Planning for a Medical Mission Team and Trip  

Taking the lead in planning for a team to complete a medical Mission is not terribly complicated, but there are many details to consider and much preparation to be completed.

Most medical Missions start with the realization of a need.  Although this can happen in the comfort of a typical USA home, it often is developed by someone in the Field.  Many times, it's the MV Field Coordinator who sees the medical and spiritual needs in the area they serve, and asks their MV office for help recruiting a medical team.  It is important (for whoever recognizes the medical needs and hopes for a medical team to come to the area) that the spiritual needs and opportunities be fully evaluated at the same time.

Remember that God wants to teach each of us to listen to His voice and His direction to help us each grow in our faith and in our obedience to Him.  Prayer and spiritual team-building opens this door.

As has been discussed in previous M newsletters, the most important portion of a person's health and life that the medical team can impact during a short-term medical Mission is that person's chance at a Heavenly Eternal Life, so having sufficient prayer support and ministry presence with the Mission team is vital to the team's success.

Here are just a few of the nuts and bolts of medical Mission team organization and planning:

1. Prayer: It is crucial for prayer to continue on behalf of the team before, during, and after the actual trip.  A team that prays together becomes a stronger team, is more supportive of each team member, and will be able to handle the surprises and glitches (that will invariably occur) in a more cooperative and flexible manner.  Each team should enlist prayer partners "back home" that will continue to lift the team up during the actual trip and after they return back to their homes.  In addition, teams that meet and pray together while out in the field are able to maintain their cohesiveness, and to remember the difference between the "little m" medical and the "BIG M" Mission.
2. Logistics: There are many details to work out:  travel plans, what to pack, passports, immunizations, what to wear, etc., and many facets of planning logistics will be specific to the particular area being visited.  For MV trips, the MV office provides the answers to most of the questions that arise regarding logistics, and the Field Coordinator that will be hosting the team will usually have the rest of the answers.  Should the medicines for the trip be packed in the luggage and brought into the country?  What supplies will be needed?  Should problems with Customs personnel be expected?  Will medications be available for purchase in the country being visited?
3. Comfort issues:It is important to know one's limitations.  If a team is scheduled to hike 5 miles off road up to a village at 12,000 feet in the Andes, it may not be a trip for a 75-year-old member.  A general idea about where the team will be sleeping and resting will be important, and the Field Coordinator will ensure that food and water will be prepared in a safe manner for the visiting team members.  For those of us who are used to the comforts of a typical American home, it will be much easier physically to have a nice hotel room with air conditioning and hot showers at the end of each day than it would be to sleep under the stars for 6 nights on the ground.  So, knowing generally what to expect helps the team members prepare mentally and physically for the trip.  Some find that, once the usual stressors and pressured schedules are left behind (back home), team members are able to adapt to new situations and environments on the trip much easier than what would have been expected.
4.  Health:Team members want to stay healthy during and after the trip.  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC.gov) always have up-to-date information for travelers to any part of the world, including what immunizations and prevention measures are recommended.  If a team is only going to be on the Field for 8 or 9 days, it is quite unfortunate if a few of those days are spent by any team member being ill.  Again, the MV office provides many tips and instructions in this regard, and the host Field Coordinator will be familiar with many of that area's dos and don'ts.  Also, the MV office assists in procuring insurance for the team members that covers the time on foreign soil, and usually includes the possibility of being flown back home in certain emergency situations.
5. Post-trip "culture shock": While "shock" may be too strong of a word for this, everyone experiences some form of re-adjustment, re-acclimation back into their own home and back into their own work and family when the trip is over.  It is just not possible to return home after a week or two in the jungle (or in a rural mountain village in a poverty-stricken part of a foreign country) without needing to spend some time in reflection, remembering many of the moments that touched one's spirit, and even feeling a challenge to the foundation of one's soul.  There is often an urge to make some earth-shaking decisions and changes.  Having follow-up team meetings is often helpful, with the verbal and photographic memories serving to solidify that spirit of giving, of servanthood, and of love.

Planning and executing a medical Mission trip is one of the most rewarding experiences in life.  Many people and resources are available to help.  And, if God is kept in the center of the planning, and if He remains the focus throughout the trip, then there is a great chance that many souls will be impacted . . . including the people that are being served, the MV Field Coordinators, and, of course, the medical Mission team members themselves.