When you take a look at all that is going on in the world, you see there are people who need our help. There are opportunities to use our God-given gifts and the skills we have built. You see ways to make a difference and share about Jesus. Still, if you have never been on a medical missions trip, you may wonder why we go. We would like to share with you four reasons why we go on medical missions trips. These are only four reasons–we believe you can think of many more!
4. We Make A Difference When We Go On Medical Missions Trips
People receive access to much-needed medical care, and they know that they are remembered. Health and courage are bolstered. They get to experience Christ’s love through us! When we speak with wisdom, give with love, and work with hope, what we are sharing is received and processed into something bigger than we may realize. God can move through it in a powerful way. When we go on medical missions trips, we make a difference that reverberates eternally.
3. Not Everyone Has the Same Access to Medical Care
We believe that everyone deserves access to high-quality medical care and the gospel. Mission Partners for Christ provides medication, treatment, screenings, and health education in underserved communities around the world. When we go on medical missions trips, we not only bring hope and treatment for medical issues. We also may be part of an answer to someone’s prayer. Our volunteer medical teams partner with local Christian organizations to provide free preventative care and treatment to their community members. By building on existing relationships, it is our goal to deepen those relationships and create additional ministry opportunities for our partner organizations.
2. Other People Are Inspired to Go On Medical Missions Trips
If you went to church when you were little, then you may have wondered why. As you grew to ask questions or understand what your family or teachers told you, you likely looked at what was being modeled. You saw people going to church, praying, worshiping, singing, shaking hands, listening to the pastor, etc. You saw that it was good. If you never saw this, you might not think it was normal to go to church or *gulp* pray, worship, sing and listen to praise songs, shake hands with people who joined the room with you, listen to a speaker… When other people see or hear about medical missions trips, they get to see love in action, and that there are different ways to use their skills in health care or serving.
1. Jesus
There are many unreached nations or regions of the world that hear about Jesus for the first time. He loves people and cares about everything that concerns or pertains to their lives. For us, it’s part of loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. It honors people and lets the glory of God be seen.
These were just some of the reasons why we go. We bet you can think of more! What are some of yours? You can share them here or on the Mission Partners for Christ Facebook page.
Prayer is the language that we use to communicate with God.
It’s also the language that we use to communicate our love for those around us, and indeed all of creation. Have you ever gone to a loved one, grief weighing on your heart over something and had them respond by praying over you (or a heartfelt promise to remember you in prayer)? That kind of love is powerful. It’s also an integral part of missions, serving as an essential foundation for the success and impact of the work that we do. Missionaries recognize that our work is not merely a human endeavor but something that God calls us to and, through prayer, we seek spiritual strength, discernment, and direction. Maintaining an active prayer life helps us to nurture a deep sense of humility, ever cognizant that we rely on our Heavenly Father for everything we do in service to Him.
God’s wisdom is sought long before trips are set up with our partners, before we announce them on our website, and certainly before any applications are even received. After our team members have been approved, we make it a priority to connect with everyone on a zoom call before we ever meet in person so that we can get to know one another, develop relationships, and begin to pray together.
Guinea
Often, in the course of planning one of our medical mission trips, problems seem to arise. We wrote about that happening during our February 2023 trip to Guinea.
First, we had an issue with housing. There would be no hotel for our team to stay close to the community we would be serving. So our team took it to the Lord in prayer, and God came through for us in a bigger way than we could have ever imagined:
“The team prayed and within one week I was notified that a man who owned a water company had a newly built home where he never stayed. It was available for us. It had 3 large bedrooms, 3 bathrooms with running water, electric and area for our team to relax, eat meals, worship, pray and read the Bible together. This was a modern home in the middle of nowhere!” – Sheri Postma
Another issue arose when we were informed that our partner in Guinea, Mission Aviation Fellowship, had not been approved to fly inside of Guinea, and it didn’t look good for them to receive that permission before our trip. Once again, our team got down on our knees in prayer and asked God for a miracle. The Lord did not disappoint.
“On February 3 (one day before our trip), the MAF Country Director had a meeting with the Customs Director to ask for temporary flight permissions for February. MAF Guinea referred me to another airline company that mostly did flights for miners. The cost was $4995 USD for one plane each way and it could not hold our entire team. Hundreds of people started praying!
Finally, we saw our prayers answered and MAF received the temporary permission. We were the 1st passengers flying with MAF Guinea.” – Sheri Postma
Last we heard, 95% of the patients we treated in Guinea were feeling better. Praise God!
Burundi
This past July, in Burundi, our team was constantly going to the Lord in prayer about all kinds of things: prayer for those who would be hearing the gospel to have hearts that are open, prayer for unity within our team, prayer for healing for our patients, and so much more. The way that God showed up again and again was astounding and re-affirmed our faith that we serve a God who holds the universe in His hands and who loves each and every one of us.
One example of how we turned to prayer during a hard moment in Burundi was right at the very beginning. We entered the country and immediately all of our medical equipment, medication, and other things that we had brought to give to patients were being held in customs by Burundian officials. Due to strict regulations, they needed close inspection. This meant that we were unable to leave the airport with our things. It felt like a helpless moment, but Sheri knew that God is the God of the impossible and immediately prayed, “God, You’re going to have to work this out for us!” A few days later, some of the supplies were released to our team, but not everything. However, between medication that had previously been shipped ahead of our arrival and supplies by the Burundian medical professionals who were volunteering with us, we never needed the missing supplies. Much like the story of Jesus and the multiplying of the loaves and fish, we had enough to meet every need.
Another example was later in our Burundi stay, when crowds of people who were desperate for medical care & education began to grow out of control outside of our clinic. Many people started pushing to get to the care providers, leading us to make the difficult decision of closing the clinic for the safety of everyone present. We were devastated to have to close the clinic so early. But God was still in control.
After the clinic closed, our team took some time to debrief and gather ourselves, and suddenly a young evangelist, named Prince, who was volunteering alongside of our team told Sheri to go and pray over the crowd of 150 still gathered by the clinic. Wasting no time, she did just that. Incredibly, this lead to an opportunity for Prince to stand up and begin sharing the gospel!
This led to an incredible moment that our team will never forget: we all began to pray with and over the crowd. A few of our team members, who were so shy they had never prayed out loud before, jumped in and prayed without abandon as the Holy Spirit began to move. We layed hands on the sick and prayed for healing. We may never hear how God continued to move in the lives of those people we were so blessed to be able to pray for, but we know a seed was planted that day and God will be faithful to see it grow to fruition!
Island In the Indian Ocean
We cannot tell you which country we visited in the Indian Ocean in 2019 because it is a nation that is very closed to the gospel. However, we were granted permission to enter the country so that we could bring our gift of free medical care and health education. During this time, we secretly shared the Gospel. One of our translators observed our team members during the outreach, and there was an opportunity to for us to share the gospel with him as well.
This particular man came from a very influential family in the area. His father and grandfather are both Imans (spiritual leaders within the Muslim community). After hearing the gospel, this man gave his life to Christ.
We stayed in touch with him and prayed for him, and when we returned in July 2022 we saw how his life is flourishing. He is now married with 2 kids. His wife is a believer. He has a good job, transportation and a very nice home with running water (these things are very unusual for an inhabitant in this country).
In the year since our last trip, there are now 25 believers (which is incredible for this closed country). They are meeting secretly every week for Bible study and church for fellwoship and discipleship.
Even better? The government of this country is asking when our team will return. We praise God for growth in this closed nation and for the open doors He has given us to share His love.
Benin
In November 2021, our medical mission team traveled to Benin and served the Dassa community. We quickly observed that this group of people, so beloved by God, did not have access to clean drinking water, and our hearts broke for them. Children were walking up to 2 hours each way, every day, to find drinkable water for themselves and their loved ones. God put it on our hearts to do something about this, so we organized a fundraiser as a team to be able to buy this beautiful community a clean water well. We were anxious about our ability to raise the required $18,000 to do this, but we prayed and we trusted God to provide. We didn’t have to wait for very long for the Lord to come through for the Dassa people; within a month, our goal was reached! We were able to tell the villagers that they would be receiving a Christmas gift of clean water for their entire community! As a result, the government agreed to give our partner the land needed to build a church for the Dassa people. Recently, in one month, 25 people gave their lives to Christ.
Burkina Faso
In March of 2019, our medical mission team served in Burkina Faso, which is a land-locked nation in West Africa. As we served the people there, we were also able to share the gospel and we prayed for hearts to be open to accepting the Good News. On the last day of our medical outreach, we witnessed 100 souls come to Christ. One of the men in this group would go on to be discipled to become a missionary to his own people group. This was the unreached people group that we went to reach with the gospel!
As we prepare for our next medical mission trip to Togo, West Africa in November, we are already praying for the people there that we will be serving. We are praying that they will see healing. We are praying for opportunities to share the hope we’ve found in Jesus, and we are praying for the gospel to take root and continue to spread long after we’ve gone.
We are now accepting applications for our next trip to Sierra Leone in March 2024; be part of the work that God is doing in West Africa as we seek to bring healthcare and the gospel to underserved communities. Get more details by clicking here.
However, if you’re not yet ready to commit to traveling with us, there are other ways to be part of the work we are doing:
Become a donor. The donations we receive from generous people, like yourself, allow us to commit to this work. Your money will be used to buy medical equipment, medicine, supplements, and help cover the costs of scholarships for medical and dental students to join us and gain practical real-world experience.
Join our prayer team. We meet once a month over the phone to pray together about our trips and those we’ve served, and shared the gospel with, so that they might continue to grow in faith. Contact us to learn more
Share the word with your friends and family! Sharing our blog posts or social media posts are a great way to show your support for the work that we do. You never know who might be waiting to learn about an opportunity to get involved with a medical missions organization like Mission Partners For Christ. YOU could be that person to introduce them to us!
Medical mission trips are not just opportunities to offer healthcare to underserved communities; they can also be transformative experiences for personal discipleship and spiritual growth. Stepping out of our comfort zones, immersing ourselves in new cultures, and serving others in need can create profound connections with ourselves, the world around us, and God.
So let’s take a moment to explore how medical mission trips can become a transformative journey which leads to spiritual growth in our own lives and in our communities.
Medical Mission Trips Help To Nurture Empathy Towards Others
For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” - Galatians 5:14
Engaging in medical mission trips helps to open volunteers up to diverse and challenging situations. This happens by being able to witness, first-hand, the resilience of individuals facing adversity.
During a medical mission trip, healthcare providers and other volunteers have the chance to offer comfort and healing to those in pain. They have a unique opportunity to practice compassion and empathy in a whole new way than they might have otherwise had.
Visiting the underserved and unreached communities that we serve gives volunteers a unique chance to build a deeper understanding of the shared human experience of suffering and vulnerability. All of this while sharing the Good News of Jesus.
Medical Mission Trips Helps Reminds Believers of Life’s Purpose
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. - 1 Peter 2:9
Medical mission trips often lead volunteers to ask deep questions about life’s purpose and meaning. Witnessing the strength of individuals who face hardships with unwavering determination can spark contemplation about the purpose of their own lives.
Participants may find themselves reflecting on their values, priorities, and how they can contribute to making the world a better place through the doors that God opens for them. These moments of introspection can become catalysts for spiritual growth which guides them towards a more purpose-driven and fulfilling life and ministry.
Medical Mission Trips Help Volunteers Let Go Of Materialism
Whoever loves money never has enough;
whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.
This too is meaningless. - Ecclesiastes 5:10
The places where Mission Partners For Christ serves in Africa are communities with limited resources and where material possessions hold little significance. The people who live in these communities often live in deep poverty and may face a life of starvation, no access to clean water, and no ability to seek medical care when it is needed.
On a recent medical mission trip, MPFC Founder Sheri Postma was astounded by the pure joy of the children she met who turned simple objects, like old tire rims and water bottles, into fascinating toys that kept them entertained for hours. In our fast-paced and consumerism-driven world here in the USA, such simple joys are rarely seen.
Experiencing these settings can challenge our perspective on materialism and consumerism. Mission Partners For Christ volunteers may develop a greater appreciation for non-material aspects of existence, such as relationships, personal growth, and connection with the Lord. This shift away from materialism can be liberating, providing space for spiritual development and a deeper connection with the self.
Medical Mission Trips Help Participants Connect With The Lord
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. - Revelation 3:20
Medical mission trips can offer individuals a chance to connect with Someone greater than themselves. As we connect with God, in light of all that our experiences serving on a medical missions team may bring us, our spiritual lives will flourish.
Engaging in service to others can lead to a profound sense of fulfillment and a recognition of a higher purpose guiding their actions. For those who already have strong Christian beliefs, these experiences can reinforce convictions and encourage them to channel their faith into meaningful action.
Medical mission trips are powerful vehicles for spiritual growth, nurturing qualities such as compassion, empathy, humility, and gratitude. Not only do these trips foster spiritual growth for the individual volunteer, but potentially the participant’s larger community as well.
When we follow God’s call to serve and we bring back testimonies of what God has accomplished on our medical mission trips, we are inviting our communities into the experience as well. As they learn about how God has called you to serve, and subsequently how that service impacted your faith, you are allowing God to speak through you and invite others into the work. This could, very likely, turn into a fire of revival where God is calling people to Himself both as servants and as new believers.
Last month, our medical mission team had the honor of serving in Burundi. We are so excited to update you on what happened on our trip and how we saw God work through our team members.
We arrived in Burundi on Jul 16, 2023, and we were blessed with a luncheon served for us at the home of Dr. Tistou Hitimana and Dr. Gladys Dushime. There, we met the rest of our team, who we would serve alongside during our time in Burundi. That day, we met translators, local doctors, and fellow missionaries. After a refreshing time of fellowship, our group traveled to Kayanza and spent the night at a hotel so we’d be refreshed and ready to serve the next day.
The following two days would be hectic for all of us! We hiked up a mountain to reach the Batwa people group in Kamasabo. This community is deeply impoverished, often surviving just one meal daily. As a result, children are not currently attending school. As you can imagine, this was a community that also needed the free healthcare access that we offered to them. We were so grateful for the opportunity to serve and share the gospel! On the evening of July 18, after two full days of serving the Batwa community, the Mission Partners For Christ team traveled to Kirundo, where we would spend the night.
On July 19, the military escorted us, by boat, across Lake Rweru, to Ruyoka Island, which lies off the coast of Burundi. Just one boat held 5-6 of us and our supplies, so multiple trips had to be made to get our entire team of 30 people to the island. Once there, we served the island’s inhabitants – approximately 50 families – and many who traveled to the island to see us. We had the chance to share the gospel with those who came to see us, and many accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior.
The following day, July 20, we were so blessed to have the local school in Mukerwa available to our team to use as we met with and treated the local community. This was a powerful day for us.
Keep reading to find out more about how the Holy Spirit showed up to open doors and hearts to Him.
Trip Highlights
Miracles For Our Team
When God calls a person to serve, He will always ensure that the doors are opened for them to get where they need to be. While we all know that, intellectually, it still never ceases to amaze when we see it happen in real time. Here are just a few miracles that God performed to ensure that all of our team members could get to Burundi and that all of our needs were met:
Mission Partners For Christ Team in Burundi
Healing From Chronic Pain One of our team members has lived with the chronic pain condition, Fibromyalgia, for a long time. Ordinarily, just getting out of bed can be a struggle for her. Yet she signed up to join our team, well aware that it would be physically challenging for her. She trusted that God would hold her and get her through as she faithfully followed His calling. She reported to us that she was able to not just do the work, but hike up literal mountains with no pain. We were overjoyed by this news!
Individual Needs Provided A couple of our team members experienced some anxiety as they faced challenges that seemed to prevent them from being able to join us in Burundi. Things like family issues and concerns about finances, yet God proved faithful to us all and ensured that all needs were met.
Medical Needs Met Upon our arrival in Burundi, we were faced with an unexpected challenge. So many of the things that we needed to properly treat patients like medicine, expandable shoes, glasses, blood pressure cuffs, and more were held by the government for further inspection and we were unable to leave the airport with these items. While we got some of our supplies back a few days later, many of the other items were being held onto by Burundian authorities. But God didn’t leave us high and dry. On the contrary: what we witnessed was akin to the miracle of the loaves and the fish in the Bible; no matter the medical need, we found that somehow we had exactly what we needed to treat our patients.
Miracles In The Field
Healed From Demonic Possession On our second day serving in Burundi, we met two women come to see us who had suffered from demonic possession for years. Our team witnessed the manifestation of demonic possession, and we also witnessed the power of the Lord as He healed both of these women and released them from the chains of the evil spirits.
Burundians Asked For Prayer & Counseling When word got out about our prayer & counseling services, offered in conjunction with our free healthcare & education clinics, we had a lot of people ask for that. To be clear, it is a policy that no one on our team pressures any of our patients to go to the prayer & counseling booth. However, we had many people ask, without prompting, to see a counselor. Many even showed up just to seek out someone to pray with them. It brought such joy to our hearts to know that the Spirit was prompting people we didn’t even know to come see us for their spiritual health!
Enough Fuel For Our Travel Needs Many of you reading this post are aware of worldwide gas shortages, but you may still be surprised at how badly this issue has hit third world nations. In Burundi, gas is an extremely rare commodity. We didn’t know if we would have enough to get us to all the places we needed to go. But once again, God proved faithful and provided a way forward. We had exactly as much gas as we needed to travel to each community He had called us to!
The hills of Burundi where Mission Partners For Christ served the Batwa community in Kamasabo
Sharing The Gospel
Praising God For Open Hearts! On the first day of our service, we treated more than 300 people and saw 32 accept Jesus as their personal Savior. It was such an encouraging start for our trip!
God Shows Up In Surprising Ways! As we were serving in Mukerwa on July 20, we experienced something that we hadn’t encountered before in Burundi. Due to the inability to access medical care, many people waiting to see our caregivers became desperate and the crowds became restless. There was a lot of pushing happening, and eventually we made the hard decision to shut down our clinic for the safety of our team and for those still waiting to be seen. Understandably, we were all feeling deflated from making this difficult choice. But as we sat around, as a group, talking about this situation, one of the men present told Sheri that she needed to pray with the crowd. Unbeknownst to Sheri, the man who urged her to pray was a young Burundian evangelist named Prince. After she prayed, he got up and started preaching the gospel and lead some of the crowd to accept Jesus as their personal Savior! Then the crowd broke out into a mass prayer event. Many of those on the MPFC team, who had never publicly prayed before, were joining in and praying aloud. There was a lot of laying of hands on the sick and hurting. It was one of the most powerful moments of the entire trip. A memory we’ll all treasure forever!
3. The gospel of Jesus is taking root in Burundi! In the end, more than 100 people accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and those are just the people we knew about. There are likely many more who made a decision for Jesus that we were unaware of, and many more to come now that the gospel has been planted as a seed in the communities we served!
Communities We Served
Drum Performance
Connecting with Patients
The Memories We Created
Watching the children of Burundi play was beautiful. It helped us to remember to find joy in the simple things; in the midst of so much poverty and need, we witnessed children creating games out of old tire rims and water bottles. We also had the privilege of cleaning the children’s faces when we treated them. For many of these children, it was the first time they felt water wash down their faces because so many of them do not have access to running water. It was a good reminder to praise God for the luxuries that we often take for granted here in the United States.
Playing Tourist On our last full day in Burundi, we took advantage of our free time to have a tourism day. We try to build in time for exploration as tourists during each trip so that we can fully appreciate the beautiful country we’ve been serving in as well as to do our part to support the local economy. * We were able to buy some great souvenirs like dresses, drums, coffee, jewelry, etc…
* We enjoyed some time relaxing as a group on the beach * We visited Rusizi National Park and saw so many amazing animals and incredible nature. * We visited the former king of Burundi’s home.
Fellowship Like Nothing We’ve Ever Experienced One of the best outcomes of serving with this team was the incredible gift of openness and vulnerability we were able to give one another. We became fast friends with one another and were able to share personal issues, pray together, and we were granted a level of friendship and intimacy during our 10 days together that many people may not encounter in an entire lifetime. Even after our time together ended and we all went home, we’ve been able to keep in touch via our WhatsApp group chat and talk with one another regularly.
The gift of fellowship is such a powerful and beautiful thing, and we will treasure these friendships for a lifetime.
Lake Rweru
Before we end this update on Burundi, we’d like to share with you a moment that will not be forgotten any time soon. During our time serving on Ruyoka Island, we had to bring our own water with us due to lack of access to clean drinking water. We had a cooler filled with clean water for our team to use throughout the day. One of our volunteers, who lived on the island, discovered this cooler full of refreshing and clean drinking water. His face lit up with joy! To look at his face, you would have thought that he had just won the lottery. He took a big bottle and scooped up the water and just drank and drank because access to clean water, in a place where that was not easy to come by, is a true gift. That image really brings to mind the Biblical passage about Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus meets the lone woman at a well as he stops for a rest and asks her to give him some water:
“When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritanwoman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.[a])
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”
Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”” – John 4:7-13, NIV
Physical water is good. It’s good for every inch of the body. It’s refreshing and cooling and nurturing. But that water has its limitations because, while thirst can be sated, one will always need to drink more to survive.
But in Jesus, we find the Living Water, and once tasted we will never thirst again.
This is the motivation behind all of our work at Mission Partners For Christ. While we show up to these communities to offer healthcare and health education, we also offer something far greater: the Good News of the Great Physician. We introduce them to Jesus, the Savior of their souls.
And there is nothing more beautiful than witnessing that moment when the light goes on in someone’s eyes as they accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Praying Together
Do you want to support our work? There are a number of ways you can do this:
Become a donor. The donations we receive from generous people, like yourself, allow us to commit to this work. Your money will be used to buy medical equipment, medicine, supplements, and help cover the costs of scholarships for medical and dental students to join us and gain practical real-world experience.
Join our prayer team. We meet once a month over the phone to pray together about our trips and those we’ve served, and shared the gospel with, so that they might continue to grow in faith. Contact us to learn more!
Share the word with your friends and family! Sharing our blog posts or social media posts are a great way to show your support for the work that we do. You never know who might be waiting to learn about an opportunity to get involved with a medical missions organization like Mission Partners For Christ. YOU could be that person to introduce them to us!
Join us on a medical mission trip. We need doctors, in particular, to join us as we open our free healthcare clinics. Other medical professionals, and those without medical experience, are also very welcome to join out teams as we have lots of positions open for all backgrounds.
In roughly three months, Mission Partners For Christ will be traveling to minister to a new community, both underserved and unreached with the gospel, to provide free medical care and health education.
“But where is Togo?” I hear you all asking. It’s a fair question as few of us here in the United States have heard about Togo. So now is a great time to introduce you to this beautiful land and its people.
Where Is Togo and What Is Her Story?
The Togolese Republic, otherwise known as Togo, is a small nation of nearly 9,000,000 people, and is bordered by Ghana on the west, Benin on the east, and Burkina Faso to the north.
Togo has a long history that stretches back to the 11th century. Many different people groups and tribes called the land home, such as the Ewé, Gun, and Mina tribes, who mostly settled in coastal areas.
Tragically, the region in which Togo is situated was a prime target for slave traders between the 16th and 18th centuries. So much so that it became colloquially known as “the slave coast.”
In 1884, King Mlappa III signed an agreement with Germany in which the land was declared a “protectorate” of the German people. This allowed Togo to enjoy its autonomy while also receiving the benefit of protection from Germany. In 1905, Togo became an official colony of Germany and was referred to as “Togoland.” The Togolese people were put to work and forced to cultivate cocoa, cotton, and coffee and pay taxes to their overseers.
In 1914, during the first world war, British and French forces invaded Togoland and defeated the Germans. As a result, Togoland was divided into French and British territories. Over the next few decades, power would change hands a few times for the French and the British Togolands. Ultimately, French Togoland gained autonomy within the French empire and became independent in 1960.
Who Are The People Who Call Togo Home?
While the immigrants make up a large part (30%) of Togo’s population, many indigenous tribes also call Togo home: Ewe (22.2% of the population), Kabre (13.4%), Wachi (10%), Mina (5.6%), Kotokoli (5.6%), Bimoba (5.2%), Losso (4%), Gurma (3.4%).
As a nation of incredible diversity, it likely comes as no surprise that the languages spoken in Togo are numerous: 44, to be exact! However, French is the official language of Togo. In addition, in 1975, the Togo government chose two national languages: Ewé and Kabiyé. These are the languages that are used in formal education and the media.
Since declaring independence in 1967, cultural aspects have been taking shape. You can find the national archives and the national library in Lomé. Also found in Lomé: The Palais de Lomé, which was once the home to colonial-era rulers but has since been turned into a museum of contemporary art.
What Is The Climate in Togo?
Togo is primarily a tropical climate that averages temperatures between the high 70s and 80s Fahrenheit. Although, in the mountains, you might find temperatures will fall as low as the 60s Fahrenheit.
Togo also has two major rainy seasons in the south: Mid-April-June and Mid-September-October. The north only has one rainy season: The end of June-September.
One of the reasons Mission Partners For Christ chose November for our travel dates is to avoid the rainy season. So much of our work (and our tourist adventures) is spent in the great outdoors. Avoiding the rainy season ensures a much better experience for all our wonderful volunteers.
What Do Togolese People Believe?
Just like the ethnicities of the Togolese people are quite diverse, so, too, are their belief systems.
33% of Togolese people hold to traditional belief systems. World Atlas describes these belief systems in this way:
The majority of Togo’s population follow their traditional ethnic religions and beliefs which vary widely across ethnic groups and regions in the country. Some examples include the cult of ancestors, fetishism, the forces of nature, etc. These beliefs usually share some common features such as belief in the existence of spirits, belief in magic, respect for the ancestors and the dead, belief in a supreme being, and the use of traditional medicines. The leaders of these religions or sects are often associated with magical powers and are regarded as the connection between the supernatural and the human world. Initiation ceremonies are usually held to welcome a girl or a boy into adulthood. Voodoo which involves the worship of the spirits and other practices associated with magic is also practiced here. Followers often enter into a trance-like state during voodoo ceremonies where they claim to communicate with the spirit world. Religious customs and taboos are maintained strictly. Even most Togoans who adhere to the major religions of the world engage in traditional religious practices. The dwellings in Togo usually have an altar for deity worship. Regular sacrifices are made to please the deities and ensure their protection.
The next most significant religious sector would be Roman Catholicism, which 27.8% of the population identifies with. After that, 13.7% of Togolese people identify as Muslim. 9.9% identify as independent/other Christian, while 9.5% identify as Protestant.
Why Are We Going To Togo?
The life expectancy for a Togolese is 65 years. The infant mortality rate is 43 out of 1,000. The under-five mortality rate is 100 per 1000 children. Health education is an essential part of the medical care we provide. Unfortunately, many people do not realize they have high blood pressure, and if they do, they do not know how to manage it properly.
We intend to provide the care and education needed to empower these communities to thrive.
As always, the gospel is at the heart of our work, and we go into these communities to ensure that people will hear the good news of Jesus Christ and come to know Him as their Savior.
We hope that you will join us in Togo. Applications will close soon, on August 18, so don’t wait! And if you need some ideas for fundraising, here’s a recent post you can check out!
Remember: Medical and dental students may qualify for a scholarship that goes towards the total cost of one of our medical mission trips!
If you are anything like most people, much of your prayer life is probably focused on your immediate parcel of the universe: your needs and wants, your family and friends, your church, and your local community. This isn’t a bad thing by any means! It’s normal, and it’s human to care about all of these things – and God cares about them too.
However, you may wonder how you can support the spread of the gospel worldwide and organizations like Mission Partners For Christ.
Today, I want to discuss how you can prayerfully support missionaries who engage with unreached people with the good news of Jesus Christ.
1. Pray For Open Hearts And Open Doors
The very heart of a missionary’s ministry is the gospel itself. It is why so many people uproot their lives for the inconvenient and often uncomfortable missionary lifestyle. It is their life’s prayer to see the gospel preached to the ends of the earth and to see others come to know Jesus as their personal Savior.
When praying for missionaries, please remember to pray for those who will be hearing the missionary’s gospel message. Hold in your heart the request that unbelievers would be receptive to the gospel, and for the missionary to be bold in sharing the Good News.
2. Pray For Physical And Mental Health
The life of a missionary is not always the easiest one. Moving to new places, they may be susceptible to new viruses that don’t exist back home. The stress of the job itself can also lead to physical illness, as we covered in a previous blog post.
In addition, being in a new country where the missionary may not yet have a solid relationship with other believers or churches in the area can be taxing on their physical and mental well-being. They may not have much of a support system, which can lead to further stress and burnout.
When praying for missionaries, please don’t forget to pray for their physical and mental health.
3. Pray For Safety
Many missionaries work in nations that are not welcoming to Christians or the gospel message of the cross. More than that: it is still illegal in many places to even be a Christian or to convert to Christianity from another faith.
This can make the missionary’s work much more dangerous for themselves and those to whom they minister. They could face jail time if caught preaching the gospel, or their lives could even be at risk if the larger community is made aware of what is happening or of conversions taking place.
When praying for missionaries, remember to pray for their safety. Pray for the protection of those who are learning about the message of Jesus under that missionary’s teaching.
4. Pray For Cultural And Linguistic Understanding
It is daunting to leave your entire life behind to travel to a new country with a different culture and a language, of which you may only know a few words or phrases. Adapting to so many changes can be a real shock to a person’s system.
Language learning may take time and effort. Picking up a new culture with an entirely new set of rules can be extremely challenging.
When praying for missionaries, keep in mind that learning to speak a new language or picking up new cultural rules and expectations can be extremely difficult. Remember to pray for their encouragement as they learn.
5. Pray For Unity With Local Believers And Churches
Christians were never meant to function as lone wolves. We were created to be a family. We were created as the Body of Christ – to work together in unity.
This is even more true for missionaries in the field. A missionary cannot do the work alone. They often rely heavily on local partners, churches, and believers to do the work that God called them to do. To work together effectively, all must share a vision for how to best accomplish God’s work in that region.
When praying for missionaries, remember to ask God to facilitate unity between the missionary and local believers in the area.
6. Pray For Relationships With Family & Friends
Being a missionary can be extremely demanding work and may not leave much free time to invest in personal relationships with their spouses, children, or friends. However, we know how vital these relationships are on both a Christian and an emotional level. All relationships require care and maintenance to remain healthy.
When praying for missionaries, remember to pray for their personal relationships as well. Pray that they would have the time and ability to be present in their marriages, parenting their children, and investing in friendships.
7. Pray For A Healthy And Thriving Walk With The Lord
God is the entire reason that missionaries are in ministry. God is their motivating factor and constant encouragement daily in the field.
However, missionaries are still human and are still prone to things like frustration, anxiety, and doubt. While normal and healthy, big feelings like these can impact their walk with the Lord. They can distract from spending time with God in prayer and their Bible reading. They can also lead a person to believe that their burdens aren’t actually important to God, leading to a disconnect in their relationship with Him.
When praying for missionaries, don’t forget to pray for their personal relationship with God. Pray that God would be their constant source of comfort in times of trial and that they would have time to set aside each day to spend with Him.
8. Pray For Financial Needs To Be Met
Finances are a fundamental part of missionary life. Because so much of their time is spent in ministry, they often need help securing funds. They must rely on the kindness of churches, organizations, and individuals committed to supporting them through donations.
As you can imagine, leaning on the kindness of others to meet financial needs can foster a sense of anxiety or doubt. If they are struggling to have their mission funded, they can even begin to wonder if they correctly heard God’s call in the first place.
When praying for missionaries, remember to pray for their financial needs. Pray that generous donors will show up to ensure that all needs will be covered.
How are you praying for missionaries? Did you discover something new to focus on through this article? Do you pray about something not covered here? Leave a comment and let us know!
