Everyone who has been on a medical mission has some embarrassing and/or hilarious stories of cultural or language blunders. Sometimes the events are just funny. Sometimes they can seriously compromise relationships and the intended impact of the whole mission, including our Christian witness. This session offers perspective, spiritual grounding and practical tools for building healthy relationships, avoiding, or at least recovering from many of the common mistakes in cross-cultural missions.
How do you “Do No Harm” when you are often practicing beyond your training? How do you treat everyone “fairly” in a context of unlimited need and limited resources of time, equipment, supplies and staffing? Using real life examples, we will examine the practical application of the ethical principles of non-malfeasance, benevolence, autonomy and justice in the difficult situations faced by many medical missionaries.
Long-term improvement in health-related indicators for a population depends on coordinated interaction between communities, local leaders, government, and technical experts. Long-term input from outsiders can be valuable, as can coordinated input from outsiders who engage in appropriate partnering relationships with nationals. This workshop will identify several successful models for partnering where short-term healthcare workers can have a tremendous impact, as well as highlighting pitfalls to be avoided.
This session is design for those who already have an understanding of human trafficking and need guidance regarding how to develop a protocol to respond to victims of trafficking within a hospital or clinic. The session will cover the steps necessary to develop a response protocol and the elements that should be contained in a good protocol.
If you feel the Lord might be calling you to healthcare missions the time to begin planning is now. Prepare your heart and your personal balance sheet by living a missionary lifestyle today. Reorder your priorities and push back on the materialistic culture we live in. You may find the blessing beyond your expectations.
