As we head into the last half of 2022 and excitedly prepare for our next medical mission tripthe perilous state of the communities we serve weighs heavily on our hearts.

For our trips, we intentionally pick communities that have little or no access to preventative care and treatment because we know we can have a significant impact there. The pandemic and travel restrictions that made it harder for us to get to those communities, have also increased stress on our local partners and stretched limited resources to the breaking point.

Support teams who replenish our local partners’ supplies and provide additional manpower are crucial to recovering some of the progress that’s been lost
since the pandemic began.

Global health experts are sounding the alarm about how much of the progress developing countries have been made over the last decade has been decimated by the pandemic. They are urging us to take action because the next 18 months are critical to the long-term well-being of underserved communities. As such, we have a crucial need for medical mission trips volunteers.

Here are a few of the most concerning quotes and statistics we’ve heard recently:

“The pandemic has halted or reversed years, or even decades of development progress. Global extreme poverty rose for the first time since 1998,” said UN Under-Secretary-General Liu Zhenmin (source: https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/07/1095362)

“The poorest and most vulnerable continue to be at greater risk of becoming infected by the virus and have borne the brunt of the economic fallout,” highlighted Mr. Liu. (source https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/07/1095362)

The COVID-19 pandemic is estimated to push an additional 88 million to 115 million people into extreme poverty this year, with the total rising to as many as 150 million by 2021, depending on the severity of the economic contraction. (source https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2020/10/07/covid-19-to-add-as-many-as-150-million-extreme-poor-by-2021)

Extreme poverty, defined as living on less than $1.90 a day, is likely to affect between 9.1% and 9.4% of the world’s population in 2020, according to the biennial Poverty and Shared Prosperity Report. This would represent a regression to the rate of 9.2% in 2017. Had the pandemic not convulsed the globe, the poverty rate was expected to drop to 7.9% in 2020.(https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2020/10/07/covid-19-to-add-as-many-as-150-million-extreme-poor-by-2021)


“The pandemic and global recession may cause over 1.4% of the world’s population to fall into extreme poverty,” said World Bank Group President David Malpass. (https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2020/10/07/covid-19-to-add-as-many-as-150-million-extreme-poor-by-2021)

Without volunteers, like you,  who are ready to roll up your sleeves and support the men, women, and children going without medical care, these communities will continue t lose ground against easily treatable illnesses. We understand we are still in a challenging season here in the US, but it is crucial to know that it’s exponentially more challenging in the remote, underserved areas without medical care.

While it may be uncomfortable to travel during this season of uncertainty, this is the time to put the needs of the people we serve ahead of our own comfort.

Our volunteer roster for MPFC’s February & July 2023 trips are not full yet and without additional medical missions volunteers, there’s a real risk we may not be able to provide care for the hundreds who typically show up for our pop-up clinics. 

When we served in the same community pre-pandemic, there were tremendous unmet medical needs. 

We are prepared to fill the gap (now exacerbated by COVID) but we cannot do it alone. Interested, but not sure what to expect on a medical mission trip or feel unsure about traveling during the pandemic?

Check out this video from MPFC Sheri Postma about uncertainty and traveling in this season including how we partner with local government and partner organizations to keep our teams safe!



Here are a few practical ways we work to keep our team safe and healthy:

• We provide masks and hand sanitizer for team members.
• We bring an abundance of masks for all patients.
• Team members are screened daily for symptoms and isolated if symptoms are present.
• Prior to our trip, we are in constant communication with our local partner and government officials to make sure we know the status of the community. 
• MPFC has prayer teams covering each team member, trip, and partner organization before we leave for the trip.
  
  

For our team members, going on a trip is a lot about flexing that FAITH muscle. We use our medical knowledge, connect with local partners, and trust that God will work out every detail to make our trips serve His purpose. 

Please consider joining us for our February Trip to Guinea this coming winter or our July Trip to Burundi trip in the summer.
Both of these would be a great medical missions trip for students in 2023!

Still have questions? Reach out here or message us on Facebook and we’d be happy to answer any questions you have about upcoming trips!