Whether you love them, use them, eat them, or wear them, animals impact everyone’s life nearly every day. Here in the United States animals are often a luxury item or provide companionship, but in developing nations, they are essential for life through meat, milk, and labor.
For this reason, Dr. Kim Carney, her husband David and son Caleb of Harrogate are moving to Bolivia to serve with Christian Veterinary Mission.
“We will be volunteer teaching at a veterinary college in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, to share Christ’s love with the students, while improving their clinical skills and experience,” Kim said. “ Our vision is to use the students to do outreach projects in remote, rural villages to do animal health training and development projects. In this way we can multiply our efforts over generations of students and reach many more remote areas than just what our family can assist directly.”
David will be working with the Talita Cumi orphanage in Santa Cruz. It is estimated that around 10 percent of Bolivia’s 3.5 million children under 15 are living in orphanages and more than 3,000 are living unaccompanied on city streets. Talita Cumi is one of two orphanages in the country that can accommodate brothers and sisters in the same facility.
Bolivia is consistently ranked as the poorest country in South America with more than half the population living on less than $2 per day, putting them in the top 25 poorest in the world. In rural areas the major currency is livestock, but knowledge of medical care is very limited.
“The indigenous population of Bolivia, the Guarani, the Quechua, tend to be leery of outsiders, but if you can help their prized possessions, their animals, you can earn their trust and friendship,” said Kim. “We have seen this in even the most brutal tribes in Africa — the UN is regularly attacked, but the veterinarian is protected by the tribes.”
Earning trust and building relationship is the key to effective assessment of need and training of the people, as well as the ability to share Christ, she added.
Kim Carney has been on staff at Harrogate Hospital for Animals for more than 11 years. Through this time she has been serving on the Board of Directors of Christian Veterinary Mission (CVM) and has been on many short-term missions all over the globe with her family. Christian Veterinary Mission has over 40 veterinarians and families serving long-term in 27 countries as well as 450 short-term volunteers spanning the world. The vision of CVM is “sharing Christ’s love through veterinary medicine.”
Kim, David, and Caleb are planning to depart after the first of the year and are currently raising funds to this end. Their initial contract is three years, but they are open to staying as long as they are needed there. Christian Veterinary Mission is a non-denominational mission-sending agency, so their missionaries are responsible for raising all of their project and living expenses. Prayer and financial supporters can be part of this exciting ministry by contacting the Carneys to receive monthly updates. They have a blog at www.carneycvm.blogspot.com to keep their friends and family updated.
The Carney family would love to speak to groups and churches about their mission plans. If you would like them to speak to your group, reach them via email or phone at: kimcarneydvm@gmail.com or Harrogate Hospital for Animals, 423-869-3666.
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