to our partners on the ground in Haiti. We will continue to be creative and use the connections the Lord provides. Please pray with us as we follow God's lead in serving others by sharing our excess.

If you were not able to give this weekend but would still like to help, please consider a financial donation. These funds make it possible for us to collect, consolidate, and ship the materials needed to help our partners going forward.

Weekend Update

Today we collected food, water, and healthcare supplies in three locations. We had volunteers from a variety of churches helping at collection trailers and in the warehouse. Many people came by and donated items on our list and more. We feel very blessed for the new connections that were made and for the aid that was gathered and prepared to help those in Haiti.

Collection of supplies will continue tomorrow from 1pm-5pm at Mountain Brook Community Church and Mountain Top Community Church.

Just a glimpse of how God is working:
"This morning at the Mountaintop Community Church Haiti Relief trailer, a lady came with some products that she had bought with her food stamps. That is the true meaning of sacrificing and loving your neighbor as you love yourself. Praise God!!"

Thank you to everyone who participated today. Together we are making a difference.

Update and Local Collection Locations

Locations for donation points will be: Mountain Brook Community Church, Liberty Baptist (Chelsea), Mountain Top Community Church and the warehouse on Oxmoor Rd. The trailers will be manned by church members from 9am to 4pm on Saturday and 1pm to 5pm on Sunday. The warehouse will be open on Saturday but Sunday has not been decided. The trailers are donated by Armstrong Relocation and Total Asset Solutions. Thank you for all the help.

List of items we are collecting this weekend:
FOOD & WATER
Bottled Water – Cases – 12 oz, Dried Beans, Dried Rice, Canned Meats, Canned Foods

PERSONAL HYGIENE
Shampoo, Soap, Diapers & Wipes, Feminine Products, Toothbrushes, Toothpaste, Q-tips, Cotton Balls

HEALTHCARE ITEMS
Children’s Vitamins/ Disinfectant Wipes, Aspirin, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Antiseptic Sprays & Ointments, Band Aids - assorted sizes, Triple Antibiotic Ointment, White Table Vinegar (1 quart size), Hydrogen Peroxide, Antibacterial Soap-pump bottle & refills

Interesting Connections:
1. We met a doctor who is flying his single engine plane to Miami and ferrying supplies in to Haiti and bringing evacuees back. He stopped by the warehouse and we look forward to serving together.
2. We received a call from a young man who found a group flying from Ft. Lauderdale to Haiti ferrying supplies in and bringing injured persons out on a daily basis. He then found an executive who offered their corporate jet to get supplies from Birmingham to Ft. Lauderdale. We will be putting together a program to implement this service in the next few days!
3. We got word that a group is working on bringing a C-130 cargo plane to Birmingham and asked if we could help fill it with supplies for Haiti. We're waiting to see if this works out, but it could be another great opportunity.

God is providing! We're just trying to be faithful to follow His leading. Thank you for your partnership. Your prayers, support, and donations are much appreciated.

This Weekend and Supply List

Many of you have asked how you can help with the relief effort for Haiti. We will have collection points at Mountain Brook Community Church, Mountain Top Community Church, and the MedMission warehouse this Saturday from 9am to 4pm and Sunday from 1pm to 5pm. Our primary emphasis will be to collect basic food, personal hygiene and healthcare items on this drive. We will also be accepting financial donations to be used to pay for the shipping and handling expenses incurred in getting the items to Haiti. Our pledge is that all donations will be used in our efforts to help the people of Haiti.

MedMission has partnered with First Priority-Global in order to maximize the effectiveness of our relief efforts. We will be working primarily with two established missions in Haiti, the Ebenezer Mission and Canaan Orphanage. Both of these ministries have been in existence for over 15 years and have facilities that can distribute life sustaining foods while showing the love of Christ to all they serve. Each ministry has medical clinics that are in dire need of replenishment as well, making our efforts even more critical. We will also work with other Christian missions as our partnership grows in this devastated country.

We will also be working in our warehouse on Saturday from 9am until 4pm. Volunteers will be sorting, boxing and inventorying medical supplies. Please contact Jim Tucker via email (medmission@gmail.com) if you will be coming. We look forward to seeing you Saturday!

Below is a list of items that we consider to be of primary importance for our first containers. We will also be collecting clothing in the future, but we are not prepared to handle these items this weekend. Thank you for helping us "Make a Difference, One Life at a Time".

FOOD & WATER
Bottled Water – Cases – 12 oz, Dried Beans, Dried Rice, Canned Meats, Canned Foods

PERSONAL HYGIENE
Shampoo, Soap, Diapers & Wipes, Feminine Products, Toothbrushes, Toothpaste, Q-tips, Cotton Balls

HEALTHCARE ITEMS
Children’s Vitamins, Disinfectant Wipes, Aspirin, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Antiseptic Sprays & Ointments, Band Aids - assorted sizes, Triple Antibiotic Ointment, White Table Vinegar (1 quart size), Hydrogen Peroxide, Antibacterial Soap-pump bottle & refills

(Case quantities are best when possible)

Financial contributions will be used to purchase products and pay for shipping expenses. All funds collected will be used for Haiti Relief. You can donate online or make checks payable to MedMission (indicate Haiti Relief in the notes area).

Update - Tuesday

We have been working with our partners in the States and on the ground in Haiti to negotiate the logistical nightmare that exists in trying to get aid to the people of Haiti. Here is a snapshot of what we're working through: Find an open port in Haiti, organize an acceptable drop point with a trusted recipient, find a way to get materials off the boat, then onto a truck, to get to the partners who desperately need it. Then factor in that fuel is scarce and being sold on the black market for $150 a gallon. So once on shore, just getting it to our partners locations poses major problems. Not to mention corruption and other issues. Basically, this effort would have been difficult before the earthquake and since the quake, all the issues are expounded.

All of that to say we will need your physical help, but we don't have details for you quite yet. Please hang in there. We still plan to have volunteers at the warehouse this Saturday, but stay tuned for updates.

If you want to help right now, please make a financial donation. One thing is for sure, getting the needed supplies to our Haitian partners will require money. Thank you for joining us in this effort.

Can I Volunteer Today?

We have already received a number of calls today with people wanting to help at the warehouse. Thank you so much. We do need your help, but not today (even though it is a holiday for many of you). This is a big effort that requires a lot of logistical details to be worked out before we start moving boxes and loading trucks. Our current target for volunteers to come is Saturday (Jan 23).

Please check back with us after lunch. If service opportunities become available today, this is where we will be letting you know. Thank you so much for your willingness to help.

Haiti Relief - Update

As mentioned in the previous post we are working with 1st Priority of America on an effort to provide medical equipment, food, and water to partner ministries in Haiti. Specifically we will be providing aid to two ministries: Ebenezer Evangelical Misson in partnership with Larry Ralph and Canaan Orphanage in partnership with the Haiti Nutrition Project.

This will not be an overnight effort. It will take some time to coordinate our resources and get the materials where they can be of help. We will be needing volunteers at the warehouse in the coming days/weeks to load containers to ship to Haiti. Stay tuned for more details and ways to schedule teams to help.

We will also need your continued help to fund this project. All donations will go toward providing aid in Haiti. Thank you to all the Birmingham area churches and individuals who have already helped us in this effort.

Help for Haiti

MedMission has partnered with 1st Priority of America to establish a relief program that allows us to ship our products to Haiti to be distributed by local missionaries. We are establishing local collection sites to collect non perishable foods, water and basic medical supplies which will be shipped to Haiti on a chartered ship. We also need financial assistance to cover the shipping expenses which will be incurred. We can't accomplish this task alone, but together we can "Make a Difference, One Life at a Time".

We ask for three things as we begin this project:
1. Prayer - Please pray for the Haitian people; the rescue workers; the medical and peacekeeping personnel; the relief efforts we are undertaking.
2. Volunteers - Help us collect and load the supplies for shipment; spread the word about the relief efforts; contact companies and individuals who may assist in the project.
3. Finances - Help offset the expenses incurred in collecting, shipping and distributing the supplies to Haiti. All funds collected will be used for Haiti Relief.

You can Donate Now using the "Donate" button
on the top right of this page.
OR

Make checks payable to MedMission and send to:
P. O. Box 660484
Birmingham, AL 35266
*Please indicate Haiti Relief Project on your check.

Thank you in advance for your support!
In Christ,
Jim

MedMission Featured on Bedouins International

MedMission was the featured organization on the Bedouins International blog this week. Click Here to read the story.
Bedouins International uses art to help others communicate their cause, their needs and their successes with the rest of the world: whether it’s feeding the hungry, freeing the captive, or loving the unlovable. Each week they "tell the story" of a person or organization on their blog that is actively serving others. This week it was us, and we are honored. Thank you!

Recap / Update September 2009

We have been very active for the past 12 months, beginning with the Hurricane Gustav evacuation from New Orleans in early September. We partnered with Mountain Brook Community Church, Shades Mt. Community Church and Mission Birmingham to supply housing for over 70 evacuees from the Castle Rock Church in New Orleans. We supplied mattresses, linens and pillows from our warehouse, plus toiletries supplied by St. Vincent's Health System.

The members of MBCC played a huge part in the successful implementation of the materials on Sunday afternoon. In November we experienced the closing of Physicians Medical Center (Carraway) which was a medical center that had been in existence for over 100 years in Birmingham. We were blessed to be given all opened but unused medical supplies which turned into a nine week task! The recovered merchandise is still being sorted and packaged for shipment. Completion of this time consuming task was made possible by volunteers from Mt. Top Church, UAB School of Hospital Administration, Creekside Bible Study, Green Valley Baptist Church and others, but mostly by members of Mt. Brook Community Church. These volunteers sacrificed their Christmas Holidays to come to the hospital to gather, sort, box and palletize over 100 pallets of supplies for MedMission. Without their help we would not have been able to accomplish this task as quickly as we did.

The recovered supplies from Carraway have allowed MedMission to supply mission teams from Riverchase UMC, Vestavia UMC, Brookwood Baptist, Mt. Top Community Church, Valleydale Church, The Church at Brook Hills, Landmark Church of Christ, Shades Mt. Baptist, Kenya Relief, Mt. Bethel UMC (Marietta, GA) and others. The following is a listing of the countries they worked in with the number of teams we supplied in parentheses: South Africa (3), Peru (4), Kenya (3), Zimbabwe (1), Uganda (1), Sierra Leone (1), Honduras (3), Belize (1), Nicarauga (1), Palestine (1), Mexico (3), Venezuela (1), Hungary (1), Haiti (1), Cuba (1), Bolivia (1), Moldova (1) and the Dominican Republic (2). This is a total of 30 mission teams we have been able to assist thus far in 2009! Praise The Lord!!

We are excited about where God is leading us and the lives we will be able to impact through MedMission as we are: "Making a difference, one life at a time!"

Gennifer's Story

This is a story from Gennifer who was impacted by the ministry of Medmission:

"I will never forget the day I first walked into one of the Medmission warehouses. I had made the trip with a pal of mine to find supplies for the next container headed out with Kenya Relief. I was so overwhelmed, not only by the endless piles of unsorted supplies, but by the thousands of possibilities that were before me.

Most of that day was spent sorting and packing up the supplies needed to help dehydrated children. The whole time I was off in another section of the warehouse working alone I could hear Jim and others talking about equipment, supplies that were available, countries that had been assisted, what the future held and most important how God was being served.

All the way back home I had a tugging in my heart. God was telling me that I was supposed to help this man, Jim. This man who listened to God, followed His will and trusted that all would be okay. Jim and Medmission had no idea the impact they were about to have in my life. When I arrived home I sent Jim an email. I introduced myself and explained that even though I really had no idea what the future held God was telling me I was supposed to help him. The rest is history!

As an Instructor with the Division of Nursing at Martin Methodist College in Pulaski, Tennessee the goal was to get to work and start sorting out that warehouse. The first trip consisted of myself, another faculty member, the Division Secretary, one senior student and her husband and a junior student. We rolled up our sleeves and jumped in. At the end of the day we were all exhausted, but at least we had a starting point.

When the students made it back to campus they had decided to take this on as a project. For the senior final we spent two days sorting. Then an amazing thing happened…they asked to go back. So on that following Saturday most of the seniors, accompanied by a husband, a brother, a junior student and myself headed back. It was a great day of learning and accomplishment. It was amazing seeing them take ownership of a project and see into the future of the difference they will be making in another person’s life, even if it may be halfway across the globe.

In turn, God has blessed us. Medmission does not only help with medical missions, they are assisting us with medical education. With budget crisis and cutbacks we all are trying creative ways to make things happen. These students, members of our Student Nursing Organization, have taken on Medmission as a group project. Through this Medmission gives, to the Division of Nursing, outdated supplies and other items that cannot be shipped overseas for use in the lab.

It is an amazing partnership. A partnership that has been blessed with purpose and dreams of bigger things. Students have learned so much through this endeavor. They are more aware of supplies, waste and more importantly what they can do to make a difference at home and abroad.

When I reflect on this blessing four things come to mind that I will NEVER forget. One, the feeling that covered me as I stood in the warehouse for the first time. Two, the friends I have been blessed with through this project. Three, hearing the laughter of my students as their hearts were lifted while working to help others. Four, the smile on Jim Tucker’s face every time we leave because he knows it won’t be too long before he sees us again."

In the News

MedMission was in the local news a few times recently. They were highlighted in a Faith in Action segment on CBS 42 (see article; see video), and also in a segment on Fox 6 (see video).