2022
ANNUAL
REPORT

Penda and her family fled to Tanzania after soldiers came looking for her husband late one night in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“It was only by God’s grace that my husband was not in the house when they came to locate him,” says Penda. Instead, the soldiers took Penda and her 4-month-old baby.

When her husband returned and realized his wife and baby had been kidnapped, he worried they would come back for his other five children. So he took his children and fled to Tanzania.

Thankfully, the soldiers released Penda and her infant that same night. Once she learned her family had left, she also made the journey to Tanzania and was reunited with her husband and other children.

Penda first visited the Medical Teams clinic in Tanzania for malaria. After running tests, the team discovered she was also two months pregnant. They admitted her to the maternity clinic to provide treatment until her condition was stable.

Penda is now fully recovered. She was able to safely deliver a healthy baby at the Medical Teams clinic. She is grateful for the loving care she received from Medical Teams, saying, “The health workers assisted me with a kind heart. I feel good.” Your generosity helped provide the treatment and care Penda needed to have a healthy pregnancy and delivery.

When she speaks about Medical Teams and the care she received, Penda smiles and is full of joy. “Sometimes, I just want to walk by and say hello to health care workers,” she explains. “Medical Teams is the only health center where I will receive medical care.”

When Pat Reser’s husband passed away in 2010, she knew she wanted to dedicate the rest of her life to giving back. She contacted a friend who worked at Medical Teams and asked if there was something she could do to help. Her friend invited her on a trip to Guatemala to help install stoves and that was when she fell in love with the mission of Medical Teams.

“I was in my 70s. I didn’t have a medical background, but I had executive skills and was strong and healthy. So, I went to Guatemala with a group of people that I’d never met before, and it was exciting for me,” she says.

Following her trip, Pat wanted to share her excitement about what she’d seen with her family. She planned to go back to finish the stove project and her enthusiasm spread quickly. One of her sons promised to go with her. Eventually, she invited several of her grandchildren, her daughter, and daughter-in-law. “When I met my [second] husband, I said, “You have to go with me.”

Pat’s heart was especially moved during a trip to Uganda in 2011. Pat was concerned by what she saw in the maternity ward. They were running out of beds and had to put mothers who had just given birth on mattresses on the floor. Pat felt God had brought her there for a reason, and she knew she had to act. She generously contributed the funds needed to expand the maternity ward. The following year, she returned to paint a mural in the entryway and was able to see the impact of her gift. There were now beds for the mothers and babies, a pharmacy, a shower, and a birthing room.

This is just one example of Pat’s continued generosity and compassionate service. Her work and inspiring leadership over the years is a reminder that “we are not alone.” After faithfully serving on the Medical Teams board for nine years, Pat is now waiting to see what the future holds. Pat believes it’s time to encourage other leaders to come forward. “Just because I’m not actively involved doesn’t mean I put it aside, because the need is still there. So, that’s a personal commitment of mine. It becomes a calling.”