Synergy? What kind of a title is that?
A pretty good one when it comes to describing the SOZO medical mission in Kiryandongo.
Let me explain. To describe the relationship between the grace of God and human freedom, we use the term cooperation, partnership, or synergy (synergeia). The Apostle Paul used this term in 1 Corinthians 3:9 when he wrote, “We are fellow-workers (synergoi) with God”. Another way to describe synergy is “when two or more agents produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.”
And that is what this term captures from the effort of the SOZO Team in the village last weekend.
The 23 fourth and fifth-year medical students you see in the photo at the top of this post traveled to this remote area of Kiyandongo to bring the best news possible to the villagers. The 225 patients who were seen by the team came to be attended to medically. But, doctoring is what this particular group of people do, but it is not who they are. Each of them is a follower of Christ and their identity is in Him. They traveled with medicine and medical equipment. They performed diagnosis and treatment.
However, they focused on sharing Jesus Christ with their patients as they attended to their medical needs. Of course, Dr. Patricia, pictured here is not only equipped with her medical training but she carries the message of life. Jesus said (John 10:10) that He came to give life and life to its FULLEST extent.
The word SOZO is the Greek word for salvation and has three elements to it: be saved, be healed, and be whole. No healed patient can be whole without giving their life to Jesus Christ. Consequently, this is the priority of the SOZO MEDICAL TEAM. The epicenter of life to its fullest extent must be Jesus.
Dr. Jemba Micheal wrote a post on his Facebook page after his partnership with SOZO on this medical mission in general and wrote about the team leader, Rebecca, in particular. He wrote “Let me take you on a journey to meet one of the most captivating individuals I’ve ever encountered: Rebecca Hunter, a true force of nature and an embodiment of what it means to be a “Jesus Freak.”
Dr. Micheal went on to write, “Imagine a world where passion knows no bounds, where love extends its arms to embrace every soul in need. That’s the world that Rebecca creates with every step she takes. When you think of cool, remarkable people, Rebecca is undoubtedly gracing the first page of the list. Her fervent desire to better humanity and spread Jesus’s love is an unwavering flame that never dims. It’s like she’s on a mission to revolutionize the world, one act of kindness at a time. And boy, does she deliver!”
Rebecca is the founder and director of SOZO DREAM FOUNDATION and she would never want to be the focus of the work God has created her to do. It’s a calling that she wears a bit uncomfortably. But, it is nevertheless, God’s assignment for her.
Here’s the deal. Everything rises and falls on leadership. Rebecca’s passion for Jesus is contagious and those who choose to volunteer on these missions will know that the priority is always about connecting people to Jesus. George R. Terry wrote, “Leadership is the activity of influencing people to strive willingly for group objectives. Leadership is the initiation of acts which result in an insistent pattern of group interaction directed towards the solution of a mutual problem.”
The overriding problem facing humanity at any given point in history is sin and sin is not much of a topic discussed in contemporary society. The question will always be, “What are you going to do with your sin?” Jesus is the answer to your sin and my sin. He voluntarily laid down His life on Calvary and offers to take your sin and my sin upon himself.
Rebecca knows from personal experience and from the truth of God’s Word that her leadership must result in an insistent pattern of group interaction toward the solution of a mutual problem. And she is very good at exercising her quiet and humble leadership.
As Dr. Michael went on to say in his Facebook post, “The impact we made, the lives we touched, and the hope we spread left an indelible mark on the hearts of the people we encountered. And it’s all thanks to Rebecca and the dedication she inspires in everyone around her.”
You too are part of this team. Your prayers and your support ramp up the synergism of SOZO. We are forever grateful that God put us all together so that we could do together what we could never do apart … for the glory of God and the building of His Kingdom. Go ahead! Celebrate with us!