-Free Appetizers -Drawings -Drink & Dinner Specials
Open to the Public

A portion of the proceeds will benefit
Haiti thru International Aid
www.internationalaid.org

Bring unopened Children’s Vitamins and receive extra raffle tickets!!!

An Herbalife Independent Distributor and two R.N.s will have products and samples available to help you feel great, lose weight and have more energy! More info @ 844-0453.

Natalia’s Design and Day Spa will be sharing the latest beauty tips and techniques, as well as treating us to some of their revitalizing services! More info @ 616-847-1070.

Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer, Kim Whalen, of the Tri-Cities YMCA, will have all of your fitness and exercise answers!

More information or questions? Contact Brenda or Tami~616-846-8400 or 616-844-0453

It is interesting to see how our methods of sterilization improved over time. At first we were limited to a method called “cold sterilization,” depending on chemicals to sterilize our surgical instruments. This is actually an acceptable method, just not the best. And it is slow. H2O at 212 degrees is a great sterilizer. Check out our crude steam sterilizer. The last pic shows a great step forward in sophistication (for us)… a pressure cooker created specifically for use in remote medical clinics and hospitals. We received this from International Aid one day before the first plane departed for Haiti. It made it on the 3rd plane’s cargo. We were very happy to see it arrive later in the week.

Cleanliness and sterility is difficult here. Infectious disease is prevalent. Sterile technique, wound irrigation (”the solution to pollution is dilution”), and antibiotics not withstanding… microbes rule in Haiti: tetanus, typhoid, measles, malaria… ad infinitum. And much of it is so unnecessary when you consider what we know we can do. For example, tetanus is so unnecessary. Typhoid can be prevented. And on and on.

We must do better. And I believe we can.

Note from IA’s Amy Hewitt:

Dear Friends,

Recently, I was reminded that God is all-powerful and all-loving. If he wanted, he could fix our broken world easily with a wave of his hand. And yet, he doesn’t. We must wait for heaven to live in perfection. While we are here it is not our ability to fix things that matters, it is how we are in relation to each other. How we decide to be the body of Christ.

January 15 and 16, we were busy scrambling pulling together medical supplies, needed ibuprofen, hygiene kits, whatever we could, to send to Haiti. Some of those much needed supplies were for Steve Edmondson, a re-engaged missionary partner of IA. In the months leading up to January, Steve was preparing to return to medical mission work in Haiti and had made several visits here planning and strategizing. When the earthquake moved the ground in Haiti, it also moved Steve into action.

Please read the attached letter from Steve sharing the details of the …”God inspired circumstances, we were able to send three planes filled with medical personnel and Creole translators and establish one of the country’s first post-earthquake civilian field hospitals near the quake epicenter. We were up and running as a fully functioning field hospital in less than one week after the quake…” IA – along with our Partners – played a role and was able to bring healing to an injured and hurting people.

Steve ends with his personal thanks to International Aid for embodying what it means to play our part in the life of the Body.

Amy

Letter from Steve Edmondson to IA’s Amy Hewitt:<READ>

February 18, 2009

Dear Friends,

I just wanted to send a reminder that any donations made to International Aid specially designated for Haiti disaster relief before March 1st, 2010, will be deductible as part of your 2009 tax return. The following website gives specific details from the IRS.

At International Aid, we continued to be humbled by the generosity of our suppliers and financial partners. We are also proud of the incredible efforts our partners in Haiti have made, not only to provide help to the helpless, but to share the love of Christ in the process. We are truly blessed to be used by God as part of the process He uses to build His Kingdom.

www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=218678,00.html

In Christ,

David Wisen

Picture taken during IA visit the week following the earthquake. (click to enlarge)

Give Now

The Grand Haven School students have been busy collecting money and goods to send to Haiti. Kids from the areas elementary schools and the high school collected money from other students, parents and the community. They also collected product to make Hygiene kits.

Ann Harvki-Shelton and Doug Start presented International Aid CEO, David Wisen with a check for $2,458.24.  The money will go to help pay for shipping costs of product that has been donated. “We get the product for free,” said Wisen, “but your cash donation will help send $250,000 in product to the Haitian people.”

Grand Haven, MI – Grand Haven Christian School out did themselves again by producing 183 Hygiene Kits for International Aid. 30 kids from young 5’s to 8^th grade participated in the kit making. The kits will make their way to Haiti where the need is great. We would like to thank Grand Haven Christian School for their generosity and support.

Twin Lakes Elementary students raised $1,000 dollars for Haiti relief and entrusted it to our care. I asked them what they thought we would do with the money. They replied: “buy medicine”, “buy food”, “I don’t know”. I walked them back through our warehouse and explained to them that we don’t buy medicine – generous partners donate product (medicine, equipment, etc.) to International Aid.  I asked them how they thought I would get the money to Haiti. “You will probably have to fly there” was their response. I told them I wouldn’t need to go back to Haiti  - we have people that we partner with in Haiti who do a good job distributing our supplies and that we would send the supplies to them. I then explained to the kids that their money would be used to pay shipping costs to send the supplies to Haiti. This would allow the money raised by the students to result in $50,000 to $100,000 in relief to be delivered to Haiti.

The kids from Twin Lakes thought that it was pretty cool that the $1,000 they raised would be exponentially increased in relation to the amount of aid that arrives in Haiti. I think it’s pretty cool, too

Every Tuesday in February, the Grand Haven Applebee’s will donate 15% of your bill to International Aid. To participate, print this flyer and present to your server.

Click on flyer, print and present to your server!