Dear Friends,

Whew! It was a bigger challenge than I had even anticipated. But I’m glad to say the first semester of PA school is behind me, and we’re moving on to the summer semester which starts tomorrow (May 9th). This summer we are taking three classes, one of which is “Pathophysiology” (the study of disease). That should be the tough one. The summer semester will continue through the first week of August. The other two classes are “Disease Prevention and Health Maintenance” and “Research Methods.” As part of my Masters of Physician Assistant Studies requirement I will be doing a research project. My preliminary idea on my Master’s project is to research possible cultural effects that promote the onset of type II diabetes with Hispanic immigrants arriving in the United States.

As for this past semester, I learned a tremendous amount and am so grateful for your prayers and encouragement. It was a privilege to study anatomy at UK’s Medical school with one of our country’s premier anatomy professors. Yes, he’s one of those guys who writes the textbook and yes, we used his book.

The past semester truly was a worship experience as I continue to learn about the design and function of the human body, the crown of God’s creation. I continue to see the creative and powerful attributes of our Heavenly Father in what has been made. As Paul said, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).

You know, I lost count of how many times I read in my Physiology textbook phrases like “we still don’t know,” “for reasons not yet understood,” and “for purposes yet to be determined.” While it is true that we know much about the human body and how it functions, there is so much more we still don’t know or understand. When I read the phrases above it causes me to smile and give God praise. Although our best scientists don’t fully understand how life functions, our Heavenly Father, the Creator of Heaven and Earth does.

Albert Einstein, Nobel Prize winner in physics, once said, “Mankind grasps less than one percent of total knowledge.” And you know, he was probably making a vast overstatement. The more we learn and the more we understand, the more we understand how little we know. Isn’t it wonderful to have to have a limitless God?! And isn’t it a blessing to be able to point others to Him?!

Present Suffering – Future Glory
Today I was able to spend the morning at Mercy Medical and see all the improvements that my friend Jim is making there. I met a new doctor and a new dentist; both have started volunteering since I left in January. God is good!

I was able to meet and pray with a new patient, a young self-employed carpenter, who recently suffered a stroke due to uncontrolled high blood pressure. His world has been deeply shaken as he has lost some use of his legs, and has been unable to work. He has no insurance and he was denied disability as well. He began to cry as we talked about his struggles. Yet in the darkness, there is hope. We talked about God and the church. He had wandered away, but now he is realizing that he needs to return. God is able to use our suffering to point us back to Himself. Paul talked about suffering and the glory that will follow (Romans 8). And he says, “our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed” (Romans 8:18).

Please say a prayer for “Chad”. That he would allow God to work this situation for good in His life, that he might love God and be called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

Thank you again for caring enough to read this update, for your prayers, encouragement – and for your generous financial support. We don’t deserve your kindness – and are deeply grateful.

Prayer Pointers for May
♦ Thank God with us for His grace and faithfulness that sustained us through the first semester of PA school.
♦ Please pray for “Chad” to seek God’s ultimate purposes in his life and to experience God’s healing and grace.
♦ Please pray that I continue to stay focused and am able to learn what I need to know to be an effective healthcare provider, all the while maintaining the necessary grade-point average.

In Christian Love,

Chris & Family

From Team Expansion’s President
Dear Partner in Progress,
Volunteerism is alive and well today! Every Team Expansion missionary starts as a Volunteer (raising funds equal to his or her ministry needs plus the money it will take to support the worker’s salary). Churches, friends and family members continue to volunteer in many ways by providing food, housing, money, and even accompanying workers in their various outreaches. As a result of all this amazing compassion, literally hundreds of thousands of lives are being impacted for eternal good — and, we trust, tens of thousands will spend eternity in Heaven instead of Hell. After all, Team Expansion workers baptized 829 new believers last year alone, bringing to 12,479 the total number baptized so far in Team Expansion’s history. They also established 28 new churches, allowing our 340 workers in 46 countries to regularly welcome over 13 thousand worshippers worldwide each and every week. We give thanks for God’s power, manifested through His Good News, His global force of Team Expansion Volunteers and Team Members, and His Spirit which binds us all together.

Thankful for the chance to serve you,
Doug Lucas

I received a small box in the mail recently. It had several candy bars and snacks, two gift cards and a handwritten note from an anonymous encourager. It said “Congrats on staying strong and doing well in school this semester. “Be strong and very courageous.” Enjoy breakfast on us and a gift for all your hard work. Keep it up. You and Him will be successful.”

How about that?! What a blessing to have so many encouragers and prayer partners on this journey. And, I want this anonymous family to know that I really appreciated this thoughtfulness.

I do continue to need your prayers to finish out this semester. The next time I write you (early May) the first semester will be history. Final exams in my four classes will be the first week of May (April 30-May 4). And then, we start the summer session on May 8th. The next four weeks will be extremely intense academically. I need to do well and keep my GPA at 3.0 or better (B average), which is required. I am currently right on the border. I know God, who has brought me this far, will remain faithful as I dedicate myself to Him and to the task He has set before me.

What a blessing to know that the same powerful God who created the universe, and raised Jesus from the dead, has put his Holy Spirit in us. With God all things are possible and we can do all things through Christ, who gives us strength.

Mercy Medical Update
I was able to spend a day at Mercy Medical last month and it was so good to see some of the patients and hard-working volunteers who make it such a special place. My good friend, Jim Kutzner, continues to do a fantastic job as the administrator. He is always thinking creatively about ways to improve the facility, the system and the process of caring for each patient in Jesus’ name. The clinic impact and ministry continues to grow and God continues to provide.

Jim Kutzner brings close to 20 years of medical experience and military leadership to his role as Administrator of Mercy Medical Clinic.

April Prayer Pointers
♦ Last month I asked you to pray for Emily and her small group of college students/adults who went to Poland on a missions-trip over spring break. She served in an orphanage and at a camp. They visited a concentration camp from WWII. In our daughter we see that God continues to mold a sensitive and compassionate heart for the suffering and a humble desire to quietly and faithfully serve Him by serving the “least of these.” It is a joy to see her blossom before our eyes.
♦ Please continue to pray for my ability to focus and learn and finish strong this semester
♦  I was able to visit the precious souls at the Hispanic Ministry at Fern Creek Christian Church in March. It was so good to reconnect with my Hispanic brothers and sisters and see them growing in faith and knowledge. Fellow Team Expansion missionary Mike Hook continues to lead this group. He is an outstanding teacher of God’s Word and is building a solid foundation.

Thanks again for your prayers and encouragement. We are indeed grateful for your generosity partnership!

In Christian love,

Dear Friends,
Can you believe that today I finished up my last mid-term exam?! That’s right; we’ve reached the half-way point of our first semester of PA School. The past 9 weeks have just flown by for me! Although it has been incredibly challenging, I thank God every day for the opportunity to study His creative handiwork. I am learning so much and it’s been very rewarding.

As for my grades, well, I’m passing! My whole life I fretted over anything less than an A. This semester has given me a whole new perspective. I am now thrilled with a B! But the important thing is that I learn the material and learn it well. That’s my focus.

God’s Provision
Ken Henderson is the executive director of Teen Mission USA. Between 1990 and 1995 I had the privilege of leading five different mission trips for Ken’s ministry to work with our Team Expansion missionaries in Venezuela and Ukraine. Ken and his wife Carol live a few minutes from UK in Lexington. When Ken and Carol heard that I was going to be attending PA school they offered me their basement apartment in their home. This has been such a blessing for me since I am in class, studying in the lab and the library from 9 AM until past midnight every week day. Not having to add a 3 hour (round trip) commute to my day is huge! I am so grateful for God’s provision and the Henderson’s generosity.

Family
“So how is the family handling you being gone so much?” That’s a frequent question that I hear. The truth, it’s hard, but we are surviving. I’m able to be home weekends, although I spend almost the entire time holed up in my home office out of necessity to stay caught up with my studies. This “didactic” phase of PA school is only 18 months long, so, by God’s grace, we’ll get through it. After the didactic phase will be 12 months of clinical rotations. Many of those I will be able to do in Louisville and not need to commute to Lexington. In the meantime I am so blessed by Diane and the kids as they encourage me and support me.

Emily Headed To Poland
Today (March 10th) our oldest daughter, Emily, is leaving for Poland with other members of our church’s college-age ministry. They’ll serve there for a week during their spring break serving at an orphanage, meeting other college students, serving in a preschool, and helping with an English class. She is excited about serving God and seeing what He is doing in Poland. Emily is doing great with balancing school and her new part-time job as a caregiver for a disabled young woman. She is gaining valuable experience as she pursues a career in Occupational Therapy with disabled children. We are truly proud of her.

March Prayer Pointers
♦ Please join us in praying for Emily and her group as they minister in Poland.
♦ Please continue to pray for my ability to focus, learn and survive the rigors of the didactic phase.
♦ Praise God with us for the good report my cousin, Shirley Geiger received from her 6 month post-cancer screening. Many of you prayed for her and God has been so good.
♦ Thank you for your generosity to my family during this phase of educational furlough. We will always be grateful for your partnership.
♦ I have not been able to serve at Mercy Medical since starting PA school because of the rigors of this semester. The new administrator, Jim, is doing a fantastic job and the clinic continues to grow. There is no doubt that God continues to bless and for that we give Him praise!

I have said this for 20 years now! Ever since we started serving with Team Expansion in the spring of 1992. It has been sincere and heartfelt every time. Thank you for your prayers, financial support and encouragement. We are truly grateful.

In Christian love,

Chris & family

A Message from Team Expansion’s President, Doug Lucas
Dear Partner and Friend,
In the little one-chapter book of III John, the apostle writes to a friend named Gaius to thank him for the “hospitality” he has shown to a group of travelers on a journey “for his name’s sake.” These men were similar to our modern-day missionaries, in that they were on a journey “for His Name’s sake,” taking nothing from the people with whom they labored. Not only does John reinforce Gaius’ good work, but in addition, John goes on record saying that we would do well to “send them on their way.” This concept of “sending them on their way,” is clearer here than in most other locations in scripture, partly because we know well the meaning of the original Greek word here. It can mean providing a) food, b) housing, c) funds, and even d) accompanying someone somewhere in person. These four meanings all seem to apply to you as well. Like Gaius, you have provided all these and more for your favorite Team Expansion missionary. So like John, I want to thank you today for “doing well” and I give praise for your life!
Doug Lucas

I told someone recently that if I could only sleep for two hours a day and was able to spend the other 22 hours in class and study I might be able to get through the material each day. Well, yesterday we had our first big exam in Gross Anatomy class. I don’t have my grade yet, but it was not pretty. We were all fairly stunned with how difficult it was. It is so much more than just memorizing facts; it requires synthesizing and critically analyzing how things work together.

Our anatomy professor told us the first day of class our full-time job would be to pass the course. Of course, his class is just one of four classes we are taking. So, I would like to ask you to pray for me. I am the oldest student in the program by a good 10 years. I have always been a good student who normally received good grades. But, I have never faced a mental challenge like this one. The issue here is not a grade, rather, that I am able to master the material so that I can be an effective instrument for God’s service.
 

More on the program

For those of you interested in what we are studying this semester, here is a little more information.
1) Gross Anatomy. We spend 4 hours per week in lecture and 4 hours per week in the anatomy lab. We are expected to spend an additional 8 hours minimum in the lab in small groups. We have 15 cadavers that we are dissecting and on the exams we are tested on all 15 bodies. The material we are covering is incredibly detailed. The first exam covered the nervous system, structures of the neck, back and upper limbs. Every spare moment each day is required for personal study.
2) Physiology. A different professor lectures for 4 hours per week on physiology (i.e. the study of the function of the human body starting with the molecular level and on up to organ systems). I have to study extra hard in this class because of my background. Some of my fellow PA students recently graduated with a bachelor in biology or something similar, so they are already very familiar with the material.
3) Introduction to the PA Profession. This course is not demanding like the first two, but it does require some reading time each day. We are studying the Physician Assistant as a profession, PA regulations and laws, demographics of the PA profession, medical ethics, pro-fessionalism, & end-of-life care.
4) Overview of the Health-Care Delivery System. Again, daily reading and projects. The US healthcare system is complex with so many different forces that are influencing who does and does not receive the care they need. As we all know, our country is in the process of trying to reform the system and there are still many unanswered questions.
One thing remains clear to me, however. Jesus came to heal the sick as well as preach the gospel. Healthcare and ministry can be a beautiful partnership as we treat the person the whole person (body, mind, and spirit).

White Coat Ceremony
On Friday, January 27th, our class of PA students received their student white coats. We will soon be going to the Kentucky Clinic and UK Hospital and interacting with patients. This was a special day with a very nice ceremony for our group of PA students and their families.

Prayer Pointers
♦ Please pray for God’s grace and help with my studies that I might prepare myself in the best way possible to serve Him as a PA.
♦ Also, praise God with me for my supportive wife and kids who have encouraged me every step of the way.
♦ Please pray for Jim and his work at Mercy Medical. The clinic is moving full-steam ahead with his leadership. I look forward to being back in the clinic as a volunteer as soon as possible.
♦ Praise God with us for His provision for our family during this time.
Financial Update
We are so grateful for the generous help of so many. We received several generous checks in January on top of our normal monthly support that will help us as our income is outpaced by our expenses as the year goes on. Thank you for your support, prayers and friendship. In Christian love,
Chris & family

I want to thank my supervisors at Team Expansion for loaning me to the clinic these past two years. It has been such a blessing for me to be a part of what God is doing at Mercy.

2011 was yet another year of tremendous growth for the clinic. In both the number of patients who walked through the doors, the types of services they received and the number of volunteer providers donating their time and talents.

By faith we continue to move forward, grateful for God’s provision of new volunteers and additional resources that make fulfilling our mission possible.

In 2011 we cared for 3356 patients from Kentucky and Indiana.  The clinic was open 5 days per week and we currently have 36 medical, dental, and emotional health-care providers. Our list of volunteers has grown to 207 active volunteers who help us every day with front office, pastoral care, interpreting, nursing, lab, dental care, medical care, counseling and facility needs.

Last month I shared with you about my friend, Jim Kutzner, being selected as my replacement at the clinic. Jim and I only had three days together at the clinic because of his commitment to his previous employer. We stayed late each night and covered a lot of ground. I am glad that Jim understands that the clinic belongs to God and that He will provide for every need. I know that Jim will be a faithful administrator of the work that God is doing there.

Family Update

It was a blessing to be able to spend Christmas with our kids at home. We had a beautiful day here in Louisville, Diane made a wonderful dinner and we shared another precious memory with our kids.
Tyler is doing well with his job as a customer service representative with Graybar Electric.
Emily is in the middle of her freshman year at Spalding University here in Louisville. She is studying hard and on track.
Abbey is in her 8th grade year. She is also an excellent student and playing volleyball.

Prayer Pointers For January 2012
♦ Please pray for Jim Kutzner as he begins serving full-time in ministry at the clinic. Pray for God’s provision for their family as they trust and obey. Pray that Mercy Medical continues to be used by God for His divine purposes.
♦ Thank God with us for His peace as we walk through the open door He has provided in PA school. Pray that I will be able to focus on my studies and learn well what I need to know.
♦ Please pray for Diane and the girls as we all adjust to this new “normal” while I’m in school. Pray for God’s provision, protection, peace and guidance.

Update:
I started PA school yesterday, January 3rd. It was a great day! The program director made us all feel very welcome and at ease. The day was spent in orientation and taking care of miscellaneous details. My first class starts tomorrow and I’ll be in class Monday-Thursday. They expect us to spend a lot of extra time in the anatomy lab this semester, as well as shadowing and volunteering in a medical setting. Outside work is not allowed nor possible with the schedule they give us. I am so blessed to be a part of this great program and am truly excited about the ways God can use this training for His purposes.

There are forty of us in the Lexington program and, yes, I am the oldest student. We go through the program together from day one. Our class schedule this semester includes Anatomy lecture and lab, Physiology, Intro the PA Profession and Overview of the Healthcare Delivery System. As soon as we finish with the first semester in May we start immediately in with the summer session that goes through the entire summer.
We will be receiving our white coats in a ceremony on January 27th. They start us very early with seeing patients, even as new students. But don’t worry; they won’t let us hurt anyone.  Receiving the white coat is truly an honor and a large responsibility.
Thank you again for your help, prayers and encouragement!

In Christian love,
Chris & family

Financial Update
We are thankful for the response to our support-raising effort. As a result we start 2012 with a balance of $4700 in our General Fund to help us with the monthly shortfall we will experience in 2012 when the Mercy Medical salary support ceases. As for the support-raising for 2012, it appears we have about 70% of our monthly need raised. We have peace that God has opened the door of PA school and that He will provide a way.

From Team Expansion’s President
Dear partner in the Task,
Did you know that, right now, at this moment, Team Expansion workers are busy the world over doing…
* Community Health Evangelism (CHE) — Asking lots of questions first, they determine what kind of help is needed, designing local initiatives that work, then sharing life lessons, among which is the Good News of Jesus Christ.
* Bible Storying — Originally conceived for primary oral learners, Team Expansion storytellers are busy on every continent, sharing the gospel through creative story-telling. It multiplies quickly!
* Medical outreaches — Team Expansion has doctors in multiple locations, healing physically as they heal spiritually. Please lift them up.
* Bible translators — Thanks to the work of 2 Team Expansion workers, 51 out of 66 biblical books are already being distributed to tens of thousands of members in villages throughout the region. They figure they’ll be completely done in 18 months time!
With hope for the future,
Doug Lucas

I want to thank my supervisors at Team Expansion for loaning me to the clinic these past two years. It has been such a blessing for me to be a part of what God is doing at Mercy.

2011 was yet another year of tremendous growth for the clinic. In both the number of patients who walked through the doors, the types of services they received and the number of volunteer providers donating their time and talents.

By faith we continue to move forward, grateful for God’s provision of new volunteers and additional resources that make fulfilling our mission possible.

In 2011 we cared for 3356 patients from Kentucky and Indiana.  The clinic was open 5 days per week and we currently have 36 medical, dental, and emotional health-care providers. Our list of volunteers has grown to 207 active volunteers who help us every day with front office, pastoral care, interpreting, nursing, lab, dental care, medical care, counseling and facility needs.

Last month I shared with you about my friend, Jim Kutzner, being selected as my replacement at the clinic. Jim and I only had three days together at the clinic because of his commitment to his previous employer. We stayed late each night and covered a lot of ground. I am glad that Jim understands that the clinic belongs to God and that He will provide for every need. I know that Jim will be a faithful administrator of the work that God is doing there.

Family Update
It was a blessing to be able to spend Christmas with our kids at home. We had a beautiful day here in Louisville, Diane made a wonderful dinner and we shared another precious memory with our kids.
Tyler is doing well with his job as a customer service representative with Graybar Electric.
Emily is in the middle of her freshman year at Spalding University here in Louisville. She is studying hard and on track.
Abbey is in her 8th grade year. She is also an excellent student and playing volleyball.
Prayer Pointers For January 2012
♦ Please pray for Jim Kutzner as he begins serving full-time in ministry at the clinic. Pray for God’s provision for their family as they trust and obey. Pray that Mercy Medical continues to be used by God for His divine purposes.
♦ Thank God with us for His peace as we walk through the open door He has provided in PA school. Pray that I will be able to focus on my studies and learn well what I need to know.
♦ Please pray for Diane and the girls as we all adjust to this new “normal” while I’m in school. Pray for God’s provision, protection, peace and guidance.

Update:
I started PA school yesterday, January 3rd. It was a great day! The program director made us all feel very welcome and at ease. The day was spent in orientation and taking care of miscellanous details. My first class starts tomorrow and I’ll be in class Monday-Thursday. They expect us to spend a lot of extra time in the anatomy lab this semester, as well as shadowing and volunteering in a medical setting. Outside work is not allowed nor possible with the schedule they give us. I am so blessed to be a part of this great program and am truly excited about the ways God can use this training for His purposes.

There are forty of us in the Lexington program and, yes, I am the oldest student. We go through the program together from day one. Our class schedule this semester includes Anatomy lecture and lab, Physiology, Intro the PA Profession and Overview of the Heatlhcare Delivery System. As soon as we finish with the first semester in May we start immediately in with the summer session that goes through the entire summer.

We will be receiving our white coats in a ceremony on January 27th. They start us very early with seeing patients, even as new students. But don’t worry, they won’t let us hurt anyone. Receiving the white coat is truly an honor and a large responsbility.

Thank you again for your help, prayers and encouragement!

In Christian love,

Chris & family

Financial Update
We are thankful for the response to our support-raising effort. As a result we start 2012 with a balance of $4700 in our General Fund to help us with the monthly shortfall we will experience in 2012 when the Mercy Medical salary support ceases. As for the support-raising for 2012, it appears we have about 70% of our monthly need raised. We have peace that God has opened the door of PA school and that He will provide a way.

From Team Expansion’s President
Dear partner in the Task,
Did you know that, right now, at this moment, Team Expansion workers are busy the world over doing…
* Community Health Evangelism (CHE) — Asking lots of questions first, they determine what kind of help is needed, designing local initiatives that work, then sharing life lessons, among which is the Good News of Jesus Christ.
* Bible Storying — Originally conceived for primary oral learners, Team Expansion storytellers are busy on every continent, sharing the gospel through creative story-telling. It multiplies quickly!
* Medical outreaches — Team Expansion has doctors in multiple locations, healing physically as they heal spiritually. Please lift them up.
* Bible translators — Thanks to the work of 2 Team Expansion workers, 51 out of 66 biblical books are already being distributed to tens of thousands of members in villages throughout the region. They figure they’ll be completely done in 18 months time!
With hope for the future,
Doug Lucas

This past Sunday, the night before we were to interview 3 candidates for the position,  Jim called me at home and told me that he sensed God wanted him to apply. Diane overheard our phone conversation and she said to me, “I like the sound of that!” I liked it too. Jim said, “I think I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn’t act.” So I started calling board members and telling them about Jim and they agreed to add him as a late addition to the interview schedule the following morning.

After considering the candidates the board concluded that Jim would be offered the position of Clinic Administrator! And he gladly and humbly accepted.

When I mentioned Jim last month to you I had no idea that God was calling him to serve full-time in the ministry at Mercy Medical Clinic.

As I have mentioned before, I will continue to serve the “least of these” at Mercy Medical. First as a student,  then later as a volunteer Physician Assistant. I  am thrilled that I will be able to serve God there alongside my friend, Jim.

Please pray for Jim, his wife, Darlene, and their daughter Sarah. This is a step of faith for them. As a family, they are making a commitment to serve God in this ministry. The clinic continues to grow along with the demands and the responsibilities, and it can be overwhelming. It always helps me when I remember that it is God’s clinic and it is bigger than any one person. Jim already knows this and I have no doubt God is going to use him in a huge way.
 

The Whole Person
Today a patient poked her head in my office to thank me for the Bible and devotional “Our Daily Bread” I had given her on her last visit. She said she was reading them every day and it was really helping her. She had been struggling with anxiety and depression. The nurse practitioner that was treating her that day recognized that her symptoms were not just physical, but emotional and spiritual.  And so she asked me to spend a few minutes with the patient for pastoral care. Her story is perfect example of our goal at the clinic for every patient, to minister to the whole person. No doubt, that is what Jesus would do.

Christmas and Beyond

Last Saturday was a special day for our clinic. Fifteen families from Southeast Christian Church in Louisville adopted 15 of our clinic families. When the Southeast families showed up at our clinic to meet their “adopted” families they already knew the names and ages of each person since they had shopped personally for each one of them. There were a LOT of smiles and joy that day. Spanish speakers call our clinic (in Spanish) “The Love of Jesus Medical Clinic” i.e. “Clínica Médica El Amor de Jesús.” His love could be seen on everyone’s face on that special day.

November Financial & Support-Raising Update
God is so good to us! We made some good progress in November with the deficit and finished $1,460 in the red. We are confident that, by God’s grace and the generosity of supporters, we will finish 2011 in the black. If so, that will be the case with every year that we have been with Team Expansion. Twenty years of seeing God provide!

As you know we are seeking to raise new support for the next 2 ½ years while I am in Physician Assistant School to replace what I have been receiving from Mercy Medical Clinic.  We are still needing to raise about $1600 per month. I want to tell you that God has provided an amazing peace as we near the deadline. I don’t know yet how He will provide, but He has reminded me that He has opened every door so far, why should I doubt now? I can’t begin to express what a blessing God’s peace is!

December 2011 Prayer Pointers
♦ Praise God with us for leading us to the right person to take over the administrator role at the clinic! We prayed and God answered!
♦ Please pray for Jim, Darlene and their daughter Sarah as Jim begins serving full-time in ministry at the clinic. Pray for God’s provision for their family as they trust and obey.
♦ Praise God for the hope, love, grace, healing and help that He provides when we seek Him. Pray that Mercy Medical continues to be used by Him for His divine purposes.
♦ Thank God with us for His peace as we walk through the open door He has provided in PA school. Pray that I will be able to focus on my studies and learn well what I need to know.
♦ Please pray for Diane and the girls as we all adjust to this new “normal” while I’m in school. Pray for God’s provision, protection,  peace and guidance.

I begin PA school on January 3rd. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement on the journey.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Bushnells!
In Christian love,

Chris & family

Dear Friends,

Can you imagine a happier moment than seeing Jesus’ face and hearing him speak those words to you?

The desire to please the Lord is a strong motivation in my life. But, to be honest, it needs to be stronger. I wish I could say it is the strongest desire of my heart, all of the time. Sadly, I often find myself seeking to please others, or myself. Isn’t that the very core of the spiritual battle that we face every day as Christians?

I enjoy Saturdays at Mercy Medical. Every day there is special, and a privilege for me, but Saturdays are often extra special. The main reason is that my friend, Jim, accompanies me to the clinic a couple of Saturdays each month. He uses his excellent medical skills to serve the Lord and to bless patients. He also patiently teaches the less-experienced volunteers who eagerly crowd around him in the lab.

This past Saturday Jim and I were driving home and I mentioned that I needed to write this report and that I wasn’t sure what to say. He gave me some good advice. He said, “Tell your supporters that all is well, all systems are go, the clinic’s medical ministry is marching faithfully onward.”

I can tell you that in October we had 511 patient visits at Mercy Medical. 45 of those were first-time patients. 17 of them received dental care and the rest received medical care – all in the name of the Lord Jesus. Many of these patients were prayed for personally by a pastoral care volunteer.  We started every day in prayer and we stopped and asked for God’s help many times throughout. It wasn’t perfect, but it was our sincere effort to be faithful servants. I believe I felt our Master smiling.

Two New Medical Doctors and a Counselor!
It is a good month when we can report that God sent us a new medical provider. Well, this month He sent us two! A new family practice doctor will be serving weekly at Mercy starting this week. A nephrologist (kidney specialist) will be serving once per month. Many of our patients are suffering from diabetes and kidney disease often accompanies diabetes.

In addition, a trained therapist- addiction counselor joined our team of volunteers and is serving two Saturdays per month. We rejoice in God’s faithfulness in providing these volunteers and allowing us to expand our ministry further.

To sum up, Mercy Medical is now open 5 days per week and we have 36 medical/dental/emotional health-care providers. Our list of volunteers has grown to 207 active volunteers who help us every day with front office, pastoral care, interpreting, nursing, facility, dental care, medical care and counseling.  We currently have 3539 different patients is our database that we started using one year ago. Jim says, “all systems are go” and I think that sums it up well.

October Ending Balance.
The ending balance in our ministry fund at the end of October was not a pretty sight. In 19 years as a Team Expansion missionary I’m certain that we’ve never finished a month with a red number that large. When I saw that we closed October over $2000 in the red the weight of that number literally closed in on top of me.

I’m happy to tell you that God quickly melted away the dismay with hope. Every day since I crunched those numbers I have been reminded of God’s faithfulness in one way or another.  We were able to make the November house payment thanks to a loan from our retirement fund. We are confident that we’ll be fine and God will provide one way or another. So many of you have given so generously to us in the past – and we will always be grateful. We are committed to being faithful and wise stewards, and above all, by God’s grace, striving hard until we hear those precious words, “well done, good and faithful servant.”

May God’s presence and power be near each of you as you gather to celebrate Thanksgiving. The five of us are headed to Joplin, MO to see my mom and family and celebrate God’s abundant blessings on another year. Thank you for your partnership!

November 2011 Prayer Pointers
♦ Praise God with us for the continued growth of Mercy Medical as we help those in need in the name of Jesus Christ.
♦ Please pray for God to lead us to the right person to take over the administrator role at the end of the year. Interviews will be starting this week.
♦ Please pray for wisdom and guidance from God as I prepare for PA school and raise funds for our living expenses during educational furlough.
♦ Praise God for His provision for our financial support over the past 19 years and for His continued provision during the next phase of our ministry.
 

Chris & family

Let me interrupt the story to tell you about another man. Pastor Lee Bean is a humble, godly and faith-filled man with an Alabama accent and a wife and three young children. In case you are wondering, the Crimson Tide is his team. Pastor Lee came to the clinic about 2 years ago to introduce himself to me and to ask if we could help a homeless man who needed medical care. Lee had felt so burdened about these men that he and his church opened a shelter for them. Today they have a house they have purchased and every night a dozen or more men have a place to sleep. Each night they take turns preparing a hot meal for each other in the kitchen and they share a Bible study before lights out.

Lee brought Michael to the clinic because he has a thrombophilia; he tends to suffer from blood clots. Michael also was addicted to alcohol and every time he would start to drink he would be kicked out of the shelter. It was a bad cycle. We would talk to Michael and pray with him when he would come to have his blood tested. It seemed clear that unless something changed time was quickly running out for him. And it seemed each time we saw him he looked worse and worse. About a year ago he sat in my office and cried as he talked about the sad cycle in which he was caught. He told me that Pastor Lee had found a Christian ministry in Lexington, KY that would take him in and help him stay sober for 6 months. He would be helped by others who had traveled down the same destructive road but had overcome their habit. He had hope for the first time since I knew him. We prayed together and said goodbye.

The great news is that Michael has not only managed to stay sober for the last year, he has also grown in his faith and commitment to Jesus Christ. He still stays in the homeless shelter, but now he has a purpose. He is Pastor Lee’s assistant and is in charge of the shelter. He wants to be an encourager and example to the other men who are struggling with addictions and getting beat up by life. If I showed you Michael’s picture from a year ago and then from today, you would have a hard time believing that it is the same person. God is so good. Jesus truly does “open eyes that are blind, free captives from prison and release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness” (Isaiah 42:7).

                      Michael in the clinic’s lab.

If Necessary, Use Words
I want to share with you the following powerful story written by a fellow Team Expansion worker in Southeast Asia.

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There is a beautiful elderly Cambodian lady who attends our church and who has the most beautiful smile. Her name is Ohm Ti, and she radiates Jesus’ love. Ever meet someone like that? I don’t even necessarily have to talk to this wonderful woman; I just want to sit near her on Sunday.

Ohm Tiʼs story goes back to the Khmer Rouge period in the 1970ʼs. Ohm Ti was in a refugee camp on the Cambodian border, waiting to cross over into Thailand. People there were sick, the conditions challenging, and there was great chaos, pain, and loss.

In her camp was a French doctor, a Christian. Every day he cared for the sick with kind eyes and a loving heart. He worked from dawn until dusk. He had wise judgment. He stayed longer at the camp than the other doctors did.

He didn’t know Cambodian. He didn’t say a lot. With words, that is. The time came for Ohm Ti to cross over the border into Thailand and escape the destruction in Cambodia. As workers helped her complete her paperwork, she was asked what her religion was.

Referring to her camp doctor, she replied, “I want to be whatever he is.”From there, she was herded into the “Christian” part of the Thai camp, and she came to become a follower of Jesus. Several house churches in northwestern Cambodia look to her as their “planter;” her life is a shining light for Christ.

But the doctor? He never knew. Not yet. That his actions and his love had spoken volumes that his words couldn’t.

The lesson for me, and for all of us: You are not always talking. At least with your mouth. But people are always listening. And watching.

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Wow, what a beautiful reunion there will be someday in heaven between that French doctor and his Cambodian patient. It is such a privilege to be a light for Jesus. May He continue to use our lives to point others to Him. Thank you for partnering with us.

October 2011 Prayer Pointers
♦ Praise God with us for the power of God to transform lives that we have all experienced. Pray for Michael as he seeks to honor God by living for Him and strives to serve Him by helping others with the help he has received from above.
♦ Praise God with us for the continued growth of Mercy Medical as we help those in need in the name of Jesus Christ.
♦ Please pray for God to lead us to the right person to take over the administrator role at the end of the year.
♦ Please pray for wisdom and guidance from God as I prepare for PA school and raise funds for our living expenses during educational furlough.
♦ Praise God for His provision for our financial support and for His continued provision during the next phase of our ministry.
♦ Praise God for His work around the world to seek and save the lost, and for using us to point others to the Way, The Truth and the Life.

Friends, please click here and read about our support situation. Thank you for considering this need.

In Christian love,

Chris & family

Since 1992 I have served as a full-time Christian worker with Team Expansion. We are a cross-cultural ministry with workers in 40 countries. You can learn more about us at: www.teamexpansion.org

From 1992-2001 I served in the home office of Team Expansion as director of Recuitment and later as director of Personnel. From 2001-2009 I served as the team leader for the Louisville Hispanic Outreach team. And from 2009 until present the mission has loaned me to Mercy Medical as the administrator. In turn, Mercy Medical has been providing about 35% of our monthly support needs and churches and individuals have provided the remainder.

In January, 2012 I will begin fulltime studies in the the Physician Assistant School at the University of Kentucky.

We rejoice and give thanks to God for opening this door of service. I truly am excited, and a little nervous, as we contemplate the next phase of the journey.

So what’s the Plan Now?
a) I will continue to direct the ministry of Mercy Medical until the end of the year. There continue to be many challenges as we manage the growth of the clinic in a midst of such staggering need. Please pray that God will raise up the proper person to take my position as the administrator and for a smooth transition for the clinic.

b) I will begin classes in early January. The first 18 months of the program takes place in Lexington, KY. I will be commuting from Louisville and staying over some weeknights in Lexington when necessary. The final 12 months of the program are clinicals and the majority of them can be done in Louisville. I will be seeking to spend as much time as possible volunteering at Mercy Medical throughout the didactic phase and especially during the clinical year.

c) During the 2 ½ years of PA training we will continue on mission support through Team Expansion. We will be on “educational furlough” during this time. As a result, I will owe the mission 2 ½ years of service at some point in the future.

d) Upon completion of the 2 ½ years of PA training I will obtain a job as a PA. This will allow our family to go off of mission support as well as pay back the student loans I will incur.

e) At some point in the future we will begin paying back the 2 ½ years of ministry to Team Expansion. We have discussed various options with the mission. They include paying back the time through future ministry at Mercy Medical, doing short-term medical outreach with a Team Expansion field team, and assisting with pre-field training of new missionaries. We are so grateful to the leadership of Team Expansion in offering us such flexibility and freedom in our service.

We are anticipating that we will have a “tentmaking” capacity that will allow us to serve the mission without needing to raise financial support. “Tent-making” refers to the way the apostle Paul served as a missionary, i.e.working by day as a tentmaker so that he could support himself without being a burden to anyone.

Future Support

As we make plans for 2012 we need to maintain our financial support for 2 ½ more years, until August 2014 when I will be graduating from PA school. Would you prayerfully consider standing beside us on this journey?

We need to replace the $2000 in monthly support that we receive from Mercy Medical when I finish at the clinic in December. In addition some of the churches and individuals who are currently supporting us will not supporting us during the educational furlough time.

The last 19 years of living on mission support has taught us that a number of people doing a little adds up to a whole lot. We have learned that God is always faithful,
and He always provides for His work and for His children. We’ve been so blessed and we are so grateful.

Below is our 2012 monthly budget so that you can see what the needs are. My plan is to obtain student loans for the tuition and books for PA school, so those expenses do not occur on the budget.

As of now we need to raise about $2500 in new monthly support. Would you be able to support us with a monthly commitment in 2012? If not, would you be able to send a one time gift?

Obviously, the next few weeks are critical as I raise this needed support. If you could let me know if you are being led by God to support us in 2012 that would be extremely helpful for us so that we can know how far we are from reaching our needs. Please feel free to email  or call me.

All donations are 100% tax-deductible. Each month I send our supporters a brief report and a receipt (if a donation is given the previous month). I also send a year-end receipt in January of each year that supporters can use for their taxes.

Of course, you can give to our ministry in 2011 if you would like. If a check is mailed it will need to be postmarked by December 31, 2011in order to be deducted from your 2011 taxes.

Please make checks out to “Team Expansion” and mail to
Chris Bushnell
4704 Napa Ridge Ct
Louisville KY 40299.

Cell phone: 502-387-7410
Email: cbushnell@teamexpansion.org

Thank you for considering this need!
In Christian love,

Chris & family

PS: In keeping with IRS rules please do not include my name on the check to ensure your gift will be tax-deductible.

2012 Monthly Budget

Benefits
100 • Salary 2,500.00
110 • Medical Insurance 500.00
111 • Special Medical Expense 100.00
120 • Life Insurance 17.00
121 • Investment Life Insur. 23.00
130 • Social Security 410.00
141 • ROTH IRA Retirement 200.00
150 • Housing Allowance 1,050.00
160 • Utilities 250.00
Office
650 • Supplies 100.00
Promotion/Representation
720 • Newsletters 25.00
740 • Team Expansion Administration Fee 100.00
Travel 
800 • Car/Transportation (Commuting expenses) 250.00
TOTAL  $5,525.00