Teach to Transform

"Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth."

Psalm 86:11

Although the communities in Ecuador where our teams have worked these past fifteen years have begun to change in many ways, lasting change does not occur until the hearts and minds of a people have been transformed at the deepest level. We believe this can only occur through trusting and believing the truth about Jesus Christ. During the past half century God has used health care as a means for Christians to bring the gospel to unreached groups of people. The next step is to train believers in the unreached areas of the world how to share the gospel in their own country. Providing health care training to these believers, therefore, equips churches to share the gospel very effectively.

Kim and I participated for the first time this year in a program called "Teach to Transform". It is a new medical missions program being developed by Dr. Tom McKechnie. Tom works as an ER doctor at the University of Louisville, and has led many medical mission teams in Africa and Asia. He and others have developed teaching modules concerning basic health care, including vital signs, wound care, burns, ENT, pulmonary and diarrheal illnesses. The program also provides a backpack loaded with diagnostic equipment (stethoscope, otoscope, digital thermometer, pulse oximeter, BP cuff and headlamp) and dressings for burns and wounds. This year, Kim and I obtained four of these. We provided instruction to two individuals -- Milton, a young Awa man in the Rio Verde area, and Olga, a young Quechua woman in the Mojandita area. We have asked them to make themselves available to their communities, acting as first responders to acute illness and injury. Based on their evaluation, they will be able to competently advise whether further care by a doctor or hospital is needed, whereupon transportation can subsequently be pursued.

We are excited about this new aspect of our work in Ecuador, and are hopeful that this training will be used by our Lord to enable many people to come to a saving knowledge of Him and His grace.

Back home again,
Tim