Home: Our Mission Field
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 25.3 million Americans—7.6% of the population—were uninsured in 2023. This includes 2.8 million children (3.9%) and 10.9% of working-age adults between 18 and 64. These numbers show just how many people in our own country lack access to basic healthcare.
While many people think of mission work as something done overseas, the truth is there’s a huge mission field right here at home. A unique way we can help meet that need is through AMEN (Adventist Medical Evangelism Network) free clinics. These clinics provide free dental and medical care, along with health education, to underserved communities across the U.S. They rely on volunteers—doctors, dentists, optometrists, physical therapists, massage therapists, nurses, behavioral counselors, translators, and even non-medical helpers. On Sunday, April 27, 2025, my church—Calhoun Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Northwest Georgia area—partnered with AdventHealth Hospital to host an AMEN free clinic. Even though the clinic was scheduled to begin at 8:00 a.m., members of the community started lining up as early as 5:00 a.m. By the end of the day, around 600 people had been served. Praise God!
I had the opportunity to volunteer as a physical therapist. Throughout the day, I provided evaluations and treatments for 23 patients, many of whom worked in local carpet and flooring factories. With the help of a Spanish translator—and some of my own broken Spanish—I was able to connect with and care for those in need. Some of my patients shared that they had waited hours to receive eye or dental care before they came to see me. One man told me he had waited over seven hours for dental services. I was so thankful for their patience and that they were finally able to receive care they might not have gotten otherwise.
This experience reminded me of how Jesus cared for people. In Matthew 9:35, it says, “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.” Jesus didn’t just preach—He healed. His ministry brought physical and spiritual healing together, and that example continues to inspire how we as Seventh-day Adventists are called to serve today.
Ellen G. White speaks to this connection between healing and ministry when she writes:
“Medical missionary work is the right hand of the gospel. It is necessary to the advancement of the cause of God. As through it men and women are led to see the importance of right habits of living, the saving power of the truth will be made known. Every city is to be entered by workers trained to do medical missionary work. As the right hand of the third angel's message, God's methods of treating disease will open doors for the entrance of present truth.” (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 7, p. 59)
In other words, when we meet people’s physical needs, we may open the door to something even greater: conversations about faith and the love of Jesus. When people feel truly cared for, they’re more open to receiving spiritual truth.
One moment that really stood out to me was when I connected with a patient at the clinic and invited him to a mini-evangelistic series our church held a week after the AMEN event. To my surprise, he showed up to most of the evening meetings and paid close attention to the messages we shared. Each night featured a different international dish based on that day’s theme. I might be a little biased, but I think my wife’s Korean food was the biggest hit! After the meetings, we broke into small groups to talk more about the topic we had just heard. When the series ended, the patient told me he wanted to start coming to our church on Sabbath and study the Bible together. That’s when I truly realized how powerful it is to combine health ministry with sharing the gospel!
Volunteering at this clinic showed me that being the hands and feet of Jesus doesn’t always mean going far away. Sometimes, it just means showing up for people in your own community, offering compassion, and allowing God to work through you. It’s not just about preaching the gospel—it’s about living it.
