DR. DON HATFIELD
Over the past 10 years CMRC has been able to provide used laptops to Pastors, church workers and young women in our education program in the Peruvian Amazon. Dr. Don Hatfield of Columbia, Missouri has been sending us laptops for the past year. He upgrades them and installs Microsoft Office, and then sends them to Port Huron where I pick them up and legally bring them across the border. I then take the laptops and give them to pastors and church workers overseas. I asked Don to tell us a little about himself and how he connected to CMRC.
don Said:
“I sat down one day and did a Google search of Christian missions that might need computers, and CMRC in Canada came up along with others. When I wrote to Doug to see if laptops were needed, he wrote back telling me the need was desperate. He gave an example of a school girl in the Peru program whose electrical hookup surged and burned out her computer. I wanted to go where the need was the GREATEST; after all, my computers, in my humble opinion, are quite nice for someone, especially when they are free. So I began to repair and send CMRC computers.”
Don Continues:
I was born in 1952 in Wichita, Kansas and was raised in church. I attended Christian College in Abilene, Texas, and completed my B.A. at Wichita State University. Following college, I went to dental school in Kansas City (UMKC) and then went into the Navy. After the Navy, I went to law school and practiced law for about six years and practised dentistry part-time. In 1990 my unit deployed to Desert Storm, and I went to Bahrain as one of the dentists. Afterwards, the Navy asked me to come back on active duty as a dentist.
After my career in the Navy, I went into the VA as a dentist and retired from the VA as the Chief of Dental Services in 1996. I’ve been practising dentistry since then two days a week at a prison here in Missouri.
I’ve toyed with computers since they were invented. I’ve built and upgraded my own personal computers. A few years ago, I started upgrading laptops to give away to charitable organizations, and did a number for the City of Refuge and Love in Columbia, for relatives in need, and lately for CMRC.
I’m now trying to slow down and am not sure how long I’ll continue. One upgrade takes many hours depending on the length of time it takes to get parts, which are expensive. The bottom line is, in the past couple of years, both my wife and I have become cancer patients, so we are trying to get out and do more “bucket list” things, e.g., more travelling, etc.
We attend The Crossing Church here in Columbia, Missouri and my wife and I are co-leaders of a Small Group that meets every two weeks. I participate in a men’s group at the church, and a few years ago went on a missions trip to Honduras where I did dentistry, and my wife, being a nurse, worked on the medical side.
Studying theology has helped my faith, especially as I get older. I think I see things in scripture at a deeper level. So, I’m glad for having “gotten into” theology and discussing it online with many others.
Thank you, Don, for the laptops you have provided. Lord willing, we will continue to minister together
Guatemala Studio fund raising update:
As of August 22nd, CMRC has raised 24,617.50 including $ 3,899.00 of matching funds. We are close to our goal of $30,000.00 and there is still time for you to get in on the matching offer.
On September 9th Doug Springer and board member Terry Pasiuk will be going to Guatemala to start the process of renovating the Studio with Cesar. Please pray for safety and wisdom.
Doug Springer
Executive Director
Prayer Requests
- New semesters begin in September for the young women in Iquitos Peru. Pray for their safety as they travel through dangerous areas of the city to go to school and that they will excel at their work. Pray also for Karen for her health and wisdom as she mentors these young women.
- Safety for Doug Springer and Terry Pasiuk as they travel to Guatemala to begin the process of updating the Studio with Cesar.
