In an age of cell phone texting and Internet instant messages, the people of Haiti’s mountainous area of La Victoire recently heard about the arrival of Dr. Steven James as they would have hundreds of years ago. A man blew on a conch horn -- the ancient sounds echoed from valley to valley to announce that it was time to gather at the mud-walled, thatched-roof school building in the village. There, as with the first mission of the disciples, the physical and spiritual riches of the Good News would be shared (Luke 9:1-6).

 

For more than eighteen years Steve and his wife, Nancy, have been International Ministries medical missionaries, serving in the poorest country in the western hemisphere. On this particular 150-mile journey using an old Toyota Hilux truck, Steve was accompanied by four Haitians who were trained in Community Health Evangelism (CHE). Together, they provided biblically-based lessons on such topics as health and hygiene, disease prevention, healthy family life, pregnancy, child rearing and lessons on the spiritual life of faith in Christ.

 

Later, at another nearby location the CHE team visited the hard-to-reach community of Laguamite. Steve describes some of the activities of that portion of the trip: “We met with twenty pregnant women and the local health agents. Because the women have to walk over two hours to get to the prenatal clinic at Mombin Crochu Hospital, some of them had not yet had a prenatal exam. So I consulted with them while the CHE team discussed with the others several prenatal education subjects.”

 

Not all of the CHE team members are Christians when they begin their work with Steve and Nancy. Some are even herb doctors or Voodooists, but as Steve reports, “Many have found Christ as their Savior and been saved through the Christ-centered unconditional loving spirit in the CHE program.”

 

The CHE program, therefore, has provided both a way to serve the medical concerns of some of the neediest people in the world and to fulfill the call to evangelize all who have not yet heard of Jesus Christ.

 

For more about the critical ministry of Steve and Nancy James, email biminfo@abc-usa.org

and request the latest issue of International Ministries On Location. It features many additional aspects of the James’ mission in Haiti.

 

If God is leading you to provide financial support for Steve & Nancy’s work, now is the best time to contribute! Your gift from $200 to $2,000 will be worth twice as much since it will be matched dollar-for-dollar if you send it before December 31, 2009. Make your check payable to International Ministries and note in the memo section: James’ support, please double. Mail to: International Ministries, Development Office, P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482.