April / May 2025 Newsletter: Body & Soul Blessings During Medical Outreach

 

“The community was so grateful for the outreach. What seems like a small act of service to us is a very large gift to them. The patients come because of ASOSAP’s very positive reputation. We give them hope, which in turn fosters their well-being” – Ministry of Health Nurse

ASOSAP’s annual medical outreach has a large and lasting impact. We saw 365 patients in total in four rural communities, offering medical, dental, and spiritual care. The team worked together like a fine-tuned machine. As always, we were impressed by the dedication and expertise of the doctors.

The days started with the team leaving our Shekinah Center in a minibus at 7:30 am. They traveled between one hour to one and a half hours, depending on the village, over dusty, bumpy, mountainous roads. Daily an average of eighteen people worked together. The team consisted of the ASOSAP staff, Canadian volunteers Linda and Laura, three US doctors and two of their daughters, Ministry of Health nurses, health students, and rural pastors.

One of our doctors had this to say about the team:

“The local ASOSAP staff is tremendously hard working, prepared, generous, kind, and helpful. Our volunteers from North America were nothing short of terrific as well. We supported each other well throughout the trip.”

Nurse Alicia added her gratitude for the doctor’s patience and the education that they provided throughout the week. A North American volunteer also commented how impressed she was that despite the language differences, the team was able to communicate and function efficiently.

Let’s dive into the different areas of this medical outreach week!

Spiritual Care:

Our newest area of care that is of utmost importance! With the partnership of Linda & Laura, Clearwater Christian Church, and local pastors – the children and their caregivers heard the Gospel through explaining the Gospel bracelet. Laura explains more:

“We began preparing two months earlier. People from my church made bracelets with 5 colored beads, many of them praying for the children and their families who would receive this gift. Smiling and laughing, most children put the bracelet on right away. We prayed – before, during, and after – that the Gospel seeds planted that day would eventually take root in all the lives of everyone that heard our message. It was a privilege to participate in this ministry.”

Each child received a package with this bracelet, coloring pages with Bible verses about Jesus, crayons, and a bar of soap. While being very practical to keep clean, the soap was also a reminder how God has made us clean.

 

Having a local pastor there was a key factor. Pastors are very respected and have much authority in this culture. With the pastor there, it was very helpful for having everything organized and the people engaged. The pastors also spoke on the Gospel which was very impactful. The pastor, Linda, and Laura prayed for patients who requested prayer; it was very meaningful and helpful.

Education:

Patient and nurses’ education is a very important part of outreach. Patients were educated in their conditions and how to care for themselves. All the nurses and students learned from the doctors’ expertise. Also, the nurses had an in-depth teaching session on depression from Dr. Shannon. They now have a new understanding of mental health and have new tools to treat this medical condition that gravely affects the whole body.

In each of the following clinics, North American volunteers, ministry of health nurses, and health students assisted and gained new knowledge.

General medical clinic (including pediatrics):

Dr. Shannon and Dr. Beth saw these patients with varying health concerns. The doctors brought two screening tools. One analyzes blood to detect anemia. The other analyzes urine to detect protein. Protein in the urine could indicate kidney disease which is a frequent complication of diabetes. One day was especially long (over 12 hours) and Dr. Eric (oral surgeon and dentist) stepped in to see general patients as well. Of the patients seen, twenty-four were detected with a chronic illness and added to our chronic patients’ program.

“It was a very busy and fruitful week. With the Ministry of Health striking, many of the community people are without consistent care. Our clinics went longer some days than in years past and we believe we set a record for the number of patients added to the chronic care program in one outreach.” – US Partner Doctor

Chronic Patients Clinic:

Fifty-two of our chronic patients were seen by Dr. Shannon and Nurse Alicia. All were grateful for the care that increases their length and quality of life. We especially saw the gratitude in the new patients’ eyes as we told them that we could treat their health concern, which they had been struggling with for so long. New categories of care were also added: Parkinson’s, Muscular Dystrophy, and Proteinuria (excess protein in the urine, which can indicate kidney damage). Dr. Shannon was impressed that most of the diabetic and high blood pressure patients are stable in regard to their kidney function. Only a few patients needed medication adjustments to protect their kidneys.

“The results are a great testimony to how well our program is caring for the current patients we serve, suggesting our care is mitigating their disease progression.” – US Partner Doctor

Dental Clinic:

Health students taught patients about dental hygiene. This included giving each patient a toothbrush and toothpaste and showing them how to brush their teeth.

Dr. Eric saw 131 patients and 382 extractions were done. Dr. Eric appreciated the efficiency and energy of his team. While most patients had teeth that needed to be removed, there were some that didn’t need extractions. They and others had fluoride applied to strengthen and protect their teeth. He looks forward to continuing with this and other areas of preventation such as a a sealant (protective coating to molar teeth which helps prevents cavities) program.

We are grateful to everyone who served this week and to everyone praying. By God’s grace and strength, we all worked together to give hope to many patients, blessing them body and soul.