Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.- Matthew 11:25-30

In today’s fast paced world, many of us feel overwhelmed as we attempt to embrace the challenges that life presents to us. Challenges can be a burden, and some burdens are heavier than others. However, not all burdens are physical. In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus tells us how we can lighten our burdens through prayer.

In Swaziland, Dr. Al and Kathleen Hartmann know all about the power of prayer. For the past 15 years, these longtime CMMB volunteers have dedicated so much of their lives to bringing hope and dignity to the very ill through home-based healthcare. Together with a team from the Good Shepherd Mission Hospital, they administer medications, treatments, and huge doses of human kindness and compassion to those too often forgotten.

The Hartmann’s recently introduced us to Busi, a 48-year-old woman who lives in a very remote and poor community. She works hard and raises a few chickens to provide a small income. An accident left Busi badly burned. Without resources, she couldn’t afford care in a hospital. A homemade remedy made her wounds even worse. With regular visits from the Hartmanns andadvanced treatments from generous donors, Busi began to heal. We’re praying that with time and additional care, she will be able to walk again on her own, and resume her simple but satisfying life in the company of family and friends.

Women like Busi represent the kind of vulnerability we face in our work every day. Living in extreme poverty, they bear often bear the additional burden of poor health. The Hartmanns say that spiritual care is a major part of healing the sick, noting that it’s impossible to do one well without the other.  Kathleen says, “We’ll ask patients, ‘Would you like us to pray with you before we leave?’ One hundred percent of the time they say yes.”

Please join us as we pray for the sick, and all those who work to heal them.

Yours in grace,
CMMB/Healthier Lives Worldwide

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