Spotlight : Kimberly Ward - Travel Nurse on a Mission

Kimberly Ward, a long time nurse with Response 1 Medical Staffing has made a tremendous commitment this year. Kimberly has taken a leave from traditional nursing, along with her sister Kristina, and traveled to the Ukraine to take part in a ministry mission, Youth With A Mission (YWAM). YWAM provides care for children in the Ukrainian orphanages and Kimberly has made a year long commitment which began in April of this year. She has spent substantial amounts of time with other members of the ministry team visiting hospitals and families in the local area. Kim is focused on the care of these children. In the semi-regular emails she sends, she talks about walking around the corner of the orphanage and the children racing toward her; these children want nothing more than to be held and told how much they are loved. “There are so many children in the Ukraine that get into drugs, smoking and alcohol when they are 7 & 8 years old. Being in our program every day gives them something else to do with their friends and let them know there are people who care about them.”

Since their arrival in the Ukraine, Kimberly and Kristina have been living in a small apartment with few luxuries. They sleep on makeshift beds on the floor. They wash their laundry in the bathtub and they have lived without hot water for as long as two months; sometimes there is no water all.

Kristina has written of her challenges as a missionary and has said: “Every day there is a battle of some sort. Some of those battles we face are spiritual in nature (depression, lack of finances, sickness, relational conflicts...). Life as a missionary is different from what I had imagined... In a new place, daily, you have difficulty with language and cultural differences…these are two very big things because it affects everything you do, everything you say, and all relationships that you try to build. There are many other factors that make being a missionary difficult. So far I'd have to say even with all these challenges, it is still worth while for me to be a missionary to Ukraine.”

So far Kimberly has witnessed some archaic medical practices in the local hospital, prayed over a fellow missionary as he recovered from the measles, and has personally suffered through long, as well as severe, asthma complications. In describing the local hospitals Kimberly states that she “went into one of the local hospitals to see a young lady with whom I work. There were 6 patients crammed into a room that might comfortably fit 3. No call bells; all the linens and food had to be provided to the patients by family; they reused needles (it is no wonder AIDS is growing at such a fast rate), let me rephrase that... they use METAL needles for IV's and then they go from patient to patient with that needle. The training nurses go through is only 6 months to a year – max! They do not wash hands, nor do they wear gloves.... we have not even gotten to the equipment part........ I have no idea what to do, at this time with all the things I have seen, except pray for REALLY good health!”

Although she is not using her background as a nurse and massage therapist in the traditional sense, Kimberly has taken on the challenge of working with the Assistant Director of the orphanage to set up an Early Childhood Intervention Program. This will be the first ECIP in Ukraine and, if successful, Kimberly would then train others to start additional programs. “They have children here with Autism (they are not diagnosed because the doctor's here have no idea what it is or how to help the children), Cerebral Palsy, Downs Syndrome, Spina Bifida, and so much more. They want to learn how to diagnose, how to intervene - PT, OT, and how to encourage adaptation into community life (orphanages).”

Over the summer Kimberly’s ministry went on an outreach to the southern portion of Ukraine, Crimea. “As a team we fulfilled everything in the great commission, a girl gave her life to Jesus, she was baptized, and we were discipling people. Our ultimate goal was to work with the Tatar people (a Muslim people group in Ukraine). We worked mainly with two families, including one who lost the husband during their stay to a heart attack. Some of the girls from our group went and stayed with this family for the next three nights and this family was very receptive to hearing about Jesus. Five days after we left, the husband from the other family was tragically murdered. Both of these families were looked down upon and had conflicts within their religious group because they had associated with us.”

Kimberly has embraced this journey, as well as, all of the challenges and obstacles she has faced. The perseverance and strong will she has gained will allow her will allow her to continue spreading her faith and will make a significant difference to the children she is able to reach Please keep Kimberly and Kristina in your prayers. They are doing so much, for so many people!

If you would like to send a donation to Kimberly and Kristina:

YWAM Lakeside Montana
    501 Blacktail Road
     Lakeside, Montana 59922

**please write their names on a separate piece of paper included in the envelope

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