IHS Global 2015 Newsletter

Giving Thanks to God for 20 Years of Ministry

~2015 MINISTRY REPORT~

20 years

-2015-

IHS Global | “They go where we cannot go.” | www.ihsglobal.org

*IN THIS ISSUE: Read on to learn all about how IHS Global is continuing to connect, train and coordinate Christian healthcare workers in order to share the love and reality of Jesus Christ with people around the world.

OUR CALLING: To utilize the amazing resource of indigenous Christian healthcare workers working within the world’s existing healthcare systems for sharing Jesus.

OUR VISION: For all Christian Healthcare workers to actively participate in the Great Commission resulting in the transformation of lives, families and communities.

OUR MISSION: To equip and mobilize Christian healthcare workers as witnesses for Christ in their workplace.

WE CELEBRATE… …individuals taking even the smallest step toward Jesus along their life journey.

OUR TOOL: The Saline Process is IHS Global’s healthcare witness training program.

GET CONNECTED!

PRESIDENT’S REPORT GREETINGS IN THE MIGHTY NAME OF JESUS, As I look back over this year, I am reminded of your prayers, financial gifts and continual interest in the work of IHS Global. It is with gratitude that I write.

We are entering our 20th year of ministry.

Could this be possible?

•To date, over 12,000 healthcare workers located in 85 countries have been trained as witnesses for Christ. This represents millions of encounters with patients EACH YEAR. They are equipped to use those moments with their patients for Jesus.

• We continue to build a strong infrastructure of indigenous witness trainers and coordinators around the world. We are now seeing exponential growth in numbers of trained witnesses. The impact continues to multiply.

• Did you know that there are 7.5 million CHRISTIAN healthcare workers meeting patients in the healthcare systems of the world?

We have just begun!

Also, as the work of training healthcare witnesses continues, a new initiative has been birthed. Churches are saying, “Don’t just train our healthcare workers; please train the whole Church!” Could we dare to dream of sending out the entire Church into surrounding communities, equipped and comfortable to share the reality of Jesus where they work, live and play?

The bottom line is transformation. Lives are being changed. People are coming to Christ. Praise God. Blessings,

JOIN US FOR OUR MONTHLY PRAYER BREAKFASTS! All are invited to join us in our Valley Forge offices from 7-8:30am on the first Tuesday of the month.

VOICES FROM THE FIELD “The best aspect [of this training] was that it showed us future health professionals to look at our patients holistically……to take account of the spiritual wellbeing of patients and not only [view them]

“With what I learned at the Saline training, reaching out to my patients has become much more interesting and fun as well, using the various witnessing tools we were taught.”

“I thank the Lord for giving us boldness through the Saline Training to share the Love of God with patients.”

— Gina, India

— Emmanuel, Nigeria

“…I have learned that spiritual care for the patient is a specialty that one needs to be trained in. This training has helped me to be effectively equipped for ministry both to the patients and my colleagues, and not to be too salty, but to be the right amount of salt.”

medically.”

— Medical Student in Seychelles

“My vision about my secular job has changed completely. I know that I can serve God every day from my private practice. Immediately following the course, God has given me many opportunities to plant faith flags and it’s incredible what God has been doing.”

— Wilma, Dominican Republic

“Thanks to The Saline Process.

Thanks to the trainers.

It's working and has opened more opportunities that were not clear to me.”

“A real eyeopener…”

— Healthcare Worker in Papua New Guinea

— Ntombikayise, South Africa

A FOUNDATION OF PRAYER Throughout 2015, as IHS Global considered the growing capacity of our ministry, we have realized the need for deeper dependence on God through prayer. In the area of resources and advancement, we continue to look to God for His provision. In the area of ministry, prayer is a an essential element in our support of Saline trainers and coordinators.

Within the International Saline Partnership, we seek unity with our partner organizations. And finally, in our personal lives as IHS Global staff, we see a continued need for protection and wisdom.

Given all of these needs, we have explored ways to dedicate both time, space and people to prayer. In addition to our daily devotions as staff, we now host a monthly prayer breakfast in our US offices. All are invited to join us in our Valley Forge offices from 7-8:30am on the first Tuesday of the month. For those too far away to join us in person, our monthly prayer note contains the news and needs that we pray over.

A small storage room was converted into a prayer room for both staff and visitors to use. There we post and pray for both ministry and personal needs. This prayer room is open to our visitors for their use. It is also a daily blessing for our staff who have a place set aside where they can step away to pray for God’s direction or a specific request that has come across their desks.

Finally, each IHS Global staff person continues to build their personal prayer teams. These teams are able to protect and support individual staff members through their prayer. If you are interested in joining an individual’s prayer team or to be further involved in the ministry of prayer, please contact: Allyson McHugh (amchugh@ihsglobal.org).

— Saline Process Trainer in Zambia IHS Global U.S. staff L to R: Kristy Schmitt, Bob Snyder, Allyson McHugh, Pam Snyder, Carol Vanderhoff, Lindsey Miller and Sarah Peppel

IHS Budapest Office Staff: Gábor Győri & Anna Pasky

A special evening of fellowship at the women’s tea at Applecross in Downingtown.Women were inspired hearing of the Lord’s work through Saline Process in and through Alet’s life.

SALINE PROCESS E-LEARNING COURSE As thousands of healthcare workers around the world are blessed and encouraged

by Saline Process trainings each year, many more request an online option to learn the very practical concepts and tools that IHS Global teaches about being salt, light, and a witness for Christ in the workplace and in life.

In January 2015, a multi-partner team met at the Christian Medical College in Vellore, India to discuss plans for a pilot project in eLearning that would launch in India and eventually spread to the rest of the world. Since that time, Sarah Peppel, our Director of Online Education & Media, has led the effort to begin development of an eLearning course which includes engaging interactions, thoughtful reflections and readings, periodic learning checks, downloadable resources and multi-media visual elements to complement the learning process.

In the summer of 2015, Frikkie Kellerman and his wife Esther came from India to the U.S. for several weeks to join the process as our scholar-in-residence crafting the written content. Summer media intern Drew Darby directed the filmed scenarios and assisted in course development. Fall interns Lindsey Peppel and Dóri Gyori joined the team assisting part-time in various development tasks.

The eLearning course for India is due to launch in the Spring of 2015. Plans are in development for a global launch and additional eLearning resources.

MINISTRY UPDATE: GEORGE & A GLOBAL REACH Over the past couple months of ministry, we have seen God at work in the lives of individuals, countries, and entire regions. Our vision has been expanded at even the global level! Our greatest encouragement comes from the stories of individual encounters between Christian healthcare workers and their patients. A Saline Process-trained doctor in East India recently shared with us about an injured auto driver who came to their hospital on a Wednesday night. George* had been in a serious accident which had broken both his femur bones. He feared he would lose his legs, but the competent hospital staff were able to save them. On the doctor’s first follow-up visit, George seemed sad and did not want to talk with him. The doctor asked if he might be able to pray for the patient. George said it would be ok, so the doctor prayed for him and left.

The next day, when the doctor visited again, George seemed a little softer and more friendly.

As the days went on, no friends came to visit or support him, but the hospital staff continued to serve and care for him.

George slowly began to open up. One day he told the doctor “Sir, I think there is something strange…because this is my third accident and all three accidents were on Wednesdays.” The doctor asked a question to find out more: “What do you think is happening in your life?”

George expressed that he thought that God wanted him to change his ways, change his life. This led to an opportunity for the doctor to share more about hope

in Christ. When we last heard, George had continued to show interest in spiritual conversations and was reading Gospel tracts shared with him upon request. He was undergoing the healing process – body, mind and soul.

It is because of stories like these that we rejoice in this year’s advances in regional and global initiatives. We can joyfully report that the first-ever trainings were held in new countries including Papua New Guinea, Namibia and the Dominican Republic this year. Our ongoing plans for a 2016 Multiplying Trainer’s conference in the Sub-Saharan Africa region delight us, because they represent a robust group of healthcare workers who are taking ownership of the Saline Process and have a vision to equip their colleagues. At the global level, we give thanks for the continuing development of an online version of our course, as well as the addition of new key players in cooperation with our partner organizations. They are pioneering the Saline Process in regions like the Middle East, Russia and Central Asia. We give thanks for all these advances knowing that they represent a multitude of patients like George. His story is one we desire to be repeated all over the world: a person in need who is cared for compassionately, seen as a whole person and approached sensitively with the life-giving news of Jesus.

*Name changed for security reasons.

GIVING THANKS FOR 20 YEARS OF MINISTRY We are so grateful to our many giving partners and prayer partners who enable us to equip healthcare workers around the world to share the love and reality of Jesus each and every day. As IHS Global prepares to enter its 20th year in ministry we are looking forward to all the Lord is doing to grow this worldwide movement of healthcare workers.

Each day your gifts empower us to train more workers who are ready to carry the Gospel into their daily interactions with patients, colleagues and all whom they encounter.

This past fall, IHS Global was blessed to have Alet & Guus join us for a two-week visit and series of meetings here in the U.S. Alet, Saline Coordinator and her husband serve with our partner organization, HCFI (Healthcare Christian Fellowship International). During their visit we were delighted to have key events that allowed them to share more about the work they are doing in and through the International Saline Partnership. Alet works specifically conducting trainings and training of trainers (TOTs) throughout key regions throughout the world. Her coordination and facilitation of these trainings is critical to the continued multiplying growth of our trainers and their far-reaching impact. Their visit provided a wonderful opportunity for them to interact with many of our supporters in the local Philadelphia area.

We believe in raising Kingdom resources and trust the Lord to provide for every need within the ministry. Many of you meet that need on a monthly basis while God continues to expand our reach. We a re s o t h a n k f u l t o h a v e y o u r partnership with us!

Alet & Guus share key stories at dessert at the home of John & Shirley Mateyk

481

The number of new Saline Process trainers trained so far in 2015, who will multiply training efforts through teaching the Saline Process to other local healthcare workers.

$20,000

+8

The number of Saline Process trainers teaching for their first time in 2015, who are actively equipping other healthcare workers with the principles and tools to impact their communities with the LOVE of Jesus.

88

Number of NEW countries the Saline Process has reached so far in 2015.

Int. English, Spanish, French, Russian, German, Arabic, Portuguese, Hindi, Tamil, Mandarin, Swiss French, & Swedish

IHS GLOBAL P.O. Box 265 Southeastern, PA 19399-0265 ihsglobal.org Address Service Requested

+

160

Generous Leadership Gift serves as catalyst for IHS Global's participation in

# of translations completed or in-development in 2015

+

11

The number of encounters Christian healthcare workers have with patients every minute. When equipped with the Saline Process, each is an opportunity to glorify God and grow His Kingdom.

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