Dear Prayer Partner,

It is hard to believe that another year has come and gone. What a blessing it has been having you partner with us this past year, praying for the ministry of FAME and our partners around the world.

Below are some thoughts I’d like to share from pastor Charles Swindoll as we start this new year.

How quickly does a year breeze past! Each January, some look back at the past year with heads held high as they check off all their accomplished goals. Others, however, might throw away that old calendar, feeling a sense of disappointment or even regret. The year came and went, and all the checkboxes alongside those plans and ambitions remain empty. Many know well the feelings of irritation, frustration, worry, and discouragement as they stand on the edge of a new year. The dissatisfaction seems unavoidable. In fact, even achieved resolutions often fail to eradicate these feelings. Something greater is required, something divine. We can only cast out the darkness of our difficulties, failures, and worries by truly acknowledging and embracing the goodness of God’s guiding hand in our lives.

As you prepare to enter this new year, do not miss the shining treasure that has the power to brighten even the darkest nights . . . the providence of God. – Pastor Charles R. Swindoll

This month, as we start a new month and a new year, won’t you please partner with us in praying for the following that are on each day of the January calendar?

• FAME Board members as they continue to lead the ministry
• FAME Scholarship Recipients that are studying to become medical professionals in their home countries.
• FAME monthly Volunteers that will be serving in the FAME warehouse.

Thank you again for your partnership in prayer and blessings in the coming year.

Click here for the January Prayer calendar.

The sound of a baby’s cry can be a piercing sound that breaks through silence and says,

“I’m hungry”        “I’m tired”           “I don’t feel okay”

But the message for sure is,

“I’m here!”      “I am with you!”        “Don’t forget about me!”

In 2023, thousands of babies were born in safe environments across the world, thanks to your partnership. Just this year you have made it possible for mother and child-specific medical missions to provide better care in Ivory Coast, Ghana, Zimbabwe, and S.E. Asia.

Lonnie Burley our Director of Short-Term Trips tells of a time at a medical outreach this year when a medical provider was seeing a whole family, one at a time.  But when it came time to examine the baby, their cute little look turned into a cry!  The cry probably was saying, “Mommy, I’m here!  I’m with you!  Don’t forget about me!”

Lisa Law, another one of our FAME staff was in Haiti and a pregnant woman came into the clinic at the mission. After a brief labor, and with the help of some college nursing students from Indiana, her baby was born. Lisa says, “I was in the triage area and heard the newborn baby crying as it came into the world.”  I bet it was saying, I’m here!  I’m with you!  Don’t forget about me!”

In Luke and Matthew’s gospel accounts we read about the birth of Jesus.  “She gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger.”  (Luke 2)“…the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son and they will name him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.”  (Matthew 1)

I know that the song, Away in the Manger says, ‘No crying he makes’, but with all due respect to the songwriters from over a century ago; I think Jesus cried.

And when Jesus cried, he was saying, “I am here!”  “I am with you!”  “Don’t forget about me!”

This Christmas if you hear a baby cry:

One: remember there are thousands of babies who have been born and will be born soon, safely cared for around the world because of you!

Two:  Jesus, Immanuel “God with us” – wants you to know “I am here!”  “I am with you!”  “Don’t forget about me!

Thank you for saying “Yes!” to FAME that allows FAME to say “Yes!” to global partners so that more and more people can say “Yes!” to Jesus.  And that millions will know Immanuel is here, He is with them!

God Bless,

Bill Warren
Executive Director

They were not a very popular group of people. They were considered social misfits, thieves, and religious outcasts. They were considered unclean and were not able to participate in community gatherings.

I’m describing 2 groups of people; one from The Christmas Story and another from September.

The Christmas Story people spent their entire lives taking care of sheep. Their job was dangerous at times but was mostly boring and tedious. This outcast group of people is the first group to whom God announces the birth of his Son.

God dispatches an angel to this region of the world with a special announcement and invitation. Good News of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah. Luke 2:10-11

Can you remember where you were and who God sent your way to announce Jesus and invite you to follow him? Maybe you were a young child or a teenager or a young adult when you heard the life-changing message of the gospel. But consider this, God used that person at a precise time in your life to share the good news and to bring you peace.

YOU are the person partnering to deliver THE MESSAGE of Jesus to the second group! It isn’t angels who are dispatched but godly believers willing to share the GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY among even outcasts through medical evangelism.

I’m thinking about the refugees who live in temporary camps along the Myanmar and Thailand border. Both governments ignore a 5-mile-wide stretch of the border and over 2 million refugees are there fleeing for their lives from persecution and destruction of their homes and villages.

That sounds like outcasts.

But, like hundreds of other clinics FAME has funded around the world, Grace Clinic is now open and ready to serve thousands of refugees every month in Mae Sod, Thailand – on the border with Myanmar. Because of you, and people like you they are receiving loving care in the name of Jesus and then receiving an invitation to make him their Messiah!

 

This Christmas, Thank you for partnering to deliver THE MESSAGE of Christmas year-round to those least likely to hear. Millions of lives will be changed because of you and your generosity!

God Bless,

Bill Warren
Executive Director

 

Joseph carrying Mary, knocking on every door upon arrival in Bethlehem, and pleading for a place for her to have her child is a scene that may not be exactly how it occurred the night Jesus was born. But it is exactly what has happened time and time again for vulnerable people looking for care giving support for a loved one.

One of our staff told the story of being in the truck just outside of a FAME partner clinic at the end of a very long day.

He was there visiting with a number of church leaders to see a FAME partner hospital and several clinics.

They were done for the day and the clinic had been closed for some time already, so the Americans and one of the Doctors of a husband/wife Doctor team in that country were with them waiting in the truck. His physician wife was finishing a few things in this village clinic before she changed clothes and headed out for a nice dinner at a restaurant in the larger city nearby. Finally, she emerged, locked the door, and headed toward the awaiting hungry men in the mission’s pick-up truck.

As she crossed the road, a dust cloud surrounded vehicle was roaring down the dirt road. She picked up her pace but the old Ford pickup truck in the dust cloud came to an abrupt stop right in front of the clinic, and the driver called out to the doctor pleading her to don’t go, don’t go!

He scooped up his wife out of the back of his truck and pleaded, Please help, we have been to 3 villages and the government clinics never opened today in any of the villages. My wife needs your help, I don’t know what is wrong!

The doctors jumped out of the truck and quickly took the woman inside the clinic, leaving the very hungry and tired Americans stunned and in the truck.

And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger
because there was no place for them in the inn. (Luke 2:7)

No place for them

Many of the people YOU serve partnering with FAME are people of which could be said,

No place for them.

Whether they are living in such remote locations, refugees from war-torn regions, or refugees from persecution, there is no place for them to receive physical care, let alone spiritual care!

This physician couple could have said, “We are closed” “We have important guests” but they provided a place for them to be heard, healed, and hear the gospel.

When you partner with FAME you are a partner in providing places for those who have no place!

Thank you for your generosity in providing places of care for those who need it most!

God Bless,

Bill Warren
Executive Director

 

 

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4545 Southeastern Avenue
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(317) 358-2480

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As 2023 comes to a close, we reflect upon the lives that have been changed around the world through medical evangelism this year, especially those that have had no access to healthcare. We also reflect on our many blessings, you being one of our greatest blessings, as you faithfully support the ministry of FAME through your prayers for the Staff, the FAME Board of Directors, Scholarship Students, Volunteers, Mission Partners, and other partners in ministry.

During the month of December, we ask that you join us in prayer for many of our Mission Partners who humbly give of themselves, as they minister to people in their communities abroad. These partners are either hosts to our mission teams, missions where we have funded or are currently funding a Sustainable Healthcare Project or are a partner mission to whom we have sent much-needed medical supplies.

Merry Christmas to you and yours and may you feel the peace of God’s presence in your life this Christmas season and always.

Click here for the December Prayer Calendar

It looked like an ordinary box of supplies that was sent earlier this month to the beautiful, culturally rich nation of Cameroon.

Known for its diverse landscapes ranging from the Sahel region in the north to the lush, rainforest-covered areas in the south, Cameroon is often affectionately referred to as “Africa in miniature” due to its variety in culture, climate, and geography. Yet, beneath its beauty, many of its children like Emmanuel face life’s most grueling challenges.

Recently, Emmanuel, while playing near his village, suffered severe burns to his leg after accidentally falling into an open fire pit—a common risk for many in rural areas where open flames are used for cooking and warmth. Limited access to immediate medical care in these regions often means that simple accidents can turn into life-threatening situations. In Cameroon, where the health system faces challenges due to resource limitations, Emmanuel’s story could have had a somber ending.

But Emmanuel was sent to a FAME Partner referral hospital because he required surgery. He was able to be treated successfully and is now on the path to recovery. Treatment at the referral hospital in Cameroon that received the small box of supplies sent last week is going to be even better because of that shipment!

Sometimes it’s the little things that make such a huge difference. In that box were several hundred pairs of size 6 & 6.5 surgical gloves. The lead surgeon told my co-worker Barry a couple of days ago that many of the staff involved in surgeries are women with very small hands and that they cannot find in country-size 6 or 6.5 sterile surgical gloves to purchase. It is not only a great blessing to these women healthcare workers, but extremely important to the lives of their patients, as form-fitting gloves are extremely important in surgery.

Without form-fitting gloves, professionals have a greater risk of glove puncture/tear, which makes it more difficult for them to handle surgery tools and do their job with confidence.

As Emmanuel’s story of recovery continues to unfold, we are reminded of the vital need for accessible healthcare and the gospel made possible by the profound impact of YOUR GENEROSITY. Your prayers and support make a significant difference in the lives of these children and their communities.

Thank you for your partnership!

 

Have you seen the movie The Sound of Freedom or at least know the message of the movie? My co-worker Jeff tells this story:

I was about to leave the FAME Partner Clinic and head to the airport in Tegucigalpa Honduras (the city where The Sound of Freedom begins) and 2 young women were speaking to Doctor Darwin, one of them carrying a cake pan. I could tell Darwin is trying to explain something to them, but they were insistent! So he brought them over and translated our conversation. “Please take this to everyone at FAME!”, the girl in the nursing scrubs insisted. “Doc. says you can’t take it on the plane, but can you please hold it carefully and take this to everyone at FAME and tell them THANK YOU?” I asked about the cake, and found out it was a Tres Leche cake she had made when she heard I was in Honduras.

I asked why do you want to thank FAME? Both girls had received Impact scholarships from FAME and had attended Nursing School. The girl who made the cake continued, “If I had not had the help from FAME and the FAME partner clinic I don’t….(she paused to hold back tears)…I don’t know where I would be right now”

I’ll let you consider the impact YOU have had on these girls and other young men and women like them around the world who have found help and hope to give them direction. She continued, “Now I can help girls like me because of your help. Please take this cake back to everyone and tell them Thank you!”  I took the cake.

I would like to say, that Jeff did not bring me any of the cake, and I love Tres Leches Cake. But he did bring back the message. And that message is for YOU – You are FAME and you make it possible for a young girl in a dangerous city to have hope! The story is even deeper though, the Doctor, Dr. Darwin, is also a FAME scholarship recipient from many years ago and now leads the clinic and teaches at the University where the girls attended. He was 9 years old when the church in Honduras reached him for Jesus through Soccer and kept him on a straight path!

Your IMPACT IS SIGNIFICANT! THANK YOU! Go get yourself a piece of cake (Jeff didn’t save you any either) and remember your partnership with FAME brings help and hope to the world’s most vulnerable. Over 2 million people will have heard the gospel in 2023 because of you!

Thank you!

Bill Warren
Executive Director

Akiam was getting weaker and weaker by the day, and no one knew why. The region in which he lives is rampant with many illnesses that only blood work can identify.

Before 2017, he and his health provider would have had to wait weeks and sometimes months for bloodwork results to be returned – too late for many illnesses; you could have succumbed to the illness by then.

But because of your generosity and FAME’s response, NOW there is a lab that serves 9 FAME partner clinics in Kenya. Results are in minutes, not days, but there’s more impact happening than just better care at the FAME partner clinics.

Akiam went to one of your FAME partner clinics, and in less than 30 minutes the doctor knew exactly what was wrong with Akiam, and the best treatment options for him. Additionally, that doctor told Akiam about Jesus being able to heal his sin sickness!

Top Quality Care – Opens doors of Favor!

The Lab is so well supplied and run that when the Kenyan Government representatives need tests completed that they can trust AND in a timely manner, they bring them to the Lab that you helped to provide!

Doors of Favor open doors for the gospel to spread like wildfire! Thank you for your partnership that brings quality to a region that isn’t expecting it. The favor on the FAME partners is spreading, and so is the gospel message!

 

 

Dear Prayer Partner,

Thank you for your continued support of the ministry of FAME through prayer. You continue to be a blessing to people all around the world through your faithfulness in praying for FAME mission partners, board members, staff, trip participants, volunteers, shipments of medical supplies and equipment, conferences, church visits, and other items of ministry.

This month we have several conferences that we will be attending. Two of the conferences will be in Louisville, KY; the TECH (Technical Exchange for Christian Healthcare) Conference on November 8 and the GMHC (Global Missions Health Conference) November 9-11. Please pray that God will direct the conversations at these conferences and that some partnerships can be developed with people from all over the world. These conferences are great opportunities where God can bring people together!

One other conference/convention we will be attending is ICOM (the International Conference on Missions) November 16-18 in Oklahoma City, OK. For more information about ICOM or to register for the convention visit www.theicom.org. This is a great place for us to connect with our mission partners around the world.

Please also pray this month for some of our faithful volunteers who help us with our mission of sending help and hope in the name of Christ to the world through medical evangelism. They are a blessing to not only the staff and board of FAME but also to our mission partners around the world and the people to whom they are ministering.

Other items of prayer for the month include:

• FAME Staff members
• Newly approved sustainable healthcare projects from the last FAME board meeting
• Church visits that Bill Warren and Jeff Coon will be making.
• Our US Veterans who have served and continue to serve (Veterans Day November 11)

Blessings in the coming month.

Click here for the November Prayer Calendar

After fleeing brutality and persecution in North Africa, refugees arriving in Spain are hopeful for a new life!

Risking their lives to cross the Mediterranean Sea on homemade rafts, highly-priced boat rides, and even facing modern-day pirates these refugees are full of hope upon arrival in Europe.  Many of them can move into work and opportunities. Still, if they have a medical crisis or even a medical need, there is a 2 YEAR WAIT before they can even walk into an Emergency Room, let alone a Primary Care physician.

If you’ve been a friend of FAME for a while, you may remember FAME appealing to you to help provide a clinic to meet this need of refugees.

Last month, I attended the Ribbon Cutting/Grand Opening of that Clinic!  It is in the same urban facility as a church and mission outreach serving nationals and refugees.  The clinic will fill this gap in healthcare for many refugees and that has opened the door for the gospel already!  One event I attended was a men’s breakfast.  I was pleased to see that over half of the crowd were not Spaniards, but refugees who have been impacted by YOU and your partnership with FAME!

Thank you for your partnership!

Bill Warren
Executive Director