Yesterday we talked about Noah’s obedience in building the ark. But it just occurred to me…Noah didn’t build the ark by himself! He had three sons.
I’ve written before about one of my heroes, medical missionary Frank Dennis, now 92 years old. He’s not ministering in Taiwan anymore, but he’s still active, traveling, preaching twice a month when he’s in town, sending out emails, and sharing the gospel with anyone he comes in contact with. He recently sent an email about his lifelong friend Jack Kraft who passed away on December 29. My friend Frank was a medical missionary. His friend Jack was a behind-the-scenes supporter. Here are some excerpts from Frank’s email which you can read in its entirety here:
Our dear oldest friend, Jack Kraft, died quietly in his sleep. 12/29/2022, while in home hospice. He was a friend of Sally in Grade School in Minneapolis! Jack’s life and mine intertwined in many ways since Sally and I married in 1953. I want to share some of the fun things and God things we did together. Over the many years he was always helpful, cheerful and a close “brother” to me and I rejoice that he finished well with no blemishes on his Christian character. He let his light shine in many places for Jesus and many of those were linked to me.
…On our first furlough in 1966 Jack became my supply agent for medical equipment and furniture for the proposed hospital God had led me to build for the tribal people in Taitung county. He had a red truck and we went to many hospitals in the Twin Cities asking for used items. I was embarrassed but Jack went boldly to the top and we got 30 crates full of very usable items from beds and operating lights to operating tables, anesthesia machines, ventilators, IV stands and even hospital beds. Because electric beds and tables were now in style in America the old was out, but with frequent power failures in Taiwan at that time I was happy with stuff that worked manually!
…We were doing a lot of orthopedics and many of the supplies were not available in Taiwan. Jack was my main supply guy. He would find it, buy it and ship it to the hospital. One outstanding case led to a 5-year-old Taiwanese boy…who was run over by a truck, crushing his right leg. A local doctor wanted to amputate but a neighbor told them to go the foreign hospital in Taitung. An external fixator enabled us to heal the bones but a large skin graft was finally needed to save the leg. But our dermatome blades were too dull so I had asked Jack to send new ones. Our hospital at that time had the only electric dermatome in the county. We prayed the blades would come in time and just when the wound was just ready to graft, they arrived! Praise God (and Jack).
That story was written in a book, (all in Chinese) ”一粒麥子落在後山“ “A Grain of Wheat Falls on the Back Mountains” a book about the founding and history of the Taitung Christian Hospital. Someone gave Mr Leo Yan, a businessman from Taiwan in Texas, a copy of that book. He read it and said, ”I am that boy!” Leo called the Taitung hospital, got my phone number and called me. He drove from Texas with his wife and 4 children to visit me, stayed several days and we had a wonderful time learning how God had led him to become a Christian, leave business, go to seminary and become a pastor!! His family are now all devout followers of Jesus, a nurse, a medical student, a son in pre-med and one in college considering medicine.
It is a lesson: each member of the body of Christ doing their part; buying and shipping blades, the surgeon operating with his assistants, the nurses that gave care, the author of the book and the one who gave it to Leo and the Holy Spirit who put it all together to the glory of God! Isn’t it great to be on the team!
Jack was a real team player for Jesus! Thank you, Jesus, we were both on that same team!
There’s more, including pictures, in Frank’s email. I found it very inspiring. God uses ordinary people…and orthopedic surgeons!
What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. (1 Corinthians 3.5 – 8, ESV)
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. (1 Corinthians 12.4 – 6, ESV)