~Missions Report ~ Wanda and Ed Turski

In May of 2012, Ed and I embarked on our first “together” mission with God to Uganda, Africa.  After years of following a missionary group called, “Impact Nations”, God sent the nurse that started the first medical clinic with this organization, to Ed’s office to do her final practicum (as a nurse practitioner), years later.  Definitely God….   I had tried to interest him in missions for years. Suddenly, Ed could not wait to go!!

Impact Nation’s main focus has always been to bring the love of God to the hurting of the world and watch Him transform their lives. Their vision is to leave a lasting impact on the standard of living that carries on after they have visited. They bring hope to the hopeless.   Healing prayer is a major mandate for them in showing people God’s love for them.  Just as Jesus healed many in the scriptures, so they also go out to do this.(John 14:12-14closeJohn 14:12-14 12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” (ESV) ) In the bible, many accepted  Jesus as their Lord and Savior when they saw what he did for them and how He cared for them.     ~  I have been involved in healing ministry for over 25 years.  Ed and I would be able to do this as a team! The medical and spiritual aspects of physical and mental healing together!

So in our first days in Uganda, we learned scriptural teachings on healing, Ugandan culture,  and other pertinent subjects, then we met our translators, packed a million pills (perhaps exaggerated…), and went out to serve in 3 communities for 2 days each.  The clinics were set up in churches.  And… we watched the people come and come…. And get the help they needed from God and us.  What a privilege!

Ed would say that he knows that there were 3 people that would have died if we had not been there.  One was a little dehydrated baby weighing 9 lbs at 18 months old.  It seems amazing that parents need to be taught to feed their children and give them a drink, but many of the Ugandan people lack basic health education and life skills.  He and his translator gave the baby a 2 liter bottle of water, with electrolytes, and it drank the whole thing within minutes.  I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t watched it myself!  The bottle was almost as big as the baby!  This baby will survive because the mama knows now what to do. Health education is crucial teaching for these people!

Ed says that he went on this mission to make a difference, and to provide effective treatment and hope for the people.  He believed in Impact Nations vision to carry out projects long after we left.  I join with him in this, but also was so thrilled to be able to do this service for God’s people with him.  We became a team of “healers” for God’s purposes.  I believe a start of something new for us!

He says he is even more grateful for the things he has here in Canada now.  His life has been deepened by being there, but also that he will take awhile to digest it all before going out for another overseas mission. Maybe in a few years. God has started a new thing in his life!

For me, I am a servant of Christ, willing to go wherever He sends me, and excited to watch Him minister through me!  Isaiah 61closeIsaiah 61 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
4 They shall build up the ancient ruins;
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations. 5 Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks;
foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers;
6 but you shall be called the priests of the Lord;
they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God;
you shall eat the wealth of the nations,
and in their glory you shall boast.
7 Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion;
instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot;
therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion;
they shall have everlasting joy. 8 For I the Lord love justice;
I hate robbery and wrong;
I will faithfully give them their recompense,
and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 Their offspring shall be known among the nations,
and their descendants in the midst of the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge them,
that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed. 10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
to sprout up before all the nations. (ESV) became my scripture years ago.  God has anointed me to preach the good news to the broken hearted and set the captives free! I know He heals, through prayer and medicine and great Love. He is the Only Way!  He gives us power and authority in His Name.  He has given me the desire to reach the peoples of the world, my country and my city.  It is one of the desires of my heart!

One of my most memorable experiences was when we got to visit the hospital in Mityana.  The small group I was with went to the Maternity Ward.  Unbelievable.  If you didn’t bring sheets, you had none.  If you didn’t bring your Mom, you had almost no help and definitely no food.  God sent Cherry and I, with Debra (a mid-wife who was also one of our translators for the 2 weeks), to the saddest of cases on the ward.   One of the women had lost her baby in the delivery, one had her dead baby inside of her and they were trying to induce labor for her in a small room with 7 beds in it.  All of the women in the room were in active labor.  For lack of space, I will summarize the story to say that we were able to watch the countenance of these women change from death to life with a simple prayer asking God for His Word for them that day.   We saw helplessness change to hope.  We saw a fever break as we prayed.  He was so faithful to answer our prayers for these women.

The faithful givers of Timbers sent us off with $700.  We were able to contribute to a clean water project in Bulera (one of the villages we did a clinic in).  We also gave them money for the children’s feeding program and a farming project.  Thank you so very much each of you!! Thank you also so much for blessing us with your so needed prayers!  You have no idea what that meant to us, and the help that was!

I would say that this stretched Ed’s comfort zone, but God is so faithful, and as the key medical referral person on the trip, he found his niche, and enjoyed his time immensely.    I will go again, definitely.    All praise to God!  He is a delight to work with and follow and worship!  We got to see many give their lives to Him, Who is so worthy of our praise!  He brings hope to the destitute, and life!