{disclaimer}
sorry it is so lengthy- you will get a treat if you make it all the way to the end
(NO CHEATING!!)
Health problems to address
What are the most
important diseases where you will be or are working?
According to CDC, the region in which we will be working
experiences a high prevalence of tropical diseases, including Lymphatic filariasis, Onchocerciasis,
Schistosomiasis, Soil transmitted helminths, Trachoma. According to our colleagues on the ground, they treat a high
rate of sickle cell disease, malaria, and malnutrition, and some meningitis.
Occasionally they have outbreaks of measles, cholera, and typhoid.
Why are these
diseases so serious and widespread?
One local gentleman describes the problem quite well: “We, here in Bundibugyo, are third world of
the world- we’re the ninth world.” Often forgotten even by the rest of their
country (which is itself considered “developing”), this region is lacking in
many, many resources. Most of the diseases seen in the health clinic are
preventable, but there is a lack of government assistance (even with basic
things such as immunizations and diagnostic tools), a lack of organized infrastructure,
and especially a lack of education. There is plenty of opportunity for people
to grow nutritious foods (and generate an income in doing so), and obtain clean
drinking water. However, the society has not adopted the mindset that their
current health conditions are directly related to their poverty and cultural
norms/traditions. Additionally, there is a high genetic predisposition for
certain diseases such as sickle cell anemia, and the remote tropical climate of
the region lends itself to tropical disease. Again, without proper assistance,
these diseases become very difficult to treat.
What has to change in
order to deal with the causes of these diseases and problems?
On a practical level, education is needed on how to grow
nutritious foods, how to acquire clean drinking water, how to generate an
income with resources that are readily available in the community, and how to
prevent certain diseases and illnesses.
However, in order to deal with the root cause of these issues that contribute to the health
disparities and diseases, a cultural shift must take place in the society’s
worldview. Being missionaries first and health clinicians second, we understand
that the physical needs we see in the health clinic are mostly symptoms of a
deep spiritual need the people have to be reconciled with God. That takes 1) a
willingness to learn, and 2) a willingness to teach. The interchange goes both
ways, however. We must be willing to learn
their culture to understand why certain diseases and problems exist, and
they must be willing to teach us how
things have “always been done”; additionally, they must be willing to learn new ways of living, and we must be willing to teach in a
culturally appropriate context (ie: not the “American way”). It is only when
both parties recognize that they are equal in their need for reconciliation and
heart change that the cultural worldview & lifestyle will begin to change.
Why are human
behavior and life style so difficult to change?
Human behavior and lifestyle are so difficult to change
because of our natural proclivity toward self-centeredness. In other words,
because of SIN. When we have learned a certain way of doing things and adopted
a certain way of living, we take pride in carrying forth the traditions of our
families and are actually blinded to ways that our beliefs might be damaging to
ourselves and to our society. It takes great humility to acknowledge the errors
in our worldview and cultural belief systems, and a great willingness to learn
something new. Even then, our cultural “norms” still drive much of our innate
behavior, and it takes much discipline, determination, and courage to change.
What does
transformation of beliefs and behavior require of us?
Transformation of beliefs requires an acknowledgment of our
deep-rooted sinful nature and our complete inability to change this nature by
our own strength. It requires humility before our Creator and a desire for Him to change us from inside out. Our
behavior is simply an outward expression of our beliefs. Because our beliefs
will always be in need of
transforming while we are here on earth, our behavior will always require
change as well. Therefore, as we struggle inwardly, we must also be in a
constant state of repentance outwardly.
Where does this fit into
the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is both good news & bad news.
The bad news is that we are severely flawed because of sin and we have no means
within ourselves to fix the problem. The good news is that God has provided a
means for us to be reconciled back to Him through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Additionally, He has provided a means for our belief system, and thereby our
behavior, to be transformed as well. This is through His Holy Spirit.
In working in a cross-cultural context, we are daily faced
with the fallacies of our belief system that otherwise would probably remain
hidden in the sea of cultural normalcy. Therefore, we are constantly faced with
our inadequacies and need for change and renewal. While a difficult and challenging
thing to daily face our sin in such a raw context, it provides the humility
necessary to learn the culture we are
now in, and communicate the Gospel message in a culturally appropriate context.
Once we recognize that while we are messengers of the Good News, we are also
desperately in need of the Good News,
then and only then can true change can begin to take place not only in our
hearts but in the hearts of those whom we have come to serve.
What can the church
do about these problems? Are any churches trying to do anything?
One thing the church can be doing is to engage. I believe a blind spot the church has (at least in
America) is our willingness to remain ignorant of the issues going on around
the world (other than the ones that get public media attention). Once faced with issues of severe poverty, malnutrition, disease,
human rights violations, etc., they are hard to ignore and we do feel propelled
to do something about them. However, also a fallacy of our American belief
system, we want to “fix the problem”, “do it right”, and “do it quick”. The
behavior that results from this belief system has oftentimes done more harm
than good. This is because we treat symptoms
and not the actual cause. As the
church, we must be willing to get to the root
of these issues (which is a lot messier than any of us would like to believe),
and we must be willing to confront our own sin and errors in worldview while
doing so. This takes time, and lots of it. As the extension of the body of
Christ, we need to go to those places
where suffering prevails, and before trying to alleviate the suffering that is there, we must be willing to enter in and experience the suffering
for ourselves. It is then and only then that we can offer true hope in Jesus
Christ in a culturally acceptable way.
Read Mark 1: 21 – 38
: The first real clinic in history
Why did Jesus refuse
to go back to the clinic the next morning? Be ready to discuss this
YAY!
you made it!! here's your treat :)
Lucy & her new umbrella!
Little Miss Diva
Weekend with YaYa & Poppy
Olive figuring out the jumperoo (or just suspending from it!)
Olive Mae with future hubby Garett Henry :)
my sweet little 3-month old :)
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