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December 2005
Following are excerpts from Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret, by Howard and Geraldine Taylor, edited by Gregg Lewis, Discovery House Publishers, Grand Rapids, MI, 1990:
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"Initial curiosity at the sight of foreigners was quickly replaced by genuine friendliness. . . .So the young [doctors Parker and Taylor] did not know what to make of the strange response they received on a trip to Kia-ting, a city north and west of Shanghai up Soo-Chow Creek. . . .Even grown men took refuge in their houses as they drew near, hastily shutting the doors; to which, however, they crowded to look after them as they had passed. (P. 58)
"Realizing that the people of this city not only had never seen foreigners but had heard fearful tales about them, the two doctors walked about openly so they could be easily seen. They told anyone who would listen that they were physicians who would gladly, and free of charge, examine and treat patients. . . .Word quickly spread that these men were 'doers of good deeds,' and a still-fearful crowd began to follow them about the city at a distance. (P. 58)
"On the next morning, long before breakfast the banks of the river were crowded with persons desiring medical aid. . . .After working hard, . . . the doctors selected the most urgent cases. . . . No sooner were those attended to than they were taken to see patients in their own homes who were unable to come to them, and were much gratified to find that they had access to and were welcomed in some of the very houses the doors of which had been shut against them the day before. . . .
(P. 59)
"On another journey, Dr. Taylor and Mr. Burton found the city of Tsung-ming on an island in
the Yangtze River. . . .A crowd of about 1000 gathered. . . an attentive audience. It was most encouraging to hear one and another call out,
'Puh-tso, puh-tso,' or,
'not wrong, not wrong,'
as they frequently did when something said [or done] met their approval. (P. 60)
The above account of Dr. Hudson Taylor occurred in 1855 in China. He had traveled on his own at the age of 20 in order to commit his lifetime to providing medical care for the Chinese.
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As 2005 draws to a close we, in some respects, can relate to Dr. Taylor's experiences. We are thankful that our surgical teams have been welcomed wherever they have traveled in the past 12 years. Whatever the language, the consensus was that Face the Challenge collectively came as "doers of good deeds". Further, what FTC teams did was "not wrong, not wrong", and thus, doors were opened and we were welcomed into the lives of many.
We are thankful, too, that since FTC was established in 1993, ~875 patients have received free facial surgeries abroad and in the Denver area for special needs cases. We appreciate our ongoing relationship with you--our supporters--who made these surgeries possible.
Our most recent cases were from two trips in 2005 to Viet Nam and China. Accounts and pictures from the trips to Ho Chi Minh City, in March, and Xining, Qinghai Province, China, in May, are posted (including a video--China trip) on our website: www.facethechallenge.org.
Our hearts are warmed by such care...
And we appreciated the chance to provide material and experiential support for Dr. Joshua Zhong and his wife, Lily Nie, both of Chinese Children Charities in Centennial, Colorado. Joshua selected the team and traveled with them to offer care to children in this Chinese Province near Tibet.
We look forward to the next trip to Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam, FTC's 17th trip thus far. It will be April 5-16, 2006. The team will include:
- Randy Robinson, MD, DDS and Hieu Pham, MD, DDS, Facial Surgeons,
- Don Crino, MD and Bruce Lowry, MD, Anesthesiologists,
- Ms. Patsy King, RN, Surgical Scrub Nurse,
- Ms. Jenae Robertson and Ms. Carla Sellers, Surgical Technologists,
- Mrs. Hoang Peterson, RN, Peri-Operative Nurse/Translator,
- Ms. Gabi Stevens, RN and Mrs. Leslie Turner, Post-Anesthesia Care Nurses,
- Mr. Tom Bradbury, FTC Board of Directors Member, Businessman/Team Liaison, and
- Mr. Brad Houston, FTC Advisory Board Member, Photojournalist/Liaison.
We are very grateful to The Gooding Family Foundation for underwriting most of the costs for this team's travel. Any additional giving would be put toward the supplies costs of all 2006 trips.
When asked what they most wanted of our next team, the Vietnamese surgeons immediately requested further instruction about complex orthognathic (jaw) surgeries. In response to their expressed desire, we are preparing lectures for translation. Surgeries will also be performed on patients selected by Vietnamese surgeons at two different hospitals. We are pleased to be able to bring along donated surgical texts and cephalometric (head measurement) computer programs (valued at ,000 each). They will help the surgeons be proficient and more confident in the future.
We are grateful as well for our friendship with Drs. Rik and Sabine Celie, "doers of good and speakers of truth", in Bolivia for many years. No longer with FTC by January 1, 2006, they plan to be officially recognized as "Doctors on Mission" by the Bolivian government, not as an organization from the United States that goes to Bolivia. This difference is important when there is instability in this region. Regardless of the circumstances, there likely would be less disruption.
Mr. John Lane and Mr. Mark Morrow, FTC Board Members for several years, will help the Celies in their transition as Board Members for Doctors on Mission. We will miss their valued counsel, but know that these same gifts will benefit the Celies even more. If you care to inquire more about the Celies' plans, please call Mr. John Lane at: (303)-851-7551, or write to: Face the Challenge-Bolivia, c/o Mr. John Lane, P.O. Box 763, Elizabeth, CO 80107.
We also want to thank Oculoplastic Surgeon and friend, Jerry Popham, MD, for his decade of service as an FTC Board member. He traveled to Viet Nam repeatedly with FTC teams since 1995. We know as he steps down from his role his kind heart will still serve these people well. Puh-tso, puh-tso.
In Him, Our Hope,
Randy & Ginger
Randolph C. Robinson, MD, DDS, Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgeon, Founder
Ginger H. Robinson, BSN, RN, Cardiac/Critical Care Nurse, President
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