“It was a deal breaker,” Alford recalled sadly. “I’ve never asked anybody in my life for money.” Since leaving home after high school, she had paid her own way — through college, Peace Corps, nursing school. Her plan all along was to work for a non-governmental organization — a non-profit relief agency, UNICEF, Doctors Without Borders or other group that would pay her a salary. Alford hates public speaking and detests anything that feels like self-promotion. “That’s creepy. You think about raising money for a project. It’s exciting to raise money for a clinic or to buy medical supplies. But to raise money for my living expenses so I can go buy Cheetos or whatever? That’s just…No.” But her Bayshore friends had a different reaction. They would raise her support — all of it. Gloria Scarle, who has been friends with her since Alford first moved to Tampa, is the point person for all of Bayshore’s assistance for Alford. She handles her bank accounts, insurance, retirement plan and other bills —
things that would be hard to do long distance, especially from an island essentially cut off from the world. “I’m in charge of fundraising, but I’m the world’s worst fundraiser,” Scarle said. But it turned out she was pretty successful. In the past eight years, the church has provided more than $254,000 in financial support for Alford and her work. And until recently the church was Alford’s sole financial support. “It requires very little effort because everybody loves her,” Scarle said. Alford’s passion and personality “make what I do so much easier,” she added. “There are a lot of people who love her and love what she does.” Bayshore decided to support Alford with designated gifts and special offerings. It was the first — and only — time Bayshore has funded a specific missionary directly. Bayshore is designated as Alford’s Encourager Church, a congregation that links up with a specific CBF field personnel or team to provide assistance in four areas — funding, prayer, administration and short-term mission engagement.
In 2007, with her funding dilemma resolved, Alford was ready to return to her beloved Morocco. But visa problems forced a change of direction — like 8,000 miles to the southeast. Alford joined a CBF medical ministry in Sumatra, traveling on a boat that provided free medical care to villagers along Indonesia’s Musi River. “I absolutely loved the boat ministry. I was so happy doing that. It was an amazing experience!” Three years later, on October 25, 2010, an earthquake off Sumatra’s western coast triggered a tsunami that killed 500 people on the small island chain of Mentawai (MEN-ta-why), 400 miles away from Alford’s location. The need was urgent. Meanwhile, funding was running out for the boat ministry and Alford was looking for options. A friend invited Alford to join a relief effort in Mentawai led by an Indonesian Christian group, CFK, which was funded by Baptist World Aid Australia among others. The four islands of Mentawai sit on a major fault line that is part of the infamous Pacific Ring of Fire.
CBF field personnel Karen Alford (first row, far right) serves on the Mentawai islands of Indonesia, using her skills as a Registered Nurse alongside non-governmental organizations to support long-term, sustainable community development.
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