Medical Mission Report

I have been having a terrible time trying to post to the blog.  Last night and this morning I had no luck at all.  Maybe this time. . .

Darrell Conway is one of our ZMM team members and is the head of the spiritual counseling department where David and I work.  He sent out the report below and I thought it provided a good summary of the medical mission this year.  Here is what Darrell had to say:

No report for so long seems inappropriate; however, the circumstances of the Zambia Medical Mission severely limit our ability to communicate with the outside world.  We only have electricity at Namwianga Mission, and we always begin our days before sunrise and work in preparation for the village outreaches all during the day.  We travel by bus, truck, and 4x4 vehicles to the villages in the area where we set up a medical clinic and treat people for medical, dental, optical, and spiritual problems. With a team of more than 105 people we create quite a stir in the area where we are working!

Thousands come every day.  Many come for treatments and many more just come to see what all the excitement is about.  We have opportunities to preach to them all at various times of the day, and we invite them all to come over to an area we set aside to have small group Bible studies.  We sometimes study one on one and often with three to five in a group.  This is a very effective method.  Our presence and our free medical care help demonstrate our love for them and our desire to follow Jesus by “having compassion on all the people.”  This year there were 99 people who died to their old way of life and were united in Christ through baptism to walk in a new life!  All these people were identified by name and placed in contact with a church leader in the congregation nearest to their village.  Each new Christian was given a new Tonga Bible, and then hundreds more Bibles were distributed to all the Church of Christ congregations in the areas we visited this year.  It is truly amazing to see the eyes of those receiving Bibles as they fill with tears of joy and gratitude.

A great big THANK YOU to all who were so generous this year in giving funds to help purchase Bibles!  I truly wish all of you could be present to witness a Bible presentation.  My words are not adequate to describe the sense of overwhelming emotions these Zambians feel when they see a Bible and realize that it now is entrusted into their care and given for their use.  Many of them have said that the Bible is their most prized possession.  They value it above any other thing that they may have in this life. Giving out ‘Tonga Bibles should and must continue.  I really am convinced that this is one of the most important components of the entire Zambian Mission effort. All parts are important to be sure, but Bibles are surely an essential part of the spiritual efforts we put forth in Zambia.

This year was truly a great success.

16,532 people were ministered to in the name of Jesus

The message of salvation in Christ was taught and preached to all.

Ninety nine souls received the message and were baptized.