5 Important Women in Missions

5 Important Women in Missions

by | Apr 12, 2024 | Make a difference, Medical Mission Trips, What We Do, Why We Go On Medical Missions Trips

We owe a debt of gratitude to all those people who came before us in the Missions field. Their hard work has helped to set the stage that allows Mission Partners For Christ to do the work that we do. They helped to establish best practices and showed us how to properly forge healthy relationships in the communities where we do our work. Let’s take a few minutes to learn about a few of the women who came before us.

Mary Slessor, Nigeria

Mary Slessor, Public Domain, Wikipedia

Mary Mitchell Slessor was born in 1848 in Aberdeen, Scotland, and grew up in the slums of Dundee. Mary was the daughter of a shoemaker. Her mother was deeply religious and made sure that Mary attended church each Sunday. Mary finished her schooling at the age of 14 when she went to work full-time at the jute mills to help support her family.

When Mary was 28, she decided to pursue her growing interest in missions. She applied to the United Presbyterian’s Foreign Mission Board in 1876 to work with them as a missionary. After a short training period in Edinburgh, Mary boarded a ship with her cousin, Robert Mitchell Beedie – who served as a missionary in Buchan – and arrived in Calabar, Nigeria in September of 1876.

Mary took the time to become fully immersed in the culture and language of her new home, which created trust and lasting relationships with the people of Calabar. She became fluent in Efik, the language of the local people. Unlike other missionaries in her time, Mary chose to live among the people to whom she ministered.

She was instrumental in ending smallpox in the region when she began a vaccination campaign amongst the local people groups in the early 1900s. She is also credited with ending the infanticide of twins, whom the Calabar people believed to be cursed and would often abandon to starve to death or to be eaten by wild animals. Mary partnered with a local mission to save as many of those babies as possible and ultimately chose to adopt many of them herself.

After multiple bouts of Malaria, Mary developed a severe fever in January 1915 and passed away. She was honored with a state funeral. Mary is remembered today in Nigeria as the “mother of all the peoples.”

Sources:
Undiscovered Scotland
Wikipedia

Wendy Grey Rogerson, Borneo

Born Rhoda Grey in Newcastle to Reverend Maurice Grey and his wife Elsie, she would grow up attending church with her family and become known as Wendy.

As a young girl growing up in a small town in England, Wendy was constantly reading books filled with tales of missionary adventures. Women like Mary Slessor and Gladys Aylward were her role models for what a young woman could accomplish. Rogerson would eventually train as a nurse, never fully suspecting that she would follow in the footsteps of the women she had admired in her childhood.

In 1948, Wendy trained as a nurse and began a career as a midwife in the Newcastle suburb known as Jesmond.

A combination of events, such as a news article she happened to read and a talk she attended, affirmed her call to the missions field. Wendy’s path was set upon learning about Borneo’s dire need for medical missionaries. She knew that Jesus was calling her to love and care for the people of Borneo. Wendy stepped foot on that island in 1959. She served as a teacher and a nurse with a mission already established in the region. Wendy was the only trained medical practitioner for hundreds of miles, and her days quickly filled with patients desperate for medical treatment.

Three years after her arrival in Borneo, Wendy took a furlough and returned to England. It was then that she met Colin Rogerson, whom she would marry. Wendy remained in England to raise her family, yet she never forgot Borneo. She returned twice in later years: once in 1985 and once in 2003.

In 2018, she published a book detailing her experiences. The book is called “The Midwife of Borneo.”

Wendy passed away in 2019 at the age of 91.

Sources:
Express
The Guardian Obituary
Christianity Today

Gladys Aylward, China

Gladys Aylward. The original uploader was Ibekolu at Chinese Wikipedia., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Glady Aylward was born in London, England to working-class parents, Thomas John Aylward and Rosina Florence. Gladys tried hard in school but found the work challenging. She left school to start working at age 14, eventually landing in a role as a housemaid. Four years later, through the influence of her local friends, Gladys became an Evangelical Christian.

In her late 20s, Gladys chanced upon a newspaper article that discussed the spiritual state of China. Hearing that millions of Chinese people had never heard the gospel, Gladys felt a calling to go to China as a missionary.

Gladys began training for missionary work at the China Inland Mission in London. She lasted three months before being informed by the mission’s leadership that they would not be recommending her for service due to her struggles with learning the language. Undeterred, Gladys decided that she would find her own way to China.

Having heard about an older woman, Jeannie Lawson– who served as a missionary in China and who needed a young person to assist her in her work– Gladys spent her life savings on travel fare to get to China. One October day in the early 1930s, Gladys bid her life in England farewell and began what would be a long and difficult journey to Yangcheng, China.

Gladys’s travels took her from her Liverpool station to Japan, narrowly avoiding forced labor in Russia along the way. She finally reached her destination after traveling by foot, bus, and mule and met the woman with whom she would be working. Together, they set to work to create what would be called “The Inn of the Eight Happinesses,” the name references the eight virtues: Love, Virtue, Gentleness, Tolerance, Loyalty, Truth, Beauty, and Devotion.

The Inn became a central point of their ministry. They would offer safe space to travelers and share stories with them about Jesus. A year after Gladys arrived in China, Jeannie Lawson fell and was fatally injured, leaving Gladys to run the ministry herself.

In time, Gladys began working with the government as a foot inspector. The Chinese government had passed a new law forbidding the binding of feet, a common practice in which young girls would have their feet bound to keep them small, believing that large feet were unattractive. In an era where many foot inspectors were faced with violence, Gladys’s efforts to end this cruel practice were met with success.

During her time in China, she adopted five children as her own and became the unofficial mother to hundreds more.

She eventually left China for Great Britain in 1949 when the Communist army was actively seeking out missionaries. But her heart never left China. She attempted to return after her mother’s death, but the Chinese government rejected her visa application. Instead of returning to China, Gladys moved to Taiwan in 1958 and opened the Gladys Aylward Orphanage.

She remained there until her death in 1970.

Sources:
Wikipedia
Encyclopedia.com

Dr. Ida Scudder, India

Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, Public domain,
via Wikimedia Commons

It would seem that Dr. Scudder’s life path was forged for her generations before she was even born. Her grandfather, Rev. Dr. John Scudder Sr., and father, Dr. John Scudder, both served as medical missionaries. Coming from a long line of missionaries instilled Ida with a strong sense of what it means to foster a servant’s heart. She frequently witnessed illness and poverty throughout her young life.

Education was an important thing in Ida’s family. She attended seminary in Massachusetts, returning to India upon graduation to assist her father with his work. In 1894, she received a call into medical missions when three different pregnant women knocked on her door one night seeking medical assistance. Each of these women died in childbirth as they had no access to the kind of medical intervention they needed. Due to their beliefs, none of these women could be treated by men, and Ida did not have the training to help them (nor were female OB-GYNs accessible to women in that region). She had previously been adamant that she would not become a medical missionary. Still, having witnessed these terrible tragedies, she could not deny that she was called and needed to go to medical school.

Ida Scudder applied to Cornell Medical School and graduated at the top of her class – the first, of which, that accepted women. Before her return to India, a Manhattan banker known only as “Mr. Schell” decided to sponsor Ida’s ministry with a $10,000 grant in his wife’s name. Mr. Schell also ensured that Ida had all the medical instruments needed for her work in India.

Ida returned to India on January 1, 1900, and set to work immediately. Her father gave her a room for her small practice, but her needs quickly outgrew the space. By 1906, she was working with as many as 40,000 patients annually. In 1909, she opened the Mary Taber Shell Hospital.

In 1918, this doctor, who once could not envision herself working in the medical field, decided to open a medical school to train women as doctors and nurses. Expecting little interest, Ida was delightfully surprised to receive 151 applicants in her first year. She had to turn most of these applicants away, not having the resources to train so many people.

In 1928, she opened The Vellore Christian Medical Center, a larger hospital than her first. As of 2003, Vellore Christian Medical Center was the largest Christian hospital in the world.

Dr. Ida Scudder passed away in May of 1960 in her bungalow in Kodaikanal, India.

Sources:
Wikipedia
Boston University, School of Theology
The Scudder Association Foundation

Amy Carmichael, India

Amy Carmichael, Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

Amy Beatrice Carmichael, the daughter of a well-to-do flour mill owner, was born in Millisle, County Down, Ireland in 1867. She lived in an English boarding school during part of her childhood. The first few years of her life were spent in comfort, but that changed when Amy was still a young girl. Her father’s flour mill began to lose money and had to be shut down. Amy would have to leave school to help support and care for her large family.

When Amy was 16, she moved with her family to Belfast. There, Amy first felt a stirring in her soul to work with those living in poverty. She befriended a group of people known as the “shawlies”; they were so poor that they could not afford hats to protect themselves from the cold, so they covered their heads with shawls instead. Through her efforts in building relationships within the shawlie community and advocating on their behalf, she was able to build a church for them.

In 1887, Amy heard Hudson Taylor, founder of the Chinese Inland Mission, speak on missions in Asia. Then, Amy first heard her call to go overseas and preach the gospel. She applied for training and lived in London for a brief time to prepare for life as a missionary. Her health, however, prevented her from working with the Chinese Inland Mission.

She later pursued work with the Christian Missionary Society. Initially serving in Japan, Amy returned home due to poor health. However, Amy was convinced that God had called her to the mission field. She wasn’t deterred from her goals. She took the time she needed to rest and returned to work. Amy first went to Sri Lanka and finally received an assignment to the place she would call home for the next 55 years: India.

Commissioned by the Church of England’s Zenana Missionary Society, Amy found that her focus was primarily needed in ministering to women and young girls. A significant problem in India, at that time, was temple prostitution. Girls were often sold to Hindu temples by families who didn’t want daughters or needed the money; these girls were often forced into sex work to earn money for the temple priests.

In order to rescue and care for these young girls, Amy founded an orphanage in Dohnavur, where she became known as “amma” (Tamil for “mother”) and cared for hundreds of girls throughout her time in India.

In 1931, Amy suffered a nasty fall that left her bedridden, but she could not give up her work. When she couldn’t physically serve, she wrote. In her lifetime, Amy wrote close to 40 books to let the world know what God was doing through missions.

Amy Carmichael died in 1951 at the age of 83. Her body rests in Dohnavur, where she spent most of her life. Following her wishes, there is no tombstone above her grave. Instead, a birdbath has been installed and engraved with just one word: Amma.

Sources:
Christianity Today
Wikipedia
Boston University, School of Theology

Did you learn anything new about the foremothers of missions? Let us know in the comments!

Help Us Gift Shoes To Those Who Need Them

Help Us Gift Shoes To Those Who Need Them

by | Mar 15, 2024 | Fundraising, What We Do, Why We Go On Medical Missions Trips

One of the resources we always try to bring on our medical mission trips are expandable shoes. What are expandable shoes?? You may be asking this question, and its a fair question! Not many people have heard about this innovative invention that is life-changing for so many people.

So let’s explore together what these shoes are and why they are so important for the people we serve in the mission field.

Our partner, BeCause International fills a very real need in so much of the world with their brilliant take on footwear, “The Shoe That Grows.” These shoes are designed to address the challenges of poverty and inadequate footwear faced by millions of children in developing countries. 

 

Here’s a description of BeCause International’s shoes:



  • Adjustable Design: The Shoe That Grows features an adjustable design that allows it to expand in both length and width. This unique feature enables the shoes to accommodate growing feet, providing a sustainable solution for children who often outgrow their shoes quickly.
  • Durable Construction: These shoes are made with durable materials to withstand the rigors of daily wear and various terrains. The robust construction ensures that the shoes can endure challenging environments, offering long-lasting protection for the wearer’s feet.
  • Simple yet Effective: BeCause International’s shoes prioritize simplicity and functionality. The design is straightforward, making it easy to use and maintain. This simplicity also contributes to the cost-effectiveness of the shoes, ensuring that they remain accessible to communities in need.

Positive Impact: By providing children with durable, adjustable shoes, they now have access to something that will improve their overall well-being and quality of life. Access to proper footwear can prevent injuries, reduce the risk of infections, and enhance mobility, enabling children to attend school regularly and participate in community activities.

– 

Why Do They Matter?

Traditional footwear does not work for much of the world. Often, the materials used are not created with nonwestern people in mind. In a world where children often have to walk for miles to access clean water and other resources, poorly designed footwear breaks apart quickly and easily. Expandable shoes are made from materials that can handle years of wear.

Traditional shoes are also often very expensive, leaving them out of reach for much of the world’s population. Perhaps someone can afford to buy a pair of shoes for his young daughter, but when she grows out of them, she may not be so lucky to receive a second pair of shoes. 

Expandable shoes adjust to fit up to 5 sizes, which means that as a child grows their shoes grow with them!

Another constant problem, in a world without these amazing shoes, is that people are often left vulnerable to injury and illness. Without proper shoes, you can imagine how quickly someone could accumulate scrapes and cuts on their feet. With open wounds like these, it is incredibly difficult to prevent that person from contracting infection or picking up a parasite.

But with The Shoe That Grows, the wounds never have to happen to begin with. Which means that they are protected from injury and serious illness. Proper shoes are an important part of preventative health care. 

How Can You Ensure That Children Have Access To Proper Footwear?

We’re so glad you asked!

This month we are focusing on raising funds towards ensuring that every patient we see can have the shoes they need to stay healthy and safe. Without generous donors, like you, we would not be able to purchase these amazing shoes and hand them out to those who need them the most at our free medical clinics.

Each pair of shoes costs $20 and we always take at least 180 pairs of shoes for a typical team size of around 10 people. When we have larger teams, and more people to help transport these shoes into the mission field with us, we can take even more!

When you donate towards the good cause of providing shoes for our patients, 100% of your donations goes to the cost of those shoes.

Interested in buying someone a pair of shoes and set them up for a long and healthy life? You can donate now on our PayPal page!

Donate to Ensure That All Children Have Access To The Shoes They Need

See The Impact Your Donations Have Had For

Just A Few Of The Children We’ve Served!

Expandable Shoes

Getting Fitted With The Right Shoes

Expandable Shoes

The Gift Of Footwear

Just The Right Fit

Why We Love Doctors

Why We Love Doctors

by | Mar 1, 2024 | Medical Mission Trips, What We Do, Why We Go On Medical Missions Trips

Mission Partners For Christ literally could not exist without the support and commitment from our medical professionals who give their time and energy to go with us into underserved African communities. 

This month, we will be celebrating Doctor’s Day, which is a day to acknowledge and celebrate all that our doctors do. In light of the Covid-19 Pandemic these past few years, it has never been more clear why doctors are such a valuable part of our society and why everyone should have access to medical care.

Why Doctors Are Needed

The ratio of doctors to patients in developing countries is very low. Most people in rural areas have never met a doctor, and mny of the people we meet in our free medical clinics have never seen a medical professional and are left to manage their often crippling health concerns alone. 

While many might think that a week of serving isn’t enough time to make a real difference, it can quite literally be the thing that saves someone’s life.

““You can get there [the hospital] and meet about 50 people waiting to be attended to,” Hassan says. “They said all of their nurses and doctors have been leaving for abroad. Just a few are left.”

In Nigeria, there is one doctor for every 5,000 patients, whereas the average in developed countries is one doctor for about every 254 people.” – The Guardian

“The total stock of health workers was approximately 3.6 million across 47 countries. Among these, 37% of the health workers were nurses and midwives, 9% were medical doctors, 10% were laboratory personnel, 14% were community health workers, 14% were other health workers, and 12% were administrative and support staff. Results show uneven distribution of health workers within the African Region. Most health workers (85%) are in the public sector. Regional density of physicians, nurses and midwives per 1000 population was 1.55, only 4 countries had densities of more than 4.45 physicians, nurses and midwives per 1000 population.”

Seye Abimbola, Editor The health workforce status in the WHO African Region: findings of a cross-sectional study

This is the need that Mission Partners For Christ fills. While many might think that a week of serving isn’t enough time to make a real difference, it can quite literally be the thing that saves someone’s life.

Many of the patients we treat are suffering from conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure and don’t know how to manage their health because they’ve never had a medical professional teach them what is happening to their bodies and how they can care for themselves so they can live long and happy lives.

One woman who came to see us in 2023 had a blood pressure of 225/120, which put her at high risk of heart attack, stroke, and a number of other life-threatening conditions. She needed immediate treatment and education about how to properly care for her body’s needs and maintain a healthy blood pressure. 

Many others come to us with parasites, stomach issues, and injuries that require treatment to prevent infection. 

Due to the scarcity of qualified medical professionals all across the African continent, you can imagine how the word might spread like wildfire when we arrive and set up our clinics. Every single day, we are seeing thousands of patients, some of whom had been waiting their whole lives to see a doctor.

When you sign up to join us on a medical mission trip, you will get to use your medical skills and expertise to serve God and minister to the underserved and unreached populations of the villages where we’ve been called.

What Kind Of Doctors Do We Need?

We need doctors of all kinds to assist us in our work!

We primarily seek: Family practitioners, general medicine, mental health, internists, dermatologist, pediatrician, cardiologist, gynecologist, geriatrician, emergency medicine, ophthalmologist, infectious disease, allergist, pulmonologist.



While we don’t do surgery at our free medical clinics, we also welcome surgeons who can help us treat patients. 

Here is what to expect:

When you sign up to join us on a medical mission trip, you will get to use your medical skills and expertise to serve God and minister to the underserved and unreached populations of the villages where we’ve been called.

Patients will first be seen by a non-medical volunteer who will document their health concerns and will triage which patients need to be seen by whom.

Once your first patient has been sent to see you, your role will then be to provide general medical care, which includes assessment, treatment and health education. 

Many of our doctors will find openings to ask their patients if they would like to be prayed for, and there is an opportunity for our patients to see someone who can share with them about Jesus and lead them in prayer.

There is never any pressure on our patients in any of this, but we always lovingly extend the invitation to those who may appreciate learning more about the God who sent our team to their village. 

Celebrating Our Missionary Doctors!

We love doctors – and we want to highlight just a few of the doctors who have joined us in the mission field over the years. Space won’t permit us to show you all of the amazing doctors who have volunteered their time and resources to minister to underserved and unreached African communities, but we feel so blessed to be able to work with all  of the amazing men and women God has called into this amazing ministry with us. 

Dr. Maisie Isabell (who served with us well into her 70s!)

Dr. Maisie Isabell (who served with us well into her 70s!)

Dr. Ronnie Archie, Dr. Shanicka Scarbrough, Dr. Andrew White

Dr. Ronnie Archie, Dr. Shanicka Scarbrough, Dr. Andrew White

Dr. Shanicka Scarbrough

Dr. Shanicka Scarbrough

Dr. Andrew White with his mother, Ellen White, RN

Dr. Andrew White with his mother, Ellen White, RN

Dr. Alicia Sanders

Dr. Alicia Sanders

Dr. Kimberly Hagerman

Dr. Kimberly Hagerman

Dr. Ronnie Archie

Dr. Ronnie Archie

Dr. Jasmine Finch found a friend and mentor in Dr. Maisie Isabell

Dr. Jasmine Finch found a friend and mentor in Dr. Maisie Isabell

Dr. Tervicine Delva & Dr. Brittanie Bigby

Dr. Tervicine Delva & Dr. Brittanie Bigby

Dr. Jasmine Finch

Dr. Jasmine Finch

Are You Ready To Join A Medical Mission Trip?

If you are a doctor who has been wondering if there is a way to use your skills to serve Jesus and minister to others, here is your chance!

We have multiple trips open for applicants right now! You can learn more about these opportunities on our volunteer page.

If you are interested in learning more, but not quite ready to commit yet, we invite you to sign up for our newsletter to stay informed about future opportunities or email us directly with any questions!

3 Reasons Why Medical Mission Trips Are Important

3 Reasons Why Medical Mission Trips Are Important

by | Jan 12, 2024 | Make a difference, Medical Mission Trips, What We Do, Why We Go On Medical Missions Trips

If you are new to the Mission Partners For Christ organization or haven’t heard of medical missions before, you might find yourself wondering, “what is the point of all of this?”

So many of us who are living in the USA (or other first-world nations), might find it difficult to empathize with the need for medical missions. Most of us can simply pick up the phone and make an appointment to see our primary care physicians. Most of us have also grown up with some amount of knowledge about health and how to care for our bodies.

It can be hard to see it, but many of us actually carry a great deal of privilege. We can take it for granted that, when we need it most, we can have access to medical care for ourselves and our families.

Many people around the world have never seen a medical professional before. Those who grow up in developing nations may also lack access to things like medication, proper foot or eyewear, or basic knowledge about nutrition or how to care for their bodies.

This is where organizations like Mission Partners For Christ come in.

Medical Mission Trips Matter Because Everyone Deserves Access To Medical Care

We Provide Free Screenings and Treatments At Our Clinics

Did you know that some nations have only a handful of doctors to treat the thousands or millions of people who live there? The medical professionals who work in these places are dear and precious resources, but they become overwhelmed by the sheer number of people who need their expertise. That only includes those who are able to find the transportation and money necessary to see these medical experts. It is a privilege in many places to have access to any medical professional.

Many people live in remote villages and/or lack the resources to see a doctor due to the level of poverty around them. 

Mission Partners For Christ goes exclusively to places where access to medical care is limited or non-existent for the people who live there. When we travel to a location, we work with our local partners who already have established relationships with the people who live in that area. Working together, we open free clinics that make healthcare accessible to all who need it. The doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals who volunteer with us spend hours each day meeting with people, screening them for health issues, and providing whatever treatment or medication is necessary.

We Provide Health Education To Those Who Need It

In a previous post, we discussed why health education matters in medical missions. It isn’t simply a way to teach people about their bodies and the growing bodies of their children, although that is extremely important. It’s also a way to help people connect with their bodies, and to give them a greater sense of agency and control over their lives. For many who have lived in impoverished nations, health education is a luxury that is simply not affordable.

Mission Partners For Christ is able to help bridge the gaps wherever they exist. We love nothing more than to help people understand better how to care for their bodies. We can teach them about proper nutrition and hygiene to prevent or manage serious illnesses. We can teach them how to prevent injuries by taking notice of the signals that their bodies are sending them and how to respond to those signals. We can teach them what are normal and healthy developments of growing bodies and when it’s time to get help from an expert.

We Share The Gospel With Those Who Have Never Heard It

We don’t just care for bodies on our medical mission trips, we also take the time to care for the souls of those people too. We go on these trips to love people in action and in truth, and so we make it a priority to share the gospel whenever we can. 

When Mission Partners For Christ opens a free medical clinic to work with underserved communities, we don’t just see them as bodies to treat. We see them as souls who are deeply loved by the Creator of Heaven and earth and Who so desperately wants a personal relationship with each one of them.

Our medical mission trips have enabled us to share the saving gospel of Jesus Christ with countless thousands of people since our founding less than a decade ago. The ability to share the message of the Cross with the unreached is our motivating factor to do the work that we do. 

After we leave a location, we remain in touch with our local partners and we often hear reports of how our work in these places has made lasting differences in the lives of those we interacted with. And we rejoice for the opportunity given to us, by God, to share Jesus with those who needed Him.

Would you like to make a lasting difference too? Consider how you might get involved with Mission Partners For Christ. 

  • We also need people to consider supporting us financially – we can only do the work that we do because of generous people like yourself. Because Mission Partners For Christ is a 501c3 status nonprofit, your donations are tax-deductible. 
  • Consider a commitment to holding our organization in prayer. We have a monthly prayer meeting that you can join. Contact us for more information on how to get involved. 
  • Spread the word! You never know who in your network might be looking for a way to get involved in missions, and you might be the one person who gets to introduce them to Mission Partners For Christ and the work that we do!
  • Consider inviting Sheri to speak at your church or event. She has a wealth of experience to share about medical missions and is excited to introduce people to this way of sharing the gospel. 

Did you learn anything new about medical missions? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Why Health Education Matters in Medical Missions

Why Health Education Matters in Medical Missions

by | Dec 29, 2023 | Self-Care, What We Do, Why We Go On Medical Missions Trips

When Mission Partners For Christ travels abroad for one of our short-term medical missions trips, we love to create clinics to educate others on how to manage their health best. We believe that education is power, and the more people understand how to prevent serious health conditions or manage the conditions they have, the better quality of life they will have overall.

Most of us had a crash course in health education over the last couple of years due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. We learned, en masse, what the disease was, how to prevent it, and what to do if one catches it. However, health education is more than this. It is a broad topic that covers many issues, from food safety and nutrition to exercise, mental health, and more. 

Keep reading to find out why health education is such an essential part of medical missions trips!

Health Education Prevents Serious Illness And Injury

Most of us know, by this point, how handwashing is a crucial practice in preventing serious illness. But this knowledge hasn’t always been so commonly held. In fact, the practice of handwashing is less than 200 years, and it cost many people their lives before the connection between illness and unwashed hands was discovered. 

It wasn’t until the 1840s when a Hungarian obstetrician named Ignaz Semmelweis noticed that when medical professionals washed their hands, mortality rates in maternity wards started to go down. Although it took a while for handwashing to catch on as a standard practice in the medical field, Semmelweis is commonly credited as the father of handwashing.

Education about the practice of handwashing saved lives. 

Today, we also know the role that diet and exercise play in maintaining health and preventing illness. The CDC and the WHO websites expand on these issues:

* Inactivity contributes to 1 in 10 premature deaths.

*Inadequate levels of physical activity are associated with $117 billion in annual health care costs.

*If US adults increased their average physical activity participation just 10 minutes per day, over 110,000 lives per year could be saved.”

Center For Disease Control

Nutrition is a critical part of health and development. Better nutrition is related to improved infant, child and maternal health, stronger immune systems, safer pregnancy and childbirth, lower risk of non-communicable diseases (such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease), and longevity.

World Health Organization

Health Education Helps People Better Connect With Their Bodies

To properly care for something, you have to understand it. This is the case for raising children, caring for plants or beloved pets, and treating patients. This is also true for how we take care of our bodies. The education we receive about how to care for our bodies allows us to build a strong connection with our bodies by understanding what the feelings and sensations that arise in our bodies can be communicating to us. 

We learn as children that when our tummies begin to rumble, it is time to feed them. Similarly, when a person with diabetes understands that when they start to feel shaky or lightheaded, that’s a sign that their blood sugar levels might be dropping and their bodies need to be cared for in a specific way.

Health Education Gives People Agency To Live Their Best Lives

When we better understand how to manage our health, we are given the freedom to create the lives that gift us health and happiness. The person who learns that her sedentary lifestyle and diet choices directly impact her high blood pressure is now empowered to make different choices to better care for her body. 

The changes she makes to care for her body will enable her to live a more fulfilling life. As her health improves, so does her ability to travel, work, and volunteer as she feels led. This woman will be free to serve on her first medical missions trip because she has made her own health a priority first.

Health Education Is A Form of Stewardship

One concept that shows up repeatedly throughout Scripture is the mandate to be good stewards of all that God has blessed us with:

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Genesis 1:28, NIV

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?

Luke 16:10-12, NIV

This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.

 1 Corinthians 4:1-2, NIV

We should also apply the same principle to the bodies that God Himself created for us (Psalm 139:13). Our bodies are not just things we live in. They are part of God’s creation and, as such, deserve the same love and care that we give to others.

Stewardship is an act of worship; it is respecting God’s creation and blessings through proper care-taking. It communicates to our God that we appreciate everything that He has gifted to us and entrusted to our care. In the same vein, ensuring that our bodies get the proper nutrition, exercise, and sleep they need to be healthy is one way that we can worship God through our actions.

Want to be part of the mission to make healthcare and healthcare education accessible to underserved populations? Come join us on a medical missions trip! Check out our upcoming opportunities here!

Health Education Is an Essential Part of Medical Missons

Did you discover something new about why health education matters? Leave us a comment and let us know what you learned!

Prayer In The Mission Field

Prayer In The Mission Field

by | Dec 22, 2023 | Medical Mission Trips, What We Do, Why We Go On Medical Missions Trips

Prayer is the language that we use to communicate with God. 


It’s also the language that we use to communicate our love for those around us, and indeed all of creation. Have you ever gone to a loved one, grief weighing on your heart over something and had them respond by praying over you (or a heartfelt promise to remember you in prayer)? That kind of love is powerful.

It’s also an integral part of missions, serving as an essential foundation for the success and impact of the work that we do. Missionaries recognize that our work is not merely a human endeavor but something that God calls us to and, through prayer, we seek spiritual strength, discernment, and direction. Maintaining an active prayer life helps us to nurture a deep sense of humility, ever cognizant that we rely on our Heavenly Father for everything we do in service to Him. 

God’s wisdom is sought long before trips are set up with our partners, before we announce them on our website, and certainly before any applications are even received. After our team members have been approved, we make it a priority to connect with everyone on a zoom call before we ever meet in person so that we can get to know one another, develop relationships, and begin to pray together.



Guinea


Often, in the course of planning one of our medical mission trips, problems seem to arise. We wrote about that happening during our February 2023 trip to Guinea.

First, we had an issue with housing. There would be no hotel for our team to stay close to the community we would be serving. So our team took it to the Lord in prayer, and God came through for us in a bigger way than we could have ever imagined:

“The team prayed and within one week I was notified that a man who owned a water company had a newly built home where he never stayed. It was available for us.  It had 3 large bedrooms, 3 bathrooms with running water, electric and area for our team to relax, eat meals, worship, pray and read the Bible together. This was a modern home in the middle of nowhere!”
– Sheri Postma

Another issue arose when we were informed that our partner in Guinea, Mission Aviation Fellowship, had not been approved to fly inside of Guinea, and it didn’t look good for them to receive that permission before our trip. Once again, our team got down on our knees in prayer and asked God for a miracle.

The Lord did not disappoint.

“On February 3 (one day before our trip), the MAF Country Director had a meeting with the Customs Director to ask for temporary flight permissions for February. MAF Guinea referred me to another airline company that mostly did flights for miners. The cost was $4995 USD for one plane each way and it could not hold our entire team. Hundreds of people started praying! 

Finally, we saw our prayers answered and MAF received the temporary permission. We were the 1st passengers flying with MAF Guinea.”
– Sheri Postma

 

Last we heard, 95% of the patients we treated in Guinea were feeling better. Praise God!



Burundi

 

This past July, in Burundi, our team was constantly going to the Lord in prayer about all kinds of things: prayer for those who would be hearing the gospel to have hearts that are open, prayer for unity within our team, prayer for healing for our patients, and so much more.

The way that God showed up again and again was astounding and re-affirmed our faith that we serve a God who holds the universe in His hands and who loves each and every one of us.

One example of how we turned to prayer during a hard moment in Burundi was right at the very beginning. We entered the country and immediately all of our medical equipment, medication, and other things that we had brought to give to patients were being held in customs by Burundian officials. Due to strict regulations, they needed close inspection. This meant that we were unable to leave the airport with our things. It felt like a helpless moment, but Sheri knew that God is the God of the impossible and immediately prayed, “God, You’re going to have to work this out for us!”

A few days later, some of the supplies were released to our team, but not everything. However, between medication that had previously been shipped ahead of our arrival and supplies by the Burundian medical professionals who were volunteering with us, we never needed the missing supplies. Much like the story of Jesus and the multiplying of the loaves and fish, we had enough to meet every need. 

Another example was later in our Burundi stay, when crowds of people who were desperate for medical care & education began to grow out of control outside of our clinic. Many people started pushing to get to the care providers, leading us to make the difficult decision of closing the clinic for the safety of everyone present. We were devastated to have to close the clinic so early. But God was still in control. 

After the clinic closed, our team took some time to debrief and gather ourselves, and suddenly a young evangelist, named Prince, who was volunteering alongside of our team told Sheri to go and pray over the crowd of 150 still gathered by the clinic. Wasting no time, she did just that. Incredibly, this lead to an opportunity for Prince to stand up and begin sharing the gospel!

This led to an incredible moment that our team will never forget: we all began to pray with and over the crowd. A few of our team members, who were so shy they had never prayed out loud before, jumped in and prayed without abandon as the Holy Spirit began to move. We layed hands on the sick and prayed for healing.  We may never hear how God continued to move in the lives of those people we were so blessed to be able to pray for, but we know a seed was planted that day and God will be faithful to see it grow to fruition!

Island In the Indian Ocean

We cannot tell you which country we visited in the Indian Ocean in 2019 because it is a nation that is very closed to the gospel. However, we were granted permission to enter the country so that we could bring our gift of free medical care and health education. During this time, we secretly shared the Gospel. One of our translators observed our team members during the outreach, and there was an opportunity to for us to share the gospel with him as well. 

This particular man came from a very influential family in the area. His father and grandfather are both Imans (spiritual leaders within the Muslim community). After hearing the gospel, this man gave his life to Christ. 

We stayed in touch with him and prayed for him, and when we returned in July 2022 we saw how his life is flourishing. He is now married with 2 kids. His wife is a believer. He has a good job, transportation and a very nice home with running water (these things are very unusual for an inhabitant in this country). 

In the year since our last trip, there are now 25 believers (which is incredible for this closed country). They are meeting secretly every week for Bible study and church for fellwoship and discipleship. 

Even better? The government of this country is asking when our team will return. We praise God for growth in this closed nation and for the open doors He has given us to share His love. 

Benin

In November 2021, our medical mission team traveled to Benin and served the Dassa community. We quickly observed that this group of people, so beloved by God, did not have access to clean drinking water, and our hearts broke for them. Children were walking up to 2 hours each way, every day, to find drinkable water for themselves and their loved ones.

God put it on our hearts to do something about this, so we organized a fundraiser as a team to be able to buy this beautiful community a clean water well. We were anxious about our ability to raise the required $18,000 to do this, but we prayed and we trusted God to provide.

We didn’t have to wait for very long for the Lord to come through for the Dassa people; within a month, our goal was reached! We were able to tell the villagers that they would be receiving a Christmas gift of clean water for their entire community!

As a result, the government agreed to give our partner the land needed to build a church for the Dassa people. Recently, in one month, 25 people gave their lives to Christ.

Burkina Faso

 

In March of 2019, our medical mission team served in Burkina Faso, which is a land-locked nation in West Africa. As we served the people there, we were also able to share the gospel and we prayed for hearts to be open to accepting the Good News.

On the last day of our medical outreach, we witnessed 100 souls come to Christ. One of the men in this group would go on to be discipled to become a missionary to his own people group. This was the unreached people group that we went to reach with the gospel! 

As we prepare for our next medical mission trip to Sierra Leone in March 2024, we are already praying for the people there that we will be serving. We are praying that they will see healing. We are praying for opportunities to share the hope we’ve found in Jesus, and we are praying for the gospel to take root and continue to spread long after we’ve gone.

We are now accepting applications for our next trips to Zimbabwe and Northwest Africa; be part of the work that God is doing in Africa as we seek to bring healthcare and the gospel to underserved communities. 

However, if you’re not yet ready to commit to traveling with us, there are other ways to be part of the work we are doing:

  1. Become a donor. The donations we receive from generous people, like yourself, allow us to commit to this work. Your money will be used to buy medical equipment, medicine, supplements, and help cover the costs of scholarships for medical and dental students to join us and gain practical real-world experience. 
  2. Join our prayer team. We meet once a month over the phone to pray together about our trips and those we’ve served, and shared the gospel with, so that they might continue to grow in faith. Contact us to learn more
  3. Share the word with your friends and family! Sharing our blog posts or social media posts are a great way to show your support for the work that we do. You never know who might be waiting to learn about an opportunity to get involved with a medical missions organization like Mission Partners For Christ. YOU could be that person to introduce them to us!