In 1985, the 6th year after China opened it’s borders to westerners, the visionary Pastor Namsoo Kim created Cross Continental Mission for ministry in China. China’s government permitted the mission to come to Fuzhou to build the first western hospital in China in over 50 years. By June of that year, Pastor Kim invited me to join him in the project. I visited China for the first time and studied the medical delivery system in China. However while in the final stage of development, the project for ministry was cancelled by the provincial government, and, after completion of the hospital, we were asked to leave. Yet, Pastor Kim persisted and continued to pursue ministry for China. He built a wing of hospital with a budget of $500,000 for the University hospital of Yanji called Living Water Hospital. At the same time, as I finished my fellowship, vision and passion to serve the Lord moved me to engage in my own medical mission work in China. I visited Nanjing China for the first time in 1993 as a cardiac surgeon and made the trip twice a year with my dear friend and partner, Dr Carmichael from the Ocala Heart Institute. In 1991, I crossed paths with Pastor Kim again in Florida where he was the speaker at a church retreat. After reconnecting, he invited me to join Luke World Mission (LWM), formerly Cross Continental Mission, to help build an orphanage and work in Yanji. LWM built the orphanage and managed it for over 10 years until it was transferred to another mission organization in 2009.
Concurrently, I have continued mission work in the area of cardiac surgery in China since 1993. We started a Nanjing-Ocala Heart Institute collaboration and further expanded partnerships and training exchanges in the cities of Fuzhou, Yanji, and Baotou. We visit each location twice a year and also bring their staff to Ocala, Florida for training. We share our lives with them in fellowship and bible study. Most of the trainees are baptized before their return to China where they form their own fellowship.
After having spent 16 years training physicians and building cardiovascular programs in China, Luke World Mission was invited by the Health Minister of Baotou, Inner Mongolia to build a program at their city hospital. Using the same model of training and ministry, we traveled to Baotou twice a year to perform surgery and on-site training. Moreover, we invited physicians and all members in the field of cardiovascular medical care to come twice a year for training in the USA.
In 2003, Luke World Mission opened the doors to an exciting partnership with the city of Baotou hospital system forming the Baotou/Luke World Mission outpatient health clinic. The facility has grown to become the premier outpatient care training center for all of inner Mongolia while serving over 100 patients daily.
In 2009, two missionaries from Ocala, Florida have decided to dedicate their lives to mission work in Baotou and will start a language school there. We look forward to working alongside others in different fields of interest to spread the gospel.
The ministry to Baotou has been fruitful and we look forward to a continued relationship helping the hospital handle any and all cardiovascular needs that walk through the door.
In 2001, Luke World Mission was invited by Asia Pacific Peace Committee of North Korea. We have visited The Red Cross Hospital in Pyongyang twice a year except few occasions. We have performed much challenging open heart procedures for the last 10 years and provided on-site training for surgeons and staffs. Also we have invited physicians and staff to the USA for training. The Red Cross hospital of Pyongyang has already made great advances in skill and technology and could perform open heart procedures independently with excellent outcome for patients.
In 2010, we were invited to help to equip the Heart Hospital which has been built by Yeoedo Full Gospel Church in Seoul. It would be a newest hospital in Pyongyang and serve as a center for cardiovascular services in North Korea once it is completed.
