Matthew Hayden
Driving out in Faith
Life started in Trinidad. My parents were missionaries in Trinidad and Tobago. Dad was a flying dentist for the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. He made a sacrifice due to his love for God and taught me the importance of using my God-given talents to reflect God’s love to others. My parents loved the mission field, but, after their children were born, they raised us in rural Oregon.
I grew up on a farm where hard work was considered a virtue and strongly encouraged. This virtue helped me through college, dental school and in my work. My brothers and I built a very successful practice, with over 20 dental clinics across Oregon serving 60,000 members. Despite that, and a wonderful wife and four children, I felt a failure in my walk with Jesus Christ.
All of my life I thought that if I could just work harder on spiritual things, I would see improvement, only to be disappointed every time. My wife Ronna was studying Righteousness by Faith at the time and convinced me to do the same. It was that great truth, Righteousness by Faith, that changed my life. The search to know God’s will for me began in earnest.
The year following my rededication to Christ, my brother and I sold most of our dental practice. Ronna and I then formed International Caring Hands, a 501 (C)(3) public non-profit organization, with two goals in mind: to help people in foreign lands, and to encourage others to become involved in mission work.
Anxious to do more, my family started spending our vacations in Africa, building One Day Churches, visiting orphanages, and passing out clothes and God Pods. The lack of medical and dental care, especially in rural areas, impressed me to do something for those people.
After much consultation, and after my personal experience of operating a mobile dental clinic in Oregon, we got our first mobile truck, a Chevy Kodiak C4500. The objective was to build a mobile dental clinic that any dentist could use. This truck was easy to operate: automatic, diesel, four- wheel drive and double cab. The frame of the truck was stretched to accommodate a refrigerated 22’ box. The next step was to install two ADEC chairs with lights, a 20 Kw generator, dry vac, compressor, sink, water tanks, hand held digital x-ray and autoclave. New brakes and tires completed the conversion.
With my good friend and executive director of International Caring Hands, Randy Meyer, I met with Meiring Pretorius, executive director of Riverside Farms Institute. Meiring graciously extended an invitation to host the mobile dental clinic at Riverside Farms Institute, which has a lovely health center. The goal is to take the mobile dental clinic to One Day Churches and outpost centers, which are under the care of pioneers (Bible workers), in order to minister to brothers and sisters in Christ as well as to the local communities.
Once back in the States, Randy offered to drive the mobile dental clinic from Oregon to Texas, where it was driven on a vessel bound for Africa. The plan was for the truck to arrive prior to our next trip there. Due to unforeseen weather conditions, the mobile dental clinic did not arrive by the time our team landed in Zambia. Thus, we volunteered with the local government to treat patients in the bush.
Our experience in the bush showed us two things: 1. The dire need for dental care. One young man, for instance, came to the clinic with a severely infected tooth that had caused an extra-oral fistula. (Most of the patients had been suffering for months with dental infections.) 2. The genuine appreciation from the people. Many said to the workers, “I can’t believe you have come all the way from the United States to help us.”
After the mobile dental clinic arrived, our dental team embarked on another mission trip to Zambia. Yet word had come back that someone had put dirty fuel in the vehicle on the way to Riverside Farms from the port. With new injectors in hand, we arrived in Zambia to find a mechanic to replace the injectors. Unfortunately, trustworthy mechanics are hard to find there. That night in our room, Ronna and I prayed that, if this mobile clinic was God’s plan, we needed help replacing the bad injectors.
The next day we heard about a mechanic stranded as a result of a break down, with no finances, at the Adventist Hospital in Lusaka, one hour away. Hurriedly we drove to meet him. He agreed to come to Riverside Farms to assist us with the injectors on the mobile dental clinic. Late into the night our team worked with him to replace the defective injectors. That night we praised God! Our clinic was up and running and the mechanic was able to fix his broken vehicle and resume his trip home.
The need in these places is so great, even for a small medical/dental outreach program. From mechanics, dental technicians, drivers, assistants, hygienists, dentists, coordinators and bible workers, the list of necessary volunteers always expands. Our experience has taught us that in giving we truly receive – the experience of service is one that will change your heart. We encourage you to get involved.
“It is the Lords desire that his followers shall grow in grace, that their love shall abound more and more, that they shall be filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the praise and glory of God… One of the divine plans for growth is impartation. The Christian is to gain strength by strengthening others. ‘He that watereth shall be watered also himself’. This is not merely a promise, it is a divine law, a law by which God designs that the streams of benevolence, like the waters of the great deep, shall be kept in constant circulation, continually flowing back to their source. In the fulfilling of this law is the secret of spiritual growth.” {ST June 12 1901-Spiritual Growth Par. 1 and Par. 4}
It is only by the sacrifice of our own desires that we will be able to complete the gospel commission to reach everyone in the world. Please join International Caring Hands in our effort to spread the good news of Christ’s soon return and our love for our fellow man.
If you would like to volunteer at any of the clinics in Zambia or Micronesia or the future clinic in Madagascar, please contact Randy Meyer at [email protected].
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