Remember when you dreamed big? Peace Corps worker, concert pianist, research scientist, international medical volunteer. Remember when thoughts of grand accomplishments inspired your mind and energized your efforts? Weren’t those exciting, life-giving days! What’s happened to your big dreams since then? In all likelihood, life happened. Your dreams moved to second, even third […]
Just twelve days ago our planet was rocked by a duo of disasters. A 7.6-magnitude quake struck the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, followed by shocks of similar magnitude hours later. Within moments, these geologic convulsions reduced buildings to rubble in the city of Padang, where U.N. officials estimate as many as 4,000 people
“I’ve lost three more patients today,” writes Ben Cavilla, MD, from the Lubango Evangelical Medical Center in Angola, southern Africa. “One had terminal AIDS. Another had a liter of puss in her belly. And the third was a young child with typhoid fever.” Dr. Cavilla gave up the comforts of British Columbia, paid his
Pirates, Somalia, Mogadishu, battling warlords, Black Hawk Down. These words provoke images of immense anguish and adversity. Most people flee at the thought of providing any sort of assistance under these conditions. But one particular physician from the American Midwest is serving Somalia intentionally, and his identity must remain anonymous due to security concerns. He
Yes, I realize “intensivity” is a misspelled word. But there is just on other than best describes these remarkable days! June 1-12 INMED hosted our first International Medicine Intensive Course. Thirty two “students,” including physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, medical officers, and medical students not only learned the nuisances of serving the ultra poor, but also “encouraged
“Would serving people in serious need help fulfill my life?” It’s a frequent, even if subconscious, question we ask ourselves. Gary Morsch observes, “People really do want to help one another and make the world better, but they often don’t know how to do it. People are looking for significance in their lives, but
Most Americans today are curbing their excesses, avoiding risks, and grumbling about falling victim to this recession. Now consider the contrast revealed through Richard (Dick) Bransford, a featured speaker at the Exploring Medical Missions Conference on May 29-30: “The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been in civil war for years. I knew
The days of winter are becoming darker, shorter, and colder. With them grows within us a sense of gloom. Bad financial news is rampant both at work and at home, causing us to sense an undercurrent of anxiety, even fear. Holidays are approaching, and we know we’re ‘supposed’ to be joyful, but we just
Attention to health concerns outside the United States continues to grow. Reasons commonly cited include economic globalization, worldwide news coverage, and the ease with which an epidemic in a distant land can now affect us within hours. There also exists a heartening sense of caring that motivates some individuals to respond with compassion and action
The world of medical missions has changed dramatically since Mother Teresa left for India in 1929. Nevertheless, today some 3 billion people still have no access to even the most basic health necessities. One of these is Jose Santos, pictured here in Angola. As an infant he was never vaccinated against polio and tragically acquired