Nurses for the Nations
ANNUAL REPORT 2016 NFTN in the Heartlands of Zimbabwe 2016 Dear Friends and Supporters in the work of Christ, Another year is complete! How can we say thanks? Your generosity and heartfelt support in 2016 helped complete yet another twelve-months of successful service initiatives through both local and international platforms to bring compassionate care to the sick and hurting, and promote the tangible love of the Gospel. We hope you enjoy our Annual Report. It is a reflection of your love and faithfulness to those we serve. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your generosity this past season and your continuing faithfulness as partners-in-care. In Christ, Mary McMahon, ​Founder of Nurses for the Nations and NFTN Board of Directors In 2016, Nurses for the Nations accomplished a generous amount of service work, testifying once again, to the power of Christ, his grace, provisions and faithfulness despite our small group of core servants and leaders. NFTN started off the year with discussion by our Board of Directors, headed by Russell Lake M.D., Chair, with revamping our mission and vision statements to reflect our deeper global statement of outreach for 2017 and beyond. In July 2016, we presented the vision and global impact plan to Compassion Christian Church Global Outreach, in Savannah, Georgia. New Vision Impact people in all nations by sharing the love of Jesus through spiritual and physical healing New Mission To advance the efforts of our local and international partners by sharing God-given medical and nursing knowledge, talents and resources to promote the Gospel. 2 In addition, we pledged to further establish a health education curriculum with each partner, on-going quarterly communication and identification of at least one local leader in addition to our partners, to accompany and work with our teams during our international service initiatives. Ecuador 2016 In June of 2016, our team of servants traveled to Ecuador and provided home visitations amounting to 2,500 treatment days and 1, 030 curative treatments. Teaching and training ensued in the home setting, where personal contact touched the hearts of the poor and lives were changed in a more personal setting, with over one-hundred souls ministered to by the hands and feet of Jesus through the team. 3 Zimbabwe 2016 In September, another team embarked to the lands of Zimbabwe and headed out from Mhondoro, north, to a remote area eight hours by van, to bring compassionate care and treatment to villagers. A native born team from ADMT accompanied them, including a pastor, which made all the difference with combined care, love and support. Truly, the definition of unity was in full force as over 780 individuals were treated and prayed for. In all, within a week's time, 8,730 treatment days and 1,906 curative treatments were offered. The team marveled at the graciousness and hospitality of our partners, who were always available to meet the needs of our team members and make them feel right at home, despite being halfway across the world in a remote area! The spirit of Jesus prevailed, even through the ruggedness of the trip. Men, women and children were prayed for and spirit of Jesus evident through the love and healing of His people. 4 The team saw many individuals with high blood pressure, diabetes, skin and wound issues, infections and other illnesses, working tirelessly throughout in the villages to help ease burden of sickness, provide teaching and training and bring the love of Jesus to the men. women and children at the clinic. Ecuador 2016 The year cumulated internationally with another full team to Ecuador to the townships to offer medical clinic, teaching and training to the Ecuadorian people with our partners Helping Hands across Ecuador. The group, led by Dr. Russell Lake, provided medical treatments and medications to over eight-hundred men, women and children; providing 18, 352 treatment days and 1,693 curative treatments. The team was accompanied by our partners in the field, translators and a large consortium of support during the mission. 5 ​The Medical Needs of the Ecuadorian People Pictured here, is Dr. Lake with the team in the community room, triaging patients and providing treatments by establishing stations and organized care tables. Men, women and children were prayed for by the team along along with rendering of church services, bonding and ability to make lasting friendships centered on Christ and his love for the church and people of God. “ For the needy will not be forgotten, and the expectation of the poor shall not perish.” Psalm 8 V : 18. 6 Ecuador 2016,​ one of our NFTN Registered Nurses, Reese, taking the problem history of one woman and her children in order to provide way for treatment with the team concerning family medical issues. Neighborhood H.O.P.E​ The year finished with local outreach, spearheaded by Nancy Kowolik, a member of the NFTN board. Nancy took the helm, along with the board’s leadership group, to help establish, Neighborhood H.O.P.E., NFTN’s new service with local response to the needs of the Savannah and surrounding communities. This was the first launching project in the Savannah area, a health fair in co-partnership with the First Spanish Baptist Church on Route 17, 1 Gamble Road, in Savannah, Georgia. Clinic Clean-up days commenced on October 17th and the 18th, with volunteer help from Church members and NFTN members, who worked together to launch a clean-up project of their dormant health clinic (unused for three years) . The October 2016 clean-up crew was directed by Renee Morton, NFTN Board Member, along with help from Nancy Kowolik, 7 Mary McMahon, members of the Spanish Church as a launching point for the community Health Fair day in November 2016. NFTN received additional donor assistance for Thrivent Financial, who assisted the ministry by sponsoring the event through seed money, which helped pay for supplies, and other sorely needed materials for the Health Fair. 8 9 Neighborhood H.O.P.E All in all, approximately two-hundred spanish community members attended the health fair, with representation from the community with EFNEP, Peach State Health Plan, Georgia Skin and Cancer clinic, Spinal Services with Bright Life Chiropractic, M.K. Cosmetics, Daraluz Birthing, Domestic Shelter services for women, Safe Shelter, Georgia Center for the Deaf and Hearing, and the Gift of healthy living through Juice Plus. Baskets of donated food, and even a barbeque, was provided by the Church during the event. Faith Promise In addition, NFTN participated in Faith Promise Week with Compassion Christian Church in Savannah, Georgia, in November, a ministry tradition, with manned booth by NFTN volunteers and ability to share about the ministry and service initiatives for future volunteers and hosted a dinner for our faith-partners at Renee and Jeff Morton’s home! The year cumulated with the total administration of 29, 583 treatment days with loads of medications delivered across the world and 4,629 curative treatments actually derived from 10 the medications through our supplier, Blessings International and hands of our medical and nursing teams. As 2016 came to an end, the NFTN leadership team gives thanks to our IT support through Jordan Smith, who converted all our paper processes to HIPPA compliant application forms electronically, to ease the process and expedite labor for volunteers applying for local or international activities. In addition, all of NFTN’s emails were transferred over to a new service application, free of charge for future use, saving money for the ministry. NFTN was not only grateful to all who participated in the year’s work but completely amazed at the Lord’s provisions, guidance and spirit of volunteerism in the community keeping the ministry afloat not only in 2016, but past eight years and counting. NFTN has been ministering to the poor and underserved since 2008, and has now served, over 11,000 individuals in the field and brought the message and comfort of the gospel to the world; while additionally financially supporting the work of Christ in Pakistan, the Middle East. We especially thank Compassion Christian Church for their financial help, Pastor Dave Stewart, GO Outreach Director for CCC and his wonderful team of work-a-bees for their love and support! All of NFTN participants are volunteers and donate a couple hours a month with meeting activity and even more volunteering activity through NFTN service projects. Interested in joining our group of leaders?​ Contact us at ​[email protected]​. We’ve been praying for you to become a part of our mission team family ! 11