Thanks to the support of friends like you, Reach Beyond were able to send Doctors J and H to serve as medical missionaries in Central Asia. The country where they work is a place where it is hard to be a Christian. But God is using these faithful workers to serve the sick, to share the gospel with patients, and to strengthen local churches.
This summer, Doctors J and H, together with a fellow Reach Beyond Doctor, took part in a medical outreach to a remote region of that country. This outreach has been happening for 15 years; however, the team visits a new place each year.
This is what Doctor H told us:
"This year we went to four villages and carried out around 500 medical consultations.
On the first day we were hosted in a police station. Then another day we sat on tiny chairs in a nursery before setting up surgery at a local school and at a small village clinic where we provided much-needed healthcare and free medications to local people.
In this country where we serve, most people can have free consultations at local hospitals, but often they can’t afford to pay for the tests and medications they need.
Also, one of the villages we visited is in a remote area. So, people who live there are forced to drive for over six hours to receive any specialist care.
Hope through Prayer
Sadly, some patients in this village had been struggling for years with medical problems without seeing a doctor.
We did our best to help them. And as we shared God’s love with them through our work, we also prayed with some of them.
For example, my translator and I got to pray with a lady who was struggling mentally and emotionally because of problems with her marriage.
Often the medical care in the villages we visited is provided by a nurse and a nurse practitioner. They have a lot of pressures on them, and sometimes patients contact them at any time of day or night.
During our outreach, we spent some time with these nurses and nurse practitioners. We shared some of our medical knowledge with them and encouraged them in their work.
For these clinics, our team worked with local leaders through a local partner so that they can build ongoing relationships.
Doing something new
This year, as a new initiative, I made a few home visits to frail people who are housebound, alongside a translator and a local healthcare provider. This was a great learning experience and a catalyst for helping us to think about our new palliative care project.
These people needed help and were so grateful for our visits. They were glad we had not forgotten them.
Last year, Doctor J and I did the medical outreach as visiting team members, but this year we did it as ‘locals’, because in Spring we moved as a family to this part of the country.
Sport, like medicine, is good for health and for making new friends. That’s why this summer, we invited a team of local people to run a sports camp alongside the clinics, for the children in the villages we visited. The children enjoyed it very much!"
Doctors J and H are now working on setting up their new palliative care project. They are researching and interviewing local people to learn more about the cultural aspects around the care for the terminally ill and death in that country.
To receive regular news updates from them, contact us here.
