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Health & Fitness

She found herself in Africa

At 16 years, Lighthouse Medical Missions has attended 50,000 patients. Some of the volunteers are profoundly affected.

BANJUL, THE GAMBIA -- Linda Burandt now wants give her life to Africa.

There were reasons for her NOT to come in 2012: her kids were graduating, it was too much money, it was a busy year. But her friend challenged her to pray about it. Lighthouse Medical Missions has no government funding. It runs on volunteers. For Linda and her two kids to go, she needed to raise $10,000 in 10 weeks.

"I'm still amazed" that the money came in, said the single mom real estate agent from Big Lake, Minnesota, a town of 10,000 an hour outside of the Twin Cities. "It was divine timing. God had been stirring things in my heart and soul. I was being drawn to Africa. God whispers things to you."

Since that trip to The Gambia with Matthew, then 15, and Marina, then 18, Linda has become a regular feature on the twice yearly clinics that have provided free consultation and free medicine to 50,000 patients through 16 years.

On her first trip, she manned the eye glasses booth. The group brings hundreds of prescription glasses, and the volunteer asks the patient to try on pair after pair until he finds the best option. It may not restore perfect 20-20 vision, but it brings a vast improvement.

Linda is now on her third visit to this West African nation which hugs the river with the same name. She now is plotting longer visits. She wants to work an entire year here.

"That first year here when I went home, it didn't feel like I was going home (except for my kids), it felt like I was leaving home," Linda said. She would like to work in education. On Sunday morning at the church service, Linda was hugging children and friends, Gambians she has gotten to know on prior visits. Clinics in The Gambia and Guinea Bissau get underway on Monday.

"God really wanted to show me dramatically that first year with the $10,000 in 10 weeks that this was something for me," she said. Fundraising hasn't been such a cinch -- dare I say, miracle -- since then. On subsequent trips, she's needed to dip into her savings. "It's been more challenging for me to raise that money."

Though Lighthouse Medical Missions is a Christian organization, you don't have to subscribe to faith to participate. As long as you follow the guidelines, you can volunteer. Though medical practitioners obviously are critical, anyone can be useful in the logistics of running a clinic.

Next year, Matthew will be studying international business at the University of Minneapolis. Marina is studying mortuary sciences at the U. of M. After a few years, Linda will be free from obligations. She could sell her house and downsize the possessions acquired during a lifetime in the business world.

"I'm looking to unload my external belongings to satisfy my internal longings," she said. "When I go back home, I'm counting the weeks till I can come back. I just feel like I belong here. Everybody has their fingerprint that God puts on their heart. Coming to Africa was like my world was in black and white and here it came to color."

Lighthouse Medical Missions buys its medicines with a walk-a- thon each Spring in Santa Monica called the Walk to Africa. If you would like to donate for medicines or volunteer, visit its website lighthousemedicalmissions.com


This is entry #6 of my chronicles of an African medical mission. To read entry #7, click here.

Or to start with entry #1, go here.
















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