A health center under construction in Mbaikoro, Chad.
In Chad, lack of adequate medical care can be an issue of life and death. One in five babies die before the age of five, often due to treatable conditions such as dehydration, tuberculosis, appendicitis, and cholera. Life expectancy is only 52 years for women and 48 years for men.
In the few places where surgery is available, procedures are often accomplished by torchlight, and many operations are performed without the benefit of anesthesia.
As Kirk and Kay Carver served in Chad from 2008 to 2014, seven of their coworkers died from medical issues that should have been treatable. Driven by their sorrow, they became determined to find a solution.
In his new role as Coordinator of Coalitions in Chad, Kirk facilitates and leads cross-cultural partnerships to meet the physical and spiritual needs of Chadians. In his words, "People need health care, and people need hope." He has the vision to make both available to a nation for which he has a deep love.
Through strategic partnerships with nationals and the Chadian government, Kirk is working to create sustainable medical ministries that will serve the region for years to come.
Encompass is currently partnered with eleven dispensaries throughout Chad. These centers offer basic medical services, including evaluation, medication, and hospital referrals.
In addition to three years of medical training, dispensary nurses attend the school of evangelism, at which they learn to share the hope of the gospel with the patients they serve. Equipped by this training, dispensary staff are able to speak words of eternal life, often at the moment when patients face the prospect of physical death.
Even amid the dire healthcare statistics in Chad, God is at work. Through this significant medical ministry, God is healing people, and his gospel is moving forward.
As people in this Muslim nation continue to face medical crises, they are in need of healthcare, but more importantly, they are in need of hope—hope they haven't found in Allah.
Through this groundbreaking medical mission work, the people of Chad are finding this hope in the gospel—the good news that God loves them and cares for their physical and their spiritual needs.
Kirk urges us to pray for Chad.
Chad is experiencing an economic crisis that has led to unease and tension, and the stability of the nation, understood by many to be one of the most corrupt in the world, is always at risk. Pray for wisdom, and pray for good working relationships between missionaries and the government.
The coalitions in Chad that unite Encompass and national workers constantly face the challenges of cross-cultural interactions. Pray for unity and understanding as everyone works together for the hope of Chad.
As with any Muslim nation, the future openness to mission work in Chad is unknown. Pray for boldness among believers and continued opportunities for gospel proclamation.