Dr. Anne Alaniz: One Surgeon, Two Worlds
In this motivating M3 Conference Plenary Session, Anne Alaniz, DO, shares about her experiences as a surgeon serving in both Malawi and the United States. She tackles the tough questions that arise when we are faced with life and death disparities, and she encourages us to be creative with available resources, mobilize our individual capacities fully, and face these devastating discrepancies with grit, grace, optimism, and perseverance. Dr. Alaniz challenges us to open our eyes, and to open our ears and hearts to hear the cries of the forgotten. She reminds us that God already knows that we have what He needs to reach the unreached.
Dr. Anne Alaniz is a gynecologic oncologist who has been working for Houston Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas, since 2012. She is also the Co-Founder of Pothawira (Safe Haven) Christian Mission Organization in Malawi. Click here to learn more about the work of Pothawira.
Dr. Lani Ackerman: Beyond Traditional Medical Missions
In this M3 Conference Plenary Session, Lani Ackerman, MD, FAAP, takes us beyond traditional medical missions and has us rethink evangelism and discipleship in healthcare. As the landscape of medical missions is changing, Dr. Ackerman presents opportunities that are available to continue reaching the unreached around the world.
With the closure and government take-over of more and more mission hospitals, the original need for and mission of the traditional “mission hospital” is changing. In addition, expansion of health care and medical education (nursing, medical schools, etc.) in middle and low-income countries is shifting the demand and desire for “foreign” health-care professionals who may be seen as competition. In many parts of the world where the gospel is most needed, faith- based clinics and hospitals are not permitted. In contrast, opportunities within the country itself – government facilities, health-care education, community based-organizations, NGOs, and INGOs have opportunities that allow the Christ-follower to serve as part of the local community and usually provide a salary so that no funds for living expenses (support-raising) is needed.
As traditional medical missions started changing, Dr. Ackerman and her husband co-founded Health Environmental Learning Program (H.E.L.P.) in 1999, a non-profit international Christian community development organization working in the Himalayas of Asia. Click here to learn more about their programs and projects.
Dr. Alexander Philip: Sacrifice & Service
Dr. Alexander Philip serves as Director of the New India Evangelistic Association, a multi-faceted national ministry of Bible training, Bible translation, medical services, and child care initiatives. With close to 800 field staff serving in over fifteen states of India and neighboring south Asian countries, the Gospel impact of the ministry touches thousands of lives daily.
In this compelling M3 Conference Plenary Session, Dr. Philip tells how the seeds of sacrifice and service bear effective and long-lasting fruit for the generations that follow. He reviews the history of medical missionaries and how their legacy lives on today. Dr. Philip encourages us by sharing how medical missions can play a crucial role in transforming communities, and he recounts a story about the sacrifice and service of past missionaries that turned an area of India once known as the graveyard of missions into a vineyard for the Lord.
Click here to learn more about the incredible work and ministry of the New India Evangelistic Association.
Drs. Willy and Jessee Bustinza: The Trail Less Traveled
Drs. Willy and Jessee Bustinza are a general surgeon and pediatrician team who are passionate about engaging others to participate in medical missions. In this 2023 M3 Conference Plenary session, they encourage us to step out of our comfort zone and follow the Great Physician, no matter what trail He leads us on. Click here to watch now.
As Willy shared, “Joining God on mission has little to do with our qualifications, but rather with our willingness to say yes and leave our comfort zones to follow Him wherever He leads. Will you say yes to following Jesus in medical missions? Even if you feel that what you have in your hands is small, God is asking you to offer it in faith and obedience to His call. And, whether the path leads to inner city America or rural Mexico, you can trust in the One Who is walking ahead of you on the trail.”
To follow the Bustinza’s journey, click here to visit their blog where they share stories from the field.