How TEAM and Tyndale Sent Much-Needed Supplies to the Karanda Mission Hospital during a Global Pandemic

How do you load 50,000 pounds of heavy machinery for shipment across the Atlantic Ocean . . . in a weekend? 

This was the challenge facing TEAM and Tyndale House Ministries a few weeks ago. Thanks to a dedicated group of volunteers, a little ingenuity, and a lot of prayer, the men and women of TEAM and Tyndale demonstrated that, even when the world is locked down, anyone can make a global impact from home.

Founded more than 125 years ago, TEAM (The Evangelical Alliance Mission) helps send missionaries all over the world to make disciples and plant churches. Sixty years ago, TEAM sent missionaries to northern Zimbabwe to start churches. Located on the far side of the African continent across from the island of Madagascar, the Zimbabwe community is now home to the Karanda Mission Hospital. In addition to the hospital, schools and a water treatment facility serve the surrounding areas.

Located around the corner from the Tyndale campus, TEAM gathered 50,000 pounds of purchased, donated, and repurposed heavy machinery – compressors, motors, a back hoe, a skid steer, water pumps, ATVs, various tools, and a converted army trailer – and stored much of it in the Tyndale warehouse. In addition to storage, Tyndale also provided an eager group of volunteers. Working a combined 300 labor hours, the entire group of volunteers loaded machinery into the long, rectangular shipping container from 5 p.m. Friday through 1:30 a.m. Sunday – in all, 31 straight hours.

While the volunteers worked as an assembly line, they needed to ensure every square inch of container space was used effectively. As can be expected, loading the container wasn't without a little improvisation. For instance, because the converted army trailer was too tall to fit, the four big tires had to be flattened. However, once the tires were flat, the weight of the army trailer rendered it next to immovable. As a solution, skis were developed to slide the trailer into the container.

To date, the container has passed through U.S. customs and is now on the ocean en route to South Africa. From there, it will be driven north where many more obstacles, such as theft, can arise. Please join us in prayer for the container and all its contents – including two cases of study Bibles – to arrive safely in Karanda, Zimbabwe.