MOST Ministries receives requests for its teams from the mission field along with the type of project needed. Listed below are a few of the team projects MOST Ministries offers along with a brief description.
Medical Teams:
Team participants provide temporary medical clinics, often using the local church building to examine hundreds of patients and to dispense medicines donated by pharmaceutical companies. Simple surgeries are sometimes performed in a "makeshift" operating room. These teams combine medical care with teaching efforts to instruct the waiting crowds. Witnessing occurs while people wait in line for medical help in those countries where it is allowed.
Dental Teams:
Dental Teams provide relief from pain by extracting decaying / infected teeth. People walk for hours and wait for days to have their teeth removed. Often five to six extractions are needed to end the infection and pain for the patient. This can be accomplished without sophisticated dental equipment. In countries where it is allowed, witnessing occurs while the people wait, sometimes for hours, for their treatment.
Hospice Training Teams:
Death and Dying. . . A difficult subject in any culture. In many countries however, doctors were not trained as American doctors are now. They were taught that "the body is like a machine; when it is too broken to fix, just let it die." These doctors do not believe there are any emotions or a soul in that body. In 1995, MOST Ministries sent their first hospice training team to Riga, Latvia. They addressed hospital administrators, doctors, nurses, and psychologists. Since that first visit the largest hospital in Latvia has established a 25 bed Hospice Unit and a National Hospice Association has been registered with the Latvian Government. Since that time, MOST Ministries receives requests for hospice training from several different countries. These teams give a strong witness to the value of all human life, especially the dying and in countries where allowed, witnessing occurs whenever possible.
Teacher Training:
Teacher Training is provided in countries where school teachers have limited formal education and classroom resources. These professional teams are a source of information and encouragement to these dedicated teachers who often work for very little salary and can not provide "extras" for their students. The teachers of these schools are blessed long after the team leaves by being able to return to the classrooms spiritually renewed and excited in their Christian Faith. Witnessing occurs whenever possible in those countries where it is allowed.
Eyeglass Clinics:
God has blessed thousands of people around the world through this ministry. Eyeglasses are simply not available or affordable to people in many countries, and yet the need for improved eyesight through a simple pair of glasses is there. Teams are trained to use a very simple method of testing the eyes for appropriate prescription and then selecting and fitting the right glasses. Training for the eyeglass team can be done in three to four hours during team meetings or if team members cannot attend the team meeting, a training video and a manual are available for individual instruction. Depending on the number of team members, a team can serve from 100-300 people each day of clinic. All patients are registered and these registrations provide names and addresses for the local church for follow-up evangelism. Each patient receives a pair of glasses (or two if both distance and reading glasses are needed) as well as sunglasses and information on how to protect their eyes. In countries where allowed, while patients are waiting or being tested and fitted for eyeglasses, they are given personal witness of a team member or a local church member and sometimes given tracts or other evangelistic materials.
Construction Teams:
Construction Teams assist in the building of schools and churches in third world countries. Team members are often asked to raise money for the construction project through their local churches. These teams are a real blessing to national pastors as they work side by side with national church members in construction. These teams are often combined with a VBS component. Witnessing occurs while working side by side with nationals in those countries where it is allowed.
English as a Second (Foreign) Language Teams:
MOST Ministries' ESL Teams spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ through providing English classes. The Camp environment provides an excellent atmosphere for building personal relationships and sharing Christ with students. During this time, national lay leaders from the host country and counselors establish key relationships for future follow-up. Many countries that are not open to evangelism are asking for English teachers. MOST Ministries is responding to these requests with respect to the government laws. These English Camps offer opportunities for our team members to live out their faith in silent witness.
Evangelism/Worship Teams:
Evangelism / Worship Teams consist of individuals skilled in music, drama, puppets, bells, or any variety of artistic talent that can be incorporated into formal or spontaneous worship and praise. In countries where allowed, these teams use their talents to share the Gospel with hundreds of people at each event. These teams also teach members of the local church how to "develop" music and drama for evangelism in their own countries. Music and drama transcend the language barriers and are considered a universal language.
Vacation Bible School Teams:
VBS Teams assist local national pastors in providing children's ministry and outreach. Some teams are used to plant churches in new areas. Some VBS Teams are used to demonstrate teaching techniques to adult lay workers in the church, providing training for future Sunday Schools and Children's Ministries. These dedicated VBS team members have lasting memories of hundreds of smiling children, eager to learn about Jesus and Christian principles of living.
Prayer Teams:
Prayer Teams engage in a variety of prayer activities. Team members walk through a specific area while praying, without drawing notice to themselves, focusing on the sights and sounds. Inspiration for these prayers can be spontaneous while on-site, or may be the result of accumulating information about the area and then praying specifically about known needs. Other types of prayer activities are planned in consultation with the national host.
