Risking It All in Medical Missions: Lessons from Dr. Dave Stevens

For more than three decades, the story of global medical missions has been one of faith, resilience, and courageous risk-taking. From rural America to the heart of East Africa, this journey unfolds through personal transformation, strategic innovation, and a relentless pursuit of meeting both spiritual and medical needs. This handout summarizes key insights shared at the Global Missions Health Conference—offering inspiration and practical wisdom for anyone exploring cross-cultural medical service or mission-driven work.

Roots of Calling and Transformation

The journey begins in a family shaped by faith and local outreach. Early exposure to short-term missions revealed their ability to transform both individuals and communities. A pivotal moment on a high school trip—watching a nurse offer both medical and spiritual care—sparked a lifelong calling to global medical missions.

Embracing the Call, Facing the Fears

The path to long-term missions is rarely straight. Fears about safety, disease, or the unknown can loom large. Through prayer, reflection, and surrender, the message becomes clear: risk is inseparable from calling. Often, the very fears we resist become the places where God shapes us most deeply.

Building Sustainable Impact Overseas

Serving in an under-resourced hospital meant confronting overwhelming patient loads, epidemics, and shortages of staff and supplies. The response required both compassion and strategy:

• Establishing nursing schools

• Expanding and improving hospital facilities

• Launching community health programs

• Partnering with outside organizations for funding and resources

One remarkable milestone included the construction of a hydroelectric plant—made possible through persistence, unexpected partnerships, and undeniable moments of divine provision.

Family Life on the Mission Field

Raising children overseas came with both challenges and unexpected gifts. Homeschooling in creative environments, learning alongside local families, and navigating cross-cultural friendships fostered maturity, resilience, and a heart for service. Despite fears about safety or hardship, many families found their children thrived—emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

Enduring Loss, Hardship, and Emotional Weight

Medical missionaries often confront suffering at an intense scale. Frequent loss, heavy workloads, and the emotional weight of caring for the sick required intentional practices:

• Prayer and scripture

• Team support and counseling

• Healthy rhythms of rest

• Reconnecting often with the “why” behind the work

The hope of providing holistic healing—physical and eternal—remained an anchor through difficult seasons.

Scaling Influence Through Leadership and Innovation

Eventually, the work expanded beyond the field into leadership roles—training new missionaries, advising mission boards, shaping organizational strategy, and advocating for global health initiatives. Leveraging both Christian and secular financial resources became a strategic way to multiply impact, without compromising the central mission of sharing the gospel through healthcare.

The Power and Necessity of Risk

At the heart of the story lies a simple truth: mission requires risk. Stepping out of comfort is the birthplace of growth, innovation, and transformation. Failure is not a threat—it’s a teacher. Every attempt, whether successful or not, becomes part of a larger story of faithfulness and impact.

Wisdom for Future Missionaries and Students

For anyone exploring medical missions:

• Take the first step. Experience is the best trainer.

• Pursue short-term and long-term opportunities.

• Stay flexible and open-handed. Your path may shift—and that’s part of the calling.

• Lean into the unique gifts God has given you. Your story, skills, and passions matter.

Mission may lead overseas—or it may place you in an underserved community closer to home. Both are sacred.

Conclusion: A Legacy Built on Faithful Risk

The story of global medical missions is not one of ease or predictability. It is a journey marked by uncertainty, bold obedience, and surprising provision. Those who risk everything for the sake of others often find themselves transformed—fear replaced by faith, and ordinary moments turning into legacy-shaping milestones.

The question remains: Are you willing to step out of the boat?
Your answer may change your life—and the lives of countless others.