WOW, where do I begain with the telling of how all of this came about. First of all Praise God for all his provisions in allowing this to happen as it did.
Here we go, last March the Administrator at Hospital del Sur in Choluteca wanted us to come by and see him. When we got there he ask us if there were some things we could help him with. Well it was a 3 page list of medical supplies that the hospital needed, from basic gowns, needles, infant care, adult care and a ambulance. We left overwhemed with the list of needs. We have been working with the hospital for the past 2.5 years trying to assist in what ever way we can.We have been able to supply them with 2 infant incubators, replacing the roof on their storage building where critical medical supplies are stored. The former roof had massive leaks and supplies were often wet or damp from the elements. There is an ongoing project where we supply baby bags for new borns in order to have something to go home in. All of this could not be done without all of the generous people who have helped us over these past 2.5 years. THANK YOU. So anyway we left and made a few phone calls trying to source some of the supplies needed. After months of looking my brother Eddie called and said that he went into Abindgon Ambulance and inquired about an ambulance. Kevin Austin who is the administrator there said, he was taking one out of service and did we want it. Eddie called me and the rest is history. Thank you Kevin for allowing your unit to continue to serve here in Honduras. Now how do I get it from Virigina to NC. Our good friends Ray Smith and Rex Everhart arrange to get it to Raleigh at Capital Ford where it is kept for a few weeks. It continued its journey to Bobby Murray Chev. where they performed a checkover of the unit. In the mean time while in Honduras I am trying to find out about shipping cost and trying to get equipment to outfit unit. Here comes Derek Lyles who gets to work trying to find equipment to put in the unit. Derek is able to arrange with South Eastern Emergency Equipment in Youngville to provide equipment for the unit. They can handle everthing except for a stretcher. I have also talked with an old friend Dan Notch who does lettering on vechiles to arrange getting the hospital information installed on the unit. Well done Dan!, Looks Great!
One afternoon I called my mama to check on her and we started talking about the ambulance.She was asking how it was going about the shipping process and did we have equipment yet..I told her all was well but we were having a hard time finding a stretcher. I suppose after we hung up talking her brain got to working. My sister Mata went over to see her and they got to talking about it. Within a few days Mata contacted me and people at her work made a few calls and we had not 1 but 2 stretchers, and additional equipment to go with it, ie, back boards, neck braces, portable stretchers. WOW it is amasing how God worked through all these situations and conversations to make this whole thing come together.
All the equipment was picked up and packed in to the ambulance and taken over to our home church, New Hope Baptist, to have people lay hands on it and pray for its service to the people in Honduras. The unit was driven down to Port Everglades Fl. to arrange for shipment to Honduras. Ambulance is set to sail Sept. 20 and arrive at Port of Cortes, Honduras on the 24th, a fews days to release then it will be driven to the hospital in Choluteca , 10 hr. drive through mountains (I will post pics when it arrives).
A THANK YOU CAN NOT EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE TO THE FOLLOWING WHO HELPED TO MAKE THIS POSSIBLE:
FIRST AND FOREMOST JESUS CHRIST WHOM WE SERVE
Eddie Greene
Kevin Austin - Anbingdon Ambulance Service, Anbingdon, VA.
Ray Smith
Rex Everhart, also drove unit to Florida
Captial Ford
Bobby Murray
Derek Lyles
Dan Signs
Carla Baker, Southeastern Emergency Equipment, Youngsville, NC
First Health EMS, Rockingham, NC
My mom Frances
My sister Mata Shankle
Linda Lowery
Cordova Fire and Rescue, Cordova NC
Others who have been praying for this to happen
