I looked around our campus which was buzzing once again with close to three hundred people queuing up for appointments with our visiting doctors, and I saw more than a medical clinic, I saw a miracle. I saw a taste of the future, a glimpse of biblical history still to be fulfilled. I awoke one morning a few weeks ago to find a text message from a dear Egyptian friend now living in the USA, “In two weeks I am coming with a team of six doctors from Egypt, can you use us for two days?” From that brief text message, a joyful delegation comprising a General Practitioner, General Surgeon, Orthopedic Consultant, Ophthalmologist, Gynecologist, Pharmacist and Physiotherapist arrived complete with an inexhaustible Medical Clown, all led by the loving and effervescent Dr Yvette, came into our lives complete with suitcases of medicine, hygiene products and candy. It was instant love and respect all around. We closed our centre for those two days, cancelling classes so that rooms would be available for the doctors, with private areas for waiting rooms. I am so grateful to our team who were willing to assist the doctors, and their administrators for those days. It was a special experience for us all.
Natiq, Director of The Hope Academy of Music
“When the Egyptian doctors visited us, the centre was buzzing with excitement. The camp knew that doctors were coming and very quickly the word got out that they had brought medicine with them, and for anything they lacked they were writing prescriptions. There are so many people who remain sick as they can not afford any medicine so this was a gift from heaven for them.
It covered an emptiness in our community and broke silence for those who keep their diseases to themselves for lack of money. They came without money, were given respect and a solution.
It was wonderful for our students who came for check-ups, particularly those who survived captivity in ISIS, to know that there are Christian doctors from the Arab world who see us and care about us.”
Natiq. Director of The Hope Academy of Music
Idris
“Thank you for this wonderful opportunity. We need such medical clinics as we have no money to go to the doctor. We need such a clinic every three months. If this would happen, then our health would be restored.”
Idris
Bashiq. English Teacher
“It was an amazing team of doctors, they worked for two days from 10.00 - 15.00 without taking a break. They did not want to eat lunch until the end of their workday, that alone was an example of dedication and commitment to the entire community.
The community was grateful as they were able to go from one doctor to the other, to have eye check-ups and receive the eye glasses, to go to the gynecologist and have an ultrasound, to be listened to and diagnosed with respect and patience. They felt both seen and heard which was healing in itself.
Most in our community do not have money for medicine or for transportation for a professional consultancy so this was an important service for them. We had the pleasure of working alongside them, helping to register patients, assign them numbers and direct them to the relevant room.
We threw an incredible thank you party for them at the end which cemented our new relationship and found us laughing and dancing together.”
Bashiq. English Teacher
Avya. Play Therapist
“The kids were in a state of amazement for two days thanks to the Medical Clown. They were in shock that a clown would come from Egypt to make them laugh. They will never forget that.
The clown gave them candy and played games including role games which they just loved. We looked at a large group of kids totally caught up in the moment, transported to another world.”
Avya. Play Therapist.
Steven, Play Therapist
"The doctors brought professional knowledge and love with them. As for the kids they did not know that a clown existed. Their hearts opened up to him, and they were like regular kids in a huge party in another country for a while. Of course, they are asking when he will return!”
Steven, Play Therapist
Musa, General Manager
“Springs of Hope Foundation is the only organization within the camp that has established a medical clinic with weekly in-camp services also. The Hope Medical Clinic has been built on trust, respect and dignity. So when we announce the arrival of a visiting team of doctors, people know us and trust us, and they come, trusting our judgement in hosting medical personnel. They come knowing that they will be listened to and given good advice and not judged for their ill health.
Since the onset of Covid 19, and then as a result of the ongoing Russian - Ukrainian war, prices have soared. People are buying only priorities, and many consider medicine not to be a priority. Food first. The number of sick who can not afford a doctor’s visit has greatly increased
There were many who came for second opinions particularly in the field of orthopedics, gynecology, and general surgery not trusting the diagnosis in hand but coming with a trust for these doctors simply because Springs of Hope recommended them.
One thing impressed us all, SOHF staff and community alike, all the doctors encouraged their patients. They supported them, they encouraged them not to give up, they gave time to give explanations that they could understand and gave them peace of mind.
We saw that the community was willing to sit outside each room in complete patience for hours. That is unknown. They left stronger and with a smile.”
Musa, General Manager
Mosa Ibrahim
“My friends and I are old and we need doctors and nurses to be patient with us. The Springs of Hope team is always kind and patient so when they told us that doctors from the great land of Egypt were coming, we decided to walk to the clinic. It is hard for us; we walk once a week but because of the news of patient doctors we took our time and walked slowly. The doctors were very kind and gentle with us and appreciated that we had walked so far to meet them.”
Mosa Ibrahim
Haifa
“I am pregnant and need professional consultations but have no money or transport. It was so helpful for me to have an ultrasound and know that all is well with my baby and the pregnancy. I had become very worried so this calmed me, I hope that the doctors will return again and include a paediatric specialist for which there is a great need.”
Haifa
Zeri
“Every member of my family is suffering from a medical problem. We were all able to receive a thorough check up, good advice and everything we need for good health.”
Zeri
“Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Proverbs 16: 24
Kamo Mulhem
“I have a bone disease and the Egyptian doctors gave me helpful medicine and spoke very kindly to me. I am feeling much better. I hope that they will come again very soon.”
Kamo Mulhem
Haji Abdullah
“I think that the team of doctors were great. I visited with the “bones” doctor. It was a great day for me, as he gave me an ointment which has greatly helped me.”
Haji Abdullah
Sahla, Director of The Hope Centre
“Two weeks later the sick are still coming to the Hope Centre asking to see the doctors, requesting medicine. Those who came are still talking about the doctors and the team. For all of us it was not like a first meeting where each side is trying to figure the other side out, it was as if we had known each other for years and worked together endless times.
Entire families came bringing babies and young children to older parents. This was a new thing, to be treated with such kindness and to be given medicine for free. It’s true that for two days we cancelled all our classes and activities but over 500 people were helped and given hope in those days. We are so grateful for their hard work, their care, their appreciation of the Hope Centre and their precious time.”
Sahla, Director of The Hope Centre
Barely a week after our Egyptian friends returned home, we were overjoyed to meet two new friends who came to visit, one also from Egypt and one from Lebanon. The future was continuing to come to us, the present was pointing ahead.
“In that day” wrote Isaiah the prophet, “there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and the Assyrians will worship together. In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth.” Isaiah 19
Our special thanks go to Dr Yvette and her visionary team who began to traverse that “in that day” highway: Doctors Karma, Carol, Mona, Neveen, Christina, Nayer, Medhat, Samala, Josephine and Heba, and to her Egyptian team who flew in from the USA, Diana, Yousef, Bassem and Sandy.
Also to the two minstrels who followed just days later.
In conclusion, a few words from our dearly loved Dr Yvette Isaac, “Thank you for all you have done for us, for the way that you welcomed us, the way you opened your doors. Springs of Hope Foundation is totally different from anything in Kurdistan. You are changing the spiritual atmosphere; you are changing the psychological atmosphere and all kinds of atmospheres of relationships. God bless you all.”
I19. In that day. Until that day we continue to build.
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