Back to Togo I Go. . .

Dear family and friends,

As I sit down to write this letter to you all, I am acutely aware of my inability to write this letter adequately. I simply have to use Paul's words to the Thessalonians:

We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

You are those who have labored in love for the Gospel, those who have been steadfast in the hope of Christ. As such, I desire to include you in my plans to return to Togo, West Africa from November 12- 22, 2015.  The country of Togo has held a place deep in my heart since my initial medical mission trip there in March of 2014. While there I experienced the beauty of worship unclouded by excess, the dark burden of voodoo across generations, and the miracle of spiritual and physical healing.

The people of Togo possess large physical and spiritual needs. One of my favorite patients I encountered was an 11-year-old girl in the village of Kpove. She came unaccompanied to our clinic, bearing a large burn on her thigh from a moped accident a few days earlier. She also happened to be the daughter of the voodoo leader in that village. Her approach was timid and fearful, and my heart was torn for her. I do not know to what extent she has been the victim of the physical, spiritual, and mental atrocities of voodoo, but I was determined to show her the love of Christ that day. Unfortunately, her wound required fairly significant debridement--the removal of dead flesh to allow for the growth of healthy tissue. As you can imagine, this is a painful process, which requires courage to endure. Through it all, she assisted in holding her leg as it shook from the pain, tears streamed down her face, but she never cried out. After debriding the wound and training her in creating a wet-to-dry dressing, I got the opportunity to tell her about a perfect Father, one who loved us enough to send his Son to live a perfect life and die for our sins. I don’t know what the condition of her heart was in that moment, but I do pray that a seed was sown that will one day blossom into a beautiful faith.

When I was initially asked to return to Togo, there was hesitation and fear. A lot has happened in West Africa in the past 18 months. However, Togo remains peaceful and, miraculously, Ebola-free. As I prayed through this decision, my mind continually returned to the joy in Togolese worship. For the past year, I have longed to stand beside the unfettered adoration of my Togolese brothers and sisters as they come before the Lord. Another key factor in my decision was the ability to collaborate with other providers on the trip and triage the medical and surgical needs of patients. This collaboration ensures that support dollars are not only spent faithfully, but creatively as well. Last year, we were able to utilize the Togolese community to meet needs for one another and stretch the value of a support dollar. For example, we saw a young patient with glaucoma who required $8/month for eye drops to maintain what little sight he had. He was the son of a farmer, and we were able to pay his family monthly to provide food for local twin girls who were severely malnourished. It was a joy to brainstorm together and overcome obstacles to love and care for these people.

I will be traveling with a group of 11 individuals from Seacoast Church in Charleston, SC. We will be traveling to three villages throughout the country. Seacoast has a unique ministry partnership with Pioneers Africa, and all three villages have been identified as specifically needing an inroad for the gospel. We are praying that medical care will provide an open door for relationships with the missionaries currently in these villages.

In order to make this trip possible, I need to raise $3400. This cost will cover flights, food, shelter, transportation, translators, medications, equipment, and visas. Donations can be made by check payable to “Seacoast Church” (see enclosed form) or online at http://www.seacoast.org/mount-pleasant/missions/global-missions/missions-togo-nov2015 (click “Support this trip” on the bottom right). Any excess will go to a fund for the patients whose medical needs require surgical intervention or to those who may have a pressing medication or medical equipment need. At the end of the week, the providers come together and triage — prioritize according to severity and urgency — these needs, spending this lump sum to changes lives. For example, last year we paid for a 19 year old to have orthopedic surgery on a non-displaced femur fracture that had occurred three years prior and prevented him from walking—this cost a little over $150.

Finally, I covet your prayers above all else. This list of requests is by no means exhaustive, but please pray for the following:

•       That the light of Christ would go before us and shine brightly amidst the darkness of idolatry and voodoo, and that His victory over the sin that declares all guilty and condemns all to death would be proclaimed boldly.

•       That the Lord would be setting apart those patients that have the greatest needs, and that we would rest in His sovereignty over the physical and spiritual needs of those whom we will be unable to treat.

•       That the Lord would provide physical health for the team, safe transport of all necessary supplies, and unity and grace among team members in the midst of physical and spiritual challenge.

•        That the Lord would broaden my vision for global missions, providing insights that can be used for future missions.

Thank you for partnering with me in ministry as I go to Togo. I look forward to writing you again following the trip and telling you all that the Lord has done!

In Christ alone,

Catharine