Each year we will fly into Havana in November.
Unlike our previous trips, we will visit many cities and hospitals in western Cuba. Our focus will be evangelism often through medical lecturing, teaching rounds and, for surgeons, experiences in the OR.
The cost from Miami, FL is about $2600/person.
This is like the Vietnam trips in that we invite all medical/surgical specialties or para-medical specialties. The size of the teams will be limited to 25 but spouses are welcome.
Cuba has been a questionable trip for the past 5 years. After having gone annually for almost a decade, we were no longer able to get visas to work in the major teaching hospitals. But the door is now open and 2014 was the re-start of our new adventure.
These trips take a lot of planning, so even learning of your possible interest as soon as possible is helpful. Even if you end up not going, it is very beneficial. I hope to hear from you soon. In His Service, David
David Email: [email protected]
Our group is a multi-specialty medical team, representing many different medical and surgical specialties, nursing,audiology, but we may also take others who are interested in entreprenurial ideas. The teams have been going since 1999 and we have been wonderfully successful!
On our Cuba mission trips, we work as a team with three primary goals. The first goal is to build relationships. Our platform for relationship building is our work. It is sharing our medical experiences. We concentrate on building trusting relationships where the Cuban medical professionals will then respect what we have to say.
That respect allows us to gain credibility with them. And that leads to our being able to honestly share with them what is really in our hearts. For many of us, this is the most important reason for doing this mission work.
There is no question that they begin to see something in us that is different from other international teachers that come to their country, and they begin to ask the “why” questions. Why are you here? Why do you want to help us? Why are you different?
The second goal is to offer something they really want… insights into modern and high quality medical care.
And the third is simply to love them. To tell them why we come. To open our hearts to them. In the evenings, I try to get one-on-one with a Cuban doctor and invite them to be my guest for supper. Now, there is no large group, and the doctor-doctor relationship can be abandoned. It is just the two of us building a friendship. This is where we can address the “why” questions.
I can’t begin to tell you how much fun this is and how very meaningful it has become to return each year and be with such phenomenal friends.
The Cuban doctors and nurses are very intelligent and have a superb work ethic. They want to “soak up” every bit of information we are prepared to share. Many of you may say that such sharing of information is not your thing. But the truth is that they are just as interested in knowing how private practice doctors run their offices, operate a practice, manage the business of medicine, see outpatients, what techniques are used for our “routine” surgeries, procedures, etc.
It usually takes about four months to organize your specialty, so if this interests you, you need to let us know well in advance.
These trips have brought about a wonderful change in my life. I would encourage you to very seriously consider joining us. You will never be the same!
In His Grace, David
