Sharing The Journey International and DRE, Making a Permanent Change for a Better Way of Life In a Suffering Community

The Opportunity

Dr. David and Jacqueline Cunning founded Sharing The Journey International in 2010. After serving in the medical surgical mission field in Guatemala for over 20 years, STJI founders David and Jacqueline Cunning saw that much more was needed than a band aid effort.

Sharing The Journey International (STJI) serves in the area of Alta verapaz, Guatemala. The indigenous communities in north-central Guatemala have a high incidence clefting compared with the global average. STJI provides cleft lip and cleft palate repairs, dental care, water purification treatment, nutritional support and counseling as well as discipleship for the families in this region. STJI desires to offer a comprehensive approach of health, education, community support, and faith in order to effect a permanent change for a better way of life.

From its inception, STJI wanted to aid these people by providing the comprehensive care they desperately needed but did not have the supplies and equipment to provide these services.

Our Solution

In 2011, Dr. David and Jacqueline Cunning first reached out to DRE on behalf of Sharing The Journey International to inquire about the specific pieces of operating equipment needed in order to achieve the organization's medical objectives.

Amanda Cannady, a dedicated DRE account representative for Sharing The Journey International, worked alongside Dr. Daving and Jacqueline Cunning to seek out the best medical equipment to fulfill the unique medical needs that STJI would have to endeavor, such as remote location, poor nutrition, contaminated water and limited resources. This organization purchased equipment including anesthesia machines, vaporizers, electro-surgical units and other medical accessories in order to revive people back to good health within poor countries and communities all over the world.

Current Goals

STJI desires to build a comprehensive care unit to deliver an extensive range of care to people in need at their one central service location, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. The team plans for this care unit to provide a safe environment to perform their services, function as a worship and education center where people can study and grow in God's word, and provide temporary housing for their staff while ministering to the people in surrounding villages.