The Story of Redemption that Lead Us to Kenya {ITEC}

About six months ago we were introduced to an organization that spun my view of missions upside down. When I thought of short-term missions, I envisioned people volunteering their time, donating supplies and/or money, building things or helping those with medical issues for a week or so. 

That is not ITEC.

To understand why ITEC doesn't do those type of short term missions, you have to go way back. 

You see, ITEC was born from the collision of two worlds. *

Steve Saint, the founder, has personally seen the unintended, but very real harm that comes from traditional short-term missions. He was a 5 year old child living in Ecuador when his father a missionary, along with four others, was killed by the Waodani tribe. In a story of redemption that only God could write, not only did Steve and his family end up moving into the jungle, but he ended up being raised by the same men who killed his father. As you can imagine, the news of five missionaries being killed by a notoriously savage tribe, spread quickly throughout the world. Over time this tribe became a focus for missions. People came in love to build things, give supplies and do things for the Waodani people. After Steve had been living in the United States for 20-some years, the Waodani tribe had a request. They wanted Steve to move back to Ecuador with his wife and four teenagers. Upon his return Steve was shocked to see the negative impact of short-term missions on the Waodani people. The missionary-built church was falling apart. When questioning them, he realized in their culture a structure is owned by its builder, so they believed they had no right to perform the needed repairs. The elders no longer felt competent to baptize believers even though those same men baptized Steve over 30 years before. Now they waited for visiting missionaries to do it for them.

What happened? This previously self-sustaining, independent tribe was now completely dependent on missionaries. Ouch.

Steve was the first to publish a book highlighting the unintended consequences of short-term missions. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND reading The Great Omission by Steve Saint. It should be required reading before any type of mission/service trip.

The tribe asked Steve to teach them skills so they no longer had to rely on missionaries to come and do what they were fully capable of doing for themselves. And ITEC was born.

ITEC's mission is to train and equip indigenous Christ-followers to care for the physical needs of their people as a door opener for Christ. Six different trainings are currently available:

I-MED .  Medical training- Basic hygiene, taking vital signs, first aid, wound care, testing and treating of local sicknesses like malaria.
I-DENT .  Dental training- In one week, any person with no prior schooling can learn to either drill and fill teeth, or they can learn to give anesthetic injections and pull teeth.
I-SEE  .  Vision training- Vision testing using charts that works no matter what language you speak and fitting people for glasses when needed
I-FILM .  Storytelling on Film- Students learn to take and edit video on iPads allowing them to share their story, testimony and the love of Jesus in their own language.
I-FIX .  Small engine repair which is so important for areas which depend on engines in motorcycles, boats and generators for their livelihood.
I-FARM .  ITEC's newest training will teach students how to grow food and care for their land.

Trainings last one week, and students typically begin seeing patients on day two! After certification, the students will work with their church to hold clinics allowing them to share the gospel by addressing the physical needs of their community. The students and churches are encouraged to charge a minimal amount to cover their cost of durable goods in order to replenish supplies as needed. This will ensure their ability to continue helping their community indefinitely.

You won't generally find them in the typical places missionaries go. They find the best use of their time and money is to focus solely on unreached countries.

So now that you understand who ITEC is and what they do, you probably understand why we were both ready to help. The team was preparing for a training trip to Kenya, but didn't have trainers to teach I-SEE, so we joined them.

The ITEC Kenya team

We had only met a few of these guys before arriving in Kenya, but we all left as friends. We really enjoyed spending time together and getting to know each other. These are really great people!

Training for I-SEE, I-DENT and I-FIX were located just outside of the village hospital. 

I-SEE was in this tent. Training for I-MED and I-FILM were held at the nearby university.

Our five I-SEE students.

Day one involved training and practicing on each other. Day two they began seeing patients.

 After taking care of the patient, they have the opportunity to pray with them. Sometimes they asked us to join them in prayer as well. A couple of our students were able to connect a patient with a local church after a discussion about God where the woman decided to accept God's wonderful gift of forgiveness and salvation.

I-FIX learning to repair a motorcycle engine. This skill is so important in Kenya as many people use their motorcycles not just for their own transportation, but as their income (from driving others around).

I-DENT spent the first day and a half learning about teeth, nerves and roots, to evaluate dental health, give injections, and to remove teeth. By far the most intense class, but an extremely useful one. If you've ever experienced tooth pain, you understand it's hard to think about anything else. Many of the patients, including children, needed multiple teeth removed. There are very few dentists, and generally, they are only in the major cities, so the people just learn to live with the pain and problems.

 Towards the end of day one, the students practiced giving anesthetic injections to each other. 

After lunch on day two, the students began seeing actual patients while under close supervision by the ITEC dentists. By the fifth day, the students were able to see patients without supervision.

 ITEC designed the above dental chairs that fold up into a backpack along 

with a solar charged, battery operated drill that attaches to the backpack. Amazing! 

Cross contamination is a big problem in many parts of the world. 

ITEC has developed fantastic sterilization methods that can be used anywhere.

Unfortunately we didn't really get to see I-MED and I-FILM in action as they were located at the nearby University.

 

Here is most of the I-Med team. Their last couple days of training were spent visiting homes in the village to address any medical issues the local people are dealing with. At the certification ceremony, we watched four videos made by the I-Film team. They were put together so well, it was shocking to know they had only one week to learn the process, programs and create such compelling videos.

Hope Alive is ITEC's partner for many of these training trips. The churches desiring training contact Hope Alive and together they decide which training is right for them. They handle all of the logistics and let locals know when the services will be available for patients. They took great care of us and are lovely people.

It's a beautiful thing to see 46 people from different countries, tribes and cultures come together, united in their love for God and the desire for all people to know Him. And long after the trainers have left, thirty-one people now have the skills to help the physical needs of the people in their own communities forever. And the best part? It gives them the opportunity to share God with them.

*Multiple books were written and movies filmed about the murder of the missionaries and the story of redemption that resulted. Beyond the Gates of Splendor is a documentary with interviews from the children and spouses. The book, End of the Spear, was written by Steve Saint and was later turned into a movie of the same name.

**If you're traveling thru central Florida, I encourage you to arrange for a tour of ITEC, located in Dunellon. And oh, by the way, they have built an actual flying car, the Maverick!