To our dearest friends and family,

I just wanted to let you know that Mitch and the team made it out of Tulsa this am without a hitch.  Without a hitch is an absolute miracle because there were several hitches. 

First of all yesterday as we prayed for the team we prayed for favor with the airline we didn’t think we knew anyone at United and we needed someone understanding and helpful to work with our team.  When we arrived this morning at 5:30am a women came running out yelling “Dr. Duininck how are you?”

That women “just happened” to be the senior supervisor for United Airlines that also “happen”  to be a good friend of ours from Sam’s baseball team.  We had no idea that she worked for United and was only there this morning because one of her employees called in sick at the last moment. When Vickie came up to us the team about dropped their mouths.

On check in we were informed that though we had been told that each piece of luggage could weigh 70lbs the connecting airline into Hong Kong would only allow 50 therefore each and everyone of our 16 pieces was 20lbs overweight, along with that we had brought two 80lb tents and stoves for the team. After Mitch explained what and why there were all there Vicky worked like crazy for the next hour getting every single piece of luggage checked all the way to Islamabad. United waved the luggage charge(over a thousand dollars) and everything including the overweight and oversized tents and stoves.  God is so amazing!!!!!

The next and biggest hurdle was that two of our doctors that are from Indian decent were not granted visas as of Friday, to travel with the team-- meaning their passports were in LA at the embassy, after a quick conversation and a wave by the airline the two doctors where granted tickets to LA with the team and the rest of their itineraries were not cancelled.

Those of you who have traveled know what an incredible miracle that was especially sense 911 and  the civil war going on between Pakistan and India.  God is sooooo good guys!! What a joy to just sit back and watch God work today. After arriving in LA the two Indian doctors left the airport and raced across town to the embassy where they were granted their visas, another mad dash back to the airport just in time to go through security and board the plane with the rest of the team.  As I am writing this the team is headed to Hong Kong with every member on board and every piece of luggage underneath.  God is so very very good. 

Please continue to pray for everyone as they continue on, pray for traveling mercies and favor this leg is 14 hours then they have a layover in Hong Kong before going to Bangkok and then on to Islamabad. 

The team will arrive about 7am Wednesday morning which is Tuesday night for us; there is a 14 hour time difference. The team will shower and then head four hours north to the clinic site. The team will be staying in tents and cooking on the stoves they brought  living off the hundreds of power bars they brought.

The conditions are not good, no electricity and no running water not only for our team but for the thousands of victims of the earth quake.  As to date the death toll is up to 80,000 and there are 20-25,000 people not expected to live through the next few weeks without help. There was another aftershock yesterday measuring 6.5.  I have included a website address at the bottom if any of you want to keep up to date on what is going on over in Pakistan also our Image address if you would like to check that out. 

Thank you again to all of you for your prayers and support we love you all so much and know that you also will reap the rewards of this amazing trip. I’ll keep you posted.

Leah and the gang

PS Ryan Duininck a special thank you to you for all your help with the tents that will house our team and will afterward provide incredible shelter for the teams to come, bless you!!

BBC detailed earthquake website
http://tinyurl.com/c8zss

Thanks for praying. I just received a phone call from the In His Image team of eight physicians in Pakistan. After 30 hours of transit they have arrived safely in Islamabad and just spent a few hours at a hotel and got showers.

All their luggage arrived and they have connected with our host from World Harvest. In a few hours the team will drive four hours north to the earthquake disaster area where they will hold clinics and camp out for the next week.

Hello to all of you again. I just got off the phone with Mitch and have some fun new details for you.  First of all he asked me to thank you all for your prayers he said God’s hand has most certainly been on every step of this journey. 

He said that they are all doing very very well-- a bit stinky because they have only showered once since they got there, there is no hot water and with the nights in the thirties no one is really brave enough. 

Yesterday there was a pretty big tremor that shook their tents and knocked over quite a bit of stuff but everyone was okay -- probably freaked out a few of our “Oklahoma” guys though. 

As you read in the last update the team was asked by the UN to survey 300+ families yesterday about different areas of concerns which he said was awesome because they got to talk to all of those people personally but what the team was most excited about was that in return for this help to the UN Mitch was able to negotiate for a couple of military helicopters to take them over the next few days up into some of the mountain villages to treat some of the people that have not received medical care yet. 

God is opening some amazing doors.  Also as you learned from the last email the hospital where they are working and living was the only hospital left standing of five after the quake and the only one run by Christians.  The man that is running the hospital a Pakistani is a believer but did not want the team to come and in fact told our contact that he didn’t want any help and especially from Americans because Americans are rude and difficult. 

I am happy to report that after the past few days Mitch said that things have completely turned around and the doctor said he has never worked with better or nicer people. Mitch said “we have become the best of friends”  Isn’t God so very very good ?!!!!  

Mitch said the two women on the team are doing great and that they wished they had brought more women because there is such a need among the women victims for medical help and culturally they would have been much more receptive to women doctors.  Christine, one of the women doctors on the team actually got to help deliver a baby about 5:00am yesterday morning.

Mitch has asked specifically that everyone pray for the specific plans of the Father to be carried out these next few days. The team only has four more days to serve and they all want to make sure that they are doing exactly what they are supposed to do. 

The need is so very great and there are things to be done in every direction but the team wants to make sure they are doing exactly what the Lord has for them at this particular time. Also continue to pray for the team’s safety and health as they work so hard these next few days.  Thanks again for all your love and support; I will continue to keep you updated. Leah and the gang!