Seven Alabama Baptists recently returned from a nine-day medical missions trip to Myanmar (Burma), which they all call an eye-opening, life-changing experience blessed by God.
The team, composed of three physicians, one University of Alabama at Birmingham pre-med student, a Samford University journalism student, an Alabama Baptist pastor and a Beeson Divinity School graduate student originally from Myanmar, met together for the first time in the Birmingham International Airport awaiting a 30-hour flight to the country and quickly bonded.
“It was so obvious that God brought this group together,” said Dr. Robin Hall, who along with her husband, Dr. Mike Hall, organized the trip. After experiencing other missions trips, the First Baptist Church, Cullman, members knew they wanted to do medical ministry in Asia.
“The reason that we really began to focus (on Myanmar) was because of the Judson connection,” Hall said noting that she and team member Dr. Daveta Dozier both graduated from Judson College and now serve on the school’s board of trustees. “It was God’s plan, God’s group.”
Yet another team member, Ruth Ra, is also a Judson graduate and a product of the Judson Burmese ministry. She was very excited to go back to her home country to further spread the gospel.
“It was interesting to find out how the Lord put all of us together for this medical missions trip,” Ra said. “Even though we did not know each other before, we were able to serve together for Christ in a country like Myanmar as one body of Christ.”
James Best, retired director of missions for Bethlehem and Pine Barren Baptist associations and current associate pastor of Thomasville Baptist Church, served as spiritual leader for the group. With 55 years in ministry, he even began mentoring Ra to help meet her curriculum requirements at Beeson.
Best decided to join the team for his first international missions trip after learning his daughter, Dozier, and her daughter were going. “I was excited about it,” said Best, who participated in another missions trip after he returned from Myanmar. “You just don’t see too many times where there are three generations of people going on a missions trip together to serve in the same country. I would like to do it every year.”
Called “Dr. Paw-Paw” by the Burmese people, Best talked with older orphaned boys about their salvation and interests in ministry work. His granddaughter, Laura Dozier, a member of Hunter Street Baptist Church, Hoover, helped entertain the healthy children by playing games, singing songs and teaching English.
“They were really impressed to see someone my dad’s age because life expectancy over there is about 58 and he is 72,” said Dozier, a member of Thomasville Baptist Church. “They loved his white hair.”
Holding medical clinics in orphanages, the physicians saw up to 200 children and ailing community residents each day, using 17 suitcases of medicine and vitamins donated by First, Cullman, and pharmaceutical companies.
“Each physician had a translator, and we met the needs as we could,” said Dr. Mike Hall. “We saw many unusual tropical diseases, malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, many parasitic infestations from hygiene and malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies. We were able to literally stock a pharmacy and leave these medicines for other medical teams that will be coming after us. So there is an ongoing presence there.”
Initially concerned about safety issues in Myanmar, Mike Hall contacted Best for guidance. “He said the safest place to be is in the center of God’s will,” Mike Hall said. “From that point, any fears and anxieties that I had subsided. We felt confident and very secure in the prayers of so many people that supported us here. It’s hard to verbalize such an emotional and spiritual experience.”
One unexpected ministry opportunity came when Dozier was asked to speak about preventive and mental health to nurses in training at a women’s convention meeting.
Because she and her daughter had been reading Rosalie Hunt’s newly released book, “Bless God and Take Courage: The Judson History and Legacy,” Dozier was able to present a copy to the women at the end of the meeting. “It wasn’t planned,” she said. “It really meant a lot to them. … We were able to give it to them just a few weeks after it hit the press, almost as soon as Alabama women were able to read it.”
Hunt calls this experience a wonderful surprise. “It was a real serendipity that they had,” she said. “That was so special. There are so many Baptists there that love their (Judson) heritage, and we are looking forward to the opportunity to get it to others there because of their great interest.”
Hunt added that many Burmese Christians call July 13, 1813, their Christmas day because that is when the Judsons arrived.
Dozier added that visitors can feel the presence of Christ in Myanmar because there are so many Christians.
“Even with all of the temples and Buddhists and monks walking around, you can still feel Christ over there almost teeming through the city,” she said.
“I asked what they wanted us to pray for. I was expecting to hear money or better health care … but these ladies told me that they wanted prayer that their country would be able to reach out to all the different ethnic groups to bring Christ to their country. They were poor but they’ve got their priorities straight,” Dozier said.
Robin Hall said it is impossible to see a world like Myanmar without being changed.
“It’s a reminder of how incredibly blessed we are to be in the U.S.,” she said. “I came away extremely proud of our Christian and Baptist heritage.”
Share with others: