[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]“Why medical clinics?” This is a question Church Missions Network receives all the time. Why do we keep doing medicial clinics when there are so many other ways to reach people with the Gospel? Throughout the Bible, we see Jesus healing people. By reaching a communities’ physical needs, we are given an opportunity to share the Gospel and provide a hope that can only come from the Lord. While we can only reach immediate needs, He can reach their eternal needs. On every trip, we see sick and desperate families realize that while we are there to help, He is the ultimate Healer and Savior. Whitney Hanor, a PA who has been on multiple medical teams and is on our CMN Board, was able to experience this first hand. Take a look at her experience on a recent medical trip and see how God uses medical clinics to grow His kingdom.
After a long day on the seashore seeing hundreds of patients, we were finally all packed up to leave. Everyone but two or three straggling team members, including myself, were already in the van. All the equipment, medicine, and tables were packed when a young, desperate mother arrived and asked one of the pastors if the clinic would come back tomorrow cause her baby was very sick. The pastors found me and translated that the sickly 5 month old had not urinated in nearly 2 days and the wild eyed mother opened her swaddled infant and revealed a large abdomenal and inguinal hernia. The bowels and small intestines had pushed through a weak spot in the muscle and fallen into the boys genitals, and the hernia was so large it had totally obstructed his urinary tract. Without urinating soon the urine in the bladder would become deathly infected. Urosepsis. Unable to void it’s waste the body spikes high fevers, blood pressure and heart rate careen out of control, and septic dehydrated infants can die very easily if not managed quickly. We arranged for the child, his mother (a young single teen mom) and the infants grandmother to come with us. Within 2 hours a group of 2 Kenyan doctors, a Kenyan pastor, the infant and his family, 2 other faithful volunteers… and me… crammed into a Toyota. We arrived at a clinic 2 hours later only to find it was closed for the day. A local physician led us to a private catholic clinic where the child was triaged. They evaluated the child and without informing the teen mom of anything throughout the whole process they held the child down and with much coaxing and tears were able to catheterization the small infant. After the bladder was relieved, blood was collected and a man on a bicycle offered to ride it across town where they could run the necessary tests. After 3+ hrs of waiting, the urine and blood were tested and the child was miraculously only mildly dehydrated and not currently septic. The 2 tests and painful catheterization procedure cost about $12 U.S. Dollars. The mother could not afford this. 2 days later, with the help of CMN, the child was in surgery in Kisumu. His large bilateral hernia had obstructed his urinary tract and caused adhesions of his colon. After 2 more days in the hospital he was released. While the hernia had blocked his urinary tract, the enemy had blocked his mothers heart and had shut out hope. CMN was able to provide for all medical expenses and would continue to until this baby regained his health.
As we were waiting to receive the test results, the infants mother and I shared a PBJ sandwhich from my knapsack. She shared that she had been raped by her boyfriend and then left after he found out she was pregnant. Her father was ashamed of her and would have nothing to do with her. Because of her pregnany, she was forced to drop out of school. She and her mother took turns caring for the infant and the 3 other children in the house by trying to sell coal or gather vegetables. She was hopeless. She admitted that she had considered suicide soon after her rape and didn’t know why God would let her have this baby if he was just going to get sick and die. When I offered her that PBJ, I also offered her Jesus. I offered her hope. I said medicine can heal your baby but only Jesus can heal your heart and your family. By the Lord’s grace, the child underwent life-saving surgery and now he is a healthy, growing boy. Because of the care of CMN volunteers and the continuted investment of CMN pastor, Charles, this little boy, mother, and grandparents are now actively involved in a local church planted by CMN through a previous medical clinic. His teen mother is back in school and sings in the choir. His grandfather is back involved and engaged with the community and has forgiven his daughter, and Jesus is mending their relationship.
I loved this kid. Jesus is so faithful. THIS is why we do what we do and the exact model of how medicine can open a door to the REAL healer and the REAL hope that goes beyond a singular patient but goes on to impact and change whole families, whole communities, and whole generations!!
We are so thankful for servants like Whitney who continually invest in CMN and selflessly go to serve and love on the people of Eastern Africa.
Do you have stories on how you saw God work in the lives of those in Kenya, Uganda, or Tanzania? We would love to share them! Message us on Facebook or send your stories to abbye@churchmissionsnetwork.org.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]