In Africa, a “closed country” refers to a nation where access to the gospel is severely restricted due to governmental, societal, or cultural opposition – often to the point of making evangelism or conversion illegal.
There are many challenges faced by these countries such as:
- Politically, they may be under authoritarian regimes that suppress religious freedom
- Socially, there can be deep-rooted biases and prejudices against Christianity
- Economically, these nations often struggle with poverty and lack of resources, further complicating efforts to create adequate social care to those most in need.
As you might well imagine, these struggles extend into the healthcare sector as well. Many closed countries in Africa suffer from shortages of trained healthcare professionals and limited access to medication and treatments. This dire situation makes the role of medical missions not only crucial but often life-saving, as they bring much-needed healthcare services to underserved populations, providing a real-world example of Christlike compassion and care in the process.
Medical Missions Meet The Health and Spiritual Needs Of Underserved Communities
Healthcare professionals, like those who volunteer with Mission Partners For Christ, play a pivotal role in building trust and fostering relationships within communities in closed countries.
By providing medical care that is desperately needed within underserved communities, they earn the confidence of local residents, who often view them as trustworthy and dependable allies. This trust extends beyond physical health, as these professionals address the holistic needs of individuals, recognizing the importance of mental and emotional well-being.
Through Christlike compassionate care, medical mission outreach volunteers not only help to heal bodies but they also provide care to soothe minds and spirits, offering a holistic approach that encompasses the entirety of a person’s needs: physical and spiritual.
Through sharing the gospel and offering hope and comfort through faith, our medical mission teams can help to fulfill the calling of the Great Commission by ensuring that each person knows that it is because of what Christ accomplished on the Cross that we go and serve.
This comprehensive care fosters a deeper connection with the community, demonstrating the love and compassion of Christ in tangible, impactful ways.
How Mission Partners For Christ Serves Closed Countries
If you’ve been following our work for any length of time, you will have noticed that each year we try to travel to at least one closed country. Thanks to the unique skills our team members possess, in the healthcare field, Mission Partners For Christ has the rare privilege of being able to travel to countries many other evangelical organizations cannot gain access to.
Often, the governments of these nations recognize that there is a very real need to provide medical care for their citizens, but due to lack of funds and resources doctor shortages are rampant. So when medical missions organizations, like Mission Partners For Christ, offer to bring healthcare to their people, governments happily work with us to get our teams into the countries to meet with underserved populations.
You may see us talk about serving in generic parts of Africa, but perhaps you wonder why we won’t list the name of some of the nations we go to. This is because in a closed country, it may be unsafe for growing churches and young believers to discuss the specifics.By being intentionally vague about some of the places where we serve, this allows us to share with our supporters about the places God has called us to while also preserving the safety of young believers.
Are You Ready To Follow God’s Call To Serve In A Closed Country?
Have you felt God’s gentle call on your life to serve in missions? Short-term medical missions are a great way to get a taste for what the missionary life is all about! Our trips typically last for about 10 days (which includes travel time), and we usually serve four different underserved and unreached communities in each country.
You may find yourself wondering about safety on a medical mission trip, particularly to closed countries. This is a common concern. The good news is that our teams have never experienced any kind of safety issues in the many years we’ve been serving in Africa. We not only hire security to join us on our trips, we work closely with partners in the area to ensure that each member of our team will be safe at all times.
We currently have two trips that are open for applications to closed countries:
- Closed Country, Northwest Africa. This trip takes place October 12-21, 2024. The deadline to apply is fast approaching: July 26, 2024 (ALL NON-MEDICAL SPACES FULL. ONLY 2 SPACES OPEN FOR MEDICAL VOLUNTEERS. We are specifically looking for physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners or nurses).
- Island In The Indian Ocean. This trip takes place June 21-30, 2025. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2025 (ALL NON-MEDICAL SPACES FULL. 8 SPACES LEFT FOR MEDICAL VOLUNTEERS. We are specifically looking for physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, or dentists).
We hope to see you on one of our upcoming trips!
