Called to Serve: Meet Tom and Emily Dillard

Tom and Emily Dillard, along with their children—Jack, Luke, David, Joshua, Hannah, and Abigail—will be serving in medical and compassionate ministries at Tenwek Hospital in Bomet, Kenya. They previously served as volunteers at Tenwek and look forward to returning as full-time missionaries.

Why Do You Serve?

We were part of the "give and pray" of missions for quite a few years before receiving a call to "go" in early 2016. The Lord sovereignly brought the need for a pediatrician at Tenwek Hospital across our path, but Emily was concerned about taking our six very young children to Africa. God was faithful and patient, and He led us down a path of discerning the call. After seeking Him in prayer, through His Word, and through other believers, we knew we should go, but we didn't know how long.

The Lord took us to Kenya to serve at Tenwek for six months in 2017, and now He has furthered the call for us to continue to serve Him there. We desire to follow Christ wherever He leads and believe that He desires right now for our family to minister to the people of Kenya, both in caring for physical illnesses and spiritual brokenness. We hope to share Christ's love and hope with everyone we can, especially the children and families of Kenya.

Where Will You Serve?

Kenya is considered a "Christian nation," however there is a huge range of what that actually means, similar to how it is in the United States. Many people say they know Jesus, but they have never read the Bible and don't know how to live a truly redeemed life in Christ. There is also a huge amount of poverty, which often leads people to situations of desperation. There are many children in Kenya who are left alone a lot or even abandoned because their parents cannot provide for their needs.

What Will You Do?

Tom: I will serve as the pediatrician at Tenwek Hospital. I will care for very sick babies and children as well as minister to my patients’ and their families' spiritual needs. I will also be training Kenyan physicians in how to give quality, compassionate pediatric care.

Emily: I will be homeschooling our children and participating in ministering to and discipling other MKs (missionary kids) as the Lord allows. I hope to be involved in caring for orphans and ministering to women and children in the community as well.

Partner with the Dillards

GO: With the incredible variety and scope of ministries based at Tenwek, there are countless opportunities to serve. Contact mobilization@wgm.org to talk about how you can be part of the Tenwek community.

PRAY: Pray that we will stay passionate about serving the Lord wherever He has us and in whatever He would have us do. Pray for us to be faithful in making disciples for Jesus in Kenya. Pray for unity in our family and for our children to know Jesus and walk with Him. Pray for Kenyans to grow in their faith and follow God in obedience to His Word.

MORE: Follow our blog at www.thiswildjourney.com.