Une Petite Tribut to Scott

(by Eric)

   

Across the top of this blog is a little photo collage with a bunch of skinny pictures.  I really need to update it.  I mean, Sarah isn't even on there.  Ben has hair now.  John is probably tired of that picture.  Etc.  The pictures are each of our team members.  We are all here in France learning language.  We are called to go to Burundi. 

But what is not pictured across the top is the countless others who are part of this vision.  And they are indeed countless.  People praying for us.  People giving funds.  People sharing expertise.  People opening their churches and homes to us.  People visiting us.  People trying desperately to sell our 2003 Honda C-RV (which is really a great car, by the way) while we are gone.

Truly countless others.  But every once in a while, someone's contribution to this work is so essential that all of you out there in blog-land deserve an introduction.

For the two years that our team was in Kenya, we were with Samaritan's Purse, and their Post Residency Program.  This program has been headed up since its inception by a PICU nurse named Scott Reichenbach.  He and his faithful assistant Mary Elizabeth coordinated all of the many details to place us and many others at a hospital for two years where we could learn how to be medical missionaries.

He is a behind-the-scenes champion.  He's the kind of guy that, when you search for a picture of him on google images, what you mostly find are pictures of his post-residents all over the world caring for the sick and the poor in the name of Jesus.  They are there because of the faithfulness of Scott in his role.

He has helped build our team and our vision in numerous ways.  All along the road, our team has been a bit of an anomaly, mostly due to our size.  When we first approached Scott in 2007 about taking on a big team of doctors, he immediately replied with his typical plasticity:  "Well, we've never done that before, but why not?  We just need to find a hospital that can take you."  And he did.

Also of special mention is that Scott is also a father of a young family.  As such, our families have always appreciated how well he understood and empathized with our situation on the field.

We learned a couple weeks ago that Scott has resigned his position as director of the Post-Residency Program and will be going back into clinical medicine there in North Carolina.  We are sad to see him go, and thankful for all that he has done to build an excellent program that has blessed us greatly, and we pray has blessed many others through us.  Please pray for Samaritan's Purse as they seek someone to fill his shoes.

Scott, thanks for all you have done.