Rally Features Program on Central Africa Mission

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St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Goodhue hosted the Fall rally of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary Society (LWMS), Hiawatha Valley Circuit, on Saturday, October 16th.  A robust crowd of nearly 70 attended the in–person event that had been postponed since April 2020 due to the pandemic.  With fewer places to go and things moving to a virtual format, Dr. Lori Ryan watched the online version of that cancelled Spring rally and became interested in serving the LWMS as a contact woman for their Central Africa Medical Mission (CAMM).  As contact person she is responsible for distributing information monthly to area churches. She shared information at the event through a slideshow and keynote address. 

     Lori grew up on a farm in Iowa and says watching their veterinarian may have sparked an early interest in the medical field.  While attending Luther College, she met Brent Ryan, a Goodhue area farm boy.  Brent and Lori were married in 2004 and now live in New Hope, MN.  They chose that area so their 3 children, now ages 8, 10 and 14, could attend Holy Trinity, a Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) school.  It is also a convenient commute to Abbot Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis where Brent is an internal medicine doctor who sees adult patients and Lori is a pathologist who oversees lab testing.

     First earning a degree in public health, Lori always had an interest in global health and also in Christian mission work.  Volunteering for the CAMM program is a way for her to combine those two interests.  While she is relatively new to the program, CAMM has been operating for 60 years. WELS began its medical mission in the African nation of Zambia in 1961 and expanded its missionary and medical work to neighboring Malawi in 1970.  There has been great improvement in health care, infant mortality and medical equipment since they opened and they hope to upgrade more things and possibly expand to other areas in the future.

       Zambia and Malawi are both considered developing countries, meaning they still do not have consistent, reliable water or electricity.  Solar power is increasingly popular and citizens often travel to a borehole (well) to pump water for their daily needs.  The population is generally poor and lacks adequate health care.  The CAMM works to heal body and spirit in both countries.  Each day starts with a devotion for those waiting in line at the clinic and nearby borehole.  Church services are held at the clinic locations on Sundays.  The Mission’s medical workers may also perform baptisms, which is not allowed in government run medical facilities.

     Zambia is similar in size to the state of Texas with a population exceeding 17 million.  The clinic operates in a recently refurbished physical building, seeing 15,000 people per year.  They have recently started using electronic medical records so patients will no longer need to carry their health history with them. This clinic offers many basic services with an emphasis on nutrition and sanitation issues and are currently following COVID prevention guidelines.  They also offer a much needed birthing site.    

     Malawi is a country the approximate size of Pennsylvania with a population of 19 million.  The CAMM program does not have a physical clinic here but travels to four villages using land rovers to carry equipment and supplies which are stored at the missionary’s home.  Many people come to these mobile clinics for vaccinations or treatment of Malaria.  6,500 of the 33,000 people seeking help from this mission were treated for Malaria as the prevention program is not as aggressive as it is in Zambia at this time.  Both locations are staffed by locally trained medical personnel.

     The extension of this mission into Malawi was the direct result of Lutheran Church of Central Africa (LCCA) members who moved from Zambia to Malawi. CAMM is supported by the WELS synod but is not a budgeted mission.  Operating solely on donations, every dollar received goes to the efforts of this Christ centered medical mission.  Congregations, ladies’ groups, schools, and individuals provide the necessary funds to continue serving the people of Zambia and Malawi.  Those attending the Fall rally donated $306.70 to the LWMS working fund and an additional $609.00 to the missions fund.  Additionally, there was a sizable collection of needed items including pill bottles and baby blankets.  The mission is also in need of other baby items and sunscreen. 

For more information on CAMM and how you can help, visit their website, www.camm.us. To learn more about LWMS, their other mission programs, and to view their online videos go to www.lwms.org.