Brad had never left the United States.

In fact, he had spent his entire life in a small town of about 1,500 people.

Then, during a recent FAME short term trip, Brad found himself, a non-medical trip participant , working in the pharmacy station alongside Jackie, an indigenous pharmacist.

Jackie knew her community. She knew her patients. And she knew how to get the medicines they needed into their hands.

Brad came alongside her—bringing what he could contribute and discovering that God could use him halfway around the world.

I love that picture of partnership.

But I also love what happens after Brad comes home.

He doesn’t come home as someone who simply heard about medical evangelism. He has worked beside Jackie. He has seen patients receive care. He has watched local believers serve their own communities.

Brad comes home engaged.

Church leaders often ask how they can move people from simply attending church to becoming actively engaged disciples.

One answer is to give them meaningful opportunities to use what God has given them for the sake of others.

That’s one of the things I love about FAME partnerships. A short-term medical trip certainly impacts the people who receive care—but God also uses the experience to shape the people who go.

And sometimes someone who has never traveled beyond our borders comes home seeing his place in God’s mission differently.

That’s engagement.

Thank you for partnering with FAME to create opportunities for Care and Christ to change lives—on both sides of the journey.

Bill

P.S. Church leader: Who in your congregation might be the next Brad? We’d love to help you create opportunities that move people from attending to engaging in mission.

Explore short-term trip opportunities here for 2027 and beyond and find the next place you or your congregation can get engaged.