A Clinic for Haiti
Jaws of Life
By Gary Fallesen, founding president, Climbing For Christ
I have told and written the story so many times it feels a part of me. Yet after watching the premiere of the Climbing For Christ documentary Rescued from the Jaws of Death, the story of Gilbert Lindor’s young life, I was so choked up I could barely speak.
Gilbert is a prosthetic-wearing, walking miracle of God.
He was near death as a 9-year-old boy living an impoverished life in the mountain village of Gentilhomme, Haiti. A compound fracture of his left leg, suffered 27 days earlier while playing with a friend in the ravines around Gentilhomme, left him with gangrene. His father had dug his grave.
But Jesus overcame the grave and the Lord sent Climbing For Christ to rescue Gilbert in August 2007. Eighteen years later, Gilbert graduated from medical school. That was last November.
Gilbert’s graduation photo last November.
Rescued from the Jaws of Death, a 19-minute film by C4C’s Russell Yandura, tells this incredible God story of grace and goodness. (Read Russell’s story “Patience personified” about the making of this film.)
We presented Rescued from the Jaws of Death after worship last Sunday at Christian Family Fellowship (CFF) in Canon City, CO.
The CFF family kicked off our fundraising campaign to build a clinic in the mountains of Haiti – in a place where no health care is available, a place that nearly claimed Gilbert’s life, a place that claims countless lives every year.
An anonymous donor at CFF pledged to match $15,000 in donations. We received $8,398 as of yesterday. More is expected.
Also yesterday, the need for this clinic – a God dream placed on my heart during the years Gilbert was completing medical school – was again exhibited.
Lens Thaïca, the 14-month-old child of one of Climbing For Christ’s New Generation teachers, died in her village. We had helped Lens’ father Elaon get his daughter care for pneumonia and a kidney infection at a Port-au-Prince hospital. She was treated and released. But little Lens had relapsed and several days of rain and horrendous travel conditions kept Elaon from taking the child to a distant clinic for follow-up treatment.
“I couldn’t help but think that she might have been saved if we had our own clinic,” Gilbert said, as we grieved the loss of this baby. “So many other children like her lose their lives simply because they were born in an area that lacks a clinic and medical staff ready to serve.”
Gilbert was born into that area. Now he wants to make a difference.
The God who rescued him is ready to save others. He is sending Climbing For Christ to build a clinic. We are estimating a need for $50,000 to start this project.
The premiere of Rescued from the Jaws of Death at Christian Family Fellowship in Canon City, CO last Sunday.
I shared this information at the premiere of Rescued from the Jaws of Death. I also delivered a message from Gilbert, who said: “I know this screening serves a specific purpose, and I trust that you will feel moved to contribute – as your heart leads – to this significant project. Its realization will, in various ways, enable us to continue educating, healing, and rescuing more lives for Christ.”
Gilbert and numerous doctors and nurses associated with Climbing For Christ’s New Generation are prepared to serve. They volunteer once or twice a year to conduct mobile clinics that C4C supports. Our goal now is to buy land, build a clinic, and provide for the needs of a clinic (equipment, medicines, etc.) so others may be rescued. To the glory of God! 
Helping hands
PRAY: Please join us in lifting this important project to our heavenly Father. May the Great Physician bless us with an opportunity to serve and save many with this clinic and the gifts He has given Gilbert as a doctor with compassion for his people.
GIVE: This is a capital campaign to raise at least $50,000 USD to buy land and build a clinic in an area where no other health care is available. Mail checks or money orders to Climbing For Christ c/o Haiti Clinic, P.O. Box 16290, Rochester, NY 14616. Or CLICK HERE and give through PayPal. In Canada, make cheques payable to The Great Commission Foundation, and on the memo line add Climbing For Christ CANADA c/o Haiti Clinic. Mail your support to: The Great Commission Foundation, P.O. Box 14006, Abbotsford, BC V2T 0B4. Or CLICK HERE to give online.
SHOW: Would your church, school, or organization like to host a showing of Rescued from the Jaws of Death? Please email me at [email protected] to set a date.
The next presentation of this film and is Sunday, Nov. 22 after worship (about 12:30 p.m.) at Hope Lutheran Church, 1301 Vintage Lane in Greece, NY.
You can watch Rescued from the Jaws of Death on our Video Page, YouTube, and Vimeo.
The final Word
“Snatch me back from the jaws of death.” – Psalm 9:13b (NLT)
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