Restoring Health, Giving Hope
A church in West Africa is utilizing medical missions clinics to minister to its community’s physical and spiritual needs. In 2011, MTW collaborated with the indigenous New Harvest Missions International to provide a mobile medical clinic based at the church. A short-term medical team returned last October, and MTW will send another this August.
“This is the poorest area in the world,” says Frank*, MTW’s area director for national associate ministry in the Muslim world. “Most people live and die without ever seeing a doctor, so a short-term clinic has great impact.”
Treating the Whole Person
Thanks to the help of the national church partner, which provided both clean facilities and financial assistance, MTW teams treated an astounding number of patients with conditions like diabetes, parasites, and dental problems. In addition, team members prayed with patients, connected them with the church, and shared the gospel. “We see many people come to faith each time,” says Frank of the clinics’ impact, “and we have seen key area leaders reached and churches launched as a result.”
“I was able to share the testimony of Jesus Christ with a woman of Muslim faith,” recalls Doreen*, a member of the first West Africa team and a medical missions veteran. “After handing her enough [diabetes and hypertension] medications to last for months, I asked her if I could share why we came.”
“I believe she was much more attentive to what I had to tell her,” explains Doreen, “because we had already spent a significant amount of time together over several days, including frequent prayer.”
In another instance, Doreen treated a woman suffering from sickle cell anemia. The woman was pale and fatigued from lack of iron. “Our clinic had plenty of supplemental iron tablets, so I handed several month’s worth to her. She gasped and motioned her hands in gestures of thanks.” The woman returned several days later. “Out of a huge canvas bag, she pulled out thank you gifts!” recalls Doreen. “She bought me a blue, African-styled dress, and picked a bouquet of beautiful flowers and a bag full of bananas from her yard!”
Working Together
Such stories illustrate how MTW short term teams are helping to grow and encourage this West African national church community. “The key is the collaboration,” says Frank, “between MTW short-term teams and indigenous missionaries who are working in the communities before the team comes and are there afterward to ensure follow-up.”
MTW is sending another medical team to this West African national church in August, and hopes to send more in the future. In fact, MTW is seeking a full-time medical person to work in West Africa, as well as more volunteers to join short-term medical teams to work in the region.
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SEE MOREPray for Muslims in West Africa who have been impacted by the Ebola virus to find hope in Jesus Christ.
Pray that people will come to faith in Christ through our medical clinics, where we seek to do what Jesus did and care for those in need.
Pray for Francesca and others like her who receive medical care through MTW clinics. Pray that the care they receive would strengthen their faith in Christ.
Pray for a new initiative in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to hand deliver soap and provide education on disease prevention to 600 families in poverty-stricken communities.
Pray that MTW medical trips would be used of God to provide much needed care and to draw men and women to faith in Christ.
Pray for the young sexually-abused girls and adult survivors of childhood trauma in San Jose, Costa Rica, to find healing. Pray for the clinic workers who are proving much-needed counseling.
Pray for the the Medical Campus Outreach team in Cusco, Peru, and for the medical and students at the clinic who are learning to practice medicine and hearing the gospel.
Pray for the Wolof people in Senegal, identified as an unreached people group, as the gospel spreads through a new church plant.
Pray for the girls home in Dakar, Senegal, where girls at risk of trafficking are given a home and an education, and most importantly, the hope of the gospel.
Pray for the newly formed RUF-G campus ministry in Senegal, for the university students, and the campus pastor in training.
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