One very common, and understandable, concern we hear from potential applicants to one of our medical mission trips is, “will I be protected from Covid?”
The Covid-19 pandemic has cost too many lives and left many more grieving and dealing with the impact of long-term health conditions connected to the pandemic. There is a common feeling of anxiety when venturing out into the world because we can see that there are risks to our health that we’ve never had to worry about before. Many people want to know that their health is a priority when volunteering to join us on one of our medical mission trips.
Friends, we want to assure you that we hear you and we share your concerns. Covid is one thing that we at Mission Partners For Christ take very seriously.
We have done our due diligence to ensure that every person who travels with us will be safe on the trip. During Covid, we have gone on multiple mission trips that required testing before, during, and after the trip. Not one person has gotten infected during their time serving with us.
So today, let’s talk a bit about how we, as an organization, safeguard against infection.
We Listen to Health And Government Authorities
When preparing to travel abroad, we listen to the advice and requirements of our local health authorities who can advise us of the best way to protect ourselves from becoming sick with Covid.
We also pay close attention to the requirements of the countries we plan to visit. Since each nation has its own requirements with regard to Covid-19, it is important that we follow their requirements closely; some countries require testing on arrival and some require proof of vaccination.
Two of the resources we use, Sherpa and CDC, help us to stay informed as to the current state of the global pandemic in the nation that we are planning to travel to. We also get our information directly from the ministry of health of the nation we are planning to travel to.
Another helpful resource that we use is the Worldometer statistics website which keeps track of Covid-19 trends around the world.
These resources help us to decide if a trip will be safe for our volunteers or if it is better to reschedule.
We Have Requirements For Our Volunteers To Follow
The first and best step in our Covid preparedness plan is to remind our volunteers that they can do a lot to protect themselves. In order to protect against potential Covid-19 infections, we require that our volunteers follow best practices as listed by organizations like the CDC.
Several examples that we ask of our volunteers are as listed:
– Finish their vaccine series at least 2 weeks before our travel date. We also recommend additional booster shots when available and recommended by health professionals.
– Submitting documentation to Mission Partners For Christ that the vaccination requirement has been met. This is not only to meet legal requirements set forth by the countries we serve, it also provides assurance to the rest of our team that everyone is vaccinated.
– Sign our waiver acknowledging the responsibility to monitor one’s own health and quarantine when necessary. This places the onus of responsibility back onto the individual team member to care for their own bodies and protect the rest of the team by not needlessly exposing them to possible infection.
We Talk With Our Ministry Partners
One important part of our decision-making process is to remain in close contact with our ministry partners who are based in the communities we plan to serve. They are able to give us a better understanding of what is happening in the area. They can alert us as to the infection rate numbers within the community and what precautions they advise. We will also decide together if it is safe to travel in light of whatever the current Covid-19 situation might be.
To be perfectly transparent with you, reader, we will never make the call to travel when we believe that it is unsafe for us to do so. In the past couple of years, we have had to make the difficult choice to postpone trips due to infection rates. While we hate to have to make that call, we recognize the importance of prioritizing our team’s health.
We also believe that God will re-open that door to travel back to these places when it is safer.
We Pray
This is the most important part of the process. We make a point to go to God in prayer. We ask for wisdom in making the best choice for our team and for the community we wish to serve. It is our deepest desire to go if it is at all possible.
Our founder, Sheri Postma had this to say,
The most important thing we do is PRAY! God is calling us to serve those with limited access to medical care and unreached with the gospel. We can trust that God will protect us from coming in contact with someone with covid.
Sheri Postma
Continuing to discuss the importance of why we must go when it is safe to travel, Sheri also says,
Poverty has risen significantly during the pandemic. Families have to make a decision about obtaining medication for their illness-malaria, high blood pressure, or feeding their family. During each of our trips, we bring a great deal of medication but most importantly we provide very necessary health education. Medical missions is needed more now than ever before.
Sheri Postma
Will You Join Us?
Knowing that we will prioritize your health and safety on our medical mission trips, we hope that you will consider joining us on an upcoming medical mission trip.
Our next trip to Ethiopia is already booked up. However, we have another trip coming up in February to a country called Guinea. During our time in Guinea, we will serve in 4 different areas amongst this people group. We will provide screenings, treatment, and health education. We pray that they see the love of Jesus and through this outreach, many will be saved. The deadline to apply for this trip is November 12, 2022 – and is sure to fill up fast. Don’t miss out.
Click here to apply.
If you are unable to make it to Guinea with us, never fear! You can still join us on a medical mission trip. We have a few more trips planned for the 2023/2024 season, several of these trips were rescheduled from early on in the pandemic. Keep your eyes peeled to our website and our social media accounts for more information!
