Storyteller Studios

Storyteller Studios Storyteller Studios raises funds for Christian medical missions through online toy sales (Amazon) and local services such as transfer of VHS to DVD's.

Storyteller Studios is a Limited Liability Corporation under Zanesville family Practice. I established the business in 2005 to help support Christian medical missions work, primarily in Mexico and Kenya. We are NOT a non-profit; however, all profits from our sales are donated to medical care in under-served areas such as the Nuevo Progresso, Mexico Methodist Health Clinic. Caring for peoples physi

cal needs and presenting the gospel of Christ is our calling and great joy! Most of our profits now come through toy sales on Amazon. We specialize in "retired" discontinued models of LEGO's and PLAYMOBIL Thank You sir visiting our page! ..In Christ alone, Dr. Kris

In March of 2016, Gretchen and I were able to serve on the "Ruth Bell" boat (named for Billy Graham's wife) in the remot...
04/28/2016

In March of 2016, Gretchen and I were able to serve on the "Ruth Bell" boat (named for Billy Graham's wife) in the remote areas of the Amazon River Basin in southern Bolivia. This is a missions ministry of Samaritan's Purse (World Medical Missions). We traveled 5 days up the Marame river and provided medical and dental care where there otherwise is none. The gospel of Jesus Christ was presented in several ways, including literature, movies, and personal sharing of our testimonies. I saw up to 70 patients per day, many who traveled all day via canoe to see us. The Bolivian people of this area are such a joy to know! They are remarkably resourceful, hard working, and very gracious. The support staff on the boat were amongst the best people I have ever had the honor to work with. This trip was extra special because of the presence of my wife, Gretchen. She helped greatly with the pharmacy, patient logistics, and ministering to the children and teenagers who came for medical care. She also watched out for me- my muscle disease did not hamper the trip in any way! God is good!
The Ruth Bell travels up the Bolvian river tributaries for two weeks on a monthly basis. From the photos, you can see that the area was flooded, leading to quite a few water borne diseases as well as fungal and Staph infections. Interestingly, the area is so remote and sparsely polulated that there is very little Malaria, Dengue Fever or Zika. (The Zika virus is not yet prevalent in any of Bolivia as of March, 2016).
We experienced things we had never seen or done before including having Piranha for dinner (we ate them, not the other way arround), seeing a family for medical care with a baby yellow monkey on my shoulder, and swimming in the Amazon River Basin. Our greatest joy however was the opportunity to meet the Bolivian people and to directly tell them the wonderful story of Jesus!
In Christ alone,
Dr. Kris and Gretchen Sandlund
Romans 1:16

The Christian Health Clinic in Nuevo Progresso, Mexico. July, 2015. Our recent medical missions trip to Mexico was w...
08/13/2015

The Christian Health Clinic in Nuevo Progresso, Mexico.
July, 2015.
Our recent medical missions trip to Mexico was wonderful! I'll be posting more information regarding the mission there, including an update on the deportation ministry in Reynosa. Pastor Hector is doing a wonderful work under some very difficult circumstances. God is blessing the ministry there and in Nuevo Progresso!
Dr. Kris

02/20/2014

Why do we support "Short Term Medical Missions"?.... Locally, here in Southeast Ohio we have witnessed a marked rise in short term mission trips, especially over the past 7 years. The volunteers include fellow health care providers, teachers, builders, teens, and those who want to help in any way they can. Storyteller Studios raises funds to support this type of ministry- the costs are similar to what we would have spent on a typical vacation, but far more rejuvenating! ....Would the funds be better utilized on supporting full time missionaries to the same people groups? The resounding answer is ..... "Yes"... & ..."No"....... Short trips are not as efficient as donations to full time medical missionaries. For example, we purchase a round trip plane ticket for a two day clinic. (Nuevo Progresso) With 20 or more people going, that adds up. (Storyteller funds only pay for my ticket and my son's).... Despite this, we encourage short term trips for a few simple reasons. Firstly, there are not enough full time medical missionaries to service these areas. Simply put, if we don't go, the people would not receive regular health care nor hear the gospel of Christ. Secondly, short trips frequently "change" the person going to serve. Upon returning, we always desire to do more for Jesus, including a greater commitment to the financial support of full time missions.....One final comment: I would encourage everyone to give MORE to full time missions; supporting our Christian brothers and sisters in full time international ministry- especially to "nationals". Nationals are those who work in under-served areas of their own country.....This is why Storyteller also raises funds for PAACS- The Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons, and for our Mexican friends who serve Jesus in Nuevo Progresso year round.....Short term medical mission trips are wonderful, but we encourage everyone to put a very high priority on prayer and financial support for full timers!....It is our experience that one actually does lead to the other!
Praise God, from whom ALL blessings flow!
In Christ alone,
Dr. Kris
ps: More short testimonies (storytelling) will be posted soon!

02/17/2014

There are two posts we have placed with regards to medical missions: ...."The Pulse ox/Heart Rate Monitor" is a testimony of God's faithfulness and provision from our 2002 mission trip to Tenwek Hospital. We were there for 6 weeks in 2000 and 11 weeks in 2002.....The story of Maria, and the wonderful love of her adopted mother, is still ongoing, as we have seen them every year for five years. I am returning this July for another clinic weekend and will update after that visit.....The photo of the monitor is below, as is the photo of Maria, with her mother and I. Thank you for all the kind posts. I have many friends and patients in Zanesville who regularly go on short term mission trips, including the husband of one of my Storyteller Studios' employees. I would like this page to be a place where others can share their testimonies of mission trips, medical or otherwise. Please contact me via if you have a story to tell! Our purpose is to lift up the name of Jesus, wherein all can find healing and life- eternal life! (John 3:16)....In Christ alone, Dr. Kris (the storyteller)

The clinic is open one weekend every two months! We are the July/August team! (...yes- it's hot!)
02/16/2014

The clinic is open one weekend every two months! We are the July/August team! (...yes- it's hot!)

02/15/2014

"THE PULSE OXIMETER/HEART RATE MONITOR"
A Storyteller Story!

... (In May of 2000, my family and I volunteered at Tenwek Hospital, located in the western highlands of Kenya. We were able to return in 2002 for a two-month stay.)

...The Sandlund family arrived at Nairobi airport in the spring of 2002. We were all tired, but the memories of our trip here two years earlier energized us. We approached customs with a wagon train of suitcases and 12 large boxes of medical equipment and supplies… I was terrified.
...We were only 7 months beyond 9/11 and I was beginning to regret how I packed. I had been told how valuable a pulse ox machine could be for a mission’s hospital. It measures blood oxygenation through the skin via a simple finger clip. These days, they are relatively inexpensive and tiny. Mine was anything but! Our local hospital had kindly donated an old “bedside unit”, but there was a problem- it was a combination pulse ox/heart rate monitor weighing in at over 45 pounds. It was a big metal “tank” and in my minds eye it must have looked like a bomb to a customs agent. Furthermore, the bulk of the unit (35 lbs) was the portion I didn’t see a need to bring: the heart rate monitor. These are used in hospitals to visually monitor patient’s heart rhythms and this one was permanently fused to the pulse ox unit; so, if I took one, I would have to take both.
...I didn’t feel at liberty to share this prayer request with my wife- the “tank” was the last thing I packed, and I could only get it in by removing a rather large pile of Gretchen’s coloring books, pens, and pencils which were headed to our World Vision child’s school! I know- it wasn’t one of my finer moments but there were plenty of school supplies still packed. In truth, I felt compelled to bring the pulse ox, but now I was going to get it for being sneaky!
...Things started well. The customs agent was very kind and asked appropriate questions. I told her of Tenwek Hospital and she was familiar with it. I was thanking God for answered prayer when things suddenly went south. The supervisor came over from his station and began questioning me. Ever heard it said that you couldn’t judge a book by its cover? Well you can, and he looked mean! You could see it in his eyes. Did he see the “bomb”, or was he just hypoglycemic?
...I reviewed the contents of the suitcases and the boxes as best I could. We had brought documentation from every donor of meds and supplies, but the customs supervisor said he would need to charge “taxes” on multiple items. I remember thinking- God, this is all yours, including every cent I own. We are stewards of your money. If you want it to go to Kenya customs, then that’s OK.
...Then… it happened:
The customs supervisor was called back to his booth for a phone call. Within seconds, the first agent looked right at me and said, “You may go now.” Here is where my “great faith” kicked in. I envisioned being tackled by armed Kenyan security for trying to bolt through customs! I absolutely could not move- rather I looked over towards the supervisors station where I could see him picking up a phone.
...Then… it happened… again:
...The agent in front of me knew exactly what I was thinking. She leaned forward to get my attention, looked me in the eyes and said: “2nd Corinthians 4:7- I said you may go!”
...An immediate peace came over me- I turned to Gretchen and said, “We need to move… Let’s go.” Within minutes we were outside and greeted by our ride to the missions guesthouse.
...I had been praying for months that the Lord Jesus would be with us in customs, but here’s the thing- God wasn’t just with us- He had gone before us and prepared the way. I wonder- whom did He prompt to make that phone call? I will never forget the sister in Christ who was my guide and my warrior that day. I know we will meet again- around a great throne, surrounded by a glassy sea.
...I am weak, in so many ways- truly a jar of clay. (2nd Corinthians 4:7). But this earthen vessel holds within it the very Spirit of God, sent by the Father and given by His only Son. His Spirit lives within me… forever am I sealed, marked as belonging to Him! Furthermore, I also carry within me the power of God unto salvation- the gospel of Jesus Christ! (Romans 1:16)
...I must not fail to tell others of His love through these stories. “The blood of the Lamb and the testimony of the saints…” Therein lays true power, the very weapon of an archangel to wield against Satan… and to win!

…The rest of the story:

...Two days later, I joyfully lugged the pulse ox/heart rate monitor up to the ICU at Tenwek Hospital. The head nurse saw it and called the rest of the staff over. His joy was immediately evident.
...Then… it happened:
...He asked if we could gather around and thank God for answering their prayers. Four weeks earlier, their only heart rate monitor had broken! They had been praying for a new one to replace it... not a pulse ox, but a heart rate monitor!!
God is good.

In Christ alone,
Dr. Kris

Photos from 2000 and 2012
02/13/2014

Photos from 2000 and 2012

02/13/2014

Storyteller Studios 2014
Thank you for your purchase from Storyteller Studios!
We are thankful for a wonderful 2013, and would like to share with you what we are planning for the year ahead.
Firstly, all profits from our sales are donated to medical missions work, primarily in Mexico (Nuevo Progresso) and Africa (Tenwek Hospital & PAACS).
Nuevo Progresso: For the past five years, I have had the opportunity to volunteer at the local Methodist Health Clinic. Every two months, a free clinic is opened for two days. Six different teams travel to Nuevo throughout the calendar year, thus giving patients true regular primary care. Your money pays for our airfare, the purchase of medicines as well as minimal lab studies. We buy all of these in Nuevo to support the local economy. Recent years have been especially difficult for the residents- the fear of drug related violence has led to a lessening of commerce in the area. In particular, the citizens of Texas cross the border less often to purchase goods.
In 2013, I was able to travel there twice, each time bringing along a friend or family member as helpers. Also, a number of nursing students come to serve. It is always such a blessing to see how a single trip can affect ones life. Many, almost all, of "first-timers" find that they came to help others, but we're themselves blessed beyond measure. Such a brief trip, and yet many find renewed excitement and even new career choices, devoting their lives to serve others in the name of Jesus!
It doesn't take long to fall in love with the Mexican people of Nuevo. They are so gracious, patient, and kind. It is only by walking through the colonials (neighborhoods) that you realize how little they have. How is it that children, teens and adults can be so financially poor- and yet so rich in spirit? It is so incredibly humbling, and encouraging at the same time. Worried about finances- come and learn how God always provides. Learn contentment and the joy of the Lord!
Please don't misunderstand- the suffering of the poor is real and tragic, and it will break your heart- but maybe that’s the point- I need to be broken, and humbled and thankful. Traveling to Nuevo does that, especially when the mission leader, Martha, makes it all about Jesus. We have experienced so many “God moments”!
Here is one such story:
Five years ago, a woman came to our clinic with an infant. Through my translator, she explained that her baby had a birth defect. Indeed, it was clear that this little girl, Maria, had anencephaly. She was born without a cerebral cortex, and was alive only because of continued brainstem function. The prognosis for this condition is very poor. Many newborns only live a few hours and others a few months. Then we were told an amazing fact. The woman had found Maria on the side of the road, literally cast out with the trash. Her young mother could not handle the shock, but this wonderful 45-year-old woman picked the crying baby up, fed her and brought her to our clinic. We provided medicine, diapers and formula and most importantly- support from the local Methodist church.
That evening, there was not a dry eye amongst our team. You see- we had come to Nuevo to show others the love of Jesus in a practical way, but God showed us a more perfect love; for this woman gave and gave- not for a two day clinic... rather, she cared for this precious little one each and every hour... every day... every month- and did this on her own! She expected nothing in return! That, dear friends is the clearest demonstration of the love of God that I have ever seen.
... But there's more!
Last year, July of 2013, little Maria's mother was able to visit the clinic, but not just to greet us... Yes! Maria is miraculously alive! Her mother's love for her child is amazing, and Maria is now 5 years old!
I wondered- how could this be possible?
Medically, it is absolutely remarkable, especially considering the poverty of her situation. Then it occurred to me that Jesus has chosen to bless this mother and child for His glory. The bible teaches us that it is through our weakness, not our strength, that God reveals His power and glory! For each and every team member, we traveled home with the knowledge and testimony that God is alive!
This is only one of many testimonies. Here are some other exciting developments:
We have had the privilege of working with a wonderful Mexican physician at the clinic for the past 3 years. She is a great doctor and has enabled us to refer patients with more difficult medical problems to specialists. Also, the mayor of Nuevo has invited us to care for patients right in city hall. This is a great and unusual privilege for an American missions team. She was thrilled to receive a Spanish children's bible and asked for 6 more copies. The city leaders trust that we are there to serve, not to take advantage.
Also, a parcel of land has been donated by the city council for the purpose of developing a Christ centered community center! Wow! Our main Christian contacts (Mexicans) in Nuevo Progresso tell us that the people are poor, but also haven’t a place to congregate and socialize. A community center would be such a blessing for them- a place with iced tea, music, and Christian entertainment. The plan is to gradually develop a training program, where the people could learn a craft and how to sell those items. My family and I observed this in Kenya via a wonderful program, "Amani ya Juu" (“Higher Peace” in Swahili), where young women learn to sew, to keep accounting books, and to set up a viable small business- all for the glory of God. Prayer and bible teaching are at the heart of the training program. Might we see such a ministry in Nuevo? If God is in it and blesses it- yes! We will carefully consider using Storyteller funds for such a purpose.
We continue to support medical missions work in Kenya, Africa. Also, in 2015, my wife and I hope to travel to South America to serve on a traveling hospital boat on the Amazon River. (Storyteller Studios funds will not be needed for this trip)
Once again- thank you for your purchase. Medical missions work requires considerable funds. We have plans to donate over $25,000 this year. More importantly, we hope to see many come to know the only one who really heals- body and soul!
The front sign of Tenwek Hospital in Kenya says it best: "We treat... Jesus heals!"
In Christ alone!
Dr. Kris


Kristofer Sandlund MD
1215 Newark Road
Zanesville, Ohio 43701

Romans 1:16 “I am no ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation… to all who believe!”

HERE IT IS! The "tank", PULSE OXIMETRY AND HEART RATE MONITOR combined in one very heavy unit. She doesn't look like muc...
03/22/2012

HERE IT IS! The "tank", PULSE OXIMETRY AND HEART RATE MONITOR combined in one very heavy unit. She doesn't look like much, but this gift from Genesis Healthcare saved many lives! (See storyteller testimony). Also in the picture: The head ICU nurse who had been praying for a new heart rate monitor, myself in the ICU, and the outside of the pediatric wing, Tenwek Hospital.

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1215 Newark Road
Zanesville, OH
43701

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Tuesday 8am - 12pm
Thursday 8am - 12pm

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