Training Local People
TRAINING LOCAL PEOPLE
TO BECOME WHOLISTIC MEDICAL MISSION EVANGELISTS
Who Does God Say We Are? Many people think medical mission ministry is all about physical care to the body and only physical care. However, as creatures made in the image of God, we consist not only of a body, but of body, spirit and soul. As we provide care for an individual, we must provide care that doesn’t simply address their physical need (body), but cares for them wholistically, understanding that they consist of body, soul and spirit and these are always in relationship and influencing each other.
Often professional people serving on a Short Term Mission Team focus only on their specific area of professional skills. For example, doctors are considered as physical care givers(body), teachers as psychological educators(soul), and pastors as spiritual evangelists(spirit).
Jesus Christ is our Model for Ministry. According to Matthew 9:35, Jesus’ ministry was teaching, preaching, and healing. He ministered to the whole person: body, soul and spirit. Therefore, at MOM we minister with a wholistic mission approach, just as Jesus always cared for the person wholistically: body, soul and spirit. (Luke 9:1,2, 4:16-19, Matthew 25:35-40)
In John 5:5, we see Jesus involved in “Wholistic Healing”. When He saw a man by the pool of Bethesda, he asked the man, “Would you like to get well?” This is how it’s translated in Korean, but the King James Version says, “Wilt thou be made whole?” After Jesus healed the man, He said to him in John 5:14, “Now you are well; so stop sinning or something even worse may happen to you.” Christ’s healing was not only for the man’s physical body, but healing for his soul and spirit. This kind of healing brings wholeness and completeness to our lives.
Training for Wholistic Medical Mission Evangelism: Through prayer and diligent preparation, we train local people on the mission field to become Wholistic Medical Mission Evangelists. This means they will minister to each individual in a wholistic approach so that they are restored as a whole person (body, soul and spirit) through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
People in the mission field don’t usually have the same medical benefits we have here in the U.S. As a matter of fact, very few have the privilege of these medical benefits and most of the majority world countries completely rely on medical teams from developed countries to provide medical treatment. Also, the medicine from short term mission teams, such as vitamins, Tylenol, and antibiotics, is not aimed at providing long term treatment, but only very basic, short term medical care.
Therefore, the first step should be the training of local people to learn basic medical care, nursing care, simple surgical skills, hygiene/health and to improve the sanitary conditions for local medical treatment. Since most people on the mission field suffer and/or die from infectious diseases, it is possible to eliminate 80% of the diseases simply by basic hygiene /health education and preventive medicine.
In the majority world there are few doctors per capita, few schools for local people to be trained as a doctor, and the training to become a doctor takes many years. So instead of looking to these limited doctors for medical care in these countries, we recommend training nurses and nurse practitioners with the basic skills of a medical doctor so that more people, especially those in remote areas, are provided with medical care.
Biblical Community Development (BCD):The training of local people should not only include medical training, but also evangelism training. In this way the village people are cared for wholistically and the trainees learn to practice Wholistic Missions as they care for the needs of the people: body, soul, and spirit. As we trust God for His enablement, this Wholistic Ministry will be used to restore the society, economy, culture, and even natural environment on the mission field. BCD will lead the local people to participate in Kingdom Business, being a part of the expansion of the Kingdom of God, as they break out of the vicious cycle of poverty and disease. BAM(Business As Mission) for self-supporting ministry can also be introduced to the local people to help them to become financially independent.
We pray that this ministry will multiply among the local people through discipleship training! To God be the glory!
Instructors:Soon Ja Choi, MDPresident of M.O.M.PediatricianShort Term Mission Trips to over 70 countries(630) 293-8993momschoi1941@gmail.com
Ms.In Sun Jung, R.N.Georgia Christian University (M.Div)Served on many Short Term Mission Trips(201) 560-7371linsunnari@gmail.com
Ms. Young Sook Lee, R.N.Served on many Short Term Mission Trips(917) 561-1285younglee47@gmail.com
