Last year, I started working for the LCMS Mercy Medical Team program. As part of the transition, I was offered the opportunity to serve in Madagascar, Africa, for ten days last August. You have to understand that I have never been out of the United States, unless you count walking across the border at Niagara Falls. What if I couldn’t take a shower every day? What if I didn’t like the food? What if I got lost and didn’t have the language skills to find my way back?
I took a big breath and went. Working with the Madagascar Lutheran Church, our team conducted medical clinics in the central region of the country. Throughout the week, we provided desperately needed health care to over 2,000 of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
I didn’t always like the food. I wasn’t always clean or comfortable. One of my team members snored. But you know what? It was okay. It was better than okay—it was fantastic.
I made good friends, both Malagasy and American. My Facebook page is one of the coolest around—I often have posts in English and Malagasy and French. Most importantly, God used me as His hands and feet. He used me to tell the story of His Son, Jesus, through the mercy work of the church. I still pray for the wonderful people that I met during my trip. It makes me smile. Maybe somewhere in rural Madagascar, one of the dear people that I met is thinking of me and smiling, too. I can’t wait to go back.
If you are interested in serving on an LCMS Mercy Medical Team, let me know. I’d love to chat.