Why SMI? ‘It lined up with how we believe’
By Mike Miller · Dec 03, 2012
When Scott and Rachel Kramer stepped out in faith in 1999 to begin Hands of Love Ministry, they knew they had to take some kind of health care with them.
The Illinois couple had opted for a high-deductible catastrophic type of plan that still had a $400 per month premium, even before Scott left his job at Grace Presbyterian Church. They bought the policy as a way of getting used to fending for their own health care needs.
But Scott also was working musically with some men who also happened to be working at Samaritan Ministries, and they had been singing the praises of health care sharing. They finally got Scott’s attention, but it wasn’t too hard.
“Even back then, I felt health care was out of control,” Scott says.
The more the Kramers heard about health care sharing and about Samaritan, the more they liked it.
“It lined up exactly with how we believe about bearing one another’s burdens,” Scott says. “Everything about it was appealing to us.”
When the Kramers went full time with Hands of Love, they joined Samaritan.
“We see it as a real provision from the Lord to be able to be part of the Samaritan Ministries family,” Rachel says. “When we receive the monthly note that tells us who to pray for, I know they’re journeying like we are. We’re together. I thank the Lord for the peace we have in being part of Samaritan. We’re being obedient by building each other up.”
They have given back by helping Samaritan out frequently with video promotions. Scott and Rachel are featured in an early SMI promo, and Rachel can be heard in a recent animated promo.