Burkina Faso (MNN) — In Burkina Faso, where poverty is high and medical care is vital but expensive, Christians are meeting needs of more than 1000 people each month who can’t afford medical treatment.
Greg Yoder with Christian World Outreach says they run a medical clinic, optical clinic, and a pharmacy. The medical clinic is open 24 hours a day, treating everything from the common cold to comon third-world illnesses. Meeting people’s physical needs has opened doors to share the Gospel: “There’s a Christian counselor on hand that is there available to talk to people about Christ and just share. The reason that the clinic’s even there is to help them physically, but also to help them spiritually.”
Christian World Outreach has sent over a shipment of 5000 pairs of eyeglasses to be used in their optical clinic. They’re planning to ship another 5000 soon. One specific way the glasses have been used is to help pastors be able to again read God’s Word.
A national Christian doctor is responsible for the clinic, which was opened just over a year ago. He works with a local pastor to provide a connection between people’s physical and spiritual needs.
CWO is also working closely with that pastor, to help him with leadership training and the development of a vocational school to help train young people. That vocational training center is now being built. Yoder says it will provide even more opportunities for the church to minister. Those being trained will then be able to go and help their families and villages.
The pastor also runs an orphanage and hopes the vocational center will train the children who live there. It’s still in the beginning stages, but they are trusting God for the timeline, Yoder says, “We’re in the process of raising the funds to build the buildings. Once the Lord supplies the money that we need to build the buildings then we’ll know better when we’ll be able to start with students. But the orphanage has a few young ladies that are already about that age (to enter a vocational program), so they’re hoping that we can get this going pretty quick so they can start.”
A short-term missions trip is being planned for February of 2006 to go help in the medical clinic. CWO is looking for medical professionals who are willing to use their skills to serve people there.
If you are interested in donating eyeglasses, going on the short-term trip, or supporting the vocational training center project, contact Christian World Outreach by following the highlighted link above.
