As Christians and as medical “missionaries” we are called to a higher standard. We are not just there to respect human dignity but to share the compassion, love, and mercy of Christ. We must ask ourselves: Are we engaging people in our medical ministry as Jesus would? Are our interactions with patients and staff glorifying Christ?
I know there are no simple answers for giving good care in mission hospitals or for being a good medical missionary, especially in settings that do clinical education. I also know that these environments can be extremely challenging and frustrating for professionals trained in the West. Finding people who are modeling best practices as “medical missionaries” and learning from them as a new missionary is crucial.
Prioritizing time for a personal devotional life, seeking out good mentors, keeping an attitude of continuously learning from our national colleagues, and sincerely loving them and those we serve are all great starting places. However, what will define our ministry is did we show Christ’s love, compassion, and respect for human dignity to our patients and to our national colleagues?
Click here to continue reading this great post by Greg Seager, RN, MSN, Founder and CEO of Christian Health Service Corps (CHSC).