Content Resources

Hand gestures? Gaps in knowledge? Use of humor? Feeling quite alone. These are just some of the questions and one of the challenges a health care educator can experience when teaching in a low-resource country or setting. This presentation is designed to first walk you through considerations one should explore when designing an international body of work. Then the speaker will guide you through the real-life ups and downs and thrills of teaching nursing in a classroom setting in rural Cambodia, complete with farm animals ambling into the classroom! The information presented can be utilized by all health care professionals as they explore the adventure and satisfaction of teaching in an international classroom setting. Presentation Slides: https://bit.ly/gmhc2022_karenreed_challengeslivedasanurse

Like the prophet Elijah in the Old Testament, many times we as followers of Jesus who seek to make His name known, find ourselves crying out to God “I have had enough Lord”. Learning how to find God in our trials and to trust His loving faithfulness to refine us is a necessary part of our journey. Though sometimes difficult to share openly, the failures, disappointments, and hard times are important in the life of a global worker. Most often, just as in Elijah’s life in I Kings 19, the beauty and majesty and power of God meet us in these times. Sharing from her personal journey in medical missions as a general surgeon in the Middle East and in Kenya, Dr. Carol Spears will explore ways from scripture to find hope and beauty in the desert experiences of missionary service. The scripture is I Kings 19

God painted His heart for the Nations throughout the pages of His Word, from Genesis to Revelation... If we live our lives, spend our money, eat/drink, exercise, pray, and practice medicine without catching this vision, we're missing out on the greatest masterpiece ever created! We create a false dichotomy of domestic healthcare and that which is international. God doesn't see it this way and neither should we.

Today over three billion people, a third of the inhabitants of the earth, have yet to hear the good news of Jesus. They have no opportunity to believe in him as their Savior. Of all the injustices in the world – and there are many that are quite distressing – this is the worst, because of the eternal consequences. In light of this staggering need, we will explore the five Great Commission passages, where Jesus methodically unfolds the essence of the Church’s task in reaching the unreached. This is not just an opportunity to be aware of the need, but a rallying cry for believers today to respond. This presentation will cast a vision for ways to get involved in reaching the unreached. Although the task of reaching three billion people seems overwhelming, this practical presentation points us back to the words of Jesus of how it is to be done. https://bit.ly/gmhc2022_marvinnewell_athirdofus

Providing healthcare in pioneer mission settings complements and demonstrates the Gospel in action, following the footsteps of Jesus. This results in both improving the healthcare of the local community—and beyond—and the planting and growth of the church. We will describe and illustrate this from experiences in Thailand, Cambodia and the Big Country in Asia. https://bit.ly/gmhc2022_narita_thompson_integratinghealthcare_ https://bit.ly/gmhc2022_narita_thompson_integratinghealthcare_handout_

This session will help prepare participants for teaching internationally and/or cross-culturally. It will discuss differences in education methods that exist between different countries and cultural reasons for them; how these differences may impact how you teach and introduce new methods; and provide examples of ways to overcome or adapt to these differences. https://bit.ly/gmhc2022_sharifalkenheimer_crossculturalissues

This session is for those interested in leaving a lasting impact in one's overseas involvement. Often, the impact lasts only as long as the team is on the ground. If you would like to discover one way to have a lasting impact without creating dependency, this session is for you. https://bit.ly/gmhc2022_jaimesaint_fiveprinciples

God has called us to share the gospel with the world. He’s also called us to be good stewards of the resources He provides. Where those two important parts of the Christian life intersect, you find affordable mission trips.  While many have chosen to follow God’s leading in career missions, others fulfill His mission with trips that don’t require a permanent move. But they still face the challenge of paying for those trips. That makes finding affordable mission trips all the more important.   4 Questions When Planning Mission Trips The best way to start identifying a mission trip that you can afford is to create a plan. For that, you’ll need to answer some important questions to help you make the right choice and experience an effective trip. So, as you research affordable mission trips, begin with these four questions: Why do you want to go? Whether you’re a veteran or a first-timer, this is probably the most important question you can ask yourself. You can find a reasonable mission trip, but you will never find purpose and meaning if you go with the wrong motives. So, spend time making sure you and God are on the same page before looking into mission trips you can afford. Where do you want to go? God may have already laid a certain people group on your heart, or a door could open that you weren’t expecting. Either way, it makes sense to find a location where people need your help and where you believe God will help you thrive spiritually. When do you want to go? This is another way of saying that you need to determine how long your trip should be. Honestly, all mission trips are not created equal. Some short-term mission trips last a week or two, while mid-term and long-term trips can last for months. And, as you might expect, longer trips require more financial investment. This is one of those cases where time really is money. Who do you want to go with? Thanks to the explosion of mission interest in recent years, you have plenty of options for a sending agency. And it’s important to find the right mission organization as part of your plan.    Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20     Affordable Mission Trips Again, you have a lot of choices when it comes to identifying a solid sending organization that can provide a mission trip you can afford. In the list below, we’ve highlighted six programs that have a track record of meaningful mission trips. Three of the groups specialize in medical missions, while the other three offer more general trips. As mentioned, “affordable” can be a relative term depending on the length of your trip and the funds you have available. As a result, the numbers you might see in your research can vary greatly. So, weigh your options carefully and prayerfully. Medical Mission Opportunities: Global Health Outreach. The mission of Global Health Outreach (GHO) is to provide short-term medical mission trips that provide hope to people around the world. In 2023, GHO has scheduled 31 trips for medical professionals to different parts of the globe, including Central America, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.  One World Health. The goal of One World Health is to provide sustainable healthcare for underserved people groups. The mission trips that One World Health sponsors connect missionaries with its partners in nations like Nicaragua and Uganda and support the larger effort of providing permanent, site-based solutions. Volunteer HQ. With years of experience, Volunteer HQ provides a number of missions experiences, including medical missions. These trips can fit several categories of medical professionals, depending on the level of one’s experience and field of specialty. Nations served include Peru, Nepal, Kenya, India, and Vietnam.   General Mission Opportunities: Operation Mobilization. The year 2030 will be here before we know it. Operation Mobilization (OM) is working hard to reach its goal of seeing at least 25,000 new, healthy, and growing Christian communities established by that date. To that end, the organization sponsors short-term mission trips and college internships in the United States and overseas. Possible locations include Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.  SIM. The roots of SIM can be traced to mission work in the Sudan more than a century ago. In fact, SIM originally stood for “Sudan Interior Mission.” Today, though, SIM carries the gospel around the world through many avenues, including social initiatives, media, Bible translation, education, and church planting. In terms of affordable mission trips and internships, SIM offers a wide array of experiences that can fit your timing and passion.  Adventures in Missions. When it comes to affordable mission trips, Adventures in Mission (AIM) has a lot to offer. AIM provides both short-term and long-term trips and can serve both groups and individuals. The ministry even has options that allow you to customize your trip. One note: While the prices on the AIM site are lower than what you might see on other sites, be sure to consider any travel costs you might incur getting to your chosen site.    One More Question to Ask The four questions listed above are vital in creating your plan for an affordable mission trip. But there’s one more question that you might be asking yourself: How much to go? While it’s important to count the cost in terms of time and location, you still have to make sure that you have the funds to make it all happen. When it comes to missions, debt is not your friend. In fact, the hopes and dreams of many missionaries have been dashed—or at least deferred—because of debt. As you start researching reasonable mission trips, don’t neglect your current financial situation. Instead, use it to create a budget for your trip that you can stick to. If God is calling you to a missions experience—whether career, long-term, or short-term—He can and will provide the resources. So, pray for His guidance. He will never point you in the wrong direction.   Discover Medical Missions. Medical Missions serves to connect your professional skills and biblical calling to the largest database of healthcare mission organizations, professionals, and thought leadership. Join us at the Global Missions Health Conference to find your Medical Missions calling. Or, browse our full list of partner organizations to find the right mission for you.

How to develop nurse leaders: a literature review of approaches and a conversation about creating local, sustainable leadership development programs.

This lecture will describe complex humanitarian emergencies and the common diseases encountered and the persons affected. We will also discuss mental health issues encountered by victims and the humanitarian worker as well as describe how one can stay healthy in body, soul, and spirit dealing while dealing with the stress of living in working in such a context. https://bit.ly/gmhc2022_cathyh_complexhumanitarianemergencies

We live in the most amazing days since Jesus walked the earth. The global church is sprinting toward the finish line of the 2000-year Great Commission race, and by God’s grace, our generation may be the one to finish it. In this session, Douglas Cobb of The Finishing Fund will explain the global effort to get the gospel for the first time to the world’s last few unengaged people groups and will present the amazing promise of Matthew 24:14 that the completion of the Great Commission will open the door to the return of Christ.

While doctors are serving as missionaries around the world, they aren’t the only medical professionals in the field. Over the last several years, healthcare professionals like nurses have found a place and purpose in fulfilling the Great Commission, either on short-term assignments or as career missionaries. As a result, nurse mission trips have grown in both popularity and in opportunity. If you’re a practicing nurse, training to be a nurse, or just thinking about being a nurse, a mission trip for nurses could provide a wealth of professional experience, spiritual growth, and personal fulfillment.  In other words, a nurse mission trip might be exactly what you need. If you want to get involved with other nurses looking to serve on a mission, explore the Global Health Missions Conference.   Getting Prepared for Your Nurse Mission Trip Healthcare needs around the world are growing exponentially. That means the need for nurses and other medical professionals is growing as well, especially in underdeveloped and underserved areas. The potential of nurse mission trips to provide extra sets of hands can be a huge blessing to overwhelmed medical missionaries and local doctors on the field. And you’ll get the extra benefit of meeting new people and experiencing new cultures. But before you pack your bags, it’s important to examine yourself. Character traits like spiritual maturity, flexibility, teamwork, and humility are vital to being an effective missionary nurse—even on short-term experiences. In addition, you need to do some research to make sure you’re working with an agency that can make the mission trip work well for you, the professionals on site, and the patients you’ll treat. Many organizations rely on a set of seven standards of excellence for mission trips. This code of best practices can help you evaluate agencies, but it can also help you look into your own motivations. After all, the important thing is not so much that you go, but that you go for the right reasons and represent Christ well while you’re gone.   Check Out These 5 Mission Opportunities for Nurses If you’re wondering where to start with a nursing mission trip, you have plenty of options. In the list below, we’ve identified five organizations that can help you prepare for and participate in mission trips for nurses. Whatever part of the world pulls at your heart and whatever demographic you’ve been called to reach, you’ll likely find a fit on this list.    1. University nursing programs If you’re a nursing student (or a high schooler working through the college search process), there’s a good chance your school provides international opportunities for nurses. That’s especially true if you’re attending a Christian college or university. Many faith-based nursing schools combine medical education with an intentional missions focus, and nurse mission trips are part of the formula. For example, schools like Anderson University, Azusa Pacific University, Baylor’s Herrington School of Nursing, and California Baptist University each encourage (and, in some cases, require) a mission trip or semester overseas for their nursing students.   2. Nursing Beyond Borders The mission of Nursing Beyond Borders is to provide healthcare and education for children in some of the most desperate situations in the world. Their nursing mission trips include both team and individual experiences and allow nurses to work with professionals on site in a network clinics, orphanages, schools, and shelters. Their focus is on both healthcare and preventative education that empower kids and communities.   3. Coalition of Christian Nurse Practitioners As an affiliate of Christian Medical and Dental Associates (CMDA), the Coalition of Christian Nurse Practitioners offers a variety of services and benefits for the nursing community. They make nurse mission trips available through CMDA’s Global Health Outreach program. So, as a member, you could make a difference for God in a variety of locations around the globe.   4. International Volunteer HQ For more than 15 years, International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ) has been connecting individuals with mission trip opportunities, including mission trips for nurses and other medical professionals. Some trips are geared toward high school or gap year students. Others cater to nursing students and professionals. So, regardless of your experience or skill level, you can find a nurse mission trip that meets your needs through IVHQ.   5. Nurses Christian Fellowship As a ministry of InterVarsity, Nurses Christian Fellowship (NCF) is a professional organization and support network for Christ followers in the field of nursing. The group’s goal is to encourage nurses as they care for the whole person—body and soul. While NCF does not sponsor overseas travel, it does encourage mission trips for nurses. To that end, the group’s resources include some great articles and preparation materials for those going on nursing mission trips.     Be Jesus’s Hands and Feet In many nursing programs, graduating students take part in a tradition called “blessing of the hands.” The symbolism, especially for Christian nurses, serves as a reminder that they are called to minister to the needs of everyone in every situation. As believers, we call that being the hands and feet of Jesus. In a theological sense, every Christian’s hands are blessed to share the gospel with those in need. But nurses have a unique opportunity to fulfill that commission as they minister to people at some of the lowest moments of life. Nurse mission trips are one way you can extend your personal ministry while also enhancing your personal relationship with Jesus. By taking part in a nursing mission trip, you can be Jesus’s hands and feet to people who desperately need to experience His presence. It’s an opportunity of a lifetime that makes a difference for eternity.     Discover Medical Missions. Medical Missions serves to connect your professional skills and biblical calling to the largest database of healthcare mission organizations, professionals, and thought leadership. Join us at the Global Missions Health Conference to find your Medical Missions calling. Or, browse our full list of partner organizations to find the right mission for you.