Content Resources

Today we are featuring guest contributor Dr. James D. Smith. Dr. Smith's medical career was as an Otolaryngologist in an Academic setting. Over the past 16 years he has been a visiting professor at the National University of Singapore. For the past 12 years he has been involved with Medical Education International (MEI) and does three to five short-term mission trips a year which focus on Teaching and Training. He is also on the board of the Pan African Academy of Christian Surgeons. His time in Singapore has given him an interest and many contacts in SE Asia and China, but he also lived in Kenya for two years and has a special interest in Africa. We hope you enjoy Dr. Smith's insights on healthcare education related to mission hospitals and universities! In the majority of low/middle income countries there is an overwhelming need for increasing the number of healthcare workers to provide basic health care for the population. Christian mission hospitals, universities and mission sending organizations are recognizing the opportunity to provide healthcare education for a local healthcare workforce which has a Christian worldview and can show the love of Christ as healthcare workers with caring and compassion. Opportunities to provide these educational opportunities include starting new Christian nursing or medical schools which may be associated with mission hospitals. For mission hospitals a natural extension to increase healthcare worker capacity is to provide postgraduate education (residency) programs for Christian national physicians who may not have an opportunity to participate in such training.  Doing this training in mission hospitals is an opportunity to mentor residents by providing excellent clinical teaching, help them develop a Christian worldview and show how to share the love of Christ not only in words, but also in deeds.  Another benefit of doing this training in a mission hospital or Christian university is that those being trained are much more likely to stay in their own country and even work in a rural setting. For a program to be successful it is important to do an analysis of the needs of the community and the resources needed to provide an excellent educational program. The resources that need to be considered are finances for starting the program and costs of maintaining the program. Faculty for any training program should be adequate in numbers and experience. It may require expatriate expertise to start a program, but there should be plans to train national physicians to teach and administer the program. Decisions will need to be made as to who and how you will recruit students or residents to the program.

Explore the role of women in missions, challenges women face, and ways to overcome challenges

In this roundtable discussion, several staff of Lawndale Christian Health Center and a local ministry leader, all residents of North and South Lawndale neighborhood, will share their experiences and discuss the principle of Relocation in the context of Christian Community Development.

Do you love hearing a good story? Jesus’ ability to connect a story to a person’s heart is one reason people flocked to hear his teaching. During this session, you will learn to use Bible stories to communicate the story of Jesus to others. You will participate in a story fellowship group to hear and learn a story, and to discuss the story in the context of a small group.

This detailed session will decribe 3 shorterm mission opportunities shared from experienced Physical Therapists who will speak first hand regarding short term trips( Global Health Outreach) , teaching opportunities ( Medical Education International) and foreign hospital service ( Tenwek Hospital).

Clear communication is essential in any effective healthcare environment. Working in another language adds a whole new layer of complexity to the communication process. Learning another language can seem like a daunting task, especially if you had a negative past experience with a foreign language, or it can be viewed as an exciting adventure. This session will focus on practical tips that engage your internal motivations leading to appropriate language proficiency for kingdom impact.

“Service is the sign of true love. Those who love know how to serve others. We learn this especially in the family, where we become servants out of love for one another. In the heart of the family, no one is rejected; all have the same value.” – Pope Francis   The money spent for missionary work to cover their costs of a mission trip to fly to Central America to repaint an orphanage would have been enough money to hire two local painters and two full time teachers and purchase new uniforms for every student in the school. When White Saviorism becomes more important than the people, what are we left with? On the flip side, there is a need, and we can all help. What can we do to make sure we are working responsibly and sustainably? Step 1: Knowing the context and identifying the key needs. Ensure the identified needs and assets of the community, as determined by a wide range of community members, are upheld and prioritized within the program aims and objectives. A host partner that defines the program, including the needs to be addressed and the teaching of volunteers Ongoing leadership of programs by nationals Driven by demand and built with synergistic partnerships Step 2: Defining your values and principles Respect for governance and legal and ethical standards Make local community members partners in the relationship and rely on local knowledge in all stages of developing, implementing, and evaluating the program/experience Reciprocity: promoting an environment in which the human rights, dignity, values, customs, and spiritual beliefs of the individual, family, and community are respected. Step 3: Enabling Sustainability Provide fair compensation for all direct and indirect costs associated with the program and its projects, such as transportation, housing, food, clean water, translators, and other staff, supplies, electricity, and fuel Symmetry of priorities and resources between visiting volunteers and host community members assisting them Step 4: Selecting the most suitable candidates References must be obtained and candidates must be evaluated in stressful, complex, and culturally diverse settings Candidates must value diversity of opinion, beliefs, culture, and perspectives Appropriate screening for qualifications, experience, and background checks Scenario based interview questions Step 5: Preparing them to serve Ensure that faculty, staff, or chaperones working with the programs are properly trained in working with host communities Ensure that the chaperones understand the social, economic, and cultural contexts of the project at hand and are prepared to help students navigate and reflect on the cultural, economic, social, and physical differences they encounter Orientation at every stage of the process Extensive orientation pre-deployment and in country Step 6: Evaluating and learning Develop an appropriate mechanism for evaluating outcomes and local impact Regularly evaluate and assess all partners to ensure that goals and responsibilities are being met Regular program evaluation for impact Monthly report for facility/medical volunteers End of service report with recommendations for program development Emphasis on extensive storytelling from those in the field/volunteers Training attendance sheet Volunteer satisfaction survey Let’s continue to work together to leave a legacy to God’s global family.     About Marcia Grand Ortega:  Marcia Grand Ortega has over 10 years of international experience working in project management, communications, and evaluation in the private, academic and not-for-profit sectors. Before joining CMMB HQ, she volunteered with their Peru programs. During that time in 2015, she had the opportunity to meet with beneficiary families both in Trujillo and Huancayo and work with the incredible community health workers, volunteers, and staff involved in providing healthcare services that truly changed lives. It was this experience that brought Marcia to New York in 2016, where she took on the role of manager for the international volunteer program. In the last 2 years, Marcia has relaunched the medical mission program for health professionals available to serve only for a short-term, and has coordinated medical teams visiting Haiti and Zambia, while recruiting and deploying another 30 clinical volunteers to the field for long term service.

Spotlight on fifteen of the world's most un-evangelized people groups.

A review of the lessons learned from surveys of mission hospitals in 7 developing countries to identify the key best practices that have been successful at improving the spiritual ministry of the hospital, involving staff more fully and improving effectiveness of evangelism with patients and families.

Living "incarnationally" (among a culture different from your own), especially among marginalized people (the poor, immigrants, etc.) is a proven way to face your own cultural biases, muster courage, learn greater dependence on the Holy Spirit, and develop meaningful relationships with people very different from yourself. Besides being good for your soul, it's ideal preparation for international healthcare missions. 

Are you in Medical School? Pre-Med? Mid-level Training? Come hear practical steps to make your dream of serving a reality. When you have a heart for God’s people and a passion for medicine, how do they connect? How do you prepare? This workshop is extremely practical when you know you want to use your medical vocation for Kingdom purposes.