Dr. Carlan Wendler: The Conductor and the Virtuoso
In this M3 Conference Plenary Session, Carlan Wendler, MD, FACEP, a missionary doctor with Serge, discusses how a networked world has changed the game for healthcare missions qualifications. Scudder, Livingstone, Schweitzer, Hume, Mackenzie, Steury, and many healthcare missionaries of the past two centuries were renaissance men – carpenters and architects, mechanics and engineers, physicians and administrators. For those of us who did not grow up on a ranch or a farm or in a world without running water, electric lights, or the Internet, their stories can sometimes feel remote or near-legendary. However, Dr. Wendler suggests that the most effective healthcare missionaries of the 21st Century probably need a new and different set of competencies, one they might be closer to already possessing than they know.
Dr. Carlan Wendler has been serving since 2013 as Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Frank Ogden School of Medicine at Hope Africa University in Bujumbura, Burundi, and as the ER Director at Kibuye Hope Hospital, taking on the role of Chief Medical Officer in mid-2022. He graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School and did his residency at Los Angeles County + University of Southern California.
Dr. Emily Smith: The Faith in the Margins
What does it mean to love our neighbor? In this M3 Conference Plenary Session, Emily Smith, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine/Surgery at Duke University and Assistant Professor of Global Health at Duke Global Health Institute, tackles this question. Taking lessons from the Biblical parable of the Good Samaritan and through her lens as an epidemiologist, this session focuses on the three “C’s” of loving our neighbor: Centering correctly, Cost, and Courage. When we ‘center’ correctly on our neighbors like Jesus showed us, our hearts and actions align correctly to love in word and deed. Often this comes with a ‘cost’ that is worth it since our eyes are on the Author and Perfector of our faith. That gives us ‘courage’ to live boldly for our neighbors, including our global neighbors. This courage needs wisdom too, and she concludes with the powerful example of Nehemiah reminding us to do ‘our good work and not come down’. Throughout the session, Dr. Smith scatters in data from her own work in Somaliland, Burundi, and Tanzania for children with cancer or surgical needs.
Dr. Emily Smith is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine/Surgery at Duke University and an Assistant Professor of Global Health at the Duke Global Health Institute. Her research interests include pediatric global surgery, health economics, health systems strengthening in low-income countries, capacity building and surgical service scale-up modeling. Currently, her research takes place in Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, Somaliland and Latin America. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she started a Facebook page called “Friendly Neighbor Epidemiologist,” which grew to over 110,000 followers during 2020-2022. She has led workshops for pastors and lay persons with Facebook and national religious leaders during the pandemic, including Christian, Jewish and Muslim congregants her work was featured in Christianity Today, NPR, the Washington Post, and TIME Magazine as well as at the national conferences of National Religion Association and the Christian Medical and Dental Association and with Christians and the Vaccine. Dr. Smith also recently authored the book, The Science of the Good Samaritan: Thinking Bigger about Loving our Neighbors, which was released in 2023 (Zondervan, Harper Collins).
Dr. Paul Osteen and Dr. Ryan Hall: Zambia Trip Report
In this video, Paul Osteen, MD, FACS, and D. Ryan Hall, MD, share a report about their recent medical mission trip to Zambia with the congregation of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, the home of the annual Mobilizing Medical Missions (M3) Conference. While in Zambia, they witnessed God’s love, kindness, and healing power, which serves as a beautiful reminder that no matter what you are going through, no matter what part of the world you live in, God is well able to take care of you, and He will send the help you need.
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To learn how you can be a part of what God is doing around the world, join us at the annual Mobilizing Medical Missions (M3) Conference. The 10th anniversary conference will take place on February 21-22, 2025, at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. CLICK HERE to learn more.
Joël Malm: The Mission You’re Already Prepared For
What if everything that has happened to you has prepared you for a unique mission? In this Plenary Session from the 2024 M3 Conference, Joël Malm, Author and Founder of Summit Leaders, will help you connect the dots of what God has been doing to prepare you for your calling to reach the world with his love.
Joël Malm is an entrepreneur, communicator, and leadership coach. He grew up as a missionary kid in Central America and he and his wife were missionaries in Mexico and Peru. He is currently a board member with Commission to Every Nation (CTEN), an inter-denominational missionary cooperative serving 720 missionaries in 66 nations. As founder of Summit Leaders, he uses outdoor adventure and personal coaching to help people find their calling and pursue a vision for their lives. His expeditions and mission trips have taken him around the world. He holds a M.S. in Counseling and is fluent in Spanish and French. He is the author of Vision Map, Fully You, and Love Slows Down.
M3 is excited that Joël will be joining us again for the 10th Anniversary conference. Be sure to mark your calendars and make plans to join us on February 21-22, 2025, at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas.