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| January 2017 Community of Blessing Medical Mission Team |
2017 began with a successful Community of Blessing Medical outreach trip. This was our largest event, with 24 volunteers from Compass Christian Church (Colleyville, TX) and
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| Paul Reitz (l) & Riley Lucas (r) pouring concrete the old fashioned way. |
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Valley View Christian Church (Dallas, TX). Combined with our local staff and US based staff, we had over 50 people on this group. This called for 7 vans and one truck to transport all the people, equipment, and supplies. This year we returned to Nan Province, where the mission first started. The tea
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Paul Reitz (l) & Pat Hays (r) haul bags of cement. |
m was divided into two groups. One group helped with a construction project building an office forthe Youth Development Foundation’s branch office in the township of Pua. This building is next to the Ban Ta Church and will serve as an office for the outreach ministry of the Lua evangelism efforts. David had oversight of this team. We worked alongside members of the church lugging buckets of fill dirt, gravel, and cement.
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| LTC graduate Mr. Bundit (r) translates for Dr. Jim Kissling (center). |
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The second and larger group, was the medical clinic team. The clinic includes medical, pharmacy, vision, and dental care. Three villages were visited over three days.
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LTC student Boyd (blue shirt) translates for Pamela Faith (l). |
The first village visited had special meaning for us. Years ago dad had established a small church in the mountain top village of Yod Doi. Through a series of Satan’s attacks the Christians were told to either recant their faith, or leave the village. Dad was put “on trial” by the village elders and told not to come back. (if you have a copy of mom and dad’s autobiography, “Called” you can read the full story in chapter 23)
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| Open Wide! COB Dental Clinic. |
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For close to 30 years we have driven by this village but have not been able to stop. Last year when we did the medical clinic in a nearby village, the head man of Yod Doi stopped by and was treated. He asked if we could bring a medical team to his village. We asked our local evangelist and LTC graduate Mr. Prawanwit to set it up.
On January 1st, we celebrated the New Year by entering this village for the first time in many years!
This is one of the purposes of the COB medical clinic. To open closed doors that local evangelists can enter and present the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Pray with us that the door to Yod Doi has indeed been open. Pray with us for Prawanwit and his ministry team as they follow up on this opportunity.
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| David (r) translate for Riley Lucas at Philokalia Church |
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On Sunday the team worshiped with members of the Philokalia Church. This is a church that ministers to families who are living with HIV. Not all family members will have HIV, but the whole family is affected when a member has this dreaded virus. Philokalia provides a safe place for people to fellowship and worship. Riley Lucas brought a word of encouragement and David translated.
Our next community of Blessing trip is scheduled for July 18-24. Contact Carmen Filbeck at clfilbeck@gmail.com for more information on how you can be a blessing to a community in Thailand.
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