Demonstrating and proclaiming the Truth with compassion. Outer Island Sowing & Reaping. Serving as Fellowhelpers. Summer 2011 Volume 2, Number 2

Transcription

1 Sowing bygrace Demonstrating and proclaiming the Truth with compassion Outer Island Sowing & Reaping Serving as Fellowhelpers Volume 2, Number 2

2 Features Fellowhelpers - Then & Now Behind the Scenes - Ministry Teamwork Doctoring on Yapese Outer Islands Planting Churches on Unreached Islands Medicine in Missions History The Sword & The Scalpel Field Team Testimony Volume 2 Number 2 US Address: GDMMissions 635 Methuen Street Dracut, MA Phone: office@gdmmissions.org President: Jack Mitchell Executive Director: Bryan Bell Editor: Michael Vetter Design/Layout: Bryan Bell, Ray Toomey Proofreader: Millie Hemingway On the Web Sowing by Grace is available online at sowing.html Permissions & Rights We encourage GDMMissions supporters to use material from Sowing by Grace to mobilize churches and individuals for missions. Permission is granted to copy or excerpt material as published without photos for non-commercial purposes as long as this publication is credited as the source. All other rights are reserved by GDMMissions, and permission for other commercial or non-commercial use requires written permission. by Grace Dental and Medical Missions, Inc.

3 Fellowhelpers Then & Now M by Michael Vetter, Editor ission team leaders are naturally the more visible and outspoken individuals in any evangelistic ministry in a foreign country. This was the case with the Apostle Paul who led teams of missionaries across the Roman Empire spreading the Gospel wherever they went. He and his closest associates Barnabas, Silas, Titus, and Timothy are memorialized in the pages of Scripture for zealously strengthening new churches and shepherding believers in the Christian life. But do we remember the many fellowhelpers that supported Paul and his immediate circle of pastors and evangelists? Who were Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, or Lucas? What did these fellowlaborers (Philemon 1:24) do in Paul s evangelistic team? We know a little about Epaphroditus, another fellowlaborer, as a trusted courier who carried messages and funds to Paul from the church in Philippi (Philippians 2:25; 4:18). But others whom Paul called simply my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life (Philippians 4:3) worked silently behind the scenes to help take the Gospel to the far reaches of the known world. A list of Paul s company is impressive in its number and breadth of support. No fewer than 30 are named individually while references are made to others. Their relationships are variously characterized as: fellowprisoner, helper, kinsman, workfellow, host, faithful and beloved brother, addicted to the ministry, faithful minister, true yokefellow, fellowservant, and fellowworker. Others were simply a comfort to Paul in his journeys. He sent close associates on trusted missions to deliver messages and to instruct and shepherd churches. Each made a valuable contribution to world evangelization. The group was so united behind their leader in missionary zeal they were known collectively and simply as Paul and his company. (Acts 13:13; 21:8). When a dental and medical evangelistic team with GDMMissions takes the Gospel to a foreign country today it also depends on a long list of fellowhelpers. Medical professionals and missionary pastors are the visible leadership on the field. They depend on a tight-knit team on the field and a vital network back home: prayer partners, supporting local churches, administrators, bookkeepers, mail sorters, travel planners, airport drivers, home snow shovelers each with their part in the Great Commission. This issue of Sowing by Grace highlights contributions by fellowhelpers on recent team trips to Mexico and the island of Yap. Team members Dr. Melanie Blackburn, and Luke Hartman share how God blessed them in serving roles and used their experiences in maturing spiritually. Dr. Jack Mitchell reports on how team members and home supporters played parts in island ministries planting a church and seeing souls saved. A national pastor in Mexico and a missionary in Yap explain the role of medical evangelism in reaching people with the Gospel. GDMMissions is pleased to acknowledge the faithful and valuable work done by our company of missionaries, field team members, local church supporters, prayer partners, contributors, and volunteer staff. Sowing by Grace 3

4 Behind the Scenes Ministry Teamwork in Northern Mexico and Beyond This report came into our office on February 21, 2011 from Dr. Jack Mitchell traveling with a Dental Field Team of six in northern Mexico: We had a fruitful ministry today at San Bosco with 26 children and 10 adults making professions of faith in Christ! It was a long day but well worth it! Nothing is more encouraging to a Christian than to hear that the Gospel was given and the Gospel was received. That is why missionaries dedicate their lives in service to Christ. Dr. Mitchell and his team were on the front lines of evangelistic work, and they saw firsthand the fruit born from Gospel seeds that were planted earlier. Yet, having a dental evangelism team in Mexico for one week took what seems to be an army of fellowhelpers behind the scenes to bring the ministry to fruition. If a starting point were chosen, it would probably be about a year before when the host missionaries agreed on dates for ministry. Over the next few months, Michael Vetter (GDMMissions Latin American Representative) selected possible locations with local church pastors in the Hermosillo, Mexico area. From our home office the mission staff prepared a checklist of all the needs for the trip. The call for field team members was sent out to supporting local churches and individuals. When applications came in, they were reviewed along with pastors recommendations, and individuals were chosen from four local churches. In the meantime, the office staff was developing projected costs, logistics, and individual field member duties. The Latin American Representative continued to refine by Ray Toomey, Administrative Director the daily schedule with the national pastors and to translate back and forth from Spanish and English. Office staff purchased airline tickets and foreign travel emergency insurance. Dr. Mitchell and associate Mary Chase (dental hygienist) identified equipment and dental supply needs to bring with the team. Faithful volunteers came forward to drive the team to and from the Boston airport while host volunteers provided van transportation for the team in Mexico. God provided the funds for all travel and daily expenses through regular supporters of GDMMissions, other churches, and individual contributors. But more importantly, the team was upheld in prayer throughout their week of ministry. When the field team hit the ground in February, they joined Mexican believers who had also been planning things on their side. Pastors had selected neighborhoods where a dental clinic would attract large numbers of people bringing them under the sound of the Gospel. Pastors, church members, and students from a local Bible college came along side the team to organize the dental clinics, register patients, pass out literature, translate for the team, collect contact information, and share the Gospel (often one-on-one.) Local women graciously served the team a noon meal each day. Even after the field team s one-week ministry was completed, another army of fellowhelpers continued the work. More local church members in Mexico followed up with each person who came to the clinics as part of their neighborhood visitation. Back in the office, helpers tallied expenses and processed bills. 4 Sowing by Grace

5 The mission staff held a wrap-up meeting to evaluate the team and the effectiveness of its ministry. Sending local churches and supporters received in-person reports by team members and written testimonies (such as those in this newsletter.) For each soul saved, many hands had a part in seeing fruit brought forth. GDMMissions cannot seem to keep track of all that fellowhelpers do, but God has no problem doing that. He knows who planted, who watered, who saw the increase. God gets all the glory. The GDMMissions staff serving on the front lines knows they are not serving alone. The work is upheld by countless fellowhelpers each with their important part in the ministry! Sowing by Grace 5

6 Doctoring on Yapese Outer Sowing Gospel Seeds Through Brad and Dr. Melanie Blackburn by Dr. Melanie Blackburn, M.D. In March, 2011 my husband and I had the privilege of once again serving with GDMMissions to the Pacific Islands of Yap, Federated States of Micronesia. Our first trip to Yap with GDMMissions was in October 2009, and our hearts were touched by the need for medical care and access to the Gospel in these islands. On this trip, we were able to take our three children along with us, so that they could experience island life and have fun with the Zimmer family. [The Zimmer and Blackburn families are close friends. The Blackburn s church actively supports the Zimmer s ministry.] Anna (6), Ashlyn (6), and Ethan (3) had a blast and will never forget the experiences they had while in Yap! In the states, I practice as a pediatric hospitalist in a rural town in South Carolina. Throughout my undergraduate and medical training, I always had a strong desire to participate in medical missions. I have had many opportunities to serve in various ways, but never with a team of people through an organization like GDMMissions. It is amazing how God can bring together people from all over the world with different backgrounds and talents and form a successful team that honors and glorifies Him, all while providing great dental and medical care. This is one of the blessings of working with an organization like GDMMissions! 6 Sowing by Grace

7 Islands Compassionate Care While on the main island of Yap, and its outer islands of Fais and Ulithi, we were able to take part in many medical clinics. In the clinics on the main island, we treated mostly infants and children and were able to appreciate the great routine care that the community health providers give to their villages. In the outer islands, we extended our scope of practice to people of all ages and also performed minor procedures. I was blessed to work with two team nurses, Sarah and Katrina, who were not only flexible in their medical responsibilities but also very sensitive to the spiritual needs of our patients. We were able to treat many physical diseases but most importantly introduce them to the Great Physician who will heal their spiritual needs. Many of the illnesses that affect people in the islands are similar to the diseases faced in the U.S. For example, many of the adults had problems with hypertension and diabetes and the children had skin and ear infections. There was an occasional interesting case (e.g. leprosy) that made it worthwhile to keep my tropical medicine text by my side! One of the challenges we faced was dealing with the chronic medical problem of diabetes. Refrigeration is scarce in the islands so insulin is not a treatment option. The problem is compounded by the diet of the local population which is limited to what they can grow and catch. Treating and speaking with the nationals on the islands and having a sense of creativity was imperative if we were to provide easy and available medical treatment to the people of each island. One would think it a hard transition to offer medical care in a developing country such as the Federated States of Micronesia when physicians are spoiled by the U.S. system of readily-available labs tests, radiological procedures, and a wide assortment of medications and hospital resources. I have found the case to be exactly the opposite! It is so refreshing to be able to provide medical care to people who truly appreciate it and to not be bound by the bureaucracy of insurance companies, malpractice attorneys, and the other agencies who dictate medical care in the U.S. It is even more satisfying to work with a team of people who all have one common goal: to spread the love of Christ so that others can give their lives to Him. What a blessing it was to serve again with a team from GDMMissions! We can t wait for the next opportunity! Sowing by Grace 7

8 Planting Chur 8 Sowing by Grace

9 ches on unreached islands Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof... let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare his praise in the islands. Isaiah 42:10, 11c,12 by Missionary Paul Zimmer, with WWNTBM, Yap Fais Church Body and Building on a Sunday Morning God stirred many hearts in the outer islands through a medical missions team in March 2011 led by Mark Zimmer and Dr. Jack Mitchell. This was Grace Dental and Medical Missions third trip to Yap to plant seeds for Christ through meeting the physical needs of people. Missionaries still cannot go to many of the outer islands for exclusively religious purposes, so medical missions provides the platform for giving the Gospel. As folks are saved, the goal is to train national and assist him in starting a church. So far this has worked in Fais where Dr. Joy Anglea s medical team serving under Baptist Mid- Missions broke the initial ground back in 2003 and a team from Texas in 2008 when a number of folks were saved. In 2009 a number of folks were saved under the ministry of GDMMissions, and now again in We praise the Lord for Pastor Rolence Lug [Yapese pastor], who is now pastoring a blossoming church on his outer island home of Fais. What a blessing for the medical team to work together with Pastor Rolence to reach his people for Christ. Please pray for Pastor Rolence as he continues to pioneer the first non- Catholic church in the outer islands of Yap. In Ulithi Atoll, our initial ground breaking for the Gospel was with GDMMissions in the fall of 2009, no one was saved at that point, but many heard. This time when GDMMissions came, we saw a harvest from seeds planted back in 2009 as many made professions of faith. After this most recent medical missions trip to Fais and Ulithi, it is more evident than ever that God is opening these once closed islands. Sowing by Grace 9

10 Medicine in Missions History by Jennifer Mitchell, Dental Assistant The Sword & The Scalpel Charles and June Foster had prayed for God to call their son Robert to missionary service as a medical doctor. They had learned first hand how much a doctor was needed in the African bush when Charles and June came to Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) in 1917 as pioneer missionaries. They lost two children to cerebral meningitis during their years of service there because there was no doctor within three hundred miles of their village. They were overjoyed when the Lord led their son Bob into medical school, then missionary service and ultimately back to the same village he had grown up in. In the village Bob saw the need to build, not just a clinic, but a fully-equipped hospital. His years away in boarding school had taught him to rely only on the Lord, and he believed God would supply the funds, personnel, materials and equipment to establish a hospital at Mukinge. By the time Bob and his wife left on furlough in 1955, the hospital had been built and more than 2,000 people had made professions of faith through the evangelism that took place. Returning from furlough, Bob began visiting a small clinic in another district every six months to alleviate the lack of medical care there. He was shocked when a group of 500 Africans came to beg him to build a hospital at Luampa. At first he refused but the Africans were persistent. He agreed to pray about it but told them all the missionaries back at Mukinge would have to agree and that he couldn t leave until a doctor came to replace him. In time, God supplied both needs and the Fosters moved to Luampa to begin the colossal task of building another hospital. Again the Lord supplied the funds, building materials and personnel to launch a new hospital. Generous donors from the United States contributed equipment, beds and supplies. The Lord even provided a plane to pick up critically ill patients. In their later years the Fosters were looking forward to finishing out their service for the Lord at Luampa but it was not to be. After being approached to fill an administrative position in their mission, Bob reluctantly bowed to the will of the Lord and left Africa and the Luampa hospital in the hands of competent medical personnel and served for three years in that capacity in the U.S. All the while, Bob s heart was in medicine and back in Africa. After completing his assignment in the U.S., the Fosters were anxious to return to Zambia, but the country of Angola next door was just beginning to open up to missionaries. It was decided by the mission that once again the Fosters would start from scratch to build a medical work in the bush. They were allowed by the tightly controlled government of Angola to work in 10 Sowing by Grace

11 a leprosarium at Cavango that was about to close because it lacked a doctor. Slowly the Fosters rebuilt the decaying structures, cared for the lepers and reestablished medical care in a needy area of Angola. These were some of their happiest years in Africa as they loved and worked with the grateful Angolan Christians at Cavango. After four years of diligent work in the hospital, a church of about three hundred and fifty new converts had been added to the family of God, twenty churches had been established in the surrounding villages and most of the leprosy patients had accepted Christ. But at that time all was not well in the country of Angola. Marxist forces were on the move and in 1975 the Fosters were forced to make a harrowing escape as civil war engulfed the nation. The hospital at Cavango was looted and destroyed as well as the Foster s home and belongings. Between the volatile political climate and being diagnosed with Hodgkin s disease, Bob s ministry took another turn. He took over as the International Director of their mission and devoted his energy and enthusiasm to recruiting new missionaries especially for unreached fields. His days as a medical missionary were over but his perspective on the value of medical missions remained the same: Having been involved in medical mission work and seeing the tremendous value both from the medical viewpoint and the spiritual, I believe there is a greater need today than there was in 1950 for medical missions. Report taken from Sword & Scalpel by Larry Lutz 1990 Promise Publishing, Inc. Orange, Ca. ISBN Dr. Robert Foster Field Team Testimony by Luke Hartman The believers of Hermosillo, Mexico are some of the most amazing I have ever met. They are giving, friendly, helpful, and love the Lord. The students at the Ebenezer Bible College were especially encouraging to me. They have such a fire for God and a passion to see souls saved. As a young person just going into college, I was challenged by them and their love for the Lord. I learned so much from students in just the few days I was there. It was an honor to partner with them for the cause of Christ. I got to participate in the dental side of the ministry and loved every minute of it. Dr. Mitchell was a great teacher, and I learned a lot about dentistry maybe a little too much. I now find myself looking at people s teeth while they re talking to me! On a more serious note, though, I realized the great need for medical missions. The people were ready for the Gospel, and the treatment we brought opened the door for them to hear it. Throughout the trip the Lord taught me many things. He challenged me to be more content, to have more faith, and the importance of prayer. The thing that impacted me the most was to see God s Sowing by Grace 11

12 direction for me begin to unfold. I now know the next steps I should be taking as I prepare to serve Him with my life. I thank God and GDMMissions for the opportunity I had to go to Hermosillo. I can t wait to go back! Get & Stay Connected GDMMissions needs your prayers. To keep you informed we publish regular reports and notices via . Sign up at html. After inputting your address in the signup box, you will be prompted to choose which type of communication you would like to receive including the Mitchell s, or Bell s newsletters, and ministry opportunity bulletins for medical and non-medical personnel. Sign up today. Sowing by Grace Grace Dental & Medical Missions 635 Methuen Street Dracut, MA Change Service Requested Presorted Standard Non-Profit Org. US Postage Paid Dracut, MA Permit No. 3