Unique Logistics

I’ve been intrigued by the name, Unique Logistics International, ever since they moved into our office complex here in the Chicago area. When I write my first espionage novel, I am for sure going to use this name. It conjures up all sorts of story plots in my mind. Perhaps they are a “Mission Impossible” organization that takes on incredibly difficult jobs that help keep the world safe from evildoers! I imagine their CEO having the last name “Bond” and liking his martinis shaken, not stirred!

Fortunately, the name Unique Logistics International also reminds me of some very real and heroic ministry work that Wheat Ridge Ministries has been blessed to help seed over the years in locations around the world. Sharing health and hope in Christ’s name requires the leaders of these initiatives to be very creative, dedicated and brave as they manage the logistics necessary to provide services to people where they are needed. 

When I think about the international ministries that have taken on the challenge of unique logistics during my 23 years of service at Wheat Ridge, many come to mind.  Here are just a few of the many new international ministries we have had the privilege to seed that are particularly memorable to me:

The China Rehabilitation Project – For more than 15 years, beginning in the late 1980s, Wheat Ridge helped volunteer medical teams whose goal was to bring healing to children with physical disabilities in China. Led first by Dr. Marcy Ditmanson and his wife, Joyce, and later by another talented leader, Kay Dole, these teams taught medical professionals in China how to use modern surgical methods as well as physical and occupational therapy. I was always amazed at how these teams managed the logistics of getting large quantities of donated medical equipment into China and moving around the country through various connections with the medical community in China. Our teams were among the very first to be provided access to orphanages in several Chinese cities, where many children with disabilities were placed by parents who didn’t know how to care for them. As a result of their teaching, the quality of life for thousands of children in China improved.

Care of Widows, Cows for Kids Project – Imagine being a poor widow living in poverty in rural India. Local customs prohibit you from being employed. You are desperate to provide for your children. Lutheran churches in southern India found a unique way to help – provide the widow and her family with a cow! The pastors and other leaders in these churches solved some difficult logistics to make this happen. Milk from the cow was not only a source of sustenance for the family but also a source of income as the milk was able to be sold. Thousands of children and families in the United States supported Wheat Ridge’s “Care of Widows, Cows for Kids” mission education program and their generosity helped us invest over $300,000 in this effort. One of the most moving experiences of my life was participating in the ceremonies in the small villages as church members gifted the cow to the widow and prayed over the family.

Hope for Grieving Children – Through a logistical miracle, God led a Christian psychologist, Dick Matteson, to visit the African country of Zambia. There he learned that children in many towns were being raised by caregivers other than their parents. The reason? The parents had died from HIV/AIDS. Dick also learned that these caregivers were having a very difficult time caring for these children because they were misbehaving. The caregivers, and other adults in their towns and villages, did not understand that these children were acting out because they had received no help as they grieved the loss of their parents. Dick developed a curriculum to teach caregivers how to help children. To solve the logistical challenge of delivering this training, Dick engaged with local churches. A non-profit organization, Hope for Grieving Children-Africa, was incorporated to provide structure and support. During the past several years, hundreds of people have participated in the training and many local trainers have been equipped to deliver the training. Thousands of children have been helped. A wonderful “part two” of this story is that the leader of another Wheat Ridge-seeded project, BLOOM Africa, which helps provide education for children in Lesotho, Africa, learned about this healing ministry and this training is now being delivered to caregivers of orphans there.

Bright Stars of Bethlehem – In the town of Bethlehem, Palestine, where Jesus was born, less than 2% of the population is Christian and the city is totally surrounded by a 20-foot high wall, with access in and out severely restricted. Talk about a logistical challenge! Yet sharing the love of Christ with the people of Bethlehem is the mission that Rev. Mitri Raheb and God’s people at Christmas Lutheran Church pursue. By God’s grace, thousands of people have been touched in Christ’s name as this congregation has overcome tremendous logistical challenges to develop a wellness center, an elementary school, programs for older adults, and even a university focused on the arts!

 

One of the reasons I love the mission of Wheat Ridge Ministries is that we are able to meet and learn from leaders who have clearly been moved by God’s Spirit to respond to the Gospel by caring about the welfare of others. It’s impossible not to be inspired by these leaders as they take on all of the unique logistics required to share the love of Christ with others in Word and deed. They are great examples of people who draw strength from the same assurance that the apostle Paul expressed, “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

What great news it is that God’s plan for addressing the unique logistics of telling the world about the healing Christ involves calling each of us to love and care for our neighbors using our unique gifts and talents. And what a blessing it is to be led by God’s Spirit wherever our neighbors may be!