Inspire, Fall 2007

Inspire 11 Feature In April and May 2007, TLC’s 33 mobile clinics treated more than 7,668 patients, dispensed 70,000 medicine packets, and fitted 3,017 people with eyeglasses. What few Americans realize is that children in Africa die of easily treatable conditions, such as hay fever, because they lack even basic medicines. Something minor and simple by our standards, such as a small cut, becomes problematic because of the absence of proper tools. A minor cut becomes infected and leads to much larger complications. One man’s leg was cut by a barbed-wire fence five years ago. Now, maggot-infested and severely infected, TLC was forced to treat the problem through amputation. Yet the man was overjoyed to be free from the pain. Dehydration, infection, intestinal parasites, skin disorders, and other maladies are common in third world countries. The TLC trailers are designed to be their nearest hospital. The Swazis are dying at a young age from complications related to AIDS. Swaziland has the highest HIV- positive rate in the world. The average life expectancy is just 32 years, and half of the children in Swaziland are orphans. The VanderWals are thankful to be living out their dreams for doing God’s work in this little African country. God’s Spirit is moving across that land. Harry and Echo shared their ministry details with great excitement, always giving the glory to God. When asked what keeps them going back to Swaziland, they responded, “This is our passion and calling. Nothing else in life brings contentment — not happiness, but contentment — like being with Africans in the bush. No earthly experience can match seeing the Spirit of God move in a land devastated by AIDS, death, famine, poverty, and drought. When we meet the Swazis and treat them, they have such a sense of hope. They aren’t looking for tomorrow, but live for today — something we in the United States could learn. They aren’t upset when we leave. They are just glad that we came.” “We tell the Swazis about the love of Jesus, and that is the whole point of what we do,” Harry said. “We tell them that our medication will only help for a short while, but we pray, through our being here, that they can see the love of Jesus who can give them eternal healing.” Because the Swazis are seeking something beyond themselves, they are very receptive to Jesus. After medical treatment, TLC presents a translated version of the movie The Passion of the Christ . It is shown two or three times per day. This year, 4,017 have accepted Christ (that TLC is aware of) and 4,174 Bibles have been distributed. There are still many untouched areas in Swaziland. While Harry and Echo are at home in Idaho, they have a network of Swazis that scour the bush to find those in need. Echo explained, “The network gives us a site analysis and plan so that we can effectively find and treat the Swazis. This network also keeps in touch with the Swazis who have accepted Christ.” The VanderWals’ prayer is that in the next couple of years, as their support base expands, they will spend 8 to 10 months each year in Africa. They have been asked to introduce their ministry to other countries, including Kenya, South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. In the face of new opportunities and new challenges, Harry and Echo retain the same perspective: “We look forward to the plans He has for us.” I Harry VanderWal, MD, and Echo VanderWal, PA, serve in Africa as medical missionaries. Harry and Echo married 11 years ago and have four sons: six-year-old triplets, Luke, Jacob, and Zebadiah, and three-year-old son Zion. For more information, e-mail Harry and Echo at vanderwal@lukecommission.org, call 208-610-8218/866-351-1254, visit www.lukecommission.org, or write to The Luke Commission, PO Box 1335, Sagle, ID 83860. Kara Niemotka Gibbs ’96 is a writer and copy editor for Cedarville University. She currently resides in Cedarville, Ohio, and married Brent Gibbs ’96 on August 25, 2007. While residing in Chicago, Kara was a writer for her neighborhood newsletter and Beltone Corp. She also was a contributing writer for the Columbus Dispatch . Kara is a graduate of Cedarville University’s language and literature program. You can reach her at karagibbs@cedarville.edu .