Published Saturday, July 27, 2002
preparing for
3-month trip
Herald Staff Writer
A Hermitage resident is preparing to leave Aug. 15 for a three-month stay as a medical missionary in the Philippines.
Working through the Community Health Evangelist/Training Other Trainers (CHE/TOT) program, Nancy Sturdivant will offer medical and spiritual assistance in the village of Cebu. The group is part of Medical Ambassadors International, based in Modesto, Calif.
She's suited to the task, considering she worked in health care, is a Christian, and even knows what it's like to be on the receiving end of help, stemming from an injury.
In recent weeks she has been trying to raise money for the mission trip.
"My church is paying for my transportation," said Ms. Sturdivant, a member of Victory Christian Center, Coitsville, Ohio, who said she became a Christian in 1975 when she accepted Jesus Christ as her savior.
"There also are in-country expenses," she said. "I'm not sure what they are yet. Social Security is taking care of my household expenses while I'm gone. I believe God is going to provide. This is His plan, this is His idea, and He wouldn't have had it if it weren't possible."
Ms. Sturdivant said she has contacted the Shenango Foundation about scholarships and plans to seek help through the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation.
"I'm a disabled worker, and this is actually new employment. They might be able to help with my internship fees. I'm trying a whole lot of things (to raise funds). I have until July 31 to get the money. Individuals in my church also might help."
Injured in 1994 when she fell from a hayride wagon, she was forced to leave her job as a registered nurse of 15 years at UPMC Horizon in Farrell.
"I had a cervical 1 through 5 injury and brain stem injury," she said.
Ms. Sturdivant said the injuries still limit her in some ways. "I move slower than the average person. It all depends on if my spine is in alignment or not. I also have difficulty walking up and down stairs. I can do it, but more slowly because of my back.
"I also have a problem staying awake. It's not narcolepsy. Because of the brain stem injury, I just have times when I need to go to sleep.
"I have weight restrictions where I'm only supposed to lift eight pounds. That's silly. It's like two gallons of milk, and if I couldn't lift that much I wouldn't be able to go to the store."
A divine directive, she said, ultimately led her to the Medical Ambassadors group.
"I woke up one morning in March and God told me to go back to work," she said. "I didn't make out my Medical Ambassadors application until May, because I needed to find out if it was (physically) possible."
Ms. Sturdivant was invited to take part in the CHE/TOT program by JoAnn Butrin, director of Health Care Ministries, a division of Foreign Missions of the Assemblies of God.
"But at the time, she was a field representative for that organization. She is the one who recruited me to go to Madagascar (off the coast of Africa, in 1993). After I came back, they kept a list of who went on short-term mission trips. That's how I became involved in this (upcoming) trip."
There are four primary criteria for would-be participants.
"Applicants had to speak English, be born-again Christians, be a medical person and have taken a course in Community Health Evangelism. That really narrowed it down, because only about 200 people in the world have taken the course."
The way the program works is that those living in missions sites first agree to visits by ambassadors. The visitors and the visited then begin to help one another.
"People teach the ambassador how things are done, so (the ambassador can suggest how) things can be modified to help them live better lives. We teach them good health practices. God has created us with the knowledge to live good, healthy lives.
"For example, the people may fertilize their crops, but with human feces," said Ms. Sturdivant. "We would teach them to take worm medicine and use animal manure as a fertilizer, also treated with the worm medication."
The program educates key village residents, who in turn teach others. "It is a self-sustaining program," she said.
After the sojourn, Ms. Sturdivant will be able to go anywhere in the world to train Medical Ambassadors. "I also will make return visits and short stops to update training in Cebu," she said. "There might be times where I will be gone only one month to six weeks, but most of the trips will be three months."
Her previous medical mission trip, to Madagascar, also motivated Ms. Sturdivant to go again.
"We treated over 900 people in a three-day period. I was overwhelmed because of how many people came to see us every day. We were in a church on a mountainside in the village of Ambanidi, and people would be lined up 10 to 15 deep.
"I remember looking out of my window and seeing women holding up their babies to me, and thinking how I wouldn't get to see those babies that day. I also remember thinking once I left, these people would never see another medical person again in their lives.
"Once I arrived home, I prayed, 'God, how can I help these people to make sure someone takes care of them?' "
Financial contributions for Ms. Sturdivant's trip can be arranged by calling her at (724) 346-3436. If the answering machine picks up, please leave a message and she will return your call.