Moriarty’s medical missionary team made a difference in Cambodia

Buffalo Reflex

By Michelle Bell
michelleb@buffaloreflex.com
Friday, March 13, 2009

“There is no single person’s soul that is more important than anyone else’s,” said Donna Moriarty, speaking to the First Baptist Church congregation on Feb. 15 about what inspired her to take a medical-missionary trip to Cambodia in January. Moriarty has been a women’s health nurse practitioner at the Dallas County Health Department for 20 years, and she also works in Lebanon in an ob-gyn’s office.

Moriarty, Buffalo, traveled to the southeast Asian country on her first international mission trip from Jan. 8-18, and her team helped treat more than 500 people in the process. The team — made up of Moriarty; Neila Kraft, registered nurse in Lebanon; Christi Wilson, family nurse practitioner in Lebanon; and Rick Howerton, associate pastor at First Christian Church in Phillipsburg as well as Christ in Youth, an organization in Joplin — worked together to help the “very patient and grateful” Cambodians.

American Rehabilitated Ministries was the host and helped coordinate interpreters.

Cambodia, known for its tight visa regulations, requires missionaries to follow a 50-50 law: 50 percent of the missionaries’ time must be used for humanitarian in nature efforts and 50 percent can be used for evangelism.

The team set up clinics in three different areas, and Moriarty used her expertise in women’s health to educate Cambodians about hygiene and ways to prevent disease. Although team members brought their supplies from the States, they bought most of the medications in Cambodia.

“Customs could have been tricky with a lot of prescription drugs,” she said.

Health concerns encountered in Cambodia were “mostly related to dehydration and malnutrition,” according to Moriarty, as well as the environment. The Cambodians’ drinking water is to blame for many of the ailments.

“The water was nothing I would put near my mouth,” she said.

The team also “wormed every patient we saw,” said Moriarty; however, they couldn’t do anything about some of the chronic conditions.

Moriarty said the team helped educate their patients about the warning signs and dangers of human trafficking, a growing problem in the area, and spent time at Rapha House, a rescue home for girls who are at risk of being taken into human trafficking.

Rapha House also teaches the girls various trades, including salon services.

“On our last day we needed to support Rapha House, so we got pedicures and manicures,” she said.

At each clinic the members ministered to the people.

“So many times you plant a seed, but you never know if there was a harvest,” said Moriarty. “However, we were able to hear that 17 people said they wanted to become baptized and follow Jesus.”

Moriarty feels Christianity could grow in Cambodia if more missionaries were allowed in.

“One of the main things I received from this trip is that their Buddhist religion takes and takes and takes and gives them nothing, not even hope.” she said. “Christianity gives them something back.”