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Mentors are instrumental in the professional and personal growth of healthcare professionals. However, mentoring relationships often fail to realize their full potential. Attendees will be encouraged and equipped to initiate mentoring relationships that provide both mentor and mentee with a rewarding experience.

A panel of those who entered full time missions after age 50 will discuss how God overcame and is overcoming objections, difficulties and fears to place them in service. https://bit.ly/gmhc2022_bond_burgess_makingamidcareermove

Medical missionaries share a passion for meeting the needs of those who are suffering around the world. But that suffering takes many forms. For some, it could be illness or disease. For others, though, the skills and compassion of a dentist is required. In many parts of the world, a toothache isn't a minor inconvenience. It's the beginning of an infection that spreads, a pain that goes untreated for years, and in some cases, a condition that becomes life-threatening. Dental care can be easily overlooked in global health, which is exactly what makes dental mission trips so valuable. Dentists, hygienists, oral surgeons, and dental students all have a place in this work. So do non-clinical volunteers who help keep teams running. A dental mission puts your specific training in front of people who have often never seen a professional dentist in their lives, and it creates natural openings for the gospel in the process.   Key Takeaways Dental Need Is Significant and Overlooked: In many underserved regions, basic dental care is completely inaccessible, making dental mission trips one of the most needed forms of medical outreach. Multiple Roles Are Available: Dentists, hygienists, oral surgeons, students, and non-clinical volunteers all have a meaningful place on a dental mission trip. Treatment and Education Go Together: The best dental missions address immediate pain while also teaching oral hygiene practices that reduce long-term health problems in the communities they serve. Five Established Organizations to Consider: Each of the five organizations below has a proven track record and offers structured dental mission placements for professionals and students alike. Sustainability Matters: Organizations that train local healthcare workers and establish ongoing partnerships leave a lasting impact that extends well beyond the duration of any single trip.   Why Dental Mission Trips Matter Access to dental care is not evenly distributed. In many low-income countries, dental professionals are concentrated in cities, leaving rural populations with no realistic way to address even basic oral health needs. Preventable conditions like tooth decay, gum disease, and untreated infections become chronic problems that affect eating, sleeping, and overall health. Dental mission teams address those gaps directly. A typical dental mission provides cleanings, extractions, cavity treatments, and oral health education, often in a single visit that represents the only professional dental care a patient has ever received. The combination of immediate relief and practical education is what makes these trips more than a one-time fix. As Paul writes in Ephesians 2:10, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." That call to good works is not limited to pastors and church planters. It includes every healthcare professional willing to show up where the need is real.   Who Can Serve on a Dental Mission One of the strengths of dental mission trips is how many different people can participate. Licensed dentists and oral surgeons handle procedures like extractions and restorative treatments that patients often can't access anywhere else. Dental hygienists provide cleanings and patient education. Dental students gain supervised hands-on experience that no classroom can replicate. Non-clinical volunteers play a real role too. Patient intake, logistics, translation coordination, and community outreach all require people who may have no dental background at all. A well-run dental mission depends on the whole team, not just the clinicians.   What Dental Missions Look Like on the Ground Every dental mission is different, but most share a common rhythm. Teams set up in a clinic, school, or community space and work through a patient list that often forms before sunrise. The day moves fast. Procedures that would take an hour in a well-equipped office get done efficiently with portable tools and a focused team. Education runs alongside treatment. Teaching patients how to brush properly, explaining which foods affect tooth health, and encouraging regular care where it's available are all part of what good dental mission teams do. The goal is to leave the community better equipped than it was before the team arrived.   5 Dental Mission Trip Organizations   1. Carolina Honduras Health Foundation Based in South Carolina, the Carolina Honduras Health Foundation has been running short-term dental mission trips to Honduras for more than twenty-five years. Teams work through a local clinic and other sites across the country, providing quality care to some of Honduras's poorest regions. The organization also supports education for local dental professionals to improve the standard of care beyond what any single trip can accomplish.   2. Christian Medical and Dental Associates Christian Medical and Dental Associates (CMDA) is one of the more established sending organizations in Christian healthcare missions. CMDA offers both short-term and long-term dental mission placements, using clinical work as a platform for gospel witness. Some short-term teams focus on educational ministry, while others support CMDA missionaries already working in clinics overseas.   3. SmileFaith Not every dental mission crosses an ocean. SmileFaith is committed to domestic dental mission work, with a strong focus on the Appalachian region of eastern Kentucky. The organization has established clinics throughout the area and operates a mobile clinic that reaches communities that would otherwise go without care. SmileFaith's mission includes providing hope alongside every procedure, treating the gospel as the deepest need patients have.   4. Good Samaritan Medical and Dental Ministries Good Samaritan Medical and Dental Ministries was founded by Vietnamese refugees and focuses its dental mission work in underserved regions of Vietnam. Teams travel into areas where traditional missionaries may not have access, making clinical work one of the most effective ways to build relationships and share the gospel in that context.   5. Baptist Medical and Dental Mission International The founders of Baptist Medical and Dental Mission International served as missionaries to Honduras and saw firsthand how much physical suffering went unaddressed. Since 1974, the organization has run dental mission trips to Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Nepal, combining dental care with church planting and evangelism in communities with significant need.   Take the Next Step If God is prompting you to put your dental training to work on the mission field, the organizations above are solid starting points. Each has a track record of integrity, a clear gospel focus, and structured placements for dental professionals at various stages of their careers. And if you are looking for something more long-term, using your dental career as a marketplace worker in another country is another path worth considering.   Related Questions   What are dental mission trips? Dental mission trips are short-term or long-term service experiences in which dental professionals and volunteers provide clinical care, oral health education, and related services to underserved communities at home or abroad.   What kinds of mission trips are there? Mission trips range from short-term domestic service projects to long-term international deployments, covering areas like medical care, dental work, construction, disaster relief, church planting, and education.   How do mission trips work? Most mission trips are organized through a sending agency that handles logistics, placement, and in-country support while volunteers cover their own travel costs and, in some cases, contribute to trip expenses.   How much does a mission trip usually cost? Costs vary widely, but most short-term dental mission trips range from $1,000 to $4,000, depending on destination, length of service, travel costs, and the sending organization's fee structure.

When Jesus told His disciples in Acts 1:8 to take the gospel from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth, He didn't hand them a map. He handed them a calling and trusted them to figure out the geography. Two thousand years later, that's still roughly how it works. The best countries to do mission work are ultimately determined by where your calling, your skills, and the world's need overlap. That said, some mission trip locations have more entry points than others, and knowing where organizations are active can save you months of research. Below are ten countries that consistently draw missionaries for good reason, along with some honest notes on what makes each one worth considering.   Key Takeaways Calling Comes Before Location: The best countries to do mission work are the ones where your skills, calling, and availability align with real on-the-ground need. Prayer and Counsel Are the Starting Point: Narrowing your mission trip location starts with prayer, trusted advisors, and an honest look at what you can realistically offer. Practical Factors Shape the Decision: Language, finances, trip length, and the type of ministry you want to pursue all affect which country makes the most sense for you. Ten Countries with Proven Need and Access: From Haiti to Australia, each country on this list has active sending organizations and documented spiritual and physical needs. The United States Is a Valid Mission Field: Some of the greatest needs are closer to home than most people assume.   How to Narrow Down Your Mission Trip Location Before looking at any specific country, it helps to ask a few honest questions. What kind of ministry do you want to pursue? Medical missions, church planting, disaster relief, and teaching each pull toward different regions. What languages do you speak, or are willing to learn? Some mission trip locations are accessible to English speakers with minimal preparation, while others require language investment before you can be effective. Finances matter too. Short-term trips require covering your own costs, and long-term missions require building a sustainable support base. Different locations carry different price tags, and God may use practical realities to confirm or redirect your sense of calling. Finally, talk to people who know you well. Trusted friends, pastors, and mentors can help you identify your strengths and blind spots in ways that solo research cannot. The best countries to do mission work are the ones God is specifically calling you toward, not just the ones that sound the most compelling on paper.   10 Best Countries to Do Mission Work   1. Haiti Haiti has been one of the poorest nations in the Western Hemisphere for centuries, and repeated natural disasters have compounded already severe poverty. Despite that hardship, the people are warm, and the gospel has found deep roots in many communities. Organizations serving in Haiti span medical missions, disaster relief, and community development, including groups like Mission of Hope that have been serving Haitian communities for decades.   2. Kenya Kenya is one of the more developed nations in East Africa, but significant needs remain. Poverty affects large portions of the population, churches are scattered across wide rural areas, and access to clean water and quality medical care is limited outside major cities. Sending organizations active in Kenya offer a range of medical and ministry opportunities for both short-term and long-term missionaries.   3. Tanzania Kenya's neighbor to the south shares many of the same challenges. Many Tanzanians are subsistence farmers, which means drought or economic instability can quickly become a food crisis. That fragility makes Tanzania one of the more consistent mission trip locations for healthcare workers and community development teams. Find organizations serving in Tanzania to see what placements are available.   4. Thailand Thailand's natural beauty can obscure a serious problem: it's one of the most significant hubs for human trafficking in Southeast Asia. Poverty drives many families into desperate decisions, and the need for both gospel witness and practical intervention is real. Mission work that addresses poverty, supports vulnerable women and children, and plants churches has a meaningful place here. Organizations working in Thailand reflect that range of needs.   5. The Central African Republic Limited literacy, unreliable electricity, and severe poverty define daily life for many in the Central African Republic. The CAR is also one of the most medically underserved regions in the world, which makes it a high-need mission trip location for healthcare workers specifically. International Medical Corps documents the scale of medical need in the region, which gives useful context for anyone considering service there.   6. India India is one of the most densely populated countries on earth and a stronghold for Hinduism, which makes it a significant area for gospel witness. Human trafficking is also a serious problem, driven in part by deep economic inequality and cultural attitudes that devalue girls and women. The diversity of need across India's regions means there are mission trip locations suited to a wide range of callings and specialties. Browse organizations working in India to see where your skills might fit.   7. Honduras Honduras has one of the highest concentrations of professing Christians in Latin America, yet physical need remains significant. Poverty, limited healthcare access, and a housing shortage create ongoing opportunities for medical missions and construction-focused ministry alike. Guatemala, just to the northwest, is a similarly active mission trip location. Organizations serving in Honduras include both short-term and career placement options.   8. The Philippines More than seven thousand islands make up the Philippines, and many of the more remote ones have little or no access to quality healthcare. The country has a strong Catholic heritage, but evangelical Christianity is a minority presence, and significant Muslim communities exist in the southern regions. That combination of geographic isolation, spiritual openness, and medical need makes the Philippines one of the more varied mission trip locations in Asia. See organizations active in the Philippines for current opportunities.   9. Australia Australia might not be the first country that comes to mind when thinking about the best countries to do mission work, but the spiritual need is real. Only about 1 percent of the population identifies as evangelical Christian, and a large immigrant population creates a genuinely cross-cultural ministry context within one of the most stable and accessible countries in the world.    10. The United States Domestic mission work is real mission work. Underserved communities across the United States need medical care, disaster relief, housing support, and gospel witness just as urgently as communities overseas. For missionaries who aren't ready for international deployment or who sense a specific calling to serve at home, the US is one of the most overlooked mission trip locations on the list. Organizations working across the United States offer placements in urban, rural, and disaster-affected communities.   The Next Step Is Closer Than You Think If you've been sitting on a sense of calling without knowing how to act on it, starting domestically is a practical and legitimate first move. Browse domestic mission opportunities to find a placement that fits your skills and schedule while you continue discerning whether an international assignment is the right next step.   Related Questions   What is the safest country to volunteer in? Safety varies by region and context, but countries like Australia, the Philippines, and parts of Latin America are generally considered accessible and stable for first-time missionaries with proper preparation.   Do you get paid for missionary trips? Most short-term missionaries are unpaid volunteers who cover their own costs, while some long-term and career missionaries receive a stipend or living allowance through their sending organization.   What does God say about mission trips? Jesus commands His followers to make disciples of all nations and take the gospel to the ends of the earth, which forms the biblical foundation for all missionary work (Matthew 28:19, Acts 1:8).   What should you not bring on a mission trip? Avoid overpacking clothing, bringing items that signal wealth, or carrying medications and supplies that haven't been cleared by your sending organization, as these can create logistical and cultural complications on the field.

There are a lot of advantages and freedoms for serving alone in ministry, like super-focus on tasks without interruption, managing time schedule and work, budget/finances for money spending, housing/moving for living situations, building friendships/engaging in social activities for enhancing outreach, and traveling/planning/ decision-making. However, there are some challenges for long-term singleness in ministry, whether serving across town or across the border, which can be emotionally unsettling and may create inner dissatisfaction, even frequent frustration. Not knowing how to handle unfulfilled desires, unmet needs, aloneness-loneliness, etc., can rather hinder the sense of contentment and decrease the effectiveness of the personal servant. We all have an innate need to nurture and be nurtured, to care for other as well as to be cared for by others. People with low (or poor) social skills have a tendency to struggle further and alone. In this session we will highlight the joys-rewards and the challenges-struggles of singles on missions. We will define terminologies, correct misconceptions, encourage realistic expectations of self-others-life-God, rediscover a biblical paradigm for contented aloneness/singleness, and present practical suggestions or guidelines for Singles in Ministry: How to build healthy relationships with the opposite gender and how begin looking for partner-companion-mate via courtship. How to translate our frustration(s) into strengths and build a Koinonia around us (communion hub) that is mutually nurturing and empowering. How to cultivate single-mindedness, joy along the journey, and higher aspirations for the Kingdom while Cultivating Eternity in our Hearts, so that we know what God is doing from beginning to end. Finally, the presenter will share from his personal journey of 40 years of cross-cultural service and global ministry, who is still single-never married person. https://bit.ly/gmhc2022_najiabihashem_singlemindedsingleness

Your emotional health matters as you join God in His work among the nations. There are four proven biblical keys to receive your emotional healing and use to minister to others. Using these keys will help you to stay emotional healthy as you serve others.

Paul didn't pack for a weekend. When the Holy Spirit set him apart at Antioch, he left for years at a time, learned the languages and customs of the people he served, and built deep relationships with the people he served. Long-term mission trips work the same way today.  If God is moving you toward long-term missions, you already sense that a two-week trip won't be enough. Long-term mission opportunities require a different kind of commitment: more planning, more sacrifice, and a much longer runway. But they also produce something short-term trips simply can't: sustained relationships, cultural credibility, and the kind of gospel witness that comes from belonging to a community.   What Makes Long-Term Mission Trips Different Short-term trips are valuable. But long-term mission trips operate in a different register entirely. When you stay long enough to learn a language, navigate a local market without a translator, and sit with someone through a genuine crisis, you earn a kind of trust that no two-week trip can replicate. That depth takes time to build. It also takes honest preparation. Whether mission trips are worth it is a question you should sit with before you commit, because long-term service is not easy and will cost more than money. It will cost comfort, familiarity, and in some seasons, a lot of patience. That's not to say that these trade-offs can measure up to the eternal impact these mission trips can have, but that sometimes it's best to start slow before jumping all in.   The Financial Reality of Long-Term Missions Money is the part of long-term missions nobody loves to talk about, but it matters. Most long-term missionaries don't receive a salary from a single sender. They build a team of monthly financial partners, typically through personal outreach to friends, family, church members, and professional networks. That process takes longer than most people expect, and it can feel awkward, especially the first time you sit across from someone and ask them to support you monthly for years. But the framing that helps is this: you're not asking for charity. You're inviting people into something they can't do themselves. Raising money for a mission trip is more manageable than it sounds when you approach it with a clear goal and a direct ask. Factor in housing, insurance, ministry costs, sending fees, and a margin for the unexpected, and build your support goal around those real numbers rather than guessing.   Language, Culture, and Why They Matter More Than You Think Here's something short-term missionaries can get away with that long-term missionaries cannot: being there without knowing the language. On a two-week trip, a translator handles the gap. On a long-term mission trip, that gap becomes a wall. Language learning in long-term missions is part of the job, but the good news is that language learning is a lot easier when you are surrounded by those who speak it.    How to Choose the Right Long-Term Missions Organization With so many sending agencies available, narrowing the list takes more than reading websites. Before committing to any organization, ask the hard questions: Does their theology align with yours? What training do they provide? How do they support missionaries on the field, financially, emotionally, and spiritually? What nations do they serve, and do any of those match where you sense God calling you? Making a long-term mission trip count starts with finding an organization that will equip you well and walk with you through the hard parts.   10 Long-Term Mission Opportunities   1. CRU Founded in 1951 as Campus Crusade for Christ, CRU shares the gospel in nearly two hundred countries. Teams seek common ground with local residents through sports, media, humanitarian aid, and more. Long-term mission opportunities with CRU span a wide range of contexts and regions.   2. Adventures in Missions Founded in 1989, Adventures in Missions has placed more than 125,000 missionaries in short-term and long-term opportunities. The organization challenges Christ followers to engage as marketplace missionaries, immersing themselves in local culture to earn genuine trust and a hearing for the gospel.   3. Word of Life Word of Life has been sending missionaries on long-term mission trips for roughly eight decades. More than 1,500 missionaries currently serve in seventy different countries through Bible clubs, education programs, and camps.   4. TEAM For more than 130 years, TEAM has worked to fulfill the Great Commission. Since its founding in 1891, the organization has grown to include more than five hundred missionaries and about two thousand churches. Long-term mission opportunities through TEAM include medical and healthcare missions.   5. Samaritan's Purse Through World Medical Mission, Samaritan's Purse has been supporting overseas hospitals and clinics since 1977. In addition to providing supplies and technical support, the organization sends missionaries to serve in medical settings around the world.   6. Operation Mobilization For more than fifty years, Operation Mobilization (OM) has carried the message of Jesus to men, women, and children across the globe. OM currently sponsors nearly seven thousand individuals in 188 nations, including remote areas, large urban centers, and even OM ships stopping at ports worldwide.   7. Pioneers Pioneers has been pursuing church planting among the least-reached people groups since 1979. With more than 2,800 missionaries in diverse settings, including community health, Pioneers matches an individual's calling and strengths to the long-term missions opportunity that best fits.   8. Equip International Founded in 1996, Equip International spreads the gospel through community improvement. Long-term mission opportunities include medical programs like Community Health Evangelism and Missionary Medicine for Physicians, where missionaries may serve as medical professionals in underserved areas while promoting discipleship through everyday relationships.   9. Frontiers Frontiers began its work in 1982 with a focus on Muslim nations in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. By meeting physical and medical needs, long-term missionaries build the relational credibility to speak into spiritual needs, often reaching nations that are closed to more traditional missionary approaches.   10. SIM Founded in 1893, SIM now fields roughly four thousand missionaries from more than seventy nations. That international diversity shapes a missions culture that is cross-cultural by design, not just by destination. Long-term mission trips through SIM span a wide range of ministry contexts and regions.   Other Ways to Find Long-Term Missions If you're still discerning which direction to go, two additional steps can help. First, check your denomination's sending organizations. Bodies like the International Mission Board and the North American Mission Board serve the Southern Baptist Convention, and your own denomination may have similar agencies worth exploring. Second, attend a missions conference. The Global Health Missions Conference brings together sending agencies, long-term missionaries, and healthcare professionals under one roof, making it one of the most efficient ways to compare options and ask direct questions in person. You can also use our database to browse long-term mission opportunities by region, role, and organization to find where your skills and calling might fit right now.   Related Questions   What is a long-term mission trip? A long-term mission trip is a sustained deployment to a specific region, typically lasting one year or more, in which a missionary lives and serves within a local community rather than visiting briefly.   What are the different types of mission trips? Mission trips generally fall into short-term, long-term, and career categories, with further distinctions based on focus area such as medical missions, church planting, disaster relief, or marketplace ministry.   What does God say about mission trips? Jesus commands His followers to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19) and to take the gospel to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8), which forms the biblical foundation for all missionary work.   How much does a missionary trip cost? Costs vary widely based on destination, length of service, and organization, but long-term missionaries typically raise a monthly support goal covering living expenses, insurance, ministry costs, and sending fees.

In this session, It will seek to help guide you on how to respond to God’s Command and Commission, The quest for discovering and following God’s will and purpose for one’s life is often an illusion to many children of the Living God, Many believers resorts to imitating others and or live a hypocritical phantom life as they are tied down to daily engagements and undertakings of everyday life, It is hoped that discovering the reason for living your life with purpose is made easier. You will discover the purpose for which God design you and gain the confidence to fruitfully be where you belong, through the power of the Holy Spirit. You will be guided through a biblical process and principles to seeing exactly God’s intent for your unique being and person, as Gods design, where you will discover that It all began with God before the foundations of the earth. Ever since, before the fall of humanity, God has you in mind, and he designed you for a purpose and through a process, but as a result of the departure of humans from God, through disbelief, you became blind and were kept ignorant of His plans for you. However, you will discover that His Deep love and Great Mercy, God called you to salvation, you became a new creature and adopted as His Child, hence He qualified you, by being a new creature in His image, He desires for you to return and rediscover His plan and purpose for your life As He God Intended. Responding to Gods Command and Commission, is a call to be ready, Dressed for service fully equipped and Lacking in nothing as you Respond through Obedience, based on a biblical Principles, These herculean task by helping you identify your uniqueness within the body of Christ, and to enable you walk confidently and victoriously where you belong in the program of God through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. Finally, through the Scriptures and the Power of the Holy Spirit, You will be exposed and guided to God’s Command and Commission, That you begin to instantly manifest the reality of your purpose for living, Emblemed and empowered with full of Zeal, Passion and Fruitfulness, Genuinely ready for all the good works God has designed you to accomplish – Loving God with all your heart, soul and strength and loving others through your service of obedience to his Commission, Praying, Evangelizing, Discipling, Equipping and living a lasting fruit to the Glory of God. Our focus will be what it does take to be dressed, ready for service from your call to salvation to your call to service, Exploring your Meditational life, Family Life and a life of Obedience to His Command and Commission. AS YOU RESPONDING TO GOD’S COMMAND AND COMMISSION

Are you comfortable asking people for money? Do you understand the critical areas you must address if you are going to ask people to invest in you? This session will give you an understanding of the basics in fundraising that is fundamental to anyone in ministry. You will learn 5 critical things you must do in order to raise your own support. There is a solution to the obstacle of educational loans which often prevent many from going due to the amount of money that must be raised – MedSend. Additionally, you will understand how to qualify for a MedSend grant and what the Board is looking for in those who apply. Finally, you will gain and understanding of what you need to be doing right now if you are hoping to go to the field soon, next steps.

In 1977, two surgeons approached Franklin Graham with a simple request: they wanted to use their medical skills on a short-term mission project and needed help finding a placement. Graham searched for an existing organization that could accommodate them and came up empty. So instead of giving up, he built one. That decision became World Medical Mission, the medical arm of Samaritan's Purse, and it has been sending healthcare workers around the globe ever since. World Medical Mission exists to provide medical care to people in some of the world's most underserved regions while sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. It operates on the conviction stated in Luke 10:9: "Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’" Physical healing and gospel witness are not separate tracks. They run together.   Key Takeaways Two Goals, One Mission: World Medical Mission places healthcare workers in underserved regions to provide clinical care and share the gospel, treating the whole person rather than just the presenting condition. Short-Term Service Is Structured: Short-term placements and specialty teams give healthcare workers a defined, useful role without requiring a long-term commitment. Long-Term Service Goes Deeper: The post-residency program places physicians in mission hospitals for extended periods, producing the kind of community integration that short trips can't replicate. Structure Sets It Apart: World Medical Mission operates through established partner hospitals with year-round presence, so volunteers step into functioning teams rather than improvised setups. Gospel and Medicine Are Inseparable Here: Samaritan's Purse medical missions treat faith-sharing as a core part of the volunteer's role, not an optional add-on to the clinical work.   What World Medical Mission Actually Does World Medical Mission places doctors, nurses, dentists, and other healthcare professionals in hospitals and clinics across the world, primarily in regions where medical care is severely limited. Volunteers treat patients they would rarely encounter at home, and operate in conditions that require both clinical skill and genuine adaptability. But the clinical work is only part of the picture. The philosophy of Samaritan's Purse medical missions is built around the belief that meeting physical needs creates natural openings for the gospel. Volunteers don't just treat patients. They serve people, and that posture shapes everything about how the work gets done.   Short-Term Opportunities with World Medical Mission For healthcare workers who can't commit to a long deployment, World Medical Mission offers structured short-term placements through its network of partner hospitals and clinics. These trips typically run from a few weeks to a few months and place volunteers in working medical facilities where their skills are immediately useful. The organization also runs what it calls "specialty teams." These are short-term groups of surgeons and surgical support staff who travel to specific locations to perform procedures that local facilities don't have the capacity to handle. Some teams also focus on training local doctors in new techniques, which means the impact of a two-week trip can extend for years through the clinicians who were taught during it.   Long-Term Opportunities with World Medical Mission For healthcare workers sensing a longer call, World Medical Mission offers a post-residency program designed specifically for physicians who want to transition into career medical missions. This program places doctors in mission hospitals for an extended period, giving them time to build relationships, develop language skills, and serve in a sustained way that short-term trips simply can't replicate. It's a great hands-on opportunity to receive medical missionary training. Long-term service through World Medical Mission also tends to produce deeper integration with local communities. Volunteers who stay longer have time to understand the specific health challenges of a region, build trust with local staff, and contribute to solutions that outlast their time on the field. That kind of presence takes a different level of commitment, but it also produces a different level of impact. It's worth being honest, though: long-term field work is demanding in ways that go beyond clinical skill. Missionary burnout is real, and the most effective long-term missionaries are those who build sustainable rhythms before they need them, not after.   What Sets World Medical Mission Apart A lot of organizations offer medical mission placements, so it's worth asking what distinguishes World Medical Mission specifically. One answer is structure. World Medical Mission operates through established partner hospitals with year-round presence, not occasional drop-in trips. That means volunteers step into functioning teams rather than improvised setups, and the work they do connects to an ongoing effort rather than starting from scratch each time. Another answer is integration. Samaritan's Purse medical missions don't treat the gospel as an add-on to clinical work. It's woven into the organization's identity. Volunteers are expected to serve the whole person, which means sharing their faith is as much a part of the role as treating patients.   Is World Medical Mission the Right Fit for You? That depends on where you are in your career, how much time you can commit, and what kind of environment you work best in. World Medical Mission serves healthcare workers at multiple stages, from students in training to experienced surgeons considering a career shift. If you're drawn to the model but not ready for an overseas deployment, domestic medical mission work is another way to serve with the same posture. Browse domestic mission opportunities to see what's available closer to home while you discern whether an international commitment is the right next step.   Related Questions   What do medical missions do? Medical missions provide healthcare to underserved populations around the world, often in regions where access to trained professionals and basic medical supplies is severely limited.   Do you get paid to do medical missions? Most short-term medical mission volunteers are unpaid, though some long-term placements through organizations like World Medical Mission include a stipend or living allowance.   What is the goal of a medical mission? The goal is to provide compassionate clinical care while creating opportunities to share the gospel with patients and communities who may have limited exposure to it.   How long is a medical mission trip? Medical mission trips range from a single week for short-term volunteers to several years for those in career or post-residency placements.

Globally, congenital heart disease (CHD) is prevalent in approximately 1.8 per 100 live births making it a substantial contributor to infant mortality. (Lancet Child Adolesc Health, 2020). This is especially true in LMIC's where access to diagnostic, therapeutic and corrective resources is limited. While many organizations exist to address these challenging statistics, for the child in rural Africa and elsewhere around the world, access remains limited. Missionary physicians and other providers often find themselves in the moral vortex of pursuing insurmountable logistics for one patient versus the many other needs they face in their respective healthcare setting. As the prevalence of CHD continues to rise, missionary health care providers are uniquely positioned to address this need while also being able to advance the Gospel through robust relationships with patients and their families.

This session will consider case studies of biomedical research in mission contexts, derive best practices in biomedical research that enhance the work of mission institutions, and describe how to get involved in biomedical research in faith-based settings. Presentation Slides: https://bit.ly/gmhc2022_marktopazian_biomedicalresearchandfaith