Look What You’ve Done Now!

You just received this Thank You from Africa.

“We are so thankful for YOU coming so quickly to our assistance. It is not a surprise, though, because that has been the path of our partnership with FAME over the years.

We have been able to buy several items of Personal Protective Equipment and screening tools. We bought 3 Infrared Thermometers, gum boots, protective gowns, spray chemicals and sprayer, masks and Gloves. Kindly pray with us for more funds for us to buy enough quantities of PPEs. We are unable to say how much they will definitely cost because the companies are profiteering. Last year the Infrared Thermometers went for $50 each. But yesterday we bought them at $400 each.”

Zindoga Bungu, Mashoko Hospital, Zimbabwe 

As we anticipate there will be a flood of requests and needs from our global partners, FAME has been able to respond appropriately at this point.  Thank you for your partnership and generosity. As a result of partners like you, FAME has a 50-year reputation of bringing help and hope to the world’s most vulnerable.

Because of your partnership, the Mission of FAME is on-point, on-track, and actually positioned for SUCH A TIME AS THIS.

Thank you for your faithfulness!

Blessings,

Bill Warren
Executive Director

A Battle on 2 Fronts – Preparing for a Flood of Requests

An unprecedented time- and YOU are making an impact!  Locally and Globally!

You’ll be glad to hear YOU, FAME and another global partner are impacting USA hospitals and our Global Partners- a battle on 2 Fronts.

In early February, as you probably remember, FAME supplied Christ Reaching Asia Mission (C.R.A.M.) and a few other missions with supplies for hardest-hit, China.  Now the need in China for masks and other Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) from the USA has diminished and other countries, including HERE AT HOME in the USA, are in dire need.

FAME supplied C.R.A.M. with a significant amount of PPE- but not all of it was shipped to China, so C.R.A.M. has partnered with us again!  But this time distributing masks and other PPE to Indianapolis Hospitals AND a hard-hit hospital in New York City!

Donation to Franciscan Hospital Indianapolis

Unprecedented- but the right thing to do!  We may be responding locally- but FAME exists for the global needs- with your help they will not go unmet!

Zimbabwe:  Yesterday FAME sent funds to the Mashoko Hospital for Personal Protection Equipment, which had been depleted!

Japan:  Yesterday, FAME mailed 1200 masks to a Mustard Seed Network Church plant in Japan for them to use and distribute!

As we begin to hear of the COVID-19 virus sweeping through countries where we have your FAME global partners- we expect a flood of requests for needed supplies.

First, if you or your family are facing a critical situation during these times please email Jeff Coon, jcoon@fameworld.org and we will, at minimum, pray for you at our 9:00 am daily staff prayer Video Call.  Additionally, if we can connect you with resources in your area; we will attempt to do so!

Second, if you can consider a gift to FAME during these uncertain times- it will make a difference in this battle on 2 fronts.  We are responding to the pressing needs we receive.  But we also have the plans to bring the good news and access to healthcare to the world’s most vulnerable.  There are even MORE who are vulnerable during this time, but your generosity has allowed God to use YOU and FAME to touch lives both here and around the world.

If you can consider a gift to FAME, please go to www.fameworld.org/give and give a gift AS NEEDED.  Or you can always mail a gift to our address below.  Most of our staff, for your safety and theirs, is working remotely, but our mail is being delivered and received!  Medical supply donations are being received at our warehouse -PPE only, just call 317-358-2480 to schedule a time!

* The PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) we are currently accepting includes, gloves, masks, gowns, face shields,eye shields & goggles. 

These are unprecedented times, but God was not surprised, and He may have your partnership with FAME for such a time as this!

Donation to  Ascension/St. Vincents Indianapolis
Donation to  Ascension/St. Vincents Indianapolis

You Helped Contain the Coronavirus in China!

Your Early Response to the Crisis in China helped global containment of the Coronavirus (it could have been worse!)

What’s Next? 

February 3, 2020 – It’s hard to believe it was only 6 weeks ago when we first communicated with you that the Coronavirus was sweeping across China.  As this was happening, FAME partners were responding, but they were in dire need of assistance!  Chinese Christians were being neglected in the distributions – BUT YOU FLIPPED THE TABLES!  The attached photos are of Chinese Christians, because of you, DISTRIBUTING masks and supplies to churches, house churches, community centers, and even Hospitals!

Distributing masks to a local hospital
Distributing masks to a local hospital

At this point, we have sent shipments and funds to trusted partners in China and Hong Kong.  Additional networking by our staff and global partners has been on-going to find the supplies needed.

What’s Next?

Because of your generosity FAME has replenished our Emergency Fund and we are positioned to help again as this situation changes hour by hour.

We are keeping a pulse on the needs of our global partners and their needs.  One of them wrote us today, “As the medical infrastructures in Congo are not strongly equipped like there in the USA, we are praying that God Himself will intervene in blocking the spread of the virus in others parts of the country.”

We will continue to keep a close watch on the global needs and situation on your behalf and meet needs accordingly.   FAME staff is now all back in the USA and after meeting later this week by video meetings we will respond to global requests as possible.

What’s After Next?

The Coronavirus crisis could complicate the fragile situations already existing in Developing Countries.  We are cautiously moving forward with Shipping Containers for Nepal, Nigeria, and Ethiopia.  We continue to seek funding to give Grants to global partners for construction, back-up electrical supplies, mobile clinics, and clinic upgrades.

Your partnership impact is dramatic- If you participated in the Emergency Fund response – THANK YOU.  If you’d like to help us prepare for What’s Next…mark your donation “AS NEEDED” so we can direct it to the greatest need.

Donations can be sent to FAME at
4545 Southeastern Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46203

Or you can Donate Now online.

Distributing masks to a Community Center
Masks that were purchase through your donations

 

His Power Flowing Through You

Recently, one of our partners visited FAME to pick up a truckload of supplies to deliver to the Democratic Republic of Congo. During his visit, he presented me with a piece of art that was made in one of the villages where his mission does medical work. When he presented me with this art, he told me why it is significant:

The art name is: MUNINGA. In the villages of Kwilu Province, this art is a symbol of power and only the chief of the village possesses, who holds it on his right hand moving it when his is walking or sometimes giving it to his servant to keep it for him when traveling.

Crutches donated to FAME and sent to DR Congo

This art was given to me as a church leader by a chief of Lwende Village. He said to me that for all you are doing for my people and especially by opening a medical clinic in my village which will save the lives of children and others who are dying because of lack of the good care. You have the power to transform lives, that is why I give this symbol to you. Thank you.

As we are partnering with FAME in this medical evangelism, and also the medical supplies we used to open this medical clinic in this village were donated to us by FAME, I thought that I will give this to FAME  because through their medical supplies and equipment which they are giving to us missionaries to bring to the needy, they really have the power of God in transforming lives in The Democratic Republic of Congo. FAME deserve this. Thank you, FAME.

Crutches donated to FAME and sent to DR Congo

This is another story that recalls the truth of Ephesians 3:20-21. “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work with in us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” As this chief saw power in the medical clinic in his village, and the missionary saw the power flowing through FAME, we see the power flowing through you, as we are all called by the same God, Who is doing immeasurably more through all of us with His great power He has put within us.

On behalf of FAME and our many mission partners, thank you for partnering with us to expose the world to the power of God, and we pray that those exposed to His power, might be transformed by His power as well.

A Heart Clinic in Ghana

 CLICK HERE to watch a video about this project

Changing Lives Together’s goal is that through serving people, and ministering to their material and physical needs, the Lord’s Love will be demonstrated to these people in a tangible way opening the door for the gospel.

Jibrilu

In September the Changing Lives Together Ghana team was introduced to a family who had a 1-year old son Jibrilu, who was experiencing a medical crisis. His parents, who are very poor street vendors, didn’t have the financial means to fund transportation to the distant Hospital, cover room and board costs, and the cost of the surgery. He was diagnosed with a large Patent Ductus Ateriosus (PDA), a heart defect caused by problems during the development states of the heart, and this had occurred since birth.

The only available solution was for CLT to work with another mission’s organization to help fully fund the $3,000 corrective heart surgery as well as cover other costs such as transportation for Jibrilu and his mother. The surgery was very successful and Jibrilu’s recovery has been excellent! Jibrilu’s parents were Muslims and through this initiative, Jibrilu’s parents especially his mother; Miss Jamila are opening their hearts to the good news about Jesus which was shared with them.

Over the past two years, CLT has been working on a Cardiovascular Heart Disease (CHD) Clinic project. As part of this project, CLT has partnered with the Wenchi Hospital (WMH) in Wenchi, Ghana, to set up the first phase of the CHD Clinic. CLT has renovated three (3) rooms, on the WMH campus, to set up the CHD clinic. The WMH is located in the northern half of Ghana. This first phase of the project will be an Out-Patient CHD Diagnostic and Treatment Clinic that will specialize in providing health care to people with CHD related diseases. Currently a full service CHD facility does not exist in the northern half of the country, so that will be the second phase.

This CHD clinic, will be a facility that many in these communities who have heart disease will come to for treatment. For cases that will be treated here, this will give us an opportunity to establish long term relationships with these patients, as they will be returning for their routinely scheduled medical treatments/ evaluation. CLT team members will meet with patients, pray with them, share the gospel with them and encourage those who open their hearts to Jesus, to get plugged in to a local church. The chaplain will be connected to a network of local pastors and depending on where the patient lives, will recommend to them, a church that is closer to their location of residence. We feel there is a great opportunity for us given that patients will be returning for their recurring evaluation (for those that need that), provides opportunities for follow up and the path to continue sharing the message of Christ with them.

Phase one of this project will be to remodel 3 rooms in partnership Partnership with the Wenchi Hospital, to be a Cardiac Care Unit. The funds will finish the remodel, and then supply the equipment and supplies so that Changing Lives Together can treat an un-served population of children and Adults, opening the door for the gospel.

Funding Goal $40,000

Click here to Donate to this Project

 

 

Return on Investment

Location:  South India

Replace the Mobile Clinic which FAME provided in 2004.  SICM planted 60 churches which can be directly linked to FAME being the “spark” that opened the door for the gospel- that’s a great Return on Investment!

Funding Goal:  $20,000

Mission:  South India Christian Mission

Generators for Power Supply

Location:  Aparri, Philippines

Electricity Needed 24/7 at Hospitals! That is no surprise, but often not available. Your FAME partner in Aparri, Philippines has an outdated, under-sized, and over-used Generator. Usually a temporary solution, has now become a near permanent provider of electricity for critical care patients with the Electricity Crisis in the Philippines. The Electric Co-op in their region has yet to recover from the Ompong Typhoon, and weather has hindered recovery over and over. The Dialysis, Heart, COPD, and Asthma patients are all at risk many times. With your partnership FAME is raising funds to provide a New Generator Set which will adequately power the full hospital if needed!

Funding Goal:  $40,000

Mission:  Charles Selby Memorial Hospital- a Self-Sustaining Philippine Hospital other than Capital Projects

 

Crisis of Access

Ambulance for this Clinic which offers routine patient care, laboratory services, maternity care, nutritional support, immunizations, and HIV services.  But when a critical care patient arrives at the Clinic – not being able to transport them to a Hospital is a Crisis

New Cardiac Care Clinic

Location:  Ghana

Need: There is no full-service Cardiovascular Heart Disease (CHD) facility in the Northern half of Ghana.  The project will involve repurposing and remodeling of 5 rooms to house the clinic, purchasing equipment to furnish the facility

Funding Goal: $20,000

Mission:  Changing Lives Together

Why Go?

FAME’s mission statement reads:  FAME is sending help and hope in the name of Christ to the world’s most vulnerable through medical evangelism.

If you go on a short-term medical mission trip with FAME, one of the first publications you will receive is a Trip Packet full of introductory information about your upcoming trip.  One of the pages toward the front of this packet includes FAME’s mission statement and core values which clearly defines our reason for going to the mission field to serve.

In October, FAME took our first team to the Philippines to serve with the Charles W. Selby Memorial hospital staff, led by Ofelia (Pia) Tabilisima.  It was such a wonderful trip as the hospital staff and the FAME team joined together to minister to over 771 patients who attended a total of 6 medical outreaches.  Several of our patients came from indigenous Filipino tribes.  Finding meaningful work in order to support their needs and the needs of their families is a stress they wake up to every morning.  In many communities, men turn to alcohol when met with these types of life’s challenges.

As a FAME medical team, we serve many purposes.  One of those purposes is to open doors for our in-country hosts to meet more than just the physical needs of the patients who come seeking help.  Although treating the physical needs is important, we know there is a greater need for each person who shows up that day and that is the need to know Jesus.

Our medical teams usually attract a lot of attention which means a lot of patients to care for.  This was true for our Philippines team.  Patients came with many physical problems such as pain, stomach issues, skin rashes, respiratory problems, and infections.  Some patients however needed help that did not come from a pharmacy prescription.  I know of two occasions where Deb Trego, RN, talked openly with two gentlemen about their problem with alcohol abuse.  When Deb asked each one if they drank alcohol excessively, they openly and honestly confessed that they did.

Erlinda

In addition, we had a 19-year-old young lady who came to our last medical outreach.  She and her boyfriend had just broken up and she thought she might be pregnant. We were blessed to give her the news that she was not pregnant as well as spend time with her in prayer.  She also brought her 68-year-old neighbor with her that morning who was not feeling well.  As Deb talked with this young lady about her neighbor, we found out that Erlinda, lived in deplorable conditions with no family members to help care for her.  This young lady and her family had been giving Erlinda food each day and provided the care that she needed.  She also shared that she and her family were moving, so of course, no one would be there to continue providing the attention she needed.

FAME teams are limited to how much time they can invest in individual patient’s lives because of the short time they spend on the mission field.  For this reason, we depend on our in-country host to provide an avenue for help that can be extended to our patients who are openly seeking it and need it.  We were grateful that traveling along with our Philippine’s team were 2 hospital chaplains as well as local pastors.

We are so grateful for our FAME donors and supporters who understand the importance of investing in FAME as we strive to send help and hope in the name of Christ to the world’s most vulnerable through medical evangelism. 

May God receive all the glory as we seek to connect people all around the globe to the avenue leading to Him.  It is for this reason that “We Go”.

If you would like to join us on our next trip to the Philippines, please contact me and let’s talk!

Dates are April 18th – May 2nd, 2020.

Lonnie Burley
FAME Director of Short-term Trips
(317)358-2480
LBurley@fameworld.org