TEAMS for Medical Missions

PO Box 215 ~ Macungie, PA 18062

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Our History

Beginnings

1991 - 2001

  • T4MM began and operated as a volunteer mission organization by Pastor John Jameson and Dr. John Kauffman for about 10 years.
  • The need for a full-time director developed and in 2001 Ray and Ruth Shive became the first missionaries and served as Directors.

Transition

2002 - 2004

  • The Shives created the present J-Team structure of making quarterly trips to Jamaica to serve St. Mary Parish in various government clinics and churches.
  • The need for a Medical Coordinator and a ground team of missionaries became evident—God provided above and beyond what was prayed for: Anne Clay, a pharmacist became Medical Coordinator and Harold and Teri Nichols became our ground team as Field Directors. Jane Leeser joined T4MM in Allentown as a part-time bookkeeper.
  • A home base was needed in Jamaica and God provided TEAMS House to be rented giving the Nichols a place to live and host J-Teams.

Ministry Expansion

2004 - 2016

  • TEAMS House quickly became a Ministry Hub for weekly Bible Club, Youth Group, Pastoral Ministry, and meeting the physical needs at the gate. Its location provided many opportunities to minister to the community, one of the poorest in Jamaica.
  • The building ministry began with the building of a house for Pastor Irving—the first of about 70 houses built in the years to come.
  • TEAMS House adds Mitsy Lawrence as our house manager along with her mother, Yvette Whyte, and sister Avery Gordon to assist with cooking when hosting teams.
  • In 2010 the Hentzels became part of the ground team and through the Bible Training Center of Jamaica came into being in 2012.
  • Expansion in Jamaica necessitated adding personnel in the home office: 2007—Barb Will joins as part-time business manager; 2011—Ann Wendling replaces Barb, and Duane Wendling joins as part-time office manager.
  • In 2013, after 30 years of Missions ministry, the Shives retire, and John and Linda Heater are brought on as the new Directors.

Tragedy Strikes

April 2016

  • April 30, 2016, Harold and Randy both entered the joy of their Lord unexpectedly. The sudden homegoing of these two men left us reeling.
  • But God provided above and beyond. Tom and Bethann Miller had been recently added as our member care team and the comfort, direction, and care that they provided each of us was exactly what we needed to navigate this difficult time; the T4MM extended family rallied around us providing prayer support, financial support for Teri and Sara, and physical presence.

Transition

2016 - 2019 

 

  • In the absence of Harold, much of the ground ministry had to be put on hold: Bible Club, Youth Group, Construction, and Pastoral Ministry.
  • In the absence of Randy, the BTCJ leadership team needed a new director and God provided Pastor Paul Hemmings, enabling the BTCJ to not only survive but thrive.
  • We were committed to keeping the J-Teams coming to Jamaica quarterly, but we would need the support of our T4MM extended family to make that happen. God has provided the volunteers each time enabling us to not miss a single trip.
  • In 2017 Teri joined Faith Global Missions in Lafayette, Indiana serving international students on the campus of Purdue University, and Sara joined Wycliffe Bible Translators as a  software programmer in Iowa. God has provided both ladies with ministries that use their giftedness and passion.
  • Without a ground team, we had decisions to make as a mission about our ministry, our vehicles, and TEAMS House. God provided ministry partners from other ministries in Jamaica to care for TEAMS House and our vehicles. When they were no longer available, our Jamaican staff stepped up and pledged to do whatever it took to keep T4MM ministering in Jamaica.
  • Joe and Elaine Ramcharan, who have provided all our transportation for the past 13+ years, agreed to become part of our Jamaican Board enabling smoother communication and compliance with the Jamaican government.

Disruption

March 2020

  • COVID-19 Pandemic put a hold on medical teams to Jamaica. For the first time in 15 years, we missed a J-Team, and while we did not know it at the time, we would end up missing nine.
  • Once again, ministry as we knew it was put on hold, and we had to get creative.

Adding To The Team

May 1, 2020

 

 

  • In the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic, T4MM welcomes Mike, Jayne, Jase Kauffman as full-time missionaries. They served with an international sports organization for the past 9 years leading teams overseas, training, recruiting, leading camps, and serving in local home school and after-school programs.
  • The Kauffmans and Heaters begin traveling to Jamaica to do personal ministry and facilitate the Kauffmans' language acquisition and cultural adaptation.

Transition

2021

 

 

  • A residence was needed for the Kauffmans and additional space was needed for ministry expansion. In March 2021, we were invited to purchase a home a few doors down from TEAMS house and by September God's people had supplied the finances to purchase it.
  • On June 30, 2021, after 17 years of serving with T4MM, Anne Clay, sensing the Lord's leading, resigned to pursue a new opportunity.
  • August, 2021, two couples from the States helped us host a week-long Bible Blast and Basketball clinic.

  Restart

2022

  • February, 2022 was our first J-Team since Covid though without medicine. Our medical team met with clinic church leaders to assess needs after 2 years of no clinics and made plans for what clinics would look like once permission to restart was granted. Our
    building team built a home for the Laings and Linda was able to visit a few schools.
  • May, 2022, we had a one-person J-Team, but she was mighty! All schools were now fully open and she and Linda were able to visit and minister in all of our schools.
  • August, 2022, clinics were officially restarted, our building team built a home for Tom, and Bible Blast #2 was a huge success with plans for making it an annual event.
  • Nickalous Walsh, a Jamaican young man from Randy’s first BTCJ graduating class, joined us for Bible Blast and expressed interest in working with T4MM on a regular basis.
  • October, 2022, we hired part-time Nickalous and Kezia Walsh, to begin a (TEAMS Faith Academy) weekly children’s ministry out of TEAMS House.
  • April, 2023, Paul Hemmings resigned from leading BTCJ and Nickalous Walsh stepped in as BTCJ Director.
  • April 29, 2023, Nickalous and Kezia Walsh married.

Going Forward

2023

  • Medical ministry is going strong and we are looking for doctors, pharmacists, nurses, clinic clerks, and encouragers.
  • Building ministry is going strong and we are looking for builders and for finances to build homes – cost is $7,000 per home.
  • Kids/Sports ministry is going strong and we are looking for volunteers to come alongside Linda, the Kauffmans, the Walshs.
  • BTCJ continues to train pastors and church leaders – pray for expansion.
  • We are looking for prayer and financial partners for Nickalous and Kezia Walsh
  • Ministry expansion – we are starting a Work Apprenticeship program for young men and women in the areas of masonry, carpentry, and welding.
  • We are looking to add to our team – consider joining us: on a Mission Trip; as a prayer partner; as a financial partner; as a missionary.
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