Welcome to Parsons Ministries. This is a website designed to tell you about several missionary opportunities, and to encourage you to be involved with us either by prayer or participation. We are also on Facebook as Parsons Ministries. (Daily Journaling is non-functional since 2011)
This is a letter I just sent out to friends or go further down for more information:
This is our medical mission plans for the next 15 months.
If you even think you might be interested, let me know which of the below options you might be interested in.
1) Honduras. April 27- May 4, 2013. Honduras mission hospital (lots of surgery) and/or teaching at the Medical School in Tegucigalpa.
2) Honduras. July 20-27, 2013. Good Shepherd Children's Home to clean-up, paint-up, fix-up and play with the kids.
3) Honduras. August 31 - Sep 7, 2013. Honduras mission hospital (lots of surgery) and/or teaching at the Medical School in Tegucigalpa.
4) Vietnam, November 1-16, 2013.
5) Cuba, undetermined but either November, 2013 or January, 2014.
Here is a closer look at each of these:
1 & 3) These two are surgical trips to Honduras. We operate at the BMDMI Mission Hospital in Guaimaca, about 2 1/2 hours north of the capital, Tegucigalpa. It is multi-specialty but we only have room for 5 surgeons until the OR expansion is complete, in June, 2013. Then they will have 8 OR beds. We have good and separate facilities for dentists and oral surgeons. Our audiologists have given solar rechargeable hearing aids to 35-45 patients each trip. We have a huge need for nurses, techs of all kinds and just helpful people that want to get a flavor of medical support. The cost is same as about $1800-1900 but here is the best part... if you went on the village trip (#2), the April surgical trip is only a few hundred dollars more. If you do either April trip then return for the August 31 surgical trip, there is a $350 reduction in your total cost.
2) This trip is being initiated from our church in Lake Wylie, SC, and will focus on getting youth to participate. We are most interested in high school and college age youth. Obviously, we need adult leadership. The team is limited to 31. We have great need for bi-lingual workers. The Children's Home (go to www.bmdmi.org to learn more about it) has a facility that always has upkeep issues. Adults with construction, electrical, plumbing, etc., skills are really needed.
Special request regarding Honduras. Many of you want to go but can’t at this time. From you, we have two other extremely important needs. First, we need to take a large number of surgical techs, nurses of all types, audiologists, translators and people to run the autoclaves, scrub and wrap instruments, etc. Most all of these people cannot afford the $1800-1900 for a trip to Honduras. Please consider a donation to help us have the necessary support personnel. See the address below.
Send 100% tax deductible contributions to:
TIME, c/o Mrs. Scotta Williams
3027 Split Rock Circle
Bulverde, TX 78163
210 317 9998
Tax ID # 237197529 Muchas gracias!
4) The Vietnam trips will be multi-specialty teams with the availability of having all types of surgeons and medical doctors, audiologists, nurses, oral surgeons, dentists, etc., etc. We will spend the first week in Hanoi and the second week in HoChiMinh City (the old Saigon). The weekend between will be spent at a fun tourist location somewhere in Vietnam. Yes, you can do just one week, if you can't get both weeks off. This is a great trip for families/spouses. My wife is non-medical and goes most years. There’s plenty of time for sightseeing and shopping! Cost is around $4750 for the doctor and $3800-4000 for other family members. This fluctuates with the cost of airplane fuel.
5) Cuba has been a questionable trip for the past 4 years. After going annually for almost a decade, we are no longer able to get visas to work in the hospitals. The block is from our government. This is like the Vietnam trips in that we invite all medical or para-medical specialties (doctors, nurses, dentists, audiologists, etc). We do all of our work in Havana at the major teaching hospitals. The cost for one week in Cuba is about the same as two weeks in Vietnam ($4750). We canNOT get visas for non-medical spouses or children. The team is limited to 25.
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. From Honduras, David
David Email: parsonsministry@aol.com
Other teams going to Vietnam:
Brent Senior leads an ENT team each Spring. While it is predominantly an ENT team, they would be thrilled to have other specialties. Contact Dr. Senior at brent_senior@med.unc.edu.
The OB-Gyn team typically goes in January, every year. This is a good group of people from all over. They welcome you to join. The team leader is Dr. Mickey Smith, mickeyobbaby@aol.com.
The Pediatric team, with several Peds Surgeons and Peds Medical Specialists, usually go every Oct or Nov. The team leader is Dr. Austin Raunikar,rraunikar@aol.com, rraunikar@ghs.org.
The Family Practice team also goes in the fall. Dr. Dan Mitchell is the team leader, dmitchell@chartermi.net.
The Nursing team is filled with clinical nurses, educators and operating room nurses. Goehner Elaine is the team leader, DMGOEHNER@aol.com.
The Dental team is lead by Dr. Jim Sandlin, drsandlin@aol.com. Contact Jim for more information.
There are other teams (Hematology, small business, agriculture, vet med., etc.). Learn more at www.reivn.org. These trips are repeated every year.
Israel - Unknown date but it will not be until 2014 or beyond. If you are interested let us know. We couldn’t get ANYONE to go since 2006 because of feelings of unsafety (I promise you the trip is VERY safe and we go to secure places!). Those of you potentially interested should contact me, and we can get together and work out a good date. This will be a multi-specialty medical and tourist team! This trip will focus on working with our specialty specific colleagues at the medical school in Beer Sheva for 4-5 days then 6-7 days of touring the Holy Lands with unbelievable guides!
********************************************************************
The photo above is my wife and me in the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem on one of our unique mission trips! What a memory!
Many of you are not able to join us on one of our trips, but your participation with us through prayer is greatly appreciated. The power of such support is awesome. Several of you have requested information how you could support someone who couldn't go without financial support. Let me know, and I can get your support to them, anonymously, if desired.
Others of you would like to join us, so look on the left screen, "Mission Opportunities," to read more about our various experiences in Vietnam, Honduras, Cuba, and Israel.
Feel free to recruit! Our door is open! My numbers are below.
In His Grace, David
David Parsons, MD
Office: 704 295 3475 parsonsministry@aol.com
We've joined forces with the Baptist Medical and Dental Mission International (BMDMI). Their website is www.bmdmi.org. TIME's is www.timeforchristministries.org