My husband and I have always wanted to do a mission trip together, but with four children, work, and our usually very tight budget, it seems like going away on a trip for missions together has always been just out of our reach. Well, several months ago we heard that touched Twice was going to Harlan KY (4 hours from here) to do a Touched Twice Clinic in Appalachia Ky. When we heard the date, just a few days before our 18th Wedding Anniversary, we knew this was going to be the trip for us! We books my dear mother to come from Michigan to keep the children, and we committed to the trip.
We have done T2 Clinics in Louisville on several occasions. Basically here is how a clinic goes:
A local church starts blanketing an area with flyers for the FREE Health clinic in the weeks leading up to the event. Then, on the day of the clinic, doctors, nurses, eye doctors, dentists, hair dressers, photographers, and just regular folks like us show up to serve.
As the guests enter, they are paired with an “advocate.” The advocate sits with the client and helps them determine what services they would like to receive. All services are completely free.
As the client is taken from one area of the clinic to another, the advocate looks for opportunities to share Christ with the client. Also, every step along the way, the nurses, doctors, hairdressers, etc, all have impromptu opportunities to pray with the guest, to share their testimonies, and to love on the guest, all in the name of Christ.
On the day of the clinic, the client may leave with their medications (no narcotics are kept on clinic site), family photos, a new haircut, dental work completed, new glasses, a belly full from a hot meal, sacks of groceries and toiletries, a physical, and counseling of various sorts. They may also have a referral for a doc for follow up treatment at no cost to them as well. Each clinic is a little varied based on the community and the desires of the hosting church.
In Harlan, we had a full clinic. Medical needs were met. Eye glasses were ordered. Mamograms, pap smears, toiletry bags, haircuts, family photos, a hot meal- all provided for these families living in poverty in an area so close to us.
As Duncan and I drove to the clinic, we got to enjoy the beautiful scenery on our way through the mountains.
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| From Touched Twice Clinis |
When we arrived we had a huge surprise. We thought we were going to be staying in a tent, and on the way we received a call that the Cumberland Church of God was going to host us. Pastor Wilcox and his congregation greeted us joyfully and lead us to our accomadations. They were more than we felt we deserved. The room was beautiful, clean, and very welcoming. It had an adjoining bathroom with a shower, and they permitted us to use the fellowship hall kitchen, which was amazing. At that point, we nearly cried. Here we had come from Louisville to “rough it”and serve fora few days, and instead this community was embracing us and offering us much more than we ever imagined.
Duncan lounging in “our” room. Isn’t it lovely?
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| From Touched Twice Clinis |
Here is the beautiful Kitchen on loan to us during our stay:
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| From Touched Twice Clinis |
The next day we attended volunteer training
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| From Touched Twice Clinis |
The Toiletry Bags collected by churches all over:
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| From Touched Twice Clinis |
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| From Touched Twice Clinis |
Anointing of the volunteers the night before the clinic, asking that they go forth and share the gospel. Yes, this room is FULL of volunteers who came to serve in the name of Jesus.
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| From Touched Twice Clinis |
Volunteers:
States—————10
Zip Codes————189
Churches————-160
Denominations———–38
Total # Vol———–668
Clinic volunteers all gearing up for clients:
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| From Touched Twice Clinis |
Each color shirt means something. They are used as a code for other workers to know who can help with different issues. That is Duncan in the Blue shirt. Handsome, isn’t he?
Volunteers sorting medications for the onsite pharmacy.
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| From Touched Twice Clinis |
For a variety of reasons, I did not take lots of pics during the clinic. I wanted all the guests to feel completely comfortable and not worry that people were taking pictures of them. Also, for privacy reasons, it seems like taking pictures may violate their privacy, but there was one young man who I specifically asked if I could take his picture.
I do not know much about him, but he and Duncan had a good time talking. One evening, after the clinic we visited a ministry called Club 180 and Josh was there, so he and Duncan struck up some games of pool. I specifically asked him if I could have permission to take his picture and share it on my blog, and he said yes. I really wanted to take his picture because I wanted the children to get to see the really amazing looking guy with rainbow Mohawk hair and tattoos play pool with their straight laced daddy. Josh was a neat young man and we feel privileged to get to meet him. Duncan visited with him far more than I did.
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| From Touched Twice Clinis |
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| From Touched Twice Clinis |
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| From Touched Twice Clinis |
That evening in Club 180 we also got to hear a couple of great worship bands.
Sound quality is terrible on this:
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| From Touched Twice Clinis |
Again, bad sound quality:
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| From Touched Twice Clinis |
Those of you who know us well realize this is not our usual style of worship, but these bands were reaching the youth of Harlan with the gospel message in their “own language.” The youth that come to Cafe 180 are discipled and loved by the workers there. Amazingly before we even went on this trip, Christina and Duncan were doing “Experiencing God” and on one of the weeks they interviewed a gentlemen working in Harlan with the youth and who runs Cafe 180. We got to meet him and serve alongside him at the clinic, and then felt very joyful in God giving us the opportunity to be there and see the Cafe first hand.
As for the clinic, there were 700 Guests served. 20 accepted Christ.
The final evening of the clinic we had the opportunity to sit down and talk to the pastor of the lovely congregation that hosted us. The Pastor and his wife seems very interested in talking with us, and the next day we stayed and attended church with their congregation. Duncan was given the opportunity to speak to the congregation and he shared with them our hope that the local community could put aside their denominational boundaries and just begin serving with all their hearts in Jesus’ name and to let the barrier walls between the churches come tumbling down.
Afterward, pastor, his wife and another wonderful couple invited us to lunch at a local Mexican restaurant. It was YUMMY and the conversation was hilarious. Duncan and pastor went turn after turn sharing jokes that kept the rest of us in stitches for most of the meal.
When we left, we felt certain that the Lord was calling us to go back for a visit in the near future to serve in some small way, so who knows where that will lead.
To find out more about touched twice, visit their site:
www.touchedtwice.org
Happy Homemaking!
Malia Russell
