A collection of tips, ideas, and links to help missionaries
Malaria is a common occurrence in Sub-Sahara Africa, parts of South America, India, and the South Pacific. It is spread by the female anopheles mosquito. Symptoms of malaria can include fever, chills, and flu-like symptoms. If untreated, malaria can lead to death. The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have several good resources to provide malaria education.
Member Care Media is a radio ministry of TWR that is designed to assist missionaries with various aspects of the personal emotional health. The mission of Member Care Media is to utilize media to encourage and enhance cross-cultural Christian workers, to better enable them to fulfill the Great Commission. They do this by producing radio broadcasts designed to encourage missionaries with topics such as depression, burnout, loneliness, stress, grief, family life, TCKs, leadership, and crisis. Check out their free audio archives online at their website.
Do you live or travel a long distance from modern medical facilities? It pays to be prepared for emergencies. Besides normal first aid training, you should consider advanced training. Some wilderness training courses are designed teach advanced subjects when it is assumed that there is no one else you could contact to assist you. Here are some links to download PDF medical manuals. You never know when you’ll need this information and while PDF files aren’t ideal in some emergencies, they are free, portable, and helpful.
As important as it is to maintain good insurance as you serve overseas, it is equally important to have the right kind of insurance and know how to use it. Whether you are serving for a couple weeks or a lifetime, you need to make sure your insurance will travel overseas with you. Here are some things to look for in an insurance policy.
Two agencies that specialize in missionary insurance are listed below. They offer insurance for mission agencies, churches, short-term trips, and others serving overseas.
You can help protect yourself from mosquito bites (that cause malaria) by wearing clothing treated with insect repellent. A popular line of clothing called “BuzzOff” is available or you may treat your own clothing with a chemical called permethrin. This is also effective on mosquito nets and curtains. The figure below from Travel Medicine illustrates how to treat your clothing. Read the CDC article on treating clothing for additional information.
To learn more about the Swine Flu in the US and Mexico please see these websites.
The folks over at MissionaryCare.com have written a wealth of articles related to issues many missionaries face.
Free eBooks (PDF and DOC)
Some of the many topics addressed in “What Missionaries Ought to Know”
When you visit the US with small children, you should be aware of the regulations concerning child safety seats. These laws vary from state to state. View a list of the laws for each state.
Many diseases are linked to waterborne bacteria. A high quality water filter is a worthwhile investment. Katadyn manufactures some of the best in the world. This model is basically two buckets stacked on each other. The tap water is poured into the upper canister where it seeps through the three carbon/ceramic filters into the lower canister which acts as a reservoir with a spout. This model and the filters are not cheap, but an ounce of prevention…
The classic village healthcare guide, Where There Is No Doctor, is available as a free download from the Hesperian Foundation. You may also download Where There Is No Dentist and other works.