"Converge Nepal" November 2015 with Global Ventures

I could tell you about the hundreds served in the 5 day medical outreach, the thousands who prayed the prayer of salvation both in the clinic and the crusades, or the hundreds of thousands who heard the Gospel (many for the first time ever!) in Nepal but I would rather tell you about just a few of the many awesome Nepali people we met.

First there was Pricilla willing to give of her time to count meds as we packaged thousands of pills for the week of medical outreach.  She had spent the night in the building in order to get up at 4 am to spend time in prayer and then assist us.  Her main goal in life was to serve God and build the Kingdom of God.  I have no doubt she will do an awesome job doing so.

Then there was Shashi, the crusade translator who also ministered to the patients at the medical outreach we were holding.  He was raised in a Hindu family and was planning to become a Hindu priest but became disillusioned after crying out to god after god month after month with no response.  He then became an atheist.  A college friend invited him to a Christian church many times but he refused to go.  One day he gave in and went.  Once he heard the Gospel he believed and became radical for Jesus.  He is now a pastor and a major soulwinner.

But the two that became like family to me while I was there were Sonal and David.  Sonal was 18 and just beginning her studies as a nurse.  She was delighted to learn how to take blood pressures and check blood sugars.  She was my translator for the health education sessions and was able to teach them by herself by the end of the week.  She could teach on adequate water intake, good nutrition, importance of exercise, good posture, and adequate sleep and incorporate the Gospel all in one session.  I felt like I could leave Nepal and she would carry on the vision!

David, Sonal's brother, was 14.  He told me it was his first time to serve the Lord (I guess he meant in a service project.  I liked how he expressed his realization that He was doing what he was doing as unto the Lord.)  He was so willing to do whatever needed to be done.  He would do anything from run errands, to help with patient flow to translate for me.  I would see both him and Sonal at the hotel with their dad (the pastor coordinating all the outreaches) at 9 o'clock at night still with a smile on their faces patiently waiting for their dad to coordinate the next day's activities.  David's father said he was impressed by us, but I think I was the one that was most impressed because of his great attitude.  He adopted me as his American mom so now I have a 14 year old Nepali son-one I couldn't be more proud of!

from El Salvador 2015

Destiny joined forces with others from SD, MN and NE to reach people in El Salvador in January of 2015.  Some team members did street evangelism and sports ministry while others worked in the King's Castle clinic and did rural medical clinics.

Stats from the streets:
- 1264 heard the Gospel preached
- 129 accepted Christ
- The team prayed with 175 people

Stats from the clinic:
- 267 patients were seen
- Eleven received Christ
- Many heard the Gospel preached and learned health principles
 
I will not soon forget these beautiful people nor the glimpse I had into their lives during the time we spent in El Salvador:
- The patient that told me she walked 3 hours to get to the clinic.
- The 21 year old gal  that said she worked on a farm for $50 every 2 weeks to provide for her 2 small children.
- The 12 year old boy who said he didn't know what a father's love was because his father was killed in a gang before he knew him.
- The 81 year old man who complained of back pain and leg issues who continued to do manual labor to help provide food for himself and his family.
- The pretty little 72 year old woman who prayed fervently for me and my family when she had major needs of her own.
- The contagious laughter of the little girl who one of our team members took the time to play with.  Though they did not speak each other's language;  they shared the language of love and laughter.
- The kindness of the Salvadorian doctor who took the time to listen and address the people's worries, interact with their children and hold their babies.
- The beauty of the country and the people in the midst of poverty, sickness, and suffering.

I pray that we ministered a bit of healing to their broken hearts, that our arms were the extension of God's great love for them, that the medicine we provided brought some relief to their suffering.  Most of all I pray that those who opened their hearts to Jesus will experience the balm of Gilead in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come.
 
- Stephanie Kidman, RN

from Uganda, Africa 2014

In August I had the privilege of traveling on a medical mission trip to Uganda, Africa.  Our mission was to serve God by caring for people, sharing God’s love and plan of salvation and telling them of the eternal hope we have in our Lord Jesus Christ.   Our team of 8 prayerfully spent several weeks together beforehand seeking God and His will for our trip. 

We prepared the best we could but ultimately leaving the door open to whatever God had in mind.  With tools of evangelism, children’s ministry, drama, health teaching and medical clinic we traveled to Uganda to see how God wanted to work in and through us.  I personally prayed “God use me wherever you want me” and He placed me in the pharmacy area of our medical clinic.  After the patients were seen by Dr. Brian Kidman, they would come over to the pharmacy area to receive some medications that he had prescribed to help them with their needs. 

With being in nursing for over 30 years, I love caring and helping others in whatever capacity God can use me... Whether it be doing vitals signs, bandaging wounds or handing out medications God works in ways we do not see or in ways we don’t expect.  But when I least expected it I saw God move in a lady with a large lump on the Left side of her jaw/neck.  She seemed quiet, sad and distant.  After being seen by Brian, she had come over to the pharmacy table, I prepared her medication, the translator explained the medication and how to take it but it wasn’t until I stepped out from behind the pharmacy table to give her a hug that I saw a smile that melted my heart! Thank you God for using me!

-Fern Haan

from Costa Rica 2012

Last year we met Danny Gonzalez, a doctor who as a child was sponsored through Latin America Childcare. We had originally read his story in a newsletter from some missionaries to Costa Rica named Ken and Marcie Dahlager. The story spoke of his desire to have a medical clinic in the community he grew up in. I contacted him and asked how we could come alongside and help.

On June 3rd we were able to conduct a medical clinic with him in Linda Vista, a rough area on the outskirts of San José. He and Dr. Kidman consulted with patients while children’s workers did evangelistic skits in the waiting room, prayer partners prayed for patients in the prayer room and I counseled with patients on disease prevention. While I was teaching on the control of blood pressure and blood sugar a middle age woman began to ask about the control of anxiety and depression. She stated she never had an issue with anxiety and depression until a few weeks ago. I began to explain how we are a spiritual being with a mind and body that can all affect our emotions. One of the other two ladies that was in our small group began to share how she had also dealt with depression and although several had suggested she see a psychiatrist she choose to treat her depression with scripture cards. She found scriptures in the Word that ministered to her need and would read them aloud and meditate on them. She continued to minister to the other patient as I was called away to function in another capacity. The clinic was an opportunity for church members to invite friends, relatives and neighbors to be ministered to and it was so neat to see the national church doing much of the ministry.

Later when we took the team to the streets, not far from the church where the clinic was held, a church member was watching the drama and listening to the Good News with her cousin. The cousin had resisted going to church and becoming a Christian, but somehow this day she was ripe unto harvest. She made a commitment to Christ, was given a Bible and met several of the young people from the church.

We are praying that the seeds we planted will bear fruit, fruit that remains.

- Stephanie Kidman, RN