Developing Workers exists to mobilize the work of discipleship here locally and around the world.
Thank you for continuing to be a part of that work! You are our valued partner in ministry.
Locally, we focus intently on building up pastors, ministry leaders, and church staff. Much of the impact is found in mentoring relationships as our team hears and discerns the areas that these leaders need refreshment or further equipping to fulfill their call to make disciples.
Globally, a great deal of impact is found in services we offer by being present on the field. Strategic pastoral trainings in Biblical discipleship are imperative as training is especially lacking overseas, so our Foundations team travels to equip leaders in person.
In the underserved nations of the world, Developing Workers has become a bridge for the pastors and ministry partners we work with to meet the needs of their communities and to open the door to more discipleship. Mobilize Medical has been our avenue to do so through on-site medical clinics, offered through volunteer trip participants working alongside our staff.
Experience clinic through the firsthand stories of trip volunteers as some share what it’s like to walk a patient through each station – and to see the Lord move!
Steps of Faith – H’s story
Imagine with us what it is to be “H”, a 42 year old Tanzanian woman, experiencing Mobilize Medical clinic’s various stations. Hear the stories from the lens of our volunteers as “H” passed through their clinic stops.
Registration
“H” needed support through the registration process to fill out paperwork as she had very poor mobility. She couldn’t walk up the steps to Nutrition, so her daughter and I walked her around to the side door… I stayed close to be able to help her to [the next station].
– Laura
Nutrition & Pharmacy
Patients are given nutritional assessments, vitamins, dental hygiene instruction, and deworming medicine to help them thrive after our teams are gone. We stayed close to “H” to help her through this step and the next… it seemed she needed even more support to walk. While she was in Pharmacy waiting, I got her deworming medicine and vitamins and brought them to her.
– Laura
CSI (Community Safety Initiative)
My CSI Hero and I assisted “H” in walking to our station. She needed a lot of help. During the interview when we asked if she is afraid at home, she mentioned something about being afraid of cooking and motioned towards her arms. The translator didn’t have any additional clarification at that point, but it came across like a general fear after some previous accident cooking. With 2 people, we were able to move her to the next station to be examined.
– Dana
Examination
When I saw “H” making her way to my station, she was using other chairs to support her, and my translator and I had to come assist her to her seat for fear she was going to fall. My assessment began with a glance at her CSI form to find out that she had been recently scared of cooking from an accident. After covering general health questions, I asked her what was bothering her to see if she would share similar needs with me as she did with [CSI]… She was cooking in her kitchen when something from the stove electrocuted her, she explained. She told my translator that it was like something “leaped and shot” out of the stove. An examination showed that after the shock, she had fallen on her back… She kept motioning to her lower back and hips in pain… We moved “H” to do a further examination in a private assessment area. It seemed like she was getting weaker and weaker and that we needed more people to support her… Once in the new area, I began asking her daughter what happened to try to get another perspective. Her story was that her mom was on her phone while cooking, got shocked, fell, and then went to the hospital. It seemed the only true issue at hand was her inability to walk due to what seemed like a broken hip. [“H” was with us quite a while, and the swelling of her back, pelvic area, and upper thighs increased.] Her strength was decreasing and the pain and fear was setting in. After making sure she got her meds, I saw Gladness [our ministry partner] begin to pray with her.
– Macey
Spiritual Counseling
[When H came to my station], I could see that she was in pain and looked uncomfortable. David [my translator] started conversing with her and spoke for several minutes. He then told me that what he was hearing didn’t make sense. He told me that what happened started with her on her phone in her kitchen and she experienced an electrical shock that knocked her down. The fuel tank that was mounted on the wall then fell off and landed on her. He believed that story made no sense and that these two things didn’t associate with each other. He asked more questions in Swahili. After more discussion, it was made clear that the shock H experienced also affected her daughter, and when an electrician inspected the home, no problem was found. David said again that it didn’t make sense and that it was spiritual. Nothing about the electricity and the fuel tank aligned.
David said she wanted us to pray for her. I pushed David to share the Gospel with her and tell her she needs to accept Jesus if she believes this is a spiritual oppression. After some more discussion with H, David said she was ready but wanted to go somewhere private. We tried to move her but upon standing she was in great pain. At that point she said she wanted to sit back down and pray there. Gladness (translator) began to pray, and H was repeating after her. After she had finished, David motioned for me to pray over her. I don’t know my prayer or how long it was but I believe that I asked for Jesus to free her from this oppression. What happened next was God at work like I’ve only read about.
I finished my prayer and looked up and H was shaking, almost in a trance -like state, but her whole body was shaking. To say I was taken back by that is an understatement, but David and Gladness knew what to do. They both immediately laid hands on her and started praying. Since that’s what appeared to be the right thing to do I joined in. (I want to mention that with all women through the clinic, and especially those who practice Islam, I was very careful to never touch or lay hands on them without permission first. I noticed David was also very cognizant of this as well, but this was now an extenuating situation!) I do not know what Gladness was praying or for how long it went but I remember hearing authority in Gladness’s prayer. At a point during this prayer, the shaking stopped and H’s head fell forward but Gladness caught it. Her hands lifted on her own and David asked her, ”What is your name?” He asked her twice and she answered with “H” twice. I was just beginning to process what just happened when H stood up. David and I went to help her but she gently pushed us off saying something in Swahili – she wanted to walk on her own, upright. David looked at me smiling, and he told me she said she didn’t want help. This woman who could barely move 10 feet from one chair to another stood up and walked out on her own! I got to witness the Holy Spirit at work like I’ve never imagined.
– Stan
Make a difference this year-end!
As 2023 is soon coming to a close, have you already considered where you would like your charitable giving to go?
We invite you to change the world with us by investing in discipleship through the work of Developing Workers. We aim to raise $50,000 by December 31, and we are getting close to that goal… but there’s still more ground to cover!
Will you help us close the gap so the impact of our ministry continues on into 2024 and beyond?!
If you’d like to be a continued part of seeing Developing Workers thrive next year, there’s still time to utilize your charitable year-end gifts by donating to an area of our ministry.
We are sincerely grateful for your commitment to Developing Workers.
If you’ve chosen to partner with us today by offering a tax-deductible financial gift, thank you. God provides for our work through your generous giving, and we couldn’t do it without your investment in the ministry.
Thank you for joining the ripple effect and supporting discipleship!
