Fall Newsletter - "Have More Questions?" Answers Below

What is it you guys do overseas exactly? What makes you qualified to do that?

We (Bryan & Mary) are both physicians specialized/board-certified in Psychiatry & Family Medicine - we met while we both were in residency.

• In Cameroon we practiced both specialties, i.e. treating illnesses ranging from hypertension to meningitis, from HIV to schizophrenia, from pediatric illness to prenatal care.
• We enjoy teaching generalists to integrate mental health care into their practices. We do this through bedside teaching, role-modeling, and seminars - specifically the W.H.O. (World Health Organization) has a curriculum called mhGAP that we enjoy teaching - while it's not perfect, it is a good introduction and starting-place and we've seen a lot of non-psychiatrists become more comfortable helping folks with illnesses they weren't previously trained to manage - people in rural Africa that wouldn't have been able to access care otherwise.
• In Kenya, we provide mental health care to global workers (missionaries and ex-patriots) serving on the "front lines."  This is similar to our work in the U.S. but is serving people who couldn't access mental health care otherwise and often results in them being able to remain on-the-field doing what they do: from linguistics to clean-water and sanitation, from church-planting to community and infrastructure development, from education and schools to advocating for ethics and human rights on micro and macro levels. 

Aren’t missionaries to blame for all the post-colonial sequelae on the African continent?

This is a large and complex question which neither of us are qualified to answer in much depth - we are not historians, anthropologists, sociologists, etc. We do think there is much evidence that the legacy of Christian missionaries on the African continent has often been fraught by intentional and unintentional errors, harms, and human rights abuses, and in general the history and results of colonialism should be considered sad and sobering marks on the history of missionaries as well as many other Western groups. While we can't go back in time to prevent a lot of the damage that happened, we can educate ourselves about the complex dynamics involved in cross-cultural work, take responsibility for historical wrongs, and work now help those who are affected. The global workers that we work with are from a variety of organizations providing assistance via medical care, education, clean water provision, farming, infrastructure, business, construction, and more.   

I’m not Christian, why should I help?

Bryan's answer: While learning about, praying for, and/or giving to a "Christian" mission may not be how you envision spending your resources time, money, and energy. keep in mind that the help given is given in God's name but not contingent on anything else.  Providing loving care, regardless of the motivation, is laudable.  Also, imagine the irony points you can stockpile!

Mary's answer: We're sharing about it because:

• We believe in the importance of breaking out of our own "echo chambers" to learn about and dialogue with others with different beliefs and opinions from our own. 
• For all the valid criticisms of Christian culture and missions, we also believe the person of Jesus and Christianity as a whole provide motivation for many individuals and organizations to do work around the world that is vital, necessary, deeply humanistic, and often otherwise ignored and/or neglected. 
• Generosity and Service are core values and virtues in Christianity as well as most other religions. We hope by learning about the ways we have found to be generous and serve, it may inspire and encourage you to find the ways to fit generosity into your own life. 
•  One Biblical value we admire is the idea of guilt-free/voluntary giving (of time, money, energy, etc.): "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Cor 9:7). We share that just as a postscript to say: please don't feel pressure to invest in our work - but we'd also be very appreciative if you decide you'd like to!

Why are there two stars on your Africa map?

These stars represent Cameroon (West/Central Africa) and Kenya (East Africa), the two countries in which we have served at length. While we've committed to serve for a time in Kenya, we are following the situation in Cameroon closely and our hearts are still with the people there.

Will you ever return to Cameroon?

Cameroon is suffering through a civil war centered in the area in which we were living (Kumbo/Banso, NW Provence).  When the violence abates, we hope to return. For more information about the unrest, this article does a good job about being neutral: https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-africa-45723211 

Are you going to practice psychiatry only? What about your family medicine training? Will you be treating any nationals (people from Africa)?

In Nairobi we will, at least initially, be primarily providing outpatient mental health care for missionaries, global workers, and ex-patriots.  We are hoping to find ways to work with Kenyan nationals in both capacities, but the form that will take is yet to be seen. If you or someone you know works in healthcare in Kenya and is interested in having us come to teach mental health care to primary care providers and generalists, send them our way!

How often will you return to the U.S.? Where is your home-base?

We currently plan to do this volunteer work overseas for 9 months and return to the U.S. to work for 3 months. However, that is subject to change (you can only plan so much with overseas work) depending on how Lizzie adjusts, needs of the clinic (we try not to have all the clinicians away at the same time), cost of travel back-and-forth, etc.  Our stateside home base is, and will remain, Columbus Ohio.  We are very grateful to Mountview Christian Church for its support and to Ohio State University Medical Consider for continuing our part-time and intermittent employment when we are home. 

How safe is it, especially with a young child?

Working in the developing world always comes with risks.  Nairobi is a fairly modern city, but it does have violence and occasional political unrest.  The occurrence of natural disasters is low and the healthcare infrastructure for those who can afford it is quite good.

If I happen to be passing through Nairobi, can I visit you?

Yes please! Just give us some heads up so that we can plan and also enlist you to bring us cheese from the U.S. Sharp or Extra-sharp cheddar please!