Any organization is only as effective as its leadership.  Why were we as organized as we were on this medical team?  The answer is, we had excellent leadership.  Chuck Ward and his wife Joette began planning for this medical team over a year ago.  All of the logistics of getting a group of medical professionals here with all the necessary equipment, medicines, plus the authorization and permits needed to be able to work in Vietnam were all provided through the leadership of Chuck and Joette Ward.   They were with us each day from start till finish and worked till late at night when necessary.  They answered all of our many questions with politeness and tact.  John C. Maxwell defined a leaders as, “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way”.  We had all this in Chuck and Joette Ward. 

We were here and able to treat the sick and provide health care with compassion  because of the administrative and visionary work of Vets With A Mission under the leadership of Chuck Ward and his wife Joette.  “Well done my good and faithful servants” shall be their reward.

    We saw a special patient today.  This young girl was seriously burned as boiling hot water was tipped oven on top of her by accident two years ago.  Her burns are so severe that I cannot show the picture of her burns.  She has not received any physical therapy since the burns have healed and her skin is knotting up and she is losing mobility in her legs.  Her prognosis is not good unless she can get the proper physical therapy and the necessary surgeries to begin the process of restoration and flexibility of skin and sinew.  This was a sad story to have to tell, unfortunately we have seen many situations like this and have felt the pain of these children up close and personal.  Some how we would like to be able to get her to a Shriners Burn Center if possible.  Would you pray that prayer with us, that God would open a way for this girl to get the treatment she needs.  Some one once said that ‘we were not people of great faith, but people of a great God”.

    I will have one more blog before we depart from Vietnam Friday morning and that will be on our veterans dinner Thursday night here at the Furama honouring our veterans.