Haiti/Domenican Republic

Mission-Chiropractors adjust over 98,000 people in 16 days

By Peter Morgan, DC

Mission-Chiropractic doctors once again adjusted thousands of people in and Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Last April Mission Chiropractors established a world record for the most patients adjusted in two days. 28 chiropractors, 31 chiropractic assistants and 5 volunteers cared for 21,545 patients, 6 months to 98 years of age throughout the Dominican Republic and Haiti. On the trip this past October, over 50 chiropractors and 50 chiropractic assistants cared for over 56,000 people in 4 days. Then in Trinidad in this past January, 21 Mission-Chiropractors adjusted over 10, 000 people. On this latest trip to Haiti (March 31 to April 4, 2009) ten chiropractors and I landed in Port au Prince and drove through the entire country all the way to the Dominican Republic. We were met at the airport by our driver and guide Saurel Charles.  He is accompanied by our three huge body guards.  As we are driving out of Port au Prince and as we are crossing over a bridge, we gazed down below and we noticed hundreds of people in the river. People were washing their bodies as well as their clothes. As you enter Haiti your senses are immediately heightened.  There is no vegetation, garbage is everywhere and your nose is struck by a terrible odor. In 1925, Haiti was lush, with 60% of its original forest covering the lands and mountainous regions. Since then, the population has cut down all but an estimated 2% of its original forest cover, and in the process has destroyed fertile farmland soils. All you see is dirt for miles. We were told that erosion has been severe in the mountainous areas. Most Haitian logging is done to produce charcoal the country's chief source of fuel. The plight of Haiti's forests has attracted international attention, and has led to numerous reforestation efforts, but these have met with little success to date. Needless to say Haiti is in a large environmental crisis. We might be in crisis ourselves. We were given the following to read before entering the country.

                                            Travel Warning
                        United States Department of State
                            Bureau of Consular Affairs
                                  Washington, DC 20520

This information is current as of today, Saturday 28:03: 2009

This Travel Warning is being issued to advise American citizens to defer non-essential travel to Haiti until further notice. Conditions may occasionally limit Embassy operations to emergency services. Americans are also reminded of ongoing security concerns in Haiti, including frequent kidnappings of Americans for ransom.

Recently, there were violent demonstrations, looting, transportation disruptions, and up to seven reported deaths in Les Cayes and Port-au-Prince. Some American citizens were temporarily stranded in isolated locations and could not safely travel until calm was restored. Because political and economic conditions precipitating the civil unrest have not been resolved, American citizens should defer non-essential travel to Haiti.

The absence of an effective police force in many areas of Haiti means that, should protests reignite, there is potential for looting, the erection of intermittent roadblocks set by armed protestors or by the police, and an increased possibility of random crime, including kidnapping, carjacking, home invasion, armed robbery and assault. Americans in Haiti should practice good personal security, take commonsense precautions, and avoid any event where crowds may congregate. Even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn violent. Americans should closely monitor news media and the U.S. Embassy’s website at: http://haiti.usembassy.gov/warden_information .html.

U.S. citizens traveling to and residing in Haiti despite this warning are reminded that there is also a chronic danger of violent crime, especially kidnappings. Most kidnappings are criminal in nature, and the kidnappers make no distinctions of nationality, race, gender or age; all are vulnerable. The lack of civil protections in Haiti, as well as the limited capability of local law enforcement to resolve kidnapping cases, further compounds the element of danger surrounding this trend.

Wow. Chiropractic Mission work is certainly not boring. Yes Haiti is dangerous but we are on a mission from God and from DD Palmer. We also have a guide with three body guards. We arrived at a small hospital and thousands of people were waiting for us for two weeks. From 9 pm to 6 pm we adjusted approximately 1700 people.  People of all ages and conditions mounted our portable chiropractic tables. Our chiropractic team spoke English, Spanish and Italian, but most people in Haiti only speak French and Creole.  We had a translator write a sign for us that said nice to meet you; face up, face down and on your side. We would just point to the sign indicating how we wanted them on the table. Many patients had serious problems. People presented with oozing tumors and giant goiters. They were promptly adjusted and referred to the MD's in the hospital. For their medical visits they had to pay a few dollars. Most do not have a dollar and have to wait until mission doctors arrive. The hospitals we visited received all of their equipment through donations from people and hospitals in the U.S A.  They have dental opitories but no dentists. Imagine cities with over 150,000 people without a dentist or a surgeon. The hospitals depend upon mission doctors from the United States. Mission doctors come every three or four months. Most of our patients had neuromusculoskeletal symptoms and protein deficiencies... Some had diphtheria, croup; inflammation of the bowels had pneumonia. Many of the patients responded well with one or two treatments. The chronic diseases will take from two weeks to two months to affect a permanent cure. This is why we need mission chiropractors there on a more regular basis. In the Dominican Republic this is beginning to happen. We need volunteers in Haiti as well.  At 6 pm the sun goes down and since there is no electricity in the whole country, most people go to sleep around 7. Yes a few people have private generators; however gasoline is $13 a gallon so you have to be wealthy to utilize this form of electricity. We did manage to find a candle lit restaurant. It was very exhilarating walking through the candlelit streets.

At 5 am the next morning the church bells ring and thousands of people are going to the catholic or the Baptist church in full daylight. We arrive at another hospital in another town 150 miles away from the day before.  We are scheduled to see patients from 7 am to 6 pm with a small break for lunch. Breakfast ran late and we arrived to thousands of people waiting for us. Five thousand adjustments later and after three days in Haiti we arrive at the border of the Dominican Republic. I am thinking to myself as we are driving "oh how nice it will be to take a hot shower and feel some air conditioning once again. After all, it was a brutal 101 degrees for three straight days.  All showers were cold without any water pressure." I am suddenly surprised, amazed and astonished by the sight I am witnessing out of our car window. 50 or more people are gathered together in a small area made out of concrete. Out of the 50 is a line of about 10 more people. At the end of the line, a person is pumping water out of a well into a bucket. The buckets are being passed down the line; a few people are standing atop chairs and are throwing the water on the heads of the crowd. Others are pouring soap solutions and yet others are scrubbing using archaic brushes. Imagine taking a shower fifty people deep. Imagine no running water and an outhouse is a luxury. I need to stop and take a minute to thank god for my three days of cold water with bad pressure. We drive on pot holed roads the size of moon craters. Fifteen miles from the border we witness people covered in mud running through the swamp. They are escaping Haiti for a better life in the Dominican Republic. After our voyage to Haiti we needed to spend the next day in chiropractic meditation before proceeding on with our Mission. Finally we arrive at our Oasis "Camp David".  Camp David is a retreat high atop the mountains overlooking the city of Santiago in the Dominican Republic. It has spectacular views and the location serves as a training site for the leaders of the different Mission-Chiropractic teams. We read passages from "The Chiropractor" Palmer, D.D. (1914), meditate and hike through the mountains. The next day we proceeded (chiropractic tables in hand) to the Caribbean's highest peak. "Pico Duarte" A few hours later we arrived in a beautiful city that lies below this majestic mountain. Arribicoa is lush with tropical plants, fruits and palm trees. We immediately drove to the Arribicoa central police station. Armed with our tables in hand and our mission mindset, we walked into the station and opened our tables. We adjusted every police officer and employee. Policemen were handing their shot guns to other officers as their turn on our tables approached. Others were on the phone calling friends, family and other officers to come to the station asap. After adjusting approximately 70 to 80 people a group of policeman took us out to lunch. Of course, the best chicken, rice and beans were eaten by all. A strong brew of Dominican coffee launched us on our way. We set up our tables in the center of the city and adjusted 200 people in the next 4-5 hours. I know it sounds like a lot of people, however in these third world countries people just line up and can't wait to get on the table. God guides our hands to areas that need adjusting. Full spine diversified takes less than a minute for an adjustment. People in third world countries are very easy to adjust. Very few people are overweight and audibles are common in people over 90.

We found a charming hotel 3/4 of the way up Pico Duarte. We rented several delightful cabins, with kitchen, living room, den and balcony overlooking the valley below.  The next day we arose early and we were hiking through the trails above the hotel. We came upon a lovely old church. We sat in front of the church gazing at the city that was enveloped in the mountains below. A slight drizzle was moistening our pages of "The Chiropractor" Palmer, D.D. (1914) during our daily reading on this day.  As we contemplated on the vastness and power of the universe, as we pondered on the writings of DD Palmer an enormous rainbow developed. It started about a 1/4 of a mile from where we were sitting and it went across the entire valley. It lasted for more than 2 hours.

We voyaged over the mountain tops of Piko Duarte and came upon a magical city. The climate was completely different than in any other part of the country. It was a cool 65 degrees with a rich blue sky. We were told by the locals that it is like this here in Constanza every day. The city was also in the midst of there yearly festival. An ideal time to start adjusting. Our tables were set up in a square that was blocked off for the night’s festivities. We adjusted 2,000 people in approximately six hours. We took several hours off to eat with a wonderful family at there small abode. They were very appreciative of our adjustments to their grandma's and their infant child. Grandma made a marvelous home cooked Dominican meal. You guessed right. Rice, chicken and beans followed by the world’s best cup of coffee.

During our mission trips to Haiti, Trinidad and the Dominican Republic Mission-Chiropractic teams were sent to churches, orphanages, schools, nursing homes and even jails. Teams were sent to the ghettos, mountain top villages, farms and cities throughout Haiti, Trinidad and the Dominican Republic. We are scheduled to be in Cuba from July 1 through 5, 2009. Trinidad in October 2009. Haiti and the DR in January 2010 and Ethiopia in April 2010.  We were blessed with healing hands. Please join us on our future Mission-Chiropractic trips. For more information write me at chirorye@aol.com or call me at 646-323-9254