Our office just received an email from one of our doctors who is completing his service in rural Tanzania at the Bwambo Health Centre. Mark, Molly and their seven children were the first sent by Mission Doctors to the diocese of Same, and Dr. Druffner provided a detailed report of the hospital, it’s equipment, facilities, staffing and access to transportation and pharmaceuticals.
The harvest is abundant and the laborers are few…(Luke 10:2)
The needs of the Health Centre and the people of Bwambo are indeed plentiful. The hospital is without an x-ray machine, a fully stocked pharmacy or full staff. The 40,000 people who are served by this rural hospital are without a fully-functioning health center. So, while the need is great, unfortunately, the laborers, are few.
This verse from Luke has spoken to me since I started working with Mission Doctors Association. In locations around the world, hospitals and clinics are in need of trained doctors to treat patients suffering with everything from a broken bone, to pneumonia, TB and HIV/AIDS.
The second half of that verse in Luke has gives us the faith and prayer to continue this work, and we “… ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest”.
We are all called to be missionaries by our Baptism.
If you are a doctor feeling called to work in the mission field, visit the MDA website and check our 2010 Retreat/Seminar. If you are not able to serve yourself, consider a financial gift to Mission Doctors Association and support those who labor in the field. Working together we live our Baptism as we were anointed to the mission to live and love as Jesus lived.
Dr. Richard and Mrs. Loretta Stoughton returned to the United States in July after nearly 8 years in Zimbabwe.
They are now facing the challenges of ‘re-entry’ – coming home, adapting to life again in their home culture. They witnessed many changes in Zimbabwe and there have been changes in the United States since 2001.
Dick wrote:
“Re-entry” is easy because SO MUCH IS AVAILABLE (gas, electricity, water, groceries, ATM’s…)
“Re-entry” is tough because SO MUCH IS AVAILABLE! How do we reconcile the differences?
I am especially touched by this last question. “How do we reconcile the differences?”, one that is often echoed by those returning from a long-term mission, as well as those who have served a month.
Even for those who may never leave home the challenge remains – keeping the missions alive in our hearts so that our choices, our actions acknowledge this disparity and we live with the discomfort.
Author Ronald Allen wrote, “The Apostle Paul advocated a “holy discomfort” with the present status of the world. Paul’s gospel calls for people to be discontent with brokenness, injustice, scarcity, exploitation, violence and death and to believe that God seeks to increase community, wholeness, justice abundance, peace , love and live…. “
It is in this discontent with the brokenness, injustice, we strive to make the world a better place.
The second half of that verse in Luke has gives us the faith and prayer to continue this work, and we “… ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest”.
