Africa Cries Out Report 2023004 The first group of medical mission team members arrived at the base in 2023

Author Xu Jun, March 17, 2023

After more than half a year of intense preparation, finally the first group of members arrived at the base. This year, we have a total of 91 team members, including 26 doctors and two acupuncturists from the United States and Singapore who have come to Senegal to offer their skills and love, and provide medical services to residents in impoverished areas. Although we encountered many difficulties during this process, with the grace of God, our team successfully overcame each one.

Just three days before we left the United States, we encountered an emergency situation that the scheduled anesthetic drugs could not arrive on time. We posted a message asking for help through various channels. Dr. XiaoHui Fan in St. Louis immediately offered to help, taking 10 bottles of 30ml 0.75% Bupivacaine from her own pharmacy. Following that, another doctor, Dr. Huiyi Chen, also from St. Louis, arrived at Dr. Fan’s house to pick up the drugs and successfully brought them to New York the next day. This selfless help and spirit of cooperation deeply touched our team and strengthened our faith.

When we were boarding at JFK Airport in New York, we had over 40 suitcases, containing more than $700,000 medication donated by two large American charities, over 40 old computers and over 40 cell phones, as well as more than 1,300 pairs of shoes that we couldn’t possibly take with us.

Everyone worked together to open up their suitcases or bags and packed them to the maximum allowable weight limit. In the end, we consolidated everything into 36 suitcases or bags, with each of us checking in two pieces of luggage. Unfortunately, we still had one piece of luggage that couldn’t be checked in. We had to find the person in charge of Air Senegal and explain to them the purpose of our trip. To our surprise, he agreed to check in the additional piece of luggage for free, saving us $200 in overweight fees.

 

(The above three photos were taken at New York JFK airport)

After an 8-hour flight, our first group arrived safely at Dhaka International Airport. Everyone had smiles on their faces and was happy and joyful!

As soon as the children arrived at the base, they didn’t take a break but immediately started packaging medications to prepare for the voluntary medical treatment the next day.

Upon hearing that Pastor Oliver was experiencing shoulder and neck pain, Acupuncturist Cheng Yaoyao immediately administered acupuncture treatment to him.

Dr. Li Yanping worked tirelessly and carried a microscope all the way to the base for this mission. As soon as she arrived, she immediately began adjusting and testing it. At the same time, she also took the opportunity to teach two students and treated them as medical school students to educate and train them. The children were also very happy to receive this engaging education. Dr. Li Yanping’s hard work and teaching spirit not only benefited her students greatly but also injected more strength and confidence into the entire team.

Dear friends, our lives are very short, but also full of challenges. We need to realize the value of our life in this limited time. Welcome to this world full of vitality and passion. Here, you will experience the challenges of life, and witness the world that needs you to shine, give love, bring happiness to others, and inject change into your own life. Your arrival will not leave any regrets. Our children have come here as many as five times, Mark Li, Jason Yang and Rachel Li, three Chinese children who came last year and again this year. Their lives have been saved here. I sincerely invite you, dear friends, to join us in 2024 and feel the life and passion of this world together.

The five Chinese children who came in 2022 are Rachel Li, Mark Li, Kenneth Xu, Jason Yang, and Eric Wang.

Editor in charge: Liu Hui and Guo Yuanchun