Dear Family and Friends,
We have been here for one week and already determined so great needs in this area. I ask that each of you pray about what I have written and let me know the results of your prayers.
On Monday, I was very blessed to have an employee of Samaritan’s Purse, Bill Wright, contact me about coming to Oradea to see the Children’s Hospital that I write about so much. I was delighted that he would take the time to come here so I took a train on Monday night to Cluj where he was staying and then we came back to Oradea yesterday morning. We spent the better part of the day in the hospital meeting doctors and hearing their needs. They showed us all the floors and departments that they showed me last year that are in desperate need of equipment and supplies. Bill did an assessment of all of this and took many notes throughout the day.
As part of Bill’s job, he ships donated medical equipment to facilities in need and then, after the equipment arrives, he flies to its destination and then shows the operator how to use it. Yesterday, the hospital had an ultrasound machine that had been recently donated. They had no clue how to use it and Bill graciously took the time to educate them. He also did a thorough needs assessment of the hospital and the following is what he determined are the needs: (prioritized by Bill)
- Higher Patient Dose X-Ray Equipment for Room - $13,500 (new with 15 years + life expectancy) or used - $6,000 (with life expectancy 8-10 years) or Used/Refurbished Portable X-Ray machine - $12,000 or Lower Patient Dose X-Ray Equipment State of the Art - $25,000 (with 15 years life expectancy)
- Automatic Film Processor - $3,800
- Lead Aprons and blockers - donated by Samaritan’s Purse
- Patient Monitors for ICU - donated by Samaritan’s Purse
- Oximeter - $500 each (measures oxygen saturation in the blood)
- Videoprinter 6″ and paper - $1000
- EKG refurbished 6 channel recorder - $2,500
- HP pagewriter EKG recorder for 3 channel - $1,000
- 2 probes for current ultrasound machines - $1,250 (5.0 mhz sector short focus for Aloka) $2,400 (5.0 mhz short probe for Austrian machine)
- Infusion pumps and syringe pumps - cost unknown at this time
- Blood pressure cups and stethoscopes - donated by Samaritan’s Purse
- Surgical instruments - donated by Samaritan’s Purse
- Pediatric Bronocialscope with tools - $4,000
- Microscopes at $1200 each (need 2 or 3)
- Blood analyzer - $10,000
- Centrafuse - donated by Samaritan’s Purse
- Glumose meters with test strips - $500
- Patient hook-ups for monitors - $1,000
The items with prices are items that Samaritan’s Purse can purchase at a dealer rate and sell to other ministries. As you see, this is a considerable amount of money. However, if God wants this equipment to get to these children, it will happen in spite of my efforts as I have seen so many times before! Allison and I ask you to join us in praying about how God will accomplish this for these much needed children. This hospital serves all the children this county which is basically a small state….it is the only pediatric facility. We praise God that He sent Bill Wright here to meet whatever needs Samaritan’s Purse can!!
While Bill and I were meeting with three doctors, one of the doctors stopped the conversation about the medical equipment and asked me, “Why are you so different from the young people in Romania? Why would you come here and live to help so us and the children when you could live in the U.S.?” Then she went on to explain that the young people in Romanian would never think of doing such a thing. I had the awesome opportunity of explaining to these three doctors that my motivation for helping others was Jesus. My explanation was simple and they were fascinated in how my belief in Jesus was the impetus for my behavior. Last night, I went to a Christian bookstore and purchased ten copies of Josh McDowell’s “More than a Carpenter” translated in Romanian. I plan on giving these books to the doctors this week and I ask for your prayers in their reception of this book. I know that God orchestrated this opportunity.
Another request for help is a family from our church, Betania Pentecostal. Allison had the honor of meeting the family on Monday night while I was in Cluj. This family is a mother and a father with eight children…7 biological children and 1 that they adopted. This is a beautiful Christian family full of life and joy. The two older children are extremely musically gifted and attend a special school for the arts. Praise God that they do have a car and can manage to take them to school and attend church. However, because of the current economic conditions, the mother may be forced to go to Italy to work for a year while leaving the children at home with the father and a baby-sitter. I strongly disagree with her doing this but I understand that she does not want to put any of her children in an orphanage. The family needs the equivalent of $150 to survive each month. If you would like to pledge any part of this need for this family, please let me know.
I have meant a young woman, Victoria, from Sweden who is working as a missionary with the abandoned babies in the hospital. She works with the young women that I hired last year. Victoria has just formed her own Romanian foundation to get children placed into foster care. I am assisting her with the legal part of what she is doing by helping her do the paperwork required by the Child Protection Commission. Victoria also wants to bring in more volunteers and young women that have aged out of orphanages (as I did last year) and I want to assist her with this since it seems as though we have the same burden for these abandoned babies. Allison spent most of yesterday holding and loving these babies!! She is enjoying going to the hospital and working with Victoria and the others.
I think I have totally inundated you all with information now! Please pray about what I have written. If you feel burdened to help with any of these needs in any way, please write me. I also ask that you pass this email to anyone you know that may be able to assist with these needs in some way.
I am trying to send a picture with each email. The attached picture is the Children’s Hospital that I have written about so much.
May God bless each of you as you!!!
Basking in the Son,
Michelle
Posted on May 19th, 1999 by Michelle
Filed under: Michelle's Journal