Recently the New Boston Congregational Church welcomed a very interesting and compelling guest speaker: Dr. Alynne MacLean, founder of Science with a Mission, Inc. (SMI), based in Sharon, Massachusetts, who spoke about the need for inexpensive, rapid diagnostic tools in developing countries.

Dr. MacLean talked about the importance of testing to detect the presence of malaria, HIV, hepatitis B&C, typhoid fever, STDs, tuberculosis, and dengue fever. These tests can be administered by non-professionals and do not require refrigeration or electricity, making them accessible for even the most remote areas. People can be tested with a few drops of blood with results within minutes and medicine administered at once. She said that these technologies have saved and improved thousands of lives that could have been lost to preventable diseases, particularly malaria.

Alynne grew up in eastern Massachusetts and attended Gordon College. It was the summer before her junior year that she went on her first mission trip which eventually led her to pursue a PhD in bioanalytical chemistry and to found SMI. SMI manufactures rapid diagnostics for diseases like HIV, malaria, typhoid and partners with mission agencies and individuals around the globe to bring physical and spiritual healing.

The congregation that day was so impressed and inspired by Dr. MacLean and her dedication and selflessness, that our Outreach Committee has organized a fundraiser next month to support Science with a Mission.

The church service on Sunday, October 5, is named as the NBCC "day of giving" with a special appeal to support this amazing mission and its important work. For more information about this worthy cause and how you can help, go to www.sciencewithamission.org. Also, donation checks made out to "Science with a Mission," can be mailed to: The New Boston Congregational Church, P.O. Box 81, Sandisfield, MA 01255.