"Changing Lives... One Heart at a Time"
|
"Changing Lives... One Heart at a Time"
|
 |
|||||
| Features & Programs | | Home | | Events | | About Us | | News & Press | | Contact Us |
|
|||||
Organization Online Fax:
1-801-203-5538 Contacts: Drew Kratz drew@impactinghearts.org * Call Drew directly at 310-780-9876 Tom Caldwell tom@impactinghearts.org Eric Garthoffner eric@impactinghearts.org Chris Jahng chris@impactinghearts.org Impacting Hearts is a 501(c)(3) organization, tax payer ID number is 75-3214633
       IHF Logo Design by Shelley Burnett |
 | |
From Drew Kratz, October 2006Click on the Thumbnails images for larger photos! As some of you may know I went on a mission trip to Manaus Brazil this past September. I've never been on a mission trip and didn't know what to expect. I just wanted to be available to be used by God, and help others that are not so fortunate in this world we live in. I've always been cynical about people that went on mission trips ever since my first year in college. I went to a Christian college and during Spring Break, there were a lot of students that went on mission trips to the Developing and Third World countries. They came back and we the student body had to listen to their testimony of their mission trip. They went on and on about how their mission trip had changed their life. My thoughts were, "Changed your life? Yeah right, you guys need to get a life". I guess you can clearly say that Christ was not really in my life, I was just playing that "Christian role". I can now say my life and my attitude have changed dramatically since then. This past July, I was at the Foundry Bible study at Bel Air Presbyterian Church. They announced there was a team going to the Amazons in Brazil and were short of men. I've never wanted to go nor had the desire to go on a mission trip. However, when they announced they needed a team to go on the hospital boat going down the Amazon River to give free medical care to the people that lived along the river, I felt God asking me to do this. Since I'm in Business Development in health care, I thought I could help coordinate and bring free medical supplies and medication from my contacts, next thing I know, I decided to go and be part of the team. There were fifteen of us from Bel Air Pres and we met a team of Brazilians down there.        The Amazons in Brazil is very, very hot and humid. This was my biggest challenge. The Brazilian team was so amazing. I have never experienced other Christians that wanted to be used by God and did it so with so much love and sincerity. There was no self pride in their work. They did the work for the love of Christ. It was incredible and amazing to see other people from another county, a completely different culture praying and worshiping the same God we do with so much love, joy and faith; with so much sincerity for their love in Christ Jesus. We went down the Amazon River and stopped at a bunch of villages along the river. We administrated free medical and dental care, painted their school, church and their homes. We also played with the children and had vacation bible study with them. There were many moments and experience we were blessed by being on this mission trip. I'll share a few with you.        We were at this one village that didn't seem like the people needed that much medical care. The doctor and nurses were packing up for the day when this boy approached and said there is a girl that is sick and may have malaria. The medical team, pastor, the two Brazilian missionary women and a few from the Bel Air Pres group went to see this girl. When they approached the house made of shingles of wood, they saw the girl in raggedy dress lying on the bare hardwood floor trying to say cool as possible, let me remind you again this place is very hot and humid. She had fecal matter on and around her; she was menstruating, had skin ulcerations and was very dehydrated. If any of you know or has seen anyone that has skin ulcerations, let me tell you, it's very painful to have any pressure on it. She was 25 years old, however she looked like she was 15 years old. She felt embarrassed when the team arrived. They found out her mother was the only one taking care of her until she the mother came down with malaria herself. The men in the village didn't know how to take care of her and there weren't any other women in this village. So, this girl was basically dying of malaria and dehydration. The team came back to us and asked us to help. We pitched in money for medication and water mattress for her to lie on. The girls on the trip also donated a few used clothes for her. We also gave her a pink mosquito netting to go around her mattress. After the medical team gave her some medication and cleaned her up, they gave her the clothes, mattress and the pink mosquito netting. She was smiling and had tears of joy running down her face. She said she felt like a princess with these "new clothes" and the pink mosquito netting around her. It was incredible. Not only did we help her out, but we were blessed by her love and joy. That's what we are called to do as Christians, to bring the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth as Christ has called us to do. To help and give others who don't have anything. To give them that joy that Christ gives us through our ups and downs. Another moment that I was blessed by was an elderly couple in the 60's . They lived by themselves and have one child, a son. After we got to know them a bit, the pastor asked them if they ever heard of Jesus. The women said she had a couple times and the man said he never heard of Jesus. The pastor asked them if they were ever considered giving up their son for the sake of others and they said no and why would anyone do that. He explained that's what God did for us. After some time had passed, we stood up and held hands as the pastor prayed. Then I heard the couple repeated the same thing the pastor was saying and soon realized they were asking Christ to come into their life. Even though I didn't understand a word being said, I knew what they were saying and I was quite moved by it. I've never been part of something that special and felt bless to be so.        The last night we were there, half of our team was sick to some degree or another. The weather had really beaten us down. When we went to sleep on the deck of the boat, our bodies didn't restore itself like it should after ones day is done. The clothes and the sheets on us became damp around 2-3am and it was very hot and humid to really sleep well. Every night we had worship with the people at the village. Some of us gave a testimony about how God came into our life. As I've said, half of us were sick and beaten up physically by the last day. I was one of them and I didn't know how I was going to make it through that day. I prayed and asked God to give me strength and motivation for one more night. I'm sure everyone else was praying the same thing. When I walked into their church, it was so hot and humid, I really couldn't take it. I wanted to leave. They started the service with the children singing. These little children were singing to the top of their lungs. They were jumping up and down with smiles praising God. We were so moved by it that we were smiling, laughing with joy and started to jump up and down with the children. They gave us this huge surge of energy. It was am amazing and wonderful experience. I was blessed to experience this mission trip. It gave me a different perspective on life. In retrospect, the Brazilian mission team taught me a better understanding in serving God and loving Him. How can you say you love God that you can't see if you can't love, help and serve a fellow person that you can see? Christ has modeled this for us. If you've never been on a mission trip and curious to go on one, or wanting to and you have the chance to do so, I encourage you to go for it. Be available, be open. Let Christ fill you up with His Spirit; to love and to be used to help others that aren't fortunate as us. It changed my life; perhaps it will change yours as well. God Bless Drew Kratz 
 Who We Are... A new non-profit organization dedicated to making a positive difference in people's lives by providing resources, hope and inspiration for a better tomorrow! The visions and dreams of our partnership to these individuals, families, groups, communities and even economies in need will be shared with grace, accountability and love in the name of Jesus Christ. |
||||||||
|
| Official Site of Impacting Hearts | © Impacting Hearts Foundation. All Rights Reserved. |
