A Parent’s Heart
Dr. Carlan Wendler, his wife, Michelle, and their newborn daughter recently returned to serve with the Burundian people for the next two years. Before they left, Dr. Wendler shared this story that so beautifully illustrates how our love as parents reaches across any cultural or socio-economic divide:
On my last shift in the LA County + USC ER, I got to pray with a 37-yr old woman who was worried about her 20-yr old son, a medical student in Guatemala. She came in with burning, squeezing, left-sided chest pain that occurred after she would go for a walk around her neighborhood. After the resident presented her case I went to see her myself because 37-yr old women don’t tend to have heart attacks and something about the story didn’t add up. The more I spoke with her (in my now French-influenced Spanish), the more I realized that this was less a physical malady and more a psychological one. After concluding my questions, exam, and reviewing her EKG and blood results with her (all reassuring), I asked if she would like me to pray for her. She readily accepted and we shared a moment of prayer, specifically praying for her son who had been in a near-fatal car accident in Guatemala where he was supposed to be attending medical school. When I looked up at her afterwards I could see in her eyes that she was on the road to recovery. I love that look.
As I took leave of this caring mother, I paused to reflect on how similar and different our lives are. She had her first kid at age 17 in her home country of Guatemala. Now, though we are the same age, she is sending her firstborn to medical school. Michelle and I just welcomed our firstborn into our home 3 months ago. She lives thousands of miles away from him and worries about his life and career. We’re about to take Gabrielle thousands of miles away to Burundi where I will continue to worry about her. Yet we both have high hopes for our offspring. And the best thing we can do for our kids is pray for them…
We appreciate Dr. Wendler allowing us to share this story with you. While they were still state-side, Dr. Carlan Wendler was also able to speak for us at the 2019 M3 Conference, and you can click here to listen to his session. As the Wendlers return to their work at Kibuye Hope Hospital and Hope Africa University, please keep them in your prayers.
Also, please join us for the next M3 Conference on February 21-22, 2020, in Houston, Texas. We are very excited to have Dr. Alyssa Pfister, another member from the Kibuye Hope Hospital medical team, speaking at M3! Click here to register and save $5 with code: M3MISSIONS20
2019 M3 Breakout Session – Corné Blom
What is your mission? That is the question that Corné Blom, the Vice President of International Programs for Mercy Ships, explores in this Breakout Session at the 2019 M3 Conference. About 5 billion people worldwide do not have adequate access to surgical interventions. Every year, 143 million surgeries are lacking. Behind every statistic is a story, a life – a person waiting for hope and healing. Together we are part of one race on our planet, irrespective of country, creed or color. Discover the stories of lives transformed through hope and healing…and discover how you can contribute!
Corné will also share about Mercy Ships and how it exists as a compassionate response to a world in need; to learn more, click here.
To connect with representatives from Mercy Ships, join us for the next M3 Conference on February 21-22, 2020, in Houston, Texas. Click here to register and save $5 with code: M3MISSIONS20
2019 M3 Breakout Session – Jennifer Hoines, PT, DPT
One billion people around the world suffer with disability yet sixty-two countries lack basic rehabilitation services. What if the key to reaching people with disability isn’t to recruit more professionals, but to empower local workers who can’t get an advanced education as a therapy provider?
In this Breakout Session from the 2019 M3 Conference, Jennifer Hoines shares about training local people in basic physical therapy techniques to serve those with disability in their area of the world. She’ll also talk about the system she uses to train and empower rehabilitation promoters and the way you can be a part of mobilizing the world with the skills you have now.
Jennifer Hoines, PT, DPT, is the Founder and President of Therapy Clinics International. Click here to learn more about their work.
Join us for the next M3 Conference on February 21-22, 2020, in Houston, Texas. Click here to register and save $5 with code: M3MISSIONS20
2019 M3 Breakout Session – Keir Thelander, MD, FACS, FWACS, FCS (ECSA)
In the United States we have easy access to medical, physical and spiritual resources and support. In contrast to many remote areas where daily life is a struggle, medical materials are severely lacking and spiritual support is not readily available. In this Breakout Session from the 2019 M3 Conference entitled “How Much is Enough?,” Dr. Keir Thelander will share reflections on his experience transitioning from a high-resource to low-resource environment.
Keir Thelander, MD, FACS, FWACS, FCS (ECSA), is the Chief Medical Officer of the Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons (PAACS). To learn more about the programs of PAACS, click here.
The next M3 Conference will be held on February 21-22, 2020, in Houston, Texas. Click here to register and save $5 with code: M3MISSIONS20