Content Resources

Spiritual warfare is an often misunderstood or neglected aspect in the preparation for missions. This session will briefly overview the Biblical understanding of spiritual warfare and examine how our Western worldview (which is not entirely Biblical) is often limited in addressing the broad needs present in a host culture. As some illnesses may be spiritual in their origins, an appropriate understanding and application of spiritual warfare can bring a comprehensive view to treating illness. Also, some basic weapons necessary to prevail in warfare will be presented.

This is a breakout session about sustainability in missions. When called into ministry, our passion to serve Christ and our love for people often motivate us to engage in God’s work with joy and excitement. As we hope to continue to serve the Lord and grow in our work, it is important to consider sustainability in ministry, when the work is hard, whether that be difficult work itself, disappointments, life challenges or even faith challenges. It is important to acknowledge difficulties and we may face, and consider how we can face challenges when they come. Together we will consider how God helps us sustain our faith for ministry when we are surprised by difficulties in ministry.

Faith Based Mental Health Care in Post Crisis Populations. Even when this abstract is being prepared during the active early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, signs of significant mental health problems are emerging not only in patients who have suffered with the disease, but in their families, colleagues, work associates, friends, and the health care workers that are active in prevention, sub acute care, acute care, rehabilitation care, and post pandemic phase of life changes. Strategies are already being developed for population surveillance and early intervention after the worst of the crisis has resolved. This session will address the strategies being developed during the pandemic for post pandemic care and what has been learned over the months following the peak of the pandemic

Whether or not they all identify as Christians like us, tens of thousands of Muslims from diverse corners of the Muslim world are transferring allegiance from Mohammed and the Qur'an to Messiah Jesus and His Kingdom. They welcome you and your medical skills to serve with them in the Muslim World. But what's your ultimate objective? Is it physically healed Muslims, a few of whom join churches? Or is it a Church Planting Movement among Muslims who transfer their allegiance to Jesus and then bring in His Kingdom? It's easy to focus on the former and pay too little attention to the latter. You'll learn of "Muslim Believers" who focus on both ... and how you can participate.

Justice in healthcare can take many different forms. It is a vital subject that every provider and practitioner needs to grapple with. In this post, we’ll cover a few of the common questions that will come up over the course of a healthcare provider’s work.  We’ll look at justice in healthcare as it relates to a time of a pandemic, social determinants, mental health considerations, and health disparities that often arise and exist when there is injustice in healthcare.  #1 We must understand justice in healthcare during a pandemic. Dr. David Stevens wrote about this topic in A Christian Healthcare Worker's Response to COVID-19.  Justice in healthcare is a tough topic, but it’s compounded during a pandemic, and it quickly becomes way more difficult to discuss. Allocating limited resources raises the ethical issue of justice—how do you treat patients fairly? How do you care for people—especially when so many more people need life and death care—and quickly? Dr. Stevens offers the following advice: First, you always want to be as impartial as the situation allows. Second, do the best you can for the most people with the resources you have. Third, without enough time, personnel, supplies, or supplies, at some point you will be forced to decide who gets and who doesn’t get your limited resource. You have the moral obligation to be constantly working to get the resources you need, so you won’t have to continue to make utilitarian decisions. Lastly, be sure to continue reading for more wisdom in the area of healthcare during a pandemic. #2 We must understand social determinants of health. According to Healthy People 2020, “Social determinants of health are conditions in the environments in which people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.”  This is an issue of justice in healthcare because professionals must be committed to looking at the whole person, not just the malady. If a person is born and lives in an area with pollution, crime, violence, a poor education system, and few job opportunities, their health concerns will stem from those social determinants. Hospitals, clinics, doctors, and practitioners must be prepared to address these social issues if we want to see widespread improvements in health. #3 We need to understand mental health. Undiagnosed and untreated mental health disorders can lead to an array of serious ramifications including substance abuse, homelessness, interpersonal violence, and more. Ensuring that patients can access healthcare is vital. This might look like hiring community health workers to help navigate difficult systems or accepting patients who are uninsured or underinsured. Helping those who have difficulty navigating complex healthcare systems is a way to ensure that there is justice in healthcare. #4 We must consider health disparities. Another way to focus on justice in healthcare is to concentrate efforts on eliminating the health disparities we see that are based on race in the US. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Community- and faith-based organizations, employers, healthcare systems and providers, public health agencies, policymakers, and others all have a part in helping to promote fair access to health.”  The population health impact of COVID-19 has exposed longstanding inequities that have systematically undermined the physical, social, economic, and emotional health of racial and ethnic minority populations and other population groups that are bearing a disproportionate burden of COVID-19. According to the National Institutes of Health, although significant progress has been made in narrowing the gap in health outcomes (NCHS, 2016), the elimination of disparities in health has yet to be achieved. Despite overall improvements in health over time, some health disparities persist.  For example, while national infant mortality rates decreased overall by 14 percent from 2004 to 2014, Native Americans and Alaskan Natives have an infant mortality rate that is 60 percent higher than the rate for their white counterparts (HHS, 2014) and in 2013, infants born to African American mothers experienced the highest rates of infant mortality. Sadly, African Americans were 30 percent more likely than whites to die prematurely from heart disease in 2010, and African American men are twice as likely as whites to die prematurely from a stroke. Addressing these persistent health disparities in every way that you can is another way to fight for justice in healthcare.  There are so many more issues facing us when it comes to justice in healthcare. However, trying to learn and start to address these four areas, from how we handle these issues in a time of a pandemic, social determinants, mental health considerations, and health disparities, we’ll begin the process of creating a world where there truly is justice in healthcare.

Have you ever thought about being a missionary doctor? If you have, odds are good you’ve quickly jumped from thinking about being a missionary doctor to asking these common questions.  In this post, I want to give you details on the role of the missionary doctor. I’ll cover four of the most common questions from what a missionary doctor is, what a missionary doctor does, we’ll look at some missionary doctors who are currently serving, I’ll cover how missionary doctors make a living, and what’s often required to become a missionary doctor.  Question 1: What is a missionary doctor?  According to Reach Beyond, a Global Missions Health Conference exhibitor, a missionary doctor is: Someone who has earned their medical degree and can practice medicine.  The ability and desire to live and work overseas Sensitivity to cross-cultural issues A willingness to work with local partners A tolerance for uncertainty Imagination to see and explore opportunities that may arise A desire to mentor and coach other medical professionals The ability and desire to raise missionary support and/or be self-funded A commitment to serving long-term in the mission field A willingness to learn the local language Question 2: What does a missionary doctor look like? Missionary doctors can look very different. You might find them living anywhere in the world. They may live and work anywhere from a jungle clinic to a state-of-the-art facility in the middle east. The missionary doctor may be a male or female and from any country. In short, if you have the skills, education, and experience—you can be a missionary doctor! Question 3: Who are some missionaries currently serving? There are many missionary doctors serving all over the globe. I’ve highlighted a few of them below.  Dr. Tim and Kathy Rice: You can read about Dr. Tim Rice and Nurse educator Kathy Rice about their hospital and service in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Tim is the medical director of Vanga Evangelical Hospital and continues to serve as a doctor on the faculty of the School of Medicine at Saint Louis University. Kathy directs the nursing school as a registered nurse and educator. The Rice's aim to train the next generation of Congolese doctors, nurses, and health administrators in Christ-centered, whole-person care, empowering them to use the limited resources available to restore life and health across the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Dr. Jon Yoder: Dr. Jon Yoder is the resident doctor at a hospital in Mattru Jong, Sierra Leone.  The hospital belongs to the national church of Sierra Leone which is a United Brethren global mission. Sierra Leone lies on the west side of Africa on the Atlantic Ocean. The average life expectancy is 45 years old. It is most known to Americans for the tragic war in the 1990s, blood diamonds, and most recently for the now resolved Ebola crisis. Every person has his or her story of how they survived during these tragic times. Many people fled the country and some went into hiding. However, Sierra Leone is now at peace and well. You can read more about Sierra Leone and Dr. Yoder. Kiersten Hutchinson: Kiersten Hutchinson has served at Karanda for the past 18 years, not as a missionary doctor, but as a physician assistant with TEAM. She describes her journey from short-term trips, to reluctance and doubt, to full-time missionary work. In addition to stories of missionary doctors, I wanted to point out Karanda Mission Hospital: Karanda Mission Hospital was established in 1961 to meet the needs of mission stations in the Zambezi River valley which were established as churches and then, as the abundant health care challenges were seen, small dispensaries/clinics were developed along with churches and finally schools. To help the clinics, the hospital was built. Karanda is in a remote area of Northern Zimbabwe nearest to Mount Darwin. Its location is approximately 124 miles from Harare, the Capital of Zimbabwe. Question 4: How do missionary doctors earn a living? Missionary doctors may earn a living in a variety of ways. For example, some doctors are paid by the hospitals they are working for. Others may have to raise all of their own support from friends, family, or sending organizations. Most will do a combination of support raising and salary from the hospital in which they serve. Additionally, some mission organizations will do their own fundraising, and doctors may only have to cover a portion of their living expenses. There are many variations to earning a living and you can find something that works for you and your needs.  Question 5: What is required to become a missionary? In most cases, becoming a missionary means you’ll have to meet some basic qualifications, such as age, education, experience, and/or faith-based requirements. Next, you’ll want to reach out to members of your community about mission work and about how you can do some independent research of your own. After finding the right fit, it's all about completing the application process, any training involved and continuing to point to God with your skills, experience, and life. I hope this post has been helpful for you in answering some of the most common questions surrounding becoming a missionary doctor. 

A resounding YES! Now, I have more to say. So keep reading! But, yes, after years of personal experience and all of my work in serving missionaries and mission-sending organizations, the answer is yes. Medical mission trips are worth it. Keep reading to find out why I think it’s completely worth it to serve God by going on medical mission trips.    I’ve seen several positives from medical mission trips over the years. Here are just a few positives to consider:  1. Medical missions allow you to get out of your comfort zone and see the world from a different perspective. This is true for the person who travels on medical missions trips and the people who end up being served.  2. Medical missions can provide even more sympathy, compassion, and selflessness in the individual who is going. This not only fosters character-building in you but can go a long way in developing a heart for service. Once you see the needs, you’ll be more apt to see how you fit in with helping meet those needs. 3. Medical missions can give you an opportunity for more hands-on clinical experience. For instance, in a developing country, you might be asked to take vital signs or record patient history, things you might not have the opportunity to do as a premed back home. 4. Medical missions can help you and as you consider your calling to go into a medical missions career.   Aside from these reasons, I’ll start by saying, God can use medicine to heal physical bodies and ailments. Think about it, when Jesus walked the earth, He was known as the Savior who healed people—and not just of their physical maladies, but also their spiritual longings. But yes, Jesus healed people from their physical ailments. Let’s not forget how amazing it is that Jesus cared to physically heal people. And, may we not forget how powerful it is that God has given you the skills to possibly join Him in His work and heal others with your gifts and experience.   As healthcare professionals, medical mission trips are absolutely worth it. Why? Because they can change lives forever. Here is one story, found on MedicalMissions.com, from the country of Togo. You should know that Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE) is part of this story: It’s difficult for many people to see how medical missions fits with church planting. But in Togo, they fit hand-in-glove. “I thought: if someone like Jesus Christ died for me, just to save me, it’s really something interesting,” says Gaglo. Togolese pastor Anani shared the truth of the gospel with Gaglo—now a physician’s assistant—around the time of the construction of Hôpital Baptiste Biblique (HBB) in Tsiko, Togo which opened its doors in 1985. It was at that time that the words Pastor Anani shared with Gaglo made sense. He recognized himself as a sinner in need of a Savior and he knew that the only Savior was Jesus Christ. “I was one of the six first baptized, like a fruit of this hospital.” A small Bible study had then begun for the new Togolese Christians. They studied the Bible and discussed its truths with the missionaries. Out of this Bible study, the Togolese worked with the missionaries and began a church about one year later just a short walk from HBB’s campus.  Through the sharing of the gospel in both the hospital and in the neighboring town, people from the community were also accepting the truth that Jesus Christ alone can save. The gospel continued to spread to the neighboring village of Adeta, and the Tsiko church continued to grow. It was decided that a church should be planted in Adeta since so many villagers from that area were in attendance. “This is a long story,” Gaglo says. “The Lord called me and I am serving at the second church [Adeta] as a pastor.”   As more people come to know Christ as Savior, Pastor Gaglo and the Adeta church are praying about planting a new church in another nearby village. God has been using HBB to touch the lives of the Togolese. Through their physical needs, God leads them to the hospital. While there, they are presented with the truth of the gospel.  Though successes are being celebrated often, there is still much work to do and still so many that have not yet heard the gospel. Not all that have not heard will come to the hospital. One way they can hear is through the discipleship of those that have believed and the planting of churches in the villages to which the patients return. HBB has served tens of thousands of patients, but the demand has long ago outpaced its 50-bed capacity. By God’s grace, the HBB Vision Project will help renovate, enhance, and expand the hospital, support surgical and medical programs, and help train Togolese and other Africans to use medical evangelism to become highly-skilled, kingdom-minded surgeons who can also effectively share the gospel.   More about ABWE: ABWE began 1927 by a medical missionary. Now almost 90 years later ABWE's nearly 1000 missionaries serve in 70 countries. There are three tertiary care hospitals, 2 in Togo and 1 in Bangladesh. ABWE is interested in medical students, residents, practitioners, physical therapists, pharmacists, PAs, nurses, CRNAs, FPs, Internists, surgeons, ob-gyn, pediatricians, PAs and APRNs. ABWE hopes to generate interest in various levels of medical providers for short and/or long term opportunities. Learn more about ABWE and find more stories. The contents of the above letter was written by Hannah Strayer & Liz Ortiz. The full letter can be found at the post Multiplication through medicine.

What is international medical relief? International medical relief can happen when there is a disaster in a country. Or it can be a supplement to the regular healthcare delivery system. A third option for international medical relief is teaching and training indigenous women and men so that they can work to build up the healthcare system in their own country There are many countries that lack a fully functional healthcare system. For example, the top three countries with the most need for medical relief are as follows: Republic of Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone has the dubious distinction of being the worst country in providing healthcare to its citizens, with a score of 0.00 on the World Health Organizaion’s health systems performance index. There are only about 22 physicians for every million people, and about 60% of the rural population does not have adequate access to clean drinking water. Life expectancy at birth is about 54 years. For the 6 million people who live here, they need help. Republic of the Union of Myanmar: With a score of 0.138/1 on the WHO health systems performance index. This makes it the second-worst country in the world in providing healthcare. Located in Southeast Asia, Myanmar is bordered by India, Bangladesh, China, Laos, and Thailand. Myanmar’s spending on health care as a part of its GDP (0.5% to 3%) is among the lowest in the world, and it receives the least amount of international aid per capita. The average life expectancy is 50 years. There are only 6 doctors for every million citizens. Central African Republic: With a WHO health systems performance score of 0.156/1, the Central African Republic (CAR) is the third-worst country where health care is concerned. It is a landlocked country in Central Africa enclosed by Chad, Sudan, South Sudan, DRC, The Republic of Congo, and Cameroon. The average life expectancy is just 49 years. Sanitation problems and lack of clean water are major sources of ill health in this country. Is there faith-based international medical relief? Some international medical relief is purely medical, offering medical services and supplies to countries that lack adequate care and access. Other services can be faith-based and combine physical and spiritual well being. If you are interested in faith-based international medical relief, here are a few Bible verses about healing for encouragement as you consider how you might best serve: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” —Psalm 147:3 “Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’” —Luke 10:9 “And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.” —Matthew 4:23 “When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing.” —Luke 9:11 If you’re interested in faith-based international medical relief, here is a list of short-term mission trips you can go on. Are there internships for international medical relief? Yes! There are many options for serving in international medical relief through internships. Here are a few of the top places to research for internships. Mercy Ships a ship-based international health care organization, Mercy Ships provides surgical interventions, education and capacity building, and other healthcare services through its hospital ship and related healthcare and capacity building programs and partnerships. Crew serves on the ship from as little as 2 weeks up to a number of years. Over the last three decades, over 30,000 volunteers have served on a ship. Christian Medical & Dental Association (CMDA): CMDA Placement Service is dedicated to bringing together healthcare professionals of Christian faith for the advancement of God’s Kingdom. YWAM: YWAM’s Ship equipped ministries are committed to reaching those who are isolated and have limited or no access to the resources that sustain and build a life. People who pay their own way, willing to sail into remote areas, work hard each day, return to their bunk onboard each night knowing they helped others discover more in life. You see such gratefulness in each of their eyes. Whether receiving a simple pair of glasses, enabling them to go to school, or back to work, immunizations, health care education, clean water technology, and other options are all part of what YWAM Ships brings. Where can I go for a list of careers in international medical relief? If you are considering a career in international medical relief, it’s important you know you have options. One great way to research the types of jobs you may be interested in is by going to the Medical Missions Jobs Board. There, you can check out the full job listing and you can narrow your search by filtering through various options. How else can I help with international medical relief? If you are not able or prepared to take a short term trip or make a career out of international medical relief, then you might consider giving financially to an organization that does work you appreciate. Blessings International provides pharmaceuticals, vitamins, and medical supplies to mission teams, clinics & hospitals Cure International treats conditions like clubfoot, bowed legs, cleft lips, untreated burns, and hydrocephalus. Without treatment, they will have little hope for the future. Many will die from their conditions unless Cure steps in to help.  Medical Missions Outreach is a group that provides a beautiful blend of quality, ethical healthcare, and eternal spiritual care. Community outreach is effective and sustainable through local church partnerships. MedSend removes the obstacles of student loan debt to allow healthcare professionals to pursue their calling in medical missions. Everyone knows that medical school can be prohibitively expensive. That is why MedSend enables highly qualified and dedicated healthcare professionals to serve spiritually and physically needy people around the world in the name of Christ. We do this by making their monthly educational loan payments while they serve. What else should I know about international medical relief? We’ve covered a lot in this post. I hope it’s been helpful and will serve as a reference as you consider where God is calling you to serve. Here are just a few more resources as you’re thinking about what you can do next to serve.  Listen to this podcast about the Bible and Missions. And this podcast from former CMDA President Dave Stevens on the 10 most common questions to ask before becoming a missionary. These are just a few of the ways to get involved in international medical relief. I want to encourage you to keep searching and exploring the ways God wants to see you involved in His work!

Now that we can finally start thinking about traveling again, let’s talk about travel vaccines. In our modern world, over one million people travel internationally every single day. In many countries, vaccine-preventable diseases are still common even though they may not be common in North America. Without vaccines, epidemics of many preventable diseases will return, resulting in increased illnesses, deaths, and a lower quality of life for anyone affected.  In this post, I want to help you by answering five common questions related to travel vaccines. Question 1: What is a vaccine? A vaccine is a way to make your body stronger by using the natural defense system. A vaccine trains your immune system to create antibodies to a particular disease. According to the World Health Organization, vaccines only contain killed or weakened forms of the germs that cause the disease, so they do not put you at risk for complications. Question 2: Why are vaccines important? Vaccines are important to protect us from over twenty diseases found throughout the world. It is estimated that these vaccines save up to three million lives each year. When we get vaccinated, we are protecting ourselves, but we are also protecting those around us. Some people who are very ill cannot get vaccines, so they depend on the larger population to eradicate the disease. Questions 3: Why are vaccines important when traveling? Vaccines are important when traveling to ensure the public health of a different country. You don’t want to bring a disease to them. Likewise, you don’t want to get sick from a disease that has not yet been eradicated in that country. Question 4: What vaccinations should I be thinking about? There are many vaccinations you should consider before traveling. The following list is just a few to think about and why they are important:  Cholera: Generally spreads through contaminated water or food. Anyone who is visiting a rural area with potentially unclean water or low resource medical centers; medical workers who could come in contact with bodily fluids; people with certain at-risk health factors. Hepatitis A: Infects the liver, usually spread through contaminated water or food. Unlike other Hepatitis, it does not become a chronic condition. This vaccine is recommended for everyone over the age of one year old. Japanese encephalitis is found throughout Asia and is spread through mosquito bites. It occurs throughout east Asia, so it is recommended for anyone traveling to that area of the world as well. Polio: a potentially deadly disease that enters the brain and the spinal cord and can cause paralysis, permanent disability, and death. Spread through person to person contact, including food and water, coughing, and sneezing. The CDC recommends everyone receive the Polio vaccine. Rabies: transmitted through animals and often deadly once symptoms are present. Spread through the saliva of an infected animal entering a person’s bloodstream. Rabies is found all over the world, so if you plan to travel to a location with elevated levels, vaccinate before you go. Typhoid: spread through contaminated food or water. Caused by Salmonella typhi, it is an acute illness that can result in death in up to ten percent of patients. Almost all international travelers are recommended to receive the typhoid vaccine, especially if traveling to an area that has drug-resistant forms of the disease, which includes large parts of Africa and Asia. Yellow Fever Vaccine is required for entry into many countries, including Ghana and Brazil. It is a mosquito-borne viral disease that is present in South America and Africa. It has a high mortality rate, which is why it is sometimes required for entry into particular countries. Other non-vaccine conditions to think about before travel: Traveler’s diarrhea, malaria, Dengue, and motion sickness.  There are things you can do before and during your trip to treat and protect yourself: Take care when eating and drinking - only drink/use safe water Wash your hands often Be sure food has been cooked thoroughly Peel any fruits or vegetables before eating and wash with clean water Consider an antimalarial drug before you go. Malaria is considered one of the deadliest diseases in history, with 400,000 deaths each year. Protect yourself from mosquito bites by wearing long sleeves and pants, utilizing mosquito nets, mosquito repellent, and keeping windows closed. For motion sickness, be prepared with a medication that can treat symptoms, utilize visual fixation, avoid reading while moving, and sleep while moving in order to avoid the symptoms. Find more information at Passport Health USA. Question 5: When should you get vaccinated? According to the Centers for Disease Control, You should consider getting vaccinated at least a month before you travel. See your doctor when you start to plan your trip abroad. It’s important to do this well in advance. Why? Because your body needs time to build up immunity. You may need several weeks to get all the doses of the vaccine. Your primary doctor may not stock travel vaccines. You might consider visiting a travel medical clinic. You’ll need time to prepare for your pre-travel appointment. If the country you visit requires a yellow fever vaccine, only a limited number of clinics have the vaccine and will probably be some distance from where you live. You must get this vaccine at least 10 days before travel. More resources about vaccinations:  Listen to the audio from a talk called Vaccines in the U.S.: Facts & Practical Tips. Listen to a talk called Travel Medicine: what to know before you go on a short-term medical mission trip. Learn more from the CDC about Travel Vaccines. Find more information about travel and vaccinations at PassportHealth.

If you are interested in full-time missionary jobs, you have come to the right place. There are many ways to do missionary work full time. In this post, I want to cover some types of work you can do full time, some priorities for you to consider, some challenges, how to connect with other missionaries and offer you some additional resources as you consider full-time missionary work.  What are some full-time missionary jobs? Here are just a few examples of full-time missions work you can do: Medical missions: You can go as a general practitioner, as a specialist, as a nurse, or as a therapist. There are hundreds of ways to engage in healthcare missions. You may also want to focus on medical education and training for indigenous workers Business as mission: Taking your current job and doing it in an underserved or unreached area Teaching overseas: Many people choose to teach overseas as a way to be in community with people that don’t know Jesus Church planting: Traditional missionary work that focuses on planting a church in an unreached area and discipling community members in the life of Christ What should you do first if you’re interested in full-time missionary jobs?  The first thing to do is to find a sending agency that does this professionally. Be sure to ask lots of questions and do lots of research. Prepare yourself by looking into some kind of training - possibly start with the Blueprint e-course on mission preparation. What are the challenges facing full-time missionary jobs? Watch out for these common challenges when it comes to full-time missionary jobs. How can a missionary best prepare for these challenges? These are a few of the common challenges I’ve seen over the years in working with missionaries and sending organizations. The challenges are great—from isolation to learning languages. We’ll talk about a few of the challenges below. But, understand, while the challenges are great, we serve a great God. Burnout: we’ve written about spiritual burnout in detail before. It’s important you understand what it is, how to know if you’re experiencing it, and what you can do to overcome it. Spiritual warfare: We are often unaware or reluctant to realize that some events are beyond our control and there is a spiritual battle taking place. Often, when you are doing God’s work and serving Him, you will face difficulties. Sadly, some of the most difficult problems you will see come from fellow missionaries and not from the people we are sent to care for. This will be tough on you in every way.  Children in Missions: It’s important to educate children while also seeking to involve children. While it can be a challenge, there are some vital ways you can involve children in missions. For example, you can teach children about missions. Make it fun. Tell stories of missionaries and how God used them. Pray for other missionaries. God can create a heart of missions and missionaries through your kids learning to pray for others. Have your kids be around other missionaries. Maybe it’s as simple as sharing a meal together with other missionaries.  The point is to have your children be exposed to others and their hearts and struggles. The more children see God work in other’s lives, the more they will be likely to see God at work in their own lives. Lastly, model with your kids how to love God and serve others. My guess is, you’re already doing this. But, just in case, it’s worth noting, be sure to explain to children why you’re doing what you are doing. Lead by example and by word.  There are many other challenges, from marriage in missions to the missing family "back home" and caring for elderly parents. There’s the feeling of being “between” and not “belonging anywhere” or not knowing international guidelines and standards for things such as relief, development, and clinical care. Maybe you have student debt and are wondering how you will ever pay it off. There are so many challenges, it’s tough to talk about them all here.  Remember it is the Father’s world and the Father’s job, not ours. We are just the physical expression of what God is doing in the areas we serve. Yes, there will be challenges. But, God has overcome all of these challenges—and so can you—with His help. How can you connect with other full-time missionaries? It will prove important for you to connect with other full-time missionaries over time. You will need mentors who have gone before you—who are steps ahead of you. Ideas to help think through these challenges: Make an appointment to meet with a veteran missionary. Write out several questions beforehand (that deal with the issues we described above) and make note of their answers on this worksheet What resources for full-time missionary jobs do you suggest? When it comes to resources related to full-time missionary jobs, there are several options for finding help. I suggest starting with the following resources for tried and true help and encouragement:   Mission Training International (MTI): MTI’s vision is to see cross-cultural messengers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ experience effectiveness, endurance, and personal vitality. Christian Health Service Corps: Christian Health Service Corps is a ministry of Christian doctors, health professionals, and health educators serving the poor in places that have little or no access to healthcare. Each year, we bring compassionate, life-saving health services to hundreds of thousands of families around the world. Our doctors and health professionals are often the only access to care for young families in poor communities. https://www.healthservicecorps.org/training/ On Being a Missionary by Tom Hale Beyond Medicine: What else you need to know to be a healthcare missionary by Dave Stevens Looming Transitions by Amy Young Cultural Intelligence: Read this article for understanding cultural intelligence

When it comes to counseling for missionaries, there can often be a lot of barriers and confusion. My hope is to address some of the bigger questions and offer some helpful resources as you think through counseling and missionaries.  Question #1: What is counseling? Counseling addresses the emotional, social, work, school, and physical health concerns people may have at different stages in their lives, focusing on typical life stressors and more severe issues with which people may struggle as individuals and as a part of families, groups, and organizations.  There are various types of counselors: Rehabilitation counselor: These counselors work with patients to manage the physical and emotional effects of disabilities and illnesses..  Substance Abuse counselor: These professionals help clients recover from various types of addictions, drug dependencies, and other destructive behaviors.  Mental Health Counselor: These counselors provide treatment to diverse patient populations experiencing mental and emotional conditions, anxiety, addiction, and other disorders. Spiritual guidance counselor: These counselors, who typically hold a master's degree, base their practice on spiritual or religious beliefs and principles integrated into secular clinical approaches. Child pediatric counselor: Working in clinics, schools, and social services organizations, these counselors diagnose and treat mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders and traumas in children Suicide Counselor: Suicide counselors identify at-risk individuals, assess how much danger they pose to themselves and others, diffuse crisis situations, and develop an appropriate treatment.  Marriage and Family Counselor: These professionals use their counseling training to help individuals, couples, and families cope with relationship issues, such as separation, divorce, and abuse. Grief Counselor: Often referred to as bereavement counselors, these specialists help people move through stages of grief after losing a close family member or friend. Behavior Analyst: These highly-trained therapists treat children and adults on the autism spectrum and those with ADHD, brain injuries, and other behavioral or developmental challenges. Question #2: Why should missionaries consider counseling? There are several reasons why missionaries might consider counseling. For example, the life events missionaries go through are often exacerbated by the fact that they are living in a foreign country and everyday life tasks can be more challenging and frustrating simply because there are consistent unknowns.  Missionaries are often isolated from family and friends and without a support network. Grief can creep up on a missionary without even realizing it due to the loss of home, security, friends, and “normal” life. If not handled well, these feelings of stress, grief, and isolation can lead to harmful mental health.  Question #3: What about counseling for missionary kids? Kids are often described as “resilient” and can easily handle transitions, languages, and life changes. However, these dramatic life changes can have lasting effects on kids.  ACEs are adverse childhood experiences and can have long-term health effects if not addressed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says:  “ACEs can have lasting, negative effects on health, well-being, and opportunity. These experiences can increase the risks of injury, sexually transmitted infections, maternal and child health problems, teen pregnancy, involvement in sex trafficking, and a wide range of chronic diseases and leading causes of death such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and suicide.” I want to give you a few resources that should prove handy when thinking through serving God in missions and counseling.  First, Richard Bagge and Samuel Thielman have a talk on resilience and sustaining global workers. In this first part of two, they discuss missionaries and other overseas Christian workers and how they are subject to unique stressors, and providing proper support for this group requires a commitment from sending organizations. Despite the fact that in the past mental health problems in missions have been neglected, mission organizations have developed an increased capacity for supporting missionaries. This presentation describes the best practices for behavioral health support. They point out how organizations have reduced stigmatization, developed sound procedures for evaluating, supporting, and triaging missionaries and their families who develop psychiatric problems. They also review current medical thinking about resilience, compassion fatigue, vicarious traumatization, and burnout and discuss how these concepts can be used to inform medical support for expatriate Christian workers. The next resource I want to share with you comes from Roger Brown. He points to Dr. Samuel Thielman’s presentation at the Global Missions Health Conference (GMHC) on Resilience, endurance, and doing God’s work in hard places. You can download the PDF and the presentation slides for reference.  Finally, I want to direct your attention to Dr. Karen Carr’s breakout session from GMHC. Carr is a Clinical Psychologist for Barnabas International and discusses the topic of how medical missionaries can be resilient in the midst of trauma and stress. Drawing on principles from psychological research and Christian scriptures, Carr’s recorded workshop explores factors of resilience for those working in high-risk, high-stress cross-cultural work. You will discover what enhances resilience and what contributes to decreased coping.  Carr’s workshop introduces practical resources for responding to stress and trauma with resilience, grace, and perseverance. After you listen, you’ll be able to identify incidents of trauma and common sources of stress in cross-cultural medical workers. You’ll know how to identify factors that contribute to resilience in cross-cultural medical workers. You will be able to identify factors that decrease resilience in cross-cultural medical workers. And, you’ll also learn about resilience factors to increase coping when working in high-stress environments. My hope is that answering these questions and reviewing these resources will help you cut through any and all confusion as it relates to counseling for missionaries. God has called you to serve Him. My hope is this post will help you think through counseling and missionaries—so you can serve Him more faithfully.

Missions in the traditional sense of sharing the gospel with a group of people has been around since the beginning of Christianity. That is the way it spread from one country to the next. The church is experiencing explosive growth globally. But, when most mission agencies were founded in the mid 20th century, leaders spoke about 1.6 billion who would live and die without hearing the Gospel.  Today, according to the Joshua Project we’re facing 3.14 billion who are considered unreached. All of this points to the fact that we are going backward in missions when we consider the birth rates in the world. One of the most telling statistics, from Lausanne, is that observing the life of a Jesus-follower is the primary reason a person decides to follow Christ.  What does this say to us? Well, for one, it says our mission efforts are still largely only on the fringes of society. We are not in the neighborhoods, the workplaces, the communities where people live. I believe this is a great opportunity for missions. We must realize the history of missions and fit ourselves in God’s story of serving others. What skills, passions, gifts, experience do you have that God might use to take you somewhere where a person has no access to the Gospel?  I want to point out some of the global marketplace pioneers and how they helped inspire the good work we see today in medical missions. Then, I want to give you one present-day example of a group that’s doing global marketplace missions well. My hope is that you’ll read, get inspired, and consider how God might be calling you to help in missions. Modern mission work focused on the native peoples in North America. In Europe, William Carey’s Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians, to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens (1792) became the “charter” for Protestant missions and produced the Baptist Missionary Society.  In 1793 Carey went to India. His first letter to England stirred by the Evangelical Revival resulted in the formation of the London Missionary Society (1795). The Scottish Missionary Society (1796) and the Netherlands Missionary Society (1797) soon appeared.  Anglican evangelicals organized the Church Missionary Society (1799), and many others followed. There are so many we could mention. Here are a few that come to mind: Adoniram Judson: (1788–1850) An American Baptist missionary, who served in Burma for almost forty years. Translated the Bible into Burmese and established a number of churches. David Livingstone: (1813–1873) was a Scottish Congregationalist pioneer medical missionary with the London Missionary Society and an explorer in Africa. Perhaps one of the most popular national heroes of the late 19th century in Victorian Britain. Protestant missionary martyr, working-class "rags to riches" inspirational story, scientific investigator and explorer, imperial reformer, anti-slavery crusader. Charlotte (Lottie) Moon: (1840–1912) was a Southern Baptist missionary to China with the Foreign Mission Board who spent nearly forty years (1873–1912) living and working in China. As a teacher and evangelist, she laid a foundation for traditionally solid support for missions among Baptists in America. William Cameron Townsend: (1896–1982) was a prominent American Christian missionary who founded, Wycliffe Bible Translators and Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL International), both of which remain active and focused on producing translations of the Bible in minority languages, and on facilitating literacy in minority languages. But what do all of these people have to do with the Global Marketplace of today? There is a new way of doing missionary work and it does not look anything like these famous missionaries of the past. Just like these missionaries utilized the tools and resources available to them at the time they lived, modern global marketplace missionaries are doing just that, in the 21st century. Like the missions' pioneers above, we could talk about so many examples of serving God and loving others today.  Here is one example that comes to mind who are helping folks on the global scale today:  One such group that is diligently working to bring about this new form of global missionary work is Scatter Global, and they believe that you don’t have to choose between work and mission. They are mobilizing Jesus followers from many professions to intentionally pursue their vocation in the least-reached marketplaces of the world.  Who does Scatter Global serve? PROFESSIONALS: God made people with interests, abilities, and passions. A person that uses their professional skills is one of the ways God can show himself to the world and use it as a blessing.  For example, Bradley, a nurse in the Middle East said of Scatter Global:  “I had been Googling nursing jobs overseas but had not found any solid opportunities. I looked at the Scatter Global website and ...the first opportunity [I saw] was a nursing job in the place I had been praying about. I started reading the book Scatter and felt God’s clear direction to apply for the position. I was contacted a few weeks later for an interview and now I’m working as a nurse here.” STUDENTS: Students are studying to make the most of the gifts God has created in their lives. Students can join Scatter Global to get experience, guidance, and preparation for taking their job overseas. CHURCHES: Professionals and students who can use their professional pursuits as a platform for living the Gospel among the least reached exist in churches all across the US. Scatter Global can help them go. I hope this look back in history and the look at an example today will encourage you so much that you are strengthened in God’s grace. That you love God and serve others faithfully.