A large percentage of our flying is for patients requiring medical attention that they cannot get in their village. Many of our missionaries set up clinics in the early stages of language and culture learning. These clinics can treat the majority of ailments because most of them are caused by poor drinking water sources and unsanitary living conditions. However, there are times that the clinics cannot provide sufficient care and a person needs to be flown out for help. In these cases it really is a life-or-death situation.
We don’t enjoy seeing people suffer, but we do like being a part of these medical flights. It is such an immediate and tangible way to help people who can’t help themselves. We always hope and pray that this leads them to be humbled enough to see God’s love for them to provide help for their physical suffering so that ultimately He can save them from their spiritual suffering.
It is always such a joy to help these dear people live to hear the Good News of God’s rescue operation in their own language. As an example, the Banwaon people recently received Ephesians in their own language. They can read and understand the passage below, and there a number of them who are here today reading it because they were whisked away on a medivac flight. Can you imagine what it would be like to live life in spiritual darkness and fear and then read this message from your Creator for the first time in your own language? This is what it is all about!
Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. –Ephesians 2:1-10