2019 M3 Conference

Located at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, next to conference venue. Additional fees apply;
Advanced registration required.

Learn More

Located at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, next to conference venue. Additional fees apply;
Advanced registration required.

Learn More

Three Questions that Focused My Life

Speaker(s):
Don Stephens

Room:
Main Sanctuary

Description:
Questions from Mother Teresa when I was 32-Years-Old:
1. Why were you born?
2. Where is your pain?
3. What are you doing about your dream?

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Why do Jewish Philanthropists Support Christian Medical Missions?

Speaker(s):
Rabbi Erica Gerson and Mark Gerson, JD

Room:
Main Sanctuary

Description:
Rabbi Erica and Mark Gerson, sponsors of the L’Chaim (“To Life”) Prize for Outstanding Christian Medical Missionary Service, explain their reasons, as practicing Jews, for supporting Christian health care. The Gersons believe that medical mission work offers a superior return on philanthropic investment and that their involvement in Christian health care helps fulfill the Jewish imperative to “love the stranger”.

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Loving in the Midst of Endless Need

Speaker(s):
Julian Swanson, MD

Room:
Main Sanctuary

Description:
How do we face the endless need around us with love? In overwhelming situations, how can we respond with compassion? How do we address each individual need when there are millions at our front doorstep?

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God Equips the Called

Speaker(s):
Lauren Raschke, RN

Room:
Main Sanctuary

Description:
My story of how I came to live and work in Haiti. How God chose a shy quiet girl lacking confidence to be a missionary and lead medical teams every week. Sharing all the ways God has equipped me to serve His people. Also, the joys and gifts I have because of my obedience to His calling.

Cowboy in the Jungle

Speaker(s):
Stan Cobb, DDS, MA, BS

Room:
3024/25, 3rd Floor

Track:
Physical Therapy/Dental/Advocacy

Description:
Hear the journey of how a Texas dentist’s conversion in dental school led him on a journey to missional living. Stan is the Dallas Director of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations.

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Bonded Through Service – Exploring Synergies between Academic and Faith-Based Organizations in Global Health

Speaker(s):
Matthew Dacso, MD, MSc, FACP

Room:
The Chapel, 3rd Floor

Track:
Local Learning Institutes

Description:
Each year, over 1.5 million Americans participate in short-term international faith-based mission trips. Similarly, nearly one in every three medical students participates in a global health elective during their medical training. Meanwhile, the past few decades have seen profound epidemiologic transitions in the global burden of disease complicated by persistent global disparities in the distribution of wealth and human resources for health. The need to address these complex health system issues, coupled with increased interest among volunteers and the ease of international travel, have driven both academic institutions and faith-based organizations to create and expand global health programs. Yet despite significant overlap in their mission areas, these entities frequently work in professional silos. This talk explores the shared values, as well as the challenges and opportunities for developing joint programming between academic and faith-based organizations.

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Explore Nursing Care in Disaster and Rural Areas

Speaker(s):
Alisa Geers, ARNP and Deborah S. Lammert, RN, MSN, APRN-CNS, BC

Room:
Mission Control, 3rd Floor

Track:
Nursing

Description:
Nurses provide essential health services in rural missions and disaster and crisis situations. Various nursing roles and experiences will be discussed by experienced nurses in differing foreign settings. The discussion will include specific case studies, differences in scope of practice in the U.S. versus abroad and relationships with physicians or other medical providers.

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The Safe Motherhood Ambassadors Model in Ethiopia: An Innovative & Holistic Ministry to Eliminate Obstetric Fistula

Speaker(s):
Allison Shigo

Room:
3021, 3rd Floor

Track:
Local Ministries with Global Impact

Description:
With 2-3 million sufferers worldwide, women with obstetric fistula are the lepers of the 21st century, ostracized and considered cursed by God. Ethiopia has Africa’s second highest rate of Obstetric Fistula, a traumatic childbirth injury, resulting in 80 percent stillbirth rates and an indicator of poor maternal and child health services. Healing Hands of Joy’s innovative Safe Motherhood Ambassador volunteer program addresses these challenges. Co-Founder Allison Shigo will share how Healing Hands of Joy leads women living with fistula from social isolation to full recovery and restoration while transforming the maternal health landscape in Ethiopia.

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Broken. Healed. And Shining God’s Light.

Speaker(s):
Elizabeth Studley, CRNA, MS

Room:
The Warehouse, 4th Floor

Track:
Spiritual

Description:
Learning to utilize life’s greatest tragedies to find purpose and walk in destiny. Taking the steps to discover your calling and loving it!

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Newlyweds on the Medical Mission Field

Speaker(s):
Devyn Swanson and Julian Swanson, MD

Room:
Trailblazers, 2nd Floor

Track:
New Missionary

Description:
After 9 months of marriage, a doctor and an artist left for the mission field. Hear the beautiful way God is writing their story.

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Human Trafficking: Raising Awareness to Identify Victims in the Clinical Setting

Speaker(s):
Kerri Taylor, MS, CCC-SLP

Room:
3022/23, 3rd Floor

Track:
Local Ministries

Description:
Human trafficking doesn’t happen here…does it? Come learn what every citizen needs to know in order to keep their families safe and how medical professionals can identify potential victims in their practices and spheres of influence. Recognizing the victim in front of you takes knowledge and insight. This presentation is designed to equip you with the tools you need to prevent victimization in that critical window of opportunity just before it begins. This session offers CNE credit for nurses, but is appropriate for all medical professionals with application to medical missions.

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How Much is Enough?

Speaker(s):
Keir Thelander, MD, FACS, FWACS, FCS (ECSA)

Room:
The Loft, 4th Floor

Track:
Veteran Missionary

Description:
In the United States we have easy access to medical, physical and spiritual resources and support. In contrast to many remote areas where daily life is a struggle, medical materials are severely lacking and spiritual support is not readily available. Keir will be sharing reflections on his experience transitioning from a high-resource to low-resource environment.

Keeping Spiritual Ministry Alive When Patient Care Demands Your All

Speaker(s):
Michael Chupp, MD, FACS, FCS (ECSA)

Room:
The Warehouse, 4th Floor

Track:
Spiritual

Description:
The demands in the life of a healthcare missionary are such that fitting in evangelism discipleship or even prayer with staff, patients and their families may seem nearly impossible. Yet, if the medical missionary does not keep spiritual ministry a top priority, spiritual dryness and even burnout may be more likely. This session will focus on practical ways to integrate faith and spiritual ministry into the daily life of a healthcare missionary when serving cross culturally. These suggestions will include individual, as well as team-based approaches to sharing the gospel, praying with patients; and discipleship of clients as well as staff and trainees in the cross-cultural healthcare setting.

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Teach Physical Therapy to Anyone on the Mission Field

Speaker(s):
Jennifer Hoines, PT, DPT

Room:
3024/25, 3rd Floor

Track:
Physical Therapy/Dental/Advocacy

Description:
One billion people around the world suffer with disability yet sixty-two countries lack basic rehabilitation services. What if the key to reaching people with disability isn’t to recruit more professionals, but to empower local workers who can’t get an advanced education as a therapy provider? Jennifer believes in just that – training local people in basic physical therapy techniques to serve those with disability in their area of the world. In this session, she’ll talk about the system she is using to train and empower rehabilitation promoters and the way you can be part of mobilizing the world with the skills you have now.

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Challenges of Health Care in Kenya: A Nurse Leader’s View

Speaker(s):
Mary Ishepe Nandili, PhD, MPH, BSc, RN

Room:
Mission Control, 3rd Floor

Track:
Nursing

Description:
A unique opportunity to hear from the highest ranking nursing official in Kenya about her views on the state of nursing in her country, including public, private and faith-based settings. She will inform participants of the greatest challenges facing nurses and midwives in Kenya. The resources most needed by nurses and midwives to overcome those challenges, as well as equip them to serve as leaders in improving the quality of and access to healthcare in Kenya will also be discussed.

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Malaria

Speaker(s):
Todd Price, MD

Room:
3021, 3rd Floor

Track:
Local Ministries with Global Impact

Description:
Malaria continues to be a major health challenge worldwide: according to the World Health Organization, after an unprecedented period of success in global malaria control, progress has stalled. Data from 2015–2017 highlight that no significant progress in reducing global malaria cases was made in this period. There were an estimated 219 million cases and 435 000 related deaths in 2017. Thus for both healthcare and non-healthcare workers who are active in the 90+ countries where malaria is endemic, clinical cases will be reviewed to understand malaria prevention, treatment, and control, including life saving measures in dire situations.

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How do You Take that First Step?

Speaker(s):
Lauren Raschke, RN

Room:
Trailblazers, 2nd Floor

Track:
New Missionary

Description:
Saying yes, is only the first step in your mission journey. Answers provided to questions concerning overcoming the doubts, fears and myths of serving to give participants a complete view of mission service. You will be empowered and equipped to serve where God is calling you.

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Propelling Your Career

Speaker(s):
James M. Tour, PhD

Room:
The Chapel, 3rd Floor

Track:
Local Learning Institutes

Description:
Several keys to a successful professional career will be discussed. This includes the need to build a human network of friends to maintain integrity in speaking and actions and to maintain a healthy family balance. And for the Christian, it is imperative to meditate daily in the scriptures.

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The Poor and Neglected Among Us: An Overlooked Mission Field

Speaker(s):
Joy Vonk, MS, PA-C

Room:
3022/23, 3rd Floor

Track:
Local Ministries

Description:
Is God calling you to serve in urban missions? What is the need for urban missions? How do I reach the poor and neglected close to home? In this session, we will hear stories of how God provides opportunities to minister to those in your own community. Learn why John Piper says “domestic ministries are a means and a goal of frontier missions.” Understand how to provide integrated faith-based healthcare right here, right now.

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Go Fast Go Far: Why Team Matters More Than You Think

Speaker(s):
Carlan Wendler, MD, FACEP

Room:
The Loft, 4th Floor

Track:
Veteran Missionary

Description:
In 2008 at a medical missions conference, God called a group of doctors to go together. Over ten years later they are still ministering side-by-side in one of the poorest hungriest nations on earth. Dr. Carlan Wendler tells their story and offers some insights gleaned over the last decade of going and staying together.

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What is Your Mission?

Speaker(s):
Corné Blom

Room:
Mission Control, 3rd Floor

Track:
Nursing

Description:
About 5 billion people worldwide do not have adequate access to surgical interventions. Every year, 143 million surgeries are lacking. Behind every statistic is a story, a life – a person waiting for hope and healing. Mercy Ships exists as a compassionate response to a world in need. Together we are part of one race on our planet, irrespective of country, creed or color. Discover the stories of lives transformed through hope and healing…and discover how you can contribute!

“The quote that I heard years ago that has really helped galvanize me … For hope to be credible in the future, it needs to be tangible in the present … When I see people come and they have … things that haven’t been able to be treated, and they receive the treatment that solves their problem … Hope becomes credible for the future because they’ve actually seen real change … You have planted seeds of hope in villages and I believe that’s how we’re going to see change in the poorest peoples of our world. When they can start experiencing hope in their own lives and then they’ll have the courage to trust and believe that they can work for a better tomorrow.” – Dr. Gary Parker, AFM Chief Medical Officer

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The Power of Exemplary Role Models

Speaker(s):
Nicholas Comninellis, MD, MPH, DIMPH

Room:
The Warehouse, 4th Floor

Track:
Spiritual

Description:
Personal role models can profoundly impact our values and aspirations, resulting in exception inspiration or devastating iniquity. This presentation explores the power of role models and how they impact development of spiritual movements. Deliberate selection and rejection of persons to emulate and with whom to partner is a vital life skill. This session concludes with a challenge for personal integrity, action on behalf of the world¹s most forgotten people, and intentionally making oneself available to influence others. Case studies and small group interaction are used throughout.

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The Surpassing Value of Jesus – And I Thought Neurosurgery Was Important?

Speaker(s):
Will Copeland, MD

Room:
Trailblazers, 2nd Floor

Track:
New Missionary

Description:
At the end of my neurosurgery residency at the Mayo Clinic, I found myself at a crossroads – accept what had become my dream job and stay on as staff, or move to Kenya to work as the only neurosurgeon at Tenwek Hospital. During this breakout session, we will discuss the truth of Paul’s words in Philippians 3:8 and the impact it can have on our lives.

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The End of Hunger: Redeemed Hope for Feeding the World

Speaker(s):
Jenny Eaton Dyer, PhD

Room:
3024/25, 3rd Floor

Track:
Physical Therapy/Dental/Advocacy

Description:
In this session, we will discuss the current hunger crises of famine and its impact. We will review the issues of malnutrition and how to address both wasting and stunting successfully. Most importantly, we will talk about how you can contribute to the end of hunger with the practice of advocacy to influence both U.S. legislation and funding levels.

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Christian Medical Missions and Improvements in Global Health

Speaker(s):
Jon Fielder, MD

Room:
The Loft, 4th Floor

Track:
Veteran Missionary

Description:
How do we think about recent improvements in African and global health metrics in the context of Christian medical missions? What are the implications for Christian facilities and health workers?

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The Neglected Tropical Diseases and the Antipoverty Vaccines

Speaker(s):
Peter J. Hotez, MD, PhD

Room:
The Chapel, 3rd Floor

Track:
Local Learning Institutes

Description:
The neglected tropical diseases are the world’s most common afflictions of the world poor in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. A new generation of ‘antipoverty vaccines’ is under development at Baylor College of Medicine’s National School of Tropical Medicine.

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What Will Be the Greatest Needs in International Medical Ministry over the Next 10 Years and the Opportunities for Your Greatest Impact?

Speaker(s):
Andrew Mayo

Room:
3021, 3rd Floor

Track:
Local Ministries with Global Impact

Description:
A summary of a recent survey of mission hospitals that identifies the major changes currently happening in developing countries and the kinds of skills and projects most needed.

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Welcoming Refugees in Our City

Speaker(s):
Molly Raney

Room:
3022/23, 3rd Floor

Track:
Local Ministries

Description:
Learn about refugees, the resettlement process, and welcoming refugees in your city with compassion, hope, and honor.

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The Impact of Medical Missions Experience on the Formation of Health Care Professionals

Speaker:
Stephen J. Spann, MD, MBA

Room:
Main Sanctuary

Description:
Medical missions experiences have a major impact on the formation, as well as the education, of health care professionals whatever their stage of development. The speaker will share insights from his lifelong experiences in medical missions as a clinical provider and teacher, addressing the value of role modeling and the unique learning opportunities in this setting.

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What’s in Your Hands? A Journey Out of the Village

Speaker:
Anne Alaniz, DO

Room:
Main Sanctuary

Description:
How does a 17 year old girl from a small village in Malawi, Africa with no name, no money and no roots become a Gynecologic Oncologist in the United States of America? And beyond that accomplishment, how does she become co-founder of an organization in her home village that now cares for orphans, widows and the sick. Follow the journey of God’s grace and provision for His call of obedience to a village girl who thought her hands were empty, but God knew she had everything He needed to accomplish what seemed impossible.

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Do You Know Who You Are?

Speaker:
Mitch Duininck, MD

Room:
Main Sanctuary

Description:
We live in a world enamored with power, money and prestige. Image is everything. Who we know seems all-important. However, unless you know who you are, you will not fully become the person God created you to be or accomplish all that He created you to do.

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What’s in God’s Hands?

Speaker:
Allan T. Sawyer, MD, MS

Room:
Main Sanctuary

Description:
Concluding the conference theme “What’s in Your Hand?” we will explore “What’s in God’s Hands?” This final plenary presentation is intended to inspire and motivate the audience to carry the Gospel into the 21st century through medical missions.