A local missions team will embark on a journey to Haiti Sunday that no one else has undertaken.

First Baptist Church Pastor Dr. Fred Karthaus said a group of nine from the church will travel to a remote area of Haiti to set up a medical mission.

The team will leave Birmingham Sun., Jan. 23, and will return Sat., Jan. 29.

“This area is outside of the city of Jacmel,” he said. “This medical mission is quite unique because we will backpack to a remote area of Haiti to set up the mission. It is our understanding that no team has ever provided medical aid in this area.”

The January 2010 earthquake that hit Haiti caused heavy damage and causalities in and around Jacmel.

It was reported that between 300 and 500 people were dead and some 4,000 injured in the city.

As one would imagine, the team will be without basic luxuries during the trip.

“We will have no electricity, no running water and no personal facilities such as bathrooms or showers,” he said. “We will provide medical aid to the people in the area and conduct revival services.”

The idea for the mission trip began several months ago, when Karthaus said church members Jerome and Anne Mallory came to him for direction.

“They felt impressed by God to work helping others with disaster relief,” he said. “Seeing their passion to work in that ministry, I referred them to a friend of mine, Mel Johnson, who is the director of disaster relief for the Alabama Baptist Board of Missions.

“Mel and Jerome began to talk, and Mel recruited Jerome to work on a medical mission team he was putting together to go to Haiti,” he said. “The team is formed through the disaster relief ministries of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions.”

Karthaus said that Mallory called for others to join the mission team, especially doctors and nurses.

The team includes Amy Dugger, Johnson, Karthaus, J. Mallory, A. Mallory, Mike Mallory, A.J. Mallory, Natasha Mallory and Charles McGhee.

Karthaus said the team’s greatest need is prayer.

“We ask that Christians pray for the people to be receptive to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for personal safety as we travel and for strength as we provide medical aid to the people,” he said.