For many years, the tagline for GO InterNational has been "Serving across the street and around the world." It reminds us that we should serve Christ wherever we are. It reminds us of the command of Christ to be witnesses in Jerusalem, and Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Our recent medical team to Honduras was a wonderful example of people who live out our tagline.
The team was made up of people who volunteer in Lexington and Nicholasville, Kentucky at the Refuge Medical Clinic. This is a free clinic for those with low income jobs or no jobs who don't have health insurance and don't qualify for other assistance such as Medicaid or Medicare. It is a way for Christian healthcare workers to volunteer to serve people in the name of Christ. They share not only medical care, but prayer and the love of Christ with those they serve. Part of the vision that God gave the clinic director, Rachel Coburn Smith, R.N., was that volunteers would not only serve those in need in Kentucky, but would serve in other parts of the world through medical missions.
The first Refuge Medical Clinic team went with GO InterNational to Trujillo, Honduras Feb. 24 through March 4, 2011. The team included four physicians, a dentist, two dental hygienists, an optometrist, a pharmacist, six nurses and several helpers. Rev. Larry Cochran and Sarahi Beltran from GO helped me lead the team. The team served with our partner in Honduras, Pastor Ivan Paz. Over 1500 people received care at Pastor Ivan's church in Puerto Castilla, and in outreaches among the Garifuna people in Las Lomas, Santa Fe, and Guadalupe.
The team ministered in partnership with the local church. We worked alongside pastors to connect the people who came to the clinic with churches. The experience also helped grow the church's ability to reach out to the people in their area. People were treated holistically with medical, dental and eye care, health education and prayer and spiritual encouragement. What a joy to serve Rosa, (pictured above with Sarahi) a patient I saw who had diabetes, and had had a prior leg amputation. She now had a wound on her remaining foot as she hopped around on crutches wearing no shoes. We were able to help treat her wound the best we could. But the most powerful part of our time with her was when Sarahi and I prayed for her. The presence of God was very near and He met needs in her physical body and her spirit that day.
If you are interested in serving across the street and around the world, please contact us at the GO InterNational office. To find out about upcoming GO InterNational medical teams, visit our website at www.gointernational.org. You can find out more about the Refuge Medical Clinic at www.refugeministriesky.org.
Sincerely in Christ,
Larry Frick, MD
DIrector of Medical Missions
