Malawi Medical Team Sept. 5-23.
The Malawi Medical Team will be serving outside of the capital city of Lilongwe with Brian and Anita Biedebach and the African Bible College. The team will set up field clinics in rural villages and use medicine to further the Gospel.
The physical and spiritual needs are great in this country which is one of the poorest in the world.
2008 Team:
Merrychris Andaya
Jim Baxa
Phil Chang
Jeff Dalrymple
Kristil Dalrymple
Geoff Drew
Holly Drew
Lisa Hatter
Tom Hatter
Danny Jacinto
Allen Janzen
Jena Jordan
Chien-Wei Kung
Jenny Lam
David Lanum
Lisa Low
Kara Mia
Jacob Moore
Stacy Moore
Ted Moore
Pam Morse
Brian Smith
Suzanne Taylor
Amanda Yen
Sarah Zannella
Ramona Zimmerman
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Monday, October 1, 2007
Boersma Family Website
Greetings from Malawi, the “Warm Heart of Africa!” We are serving in Lilongwe, the capital city at ABC Community Clinic.
Malawi is on the brink. Drought, disease, famine, and corruption are facts of life in this small sub-Saharan country. HIV devastates families in this poorest of countries. ABC Community Clinic exists to provide quality healthcare in a Christ centered environment. We care for the sick, encourage healthy lifestyles, and provide hope to people in desperate need...
Check out the Boersma family website for more: http://www.boersmamalawi.com
Malawi is on the brink. Drought, disease, famine, and corruption are facts of life in this small sub-Saharan country. HIV devastates families in this poorest of countries. ABC Community Clinic exists to provide quality healthcare in a Christ centered environment. We care for the sick, encourage healthy lifestyles, and provide hope to people in desperate need...
Check out the Boersma family website for more: http://www.boersmamalawi.com
Saturday, September 22, 2007
We Are Back! Praise be to God!
God has once again proven Himself faithful far beyond anything we could have imagined. Our great Lord put Himself on display in answering our cries to Him in many specific ways. We had strength that really was supernatural; immense joy in sickness (even because of sickness); excitement and desperation to proclaim the gospel; eagerness to serve and minster to our many patients; and awe of our mighty God and His precious gift to us. We cannot begin to express our gratitude to the Lord for all of you and your many prayers on our behalf! He has really used your petitions to avail much! "O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together!" Ps. 34:3
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Pictures
The team ladies sporting chitenjes
Kondi sharing the Gospel
Kondi & Kwacha our guides and adopted team-mates
Lisa Fong & Marilyn Wendler in triage
Patients waiting to be seen by our team
Dr Jon Scott treating patients at Chirombo
A field clinic at the village of Chirombo
Walter Wood with patient and translator
Friday, September 14, 2007
Charombo
For the last two days we have been working at a village called Charombo, which means a dangerous animal. It has been quite an adventure to work a clinic out in the open with a slight sand storm and herds of cows passing by:). The physical suffering of the Charombo people has been overwhelming; but even so it is striking that they were still joyful, friendly and thankful. Most everyone was dressed in rags, bare-foot and devastated by one sickness or another. They are pagan worshipers who are dying extremely quickly and going to spend eternity in fire that never quenches. They are in need of a Savior desperately. Please pray that God would open their eyes to the truth that salvation is only possible through our Lord and Savior Jesus. Praise the Lord for answered prayer already as we have had many opportunities to share Christ once again and pray with many patients. May God save many for the sake of His great mercy!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Only He is Worthy!
By God's grace, between our two teams we were able to medically minister to 189 people in one day! As the crowds gathered, the gospel once more was proclaimed by a local who is a Christ Seminary graduate. Some of the Sunday School curriculum was also utilized to share Christ with over 500 children! Many seem to think they are Christians, but have not truly embraced a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Please pray that God's Word would take root and there would be a great revival in Malawi. Praise be to God who is alone able to save sinners. "Worthy are You...for You were slain, and by Your blood You ransomed Your people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation..." Rev. 5:9
Monday, September 10, 2007
God and the Gospel
Our God is faithful to have His truth proclaimed! Today, we separated into smaller teams and at two different locations spent the day serving those in need of physical treatment. This provided many opportunities to proclaim the gospel. One of our guides preached to the people who were waiting in line to be seen by a physician, while others were able to pass out tracts and teach children. Please continue pleading with our merciful Savior for the salvation of the Malawian people! To Him who is able to do more than we can ever imagine be the glory forever!
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Sorry about the lack of pictures (we've been having some technical difficulties) more are on the way.
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Sorry about the lack of pictures (we've been having some technical difficulties) more are on the way.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
We Have Arrived!
Moni! That is hello in Chechewa which is the language people in southern Malawi speak. PRAISE GOD! For our loving Lord has blessed us by giving us safe journeys with 800 lbs of supplies, wonderful fellowship with the Beidebach’s and two fearless guides by the names of Kondi and Kwacha. We have started to meet and work with Children of the Nations (COTN) and individuals who are helping villagers and orphans. We also spent a day in various villages meeting the people and providing medical care. Psalm 146:9 says “…He upholds the widows and the fatherless…” We have found that to be so true! Please continue to pray that we would have great opportunities to minister to the Malawian people and that we would glorify God in all that we say and do.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Sunday School Curriculum
We have been blessed with the great privilege of helping the new church in Malawi (where Brian Biedebach will be pastoring) start a Sunday School from nursery up to 6th grade. The curriculum weights about 150 pounds and includes:
- Generations of Grace (developed by Grace Church)
- Flash-a-cards
- 600 Figure Flannel Graph
Please join us in praying that God uses it to bring many to a saving knowledge of Himself.
http://www.generationsofgrace.com/
http://www.bettylukens.com/catalog.php?category_code=deluxee
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Med-Surg Delivery
On Wednesday our team took delivery of a pallet of donated medical supplies. This load is about 90% of the complete donation. The rest will consist of medicines arriving next week.Our team will be shipping 1000 lbs of medical supplies and medicines for the African Bible College Clinic and people of Malawi.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Peru Earthquake
Last Wednesday a magnitude 8 earthquake hit the South American nation of Peru. At least 540 people have been killed and 1500 injured. Many parts of the country have no electricity and are in need of water and blankets for people left homeless.
ABWE (Association of Baptists for World Evangelism) has several missionaries there and is sending medical aid to the area and medical teams to help.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Malawi Registered 30K HIV Births Last Year
BY JABULANI KAMNGOYA10:38:21 - 16 August 2007
The National Aids Commission (Nac) has revealed that last year nearly 30,000 Malawian babies were born with HIV, the virus that transmits Aids.
National Coordinator for Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMCT), Michael Elia confirmed that this staggering figure was a result of the lack of specific interventions against mother to child transmission.
“Currently Malawi has a prevalence HIV infection rate of 14 percent and this has contributed to the situation,” he said.
Elia said that the ministry of health has put in place some interventions to help change the situation this year.
“We have intensified our efforts in the administering of Nevirapine to pregnant women who are HIV positive. Out of 13,000 pregnant women who were diagnosed with the virus, nearly 9,000 of them accessed Nevirapine to prevent the transmission of the virus to the unborn babies,” he said.
According to Elia, out of 134,000 pregnant women who were tested for HIV last year, 13,000 tested positive and only 69 percent of these women had access to Nevirapine, a drug meant to prevent transmission of HIV to unborn babies.
“Nevirapine was administered to 9,000 mothers and the therapy was also extended to the babies after they were born,” he said.
“Right now, we have put in place some strategies to prevent transmission during child birth. We also aim to avoid prolonged labour and other traumatic experiences which increase the chance of transmitting the virus,” he added.
The ministry of health is on a campaign to encourage all pregnant women to go for HIV Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) to safeguard their lives and that of their unborn babies.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Malawi News
Malawi To Test All Sexually Active Adults for HIV
Guardian Unlimited, UK
Malawi: 'All-Day Electricity' - As Long As It is Not Peak Time
allafrica.com, Blantyre, Malawi
Guardian Unlimited, UK
Malawi: 'All-Day Electricity' - As Long As It is Not Peak Time
allafrica.com, Blantyre, Malawi
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Malawi's Maternal Mortality Report
by DICKSON KASHOTI
12 July 2007
Malawi Wednesday joined the international community in commemorating World Population Day with stunning revelation that maternal mortality rate in the country at 984 per 100,000 live births is the the third highest in the world.
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) country representative Esperance Fundira told the press Wednesday in Lilongwe that Malawi has one of the highest numbers of women who die as a result of pregnancy and childbirth in the world.
“Pregnancy related mortality and morbidity is a social injustice, a neglected tragedy and a health indicator with the largest discrepancy between developed and developing nations, and between the rich and the poor,” she said.
She said worldwide, every minute 110 women experience a complication in their pregnancy and in Malawi, only 57 percent of all deliveries take placewith assistance of trained attendants.
Fundira said in many cases, emergency obstetric care is not available or is inaccessible either due to distance or cost.
“Men can support women’s needs and choices in obtaining timely life-saving care during pregnancy and childbirth if they have the right information. Men’sinvolvement includes providing support, sharing rights and responsibilities in pregnancy and parenthood, and learning about family planning and other aspects of reproductive health,” she said.
Fundira said reduction of maternal and neonatal mortality was, therefore, a moral and human rights imperative as well as crucial international development, adding partnering with men was an important strategy for ending this social and moral injustice.
Speaking at the same press conference, Minister of Economic Planning and Development Ted Kalebe said loss of women’s lives has a direct effect on the family structure.
He said this also affects the society as a whole, as it is forced to cope with orphaned children.
“As we all know, children whose mothers die are more likely to suffer increased vulnerability to diseases and death. This tells us how important women are to sustain human and socio-economic development. Therefore, the death of a woman due to pregnancy and childbirth related causes is tantamount to social injustice,” he said.
Kalebe said although maternal mortality ratio has decreased from 1,120/100,000 live births in 2000 to 984/100,000 live births in 2004, many children still die because of pregnancy related causes.
He said this meant that about 6,000 women in Malawi die of complications in pregnancy and childbirth every year.
Kalebe said some of the causes of maternal deaths in Malawi could be avoided and cited lack of women empowerment for appropriate decision making related to their reproductive processes, including accessing and utilisation of health services.
“Low status of women in the societies and poverty, especially among women, adolescent girls and rural residents, are other factors,” he said.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Biedebach Update
28 June
Everything is on track for our transition from South Africa to Malawi. On June 8th we returned to South Africa to wrap up eight years of ministry in Johannesburg and officially hand over the church to the national pastor and elders. Lord willing, in August, we plan to move to Malawi. I will be driving up on the 8th of August. Anita and the kids will fly up to meet me on the 15th. Our desire is to spend at least ten years in Malawi to help establish a new church in the capital city that can be a training church for other pastors. I will also be teaching at African Bible College. Another goal is to identify 20 future pastors, send them down to Christ Seminary in South Africa to be trained, and then help them establish more churches back up in Malawi.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
The Mercy Ministry Mandate
What is Mercy Ministry?
Mercy ministry is the demonstration of compassion to those in need by the church or individuals. As Christians our mercy ministry must encompass the proclamation of the Gospel along with the meeting of spiritual and physical needs.
"Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: To visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." -James 1:27
What motivates us to show mercy?
Mercy ministry is the demonstration of compassion to those in need by the church or individuals. As Christians our mercy ministry must encompass the proclamation of the Gospel along with the meeting of spiritual and physical needs.
"Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: To visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." -James 1:27
What motivates us to show mercy?
- Salvation (Matt. 18:21-35)
- The Grace of God (II Cor. 8:1-7)
- Witness to the World (I Peter 2:12)
- Obedience (Micah 6:8)
- Validation of our Faith (James 2)
- Christ's Example (Matt. 9:35-38)
Mercy is Commanded:
- Do justly, love mercy (Micah 6:8)
- Good Samaritan - "Go and do likewise" (Luke 10:25-37)
- Consider others (Phil. 2:3-4)
- Be rich in good works (I Thim. 6:18-19)
- Maintain good works / Meet urgen needs (Titus 3:8 & 14)
- Do not withhold good (I John 3:16-19)
Christ an example of Mercy:
- Fed the 5,000 (Matt. 14:13-21)
- Fed the 4,000 (Matt. 15:32-39)
- Teaching, Preaching, Healing & Compassion (Matt. 9:35-38)
- Healed many People (Matt. 15:29-31)
Other related passages:
Blessings are promised to the merciful (Ps. 41:1-3; Prov. 19:17; Matt. 5:7)
The Lord upholds the cause of the needy (Ps. 140:12)
The righteous care about the poor (Prov. 29:7)
The poor will always be with us (Mk. 14:7)
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
TB from the CDC
Description
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a rod-shaped bacterium that can cause disseminated disease but is most frequently associated with pulmonary infections. The bacilli are transmitted by the airborne route and, depending on host factors, may lead to latent tuberculosis infection (sometimes abbreviated LTBI) or tuberculosis disease (TB). Both conditions can usually be treated successfully with medications.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a rod-shaped bacterium that can cause disseminated disease but is most frequently associated with pulmonary infections. The bacilli are transmitted by the airborne route and, depending on host factors, may lead to latent tuberculosis infection (sometimes abbreviated LTBI) or tuberculosis disease (TB). Both conditions can usually be treated successfully with medications.
Symptoms
The general symptoms of TB disease include feelings of sickness or weakness, weight loss, fever, and night sweats. The symptoms of TB disease of the lungs also include coughing, chest pain, and the coughing up of blood. Symptoms of TB disease in other parts of the body depend on the area affected.
The general symptoms of TB disease include feelings of sickness or weakness, weight loss, fever, and night sweats. The symptoms of TB disease of the lungs also include coughing, chest pain, and the coughing up of blood. Symptoms of TB disease in other parts of the body depend on the area affected.
Spread Method
TB germs are put into the air when a person with TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, speaks, or sings. These germs can stay in the air for several hours, depending on the environment. Persons who breathe in the air containing these TB germs can become infected; this is called latent TB infection.
Occurrence
In many other countries, tuberculosis is much more common than in the United States, and it is an increasingly serious public health problem.
Risk for Travelers
To become infected, a person usually has to spend a relatively long time in a closed environment where the air was contaminated by a person with untreated tuberculosis who was coughing and who had numerous M. tuberculosis organisms (or tubercle bacilli) in secretions from the lungs or voice box (larynx). Infection is generally transmitted through the air; therefore, there is virtually no danger of its being spread by dishes, linens, and items that are touched, or by most food products. However, it can be transmitted through unpasteurized milk or milk products obtained from infected cattle.
Travelers who anticipate possible prolonged exposure to tuberculosis (e.g., those who could be expected to come in contact routinely with hospital, prison, or homeless shelter populations) should be advised to have a tuberculin skin test before leaving the United States. If the reaction is negative, they should have a repeat test approximately 12 weeks after returning. Because persons with HIV infection are more likely to have an impaired response to the tuberculin skin test, travelers who are HIV positive should be advised to inform their physicians about their HIV infection status. Except for travelers with impaired immunity, travelers who already have a positive tuberculin reaction are unlikely to be reinfected.
Travelers who anticipate repeated travel with possible prolonged exposure or an extended stay over a period of years in an endemic country should be advised to have two-step baseline testing and, if the reaction is negative, annual screening, including a tuberculin skin test.
Prevention:
Vaccine
Based on WHO recommendations, the Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine is used in most developing countries to reduce the severe consequences of tuberculosis in infants and children. However, BCG vaccine has variable efficacy in preventing the adult forms of tuberculosis and interferes with testing for latent tuberculosis infection. Therefore, it not routinely recommended for use in the United States.
Vaccine
Based on WHO recommendations, the Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine is used in most developing countries to reduce the severe consequences of tuberculosis in infants and children. However, BCG vaccine has variable efficacy in preventing the adult forms of tuberculosis and interferes with testing for latent tuberculosis infection. Therefore, it not routinely recommended for use in the United States.
Other
Travelers should be advised to avoid exposure to known tuberculosis patients in crowded environments (e.g., hospitals, prisons, or homeless shelters). Travelers who will be working in hospitals or health-care settings where tuberculosis patients are likely to be encountered should be advised to consult infection control or occupational health experts about procedures for obtaining personal respiratory protective devices (e.g., N-95 respirators), along with appropriate fitting and training. Additionally, tuberculosis patients should be educated and trained to cover coughs and sneezes with their hands or tissues to reduce spread. Otherwise, no specific preventive measures can be taken or are routinely recommended for travelers.
Treatment
Persons who are infected or who become infected with M. tuberculosis can be treated to prevent progression to tuberculosis disease. Updated American Thoracic Society (ATS)/CDC recommendations for treatment of latent tuberculosis infection recommend 9 months of isoniazid as the preferred treatment and suggest that 4 months of rifampin is a reasonable alternative. Travelers who suspect that they have been exposed to tuberculosis should be advised to inform their physicians of the possible exposure and receive appropriate medical evaluation. CDC and ATS have published updated guidelines for targeted tuberculin skin testing and treatment of latent tuberculosis infection. Recent data from the WHO suggest that resistance is relatively common in some parts of the world. Travelers who have tuberculin skin test conversion associated with international travel should consult experts in infectious diseases or pulmonary medicine.
Persons who are infected or who become infected with M. tuberculosis can be treated to prevent progression to tuberculosis disease. Updated American Thoracic Society (ATS)/CDC recommendations for treatment of latent tuberculosis infection recommend 9 months of isoniazid as the preferred treatment and suggest that 4 months of rifampin is a reasonable alternative. Travelers who suspect that they have been exposed to tuberculosis should be advised to inform their physicians of the possible exposure and receive appropriate medical evaluation. CDC and ATS have published updated guidelines for targeted tuberculin skin testing and treatment of latent tuberculosis infection. Recent data from the WHO suggest that resistance is relatively common in some parts of the world. Travelers who have tuberculin skin test conversion associated with international travel should consult experts in infectious diseases or pulmonary medicine.
Friday, June 1, 2007
Worst Fears Realized in S. Africa TB Scare
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, May 31, 2007
(CBS) This story was written by CBS News producer Sarah Carter in Johannesburg, South Africa.
"It was the height of summer in February 2005 and the hospital was filled with patients with both TB and HIV/AIDS," recalled Dr. Tony Moll, the anti-retroviral program manager at the Church of Scotland Hospital in Tugela Ferry.
"I remember there were two patients who just weren't getting better. I don't know why, but I had this terrible feeling that something really sinister was happening," Moll said.
In most instances, HIV/AIDS positive patients being treated with both anti-retrovirals and tuberculosis drugs improved, Dr. Moll explained, but not these two. "They were getting worse by the hour."
With a lack of testing facilities in his rural hospital in South Africa's Kwazulu-Natal province, Dr. Moll asked for special permission to have the sputum samples of 45 patients sent to Durban and tested for resistance to TB drugs.
Nurses collected samples from the two very ill patients, as well as 43 others being treated with TB and anti-retroviral drugs, and sent them off. By the time the results came back eight weeks later, 10 of the patients were dead, including the two who had been very ill.
Of the 45 samples, 10 were resistant to all six TB drugs they tested for. "I got a cold shiver, with such fear in my heart," Moll said. "I thought, 'This is airborne. Could I be infected? Could my staff be infected? "To go into a new realm of XDR-TB, which is basically untreatable, was almost unthinkable," he said, using the acronym for Extremely Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis.
Moll's worst fears eventually were realized: Four of the hospital nurses died in those first few months. From that point on, the hospital began identifying more and more patients — and in almost all cases, the patients with XDR-TB were dead before the lab results were back. Most die within 16 days of being identified as a possible XDR-TB case. The mortality rate of XDR-TB is 84 percent.
Since the first two cases, close to three years ago, doctors at the Church of Scotland Hospital have identified 266 people with XDR-TB. That is just one small hospital. Across South Africa, doctors in all nine provinces have reported XDR-TB cases.
"It seems to be simmering, with increasing numbers each month," says Moll said. "It's not explosive, but it's slow, insidious, increasing numbers. " With recent U.S. fears of tuberculosis being stoked by a Georgia man's trans-Atlantic travels while infected with XDR-TB, South Africa's struggles serve as an ominous reminder of how deadly the disease can be.
The South African government has installed extractor fans in all TB wards and hospital staff use surgical face masks, but doctors claim there is a lack of good isolation facilities available. It has been reported that small rural clinics and hospitals can sometimes wait for up to three weeks with an XDR-TB patient in a general ward before a bed is available in one of the few urban hospitals better equipped to deal with the disease.
Experts claim a drug to deal specifically with XDR-TB is more than a decade away, so doctors use a combination of six to eight TB drugs to treat it.
Currently, a small group of XDR patients have been treated for more than five months in a Durban hospital, but their results have fallen short of doctors' expectations.
"Ultimately we need prevention, as the current treatment regime just isn't the way to go," Moll said. "The bulk of the patients just die so quickly."
(CBS) This story was written by CBS News producer Sarah Carter in Johannesburg, South Africa.
"It was the height of summer in February 2005 and the hospital was filled with patients with both TB and HIV/AIDS," recalled Dr. Tony Moll, the anti-retroviral program manager at the Church of Scotland Hospital in Tugela Ferry.
"I remember there were two patients who just weren't getting better. I don't know why, but I had this terrible feeling that something really sinister was happening," Moll said.
In most instances, HIV/AIDS positive patients being treated with both anti-retrovirals and tuberculosis drugs improved, Dr. Moll explained, but not these two. "They were getting worse by the hour."
With a lack of testing facilities in his rural hospital in South Africa's Kwazulu-Natal province, Dr. Moll asked for special permission to have the sputum samples of 45 patients sent to Durban and tested for resistance to TB drugs.
Nurses collected samples from the two very ill patients, as well as 43 others being treated with TB and anti-retroviral drugs, and sent them off. By the time the results came back eight weeks later, 10 of the patients were dead, including the two who had been very ill.
Of the 45 samples, 10 were resistant to all six TB drugs they tested for. "I got a cold shiver, with such fear in my heart," Moll said. "I thought, 'This is airborne. Could I be infected? Could my staff be infected? "To go into a new realm of XDR-TB, which is basically untreatable, was almost unthinkable," he said, using the acronym for Extremely Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis.
Moll's worst fears eventually were realized: Four of the hospital nurses died in those first few months. From that point on, the hospital began identifying more and more patients — and in almost all cases, the patients with XDR-TB were dead before the lab results were back. Most die within 16 days of being identified as a possible XDR-TB case. The mortality rate of XDR-TB is 84 percent.
Since the first two cases, close to three years ago, doctors at the Church of Scotland Hospital have identified 266 people with XDR-TB. That is just one small hospital. Across South Africa, doctors in all nine provinces have reported XDR-TB cases.
"It seems to be simmering, with increasing numbers each month," says Moll said. "It's not explosive, but it's slow, insidious, increasing numbers. " With recent U.S. fears of tuberculosis being stoked by a Georgia man's trans-Atlantic travels while infected with XDR-TB, South Africa's struggles serve as an ominous reminder of how deadly the disease can be.
The South African government has installed extractor fans in all TB wards and hospital staff use surgical face masks, but doctors claim there is a lack of good isolation facilities available. It has been reported that small rural clinics and hospitals can sometimes wait for up to three weeks with an XDR-TB patient in a general ward before a bed is available in one of the few urban hospitals better equipped to deal with the disease.
Experts claim a drug to deal specifically with XDR-TB is more than a decade away, so doctors use a combination of six to eight TB drugs to treat it.
Currently, a small group of XDR patients have been treated for more than five months in a Durban hospital, but their results have fallen short of doctors' expectations.
"Ultimately we need prevention, as the current treatment regime just isn't the way to go," Moll said. "The bulk of the patients just die so quickly."
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Travel Itinerary
Here is your opportunity to ride on the luxurious mobile lounge at Washington DC's Dulles Int'l Airport. Something to look forward to during 2 days of travel.Sept. 5
0400 Meet at church
0500 Arrive at LAX
0755 Depart United #946
1545 Arrive Dulles Int'l
1720 South African Airways #208
Sept. 6
1435 Arrive Johannesburg, SA
Sept. 7
1020 Depart South African Airways #170
1245 Arrive Lilongwe, Malawi
Sept. 21
1335 Depart South African Airways #171
1605 Arrive Johannesburg, SA
1755 Depart South African Airways #207
Sept. 22
0600 Arrive Dulles Int'l
0835 Depart United #824
1039 Arrive LAX
1200-1230 Return to church
Register at http://ww4.flysaa.com/za/en/saa_home.html for South African Airways Voyager rewards program.
Team Meeting - May 20
Welcome Dr. Walter Wood to our team! Walter is an ER doctor and the fourth MD to join our team.
Dr. Boersma update: We will be working with the crisis nursery, several orphanages, and assisting in staffing the ABC (African Bible College) clinic. ABC is expanding its clinic to include a pediatric ward and ER. Our doctors will be able to help prepare for these additions.
Fundraising update: Send your letters out ASAP if you have not done so already. Our team has raised $4,146 to date. The cost per team member has been increased to $3,300.
Bring 1 copy of your passport to our next meeting on June 24. Be sure to renew your passport if your expiration date falls between September 2007 and February 2008.
Medical forms: email your suggestions for a team medical patient form.
Wish list: we are compiling a wish list of medical supplies and medicines to either have donated or to purchase for the trip. We do have permission to bring prescription medications with us.
Doctors and nurses must submit an application for permission to practice in Malawi. It was originally thought that this would not be needed but ABC clinic has requested that we submit the applications. MD's should go to http://www.medicalcouncil.org/ to complete the application. RN's application process TBA.
Reading recommendation: David Livingstone: The Truth Behind the Legend by Rob Mackenzie (ISBN 1857926153)
Saturday, May 12, 2007
10 Ways to Ruin Your STM Trip
Straight Talk with Austin T Duncan
1. Misunderstand the purpose of your trip -Your trip is about serving our missionaries.
2. Openly question your team leader (in order to strengthen their leadership skills)
-Don’t bring that junk on the trip!
3. Anticipate keeping a rigid schedule
-Your team leader is your itinerary!
4. Complain openly and often
-Serve your team leader!
5. Seek personal comfort above all else
-Clean up after yourself. “Lord, I’ll put it down, You keep it down!”
6. Totally disregard physical symptoms
-Let your team leader know how you’re feeling.
7. Be a completely incompetent traveler
-Assume that your luggage will be lost.
8. Let a ‘Teen-age Heart-throb Sunflower Attraction’ distract you
-On the flight home bring out your moves.
9. Brainstorm new and innovative ways to change the structure of the [culture]
-Pending threat of a lifetime ban from STM trips!
10. Do not allow this trip to change the way you live, think or serve
“It’s not time to get spiritual on this trip; it’s time to be spiritual.”
2. Openly question your team leader (in order to strengthen their leadership skills)
-Don’t bring that junk on the trip!
3. Anticipate keeping a rigid schedule
-Your team leader is your itinerary!
4. Complain openly and often
-Serve your team leader!
5. Seek personal comfort above all else
-Clean up after yourself. “Lord, I’ll put it down, You keep it down!”
6. Totally disregard physical symptoms
-Let your team leader know how you’re feeling.
7. Be a completely incompetent traveler
-Assume that your luggage will be lost.
8. Let a ‘Teen-age Heart-throb Sunflower Attraction’ distract you
-On the flight home bring out your moves.
9. Brainstorm new and innovative ways to change the structure of the [culture]
-Pending threat of a lifetime ban from STM trips!
10. Do not allow this trip to change the way you live, think or serve
“It’s not time to get spiritual on this trip; it’s time to be spiritual.”
Thursday, May 10, 2007
10 Preparations for STM
Ten Ways to Get Ready for Your Short-Term Missions Trip
Rick Holland
1. Prepare your life.
· Psalm 51
· Make your plate clean
2. Understand your purpose.
· 1 Corinthians 10:31-glorigy God
· You are not to be an expert on missions or a country
· Point to God, not yourself
3. Humble your pride.
· Pride is the greatest threat to your ministry
· Don’t present yourself as an expert on GCC, a country, missions, STM, etc.
· Don’t complete with team members
4. Relax your expectations.
· Don’t overestimate your importance
· Don’t expect to be treated like a hero (here or there or when you return)
· Don’t expect perfect team members!
5. Proclaim your Savior.
· Remember your message (Colossians 1:28)
· Be ready to present the gospel at any time to anyone
6. Trust your God.
· Know that there will be problems-expect them
· For example: lost luggage, getting lost, missed flights and trains, lost passports and wallets, uncomfortable situations, getting sick
7. Commit your effort.
· Don’t be the lazy member of the team
· Serve: your leader, the team, and the natives
8. Love your hosts.
· Write thank you notes
· Listen to and care for hosts
· Ask questions
· Remember that you are going there to serve your hosts, not to used them as tour guides
9. Remember your reputation.
· You represent Jesus Christ, Christianity in general, GCC, your ministry here at GCC, yourself and your family
10. Enjoy your trip!
· Camera and journal
· Take pictures with people, not just places
· Don’t over pack!
· Tricks of the trade (ex-officio underwear, non-iron shirts, undershirts, plastic wraps for clothes, change of clothes on plane with your, put something identifying on your luggage, put seven books you think you will read, check weather for appropriate clothing, Power bars, medicine).
Rick Holland
1. Prepare your life.
· Psalm 51
· Make your plate clean
2. Understand your purpose.
· 1 Corinthians 10:31-glorigy God
· You are not to be an expert on missions or a country
· Point to God, not yourself
3. Humble your pride.
· Pride is the greatest threat to your ministry
· Don’t present yourself as an expert on GCC, a country, missions, STM, etc.
· Don’t complete with team members
4. Relax your expectations.
· Don’t overestimate your importance
· Don’t expect to be treated like a hero (here or there or when you return)
· Don’t expect perfect team members!
5. Proclaim your Savior.
· Remember your message (Colossians 1:28)
· Be ready to present the gospel at any time to anyone
6. Trust your God.
· Know that there will be problems-expect them
· For example: lost luggage, getting lost, missed flights and trains, lost passports and wallets, uncomfortable situations, getting sick
7. Commit your effort.
· Don’t be the lazy member of the team
· Serve: your leader, the team, and the natives
8. Love your hosts.
· Write thank you notes
· Listen to and care for hosts
· Ask questions
· Remember that you are going there to serve your hosts, not to used them as tour guides
9. Remember your reputation.
· You represent Jesus Christ, Christianity in general, GCC, your ministry here at GCC, yourself and your family
10. Enjoy your trip!
· Camera and journal
· Take pictures with people, not just places
· Don’t over pack!
· Tricks of the trade (ex-officio underwear, non-iron shirts, undershirts, plastic wraps for clothes, change of clothes on plane with your, put something identifying on your luggage, put seven books you think you will read, check weather for appropriate clothing, Power bars, medicine).
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Baby Biedebach
Announcing the arrival of Benjamin Luke Biedebach.
He arrived at 12:52 AM on May 9, 2007 (just a couple of days after his duedate).
He weighed 7 pounds 9 ounces (3.5 KG) and was 21 inches tall (53cm).
The delivery was our smoothest yet (all natural and no pain medication).
Anita and Ben are both doing great and we 
are grateful to God for thisprecious gift. Anita's mom is also doing well and helping immensely with the troops.
are grateful to God for thisprecious gift. Anita's mom is also doing well and helping immensely with the troops. A special thanks to all who have been praying for our third child's arrival (our only California Native).
Praise Him, for He is worthy of all our praise.
Love,Brian, Anita, Ami, Bradley (and now, Benjamin)Monday, April 30, 2007
Children of the Nations
Children of the Nations (COTNI) is an international missions network that coordinates medical care, food, education and community development for orphans and destitute children.
We will be working with this organization which partners with the African Bible College.
http://www.cotni.org/29-malawi
Excerpt:
The African Bible College (ABC) Medical Clinic partners with COTNI to care for the needs of our children in both our residential and village-assisted care programs. The AIDS pandemic is devastating Malawi; one in three persons is said to be infected. An estimated 10% of the country’s population is children under the age of 15 who have lost both parents due to HIV.
COTN provides medical assistance to the children in our care by addressing their ongoing medical needs, as well as taking care of the more specialized needs of our children that are living with HIV and other serious illnesses. The International Medical Community has made huge strides forward with creating anti-viral drugs to suppress this dreadful disease.
Each adult caregiver or parent with HIV/AIDS treated with these medications can expect up to ten additional years of life. This could potentially help to prolong a parent’s life, enabling them to care for their own children, empowering them to raise their children to an age when they can support themselves.
We will be working with this organization which partners with the African Bible College.
http://www.cotni.org/29-malawi
Excerpt:
The African Bible College (ABC) Medical Clinic partners with COTNI to care for the needs of our children in both our residential and village-assisted care programs. The AIDS pandemic is devastating Malawi; one in three persons is said to be infected. An estimated 10% of the country’s population is children under the age of 15 who have lost both parents due to HIV.
COTN provides medical assistance to the children in our care by addressing their ongoing medical needs, as well as taking care of the more specialized needs of our children that are living with HIV and other serious illnesses. The International Medical Community has made huge strides forward with creating anti-viral drugs to suppress this dreadful disease.
Each adult caregiver or parent with HIV/AIDS treated with these medications can expect up to ten additional years of life. This could potentially help to prolong a parent’s life, enabling them to care for their own children, empowering them to raise their children to an age when they can support themselves.
African Bible Collage Clinic
Below is an article on the clinic we will be working with outside of Lilongwe:Malawi is on the brink. Drought, disease, famine, and corruption are facts of life in this ‘Warm Heart of Africa.’ HIV devastates families in this poorest of countries. ABC Community Clinic (ABCCC) exists to provide quality health care in a Christ centered environment. We care for the sick, encourage healthy lifestyles, and provide hope to people in desperate need.
The clinic shares the compassion of Jesus through serving African Bible College students, staff, and the surrounding community. ABCCC serves all facets of society, by operating several clinics within our facility. Each clinic is tailored to the cultural norms of our patients. Our modern laboratory and x-ray provide reliable testing. Our pharmacy is well stocked with quality medications. Our doctors and clinicians and nurses provide competent and compassionate care. The clinic is an avenue to share the gospel in both word and deed.
We are located on the west side of the capital city of Lilongwe. ABCCC operates a low cost public clinic, an “under 5” child wellness clinic, a nutrition education clinic, a private clinic, a malnutrition crisis ward, limited inpatient adult and pediatric medical treatment, a mobile clinic that serves orphans, and a mobile clinic to the local prison. Our staff includes over 35 Malawian nationals as well as expatriate missionaries.
African Bible College (ABC) http://www.africanbiblecollege.com/
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Spiritual Keys for Preparation
Spiritual keys to preparation for short term missions: (be FAT)
1. Be Faithful—Means loyalty and trustworthiness. A fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22)
a. Prayer:
-for your own walk with Christ and that of your team members
-administrative details, trip logistics (for wisdom of decision makers and God’s sovereignty over the details)
-for the people you will be witnessing to and caring for in Malawi
-for the team’s preparation for providing medical care in our clinics and for team health and travel, getting medications into the country
b. The Word (Romans 10:17)
- be faithful to be in God’s Word daily and work on communicating the gospel simply, concisely, clearly, yet thoroughly.
c. Preparation- Think of what equipment needed, what immunizations are necessary, malaria tabs and other medications you will need personally, luggage, samples,
letters of support to mobilize the home team to pray, med samples to take with us, etc.
2. Be Available-(Galatians 5:13) “serve one another”
a. Volunteer for everything (be a “helium hand” when asked to volunteer for something). Philippians 2:5-7 “--have this attitude in yourselves which was in Christ
Jesus”… see the extra patient, cook, clean, organize supplies, haul, pack, be on time for deadlines. Try to out serve one another. Be a blessing and not a
frustration. Get dirty for the Gospel. “if I come back from a STM trip not completely exhausted there is a problem”. (Matt Floreen)
3. Be Teachable- Luke 9:48 “the greatest are like a little child”. You are highly trained professionals used to calling the shots. Turn the pyramid upside down and see
how many people you can get underneath and serve. Watch for things that the Lord is teaching you in the little things that happen. Live in the moment. Be FLEXIBLE.
Man makes his plans, but God directs his steps. Thing will turn out different but better than we could have imagined if we trust in Christ. JOY= Jesus first, others
second and you last.
Let our trip verse be I Corinthians 15:58- “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”
1. Be Faithful—Means loyalty and trustworthiness. A fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22)
a. Prayer:
-for your own walk with Christ and that of your team members
-administrative details, trip logistics (for wisdom of decision makers and God’s sovereignty over the details)
-for the people you will be witnessing to and caring for in Malawi
-for the team’s preparation for providing medical care in our clinics and for team health and travel, getting medications into the country
b. The Word (Romans 10:17)
- be faithful to be in God’s Word daily and work on communicating the gospel simply, concisely, clearly, yet thoroughly.
c. Preparation- Think of what equipment needed, what immunizations are necessary, malaria tabs and other medications you will need personally, luggage, samples,
letters of support to mobilize the home team to pray, med samples to take with us, etc.
2. Be Available-(Galatians 5:13) “serve one another”
a. Volunteer for everything (be a “helium hand” when asked to volunteer for something). Philippians 2:5-7 “--have this attitude in yourselves which was in Christ
Jesus”… see the extra patient, cook, clean, organize supplies, haul, pack, be on time for deadlines. Try to out serve one another. Be a blessing and not a
frustration. Get dirty for the Gospel. “if I come back from a STM trip not completely exhausted there is a problem”. (Matt Floreen)
3. Be Teachable- Luke 9:48 “the greatest are like a little child”. You are highly trained professionals used to calling the shots. Turn the pyramid upside down and see
how many people you can get underneath and serve. Watch for things that the Lord is teaching you in the little things that happen. Live in the moment. Be FLEXIBLE.
Man makes his plans, but God directs his steps. Thing will turn out different but better than we could have imagined if we trust in Christ. JOY= Jesus first, others
second and you last.
Let our trip verse be I Corinthians 15:58- “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Team Meeting - April 22
Malawi is one of the poorest nations in the world: 80% of the population lives on less than $1 per day. The country is not only ravished by poverty but the problem is compounded by disease and starvation.
According to the CIA factbook, 14.2% adults are infected with HIV/AIDS.
As of 2003, 900,000 people had the disease and 84,000 people died of AIDS in that year.
Our mission is to support the Biedebach's new ministry in Malawi by ministering to the community with medical aid and the Gospel.
The purpose of our team meetings, over the coming several months, is to prepare the team for the experience in Malawi. Each of our three MD's will be teaching on a subject to help prepare the team for the medical differences. Some of these topics will include HIV/AIDS, malaria and public health education.
The August 26 team BBQ will be a time for our families to join us in a time of prayer and a final "send off" time of fellowship.
Each team member is required to raise $3000 in funds, the majority of which goes to air fare.
The total amount is due in two installments. Fundraising may be monitored by logging in to the church web site.
Needs: We have a need for Bible donations and for someone to head up children's crafts and Bible story lessons. We would also like to bring Gospel tracts.
We are compiling wish lists of medical supplies and equipment which will be posted on the blog for your input.
Vaccinations: If you do not already have your Hepatitis A & B vaccinations consult your doctor and start the series ASAP. You will also need a typhoid vaccination and be prepared to take malaria pills while on the trip. You should also consult your doctor for these and obtain a prescription sometime in August.
According to the CIA factbook, 14.2% adults are infected with HIV/AIDS.
As of 2003, 900,000 people had the disease and 84,000 people died of AIDS in that year.
Our mission is to support the Biedebach's new ministry in Malawi by ministering to the community with medical aid and the Gospel.
The purpose of our team meetings, over the coming several months, is to prepare the team for the experience in Malawi. Each of our three MD's will be teaching on a subject to help prepare the team for the medical differences. Some of these topics will include HIV/AIDS, malaria and public health education.
The August 26 team BBQ will be a time for our families to join us in a time of prayer and a final "send off" time of fellowship.
Each team member is required to raise $3000 in funds, the majority of which goes to air fare.
The total amount is due in two installments. Fundraising may be monitored by logging in to the church web site.
Needs: We have a need for Bible donations and for someone to head up children's crafts and Bible story lessons. We would also like to bring Gospel tracts.
We are compiling wish lists of medical supplies and equipment which will be posted on the blog for your input.
Vaccinations: If you do not already have your Hepatitis A & B vaccinations consult your doctor and start the series ASAP. You will also need a typhoid vaccination and be prepared to take malaria pills while on the trip. You should also consult your doctor for these and obtain a prescription sometime in August.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Tom Hatter Update
Greetings Friends,
My Dear Friend Jeff Dalrymple asked me to share with you some details about my present encounter with cancer, and the role that God has played in helping my wife Lisa and I, deal with this trial in our lives. I will say from the outset, that God has blessed us beyond what we deserve, and shown incredible love, mercy and grace to us through out the experience.
During the summer of 2006, Jeff (Leader of our 2005 Short Term Mission Team to Johannesburg, RSA) e-mailed an article to me entitled “Don’t Waste Your Cancer” authored by Pastor John Piper. Pastor Piper wrote this article on February 15, 2006, on the eve of his surgery for prostate cancer.
Cancer touches many of our lives in many different ways. Many of us have friends or family members who have had cancer, or we have battled with cancer ourselves. Pastor Piper lays out 10 wonderful realities that every Christian should heed when their life is touched by the disease of cancer. You can access this article on Pastor Piper’s website; http://www.desiringgod.org/ I would strongly encourage you to check it out, as it is a wonderfully edifying article. There is also a Pastor John Piper sermon available on the website, entitled “Christ and Cancer,” and is worth your attention too.
Well, as it would happen, on December 13, 2006 I learned that I had prostate cancer. The doctor called and broke the news to me, and my first reaction was surprise. How could I have cancer? I am in good health and I do not have any symptoms. I’m working. I’m serving in the church. I’m old, but not that old! This must be a mistake? Well it wasn't a mistake.
The doctor was very positive about the prognosis, which was a comfort. Nonetheless, your mind can run wild when confronted with this kind of news. For many of us who do not know a lot about cancer, the word itself often translates into “death.” That definitely gets your attention.
My next telephone call was to my wife Lisa a 19 year registered nurse. Lisa is the Operations Manager for the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. She has been dealing with cancer and blood disease illnesses for at least 18 years of her nursing career. She has dealt with life and death through out her career in nursing.
As Christians, Lisa and I resolved from the very beginning to give this all over to the Lord. We decided to look for ways to Honor and Glorify God through the situation we found ourselves in. We knew we needed to put our full faith and trust in Him, knowing that he is the Great Physician.
We know that God is sovereign, and He has a plan and purpose for everything that touches our lives. God also instructs us to rejoice in our trials. We also know that whatever happens, and however things work out, it is all in God’s plan and design.
I went back to Pastor Piper’s article, reading it over again with a new focus. A focus that I did not have the first time Jeff sent the article to me. I was in search of a proper Christian response to this trial, because it was my desire to respond as the Lord would have me respond. My desire was to give Honor and Glory to God. God used Pastor Piper’s article to guide my footsteps. Pastor Piper’s article pointed me to the Holy Bible, to God’s Word.
Let me first say that anything good that comes out of me is all God’s work. It has nothing to do with me. I understand that God’s indwelling Spirit uses each of us to do His work. I take credit for nothing. When you see the little word “I” in this testimony, translate that “God working through me.”
I know that God allows things to happen in our lives to refine us, and to make us more Christ like. I found that I could draw strength from God and draw near to Him like never before. I found myself diligently reading scripture, and spending more time in prayer than ever before. I also found that Lisa and I were drawing closer to each other in this trial, and that was, and is truly a blessing.
We had our first meeting with the Urologist Surgeon who would be handling my case. After discussing the many treatment options, he recommended surgery to remove the prostate. At the conclusion of the meeting, I told the doctor that Lisa and I had a strong faith and trust in the Lord, and we knew everything would be fine. I handed a copy of Pastor John Piper’s article “Don’t Waste Your Cancer” to the doctor, and asked him to read it when he had a chance, and told him that we would be praying for him. As it turned out we decided to have radical prostatectomy surgery to remove the prostate.
I had to share the news of my cancer with my grown children. My unsaved daughter broke down in tears. What an opportunity for me to again share the love of God, and the comfort I have in my Lord and Saviour. You see, I know what my eternity looks like and I am ready. My daughter is unsaved, like much of the world, and news like this is devastating to one who does not have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. I continue to minister to my daughter, and my two sons, exhorting them to embrace Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. I pray constantly and continually for my children.
I had an opportunity to share the Gospel and Jesus Christ with an unsaved friend. I used my situation to help demonstrate the hope we have in the work of the Saviour on the Cross. My friend was going through his own trial. He made a profession of faith through the work and conviction of the Holy Spirit on his heart. We both wept as the power of the Holy Spirit, in that moment, was overwhelming for both of us. God is so good! I pray for my friend’s continuing growth in the Lord.
Lisa and I have been overwhelmed by the many prayers that have been prayed for us by God’s Family. The support we have received from the Saints at Grace Community Church has been incredible. It has been such a comfort and encouragement for us, as we watched God’s Family rally round us at Grace Community Church.
Our unsaved friends who know of our faith in God, promised prayers for us as we go through this trial. That was a blessing to have some of these folks even thinking about God, and his sovereignty over these matters. These encounters allowed us more opportunities to share the security we have in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We prayerfully decided to wait to have the surgery, until after the 2007 Shepherd’s Conference at Grace Community Church. I did not want to miss the opportunity to participate in service to our Lord, at this wonderful event. The conference concluded on March 11th. I went into surgery on March 14th.
It has now been almost three weeks since surgery, and God blessed us tremendously! He is the Great Physician! The surgery went extremely well, and everything was accomplished that we hoped and prayed for. The cancer was much more pervasive then we first knew, but to the best of our knowledge the cancer is all gone. My recovery has been right on schedule and hopefully within a few more weeks I will be able to resume normal activities cancer free.
Actually, the recovery period has been a blessing. Since I am not able to work, and am somewhat home-bound with no distractions, I have had opportunity to immerse myself in God’s Word and that has been great! I have also had the opportunity to listen to many CD sermons from Pastor MacArthur and the 2007 Shepherd’s Conference General Sessions. Lisa is happy because I have also been able to open some of those books I have purchased at the Book Shack and have never opened!
God has been so good to us through this trial. We have been blessed beyond what we deserve, and we acknowledge that over and over. We praise God for the grace and mercy He has shown us during this trial. The trial is not over yet, but we know that God is going to see us through to the end, and the end of the story is magnificent!
Our prayer is for a speedy and full recovery, as we have our sights set on joining the Short Term Medical Mission Trip to Malawi, Africa, in September. Lord willing this will all come together, and we can continue in our deep desire to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, for His Honor and His Glory!!!
God Bless You All!
Tom & Lisa Hatter
My Dear Friend Jeff Dalrymple asked me to share with you some details about my present encounter with cancer, and the role that God has played in helping my wife Lisa and I, deal with this trial in our lives. I will say from the outset, that God has blessed us beyond what we deserve, and shown incredible love, mercy and grace to us through out the experience.
During the summer of 2006, Jeff (Leader of our 2005 Short Term Mission Team to Johannesburg, RSA) e-mailed an article to me entitled “Don’t Waste Your Cancer” authored by Pastor John Piper. Pastor Piper wrote this article on February 15, 2006, on the eve of his surgery for prostate cancer.
Cancer touches many of our lives in many different ways. Many of us have friends or family members who have had cancer, or we have battled with cancer ourselves. Pastor Piper lays out 10 wonderful realities that every Christian should heed when their life is touched by the disease of cancer. You can access this article on Pastor Piper’s website; http://www.desiringgod.org/ I would strongly encourage you to check it out, as it is a wonderfully edifying article. There is also a Pastor John Piper sermon available on the website, entitled “Christ and Cancer,” and is worth your attention too.
Well, as it would happen, on December 13, 2006 I learned that I had prostate cancer. The doctor called and broke the news to me, and my first reaction was surprise. How could I have cancer? I am in good health and I do not have any symptoms. I’m working. I’m serving in the church. I’m old, but not that old! This must be a mistake? Well it wasn't a mistake.
The doctor was very positive about the prognosis, which was a comfort. Nonetheless, your mind can run wild when confronted with this kind of news. For many of us who do not know a lot about cancer, the word itself often translates into “death.” That definitely gets your attention.
My next telephone call was to my wife Lisa a 19 year registered nurse. Lisa is the Operations Manager for the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. She has been dealing with cancer and blood disease illnesses for at least 18 years of her nursing career. She has dealt with life and death through out her career in nursing.
As Christians, Lisa and I resolved from the very beginning to give this all over to the Lord. We decided to look for ways to Honor and Glorify God through the situation we found ourselves in. We knew we needed to put our full faith and trust in Him, knowing that he is the Great Physician.
We know that God is sovereign, and He has a plan and purpose for everything that touches our lives. God also instructs us to rejoice in our trials. We also know that whatever happens, and however things work out, it is all in God’s plan and design.
I went back to Pastor Piper’s article, reading it over again with a new focus. A focus that I did not have the first time Jeff sent the article to me. I was in search of a proper Christian response to this trial, because it was my desire to respond as the Lord would have me respond. My desire was to give Honor and Glory to God. God used Pastor Piper’s article to guide my footsteps. Pastor Piper’s article pointed me to the Holy Bible, to God’s Word.
Let me first say that anything good that comes out of me is all God’s work. It has nothing to do with me. I understand that God’s indwelling Spirit uses each of us to do His work. I take credit for nothing. When you see the little word “I” in this testimony, translate that “God working through me.”
I know that God allows things to happen in our lives to refine us, and to make us more Christ like. I found that I could draw strength from God and draw near to Him like never before. I found myself diligently reading scripture, and spending more time in prayer than ever before. I also found that Lisa and I were drawing closer to each other in this trial, and that was, and is truly a blessing.
We had our first meeting with the Urologist Surgeon who would be handling my case. After discussing the many treatment options, he recommended surgery to remove the prostate. At the conclusion of the meeting, I told the doctor that Lisa and I had a strong faith and trust in the Lord, and we knew everything would be fine. I handed a copy of Pastor John Piper’s article “Don’t Waste Your Cancer” to the doctor, and asked him to read it when he had a chance, and told him that we would be praying for him. As it turned out we decided to have radical prostatectomy surgery to remove the prostate.
I had to share the news of my cancer with my grown children. My unsaved daughter broke down in tears. What an opportunity for me to again share the love of God, and the comfort I have in my Lord and Saviour. You see, I know what my eternity looks like and I am ready. My daughter is unsaved, like much of the world, and news like this is devastating to one who does not have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. I continue to minister to my daughter, and my two sons, exhorting them to embrace Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. I pray constantly and continually for my children.
I had an opportunity to share the Gospel and Jesus Christ with an unsaved friend. I used my situation to help demonstrate the hope we have in the work of the Saviour on the Cross. My friend was going through his own trial. He made a profession of faith through the work and conviction of the Holy Spirit on his heart. We both wept as the power of the Holy Spirit, in that moment, was overwhelming for both of us. God is so good! I pray for my friend’s continuing growth in the Lord.
Lisa and I have been overwhelmed by the many prayers that have been prayed for us by God’s Family. The support we have received from the Saints at Grace Community Church has been incredible. It has been such a comfort and encouragement for us, as we watched God’s Family rally round us at Grace Community Church.
Our unsaved friends who know of our faith in God, promised prayers for us as we go through this trial. That was a blessing to have some of these folks even thinking about God, and his sovereignty over these matters. These encounters allowed us more opportunities to share the security we have in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We prayerfully decided to wait to have the surgery, until after the 2007 Shepherd’s Conference at Grace Community Church. I did not want to miss the opportunity to participate in service to our Lord, at this wonderful event. The conference concluded on March 11th. I went into surgery on March 14th.
It has now been almost three weeks since surgery, and God blessed us tremendously! He is the Great Physician! The surgery went extremely well, and everything was accomplished that we hoped and prayed for. The cancer was much more pervasive then we first knew, but to the best of our knowledge the cancer is all gone. My recovery has been right on schedule and hopefully within a few more weeks I will be able to resume normal activities cancer free.
Actually, the recovery period has been a blessing. Since I am not able to work, and am somewhat home-bound with no distractions, I have had opportunity to immerse myself in God’s Word and that has been great! I have also had the opportunity to listen to many CD sermons from Pastor MacArthur and the 2007 Shepherd’s Conference General Sessions. Lisa is happy because I have also been able to open some of those books I have purchased at the Book Shack and have never opened!
God has been so good to us through this trial. We have been blessed beyond what we deserve, and we acknowledge that over and over. We praise God for the grace and mercy He has shown us during this trial. The trial is not over yet, but we know that God is going to see us through to the end, and the end of the story is magnificent!
Our prayer is for a speedy and full recovery, as we have our sights set on joining the Short Term Medical Mission Trip to Malawi, Africa, in September. Lord willing this will all come together, and we can continue in our deep desire to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, for His Honor and His Glory!!!
God Bless You All!
Tom & Lisa Hatter
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Kassidy Jewel
Kristil and I are pleased to announce an addition to the Dalrymple family: Kassidy Jewel was born Wednesday at 0523. She is 6.14oz and 21" long.
Mom and baby are doing great. Everyone is back at home resting.
I look forward to seeing you all on April 22,
Jeff
"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord..."
-Psalm 127:3
Friday, March 23, 2007
Missionary Adoption
Have you adopted the Biedebach's yet?
Go to www.gracechurch.org/ma to subscribe to their newsletters and check for needs and prayer requests.
The Biedebach's have ministered in Johannesburg, South Africa since 1999 and will be moving in August from to Lilongwe, Malawi.
Our primary mission in September will be to support the Biedebach's in their new ministry by serving their new community with the Gospel and medical care.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Passport News
Demand surge delays passports
State Department warns of waits as long as 10 weeks for documents as demand skyrockets.
By Jane Engle and Kimi Yoshino
Times Staff WriterMarch 13, 2007
www.latimes.com
Now the long line forms even before you get to the airport.
Travelers applying for passports are facing waits of 10 weeks — instead of the usual four to six — as the State Department grapples with record demand. Procrastinators are spending hours queuing up at passport offices and on hold after calling the agency's toll-free phone number. Nearly 100 people were outside the Los Angeles office in Westwood by 7:30 a.m. Monday, and some had arrived well before dawn.
"These are extraordinary circumstances," said Derwood Staeben of the department's Bureau of Consular Affairs. "We didn't quite anticipate the spike that we're seeing right now."
Passport agency employees have been ordered to work overtime, including nights and weekends, and 49 new employees were hired this month.
Susan Fogwell, a United Airlines flight attendant from Princeton, N.J., said she called for three days trying to get an appointment recently in Philadelphia, her nearest regional center, to renew her passport. When Fogwell showed up for her appointment, a line stretched around the block.
"It looked like a Rolling Stones concert 25 years ago," she said. "People have to be forewarned. If they think they're flitting off to Paris in two weeks, it's going to be a nightmare."
March is always the busiest month for passports as travelers firm up spring and summer trips. This year, the paper chase has been complicated by the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which took effect Jan. 23 and requires passports for flights to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. Some people may be confused about the law, Staeben said, and not realize that if you're traveling to those places by land or sea, you won't need a passport until 2008.
In a rare move, the State Department last week posted a notice on its website, http://www.travel.state.gov/ , saying that applicants may have to wait 10 weeks instead of six for passports. Expedited service, which costs an extra $60 plus overnight shipping costs, may take four weeks or "possibly longer" instead of the usual two weeks, according to the website.
"We did anticipate tremendous demand and we've been preparing for it," said Staeben, the State Department's special advisor for the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. "We hope to get back to our normal turnaround time as soon as possible.
"Every month lately, record numbers of passports are being issued, he said. The surge started last November, typically the slowest month, when the State Department processed 1.1 million passports, up 67% from November 2005. This year, the agency expects to issue 17 million passports, compared to 12.1 million in 2006 and 10.1 million the previous year.
In addition to the mandatory overtime for employees at the regional passport offices, workers at the Washington headquarters are volunteering to help answer phones. A new "mega-processing center" in Hot Springs, Ark., is scheduled to open next month. In the last two years, 250 employees have been added. An additional 86 are being hired this year.
That was little comfort to Lisa Cruz, 41, of Buena Park, a manicurist for a rock band who needed a passport for a trip to Britain on Sunday. She applied for expedited service Feb. 9 but didn't want to take any chances. She waited 4 1/2 hours Thursday at the Los Angeles passport office to get help and had to return twice Monday before she got the document.
"If you have an appointment, plan on being here all day," she said.
Even third-party expediting companies, private businesses that have an allotted number of daily appointments at passport offices, are facing obstacles.
"Our business has been packed to the max," said Porter Briggs, owner of A Briggs Passport & Visa Expeditors Inc. in Washington. "We can't do any more passports; we can't answer any more phone calls. We're having to tell a large number of people we simply can't help them. And that's no fun.
"People who don't have time to stand in line or don't live near a passport office can hire such expediting companies for an additional fee of $100 to $180.
Insurance executive Edward Washington, 63, tried to hire a company, only to have expediters offer to return his money after failing to secure an appointment.
Washington, who works for Chicago-based Combined Insurance Co., is leaving Wednesday for a last-minute trip to the Bahamas to accept a business-related award. Out of desperation, he drove three hours Friday from his company's Visalia office to Los Angeles but arrived after it had closed. He came back Monday without an appointment and was turned away. Then, a stroke of luck: he got through on the toll-free line for a same-day appointment and walked away a few hours later, passport in hand.
Kenneth Ripoll, co-owner of Allstar Passports & Visas, arrived at the passport office in Los Angeles at 3:15 a.m. Monday. The office, at the Federal Building in Westwood, serves the southern part of California and Clark County, Nev.
"It's gotten real crazy starting about three weeks ago," Ripoll said, while juggling calls on his cellphone from prospective clients.
Patty Price of Syracuse is trying to help her 21-year-old son James salvage his spring break trip to Cancun on March 24. He bought non-refundable reservations in November for $1,500 and applied for a passport on Jan. 5. The State Department's website indicates that the passport is in processing, with no date for delivery.
"Besides classes and exams, he's having heart palpitations about the passport," Price said.
Not everyone reported problems. Maybe it's the hang-loose, surfer vibe that helped Tyler Pardee, a 23-year-old student at UC San Diego.
He booked a surfing trip to Oaxaca, Mexico, on Thursday, dialed the passport agency's toll-free phone number and made a 9 a.m. appointment for Monday — just in time to catch his plane on Saturday.
State Department warns of waits as long as 10 weeks for documents as demand skyrockets.
By Jane Engle and Kimi Yoshino
Times Staff WriterMarch 13, 2007
www.latimes.com
Now the long line forms even before you get to the airport.
Travelers applying for passports are facing waits of 10 weeks — instead of the usual four to six — as the State Department grapples with record demand. Procrastinators are spending hours queuing up at passport offices and on hold after calling the agency's toll-free phone number. Nearly 100 people were outside the Los Angeles office in Westwood by 7:30 a.m. Monday, and some had arrived well before dawn.
"These are extraordinary circumstances," said Derwood Staeben of the department's Bureau of Consular Affairs. "We didn't quite anticipate the spike that we're seeing right now."
Passport agency employees have been ordered to work overtime, including nights and weekends, and 49 new employees were hired this month.
Susan Fogwell, a United Airlines flight attendant from Princeton, N.J., said she called for three days trying to get an appointment recently in Philadelphia, her nearest regional center, to renew her passport. When Fogwell showed up for her appointment, a line stretched around the block.
"It looked like a Rolling Stones concert 25 years ago," she said. "People have to be forewarned. If they think they're flitting off to Paris in two weeks, it's going to be a nightmare."
March is always the busiest month for passports as travelers firm up spring and summer trips. This year, the paper chase has been complicated by the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which took effect Jan. 23 and requires passports for flights to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. Some people may be confused about the law, Staeben said, and not realize that if you're traveling to those places by land or sea, you won't need a passport until 2008.
In a rare move, the State Department last week posted a notice on its website, http://www.travel.state.gov/ , saying that applicants may have to wait 10 weeks instead of six for passports. Expedited service, which costs an extra $60 plus overnight shipping costs, may take four weeks or "possibly longer" instead of the usual two weeks, according to the website.
"We did anticipate tremendous demand and we've been preparing for it," said Staeben, the State Department's special advisor for the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. "We hope to get back to our normal turnaround time as soon as possible.
"Every month lately, record numbers of passports are being issued, he said. The surge started last November, typically the slowest month, when the State Department processed 1.1 million passports, up 67% from November 2005. This year, the agency expects to issue 17 million passports, compared to 12.1 million in 2006 and 10.1 million the previous year.
In addition to the mandatory overtime for employees at the regional passport offices, workers at the Washington headquarters are volunteering to help answer phones. A new "mega-processing center" in Hot Springs, Ark., is scheduled to open next month. In the last two years, 250 employees have been added. An additional 86 are being hired this year.
That was little comfort to Lisa Cruz, 41, of Buena Park, a manicurist for a rock band who needed a passport for a trip to Britain on Sunday. She applied for expedited service Feb. 9 but didn't want to take any chances. She waited 4 1/2 hours Thursday at the Los Angeles passport office to get help and had to return twice Monday before she got the document.
"If you have an appointment, plan on being here all day," she said.
Even third-party expediting companies, private businesses that have an allotted number of daily appointments at passport offices, are facing obstacles.
"Our business has been packed to the max," said Porter Briggs, owner of A Briggs Passport & Visa Expeditors Inc. in Washington. "We can't do any more passports; we can't answer any more phone calls. We're having to tell a large number of people we simply can't help them. And that's no fun.
"People who don't have time to stand in line or don't live near a passport office can hire such expediting companies for an additional fee of $100 to $180.
Insurance executive Edward Washington, 63, tried to hire a company, only to have expediters offer to return his money after failing to secure an appointment.
Washington, who works for Chicago-based Combined Insurance Co., is leaving Wednesday for a last-minute trip to the Bahamas to accept a business-related award. Out of desperation, he drove three hours Friday from his company's Visalia office to Los Angeles but arrived after it had closed. He came back Monday without an appointment and was turned away. Then, a stroke of luck: he got through on the toll-free line for a same-day appointment and walked away a few hours later, passport in hand.
Kenneth Ripoll, co-owner of Allstar Passports & Visas, arrived at the passport office in Los Angeles at 3:15 a.m. Monday. The office, at the Federal Building in Westwood, serves the southern part of California and Clark County, Nev.
"It's gotten real crazy starting about three weeks ago," Ripoll said, while juggling calls on his cellphone from prospective clients.
Patty Price of Syracuse is trying to help her 21-year-old son James salvage his spring break trip to Cancun on March 24. He bought non-refundable reservations in November for $1,500 and applied for a passport on Jan. 5. The State Department's website indicates that the passport is in processing, with no date for delivery.
"Besides classes and exams, he's having heart palpitations about the passport," Price said.
Not everyone reported problems. Maybe it's the hang-loose, surfer vibe that helped Tyler Pardee, a 23-year-old student at UC San Diego.
He booked a surfing trip to Oaxaca, Mexico, on Thursday, dialed the passport agency's toll-free phone number and made a 9 a.m. appointment for Monday — just in time to catch his plane on Saturday.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Welcome
>Doctors, nurses, and dentists are needed to serve alongside of Brian Biedebach and family outside of Lilongwe, Malawi, Africa. Our team will be creating opportunities for the Gospel and mercy ministry through house visitations and medical clinics.
Team Leader: Jeff Dalrymple
TENTATIVE DATES: Sept. 4-25
Team Leader: Jeff Dalrymple
TENTATIVE DATES: Sept. 4-25
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