Winter 2012 - Wayland Baptist University Alumni Association

Blevins recalls
experience in Uganda
(Dr. John Blevins, BS’99 and MA’03 from the Lubbock
campus, was the speaker for the School of Math
and Science lecture during Homecoming in October.
He is a hospitalist in Midland and recently did medical
mission work in Uganda. Here are his recollections.)
On July 7, a small team embarked on an
incredible journey that took us to the Pearl of
Africa, also known as Uganda.
The word that an American Christian physician had
arrived spread like wildfire. I was able to see about 85
people in an 8-hour time span on the first day as well
as caring for the president and several members of his
entourage.
The second day, I was able to treat over 220 people
in about an 11-hour marathon. While I was hardly even
able to stop to catch my breath, I felt the Lord giving me
the energy, knowledge, and drive to continue to push
through the day. By around 6 p.m. of the second day,
there were about 40 people who had been waiting since
about 2 p.m. to be seen as we had been forced to stop
taking new patients due to the sheer number.
I looked at my incredibly resilient team members
and said I was going to see each one of these patients
because they had been waiting to be seen by a doctor.
They thought I was joking, but I just prayed for strength
and guidance. I then went out into the waiting room
and announced that I would see each one of them and
address one or two problems for each one. I went down
the line and was able to see each one of them. The Lord
gave me the strength and patience to do it.
I was able to treat several extremely ill children as
well as one who was virtually on death’s doorstep. I
prayed that God would heal her, giving me the knowledge
to do so. You know what? He delivered!
Several hours later that child was breathing much
easier and her fever had greatly reduced. It was His
doing, not mine, that saved that little child. You see, it
was in the middle of the day and I heard that still small
voice telling me to step out into the waiting area. I did
not know why, but I did.
When I went out there,
I was able to hear the child
struggling to breathe and
was able to bring her back
into the examination room
and treat her there on the
spot. Otherwise, that child
might have died waiting to
be seen as her number was
more than 50 away at that
time.
We then left Fort Portal
for the bush area and
Dr. John Blevins
Rwebsingo. There, I was
introduced to a nurse practitioner
who ran the only
clinic for miles around. I told her what I would be doing
and while she was reluctant at first, she did eventually
warm up to us and off to the races we went.
In just nine hours we were able to treat, document
and supply medications to over 100 people. The following
day we began where we left off; unfortunately, we
were shut down by the government medical group as
we were competing with their vaccination push. Despite
efforts by the local nurse practitioner to combine the
two clinics, our clinic was disbanded and the people
were dispersed. By then we had seen probably 30-40
people in just over two hours.
I was able to say a quick prayer over each patient
while examining them and documenting their issues
and was able to share much more about Jesus’ love
with several other patients. In every encounter the Lord
was praised for our work. When people would thank me,
I would immediately tell them, “Thank Jesus for bringing
us here. It is for His glory we do this, not ours.”
This was truly a life-changing trip for me as well as
those who traveled with me. The Lord was truly glorified
and His kingdom was advanced.
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