When Dr. Dicky, Vice President of PAH, made an unusual referral, no one could have predicted what God was about to orchestrate in a distant mission field.
Pastor John Teo sat alone in his home, two hours from the nearest city, staring at the diabetic wound that refused to heal. Recently widowed and deeply lonely, he desperately needed medical help. Dr. Dicky knew just who to call—the Adventist medical missionary volunteers who had been faithfully serving in a country where openly living one’s faith required courage and discretion.
For three months, the MMV team made that four-hour round trip every two days. They cleaned Pastor Teo’s wound, applied natural remedies, introduced lifestyle medicine principles, and prepared nutritious meals. But their ministry went beyond physical healing—they prayed with him, shared Bible verses, and held sundown worship services in his living room.
What began as wound care turned into something far more profound. Pastor Teo watched these Adventists serve him with genuine compassion and selflessness. Then came a revelation that changed everything.
“Adventism isn’t new to me,” Pastor Teo shared one day. He was an Agape Church pastor who had once been nurtured by Adventists years before. Discovering that there was an active group of Adventists nearby filled his heart with joy. He didn’t just welcome their care—he opened his home and part of his congregation to them.
Through serving one wounded, lonely pastor, the Adventist pioneers found an open door to an entire community. Friendships grew. The students stayed faithful to the school. Adults and parents supported every outreach program—music nights, health seminars, community gatherings. The Agape community warmly embraced these devoted Adventists, and lasting bonds were formed.
What began as tending to a wound became the beginning of healing a community’s spiritual connection with God’s people. To this day, devotional thoughts and prayers continue to flow between them, a living reminder that God’s greatest miracles often begin with clean bandages and willing hands.
