S7:E6 | Echo Vanderwal

Cedarville Stories

Miracles and Compassionate Hearts

It was a Wednesday night church service that changed the trajectory of 8-year-old Echo Vanderwal’s life. After hearing missionaries share about the healthcare they provided for the underprivileged in the Congo, Echo knew she was called to medical missions overseas.

Echo and her husband, Harry, graduated from Cedarville University in 1996. Echo is a physician assistant, and Harry a medical doctor. After finding out she was pregnant with triplets, Echo decided to pursue a career in real estate so she could stay home with her children. Little did she know it was her career success that would help fund their later calling to Eswatini, Africa.

Just one month after Harry finished his residency, they moved to Eswatini, where they were faced with the country’s HIV crisis. People were dying in the streets because no healthcare was accessible to them.

Founded in 2005, The Luke Commission started with Echo, Harry, and their six children. This ministry serves isolated and underserved people of Eswatini with compassionate healthcare, including outpatient and inpatient care.

Although funding has always been a struggle, God has been faithful to their mission. Through the power of prayer and community, the Lord provided them with their “Miracle Campus.” The Miracle Campus was an old dairy farm in a rural part of Eswatini, but the Luke Commission has transformed it into a healthcare haven for the people of Eswatini.

Through all the challenges of funding, the global pandemic, and living in a foreign country, Echo hopes to have a softer heart, to listen more, and be willing to be led more by the Lord and those around her.