Sowing by Grace Demonstrating and proclaiming the Truth with compassion Highlighted in this issue: Volume 5, Number 2
features Volume 5 Number 2 Exercising and Stretching for growth Compelled, Directed, Committed to establish a Medical Clinic in Northern Benin 3 4 6 US Address: GDMMissions 150 Cross Street Methuen, MA 01844 Phone: 978.454.6710 E-mail: office@gdmmissions.org gdmmissions.org President: Jack Mitchell Executive Director: Bryan Bell Editor: Michael Vetter Design/Layout: Bryan Bell, Ray Toomey Medicine in Missions History something to get excited about! 8 10 On the Web Sowing by Grace is available online at gdmmissions.org. 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.
Exercising and Stretching for growth I by Michael Vetter, Editor f you ve had the opportunity to be coached by a trainer at a gym or workout club, they ve told you that stretching is as important as physical exercise. Muscles grow when they are exercised and stretched. That is true in the spiritual life as well. God uses trials and tests to exercise us spiritually and then He stretches us to trust Him more so we will be better prepared for our next exercise. GDMMissions was exercised and stretched in 2013 and for this we are thankful and joyful. (James 1:2-4) During the past year we were blessed with many short-term teams that ministered across the globe on islands and in jungles and deserts. A long-term project to establish a permanent medical clinic in Benin continues to move forward with planning for land and building permissions. Contributions for the Benin Clinic have begun to come in and for this we are grateful to our gracious Lord. The first ten months of the past year were a steady exercise of ministry followed by two months of stretching. In late November the Philippine Islands were hit by Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) with sustained winds that approached 200 mph. The worst part of the typhoon caused casualties and damage in several areas where GDMMissions had held medical evangelism clinics in past years. We received heart-breaking reports of so much devastation and suffering that we had to do something to help those who we knew faced desperate situations. Within a week, a father-daughter doctor team representing GDMMissions traveled to the Philippines and spearheaded relief efforts assisted by local nurses and pastors. The GDMMissions home office started a special relief fund and generous financial contributions poured in to purchase food, medical supplies, and Bibles. Then, while the emergency GDMMissions team distributed aid and preached the gospel in the Philippines, a second medical team departed for scheduled ministry in Benin, West Africa for two weeks. Two teams in the field, at opposite sides of the globe at the same time, was a first for GDMMissions! And so, our stretching continued until both teams returned to the U.S. and their homes just in time for Christmas. Before we relax too much, we know that God s work is not yet done. We are certain that He will continue to exercise and stretch us in 2014 because His plan is to continually grow us spiritually until we are mature and complete, lacking nothing. (James 1:4). s Sowing by Grace 3
CompelledaDirect to establish a Medic Early in 2013, the Board of Directors of GDMMissions approved plans to move forward with the establishment of a permanent medical clinic in the northern Benin village of Boiffo. Our first encounter with this mostly Muslim area of Benin was in September 2012. It was during that ministry trip that we sensed God s leading in the idea of establishing such a clinic; an idea that we had been praying about for several years. A return visit in January 2013 served to confirm that it was God s will that we move forward with the plan. Since that time, the chief of the village of Boiffo has given approximately five acres of land to our local church partner, Boiffo Baptist Church, to be used for a permanent clinic. It was our joy to be able to tour this land while there in December. Currently, the land is being registered with the government and the initial phase of developing a non-profit organization to run the clinic is under way. The December, 2013 medical outreach in and around the village of Boiffo further encouraged us to continue our plan to build a clinic in this by Dr. Jack Mitchell, DDS area. First of all, the spiritual need in this area is very great, with the population being about 99% Muslim by most accounts. Second, the physical need is just as great, with the nearest source of reliable medical care being three hours away. Many of the people who came for medical and dental care had long-standing problems that had gone untreated in some cases for over two years! Our December team consisted of four stateside members as well as full-time medical missionaries Dr. Carol Loescher and Nurse Ellen Doyle from the nearby African country of Cameroon. In addition, we were joined by two Beninese nurses, whose ability to speak the local language was a real blessing during clinic times. We were thankful for the team that God put together for this important outreach. Following our short-term ministry, our local missionary partner, Colin Ovenell, had this to say about our time there. As I write this letter, 4 Sowing by Grace
edacommitteda al Clinic in Northern Benin we are relaxing in Niamey, Niger. Our family drove up with a medical team from Grace Dental and Medical Missions. For a ten-day period we traveled to five villages with the team of gifted medical professionals whose desire was to see doors opened for the gospel. Over 1,000 medical patients were treated as well as over 150 dental patients. Each individual had an opportunity to hear the gospel on multiple occasions. Individuals from two villages that have turned away evangelists in the past, expressed an openness to the gospel. We pray that through follow-up we might one day see churches planted in these challenging areas. Village chiefs from all around came for medical care and expressed great appreciation. It was a very fruitful time of ministry and a blessing to be a part of such a great team of servants. We rejoice in what was accomplished, with God s help, during our time in Benin and, Lord willing, we anticipate two additional ministry trips there in 2014. Also, we would appreciate prayer as plans move forward for the construction phase of the Benin clinic. More information can be found at: beninclinc.com s Sowing by Grace 5
How do you respond to a child who is both a widow and a divorcée? by Dr. Carol Loescher, MD (GFA Missions, Cameroon) 6 Sowing by Grace
So how does a missionary to Cameroon, West Africa end up in the country of Benin? By traveling from Cameroon to Togo, to Nigeria, to Niger, and then to Benin. (African airlines are like African footpaths circuitous!) But why leave Cameroon? One could say that Bryan Bell (GDMMissions Executive Director) was desperate for a physician to complement a medical missions team, and I was his last resort! But his importunity was my opportunity, and I thank the Lord for the honor of serving with GDMMissions in Benin. Ellen Doyle (nurse), my close friend and coworker in Cameroon for the past 15 years, and I traveled together. We enjoyed working side by side with nurses from America; nurses from Benin. The medical needs in northern Benin are very compelling because the climate is hot, harsh, and dry with a very short growing season. The Dendi people survive mostly on millet and cultivate cotton as a cash crop. Donkeys and oxen are the common beasts of burden and camels are an occasional means of transportation. Although Islam is by far the major religion in the far north, traditional African beliefs are expressed in ancestor worship, attention to the spirit world, and reliance on traditional healers (witch doctors). Facts and figures are helpful, but a short story about a teenager named Fatima captures the essence of a people to whom God used us to minister: She was only fifteen; her face scarred with markings unique to her village, Fatima was among the hundreds seeking medical help during our visit to a remote village near the Nigerian border. Like the other young people in her village, Fatima could not read, write, or speak French. She was a child of the sub-saharan Africa where tribalism is more powerful than nationalism; where her tribe speaks the language that they have spoken for centuries; and where education seems irrelevant. Girls learn to do chores like planting, harvesting, and cooking so that they will become useful wives. School interferes with gardening, and education seems rather pointless in a society that lives from hand to mouth. Fatima was certainly not the only youngster who came to the clinic. Village children are largely left to themselves with very little supervision. Trying to keep them out of our makeshift medical/dental clinic was like trying to divert an army of African ants. They just kept regrouping and reappearing in windows, doors, and peepholes! Although Fatima s stated age was 15, she seemed younger. Who could prove her actual age? She complained that she had not yet entered puberty. To the reader, this may not seem to be a serious medical problem, but to Fatima, it determined her status in the community. Her first husband had died, and her second husband left her because she had not borne him any children. How do you respond to a child who is both a widow and a divorcée? Her eyes revealed no emotion and her face expressed no feeling. Her vacant stare reflected the reality that she has always been told what she must do. Islam reinforces this pacifism because Muslims respond to sorrow with a blind resignation to the will of Allah. This sad sort of acquiescence is particularly evident among women. Once, in Cameroon, I visited a Muslim friend when her infant died. Habiba had already buried seven other children. When her baby died, she hardly cried. When her emotions distilled into tears, her relatives and friends remonstrated: It is the will of Allah, don t cry. Dear people such as these exist in Cameroon, northern Benin, and all over the globe. It is not malaria, nephritic syndrome, sickle cell disease, osteomyelitis, cancer, or genetic disorders that Widowed, Divorced, Desperate and only Fifteen, continued on page 10 Sowing by Grace 7
something to getexcited about! by Colin Ovenell (FBM Missionary, Benin) Here is something to get excited about! Boiffo is one of a number of villages that is home to the Dendi people. They practice a form of Islam mixed with traditional African spirit worship. Less than 1/10th of a percent of this population knows Jesus Christ as personal savior. The vast majority have not yet heard the gospel. Despite these statistics you might be surprised to hear of an exciting area of growth that the church is experiencing in this region. Since 2008 our attention focused on working with a small group of devoted believers, preparing them for local church ministries and outreach. We are excited when we see the Lord work in the heart of a young person who expresses a desire to enter full-time vocational ministry. But what about those who love the Lord and are not called to become a pastor, evangelist, or missionary? We are also burdened for our churches to produce fully devoted followers of Christ who build houses, plant crops, run businesses and yes, staff medical clinics. For several months we have been impressed by the overwhelming desire of the body of Christ to see Christian young people study to become medical professionals. Their aim is to work in the Boiffo medical clinic with the goal of reaching the lost for Christ. Allow us to share of a few of them in this edition of Sowing by Grace: Josue Odah (pictured above) If you have read recent editions you know that Joshua is the central figure in our efforts to begin a clinic in partnership with the local church in Boiffo. Joshua was raised in Boiffo and has enjoyed a successful career as an RN for a number of years now. His burden for reaching the lost for Christ is contagious. 8 Sowing by Grace
Afoussa Yarou Already trained as a pharmacist, Afoussa has been a valuable assistant in our recent mobile clinic efforts. She is currently working in the temporary clinic in Boiffo that continues to meet the basic needs of the population as we make preparations for a permanent installation. Zakari Namata At 20 years of age Zachary is one of our most faithful, gospel-centered young people. Two years ago, and before mention was made of a medical clinic, he expressed a desire to study to become bi-vocational. He wanted to become a pastor and a medical professional. Elizabeth Bio Recently engaged to Zachary, Elizabeth is also interested in pursuing a medical career. She desires to focus her studies in the area of midwifery and pediatrics. She is a faithful disciple and an excellent student. These four are some of our most dedicated personnel but they are not the only ones preparing for medical ministries. The list goes on to include a total of four individuals that have completed training, two who are in training and seven who are pursing education. Establishing a quality health care facility with an evangelistic focus requires special personnel. Would you pray with us for these and other individuals that the Lord might bring together to form a team to minister to the physical and spiritual needs of the Dendi people, for His Name s sake? s Sowing by Grace 9
Widowed, Divorced, Desperate and only Fifteen, continued... make them most miserable. I witnessed all these conditions in Benin and treated the cases amenable to medical care. The harsh environment and lack of physical comforts are borne with patience. The inhabitants of sub-saharan Africa have adjusted marvelously to deprivations. The most distressing reality is not the fact that their children are branded with tribal markings. They think the markings are becoming!! Kidnapping, child slavery, and abuse are notorious along the Benin/ Nigerian border and ought to invoke strong disapproval and warrant intervention. Yet, even these evils are not as lamentable as the spiritual condition of the people. Lost souls are most to be pitied because they live in darkness and in the shadow of death without the light of the Savior. They know almost nothing of Calvary s love. The missionaries in Benin have learned the language, endured the climate, translated the Bible into their language, and reared their own children in difficult settings. But what can you do? If you are a medical person, consider joining one of the GDMMissions teams. Pack your stethoscope, but be prepared to touch the people with your own hands. Let them see the compassion of Christ through competent and compassionate care. Give hands to the heart of the Savior who touched the lepers and befriended sinners. Pray that the travail of His soul will be satisfied with the salvation of the Dendi people and other Arabs scattered across the African continent. s On the Frontier Afghanistan by Jennifer Mitchell, Dental Assistant The life story of Dr. Theodore Pennell is a unique one. He was born into the English home of John Wilson Croker Pennell and Elizabeth Fanny Jordan Pennell, who were first cousins, in the year 1867. He had an unlikely beginning for one destined to become a tireless medical missionary in the rugged border country between India and Afghanistan. He was an only child, his sister having died in infancy, and so delicate was he that he was not allowed to take part in games of his boyhood friends. His father died when he was nine years old and his mother raised him alone, encouraging him in science, in which he excelled. His mother s intense affection made her resent any separations from him and when 10 Sowing by Grace
Medicine in Missions History he went to medical college she settled near his hospital so she could still make a home for him. He was a brilliant student, winning awards and scholarships. From his earliest years his mother had set before him the ideal of a missionary s life and he had a deep rooted resolve to adopt this career. His mother s desire for him to be a missionary was about to be fulfilled but that meant a parting between them and she could not face that. So when the mission society appointed him to India, she decided to go with him! As strange as this arrangement appears she actually was a wonderful help to him in his ministry to the wild tribes along the Afghan border. His little hospital at Bannu was a Christian beachhead in a sea of Hindu and Muslim tribes. He became known as the Beloved Doctor Sahib as he lovingly and sacrificially ministered to all who needed his help. He also started a boy s school to teach Christian principles and superior academics. Some came to know Christ as their Savior under his tutelage. He took his students out into the bazaars of the nearby towns to do street preaching and they were often stoned for their efforts. So persuasive though was Dr. Pennell s Christian character and testimony that even the opposing religious leaders came to love and respect him, although they thwarted his efforts at every turn. Often some of his students would disappear, having been kidnapped by relatives or religious leaders to keep them from Christianity. The seemingly impossible task of evangelism in the midst of such setbacks never deterred Theodore Pennell. He continued to unselfishly serve all who came for care and began to win them over by his kindness. Dr. Pennell took his first furlough after sixteen years of continuous service. It was while he was in England that his mother passed away. In her seventies, she felt she was not strong enough to make the long journey to England. When her son returned to India to lay her to rest, she was honored by Hindus, Muslims and Christians alike for having raised such a godly son. Soon after his mother s death, Theodore Pennell married after years of singleness. His wife was an Indian Christian doctor he had met at a hospital on one of his journeys in India. For three and half years they happily practiced medicine side by side at Bannu until a serious infection took the life of the beloved doctor in 1912. These are the words he spoke not long before his death, The influence of medical missions penetrates where the missionary cannot go. Afghanistan is a closed land not only to the missionary but to all Europeans, yet the influence of medical missions has penetrated through and through. I suppose there are few, if any, villages in East or South Afghanistan which have not sent their quota of patients to our Frontier hospitals. These patients have heard the Gospel preached in our outpatient departments; many of them have lain week after week in the wards of our Frontier hospitals receiving the ministrations of the Christians, watching our lives, and gauging the reality of our professions and then they have gone back to their distant homes and related their experiences on many a winter s evening while men gather to listen. Often a Testament carefully secreted from prying eyes is smuggled back to their homes Sowing by Grace 11
and studied in private, and passed on in secret to some friend, and thus the people have become familiarized with the Gospel story. Medical missions is the picture language of the church militant. Theodore Pennell used medicine to advance the gospel but he also backed up the message with his life. Taken from Pennell of the Afghan Frontier by Alice M. Pennell Get & Stay Connected GDMMissions needs your prayers. To keep you informed we publish regular reports and notices via e-mail. Sign up at signup.gdmmissions.org After inputting your e-mail address in the sign up 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 150 Cross Street Methuen, MA 01844 Change Service Requested Presorted Standard Non-Profit Org. US Postage Paid Dracut, MA 01826 Permit No. 3