Sowing by GraceDemonstrating and proclaiming the Truth with compassion

Fall 2011 | Volume 3, Number 1

Serving Across the Continents

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Fall 2011 | Volume 3 • Number 1

US Address:GDMMissions635 Methuen StreetDracut, MA 01826

Phone: 978.454.6710

E-mail: office@gdmmissions.orgwww.gdmmissions.org

President:Jack MitchellExecutive Director:Bryan BellEditor:Michael VetterDesign/Layout:Bryan Bell, Ray ToomeyProofreader:Millie Hemingway

On the WebSowing by Grace is available online at www.gdmmissions.org/sowing.html

Permissions & RightsWe encourage GDMMissions supporters to use material from Sowing by Grace to mobilize churches and individuals for missions. Permission is granted to copy or excerpt material as published without photos for non-commercial purposes as long as this publication is credited as the source. All other rights are reserved by GDMMissions, and permission for other commercial or non-commercial use requires written permission.

by Grace Dental and Medical Missions, Inc.

Features

Labor before the Harvest

Reaching other ContinentsBringing the Gospel to the Uttermost Parts

Exceeding Abundantly

Family Medicine TestimonyFrom Virginia to Peru

Medicine in Missions HistoryA Light in a Dark Continent - Dr. Dreisbach

Second Annual Banquet Highlights

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by Michael Vetter, Editor

Whether you call it “pre-evangelism” or “expeditionary evangelism,” it is a fact

that much advanced preparation is needed before a local church can be formed. Seeds must be planted, watered, nourished – then sometimes planted and watered again – before a harvest. This is true in city neighborhoods or remote tribal areas. GDMMissions has repeatedly seen medical and dental clinics used as powerful tools in ministry that precedes people’s hearing the Gospel and being saved. (Romans 10:14-15)

In a recent two-week trip to Peru, nine members of a dental and medical evangelism team worked alongside missionaries with a desire to start local churches among tribal peoples along the Madre de Dios river bordering Peru and Bolivia. Starting with a half-dozen villages within several hours by boat from their home base, missionaries had begun to learn about village culture and make individual contacts. Many questions remained as they gathered information about people’s spiritual conditions, attitudes and beliefs: What did they know about God? What were their beliefs about Heaven? Had they heard the Gospel before? The insular culture of small villages precludes going door-to-door with a survey or asking direct questions about spiritual things. But free medical and dental care is a universal attraction that brings families out of their huts where the missionaries can meet them and begin to learn more of their spiritual condition.

Some conversations resulted in sharing the Gospel while others ended with an offer to visit again and talk more. In one discussion, the missionary concluded that an

Laborbefore the Harvest

elderly man might be a believer and, though confused in some of his understanding, was open to meeting again and learning more about God. Others said they would be willing to meet one-on-one when the missionary visited again. At the end of the day there were a handful of villagers who no longer viewed our missionary hosts as “strangers” – another step taken in eventually sharing the Gospel with the entire village!

This issue of Sowing by Grace ties together ministries on three continents – Africa, Asia, and, for the first time for GDMMissions, South America. In the article “Reaching Other Continents,” Acts 1:8 illustrates our motives for traveling great distances, sometimes to the other side of the planet, for dental and medical evangelism. We appreciate your faithful prayers and support as we plan a full range of ministry opportunities for next year. Would you prayerfully consider joining us in 2012 to take the Gospel to other continents?

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by Michael Vetter , Editor

When a team of dental and medical missionaries

conducts evangelistic clinics in distant lands we often hear this question from those to whom we minister: “Why do you come here and do this for us?”

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8

This foundational verse for world missions helps explain who we are, our important message, and our field of service. It spotlights why our missionaries travel the globe to reach people in distant lands with the Gospel.

Who We Are: Witnesses

GDMMissions dental and medical evangelism teams are often asked why we conduct clinics because most people in underdeveloped countries or remote communities find it difficult to understand what motivates comparatively “rich” people to come to their poor neighborhood or village. A Spirit-led desire to demonstrate the love and compassion

of Christ is our first answer. That is certainly accurate and appropriate. But realistically, couldn’t the time, money, and energy spent traveling to the opposite side of the planet be used to achieve the same purpose in our own hometown or country?

The more complete answer to the oft-asked question is that there is more than the love and compassion of Christ motivating missionary evangelism. God has called each believer to be a witness – literally someone who knows and repeats the truth – to every human being on the planet. Each believer is a first-hand witness to God’s grace saving sinners and giving us eternal life. We are called to tell others that God can save them and give them eternal life also. (II Corinthians 5:17-20)

our MessAge: Jesus Christ

John the Baptist was a divinely motivated witness for God whose message was unwavering. He repeatedly deflected attention away from himself when men praised him for his zeal and devotion. The public made him the most sought after celebrity in the land

Bringing the Gospel to the Uttermost PartsReaching Other Continents

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despite his denials. Jesus Christ – the Lamb of God and Savior of the world – was the entire focus of John’s ministry. He unhesitatingly proclaimed of Christ: “He must increase but I must decrease.”

Two definitions of a witness illustrate that our message is not about ourselves but about God:

A witness is…one who has a personal knowledge of God, one who strengthens and confirms God’s testimony of Himself, who draws attention to the Lord... (George Zeller)

A witness is a person who lives in such a way that those about him are forced to think about God. (Carlton Helgerson)

Our message is not about ourselves but about Jesus Christ. The core of the Gospel is the Person of Jesus Christ and what He did for the whole world through His death, burial, and resurrection. (I Corinthians 15:1-4)

our Field: the World

As witnesses with a powerful message about our Savior, we look outside ourselves and see a vast humanity that seems, at least to us sometimes, irretrievable. But from the billions of souls in our world today, and from all ages past, God assures us He will gather in heaven,

…a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues…before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands. Revelation 7:9

Can you envision that some of these saints, “from the uttermost part of the earth,” will come from nations, cities, towns, and villages that did not exist two generations ago? Yet some might think that our civilization has advanced so much that the Gospel has finally penetrated every corner of the globe. GDMMissions team members can personally attest that this is not the case!

Because of advances in medicine, technology and transportation, world demographics is shifting at a rapid pace. Due to rising birth rates and declining death rates, the total number of people on the planet is accelerating; most of the world is “in touch” electronically; people and packages can reach any point on earth in a day and a half. Political and economic change forms an invisible, worldwide undercurrent that impacts remote villages.

It is into this dynamic, diverse, and sometimes dangerous world system that GDMMissions helps take the Good News of Jesus Christ. Yes, we could (and should) witness in our own neighborhoods, towns, and cities. But some respond to the Holy Spirit’s leading and provision to be witnesses in places that are costly and uncomfortable to reach. We are witnesses with the wonderful message of Jesus Christ. We are privileged and blessed to carry it across the globe to reach other continents.

Bringing the Gospel to the Uttermost PartsReaching Other Continents

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Exceedingly Abundantlyby Dr. Jack Mitchell, DMD

Over the years, GDMMissions’ evangelistic clinics have impacted thousands of people worldwide. It is always our

goal to help people with their physical needs, and from that, gain an opportunity to share with them the glorious Gospel of salvation. During an average day of a combined medical and dental clinic, we can usually impact approximately 100-200 people, and perhaps 5 to 10% may respond positively to the Gospel presentation. There are occasions when the number of people is a lot less; rarely do we have the opportunity to treat and evangelize more than that in a day.

During the first several days of our May 2011 Philippine field trip, our team of nine medical and dental personnel experienced a typical ministry. As always, we were praying that we would be able to impact as many people as possible with the Gospel. Little did we know that God would soon answer that prayer in a way we had never experienced before. On May 16th we flew to the island of Palawan in preparation for four days of ministry with Brooke’s Point Bible Church. Two of the four days would be spent ministering in Brooke’s Point. The other two days would focus on mountain outreaches. Pastor Jethro Malacao told us they were expecting about 300 people for the

Palawan

Philippines

Above All That We Ask or Think

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Exceedingly Abundantly

clinic. He had done a lot of work preparing for the clinic and had about 70 people from the church committed to helping out the next day. Some would help in the dental area, some medical, and around 30 would be on hand as evangelists and counselors.

Our team arrived early the next morning, and we were surprised to see about 100 or so people already waiting to register. As we set up our different areas, the people kept coming. By the time the clinic was to open, 800 people had come to register! God had answered our prayers exceedingly abundantly for sure! We praise the Lord that during our two days there, the majority of those people were treated and, most importantly, they heard the Gospel presentation. And, we thank the Lord for those who responded in faith.

The following two days were something else altogether. Pastor Malacao and the leaders of the church had a burden to reach the mountain villages in the vicinity of Brooke’s Point. So,

on May 18th our team, along with a number of folks from the church, made the 900 ft. climb up Mt. Tatandayan to treat people in the mountain village of Tatandayan. Although the climb was difficult, it was well worth it as we not only impacted people from that village, but many more came from further up in the mountains for needed care. For sure, many had never seen a doctor or a dentist in their lives. More importantly, they had also never heard the glorious Gospel of salvation before these two days. What a joy it was to watch as the folks from the church sat with these dear people and patiently shared Jesus Christ with them! As each group left to go back up into the mountains, Pastor Malacao prayed with them, some of whom were now babes in Christ. Most likely, we will never see these dear people again until we all get to glory. What a precious experience.

Above All That We Ask or Think

Older Gentlemen Listening to the Gospel

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by Dr. Chuck Hurlburt, M.D.

Family Medicine TestimonyFrom Virginia to Peru

In August, my wife and I had the privilege of serving on a dental and medical team in Peru, South America. We had desired to be part of

a Grace Dental and Medical Missions team as we knew their primary purpose was evangelism and helping national pastors and missionaries

in their church planting efforts.

I am a Family Physician with a practice in rural southwestern Virginia. My wife is a certified Nursing Assistant. We have been on several medical mission trips in the past, but never

to South America. The Lord put together a great team that worked together well. As expected, communication with patients was sometimes difficult but we managed with the help of the missionaries and the one team member who spoke fluent Spanish.

Our first week of ministry involved several clinics in and around the city of Puerto Maldonado. We saw many people of all ages with various medical issues. Some simply came for a check-up but many others had common complaints of intestinal parasites, arthritic pain, and various skin disorders.

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From Virginia to PeruEach medical patient was triaged by my wife or one of the college students in the group. I would then listen to their complaints through a translator, determine treatment, and write a prescription. The patients received medicine which had been pre-packaged by the team.

Our second week of ministry consisted of travel by boat to several jungle villages along the Madre de Dios River. Our missionary hosts, Buddy and Loren Fitzgerald, had previous contact with these villages and had informed them of our planned ministry. Travel with a group our size and all of our equipment in large open “canoes” was challenging, but the Lord provided strength and safety.

The village ministries were much simpler and the conditions more primitive than those in the city. The logistics of getting in and out of the villages with our equipment and the living arrangements (no running water or electricity) proved to be a challenge. Nevertheless, we made do with what we had and found the people to be very appreciative of the help we

could provide. In contrast to the city folks, we observed that the villagers had more nutrition-related problems and chronic conditions which had gone untreated due to their limited dietary choices and lack of access to regular health care.

Once again, all patients were given a Gospel tract and most heard the Gospel explained in a way that they could understand. We trust God for fruit as missionaries and national pastors follow up with the folks in these villages.

It was a great joy for my wife and I to be able to serve the Lord with the abilities and resources that He has given us. We very much enjoyed being a part of the team from GDMMissions and assisting missionaries and national pastors. We trust that our efforts will be used by God to further the impact of the Gospel in this remote region of Peru.

Medicine in Missions History

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by Susan P. Coakley, BSN, RN, CNII, BC (from May 2007 issue of Dental Dialogue)

A Light in a Dark ContinentDr. John Dreisbach

The image of Dr. John Dreisbach taking his three legged footstool and his Bible, then

sitting outside of the village hut we stayed in while in the jungle of Cameroon, West Africa, is forever etched in my mind. “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do men light a lamp, and put it under a bushel, but on a lampstand, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father, who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:13-16).

Without light in that dark village hut, Dr. Dreisbach took himself out into the daylight, sat on his footstool, opened his Bible and let his light shine in the dark and godless village of Meyerim. This brilliant, gentle man of God and science, dedicated to the profession God had prepared him for, and servant to the people of Africa for more than 40 years, sat humbly on that footstool before His God and communed with Him there. Dr. Dreisbach’s ageless spirit, housed in an aging body, had an impact on my life during a 2003 medical missions trip to Cameroon.

One night, a very pregnant 16-year old girl, whose name was Elisabeth, arrived at our clinic door. My 25 plus years of experience as an Inpatient Obstetrical Nurse qualified me as competent to care for this young girl, but I suddenly felt so

incompetent. It was apparent that she would deliver soon and the possibility for complications was

evident when meconium was detected in the amniotic fluid. I

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looked around the dimly lit hut and saw African women on all sides peering in through window openings. Dr. Dreisbach, seeing my concern, reassured me with a glance and a smile!

An hour and a half from the time Elisabeth came into the clinic, a healthy baby boy was delivered without complication and given the name “Doctor John,”. Elisabeth heard the Gospel before she left; Dr. Dreisbach continued to follow his marching orders from our Great Physician; and I was both humbled and honored to serve our Lord. How great and gracious is our God to provide what is needed to perform His will. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus…” (Ephesians 2:10).

My heart was, and still is, blessed beyond measure for the opportunity to serve God and this young girl and her newborn, for serving with the GDMMissions team in this collaborative dental/medical outreach for the furtherance of the Gospel, and for the honor of serving with Dr. Dreisbach – a humble saint, whose God-given, gifted hands brought new life into the world and whose light gave witness of “…the Light. He was not the Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (John 1:7-9).

In November, 2009, Dr. John Dreisbach, one of God’s great missionary statesmen of our times, passed on to be with his Savior at the age of 87 just a few weeks after being diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia.

More than seventy GDMMissions supporters, local church pastors, past

mission team participants, and friends gathered on October 1st to thank God for how He has blessed and used the mission in the past year.

After a catered meal served by members of Church of the Open Bible (Burlington, MA), Dr. Jack Mitchell reviewed the many opportunities God had provided in the past year for short-term dental and medical trips. God has opened some new areas for ministry and several medical professionals took first-time trips with GDMMissions. He observed that while every trip involved unanticipated changes in plans, the Lord always showed Himself faithful.

Attendees then received an informative update from Keith Huhta (Director of the Ebenezer Bible Institute, Hermosillo, Mexico) on the impact GDMMissions has had in church planting. In 1998 GDMMissions held the first of annual dental evangelism clinics in villages around the city of Hermosillo. At least two

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GDMMissions needs your prayers. To keep you informed we publish regular reports and notices via email. Sign up at http://gdmmissions.org/contact.html. After inputting your email address in the signup box, you will be prompted to choose which type of communication you would like to receive including the Mitchell’s, or Bell’s newsletters, and ministry opportunity bulletins for medical and non-medical personnel. sign up todAy.

ConneCtedGet & Stay

churches can trace their beginnings to people saved and many contacted as a result of these clinics. The presentation concluded with a challenge from God’s Word to never forget that evangelism, discipleship, and church planting are the objectives of dental and medical missions.

The evening came to a close with a forward-leaning plan for trips in 2012 that includes an increased focus on islands in Micronesia/Oceania, two trips to Africa, and opportunities for medical ministry in the Philippine Islands under the leadership of our newest Associate Missionaries: Pastor “JP” and Dr. Johannah Pornan.