Missions – Meeting the Needs of Body and Soul
Right now there is a great deal of buzz about Health Care and what the new law means for everyone. I am sure the debate will continue to rage as everyone wants to be heard. All of this discussion and debate has caused me to think about ministries that are concerned about both Health Care and Soul Care.
This Health Care is motivated by the compassion of people who care for both the body and soul. This Health Care is given by volunteers who have taken time off work, paid their own expenses and traveled to a distant country to make a difference.
What would cause someone to go to these lengths to meet physical needs? The answer is they care about people. Their burden for Soul Care (seeing people turning from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God) manifests itself in taking care of people’s needs. Don’t get me wrong: this is not a “bait and switch” just so they can talk about Jesus. It is a demonstration of genuine love for people.
One of the ministries leading the way is Word of Life’s Nehemiah Network. It is a ministry which combines sharing the truth of the Gospel with meeting physical needs. Through medical missions, construction work teams or emergency relief they insert themselves into the culture, right into the trenches. They take individuals or church teams to ministry locations where they can use their training and skills while communicating the love of Christ.
Recently they took a medical team to Guatemala and had an incredible impact both on the physical and spiritual needs of the people. I challenge you to watch the Guatemala video and be blessed as you see how God used them to make a difference.
Butch Jarrell, the Nehemiah Network Coordinator shared how people walked for miles to receive care. One man who was having heart trouble rode a bike several miles just to receive help. Children were vaccinated who had never seen a doctor in their life. The stories are moving and convicting.
On top of the blessing of helping people physically, this team had the opportunity to see many say “Yes” to Jesus, putting their simple faith in Him. So every time you hear someone talking about Health Care (and that is going to dominate our news for a while), why not be reminded of Soul Care. Why not consider being a part of a mission’s team that is meeting the needs of both the body and the soul?
