taking the gospel to the nations...for here and forever

I (Casey) ran across this story from one of our missionaries and our missionary team (a few from Rejoice Church) who recently did a great work in the Ivory Coast of Africa. This is amazing that they are bringing hope for here and hope for eternity! Read below... Every year there is something that stands out in our 10 days in Doropo in the NE corner of CI with the project Save-A-Life, an outreach of THP. This year was no different.

Each day started with hundreds gathering over at the hospital, awaiting the morning arrival of the medical team, hoping that they would be one of the "lucky" ones who would be chosen to be treated and/or operated on by the visiting doctors from America. Every day they waited hours in the heat…patiently, some not so patiently….but waiting….and waiting.

And each day, I, as the team leader for the medical team, would line up the patients, and choose those cases from the scores, who the doctors would see… those who would be operated on as the doctors examined them and gave their input. It was not an easy task.

As I would step out into the waiting room or roped off area outside of the hospital, hordes of people would hold up their small, registration papers, or push a child with a health problem in front of me. Others would grab my arm, speaking in my face….all were desperate to receive this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for treatment that they could never receive or afford if we had not come. For some, next year, if we did come back, would be too late.

The morning of the last full day of surgeries... This morning my heart was heavy because I already knew I had too many surgeries scheduled….I was only hoping….

But as I stepped into the inside courtyard of the hospital, the African head nurse stopped me. "We have an urgent case, Maman. Can you come see it?" An older, half-naked man lay on one of the plastic covered mattresses in a small, dirty patient room. He was curled up in gripping pain, a strangulated hernia, and an imminent death certain without the intervention of our general surgeon.

All of our scheduled patients were forgotten as our doctor and the nurses prepared the humble operating room and the suffering patient for surgery. At the end of four hours, a man's life was saved. And finally, reluctantly, I moved to tell those waiting patiently on the benches that, this year, they would not get the needed operation. "I am so sorry we can't operate on all of you. We wish we could. But I want you to know this: we haven't come because we are making money on these operations. We are here because God sent us. This year you won't be able to get this free surgery. But there is something much more important that we are here to offer you that is free…that is God's love…."
Over and over the Lord's love was shown and spoken to the crowds as they waited for the free medical care. Sixty-six received a life-changing operation, in the villages hundreds received the free medical care …..and praise God, 189 received His free gift of salvation. Are you sending people "to the nations" with the resources God has given you? Are you willing to "go" until God says "stay"? -Casey C.