Mission Trip to Sierra Leone and Liberia. Rev. Patrick R. Novak D/Min, P.H.D., Senior Pastor of Church of the Valley in Santa Clara, California discusses the church’s mission trip.

Pastor Patrick Novak introduces Marilyn Kibambe and Paige Takemoto, who offer testimony on the D.O.N.E. (“Discipling Our Nations Effectively”) mission trip to Africa.

From Church of the Valley in Santa Clara CA, Paige Takemoto shares the details of her church mission trip to Africa and how it has changed her life and outlook on the world, as well as her relationship with the Lord.

Learn more about Discipling Our Nations Effectively at doneinc.org

Summer offers faculty special opportunities

Doug Gross listens to the heartbeat of a young patient from the Ivory Coast’s Fulu Tribe, Many in the tribe had never seen metal before, much less a stethoscope. Courtesy photo

When Doug Gross got back from a three-week trip abroad earlier this summer, his family took him camping. It wasn’t the anatomy lecturer and medical center pediatrician’s dream vacation.

After all, he had just spent three weeks in the West African bush, providing medical care to residents in the primitive, isolated villages there.

The conditions were crude, but the experience worth it, Gross said.

He returned from his third West African trip with more knowledge about treating tropical diseases, confidence in his ability to make diagnoses without sophisticated lab work, and a renewed understanding of why he’s a doctor. “People are amazingly appreciative. It’s medicine at its purest,” Gross said. “I don’t write charts. I don’t deal with insurance. I treat patients.”

Across campus, many faculty members spent their summer traveling, but like Gross, most weren’t relaxing in luxurious accommodations. They were spending summers of research and service in venues as diverse as south central Los Angeles and southeastern China.

They added to their own expertise and brought back valuable knowledge and experiences for their students to draw on, said Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw.

“Our UC Davis faculty are passionate about learning and research, so summer research opportunities provide a great opportunity for them to pursue their scholarship and also engage with the broader community,” she said.

Today, in the first of a two-part series, Dateline presents the summer research stories of two campus faculty members.

Doug Gross

Four years ago medical school lecturer Doug Gross talked with new medical student Jennifer Bottomly about an African missionary organization her church supported. One focus of the group – providing health care to rural villages in the western part of the continent – intrigued him, but he couldn’t have predicted he’d soon end up a leader of the organization.

But in July, for the third summer in a row, the pediatric specialist spent three weeks in Africa holding clinics and offering many patients their first-ever doctor’s exam. And with the help of Gross’ recent fund-raising efforts, the group, Liberia-based Discipling Our Nations Effectively was able to purchase a medical clinic building in Senegal. There, Gross plans to train villagers from all over West Africa in primary care.

Before finding DONE, Gross said he’d tried to connect with other medical missionary groups visiting Africa, but their application processes seemed too bureaucratic. DONE, however, wanted to Gross to participate and quickly.

“DONE wanted someone with an interest in mission work, health care work and teaching,” Gross said. Within three months he was in Africa.

For the first three summers Gross volunteered for the organization, he was its only doctor or nurse. This year he was accompanied to villages in Sierra Leone, Gambia and Senegal by Cheryl Adams, a Sacramento nurse.

There was plenty of work for them in the tribal villages, which are usually at least a day’s trip away from the nearest government medical centers. Gross and Adams, working out of a tennis bag of supplies, tended to men, women and children well into the evening.

“Many of the conditions we see are similar to what I see in the U.S., but they are much more serious because of the total neglect of any simple treatments,” Gross said.

Despite mango groves nearby, many villagers eat little fruit – or vegetables or meat – and suffer malnutrition. Diarrhea is common, as are tropical diseases like malaria. And simple insect bites become ulcerated sores when treated with the traditional balm of goat dung.

“Their few health practices are often based on spiritual belief or the practices of maribouts (witch doctors) whose treatments…often make things worse,” he said.

Increasingly Gross’ work is focused on getting villagers regular health care. His visits help people who are sick at the time, he said. “But what they really need is education about prevention, nutrition and simple primary care treatments.”

Gross and other DONE leaders are now working on a curriculum and hiring staff for the Senegal clinic. After training there, students would return to their villages to treat patients in their community.

Ultimately, Gross would like UC Davis medical residents and students interested in a tropical medicine elective to help out with the program.

Dateline UC Davis is the faculty and staff newspaper for the University of California, Davis.

http://www.dateline.ucdavis.edu/092002/dl_summer.html

Learn more about Discipling Our Nations Effectively at doneinc.org

The community visited is 85 percent Muslim with a few thousand inhabitants.

I came in contact with B a former Christian whose bride price was paid by a Muslim and the Muslim village chief compelled her to convert. B informed me that her step daughter was missing for two weeks. During the period of search and comfort I observed that B was not interested in the effort made by her husband and family consulting a spiritualist to locate the girl.

As a result she was always contrary and not comfortable with suggestion given by the spiritual leaders. After consulting the oracle on one occasion, a group of spiritualist told the missing girl’s parents that a group of men had raped and killed the girl.

B refused to accept the result. On one occasion, she angrily told the rest of the family and the others who had gathered at their home, that she did not believe anything the spiritualists were saying, but rather the true God will deliver the girl in due time. She was severely slapped in the face by her husband.

After much tension I seize the opportunity like everyone else to comfort her. In the process I offered to pray with her for the first time. She accepted. I quietly and quickly prayed. We prayed quietly and with our eyes wide open to avoid being noticed by people who were standing around.

The next day while an Elder and I were in prayer meeting, B ushered in a woman and a gentleman who happen to the be uncle and mother of the missing girl. They requested for prayers concerning the missing child. We prayed. This continue for three days. On the beginning of the 4th day, B called my phone saying that God has done it. With a cry of joy she told me that the girl was found tied up in the home of a chief in a nearby town.

From that day B has been allowed to worship her God. With the assistance of her husband she has been provided a place at her parent’s home were a group of 17 people meet every Thursday to fellowship and study the Word of God. Praise the Name of God.

Learn more about Discipling Our Nations Effectively at our web site doneinc.org

Immediately after she was baptized, Joel fled the city for the village (name withheld) because of continuous harassment and pressure from family members and friends. From the village, Joel now reports that the Lord is working through her to His glory and many are getting to be saved through her testimony. At her request the ministry has send Evangelist Testimony Weah to assist her in what we believe the Lord is about to do through her. With in a period of two month, two cells groups have been established.
Joelle  was baptized on Saturday June 30, 2007, by Rev. Thomas Browne after she accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. She is the only member of her family who is a Christian. Contrary to the family pronouncement that she is frustrated, Joelle is normal, well and very intelligent.

Learn more about Discipling Our Nations Effectively at doneinc.org

Our strategy has focused on door-to-door evangelization campaign twice a week. During this time we had the opportunity of sharing the word of God with several people who never heard of the Lord. Among these people, was a Fulani who after hearing the word became a follower of Jesus.

We met a woman who could not walk for eight months. We prayed for her and God performed a miracle in her life. The following Sunday she walked to church and spent the day with us leaving on Monday.

We had a meeting: the church and the villagers, on March 2, 2006. The objective is to build a partnership and share the word of God. This meeting will be with the village chief, the mayor, the school Director, and other people, around twenty. It is truly my hope and desire that with prayers and through the power of the Holy Spirit our man of peace will be found and developed in this area and will help us break new ground in the surrounding area.

Learn more about Discipling Our Nations Effectively at doneinc.org

“ I now present to you the keys to my village, Let the will of your God for my people prevail through out our land.”

Mbad Village Chief Saar

The people of Mbad now have a church and a well. Their prayers have been finally answered. On May 16, 2005 the well and the church were formerly dedicated and opened.

Many of you have prayed and given to establish a church and clear, deep water well for the 9 villages of Mbad, located about two hours out of Dakar. Last year when we visited Mbad the church and well were half finished. We returned and sent out a newsletter to you and you responded.

The people of Mbad now have a church and a well. Their prayers have been finally answered. On May 16, 2005 the well and the church were formerly dedicated and opened.

Villagers including Muslims, animist, some of whom have never heard the Gospel before or were made to believe that Christians were different creatures came to witness this all historic program for the people of Mbad. Some villagers walked for hours over night to attend this program due the lack of transport and their inability to afford transportation cost.

The villagers who had converged on the church premises and had been waiting for 6 to 7 hours for the commencement of the program were fed lunch. while the musical team from Dakar entertained the congregation to good gospel music song in the villagers language.

The message was preached by Pastor Diatta a son of the Serere tribe. Making a remark, Chief Saar thanked the DONE Board and the ministry for what the Lord is accomplishing through the ministry for him and the people of his village. Speaking through an interpreter and from the pulpit for the first time, pointed to Evelyn and said in these word, “ I now present to you the keys to my village, Let the will of your God for my people prevail through out our land.” He was supported with a aloud applause from the villagers and his council men. We give God the glory for the work that He has started.

Pastor Jean Ajake and Family have been relocated to Mbad. He is currently living and working among villagers. The people of Mbad did not only have a church but a well from which they can Ajake and Family relocated to Mbad now receive fresh and safe drinking water. The amazing thing about the well is that the people of Mbad have began to grow their own vegetable as soon as they got the well.

Learn more about Discipling Our Nations Effectively at doneinc.org