A Worthy Endeavor
Mission Work Brings Family To Central Asia
When Dr. Mike and Barbara Worthy moved to central Asia, it was a baby named Moriah who made them feel truly at home.
One of the highest honors in the village is the naming of a newborn, a role usually reserved for the baby’s paternal grandparents. A dentist named Nurbek had already lost his parents when his daughter was born three years ago, but he knew just where to turn for help. He asked the Worthys to name his daughter.
The honor affirmed not only the Worthys’ deep friendship with Nurbek, but his family’s and friends’ acceptance of them.
Central Asia became the Worthys’ unlikely new home in 1999. “I’d always been interested in doing short-term missions, and after a mission trip in 1997, my family and I decided to do mission work every summer instead of vacations,” says Dr. Worthy, who earned a dental degree from MCG in 1980. “But within six months, I felt that God wanted me to do this full time.”
It was a formidable challenge, to say the least. He and Barbara already had a full life in Hiawassee, Ga., where Dr. Worthy practiced general dentistry. But he felt his skills could be put to better use elsewhere. “I had a sense that there was more that I needed to do with my life,” Dr. Worthy says.
Barbara shared his commitment, as did their two exceptionally mature daughters, Claire and Alexis, who were teens at the time. The family moved to central Asia, where Dr. Worthy offers dentistry for free, supported by a Christian mission organization, churches and friends.
“Our profession gave us an opportunity to get into areas that otherwise would have been difficult to access,” says Dr. Worthy. “Dentistry is the vehicle we use to serve others by sharing God’s love.”
The Worthys moved into a modest home, “renovating” it by installing indoor plumbing. They adapted to a very simple lifestyle.
“The people have few material possessions but are extremely hospitable with open hearts,” says Dr. Worthy. “It comes naturally to them to welcome people into their homes.”
But as much as the Worthys have grown to love
their new home, they acknowledge that the transition was often daunting. “There
were a lot of adjustments to make, and without God’s help and empowerment, we
could not have done it,” says Mrs. Worthy. “It was like an adventure at first,
but then reality would set in when the power went off and things weren’t
available. There were days that were very stressful. But we knew we were there
for a purpose.”
As they met new people and learned the Turkish-based language, they slowly assimilated into the culture. But even on their most difficult days, they had the satisfaction of providing much-needed service and forging deep friendships.
“You have to learn to adapt to their way of doing things,” says Mrs. Worthy, noting adjustments such as sitting on the floor for meals.
“The area has challenges economically, infrastructurally and educationally,” Dr. Worthy says. “But the people understand the importance of education and they’re very intelligent.”
Today, the Worthys travel back and forth between central Asia and the States, where their daughters are working and earning graduate degrees.
“When you live in a different culture, your world view broadens quite a bit,” says Dr. Worthy. “It makes you appreciate how blessed you are to be an American. But we have such a strong sense of connectivity to central Asia and miss the people when we’re in America. It’s like we have two homes.”
“We’ve learned to have a larger family,” says Mrs. Worthy. “The people are very close to our hearts. It’s a precious thing to us.”
--Christine Hurley Deriso