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INFORMATION ABOUT THE CAREERS OF DR. VIGGO & JOAN OLSEN DR. VIGGO B.OLSEN: - graduated from Central High School, Omaha, Nebraska. He was a National Honor Society student and was one of two to be selected by the U.S. Navy for premedical studies at government expense.
- was educated at Tulane University and the University of Nebraska; Dr. Olsen holds a B.S., an M.S., an M.D. (cum laude), a D.H. (honorary) and a D.Litt. (honorary). He is also F.A.C.S., F.I.C.S., D.T.M.&H., and a Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery.
- completed two internships in New York City, one in internal medicine and the other in general medicine and surgery.
- thereafter, concluded a four-year surgical residency in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was certified as a Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery and became a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and also of the International College of Surgeons.
- received the D.T.M.&H. certificate in tropical medicine from the University of Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in England.
- took courses in Bible and theology from the Moody Bible Correspondence School.
- was for a period of time a research scientist and an instructor of physiology and pharmacology at the University of Nebraska College of Medicine.
- was elected to the Society of Sigma Xi, an honorary research society. - is a member of various other medical societies and other organizations.
- is listed in “America’s Top Surgeons” for 2007 and 2008 by the Consumers Research Council of America.
- inspired the adult Sunday School class which he taught in Milwaukee to establish the Shepherds Home for the mentally disadvantaged; today the Shepherds campus is valued at several million dollars and is home to 180 lovingly cared-for residents.
- has been a member of the Association of Baptists (A.B.W.E.) for nearly 50 years. He has held many positions with this mission during 33 years of service in Bangladesh, including field council chairman, medical director of Memorial Christian Hospital, chief surgeon and physician of Memorial Christian Hospital, director of administration, director of Tribal Ministries, director of the Special OutreachDepartment, and crisis control coordinator. Through the ministries of the mission more than 120 churches have been established in southern Bangladesh.
- was the founder and first medical director of Memorial Christian Hospital.
- was also the first medical director of MAP, International, which supplies high- quality medications to Christian hospitals around the world and also engages in international disaster relief.
- served as head of a relief and house-building project involving a group of 22 Wheaton college students, plus a doctor and a nurse, who spent several months in Bangladesh following the civil war. This “Bangladesh Brigade” project was funded by a million-dollar grant from USAID and sponsored by MAP, International.
- has written several scientific articles and these inspirational books: - Daktar - Daktar II - The Agnostic Who Dared to Search
- received the Distinguished Service Award from the Society of Midland Authors for Daktar, which became a number one inspirational best-seller in the U.S. The book was published in several languages and marketed around the world in both religious and secular outlets. Moody Press stated this was their first book to be included on the list of the top ten national bestsellers.
- was granted an honorary Doctor of Humanities (D.H.) degree by Cedarville University for his humanitarian service to the people of Bangladesh. - was granted an honorary Doctor of Letters (Litt.D.) by Western Baptist College in recognition of his production of literary works and unique translations of Scripture.
- received the Servant of Christ (doctor of the year) award from the Christian Medical and Dental Societies.
- was described by the New York Times as a man "in the tradition of Dr. Livingstone."
- was granted Bangladesh visa number 001 in recognition of his service to the new nation.
- has frequently been in contact with presidents, prime ministers, cabinet ministers, ambassadors, and other senior government officials—some of whom have been his
friends and patients. A noted author declared, "Dr. Olsen is the world's leading Christian statesman today."
- was chosen by the U.S. Government to carry a special conciliatory message to the president of Bangladesh during a time of tension between the two nations.
- has provided medical and surgical care to tens of thousands of patients.
- as chief negotiator for his mission, carried out countless negotiations with the Government of Bangladesh.
- led a prince of the large Chakma tribe to Christ; this royal family member then completed the first Chakma New Testament and shared in the establishment of a Chakma church.
- planted the first Marma tribal church in Bangladesh. - planted the first church in a large people group across the border in northern
Myanmar (Burma).
- served as the mission's crisis control leader during times of stress and danger.
- has counseled, advised, and witnessed to literally thousands of people.
- was used by Evangelical Films as script advisor, narrator, and lead actor in the film Daktar, which featured Dr. Olsen's life and work in Bangladesh.
- currently has become the founder and international director of a new division in his mission entitled Special Outreach Ministries Around the World; he is also the senior advisor to the president of the A.B.W.E. mission.
- also serves as the US-based senior advisor to the American International University of Bangladesh, one of the premier private universities of the nation.
- trained the translators for a Special Kosovar Albanian New Testament. MRS. JOAN B. OLSEN: - graduated from Scott High School, Toledo, Ohio; she was a National Honor Society student. She studied at Toledo University, a commercial art school, Ohio University, the University of Nebraska, and Omaha Business College. She also completed the Scofield Bible Correspondence course, other courses in Bible, theology, and teaching, and 2 semesters of New Testament Greek from Moody Bible Correspondence School
- worked as a claim auditor in the home office of Mutual of Omaha insurance company; and later in the New York City branch office of the same company.
- has been a member of the Association of Baptists (A.B.W.E.) for nearly 50 years.
- has served five terms of service in Bangladesh, where she has worked in several capacities: homemaker, elementary school teacher, Bengali Sunday School teacher, secretary of the Bangladesh Field Council, executive secretary to Dr. Olsen, guest house manager, and teacher/supervisor of the first-year Bengali language program. Her greatest and most enduring contribution was made as one of the translators of the Special Bengali Scriptures.
DR. AND MRS. OLSEN: - worked together to produce the first pocket dictionary of the Muslim Bengali language.
- worked for over a decade to complete the first-ever Special Bengali New Testament, their crowning achievement. This New Testament became the number one best-selling Bengali book in Bangladesh and has revolutionized outreach to the people of that nation; its impact was unprecedented. This translation also became the model and stimulus for the initiation of more than 50 other specialized translation projects in various nations. The concept of user-friendly translations for these special people groups is now sweeping the world.
- later, completed the Special Bengali Pentateuch and Psalms, two other portions of Scripture highly regarded by Bangladeshi readers. After their departure for the U.S., the team they put together completed the rest of the Old Testament books. Now the full Special Bengali Bible is being distributed in Bangladesh and India.
- produced the Gospel of Luke in the Chittagonian dialect, the first-ever Scripture portion translated into this dialect spoken by several million people in southern Bangladesh and northern Myanmar (Burma).
- advised and helped other teams produce specialized translations, including an important project in Special Russian. This target audience numbers over 60 million people in more than a dozen countries and regions.
- are working now on the revolutionary Special English New Testament which holds the promise of touching English-speakers in 3,700 unreached people groups. The International Bible Society has already published the Gospel of Matthew in this version. It has been well received.
OLSEN FAMILY: Our children—Wendy, Lynne, Mark, and Nancy—grew up in Bangladesh. They all married and now have children of their own.
Our three daughters live within an hour of our home in southern California. Our son lives in the neighboring state of Nevada. Our four children and their families, including nine grandchildren and 1-1/2 great- grandchildren, greatly bless and enrich our lives.