The Other Door
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:34-40
One evening, sitting at the end of a dock in Honduras, Dr. Gayle (Savage) Davidson sensed that what once felt like a Christian duty became by Eryn Conyers '16 a life mission. The ‘75 YC alum had gone on mission trips before, and she had taught the Word of God in many places around the world. But something in her heart changed that night many years ago and led her to spend more than 40 years in the foreign mission field. “I didn’t realize until my last day in Honduras that I was doing it because I was supposed to do it -- because it was on my ‘list,’ because it was my duty,” said Davidson. “I finally realized that none of the “list” mattered unless it was coming from my heart.” Anyone who attended YC with Davidson, also known as “Savage,” or has spent any amount of time talking about the good old days with her, would know she has an ornery side. Davidson would admit that she was a rule-breaker and caused some trouble back in the day. But what you would also quickly realize is that same spunk and determination is the driving force behind a very demanding but rewarding life of service. “I was in the office of Dolores Campbell (Dean of Student Life) every other week, and I can remember that instead of asking me why I did what I did, she would ask (and she asked me more than once), ‘Gayle, what are you going to do with your life?’ I would respond, ‘I don’t know.’ And she would say, ‘That’s okay, Gayle, as long as you do it for Jesus.’ That stuck with me. I knew I was unconditionally loved at York College.” Davidson’s work has ranged from medical mission trips to Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, and New Orleans to her annual service as a group leader and coordinator with TORCH Missions to removing gang-related tattoos of ex-gang members. All these efforts continue today, along with her leadership as medical director of Clinica de Esperanza, a free
22 | Heritage | SUMMER 2020
medical clinic in Santa Ana, Honduras. Davidson is now a full-time missionary in Honduras. She gave up her practice in Florida in 2016. Davidson and her ministry partners at The Interamerican Restoration Corporation (IRC) focus on overall health. While they provide medical care, their program takes a holistic approach to health and wellness. The IRC organizes a variety of projects in Honduras as well as other parts of Central America, including medical and building projects, food programs, water projects and outreach programs. “I’ve completely changed my approach to healthcare. It’s not just what people think of as medicine, diet, checkups, lab work, X-rays, etc.,” stressed Davidson. “Healthcare is about so much more. It’s not healthy to not live in a house. It’s not healthy to not have enough food to eat. It’s not healthy to be Davidson's Mardi Gras beads worked magic with the children during a TORCH Missions' building project. (above)
