(Upper left to right: Emily Griffin, Ben Curlee, Jessica Duke; Center: Rick and Tracy Groover, Avery Reddish, Evan Lanier; Bottom left to right: Melanie Upchurch, Cassie Burton)
July is right around the corner, and we're preparing for a trip to Kenya that will be a blessing to both the Luanda, Kenya community and the team from the United States that is traveling in less than a month! July 11-19, 2023, will see a team of nine people from the States travel to Kenya to work side-by-side with a team of Kenyan medical professionals and the MCCH staff to host a health clinic for the Luanda community. In her extensive work in the community surrounding MCCH, Executive Director, Ruth Owuor, identified healthcare needs, including many people struggling with undiagnosed diabetes, high blood pressure, and poor eyesight. Many people do not know the symptoms they are experiencing are rooted in more serious illnesses, and assessment and education are needed to help connect people to the medical care they need.
Over a year ago, as the MCCH team began having conversations about how MCCH might be able to meet some of the healthcare needs in the community, the Lord drew Lineville Baptist Church, a church family in East Alabama that has faithfully partnered with MCCH in many ways over the years, to create a team of medical professionals from within the church to partner with MCCH to host a community health fair in Luanda. Lineville Baptist (LBC) team members include Pastor Ben Curlee, Mrs. Cassie Burton (nurse practitioner), Mrs. Jessica Duke (registered nurse), Mrs. Melanie Upchurch (registered nurse), and Mr. Avery Reddish (emergency medic). Pastor Ben traveled to MCCH in April 2022, and we're excited for the team from LBC to use their gifts and talents to serve and be served as we travel to Kenya next month.
The team also includes two members from a like-minded international ministry based in Montgomery, AL, called Global Impact Ministries, Inc. (GIMI). Director and President of GIMI, Pastor Rick Groover, and Mrs. Tracy Groover, GIMI Treasurer, will travel to MCCH and serve in relationship building, evangelism, and support. The team is also blessed to include Mr. Evan Lanier, founder of Livemore Weddings, who will serve in providing videography for the trip to capture some of the stories and images that highlight how God is working in East Africa to make His name known! MCCH Program Director, Emily Griffin, will round out the team.
Please pray for this group and for the community health fair that will take place in July. We know that God's desire is for every person to hear the good news of Jesus, and we're praying this health clinic will be a means to that end!
Donations can be made here if you are interested in giving towards the trip. Additionally, if you are interested in purchasing a piece of medical equipment that will be used by the team and gifted to our medical partners in Kenya, please check out our Amazon wishlist! Thank you in advance!