Dr. Hawk is leaving October 18 on a two-week missions trip to the African nation of Ghana with two goals in mind: to see people saved and healed.

“I’m hoping to see people healed from all types of illnesses,” he said. “And it will be Christ who heals them, and through this His name will be glorified.”

The life expectancy in Ghana is just over 59 years… almost 20 years shorter than in America. This is due in part to infectious diseases that ravage much of Africa, such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, hepatitis A, and typhoid. And this is where chiropractic care comes in.

“There is a misconception that chiropractic is only for headaches and back pain,” said Hawk, a second-generation chiropractor. Misalignments in the bones of the spine (called subluxations, and also known as “the silent killers”) cause interference in the nervous system which in turn affects the way the body’s organs work. Subluxations, depending on their location, can adversely affect the heart, lungs, digestive system, and other parts of the body. Chiropractic adjustments allow the body to heal itself from all kinds of life-threatening illnesses and allow the body to function at its best.

The adjustments also help the immune system function better. And that will tremendously help Ghanaians who face so many health issues.

Dr. Hawk sitting at his desk

“Imagine the look on the face of an old man in Koforidua who, for the very first time in his life, is able to go through his workday pain-free,” Hawk said. “Picture a child from Winneba able to finally run and play with his friends.”

Hawk noted that every day more than 1,600 women and over 10,000 newborns around the world die due to complications that could have been prevented.

And of the more than 10 million children under the age of five who die every year, two-thirds can be saved through better nutrition and other means.

And that, along with preaching the gospel, is how he hopes to help the people of Ghana.

Preparations for the trip have been going on for a while. “A Regional Minister of Health in Ghana has already provided me estimates on the number of people that will seek my services,” said Hawk. “There are 20,000 in Winneba, 35,000 to 45,000 in Koforidua, and 60,000 in Tamale.”

Obviously, Hawk cannot help all these people during his limited stay but he says everyone who comes will hear the gospel, for without this knowledge nothing else really matters.

“Just think of the lives that will be enriched. . . the men, women, and children who will experience an incredible improvement in the quality of their lives through the preaching of the gospel and better health,” he said.

Hawk has had a heart for the people of Ghana since meeting Nana Ghantry, a tribal leader from Ghana who came to the United States as a missionary to fight radical Islam, in 2000.

“God said to go to his homeland and take care of the people,” the chiropractor recalled. “I had no idea what to do, but every time I saw Nana, God never let me forget.”

Last year, Hawk met a University of Virginia grad student at a Bible study. Joseph Opuku was also from Ghana.

“The time was right,” Hawk said. “The place was right. The Lord just took it from there and made it happen.”

A recent ASSIST report told about the terrible flooding in the Tamale region, one of three areas Hawk will be visiting. Senior correspondent Mark Ellis said 18 were reported dead and 200,000 displaced by the floods.

“There has been a lot of flooding this past week in Ghana,” Hawk said. “Villages have been wiped out.” He noted he may have to charter a plane to reach the area because ground routes might be impassable.

“The need is great. They need food because their crops have been destroyed, it’s bad… and all the more reason to go.”

Hawk said funds for both this trip and a scheduled mission’s trip to India with a full team in the spring are needed.

“Along with funds to cover this trip’s expenses, I’m hoping for contributions to help build homes and to buy seeds for crops in Ghana and India,” he said.

Donations for Hawk’s trips are being collected by Hope Builders International, P.O. Box 317, Greenwood, VA 22943. Online contributions can be made at https://www.secure.hope-builders.com/GiveMltpDD1.asp (put “Chad Hawk” in the second line under “Gift Designation”).

Hawk’s number one prayer request is for his family, who will remain in Virginia while he travels to Ghana to serve the needy there. “I know God will take care of and guide me,” he said, “but my wife will be alone with our kids. And for much of the trip I’ll be out of contact with her.”

Also staying behind are fellow chiropractor Dr. Peter Strauss and office manager Tara Shirilla.

“This is a big step of faith for me but the team at Virginia Institute of Chiropractic is great,” Hawk said. “They’re going to be fantastic while I’m gone.”

He said prayer is something everyone can do. “I’m asking for prayers for my family, my patients in Charlottesville, and the people I’ll be serving in Ghana.”

While many ministries offer contributors premiums in exchange for their donation, Hawk isn’t going that route. “The only thing I can promise you in return is the vow of changed lives around the world – spiritually and physically,” he said. “And isn’t this the least we can do for our brethren?

(You can follow the progress of Dr. Chad Hawk’s spiritual and chiropractic mission in his blog at www.vachiropractic.com.)

Bill Dolack is a freelance writer based in Waynesboro, VA, and the author of two books: Forgotten Foot-Soldiers on the Frontier of Independence (a local history book) and Destiny (a novel).