Frontlines Mission Report First Quarter 2024
After years of constant travel, Becky and I have gratefully slowed down a bit. But travel demands have again accelerated with three months in Brazil, Peru, Colombia and the Philippines. The GMI retreat at our School of Nursing in Medellin, Colombia was a special blessing with new information on health and a better understanding of the mind.
All the project directors met together to interact and see how to help each other with their needs. I realized that the most common needs were missionary personnel and financial resources. While the projects are growing and opportunities increasing, available resources have been retreating over the last 4-5 months. No doubt that God is preparing His people to pray more and learn more daily dependence on Him. It is time to learn to tighten our belts and learn to live with less. He could also be preparing us for a very great blessing about to come and wants to test us first. We are not to complain as did the Israelites in the dessert, but to thank Him for his past guidance and daily provision as He decides. After arriving at that conclusion, I had to tell several project directors who expressed their need for some additional funding help from GMI that at the moment that was not possible.
BUT THEN GOD SHOWED ME THAT I WAS NOT THINKING CORRECTLY. During the last two days I was contacted by friends in Peru and Bolivia with two Broadcasting opportunities. The first was a TV station for sale in Lima, Peru with twelve million residents. Think of present truth reaching that many people! Thousands will be in heaven. The cost is impossible ($2M+), but God clearly showed me I am to go forward and the solution will come as we advance. So I sent word that we are interested in negotiating a purchase. The second was an FM radio license in Samaipata, Bolivia where we are relocating our media work. We don’t have the budget but it is within reach ($18k). I also said yes to that with the spiritual assurance that I was acting in harmony with God’s will. I went to bed late but slept peacefully.
Then this morning early, the Lord showed me that I need the same attitude with the missionary projects as with these broadcasting opportunities. Help the projects by faith. You can’t give more than what you have, but you can give all you have. The promise flashed into my mind.
“Often we hesitate unwilling to give all that we have, fearing to spend and be spent for others. But Jesus has bidden us ‘give ye them to eat.’ His command is a promise and behind it is the same power that fed the multitude beside the sea… As we continue imparting we continue to receive, and the more we impart the more we shall receive… The means in our possession may not seem to be sufficient for the work; but if we will move forward in faith, believing in the all-sufficient power of God, abundant resources will open before us. If the work be of God, He Himself will provide the means for its accomplishment… The little that is wisely and economically used in the service of the Lord of Heaven will increase in the very act of imparting.“- Desire of Ages, 369-371
May God give each of us wisdom in managing his resources to advance his work. Even if we give all, we can never out give our Heavenly Father.
From the Frontlines, Uncle David
We are living in momentous times, times when Satan would love to curse God’s people and prevent them from accomplishing the plan God has in mind for them. That happened to the Isrealites just before they entered Canaan. Balak wanted Balaam to curse them, and thus prevent them from entering the promised land. However, Balaam said, “Behold, I have received commandment to bless and He hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it…it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, ‘What hath God wrought!’” Numbers 23:20, 23.
That is the verse that comes to my mind when I look at this little (1) clinic in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. It started out as a large room to be able to serve the community in different ways, such as health fairs, Bible studies, and Vacation Bible Schools. It has taken 10 years for it to little by little evolve into what it is today: Our clinic has a reception area, dental, nursing procedures, 3 doctors’ offices for medical, natural remedies, psychology, and nutrition, (2) a small lab, (3,4) hydrotherapy rooms, (5) kitchen, (6) physical therapy, (7) large waiting room, dining room, kitchen, patient rooms, laundry room, a room for our industries, a store room, and a garage for our donated ambulance, which has been a huge blessing.
We also have a garden area. We are praying that soon we can build a green house so we can have fresh veggies and herbs all year long.
We hope it would also protect the plants from the strong winds and insects. We also need to build a counter and sink for our industries room. We are also praying for funds to get an ultrasound machine. I am grateful to our many donors that have helped to make this clinic a reality, and for our many volunteers, including my husband and son-in-law, who have cheerfully helped in so many ways.
Once the kitchen, dining room, and patient rooms were finished, we began doing detox programs, which we call “Back to Eden.” We also began to see many patients with cancer, many of whom were considered terminal cases by their doctors with only months to live.
May God bless each of you, as you also reach out to others wherever you may be. Hard times are before us, but may we all continue to fight the good fight of faith and lay hold on eternal life (1 Tim. 6:12) “Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things He hath done for you.” 1 Samuel 12:24.
I got a call from one of our contacts on a small island here in the Philippines called Batanes. Batanes is well known for its tourist attractions but for me it’s known for the amazing stories behind each medevac flight that the Lord sends me to fly.
This mission was to transport a patient who needed to go to the hospital for gall bladder surgery. For this flight I usually have the tanks topped off with 80 gallons of fuel, life vests and a life raft, since most of the flight is over open waters. The total distance from our airbase to the airport where we pick up the patient, then to the drop off point and finally back to home is 475NM (880km). In our small little 5 seater airplane, which is a 1975 Cessna 182Q model, it takes about 4.5 hours to complete the mission and return home to base.
The patient and his wife boarded the airplane after the 2 hour flight from base to pick them up. The weather in route was very nice and the Lord faithfully answered my prayers to keep that engine humming through the skies. After picking them up from the airport in Batanes, it took me 1.5 hours to drop them off at the airport where I was expecting to see either an ambulance or a private family vehicle waiting to pick them up to take them to the hospital for the surgery.
After landing I quickly noticed that no one was there to pick them up. They said they would take public transportation to the hospital but when I asked if they knew how to get such services, they said no. I had been stranded at that airport before and knew where to get public transportation so I decided to help them. At that point I knew very well that this family would also be having financial challenges. I knew I needed to be praying for them.
The patient’s wife and I exchanged Facebook names for communication later. As soon as I got home I shared the story of the missions on my Facebook page and many people who follow me were very blessed to read it. I also received a number of private messages from family members of the patient who reached out to say thanks for “going beyond flying the airplane” to help their loved ones.
The wife messaged me a photo of her husband in the hospital room after the surgery, asking me to pray for his speedy recovery. I remembered to keep them in prayer each day. A few weeks later I had not heard from them about going home even though our little missionary airplane is the only way in and out of that island. I was worried because the Covid19 pandemic had made travel difficult. After a few messages I learned that they didn’t have the means to pay the fuel cost to get back home. I posted a request on my Facebook page for help with the $200USD for gas. Help came and I flew them back home safely.
This experience reminds me how Christ went to great lengths to ensure that you and I have access to salvation! It is such a blessing to be used by the Lord to go the extra mile to help others. To this day I still have contact with this family. Praise the Lord! Mission accomplished!
