May Newsletter 2015

HEALTH&HOPE MAY 2015FOR A HURTING WORLDHE’S WALKED IN THEIR SHOESYour Gift in Action on the Front Lines“MAP’s important mission of vaccine when he was a child in same year that Ray Knighton, MAPproviding medicines to those in need South Korea. “On the bright side,” International’s founder, sent MAP’sis very personal to me,” says Steve Steve teased, “since my shoes are first shipment of the vaccine to India.Stirling, president and CEO of MAP attached to the braces, I never But Steve concludes, “That wasn’tInternational. “Although I know God have to look for them!” God’s plan for me.”has blessed me in many ways, my life “I know God made me for a purpose.would have been different if I’d had When he visits children and families He has given me these experiences inaccess to the polio vaccine as a child.” today in developing countries and life—even polio—to prepare me. I’m areas of the world MAP serves, he not bitter, because I know God is usingBorn in South Korea, he contracted can personally relate—he’s walked this for His glory. One day, in heaven,polio as a young child and lived in in their shoes. I will walk and run again.”an orphanage until he was eleven, “Until then,” Steve commits, “if I canwhen he was adopted by an American “I’ve looked into their eyes and they help prevent one child from suffering,family. are full of promise and hope,” Steve I will!”In 2014 MAP celebrated 60 says. “But they need our help to realize years of providing health and hopeSteve wakes up each morning and their God-given potential.” to those in need. In 2015 we celebrateputs on his full-length leg braces— our delivery of $5 billion worth ofa daily reminder that he wasn’t Steve was born in 1955, the year the medicines and supplies!fortunate enough to receive the polio polio vaccine was introduced, and the (continued on page 4) 1

ÊPHILIPPINES ÊGHANA ÊLIBERIA ÊUGANDA ÊIVORY COAST Your gift brings new life and hope!LIVES SAVED BECAUSE OF YOU to children like GraceYour gifts turn into action, delivering medicines to thefront lines, wherever people are in desperate need. Leprosy—hysteria and misinformationTogether, we can alleviate suffering around the world. still surround one of the world’s most ancient diseases. Many still mistakenly believe it is an incurable death sentence. It’s not. If caught early, an 8-week course of antibiotics can drive leprosy out of a child’s body!ÊPHILIPPINES: ÊIVORY COAST: That is how you saved Grace’s life.When Typhoon Haiyan took the lives of more 11-year-old Ezekiel endured years of Thanks to your support of MAPthan 6000 people, MAP International was abdominal pain, bloating and nausea. His International, she will grow up happyon the ground within days, providing more pain caused him trouble focusing in school. and healthy. The precious little girl willthan $14 million in critical medicines and MAP International provided deworming run, laugh, play, and sing—do all thesupplies. We protected moms and children medication for Ezekiel. Today, he’s attentive joyful things that little girls do. Thanksfrom disease, cared for people with wounds in school and excited about his future. MAP to you, Grace has life and hope!and injuries, and treated many suffering International and our partners in Ivory Coast Together, we’re making greatwith pneumonia to survive what could have are working towards to total eradication of progress. But the battle is not won!been a deadly infection. Guinea worm disease. There hasn’t been a Your gift today is critical to help us new case reported in three years! continue the fight for other little onesÊGHANA: like Grace. You’ll help us embrace andKameyor was six years old when an ulcer ÊUGANDA: educate more communities to defeatopened and began eating away his skin. At 15 new community vaccinators were trained this dreaded disease. Together wea MAP sponsored clinic, it was diagnosed as to increase immunization coverage to 80 can save many others from a lifetimeBuruli ulcer—a neglected tropical disease percent! Only one case of measles—the of suffering. Together we can ensureprevalent in Ghana. “Catching it this early,” eighth highest killer of children in the they grow up happy and healthy!said MAP International President and country—was reported last year. “I can’t Will you bring healing to another girlCEO Steve Stirling, “spared Kameyor from overemphasize the importance of these . . . another boy . . . another family?a lifetime of disfigurement.” Since then, victories,” Steve Stirling said. “These are Please fill out the enclosed replyMAP trained 300 healthcare workers and children getting the chance in life that I card, and send your gift today.more than 500 volunteers in Ghana to detect never got as a child!” These precious children cannot wait!and treat . . . even prevent Buruli ulcer andleprosy. These are just a few examples of the many ways in which your gifts are bringingÊLIBERIA: healing and hope to people in need. ThankThe Ebola virus took more than 10,300 lives you! Together we celebrate delivery of $5in just one year. MAP International and billion worth of medicine worldwide overour partners played an integral part in the MAP International's 60 year history—andreduction of cases. We’ve delivered more we commit to press on . . . as long as therethan $16 million in Ebola relief, delivered is need!more than 32,000 personal protective suits(PPEs) for healthcare workers, and provided Five billion dollars worth of medicine deliveredmore than 300 Ebola Medical Mission Packs. worldwide to heal the globe’s most vulnerable2

Fulfilling MAP's MissionAround the World! We work with hundreds of short- term medical mission teams, partner agencies, and pharmaceutical companies to distribute medicines to over 100 countries each year. Because of your generous donations, MAP and our implementing partners provided more than 34 million treatments in the last year alone. In 60 years of providing health and hope, MAP International has cultivated a legacy of Christian compassion and service around the world. Children will die today of preventable and treatable diseases. Together, we are putting urgently needed medicines and supplies into the hands of health care professionals where they’re needed most.Each year MAP helps tens of MAP International’s Vice President of Global Programs, Dr.thousands of people have access Julien Ake, caring for patients in his native Ivory Coast: “Whatto clean drinking water every day. I like to see is the transformation, the qualitative changes we are operating in the life of the population we are serving.” 3

A Note from Immediately the man was healed of But we do more than provideSteve Stirling his leprosy! (Matthew 8:3). medicines. We become a part of Although the healing is amazing, these dear people’s lives. TogetherIn the gospels—Matthew, Mark, the miraculous part is this—“Jesus we have the wonderful opportunityand Luke—we read the account of touched the man.” In Bible times, to reach out and touch those who arethe leper approaching Jesus. “Lord, touching someone with leprosy was hurting—to demonstrate the love ofif you are willing, you can make me forbidden—thought to render one Christ through our compassion!clean” (Matthew 8:2 NIV). What unclean. It’s not a stretch to imagine As you read through this newsletter,follows, I believe, may be one of the this man hadn’t felt a caring touch I trust you will be encouraged to seemost shocking sentences in all of from another human being in years. where your gifts are at work—inScripture. It reads, “I am willing.” Can you imagine? Jesus reached out action on the front line, doing justJesus touched the man, “Be clean!” his hand! that. As we celebrate $5 billion in Your generosity allows MAP medicines and supplies delivered International to deliver vital over MAP International’s 60 year medicines to the farthest corners history, give thanks with me for the of the world, where people don’t tremendous opportunity we have to have access to doctors or clinics, touch so many lives! or where clinics are overcrowded THANK YOU! And God bless you for and underequipped—places where making our work possible. the needs are greater than we can imagine. And today, every $1 you give will ship $60 worth of vital medicines and supplies to those in need.He’s walked in their shoes (continued from page 1)For Steve, it’s not about big the medicines available—it has to compel you.numbers. It’s about one It breaks my heart that there is so much sufferingnumber—one face, one child, in the world, when we have what those childrenone healthy family. and families need right here in the U.S.” “We take for granted things Suffering doesn’t have to have the last word. like getting our children “I remember what it was like to feel hopeless immunized to protect them and scared as a child,” Steve says. “I also remember against measles, polio, and how it felt to learn there were loving people who other preventable diseases. cared for me—generous supporters who providedWhile most of us can’t imagine a life without easy access money for my crutches and helped meet my needsto antibiotics at the local pharmacy when at the orphanage. It made all the difference in the world.”our children are sick, for the 1.4 billion people around For Steve, it has come full circle. Together, withthe world living on less than $2 a day, it’s reality.” your generous heart, we’re bringing health and hopeIt doesn’t have to be. to those in need—wherever they are.“When you see a child disfigured by leprosy—and yourealize it was preventable, it’s curable, and that we have4700 Glynco Parkway | Brunswick, Georgia 31525 www.map.org4