Another charity I have grown attached to over the last few years is the Luke Society. Their mission is to “[support] indigenous Christian health professionals dedicated to medical missions.” (I’m not sure, but I think their name is a reference to Luke, the physician who wrote the Bible books of Luke and Acts.)
Breaking down their mission explains why some of the reasons I like them.
- Indigenous: they empower local people to help other local people, which is both more practical and more effective than “shipping in” people from other regions, meaning that money I give goes a long way
- Christian: the mission is more than just physical health, but is also concerned with eternity (because what’s the point of being healthy now only to miss out on eternal life and health for, you know, infinity?)
- health professionals: their ministry is more than just words, however powerful they may be—they also help relieve suffering in the here and now
One of the other things I like about the Luke Society is that they seem to genuinely value prayer, and not just cash. I originally started working with them when I saw they were looking for people to pray. They have a monthly newsletter that talks about answers to prayer and prayer requests. I’ve received the newsletter for a couple of years, and it’s neat how I’ve gradually “gotten to know” the various doctors.
The prayer aspect is important to me, because while many Christian organizations encourage prayer, it’s rare that they seem to truly believe it’s more important than money. Being on the Luke Society mailing list has shown me over and over that when they are facing a crisis (for instance, the current persecution in Pakistan), they look for prayer first.
Further evidence of their belief in prayer is found in the current ministry of Dr. Peter Boelens, the former Executive Director. He and his wife now spend their time researching, reporting, and applying healing prayer to hurting people.
One of the other strong points, which I’ve already alluded to, is they are excellent communicators. Many organizations mean well but forget to ask for help and, probably more importantly, to follow up after they are given help.
The Luke Society sends regular updates in a variety of appropriate formats (a PDF or print newsletter for the monthly news, with occasional emails with urgent prayer requests relayed from their doctors). They don’t waste my time (or money!) with gimmicky “gifts,” either, which I consider a big plus.
Even if you’re not a Christian, I believe the Luke Society offers a great ROI thanks to their willingness to serve people who really need it in places very few others will venture. If you’re so inclined, you can sign up for their mailing list or donate online.
