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west africa mission trip

On Mission in West Africa: Medical & Non-Medical Team Members Needed

This year America World will send a team to West Africa for the first time ever! Read a testimony and plea from the leader, David, who has led teams to China and Haiti in the past and has now taken a leap of faith to lead this new effort.


Fifteen years ago, if someone was to tell me what my life would be like today, I would never recognize it.  During this time I have been blessed to travel to China six times, travel to Haiti four times—three on medical and one orphan care mission—and have the opportunity to travel to West Africa.  It all started when my wife and I said yes to Our Lord’s call….first to adoption and then to serve Him in orphan care.

In 2004, we began our journey when we contacted America World Adoption to adopt our first daughter, Rina.  She was followed in three years by her sister, Nuala in 2008, and in 2010 by Anna.  We have been blessed to have our daughters home with us.

After we adopted, my wife and I considered God’s blessings to us and what this meant for our family.  We were blessed to have our daughters but also wanted to something to help all the children left behind without loving familes.  The answer to our prayers came in 2013 when America World sent word to its families asking if anyone was interested in leading a mission to serve orphans.  I felt it was what God was calling me to and I immediately signed up.

I have been so fortunate to travel to China three times through America World’s One Orphan program (previously known as ACT and, later as Storyteller Missions).  Not only was I able to visit and show God’s love for the children in orphanages, I was able to use my skills as a Registered Nurse to collaborate with medical professionals about the children’s care; help to educate nannies about growth and development and how they could help the children in their care receive the most stimulation and care through their work.  In addition, I was able to collect information about their development and tell the stories of the children I met.  Through the actions of our teams, we helped to assist many of the children to be placed in forever families.

china adoption

Christians, I believe that we all have callings to many roles.  Among all (and inclusive of all) of these roles is our call to be faithful witnesses of Christ.    As witnesses, we are called to be an active part of living and spreading the gospel message through our lives.  The life of a Christian is not a spectator’s life.  God calls us to act on our beliefs.  This can be done in so many ways and on a daily basis—at work, at school, at home, wherever we are.

One way God calls us is to use the gifts and talents He has given us.  St. Paul alluded to this when he spoke of the many gifts of the Holy Spirit has given to us to build the Body of Christ.  How blessed we are to have our gifts and have them in abundance.  Let us be able to use these gifts to help the Least of our Brothers and Sisters and so build the Body of Christ.

We are called to be people of action and I invite you to put your gifts and talents to service of the children in West Africa.  On my previous One Orphan trips, I have seen the face of God in the children I served and felt His presence in the work we accomplished.  We were physically able to carry out Jesus’ call for us to be His hands and feet in the call to serve these children.  We laughed, we cried with the children, we supported and blessed the nannies, we helped bring some needed supplies and relief.

Some may ask “what can I do, I am not a doctor or a nurse.”  My answer is “be a witness for Christ.”  That is our highest calling and what we can do.  While we will be working to provide care and assessments of children on the trip, your presence, your faithful witness of Our Lord will provide comfort, care, and hope…to the children, to the nannies, to the people of Liberia.

I believe that to be able to share knowledge, service, resources, action, and even a warm, gentle touch can serve the mission to which we are all called as Christians—to love God with all our hearts, minds, and strength.  I invite you to join me.  We ALL have talents that God has given us to share.  Please share yours in service to our brothers and sisters in West Africa…

Wherever you go, whether it be to Africa, India, Haiti, or around the block, may God bless the work of your hands!

Blessings,

David


Register here today: https://awaa.org/one-orphan/take-action/trips/west-africa/mission-trips-west-africa/

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