The Center for Medical
Missions'
e-Pistle
August 2010
Welcome to the August issue of the e-Pistle. I trust
your ministry is going well. Daniel and I are praying for you. Please
know we are very grateful for the 47 who completed the survey which will
help us update our Handbook for students and residents who wish to do an
international rotation. We have left the survey open as we have decided
to allow domestic ministries to list their opportunities as well. If you
did not get your information entered before the 15th, please go ahead
and do it now. The survey will be open at least through the end of
August. But you do need to get it done now! http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22AY53EELR5
We are gearing up for the November 11 – 13 Global
Mission Health Conference in Louisville. Be sure and let your
colleagues, who will be in the States know about this event. It is a
great educational and recruiting venue.
While I am on the subject of the GMHC Conference, I want to let you know
that we will host a focus group for a friend who is conducting research
for her doctorate. Suzanne’s goal is to help us define
‘success’ in medical missions as well as identify factors of
satisfaction and longevity. If you will be at the conference, please be
on the look-out for an announcement as to time and place for this focus
group. Your input will be very important and greatly appreciated.
susan.carter@cmda.org
Here are the links to this month’s
articles:
Leaving without Leaving by Dave Stevens
Cura Animarum by Rev. Stan Key
Resource
Medicines for Humanity
Re-entry: Leaving Well by
Dr. Ron Koteskey
Leaving Without
Leaving
by David Stevens, MD
Aren’t vacations great! I’m just back from a
week off, and I have returned restored and renewed for a very busy fall
schedule.
Most people want to get away and travel when they have time off. You
know, “vacate-ion.” I had a different goal since I travel
all the time. I structured my time off as a “stay-cation.”
We stayed at home and Jody and I did some projects around the house,
went to a couple of movies, took long walks, read some books and my
brother came down for a few days. We went fly-fishing. One of the best
trout fishing rivers in the USA is a few miles from my house. We had a
banner fishing day as we floated the South Holston fishing with small
nymphs that you almost needed a magnifying glass to thread them on a 3
pound test tippet line. (Check out my Facebook site if you want to see a
picture of the 8-pound trout I caught!)
My vacation was overdue to be honest. There have been
too many weeks in the office and too many weekends on the road since the
beginning of the year.
Knowing a missionary’s life, I know you are harder
up for some restoration than I am. You are likely in a remote situation
where it is difficult and expensive to get away. The demands of
providing healthcare are unrelenting. You have to work very hard to grab
even a few moments for yourself.
I remember those days well. We usually got away for a couple of weeks
each year to go to the beach with the kids. It was a two-day trip to get
there and two-days back. We still have wonderful memories of those times
together. Honestly though, they alone were totally inadequate to restore
my emotional and mental batteries for a whole year. There had to be
something that did that on a regular basis.
I dubbed that, “leaving without leaving” and
I’m a great believer in it. As a missionary, you have to have
outlets that restore and renew you personally. Of course, the most
important thing is keeping yourself in God’s Word and taking time
for prayer and fellowship. Only God can provide the strength and wisdom
for the challenges you face each day (and night!).
But “leaving without leaving” adds another
indispensable dimension. I had to learn to disconnect and mentally leave
when my body couldn’t. I got onto this as I watched the other
career doctors, who had been there for years, cope.
Ernie Steury, my mentor, was raised on a farm and loved
growing a garden, raising chickens and even keeping a herd of pigs that
were fed leftovers from the hospital kitchen. Ernie would frequently
transport 50, day-old chicks all the way from Nairobi when he was there
on business. He created a “brooder” area in his basement
where he would keep them warm with kerosene lanterns till he could
transfer them to his chicken coop and grow them into tasty meals for all
of us. He even injected a few of them with hormones so we could have
some hens as big as “turkeys” for Thanksgiving. When he was
working on his garden or dealing with his animals, he was
“gone” because he was totally focused on what he was
doing.
Dick Morris liked to collect stamps from around the
world and enjoyed mounting them in albums. When he had spare moments and
wasn’t working with his stamps, he was reading a good book.
I had no interest in stamps but enjoyed a good mystery,
thriller or adventure story. My routine before we had our hydro plant
was to climb into bed as soon as the lights blinked at 9 p.m. Five
minutes later when the lights went out, I would turn on our battery
light and spend an hour or two totally disconnected from the challenges
of everyday life. On Saturday night I would crank up my ham radio and
talk to other amateur radio operators from all over the world. There
were fewer than 50 “hams” in Kenya so as soon as I gave my
call sign, everyone with a shortwave transmitter wanted to talk to me to
add Kenya to their country list.
I took over some shop tools so when I had a day off, you
might find me down in my workshop making bookshelves or helping the kids
with a project. Jody loved to sew so I built her a combination desk and
sewing table.
When the days of videotapes arrived, we had a wonderful
friend that would tape movies and major sporting advents and send them
out by the box full with work teams. Our house became the
“Blockbuster” outlet at Tenwek. We had so many movies that I
created a database so other missionaries could come by and check them
out of our “movie closet” to enjoy.
In some places it is easier to mentally get away than it
used to be. With the Internet, DVD’s, Skype and other outlets it
is easier to “leave without leaving” but no less important.
Let me share a few principles I learned on how to do it well.
1. Disconnect but Don’t Escape –
Watching a good movie or reading a book are great ways to disconnect
when done in moderation. However, if you do them all the time as an
escape they lose their effectiveness. A reasonable time away is
refreshing but spending all your free time trying to live in another
world is an addiction.
2. Be Productive – The best hobbies and
activities are those that produce something of value upon their
completion – new relationships, something you have grown or built
or something to share with others. These days, I grow flowers in my
cottage garden with Jody. It is refreshing to spend time together
creating beauty we can share. I enjoy doing small and large projects
around the house. My best friend, Dr. Gene Rudd, makes wooden bowls to
give away. He calls it “sawdust therapy” and he is always
eager to teach someone else how to do it.
3. Involve Your Loved Ones As You Can - Every hobby
doesn’t have to be done together but all of them should not be
done apart especially when they take significant time. Resentment is
built in a marriage or with your children if anything steals time that
rightfully should be theirs.
4. Make Sure Your Spouse Has an Outlet – If
you are married, make sure to give permission and encourage your husband
or wife to have a hobby or outlet that they love to do. Your marriage
will be better for it. Jody loved to bird watch since we had over a 100
species on our compound and over 700 in Kenya. Occasionally I would go
with her as she made her way with binoculars and bird book in hand.
5. There are Seasons for Everything – I have
a friend who is a great golfer but when he started having children, he
gave up his hobby because it took too much time away from his family. He
instead developed some home hobbies he enjoyed and could do with his
kids. Now that his children are grown, he is starting to get back into
golf with his wife’s blessing.
I had to learn this life sustaining skill. I’m a
very focused and goal oriented person and when I first arrived overseas
I was determined to change the world. Without periods of restoration or
renewal, I soon found that my world was changing me. I had to remind
myself that even God took a day of rest, and that I wasn’t
God.
Maybe you are facing the same battle. If so, it is time
to step back, do a checkup on your life and reprioritize your schedule
to make sure you make some time to leave without leaving! You and those
you love and serve will be better for it!
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Cura
Animarum
by Rev. Stan Key
The eye is an amazing instrument. With our eyes we have
the capacity to see everything in the universe. We can discern shapes
and colors and make intricate distinctions with our eyes. However, as
marvelous as the eye may be, there is one thing we will never see:
ourselves.
God made us so that we can see everything but ourselves.
To know what I look like, I must have recourse to instruments other than
my eyes: a verbal description, a painting, a photo, or best of all, a
mirror. I will never “see” myself for who I really am
without help
.Why would God make us like this? On the one hand, God
tells me repeatedly in His Word how important it is that I know myself
and “see” myself for who I really am. Yet, on the other
hand, I do not have the ability to do what I am commanded. I may have
the ability to see you and who you really are with 20/20 vision. But,
myself, I cannot see.
If only I had a mirror. If only there were some means to
help me get an accurate picture of who I really am. Without a mirror I
will only be able to guess what I am truly like. Without a mirror, my
knowledge of myself will be at best partial, at worst a total
delusion.
I have incredible news. God has given us a mirror! In
fact, He has made at least three mirrors available to every one of
us.
1. The Bible.
God’s Word is like a mirror (James 1:22-25). It tells us the sober
truth about who we really are and what Christ can really do.
2. The Holy Spirit.
Jesus sent the Spirit into our hearts to help us see the sin,
righteousness and judgment in ourselves (John 16:7-11).
3. Brothers and sisters in Christ.
My Christian family and friends often see me far better than I see
myself. If only I had the courage to ask them to tell me what they
see…. If only I had the courage to take off my mask and get
real….
Thank God for the mirrors He has given us. It may take
some courage to use them, but I hope today you will avail yourself of
the opportunity to take a hard look at yourself. You may be surprised by
what you learn in the mirror!
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Resources
Medicines for Humanity
(MFH)
Do you need medicines for overseas projects or emergencies?
• Medicines for Humanity (MFH) can provide the essential
medicines needed for effective emergency response or for ongoing
healthcare projects in developing countries. We want to expand the
number of organizations that we help.
• MFH is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides other
nonprofits and their partners with the medicines they need.
• For the last ten years, MFH has provided needed medicines
and medical supplies to over 30 nonprofit organizations with healthcare
projects in over 60 countries.
• Our partial client list includes: International Medical
Corps (IMC), Counterpart International(CPI), World Vision, United
Methodist Committee on Relief, Crudem, and International Relief and
Development (IRD).
Do you want to acquire medicines at a fraction of U.S.
wholesale price?
• Through a network of U.S. and European suppliers, MFH can
provide the essential generic medicines needed by developing countries
at a fraction of U.S. average wholesale price. We have access to over
20,000 medicines and supplies so you can always access WHAT you
need.
• This means that your organization can
acquire medicines worth many times their cost, and stretch project
budgets saving more lives and keeping people disease free for
pennies.
Need high quality generic medicines?
• All medicines provided by MFH have a minimum one-year shelf
life (fully dated).
• All medicines meet the World Health Organization and
International Quality Standards.
• All medicines are shipped with all appropriate paperwork
& documentation for customs.
Let Medicines for Humanity (MFH) help you meet your
needs.
• With a minimum order of $4,000(USD), groups with a local
consignee can partner with MFH to have medicines or supplies shipped
WHERE AND WHEN they are needed.
• Contact Kim Carvette, MFH Manager of
Medicine Acquisition, to discuss your needs for medicines and see how
MFH can help.
• Call Kim at 781-923-1325 or email kcarvette@medicinesforhumanity.org
• Please visit our website at: http://www.medicinesforhumanity.org
*****Note from Susan: I have a price list if you would like to get it
from me. susan.carter@cmda.org. For
example, you can get 1000 mebendazole tablets for $6.43.
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Re-entry: Leaving Well
by Dr. Ron Koteskey
You are excited about going “home” to the country and
church that sent you to another culture as a missionary. Of course, you
will miss the people you have been ministering to while you have been in
your host country, but you begin to daydream about what it will be like
to be greeted by friends and family when you arrive home.
This is usual for everyone who has been away from home a
while. However, many times missionaries’ expectations are so high
that they experience high reentry stress. When you get
“home,” you may find yourself feeling lonely, isolated,
disillusioned, misunderstood, depressed and irritated with people back
home as well as with your own culture. During these next two months we
will look at how you can prevent some of these feelings by leaving well,
entering well, and being aware of some of the pitfalls in going home.
Early cross-cultural workers in the Old and New Testaments provide us
with both good and bad examples in Jonah and Paul.
Leaving Poorly: Jonah
Jonah did not prepare for a good reentry. From the
beginning he resisted God’s call on his life, and at the end he
was still hoping that God would destroy the people to whom he had
ministered.
• When God told him to go east, Jonah went
west, to run away from God (Jonah 1:1-3).
• When in a desperate situation, Jonah called on God for
help. Jonah was thankful when God helped, but, as far as we know, he
never repented (Jonah 2).
• When he delivered God’s message about the destruction
of Nineveh, he hoped it would really happen (Jonah 3-4).
• Jonah was very unhappy that God did not destroy Nineveh,
and he became angry with God (Jonah 4).
Jonah’s story ended before telling us whether or
not he ever reentered his passport culture. The last thing we read about
him is that he is angry with God.
Leaving Well: Paul
One of the things that may increase your reentry stress
is not leaving your mission field correctly. The last part of Acts 20
gives us a good example of missionaries leaving well. Paul had spent
three years in Ephesus and was headed back to his passport country and
headquarters in Jerusalem. Dave Pollock was fond of saying that to leave
well you should build a “RAFT,” so let us see how Paul
fulfilled that acronym.
• Reconciliation. When leaving, you may try
to deal with tensions in relationships by ignoring them, hoping they
will just disappear. However, they do not. We carry them inside, and
they interfere with new relationships. If we ever spend time with the
other party again, the tensions will still be there and even harder to
settle. Paul reminded the Ephesian elders how he had lived among them
the whole time he was there and that he never even took support from
them but was always giving.
• Affirmation. Let others know how you
respect and appreciate them by telling them how important their
friendship has been and how you enjoyed working with them. As you
acknowledge how people have blessed you, you will become aware of what
you have gained. Paul commits the Ephesians to God’s grace and
warns them of potential difficulties.
• Farewells. Say good-bye to people, pets,
places, and possessions. Take pictures and small reminders of the good
things that have happened to you. After Paul was done speaking, they all
prayed, wept, embraced, kissed, went to the ship, and tore themselves
away.
• Think destination. While saying your
good-byes, begin thinking realistically about where you are going. Think
of it as a visit to the place you used to call home and imagine
realistically what it will be like there. Paul wanted to be in Jerusalem
by the day of Pentecost, but he also realized that there were hardships
facing him there.
One thing that is particularly difficult is being forced
to leave the field before you really want to. This can be because of
health problems in yourself or family members, difficulty with a
teenager, and a host of other things. In such cases you may have
feelings of failure, depression, discouragement, resentment, and guilt.
In such cases it helps to acknowledge your grief, face present
realities, draw a healthy line on the past, and commit yourself to the
present task.
Traveling
Airplanes are wonderful for getting home in a hurry, but they provide
little time to “leave” your host country in your thinking.
There is little time to grieve your losses and anticipate your arrival
as you fly home, and sometimes you are still “traveling” in
your thinking even when your body has arrived back home. In one sense
many people are still transitioning for several days or weeks after they
arrive home. They unpack their suitcases long before they unpack their
minds.
Although Paul was in a hurry to leave to get home in
time, he had time to think as he traveled. Remember that he was covering
more than 600 miles by ship at the mercy of the winds, and he had to
make a “connection” (find another ship headed his way) after
the first 200 miles. People back home may not understand and think it is
extravagant, but a week in Hawaii or in Europe on the way home is a good
way to transition more effectively.
Next month: Entering well!
The following E-books about reentry are available on-line free of
charge.
• Ron Koteskey (posted July 2008). Before you get
“home”: Preparing for Reentry. http://www.missionarycare.com/ebook.htm#before_reentry.
This book is an expansion of the material above, particularly Chapters
1-5.
• Ron & Bonnie Koteskey (posted November 2003). Coming
“home”: The reentry transition. http://www.missionarycare.com/ebook.htm#reentry.
This book is written to be used by people after they reach their
passport country, but it contains relevant information in Chapters
1-4.
• Ron Koteskey (posted May 2010). Reentry after short-term
missionary service. http://www.missionarycare.com/ebook.htm#shortterm.
This book is written for short-term people, and contains relevant
information in Chapters 1-4.
• Ron & Bonnie Koteskey (posted February 2007).
We’re going home: Reentry for elementary children. http://www.missionarycare.com/ebook.htm#going_home.
This book is written for children 6-12 years of age with relevant
information in Chapters 1-7.
• Ron Koteskey (posted February 2007). I don’t want to
go home: Parent’s guide for reentry for elementary children. www.missionarycare.com/ebook.
This book is for the parents of children 6-12 years of age with relevant
information in Chapters 1-7.
For a more complete treatment of this topic as well as
other topics please visit www.missionarycare.com. Also
please let your non-medical colleagues know about these free
resources.
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