Episode Transcript
[00:00:08] Speaker A: You're listening to faith in healthcare, the cmda matters podcast. Here's your host, Dr. Mike chubb.
[00:00:20] Speaker B: Welcome, friends, to Faith in Healthcare. You know, we originally planned to share Our conversation with Dr. Matthew Loftus this week, but due to scheduling challenges, that episode will be coming out just a bit later. In the meantime, I'm excited to bring you an episode that we scheduled to coincide with the beginning of a new academic training year.
Healthcare training is meant to prepare students for the work ahead, but following Christ is not something that requires a graduate degree. And frankly, it doesn't have to wait until after graduation to get involved.
In this episode, CMDA Senior Vice President, Dr. Bill Griffin. He joins me for a conversation with Nathan Miller and Ethan Harris. They're two fourth year dental students at Virginia Commonwealth University, or VCU for short.
Together, Nathan and Ethan helped build Christian community among their classmates in their very first three years of dental school.
And they carried that same willingness to serve into dental missions both to Rwanda and Jamaica. Their story offers an encouraging picture of what can happen when students step out in faith while asking experienced professionals on their faculty and in their community to come alongside them and support them. It's also a reminder that ministry does not begin with someday out there down the road. It begins with faithfulness, wherever God has placed us today.
So here's our conversation.
Well, this week on faith and healthcare, I've invited our Senior Vice President, Dr. Bill Griffin, Private practice dentist for many decades, to join me because we've got a couple of special guests, Griff, that you introduced me to many, many months ago. But I first wanted to say that I think we're coming up on about a 50 year anniversary for the Christian Medical Society becoming the Christian Medical and Dental Society. Because that happened in the early 80s, I think that was a good change, don't you?
[00:02:38] Speaker C: Agreed. 100%. And by the way, dental is taking over eventually.
[00:02:42] Speaker B: Okay, all right, well put, put a pause on that. We'll put a little bookmark there. We'll come back to that later maybe. But Griff, you told me about a couple of students and when you told me their story, I have to tell you, they reminded me a little bit of a couple of students who helped us launch the Christian Medical society back in 1931 in Chicago. Yes, well, our two guests today are two students at Virginia Commonwealth University who are just beginning their fourth year of dental school. And when they got to vcu, Grif, I guess saw that there was no significant Christian group fellowship at the dental school at that time.
[00:03:22] Speaker C: It had faded away about Three or four years prior to them getting there.
[00:03:26] Speaker B: Okay. Well, Ethan Harris and Nathan Miller, welcome to Faith and Healthcare. You're both fourth year students, as I mentioned, and have been at the heart of resurrecting a fellowship there in Virginia. So I'd like you to start with by just telling us briefly your faith stories and if it's apropos, how the Lord led you to become dentists, which you're not very far away from getting those degrees. Let's start with you, Ethan.
[00:03:58] Speaker D: Yeah, well, I guess I'll start with where I grew up. I grew up in Southwest Virginia, in Roanoke, went to college at Virginia Tech.
And it was at my time at Virginia Tech that my walk with the Lord really kind of took off. I was raised in a Christian home and I had that great foundation built by my parents, but it wasn't really my walk until I got out of the house and, you know, was kind of faced with this opportunity to choose who I wanted to be.
And I asked the Lord a lot of questions about who he was and what he looked like and did a lot of research. And over many months, Christ just won my heart. I fell head over heels in love with him and haven't looked back since.
I guess kind of on the dentistry side, I had a lot of exposure early on. I had a couple oral surgeries pretty young.
My baby teeth wouldn't come out, so they had to yank them.
And I had just a fantastic experience with my oral surgeon and my dentist, my orthodontist.
They were all just put a great face to it and were very caring and compassionate. And that just kind of planted a seed in my head that I didn't really realize was there until many years later going through college, realizing, and maybe I do have the grades for this, maybe I do still actually think about this pretty often. And it led me to apply and the Lord opened a door. So here I am.
[00:05:17] Speaker B: Yeah. Nate Miller, how about, how about you?
[00:05:19] Speaker E: Similar story in that we both grew up in Christian houses. I think my parents did an amazing job getting us in the church and exposing us to the gospel. But it was never my own relationship until actually my first year of dental school. God began moving my senior year of college through a new pastor at my hometown church. Through circumstances that happened and then also through meeting Ethan. My first year really opened the door. And he was a great example to what an on fire Christian looked like. Someone who passionately loved the Lord and began asking him all kinds of questions. And he was just firing them back, answer after answer, no problem. And really just opened my eyes to what it looks like to follow Jesus, the love, the Lord.
So, yeah, my journey didn't really start. I knew the Lord. I knew who the Lord was my whole life, but didn't really start until late in the fall of D1 year and early in the spring of D1 year.
And then my calling to dentistry has been. It was in high school, I believe, I first had the idea of becoming a dentist. My mother said I have to shadow someone for a full week, so I have some idea what I'm going into in college and what I want to major in.
And I remember saying, I like Dr. Heise, who Dr. Griffin graduated with.
He's a nice guy. Like, going to dentist, I'll just shadow him, whatever. So I go one afternoon, and I was like, I think I could do this. So I told my mom I absolutely loved it, so I didn't have to go shadow the rest of the week.
So I got out of the shadowing, and I did think I did actually really enjoy it, but not as much as I told my mom. But then God opened the doors along the way in college to come to vcu. So I do think it was God's plan.
[00:07:09] Speaker C: It's pretty amazing to me, Nate, that Ken Heise was one of the influences in your life. He. He and his wife, Becky, were a part of a small Bible study that my then fiance, Linda, and I were a part of in dental school. And I think it's great that he could play a role in pointing you in this direction.
Now, both of you have been real movers and shakers at vcu, and I tremendously appreciate that for at least a couple of reasons. One is that's my alma mater, as you know, and I love to see the love of the Lord going forth through dental care and through dental students at vcu, as you all are doing. But then also, Richmond, Virginia, has one of our stronger local chapters. And so I'm wondering, people like Dr. Scott Armistead, Bill Angus, James Anderson, maybe others, have they played any kind of a role in your development of spiritual cognizance at vcu?
[00:08:08] Speaker D: They certainly have. We, I think Nate and I both, along with a couple other students, were told about the medical school CMDA chapter and how they had a Bible study that met, I believe, on Wednesdays during lunch. And we joined for one. And it was just really eye opening to see a community of believers in a professional school setting like that.
And seeing the way that Scott led them was just really refreshing and I think just kind of planted A seed in our head for what that could look like. And I'll kind of let Nate take from there because he kind of was the catalyst for bringing CMDA to the dental school.
[00:08:45] Speaker E: Yeah, because initially we started our Bible study and it was independent of cmda, which is kind of our own class thing. And I didn't even hear about cmd. I didn't know what it was until about this time last fall when the new incoming D1s were here. And I met a kid named Josh Atkinson. And it was a career fair, and he was there looking for a CNDA Club booth.
And he's asking around, is there a Bible study? Where's the cmda? And then somebody. One of my. He talked to one of my friends. One of my friends, well, you gotta find Nate or Ethan because they have a Bible study. So Josh comes up to me and he's like, so where's the cmda? Where's our chapter? Why do we not have a chapter? Why are we not going to Jamaica? He starts asking me all these questions, and I'm like, I don't know the answer to any of these questions. I never even heard of the CMDA before. So that was only last fall. And so Josh also, he had a big, big role in the starting of the cmda. At school, we were more just. We had a Bible study going that was independent of the cmda. But once he plugged us in, then we got going. We met Dr. Armistead and Dr. Angus through that.
[00:09:51] Speaker C: So just a quick backstory, which you all are familiar with. I had done a dental mission trip to Jamaica with Josh two years prior to that. He is a dental hygienist who had decided to go to dental school. And he told me that he was headed for VCU and he was really looking forward to working with some sort of student group.
So Josh propelled these two to go even farther in reaching their classmates.
[00:10:14] Speaker B: Wow. Wow.
[00:10:15] Speaker C: I know that the Lord has greatly used you all at VCU and will continue to do so. Did either of you have any preconceived ideas that this might be a part of your purpose in going to vcu? School of Dentistry.
[00:10:26] Speaker E: Short answer is no. I had no desire. I had no idea that I would be entering into a role like this. Going into school, I was not in a great place with the Lord. I was searching, but wasn't in a full relationship. So going in, I had had no thought of becoming a leader or even any kind of mission trip or whatever the future looked like. I had no desire or no interest
[00:10:52] Speaker D: in It, Yeah, I would say maybe.
Looking back, I don't know if I could give a clear answer. God was so good to give me a lot of opportunity in college to have a ton of exposure to ministry.
I was able to lead Bible studies and disciple younger guys and eventually got to be a senior leader at my campus ministry.
And it just consumed so much of my week and my life, and I loved it so much. And then getting to dental school, it was like going from 100 to zero. It all stopped.
And it was really a time that the Lord challenged my identity, where I had been so wrapped up in my kind of ministry output that I felt like I was losing value as a believer, as a son of God and not having any outlet. And so over many months, God really challenged that perspective. And of course, it's funny the way he works kind of right as I was getting over that and learning, like, okay, I don't have to produce anything to be of infinite value in his eyes. That was right around the time that God kind of was giving me an idea of maybe starting a Bible study.
And again, funny how the Lord works was putting the same idea in Nate's mind right around the same time. And we eventually clicked on that and just realized that we had something really special. I remember praying before getting into dental school that if this was the Lord's will for me, I just wanted one friend who I could walk with the Lord alongside.
And now in hindsight, I can so clearly say that that's Nate. And God has really just worked through the two of us to build a very cool community. So that's why I would say maybe, I don't know, but it's been very cool to see how it's happened.
[00:12:33] Speaker B: I just have to comment that that is such a common theme in our lives as we walk with the Lord, that sometimes he gives us death to a particular vision because that vision has become too much a part, maybe even sometimes an idol that we have. You mentioned it brought you thought value to me in God's eyes. And yet he caused that vision to die, and then he resurrected it when he got you right where he wanted you.
So let's get into that vision. And I would say this is not common necessarily, that students come in saying, you know, let's get a group together and let's grow ministry. That's not very common, I don't think. At least it wasn't common in my medical school class. We really needed others to spur us on. So how did you find that experience and in getting other students Interested in coming together. Whether at first it was a Bible study, Nate, that you describe, and then later as becoming a chapter. How hard or easy was that in your experience?
[00:13:35] Speaker D: I think at the beginning, Nate and I were both blown away at the response that we got. You know, of course, sometimes as believers, we can be fearful about inviting such a large group of people and kind of opening yourself up to criticism from a group that, of course, even in your first year in school, you don't really know very well.
And, you know, we just kind of said, let's just send a link to join our Bible study group chat into the class group chat. There was about 100 people, and within maybe five days, we had 40 of those hundred students that had joined our Bible study.
And many of them have never attended, which is completely okay. But it was just overwhelming at the start to see, like, am I reading this correctly? Like, half of our class is joining this Bible. Joining this Bible study group chat.
So to get the word out, it really exploded a lot quicker. But as far as growing it as a community, it's grown like any other community has. It takes a lot of prayer and a lot of inviting people and reminding people and sending messages.
And typically in the fall, right as a new class comes in, we'll have kind of a social event where we'll get the grill going and some music and cornhole and just invite people out to be comfortable. But it's just kind of taken constant care over the last couple of years to really maintain it and grow it.
[00:14:58] Speaker B: So for either one of you, what was your experience?
How have VCU faculty come alongside Christ followers who've wanted to encourage you? A campus advisor of sorts. You know, most of our listeners out there are not students. They're grads who are in practice and. Or their family members and others. But how would you encourage those who might be thinking about coming alongside a group of students, which, by the way, I'll be doing shortly with a group of students here in Eastern Tennessee at Quillen School of Medicine? What suggestions would you give for being an encouragement to a group of students, dental students like you have formed and grown over these last couple three years?
[00:15:41] Speaker E: First thing I would say is to be available.
I think dental or medical profession is very busy. Takes a lot of time. I know people have families, but we had one faculty who was just available for us. Dr. Kennedy. He was always there in school. He was just a presence, presence of light, not afraid to share his testimony or share the gospel or share what he believed. And he was available for questions for Help whatever we've asked him to do as far as lunch and learns.
How can I help? What do you want me to do? Coming up with ideas for us.
So I think being available is huge. Students could be looking for leadership or looking for advice, and we were going on our own, but having someone with way more experience, very helpful being available.
[00:16:28] Speaker B: Ethan, anything to add to that?
[00:16:30] Speaker D: It's always easy to push it off.
It's always going to feel like maybe a little bit of an interruption to kind of change the way that you're living, to allow more space for the Lord to use you. It's always going to be easier to push it off. But Dr. Kennedy is a great example of somebody who just said, I'm going all in. I'm going to start working at this school.
And like Nate said, he has not been afraid to share what he believes, and a lot of students know where he stands. And it's just.
Yeah, it's been very special to keep kind of wind in our sails as a ministry.
[00:17:01] Speaker C: And having spent a week with Dr. Kennedy and his wife Pam in Jamaica last week and also with. With campus advisors I've met across the country, I can say that it brings great joy to them to be able to pass on what the Lord has taught them, both clinically and spiritually. So it's a wonderful calling for Dr. Kennedy and others.
So then earlier this year, you decided to join me for a dental mission trip to Rwanda.
Now we take hundreds of students to various countries on mission trips, mostly Central America, places like Jamaica, Guatemala, other Central American sites, but not a lot all the way to Africa.
What made you two decide to join me in Rwanda for a mission trip?
[00:17:46] Speaker D: Yeah, I remember talking to you about this when we were in Rwanda and just getting to share that. As simply as I could put it, God has my yes before the question is even asked. God has my yes. And especially with that longing to serve, it was kind of. I think Nate and I both were kind of foaming at the mouth for an opportunity. Like, we were just so excited to be able to do anything. And the fact that it was Rwanda and that we were the first group of students to go in a while, it felt like there was almost an epicness to this opportunity that God had put in front of us. And it was just so hard to say no. Especially like, you know, we were told, I think, seven or eight weeks before we left, and there was just such an excitement to it that God already had my yes. And on top of that, it was just so, so cool that this would have been offered to me. So it was. There was really no hesitation.
[00:18:36] Speaker E: I'm all in.
Yeah, it was similar, but a little different. At first, when I got your email, Dr. Griffin, I was a little hesitant. It was kind of. It was a big thing. And I've never even left the country before, never used my passport.
And it was a beautiful opportunity. But also it was during a very busy time of clinic D3 year, when there's a lot of requirements, there's a lot of things to get done.
I have patients I have to see and treatment I need to complete.
So it was that. And then also was the costs. And I'm on a strict budget as a student and I've only had so many loans and not much money. So I asked God if this is something you want me to do. I asked that you would open the door for the money. And then also for just time that I could find a full week to take off in the middle of the semester and still worked all my patients and have exams going on.
And it worked out that that was the only week with no exams. We were able to block enough off and use our vacation time during that. Also then that my church sponsored me.
So God answered both of my questions with it very clearly. And I said, all right, well, there's no other reason not to go well
[00:19:45] Speaker B: for both of you, Ethan and Nate, I mean, Dr. Griff was with you, so he knows the answer to this question already. But tell us about the highlights for what you experienced with Griff and others in Rwanda. And then let's fast forward. Answer the same question for your recent experience with Griff in Jamaica. I mean, what were some of the highlights, some ways that God changed you, changed your hearts and minds and gave you a different view of the future for your careers.
[00:20:13] Speaker E: So going to Rwanda, we met Dr. Lee, and Dr. Lee was an amazing man and he's made amazing connections over in Rwanda. And that was really cool just to step into what he had already formed over there.
Really cool story about him, how he left his private practice in California, Very successful private practice, sold it all, just to walk into an opportunity in Rwanda and start training and giving dental care over there, that was amazing. That was very cool testimony to hear.
But to see all the connections he's made with people and with the government and how the government has allowed him to share the gospel through dentistry, mainly because they trust him so much, how good of a dentist he is and how much care he is providing. The government has kind of given him a lot of different keys and access to different places, remote villages, prisons that we went to.
So it was really cool to see Dr. Thomas Lee. And one thing that stood out to me the most about him, and I'll remember forever, was one conversation we were having in a car and on our trip along with us students. It was a doctor who was looking at a potential switch over to become the residency director over there, new residency that they're opening up.
And I asked Dr. Lee, like, what do you think that this is going to be your candidate? You think this would work? And he goes, if it is, thank you, God. And if it's not, thank you, God. That just blew me away, that, that kind of faith that he had. And he was just like, it doesn't even matter. I don't have to worry about it because God has it. And I see that his, his faith has carried him so far in Rwanda. That was such a huge testimony and encouragement for me to hear and to take that home, to walk in that kind of faith. And I think that God does call us to walk in that kind of faith. It doesn't even matter what happens. It's according to his will. So Rwanda was an awesome experience, dentally, but also spiritually.
Just to be around such spiritual warriors for the kingdom is very cool.
[00:22:14] Speaker B: Great.
[00:22:20] Speaker A: Before we continue with this week's episode, here's a special announcement for you.
If you're interested in exploring opportunities to serve through healthcare missions, join us for the Global missions Health Conference 11-12-14 in Louisville, Kentucky or online.
Healthcare needs around the world are vast, but the need for the gospel is even greater.
Through practical training, spiritual encouragement, and meaningful connections with missionaries, mission leaders, and sending organizations, GMHC will equip and inspire you to make an eternal impact for Christ through health care.
Visit medicalmissions.com to learn more and register today.
Join us April 29 through May 2 In Northern Kentucky for the 2027 CMDA National Convention, the premier gathering for Christian healthcare professionals.
Come take your stuff seat at the table. A place to find rest, renewal, encouragement and belonging in Christ. Plus community with others who understand the unique challenges of Healthcare.
New CMDA members can receive 50% off registration and lifetime members automatically receive $100 off.
Visit CMDA.orgEvents to learn more and register.
[00:23:56] Speaker B: Let's check.
[00:23:57] Speaker A: Jump right back into this week's episode.
[00:24:04] Speaker D: Probably my biggest takeaway from Rwanda is I felt like God captivated my heart for that country. The first like 12 hours we were there, we woke up after a really long day of travel and we got to go to a church service there and worship alongside Rwandans.
And I remember that the pastor spoke about how you can do all the right things, you can check all the boxes, but it doesn't matter if the roots of your heart are not grown deeply into Christ's love.
It made me emotional because I just realized so far across the world, they have the same gospel that I get to experience every day of my life. And God is writing the same story over here. It just looks different. And especially with Rwanda's history in mind and how recently the genocide happened and kind of reset their whole country, economy, infrastructure, everything.
Their people, Christians and non Christians, just seem to have so much pride in who they were and in their country and in moving it forward together.
And I couldn't ignore the hand of the Lord over their country.
That was just so interesting and really kind of drew me in to hear and see more.
And then I think in Jamaica more recently, my experience was more just being refreshed in my future as a dentist and in getting to do this more.
It's always kind of been on my heart to take a week or two or three or four every year to go serve internationally and use the gifts that God has given me. And I think going on a second trip and kind of having the rhythm down a little bit, it just kind of made it more real. Of, like, this could definitely be something that I could easily step into next.
[00:25:52] Speaker B: Well, I'm a little surprised because of what Grif has told me, that at least part of your either one of your answers didn't focus on the amazing amount of clinical work that you got to do.
And as we got going, I heard Griff tell you, you guys should be teaching this course that you're in because of all your experiences, because according to Griff, you guys were all stars clinically. So what was the clinical kind of work that you got to do, whether in Rwanda or now? Fast forward to Jamaica, Ethan.
[00:26:19] Speaker D: Rwanda was definitely more extraction focused. It was more acute emergencies. And I think in that sense, we were able to see quite a bit more patients because the patient interactions just, on average, are a little quicker.
And so Nate and I went into that trip, I think, with a combined maybe 50 extractions under our belt, and we left with about 300.
So we were. It's just amazing how even in, like, the oral surgery clinic at vcu, it's a. It's an amazing clinic, but it just takes so much time to get that treatment done. But in Rwanda, it's like the patient sits down. I already know what needs to come out, and it Just happens so quickly that you get reps at a speed that you would never get in school, and you're still able to deliver really, really high quality, compassionate, spiritual care.
And that was so cool. And then in Jamaica, it just looked slightly different. We still were doing extractions, but we also do cleanings and fillings. And so you still just get such a high speed of repetition that it's hard not to get good at something very quickly in that setting.
[00:27:26] Speaker B: Nate?
[00:27:27] Speaker E: Yeah, it was unbelievable clinical experience, and I don't think and many students have the opportunity to get that many reps. Like Ethan was saying, to see patient after patient after patient for a full week was very cool. And I think as a huge blessing as a. As a future dentist to have a lot of that experience, but not just for my skills, but also to provide that for all these patients. A lot of people who come into pain, they come in with pain, and they can leave sore, but be a lot better in a couple of days. So just being able to give them that gift while also learning at the same time is really cool. And Dr. Griffin said about Jamaica that, sure, where students were not as experienced, but the Jamaicans often prefer going to our clinic over the Jamaican dentist because they know they're gonna be taken care of. They know they're gonna get good care, regardless of if it's a student or not.
[00:28:19] Speaker C: One other aspect of the Jamaican trip, which occurs on a lot of CMDA student trips, as you two both well know, is the opportunity to share with your classmates about how the Lord has worked in your life. And.
And since I came to faith in Christ during my dental school years, that's a huge factor for me. And I also really appreciated your not just willingness, but your desire to communicate with your classmates regarding how the Lord has worked. And I thought I saw some light bulbs going off in people's hearts during our Jamaica time together. But there are a lot of. I would say, a lot of medical and dental students. They seek to walk with Christ, and yet they think they need to postpone their efforts to communicate the gospel during their training years, whether it's with classmates or patients or whatever, that somehow they're thinking, well, first they have to learn all they can regarding empirical knowledge of how to practice, and then they'll get around to the spiritual stuff. What would you say to a student who had that mentality during medical or dental school?
[00:29:23] Speaker E: I'd say, why wait?
There's no point to waiting. We're practicing now. They call it the practice of dentistry. You're not practicing Just your clinical skills, but you're also practicing your faith building skills and your ability to provide love as Jesus did to your patients. So I think it goes hand in hand for me. It's not just something that I just get good at dentistry in school, but also I get good at treating patients with love in school.
And there's opportunities, they can come in different ways. And if you're willing and you're ready to be there and be ready for them, you give God your yes. Like Ethan was saying, that when he has those opportunities coming, you're ready and you execute.
[00:30:02] Speaker D: I would say a very similar answer. I think I mentioned this maybe 20 minutes ago, but I would say it for this question as well, that it's going to be just as easy to postpone it in the next phase of life that it is right now.
You know, I can't evangelize. I can't start real ministry with the Lord until I'm out of dental school. Well, then you get to a residency program and you say the same thing. I can't do it till I'm out of residency and you get hired in your first year. You say, well, I got to get my debt off. And there's just always going to be something that I would say, what Nate said, why not now? Like, why wait? Because to be able to say no to that is going to be just as easy in the next step. And it might even get harder because it's been longer that you've told the Lord no.
[00:30:41] Speaker C: Right?
[00:30:42] Speaker D: But it's funny how often people think it's going to be a big life change and a huge step and really hard. But it's funny how quickly the Lord will just multiply everything in your life if you just open your hands to him and just say, here I am. Use me. And God will just. I mean, Nate and I are living proof of that. That's all we said here at vcu, and now we're sitting together on a podcast sharing about that experience. It's just amazing what God can do.
[00:31:07] Speaker B: And I think Ethan and Nate, I love the God's Got My yes. In fact, I may ask our producer to make that the title for this interview. God's Got my Yes. That's fantastic. And since he has both of your yeses, how do you see what you've experienced, both as in a fellowship with Dr. Kennedy's role model, with Griff's as a role model, and what you've seen God do in your lives overseas, avoiding any kind of disturbing disconnect with your Future in dentistry, how do you see what you've experienced in incorporating, integrating spiritual ministry and faith into practice? How do you see that now impacting what's ahead when you graduate and start a pract?
Let's start with you, Nate.
[00:31:50] Speaker E: I think kind of what you can say in that Rwanda has my heart in the same manner. Rhonda is something I would love to go back to and make that part of a yearly trip or whatever that looks like, whatever God has for me in that to go back to Rwanda. Minister, the people help Dr. Lee out. So I think about that in my international trips, but also back home, wherever I practice, if I own or partner or associate, whatever it looks like, I do think that you can live a generous life as a dentist. You can make a lot of money, but you can also do a lot of good with that money. And I've. I've heard of people who have a grace fund, and you're able to give away so much free care throughout over the month and help a lot of people out. And my father is a primary care physician, and he has been a great example of what does free care look like, and how do you get free care, how can you best provide for people and give them the best results, but also being able for them to afford it. So I think there's a lot of different ways you can live generously with your time and also with your money. So I look forward to that as a future dentist, being able to do both.
[00:32:58] Speaker B: Ethan?
[00:32:59] Speaker D: Yeah, I think as far as the international trip side of things, I remember God put that call on my heart years ago, right as I had started, first started walking with Jesus.
I read the Great Commission, and it just kind of punched me in the gut. Like, there is definitely a difference in the availability of the gospel in other parts of the world.
And God was gracious enough to send me overseas a few times in college and give me some really special experiences in the international mission field.
But like I mentioned earlier, getting to do it dentally is a whole new thing. It gives me a new vision for how that can materialize in my career.
And just with each trip we go on, it becomes easier and easier to say, like, no, this will actually be a part of my life. You know, it's. It's easy to imagine it, but to actually see it start to take form is. Is a whole nother thing.
And then I would say, similar to what Nate said as far as practicing at home, it is unbelievable how effortlessly these international trips change my heart when I get back.
Even being in School, you know, school is kind of its own battle. You're not getting paid, you kind of play every role for your patients. Front office, back office, lab tech, dentist, everything.
It can be very draining with. It feels like little reward. But coming back from these trips, it just refreshes my heart of like I get to be the hands and feet of Christ for this person in my chair right now.
And having that vision is just so unbelievably refreshing in the practice of dentistry.
And it just makes it so much easier to provide good care because I'm genuinely motivated out of the innermost parts of my heart.
[00:34:44] Speaker C: Ethan, you've just hit upon a powerful truth of mission trips. How a physician or dentist can spend a week off exhausting themselves treating patients for free and come back refreshed. It's true. Yeah.
[00:35:00] Speaker B: Well, a couple things, Griff, come to my mind from, from what Nate and Ethan have shared with us. Number one, the impact of someone like a Thomas Lee, because Thomas Lee makes what you did possible in many respects. And so it was the same observation that I made as a fourth year medical student at Indiana of what I saw in Kenya at Timok Hospital that made me come to a point of God had my yes too, Ethan.
And it was like I saw that those who were there long term and made this ministry possible. The trust that you talked about doesn't happen in a one week or two week experience with the national ministry providers and national healthcare professionals. So there are some choices that we can make and how much involvement that we have and certainly a longer term commitment like Thomas Lee has made.
The impact is exponential. The second thing that I wanted you to talk to our listeners about is what God is doing in Jamaica, in particular among Jamaican healthcare professionals. And talk to us a little about those who joined you recently.
[00:36:08] Speaker C: Thanks for asking about that.
So some of you know that there's an international CMDA which includes, I think it's over 120 different countries. And I've been going to Jamaica for a quarter of a century now and I found out that Jamaica was not one of those countries connected with icmda. So I was able to connect with a few physicians and dentists there and they are now working to create an ICMDA chapter in Jamaica. And not only that, but three physicians and a dental student came over and joined us for care one of the days we were treating patients in Jamaica. So to see the body of Christ in healthcare connect internationally is just a beautiful, powerful illustration of the gospel going out to all the world. It's such a Privilege to work with others who share that zeal to see Christ made known from different countries, different cultures, maybe different languages. But we now have that privilege in Jamaica as well.
[00:37:09] Speaker B: And it reminds me of God's word. Carry each other's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.
So I am excited. Jamaica's not that far away from us. It's pretty easy to get to, isn't it? One of the reasons you've been able to go there for a quarter of a century. And so those kind of relationships are critical for us to help build God's kingdom amongst the broken. Sounds like a theme that we recently had at the World Congress. So, Nate or Ethan, anything else on your heart or my hearts or minds that you'd like to share with our listeners as we conclude this interview?
[00:37:39] Speaker D: Yeah, I've been thinking about that the last couple days. I think what I would say, whether you're a student or a dentist, whether you have been putting off walking with the Lord or have been for many years, I just encourage people to spend more time with the Lord than anyone else, you know, and make that your life. You know, whether that's in studying Scripture or in worship or in a secret place, in prayer with the Lord, a Sabbath that when you just effortlessly sit with the Lord, he will do all the work and he will transform your heart and he will speak words to you and give you visions and ideas for what's next.
And it becomes just kind of a fun roller coaster to go on. When the Lord writes your story for you and kind of speaks your identity over you, it just makes life a heck of a lot more fun. So that would be my encouragement.
[00:38:34] Speaker B: Those are some great words, Ethan. Thank you, Nate.
[00:38:36] Speaker E: Yeah, I think from that place of intimacy, one on one, that's where everything comes from. That's where everything starts. And I think we both were in a season a lot of intimacy where we're both taking Sabbaths for multiple hours during the week.
And both of us that had the idea to start the Bible study at the same time. It was not Ethan's idea or my idea. We both were given it by the Lord. And I think that came from a place of intimacy where we're just seeking the face of God. How close can we get to God? Know more about Him? I think everything stems out of that. He's the master of the universe. We serve a mighty God and he will open doors. And he has a plan, and his plan, there's nothing that can stop it, like Dr. Lee told me. So just being willing to Follow that plan if you're willing to step out in faith and acknowledge that he's God and whatever happens according to his will. I think a lot of crazy things can happen and it's pretty cool to be a part of it.
[00:39:32] Speaker B: Yeah. Thank you for sharing that. You know, we were very intentional in scheduling this interview right now because of going into a new academic year here this fall. And thank you for being poster examples of dental professionals in the making. You know, we have 399 school groups now associated with affiliated with CMDA across the country. And it would be great if someone out there listening became whether a student or faculty at a particular school would say, hey, we don't have a group or our group like yours at VCU had really waned and had really disappeared. And so to raise it back up again, thanks for setting that example, for following God's call on your hearts and lives. And I just love that, Ethan, you say God speaking our identity over us and writing our story for us. Another great thought that I'm going to be thinking about throughout the rest of my day. So God bless both of you. And I, I wanted to close this interview. I knew that it would bring me to a conclusion which I could use this verse From Ecclesiastes, chapter 4, verse 12 in the New Living Translation. A person standing alone, like either one of you would have been, can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back to back and conquer.
Three are even better for a triple braided cord is not easily broken. And I'm guessing that three, four, five others came alongside with you and made your student group at VCU even stronger. So, Griff, thanks for introducing these two young gentlemen, ambassadors for Christ to me.
[00:41:08] Speaker C: It's been great to get to know you guys.
[00:41:11] Speaker B: God bless you throughout the rest of D4.
We'll look forward to hearing some more stories coming out of Virginia.
[00:41:17] Speaker D: Thank you so much. It's been great talking with you guys. It's been a pleasure.
[00:41:31] Speaker B: You know, I think one of the most encouraging parts of Nate and Ethan's story is that their ministry among classmates and their eventual impact overseas, it didn't begin with any formal position or title or an in depth plan for ministry. It just grew out of friendship and prayer together and out of a willingness to follow God through each open door.
As students return to campus this fall, it's a timely challenge for all of us. Students can begin building Christian community right now and established professionals can make a lasting difference by showing up and investing in the next generation.
You know, even if there is a establish student support from a faculty campus advisor or perhaps a CMDA Area director on your local healthcare training campus. There are always opportunities to support that particular campus advisor as a mentor, discipler, as a mission trip team leader.
Maybe you could do a lunch and learn as a lecturer. Or possibly off campus you could could host a group of students in your home.
Dr. Bill Griffin and I have both enjoyed supporting students in several of the ways I've just mentioned, and we have found it an incredible Blessing.
With nearly 400 CMDA student groups all across the country in various sorts of graduate healthcare disciplines, there may be one near you. If you're looking for a student chapter or would like to help strengthen a campus ministry, you can visit cmdacommunity.org to find one near you. And if today's conversation has encouraged you, please share it with a fellow healthcare professional or student and subscribe so that you don't miss future episodes of Faith in Healthcare.
Next week we are gonna share a conversation from CMDA's Read Out Loud podcast as Dr. Omari Hodge, who is our CMDA president, speaks with Dr. Rick Donlon. He's the CEO of the Christian Community Health Fellowship about how following Jesus has shaped Rick's decades of service in underserved communities.
Dr. Donlen challenges us as Christian healthcare professionals to consider how genuinely sharing life with the people that we serve serve can transform the way that we actually practice medicine or surgery or whatever discipline that we do.
I want to thank you for listening to Faith and Healthcare, where our promise to you as a regular listener or better yet, a subscriber to this podcast, our promise is this. We will do everything that we can to keep your faith and healthcare connected. We'll see you next time, Lord willing.
[00:44:33] Speaker A: Thanks for listening to Faith in Healthcare, the CMDA Matters podcast.
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This podcast has been a production of Christian Medical and Dental Associations.
The opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are not necessarily endorsed by Christian Medical and Dental Associations.
CMDA is a nonpartisan organization that does not endorse political parties or candidates for public office.
The views expressed on this podcast reflect judgments regarding principal and values held by CMDA and its members and are not intended to imply endorsement of any political party or candidate.
