V I S I O NNewsletterLove In Action

CELEBRATING 35 YEARS OF MINISTRY BECAUSE OF YOU! Yoursacrificialgivingandselflessparticipa-tionovertheyearshavemadeadeepimpactinmanynationsaroundtheworld.PleaserejoiceinhowGodmovedthroughfellowVIMMboardmemberandteamleaderKirbyPhillipsinremarkablewaysonarecentsolotriptoHaiti.BelowisKirby’sremarkablestoryinhisownwords... “Now unto him that is able to do abundant-ly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh within us...” Ephesians 3:20,21 AsfollowersofChrist,wehavereadandheardthisversequotedmanytimes.ButwestillmarvelwhenGodworksinwaysthatsurpriseus.SuchwasthecasewithmyrecenttriptoHaiti,February26toMarch5th.Proverbs16:9says,“Aman’sheartdevisethhisway:buttheLorddirectethhissteps.”Wecanmakeplans,butweneedtheLordtodirectourstepsforthoseplanstosucceed.

EarlierthisyearIdecidedtovisittheVillageHealthcareWorker(VHW)programinHaititoseehowitwasoperatingandtoencouragetheworkersintheirefforts.TheprograminHaitiwasestablishedinJuly2020underthesupervisionandleadershipofDr.

WilnetonAntoine. Currentlyfive(5)villagesintheCentralPlateauregionofHaitiarebeingservedbyfive(5)trainedVHWsandDr.Antoine.Around750Haitiansbenefitfromthisprogrammonthly.Ialsohadasecondgoalforthetrip;tovisitthelargeislandofLagonave,offthecoastofHaiti.Ihopetoplanafuturemedi-calmissiontripherewithVIMM.IdidnotknowthatGod’splanforthistripwouldincludeafull-fledgedmedicalmissionusingHaitiandoctorsandnursestoministertotheirownhurtingpeople! IamalwaysamazedhowGodcanbringpeopletogetheronVIMMtripstofulfillhispurpose.VIMMwaslookingforawaytogetmuchneededmedicineintoHaitifortheVHWprogram.SinceIwastravelingtoHaiti,Ivolunteeredtodeliveracouplesuitcasesfullofmedicine.Uponarriving,Imadethetwo-hourtriptotheCentralPlateauregionwheretheVHWsareworking.Thenextmorningatameeting,onebyonetheworkersexpressedtheirappreciationfortheprogramandtheimpactthatitishavingintheircommunities.Afterthemeeting,wedecidedtoholdamobilemedicalclinicatanearbychurch.

Kirby Phillips, Dr. Wilneton Antoine and five Haitian Village Healthcare Workers (left to right)

Church in Lascahobas, Haiti where medical clinic was held by Dr. Wilneton & VHWs

Summer2021www.vimm.org

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See Your Gifts of Love in Action in Haiti

65 Year-old Pastor able to Read the Bible Again after Receiving a Pair of 3.0 Readers

WewerewellreceivedinTiPalmisbythelocals.Overthenext2days,ourteamtreated400patients.TherewasamajorepidemicofscabiesonLagonave.Wewereabletoprovidesomemuchneededreliefandeducatethelocalsonscabiespreven-tion.WeworkedataclinicthatwasbuiltandequippedbyWorldVision.Accordingtothedoctorwhoworkedwithusandhadcompletedhis2-yearresidencythere,theclinicwasonlystaffedbyonedoctorandonenurse,toserveapopulationofover50,000people.Almostunfathomable!

Then,aladyfromthechurchtoldmethatshecouldnotseehersongbookwellenoughtosinganymore.IgaveherapairofglassesandhandedhermyHaitiansongbook.Shelookedatthewordsandstartedsinging,“ToGodbetheglory,greatthingsHehasdone.SolovedHetheworld,thatHegaveusHisSon.” Thenextday,IwenttopreachataHaitianchurchinanothervillage.Aftertheservice,ourHai-tianteamdidanunannouncedsurprisemobileclinic.Wesaw100patients.Itook100CreoleNewTesta-mentswithmetoHaiti.Thischurchhadrecentlyconcludedasuccessfulevangelisticcrusadewith49decisionsforChrist.Iwasabletogivethem49NewTestaments–oneforeachnewbeliever! ToreachtheislandofLagonave,inhabitedbymorethan55,000people,requirestakingaboatfromthemainland.Thetwoprincipalboatswere‘outoforder’.So,ourteamnowconsistingoffourHaitiandoctors,fourHaitiannursesandtwonon-medicalin-dividuals,managedtofindawoodenHaitian“speed-boat”totakethe45-minuterideacrosstheoceanandontotheisland.

Nurse Naika Sanon (center) Educating the People of Lagonave about Scabies Prevention

Ateamofthree(3)Haitiandoctorfriendsandthree(3)Haitiannursescametogetherwithmetodotheclinic.Wesaw150patientsinoneafternoon.IlettheHaitiandoctorsandnursestreattheirpatients,whileIfocusedondispensingreadingglasses.VIMMordered360pairsofreadingglassesformytriptoHaiti.The65-year-oldpastorofthechurchtoldmethathecouldnotseetoreadhisBible.Igavehimapairof3.0readingglassesandhestartedreadingmyCreoleBible!

Become a...VIMM AMBASSADOR!Joining our recurring gifts program is a great way to help VIMM continue to serve others by ensuring your support is there to help when it’s needed most. Enrolling is easy! Visit www.vimm.org to sign up TODAY!

Manypeoplewhoareseriouslyilldiebeforetheycanarrivebymotorcycletaxiovertheroughroadstothehospital,whichislocatedattheendoftheisland.AlthoughVIMMhadtocancelthescheduledMay2021missiontoLagonave,GodraisedupateamofHaitianmedicalprofessionalstobringsomeimme-diaterelieftotheneedypeopleofLagonave.Hope-fully,VIMMcanrescheduleatripinthenearfuturetoministertothepeopleonthisdesperateisland.GodprovedtousthatHecandoexceedingly,abundantlyaboveallthatweaskorthinkandthatHedirectsourstepswhenwewalkinobediencetoHiswill. KirbyPhillips

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VIMM EVENTS

Upcoming Events

Saturday October 9th South Cove County Park,

Seneca, SC

8:00AM Fun Run 8:30AM 5K

Sponsorships Available

www.vimm.org/events/events

Love In Action 5K

2022 Trip Schedule TRIPS DATESCameroon (2021) November 12-23 Haiti - Cange (2021) October 30 - Nov 6 Dominican Republic January 8-15 Ecuador - Riobamba January 8-15 Vietnam February 15-26 Honduras March 18-26 Dominican Republic March 19-26 Peru July (TBD) Honduras July (TBD) Tanzania (TBD)

2022 trip schedule is subject to change. Visit our website for up-to-date information.

www.vimm.org

Golf Tournament Experiences Tremendous Growth

The22ndAnnualVIMMGolfTournament,titlespon-soredbyTremontChurchofGod,wasa

wonderfuleventonabeautifulday;filledwithfuncontests,greatfoodandwarmweather!

Wewelcomed18teams,astrongincreaseinparticipationfromourlasttournamentin2019.

Asaresult,manynewgolferswereabletolearnmoreaboutVIMM’smissionandsolidimpactaroundthe

world.Our revenue totaled $17,027 a 200+% increase, Thanks to you!

GOLF TOURNAMENT SPONSOR HIGHLIGHTS

TitleSponsor Tremont Church of God

(Greenville,SC)

DiamondSponsorBTI, Inc.

www.btiinc.org

GoldSponsorMetropolitan Church

(Birmingham,AL)

Golfers enjoy delicious evening meal provided by Creekside Bar-be-que (Anderson, SC)

FounderStoneyAbercrombie,MDAnderson, South CarolinaOfficersBoard ChairmanGaryGoforth,MD Fort Myers, FloridaVice ChairmanRev.DouglasLeRoy Cleveland, TennesseeTreasurerNancyAlexis,MD Forest Lake, MinnesotaBoard MembersRev.EddieAllen,DMin Mauldin, SCNathan Bradford, MD Anderson, SCRev. Jason Browning Birmingham, AL StephanieDavis,PhD,APRN,FNP-BC Belton, SC MartinJohns,MD Jefferson Hills, PennsylvaniaJasenLaws Signal Mountain, Tennessee AshleyLee,MSN,RN,CNEGreenwood, South CarolinaAndyLeisring,RN Cincinatti, OHDanMaye Cleveland, TNLaurieMohler Powell, OHKirbyPhillips Royston, Georgia Rev.JackSollogub Tarpon Springs, Florida

Ex-officio MemberRev.RaySanders DeLand, Florida Staff MsibaDalton,ExecutiveDirector msibad@vimm.orgSherriHigham,TripCoordinator shigham@vimm.org

Web Site: www.vimm.orgEmail: missions@vimm.orgPhone: 800.615.8695 / 864.885.9023Fax: 864.885.9411

EvangelicalCouncilforFinancial

Accountability

Volunteers in Medical Missions265 S Cove Rd.Seneca, SC 29672-6712

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Honor and Memorial Gifts In Memory of

Bill LasherbyPeggyLasher-BentleyDavid Cleo GallowaybyLilaGalloway

Roger MedlinbyKayMedlin

In Honor of Don M. McIntosh byArchMcIntosh,Jr.

NONPROFIT.ORGU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDGREENVILLE, SCPERMIT NO. 113

Tomakeanonlinedonationgotowww.vimm.org/donate