Healing Beyond Skin & Bone

Dear Reader, thank you for joining us in this mission to serve the people of Papua New Guinea. It gives us GREAT pleasure to know you are reading about what God is doing here, and that you are praying for this wonderful work! We are in our final weeks of service here at Kudjip Hospital and not a day goes by without amazing stories and pictures worth sharing with you. As always, there's a constant mixture of big heartwarming moments, the grief of terrible disease and death, and the joy of serving alongside a wonderful missionary family. Please enjoy the following collage of our lives and God's work here at Kudjip Nazarene Hospital in the Western Highlands of PNG. All our Love, The Henderson's

This is me in my happy place - holding a cute kid who's just as excited to see my silly grin as I am to see his. Do I pick kids up whenever I get the chance? YES ...but it's not as often as I'd like as most are just too sick or too freaked out by the white man. Do I wear a mask and worry these kids are absolutely covered in germs? NOPE! Just this morning on the Pediatric Ward I sat down on a bedside and greeted a little 18 month old (different kid from the pic above) who has been recovering from a nasty tummy bug. I stuck out my hand and said "Mornin Tru! Nem bilong mi Docta Ted ...sek han (shake hand)." Now most of the time with this introduction the little tikes wilt into their mother's embrace wailing, but this time the lad put out both hands miming to be held. Gladly! I picked him up and he sweetly settled his face into my shoulder - heart melting! Yes, in that moment I realized I was then covered with whatever gastro virus he had, but hey, how often do you get a baby nestling into your chest?! Moments like these remind me why I love being a pediatrician. But here at Kudjip, the kid-fun ends once Pediatric Ward rounds are done and then it's off to outpatient clinic (OPD) and the ER where I see mostly adults. 

Just in the last couple of weeks I've had a run of really serious cases, the most heart wrenching being those with terminal cancer, but also cases of violence like the three men pictured above with stab wounds. My gut instinct is to feel revolted by the sight and smell of it all, but then the Lord kindly replaces that aversion with a reminder that I'm not here to just care for physical health. As I look past the physical and see the child of God I honestly experience a miraculous change in my Spirit towards these wounded and dying patients - I want them to know they are loved and that there is still hope!

Sorry for the graphic images, but these are two of the cancer patients I have seen and prayed with in the last week. Yes, that's the man's jaw bone you can see in the first picture and I can assure you the up close sight and smell is horrible to experience. What made the entire situation MUCH better was learning both of these men know Christ as Lord and I was truly filled with joy to share encouraging Bible verses and pray with them in Jesus' Name for their healing. Lord willing, a miracle might happen through chemo or radiation or surgery, but I also prayed for their Spiritual healing, that they might become a blazing beacon of joy in the midst of tragedy, a testimony to the grace of the Cross. 

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And now for some lighter fare...

Please enjoy the following photo dump!

Praise the Lord, our little buddy Job has finally been discharged home after almost 6 weeks in the hospital! You may recall he was admitted for a terrible case of sepsis and lung infection which required multiple chest tubes, but against all odds he has done really well. 

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One of my ongoing quality improvement (QI) projects has been helping our Pediatric Ward improve outcomes for children with Malnutrition and the other day I was able to facilitate an In-Service with all the staff to discuss admission/discharge protocols and address a few areas for improvement. In the picture below you can see they're still using the length board I built here 10 years ago! 

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Yes, I brought F3 bootcamp back to PNG, and much to all the missionary kids' chagrin I was tapped for helping with their PE class. They both loved and hated it, but everyone was stronger for it!

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Yes, when Uncle Ted is not in the hospital, there's usually some fun to be had. The above video features a couple of the youngest Morris boys feeding off my silly energy. The Morris family has been here for two years through the Samaritan's Purse Post-Residency Program and have just returned to the US. There were lots of fun and prayerful goodbyes, and the entire Missionary family has been missing them! Click HERE to read more from their awesome BLOG!

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Some of the guys on Station recently celebrated Dr Mark's birthday by completing a Murph workout (2 miles, x100 pullups, x200 pushups, x300 squats), and then hanging out for a fun dinner and poker night.

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When and wherever possible, Pennie and Solomon monopolize Papa time, but are truly a joy to spend time with - here we are having some stick carving fun and of course Cirque du Soleil practice. Haha

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LAST BUT NOT LEAST

Solomon and I recently tackled a fantastic hike up to the top of Mount Tapi overlooking Kudjip Hospital to camp overnight with our friends Josh and Harley. 

We left our vehicle at Konduk church and were happily followed by a happy troop of PNG kids. 

The climb was impressively steep, and my Garmin watch frequently announced I had completed many times the stair climb goal for the day. Carrying a 40 pound pack added to the challenge but all my F3 rucking back home certainly helped!

When we finally reached the top, winded and weary, we rejoiced at the exhilarating view for maybe just one minute before heavy raindrops started falling. With all speed I set up the tent and for good measure set up a rain canopy to preserve a hopefully dry interior. We were all soaked to the bone by the time the shelters were set up. 

Josh used a couple tarps to create his ground shelter, and we scouted the area hoping to find some dry wood for a fire. 

The Lord was good to us and we found a standing dead tree trunk which we managed to push over and hack into logs. I had brought some dry kindling in a trash bag so thankfully we were able to get our fire going to roast hotdogs for dinner. 

Late that night, the rain slowed down and we could see the lights of Kudjip Station through the mist. Sleep was less than comfortable, but our tent stayed dry and Solomon slept like a log. 

The following morning we enjoyed quite the panoramic view of the Wahgi Valley before a perilous return hike (slide) down the muddy mountain slopes. Thankfully we all returned without any serious injuries, and with hearts full of adventurous Spirit. Hazzah!

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” (Isaiah 52:7)

The Blessing of Adversity

This week I wept alone in my clinic room after praying for God to heal the brain tumor in a 20 year old girl. She plays guitar for her church and her mum teaches Sunday school, and with Jesus in our midst we believed together for God to miraculously heal her. I have long struggled to ask God (fully believing) for miraculous healing, so it was my depth of belief, trust, and hope in that moment which left me emotionally cracked open. As always with bad diagnoses, I encouraged her to use this physically painful season to joyfully wave the banner of God’s sovereign goodness. (Phil 4:4-7)

It’s OK to hope for God to miraculously heal, and it’s OK if He makes it happen in the moment we pray for it, or after months of modern medicine. It’s also OK if He chooses not to heal, but instead ignites an entire community through the joyful testimony of a young life trusting God and worshipping Jesus as Lord with every breath until her last. None of us can guarantee tomorrow, but there is eternal peace and purpose in fully trusting God for today. 

With these thoughts fresh in my heart, and eternity in my perspective, I was pleased yesterday to receive an invitation to attend a local Seventh-Day Adventist church from a friend (Jenny) who works in our Outpatient Clinic. This was in fact our third attempt to find a free Saturday to attend her small SDA Lotu, but the Spirit always makes a way where God has a plan. I recall accepting Jenny’s first heartfelt invitation a few weeks ago, her bright Jesus-smile spread ear to ear, while thinking to myself “what does SDA believe again?” Well I spent an evening reading about the SDA church (READ HERE), and discovered a family of believers who love Jesus and the Word, and like so many other denominations, have a few unique traditions (like church on Saturday, among others). I think I am like most Christians, loyal to the denomination I know, while uncertain about the others and less likely to attend them. The Spirit gave me peace about it and I expected He would make a way for us to attend if it was meant to happen. 

We awoke this morning (Saturday, April 26th) to a steady chilly drizzle and enjoyed quiet devotional time by the warm gas-lit fireplace. Pennie and Solomon devoured cereal as a special treat and had their own books to enjoy. I have been reading through 1st Corinthians and today I slowly digested chapters 12-13, my heart refreshed with so many profound truths about the Body of Christ, Spiritual Gifts, and the kind of love Jesus empowers in His followers. 

We were ready to leave for church by 10am, but then discovered the vehicle we reserved for the drive had a dead battery. In the moment I felt a mixture of disappointment and peace, the typical momentary flesh versus spirit response to unforeseen changes in plans. But I also felt a strong call from the Lord to push on and get to Jenny’s church, one way or another. The solution ended up being quick and painless with Missionary brother Don kindly bringing around another truck to give us a jump, and then we headed off Station picking up Jenny and a med student named Laura along the way. 

The SDA lotu was not unlike many other small local churches we have visited - tin roof, dirt floor covered with plastic, no pews, and a small altar at the front beautifully adorned with an amazing display of local flowers and leaves and garden produce. At first there were maybe twenty adults and children present, but the congregation grew to at least 50 by the time our lively opening worship concluded. Over and over the worship leader and congregants shouted “God is good! All the time! And all the time! God is good!” Over and over the name of Jesus was proclaimed with the word “Powerful” shouted after. HE was indeed present in the room as a spontaneous time of prayer erupted into every voice proclaiming His greatness in prayer and beseeching His presence for the service. 

After concluding worship and giving tithes/offerings, there was a short time for testimonies, and the Lord had given me a word to share from 1 Corinthians 12:12-13. I wanted everyone to know that we felt a oneness with them as members of the Body of Christ, pulled from very different cultures and backgrounds, but baptized by one and the same Spirit. As I stood to share, Rachel pulled my arm and whispered with some urgency that Jenny had just mentioned I was to be giving the sermon. In other words, don’t share too much because you’re about to get up and deliver a whole sermon! Well THAT wasn’t expected, but again in the momentary clash of flesh and spirit, anxiety was crushed by a deep sense of thankfulness. I stood to give thanks for the church welcoming us and briefly shared the 1 Cor 12 verses. Thankfully, a group then stood up to share a song, which gave me a moment to gather my thoughts and seek the Lord on what to share for a sermon. The threads of being united with Christ, to bear His Love to the world, as one body, started to weave together in my mind. 

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body - whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free - and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 

A few minutes later I took to the stage armed with my English NIV Bible and the PNG Buk Baibel, and confessed in Tok Pisin to the smiling crowd that I am nothing special, but the person of Jesus resides in me, and His Words will be given to them today. After lifting up the time and my words to the Lord in prayer I turned in the Buk Baibel to John 15 “Jisas em i diwai wain tru” (Jesus the True Vine), or our translation “The Vine and the Branches” parable. I encouraged them that these verses would be especially clear for them to understand as expert gardeners, carving out a living every day in the rich soil of these PNG Highlands.  In the moment I began reading, the words became increasingly difficult to see and I realized an ocular migraine was starting in my right eye. These happen maybe 2-3 times a year, with a fuzzy blurring of my vision moving from center to lateral over a period of 20-30 minutes. No headache or other symptoms, just a benign blurring. But NOW?! …as I’m launching into reading seventeen very challenging Tok Pisin verses? You can likely guess that my momentary flesh VS spirit wrestling match happened again (now for the third time in one morning!), and in my mind I actually said “not today Satan!” and continued to read with my head slightly tilted to view the words with just my left eye. 

It took a couple minutes, but I managed to read those verses with appreciative murmuring coming from the congregation as seeds of Truth landed on fertile soil. I then reviewed some essential Gospel truths about who we are as believers, and how in spite of being stuck in the flesh, daily making mistakes, the Lord God sees His Son Jesus in us, and loves us eternally as His own. We also covered Galatians 5:22-25 Fruits of the Spirit as evidence of the character of Christ flowing through us, and 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 as a clearer understanding of His Love. 

 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 

I challenged them to consider what fruits they are bearing as evidence of Jesus as their Lord and Savior. I read to them 2 Corinthians 5:17 as a way of encouragement to step into NEW LIFE, freedom from shame, the enemy’s lies, and former habits of the world. I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit moving through my words, leading me to each new verse, and after each reading the volume of the people's rejoicing grew - a heart-filling confirmation. 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

I then shared the hardship of my brain tumor patient, and reviewed those John 15 verses about followers of Christ being pruned, a painful change to ultimately bear more Kingdom fruit. I encouraged them to consider their hardships as a blessing instead of a curse - exercise is painful at times but it makes you stronger.

I am the true vine, and my father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, so that it will be even more fruitful. 

After the service and MANY kind handshakes (Rachel received a BIG hug from a sweet little girl), I discovered our vehicle wouldn’t start again, this in spite of letting it idle during half the service. Haha, well praise the Lord, there wasn’t any frustration or worry on my part. After so many disruptions to the “expected” today this was now just part of the adventure of following Jesus and spending more time with people. I decided the best bet would be to flag down a passing vehicle and request a jumpstart. The first vehicle was a police Cruiser, which I was certain would stop, but then didn’t. Nor did the next two, and then someone told me to wait as all the vehicles were part of a funeral procession. Whoops! A few taxi vans and mac trucks passed, and one pickup truck going way too fast to slow down, and then I asked the Lord to send just the right person our way. A silver Cruiser going slower caught my attention and I waved repeatedly, miming for him to turn off the road as he passed by. It took him a bit to find a place to pull off and turn around, but he made it back to us and pulled into the SDA entrance. He said he knew me (jaw drop!) and had seen me leaving Kudjip earlier, that he was family with the Kudjip head of security (Silas) and father of a Med Student currently rotating at the hospital. God provided just the right man! 

After many unsuccessful attempts to jumpstart our vehicle, our friend towed the truck out to the road and we attempted to roll-start the truck. While many of us gamely pushing the truck down the highway an engine-savvy older gent tried to turn over the engine, but to no avail. Then as we doggedly pushed the truck back to the SDA entrance who should arrive but Silas himself, head of Kudjip security, ready to save the day. We got the two vehicles nose to nose and they cleverly swapped the batteries, using the fresh Silas truck battery to start our vehicle, then with it running, swap the batteries back out. Hazzah!

What an eventful morning! And Jesus was right there with us at each moment with just the right measure of wisdom, patience, joy, and love. The momentary challenges and changes to our plans are indeed a blessing as the Spirit prunes us to bear more fruit. We pray this story finds you in a Spiritual place ready to wrestle with these verses and truths yourself. HE is worthy! 

But the Lord said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 

The Missionary Life, Now and Forever

Dear Ones, Happy Easter! We pray the presence and power of Christ's life and resurrection blesses you mightily this season, and I hope the pictures and stories captured here in this Blog are an inspiration and joy for you. We remain deeply grateful for your support in sending us here to Kudjip and truly feel the impact of your prayers daily! The following includes snapshots from my time in the hospital, some fun adventures outside of work, and concludes with a heart-wrenching experience. May these accounts bless and challenge your hearts. All our Love, Ted, Rachel, Penniella, and Solomon

I had the pleasure of meeting this young Christian man named Samuel in clinic the other week, and I was immediately encouraged by his friendly spirit and awesome t-shirt. We joked that with his winning smile and admirable beard he could easily play the role of PNG Jesus in a feature film! After a few tests I was glad to report the diagnosis of pulmonary TB which can be easily remedied with a few months of meds. Praise God!

In contrast to Samuel's story, I diagnosed Michael (pictured above) with both TB and HIV. The diagnosis of HIV carries a heavy burden here in PNG as there is both a social stigma and a challenge to remain compliant with ART medications. I educated Michael about both diseases and how TB meds can resolve the infection, but that HIV will be with him for the rest of his life and requires really good medication compliance in order to stay healthy. The Spirit also inspired me to inquire about Michael's faith and he confessed being far from God, though he fondly remembered his Sunday School lessons as a child. It was a real joy to share the Gospel with Michael, reading a number of scriptures, and inviting him to follow Jesus as he enters a challenging season. Sometimes when I offer to share the Word and pray with a patient, I discern a hardened heart resistant to the Word of Life, which is sad and then makes me reluctant to make that effort with the next patient. In Michael's case it was evident the Spirit was moving in his softened heart, and I rejoiced with his willingness to attend Easter service and give his life to the Lord. 

Recently while Rachel was guest speaking at the local teacher's college, Pennie and Solomon joined me for rounds on the Pediatric Ward. They were great little assistants, placing "Jesus Loves You" stickers on all the kids, and expertly driving the ultrasound machine. I gave them (and some nursing students) a little anatomy lesson identifying all the internal organs we can see on ultrasound, and the kids weren't even a little bit squeamish watching me remove a drain from an infected leg. Pennie continues to declare her future career will be in medicine and I am sure she will shine in that role if the Lord keeps that dream in her heart. 

When I'm not working at the hospital, I've greatly enjoyed exploring the local river with the kids. Now they're a bit older at least twice a week we've trekked to different parts of the river to swim, collect interesting rocks, play with some local friends, and we'll usually float the hydro dam canal on our way back home. Fun in the sun among God's beautiful creation - talk about filling my cup!

Another great joy is the peace we have found in our mission home. As many of you know the Lord has given us the calling of hospitality, and we welcome the opportunity to host our neighbors, no matter where we are in the world. Every week, Rachel takes on the culinary challenge of hosting another missionary family for a dinner, as well as facilitating a preschool play group so other missionary Moms can get a break. Bless her! In addition, for the month of April we have enjoyed hosting the weekly Missionary Prayer meeting with Rachel leading worship on guitar and the the Holy Spirit leading us all in sharing our praises, prayers, and whatever word of encouragement comes to heart. This has been greatly edifying to us, and we feel much more connected with all our missionary family. In a less scheduled manner, our home here is regularly visited by children playing with Pennie and Solomon, and PNG friends calling to "story" with us on the front porch (sharing updates, concerns, joys, and needs.) We are thankful the Holy Spirit graces our home and keeps the light on for all to feel welcome.

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04 APR 2025, Thursday, 0745AM -  It started as a normal morning reading my daily devotional with a steaming cup of Highlands coffee, eating breakfast with the family, and getting ready to round at the hospital. Then I received a text on the missionary thread that read “Need a Doctor at 4-plex unit 2.” A little alarm went off in my spirit suggesting this might be urgent so I grabbed my medical bag and hurried out the door sending the text reply “Heading there now.” 

I knew there was a visiting missionary family staying in the 4-Plex guest condos expecting to deliver their 4th child, so as I walked up the road I texted again asking if the concern was Obstetric or Pediatric in nature, to which they replied “Adult.” What I didn’t know was that an elderly missionary (who I’ll call DAVID in this post for privacy reasons) was also staying in the 4-Plex. David served as a missionary all over the world for many decades and had been at Kudjip for a week to help at the local Bible College. He was scheduled to fly home that morning but he had not responded to his driver’s knock at the door. When I arrived in the guest flat I found David kneeling at his bedside, face down on the bed, skin pale as ivory, without a pulse or breathing. The moment I saw him I knew he was deceased but I lifted him into his bed and attempted a chest compression. His frail chest cracked and frothy blood gurgled up from his lungs. His pupils were dilated and unresponsive. I covered David with a blanket and pronounced him dead to the two men who had found him.

I have seen death multiple times a week here at Kudjip so recognizing death and being accustomed to it’s sight and smell is no longer shocking, but the up close and personal encounter with the death of a fellow ex-pat missionary was a first for me. I initially felt sad for David, dying alone sometime during the night. I also felt sadness for his wife back home who would hear of his death by phone but not get to see him or hold him in her time of grief. 

Dr Ben and Dr Mark arrived and began coordinating efforts for contacting David’s wife and transferring his body to the local morgue. I knew I wasn’t needed anymore and the kids on the Peds Ward were waiting for me to round on them. I walked to the hospital, feeling more than a little shell-shocked, and passed a couple missionaries on their way up to help with the efforts. Just before I got to A Ward I ran into Dr Jake and shared what had happened. It was then in recounting the events that it struck me - this elderly missionary died in the field while faithfully serving God’s calling. What a way to go! I was emotionally overwhelmed with the mental image of the Heavenly Host rejoicing in David’s glorious homecoming, and the Lord of Lords declaring “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

I have reflected back on these events many times since that fateful morning and wonder whether David kneeling at the bedside was in fact a posture of prayer. Being a man close to Christ, I can imagine he endured a moment of panic as he realized something was terribly wrong but then was quickly filled with a supernatural peace as he knelt to pray. He may have asked for the Lord to either heal him or receive him. He may have prayed for his family to have peace, or for the Lord to inspire others to pick up where he left off with his earthly mission. David may have just simply died praying the Lord’s prayer, a familiar comfort that could have been his routine to begin every day. 

Scripture instructs believers that there is power in prayer - to heal, to restore, to refocus, to influence unseen spiritual warfare. So often we get distracted by life that we forget to pray. So often I hear believers say they don’t want to pray because they’re feeling depressed, or angry, or exhausted. But these are the most important times to pray. Philippians 4:4-7 is a verse I read aloud almost every day here in PNG to patients struggling through an illness. These verses promise that when we pray in faith the Lord will exchange our anxieties for a Jesus-peace that surpasses all understanding, and we will be able to rejoice and give testimony to the Lord’s greatness even in the midst of our toughest trials. 

We instead tend to separate ourselves from God’s indwelling peace and counsel while we firmly clench our fists holding onto earthy treasures and dreams, or holding onto past pain or unforgiveness. We have to learn to pray every day, keeping our hearts and hands upturned to the Lord, palms open for Him to take the weight of our burdens and relieve us of earthly possessions or desires that aren’t good for us. This submissive and trusting posture also then allows us to receive His presence, healing, and whatever blessings He deems are best for us. 

I want to be like David, a life dedicated to the Lord, entirely driven by prayer, heavy with Kingdom fruit, defying comforts and infirmities to answer God’s calling right to the very end. Amen!

God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”