Preach and Heal

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.  Mt. 4:23

I had the privilege of attending the IMB's global medical missions meeting last week and it made me so thankful that God let medicine be a part of my life!  I remember in nursing school wondering why in the world a girl who felt called to ministry was in nursing school.  I tried (to no avail) to talk God into an easier major, if I wasn't gonna use it anyways.  I had no idea what He had in store for me.  Being a nurse has been the single most significant blessing in life and ministry for me.  Seems strange for someone who only practices overseas now to say.  But it has brought the richest medical missions experiences into my life, has given me the knowledge and skills to advocate for people in medical needs, and has given me the most amazing group of nursing girls and the most amazing ministry with them I could ever dream of!  I am so glad that nursing is the skill and experience God gave me.  Sure, I'd love to be able to sing beautifully in a cool praise band ... or to speak eloquently in front of tons of people.  I'd love to be able to write Bible studies like Beth Moore or work youth camp forever.  BUT, to me, I have the best place to do ministry ... through medicine with my nurses!!

I have long said that medical missions is Jesus' model and I'm sure non-medical types have long since grown weary of my touting the merits and rewards of medical missions!  I think it's how missions is meant to be done.  Amazing things happen when you use medicine to get into someone's life.  They instantly trust you (especially if you are an American "doctor" - we are ALL doctors there - in a 3rd world country) and when you open up to someone about such intimate and personal things as your health, it's a small step further to open up about spiritual and emotional things as well.  Plus, Jesus values people and He couldn't just ignore their physical needs, be it food or rest or healing, simply because the spiritual needs were greater.  And you know what else ... He didn't just heal them, He touched them ... both physically and emotionally in ways that we as doctors and nurses can do each day!

Medical missions is not a bait and switch tactic.  It's Jesus' plan for ministering to people.  It's part of being obedient, not part of luring people to Christ.  We don't ever make hearing the gospel mandatory for medicine.  We preach the word FIRST with our lives ... then with our words.  And we see God do amazing things ... things He never needed us there to do, but things He has given us the privilege of being a part of!

It was amazing to hear stories of how God is using medical missions to open doors in closed countries.  The security at the conference was intense because of the missionaries who serve in "scary" places where their identity could be a threat.  Medicine gets them into "closed" places and gets people behind closed doors, where they can hear the gospel.  Medicine also gets us to influential people who are open to hear.  The relationships we were able to build in a closed central Asian country caused the doctors to wonder who we were that we would come and love their people in such a way.  We saw the m's we worked with in that country at the conference and they said two years later the doctors in that hospital still ask about us and when another team is coming.  Even in Peru, Dr. Denis wanted to know how to be a part, not only of our "church" but also of our mission. 

I can't wait to see what God has in store for this next year ... what students He will allow us to minister to and with and SONAT and where He will lead us to serve together in medical missions. 

As Jesus sent out the 12 in Luke 6, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.  In Luke 10 when He sends out the 72, he commands them to heal the sick as they enter a town as well ... what a blessing to be able to be part of His healing work in the world!