Medical Clinic with St. Andrew's

Megan assisting at the registration table

Elephantitis, malaria, women eating dirt, injuries from falling houses, and a boy who cut his thumb off when slicing a coconut. . . these conditions and sicknesses were some of the ailments plaguing the people of Mensawanye off the Southern Kenyan coast during a recent 5 day medical clinic. We were privileged to join Catherine Wangari of the LCMS World Mission office in Nairobi to work with a medical mission team from St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau, MO. After traveling to the coast on the 12^th of February, we met the team that evening at the Mombasa Airport. After settling in at our accommodations in Msembweni, we prepared for a week of evangelism and medical treatment.

Doctor consultations taking place inside the church

The team for St. Andrew’s consisted of 12 members, several that were medical personnel. On Monday the 13^th, we met as a team with the local district hospital to finalize logistics and then traveled to the Mwenzeneyne Lutheran Church to meet with Pastor Joseph Ugunta, local congregation members and Kenyan’s branch of Lutheran Hour Ministries, Nuru. After introductions and brainstorming an efficient way to set up the clinic in the facilities available, we divided into groups to travel door to door throughout the village engaging local people about their faiths and also advertising the medical clinic. Having had a similar experience before, when we worked with another team from St. Andrew’s back in August, we found ourselves looking forward to another opportunity to openly converse with people about Jesus Christ. Mwenzewenye is heavily populated with Muslims and with people holding to traditional African religion. God’s Word was preached, and while the team from St. Andrew’s and we had opportunities to give testimonies and read from Scripture, we were again impressed by the passion and conviction with which the Kenyan Christians engaged their fellow people and unashamedly spoke about the saving grace found only in Christ Jesus.

Tim leading kids from the clinic in a song

The following days were long and hot, with doctors seeing around 300 patients each day. Megan assisted in registration, organized basic hygiene demonstrations, and even helped de-feather some chickens served for lunch. Tim also worked in registration and in the afternoons organized singing and Bible stories for the many village children that came around after school was out. While the patients came for medical examinations and an opportunity to receive free medication, they also heard Scripture and short meditations by Pastor Mark from St. Andrew’s and interacted informally with Geoffrey from Nuru, discussing faith in Jesus before seeing the doctors. God was at work healing His people both spiritually and physically.

Ces, Megan and Pr. Joseph demonstrating the importance
of proper handwashing to waiting patients

The clinic ended on Sunday with a final half day of seeing patients and a worship service with the Mnwsewyene congregation. The cooperation with the local church and local medical professionals played an important role in the week’s success, and the team from St Andrew’s worked diligently, humbly, and patiently. We are very proud of their servant attitudes and feel honored to have shared this wonderful experience with them. May God continue to work in the Coast Parish of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya and bless His people there.