GMMA May 2023 Monthly Newsletter
MAY 2023 GREETING
Shalom GMMA family!
Among the many responsibilities that I had while serving GMMA, being a postgraduate ministry director is the most gratifying role. In case, you are unfamiliar with the postgraduate ministry, following is a brief introduction of the ministry that I wrote back in 2021.
“In the midst of these changes, God started postgraduate ministry in GMMA. While so much of our efforts have been put on the college chapters, many of our GMMA college students were feeling ‘lost’ after graduation. As aspiring future health professionals, many students take gap years before they apply to graduate schools. The graduate school years are not only long but physically, mentally and spiritually challenging. We needed a ministry to care for our GMMA college graduates from their graduation until they become healthcare professionals. They need our prayer, support and love to be able to maintain their passion for Christ and not lose their God given vision through this difficult process.”
We had our first GMMA postgraduate summer retreat in June 2021. Since then, we had our second retreat in June of 2022 and the third one coming up from 6/23/23 to 6/24/23. We have ongoing small groups, fellowship meetings and interview & application support groups, as well as mentorships. We also recently had a graduating senior event with the GMMA college seniors, introducing them to our ministry. We went on a memorable postgraduate mission trip to Cambodia in 2022. We are planning an internship where our GMMA postgrads can spend time volunteering and serving at one of our mission sites. With Joy Park serving as assistant director with close to 20 postgraduate leaders, the ministry is becoming more solid in many aspects.
The postgraduates are the true fruit of our GMMA college campus ministry. Many of them have a sense of ownership and aspires to stay as GMMA family lifelong. We currently have hundreds of gap year and graduate GMMA students. Within the next few years, we will have many GMMA postgrads finish their education/training and serve alongside the GMMA ‘forever young professionals’ and students as ‘early career professionals’. They will be the future of GMMA. If they continue to live a ‘Christ centered missional life’, it will be proof that GMMA’s ministry is worth it. I ask you to pray for these precious brothers and sisters! God bless!
Dr. Sang-Hoon Ahn, M.D., M.P.H. GMMA Board Member
Director of West Coast & Postgraduate ministry
Professional Development
The Alliance portion of the Global Medical Missions Alliance represents how we work in partnerships with fellow medical mission organizations. CMDA- Christian Medical and Dental Associations is one of them. They are inviting GMMA professionals to join their MEI (Medical Education International) program.
The Christian Medical & Dental Associations would like to invite GMMA members to participate in short-term medical mission opportunities through its Medical Education International (MEI) Medical Education International – Christian Medical & Dental Associations® (CMDA) missions.
MEI serves primarily in low and middle-income countries. Current team opportunities can be found at Service opportunities where you can get involved – Medical Education International (powered by ServiceReef). Participants on most trips do not need to be in academic practice, but just be able to teach the specialty in which they are board-certified. Team members donate their time and self-fund their trips. MEI encourages local believers to improve healthcare by improving the knowledge, skills, critical thinking, and care of local professionals, especially faculty. For questions or more information contact mei@cmda.org.
GMMA ACTIVITIES FOR MAY
Too many meetings and events to capture in the newsletter, but sharing a few that took place in chapters across the nation, Canada, and Australia. It’s always moving and emotional when we witness past students becoming fellow professionals raising a family and serving as mentors and lecturing at mission trips. God’s faithfulness we praise and honor and give all the glory to the giver of all good and perfect gifts.
GMMA National Postgrad Retreat is happening on June 23-24, 2023 in California. Postgraduates from across the nation will gather together for a weekend of fellowship, seminars, lots of worship and prayer, and good food. Postgrad members and professionals are all welcome. Professional members will be joining to serve as small group leaders and speakers. Contact: postgrads@gmma7.org
Postgrad Retreat Information
Date: 6/23/23 Friday 5pm to 6/24/23 Saturday 10pm
Location: Buena Park Church
7037 Orangethorpe Ave, Buena Park, CA 90621
Mission Report
MISSION UPDATE
The May Honduras team traveled from 5/19/2023. We are praying for the 5/20-5/25/23, 6/12-6/17/23, 6/17-6/22/23 Honduras Mission Teams. Please bless the team with your prayer on God’s Protection, God’s Provision, God’s Glory, Intimacy with God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, Unwavering team unity and joy of the Lord, Wisdom and Discernment, To put on the full armor of God daily. Thank You!
Members can still sign up for the upcoming mission trips.
Regional Health Reports
West Coast
Praise Reports:
Praise God that He has been faithful to us and providing us with the necessary strength to endure this school year! There were many challenges and obstacles specific to each chapter that they faced, but the Lord truly provided endurance to finish out this year. We just want to take this time to thank God and praise Him for what He has done for each and every single chapter!
Needs:
As the school year ends, many schools are looking for transitional board members to continue their respective chapters. We kindly ask for prayer in finding new board members that are faithful with a heart of servitude before the Lord. There seems to be a lack of students who desire to take up leadership positions. As spiritual warfare is real and knowing that the enemy desires to stop GMMA from its efforts, we ask for intercessory prayers for the West Coast chapters to be strengthened by the Word of God and by the joy of the Lord!
Regional Coordinator Message:
“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15: 9-11). It is Christ’s love that He displayed on the cross that allows us to even love others and understand more of who God is. However, as disciples of Christ, we are called to abide in His love and to keep His commandments. John 15 shows us that our relationship with Christ is one of mutual dynamics. It is in His love that we get to experience who God is and it is in our “keeping of His commandments” and “abiding in His love” that we get to glorify His name, truly making our joy complete. I simply pray that GMMA and every student body and leadership body may desire and seek to solely live in pursuit of our Heavenly Father! This is our call.
CENTRAL
Praise Reports:
Central region has officially wrapped up this Spring semester! We are grateful to God in how He has sustained our chapters in His steadfast love and faithfulness and how our chapters have been able to grow in fellowship, prayer, and in striving more towards living a missional life. Some students in our central region have been preparing for the upcoming Central Honduras mission trip next month in June! We are excited to go together as a region and serve and do God’s work together.
Needs:
As our students are in their summer breaks now, prayers for our officers and students to continually live out the Christ centered missional lives in their respective homes and cities, wherever they are for the summer! Would they continue to be a salt and light whenever and wherever they are this summer! Please also pray for our upcoming mission trip next month in Honduras. Please pray for safety, for the Spirit to guide and lead the team, and for obedience and preparation to be able to fully do God’s work in Honduras and to share the Gospel there. Would God be glorified and His will be done in Honduras!
Regional Coordinator Message:
“For your steadfast love is before my eyes and I walk in your faithfulness.” (Psalm 26:3) I pray that our central region would live everyday knowing that we are in the presence and walking in God’s steadfast love that goes before us and surrounded by his faithfulness. May these words of truth give us strength and grace today!
EAST COAST
Praise Reports:
Praise God for who He is and the plans He has for the Northeast East Coast chapters. Throughout the year each chapter grew in its ways with the colors that were given by Christ. Throughout the year there have been many relationships formed intercampus through fellowship and mission trips. Seeing those relationships continue to grow is truly a blessing.
Needs:
There are a lot of new chapters that are in the process of recruiting and chartering including Drexel, VTech, Villanova, Duke, MIT, and Stony Brook. Continue praying for us for wisdom in the way that these chapters can be light on their campus through the ministry. Along with the regional coordinators as they continue with the process. There are two trips to Honduras in June that some of the students on the East Coast will be partaking in June. Pray for safety and that each student would be a blessing and apart of God’s plan for each trip.
Regional Coordinator:
Serving the Northeast East Coast region for the past two years has truly been such a blessing. Even two years ago I started serving as the regional coordinator in this region with only about 6 student chapters now ranging around 15 chapters. Our Abba has blessed this region with God-fearing students and leaders who want to truly serve His kingdom. Not only were we blessed to have many chapters but we were blessed with the mentors who are serving the student chapters so faithfully. Revelations 3:6 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” Like how God was speaking to the Church of Sardis this is the prayer over all GMMA nation. To hear from the Spirit and to serve accordingly. It has truly been such a blessing serving this region and we need to continue to press into prayer.
Regional Health Report:
The regions are staying in touch with each other through intercampus events. VTech, JHU, and UVA had one this past weekend along with Zoom meetings.
Student Chapter:
Brown University has been so faithful in serving this past year on its campus. They’ve overcome many hurdles of being a newly chartered chapter and continued to keep each other accountable in their walks of faith. As their regional coordinator, I’ve gotten to visit them and hear how God has been touching each portion of their lives!
Sarah Son (EC Regional Coordinator) visits Brown University
JHU, UVA, Vtech intercampus fellowship.
You can explore all of the GMMA chapters, including information about the leadership, meeting times, contact, Instagram handles and more, on our website here.
If you know any healthcare professionals who would gladly serve as mentors for these chapters, please email us at admin@gmma7.org.
Please make sure to use Amazon Smile so that a percentage of your purchase comes back to GMMA/Kamhc incorporated in the form of a donation.
Simply click on this link: smile.amazon.com/ch/26-0268289 and start shopping through smile.amazon.com!
There are many incredible ministries and organizations you can choose to support through Amazon Smile, so we thank you in advance for choosing to support GMMA and partnering with us to help others smile through His kingdom work!
GMMA CONNECTS!
Our healthcare community serving together for His glory.
As many are facing new challenges due to changes in education, professional training, and
workplace due to the pandemic, we’ve created “GMMA Connects” as a space for
networking.
Please share and connect to the inquiries if you can assist in
any way. You can send inquiries to newsletter@gmma7.org by the 15th of the
month to be listed in this section.
Prayer Requests
How fruitful is your life now? When have you recently humbled yourself and sought God’s face and repent your ways? God promises that He will hear from heaven, will forgive our sin and will heal the unproductive land. Do you want to live a fruitful life?
Please join GMMA’s prayer movement and click the button above for the GMMA Prayer Requests from Regional Coordinators.
GMMA adapted ECHO prayer app so every GMMA member can pray together at 9 PM every day.
Here is the link for GMMA-Echo Instruction for your information. https://youtu.be/zchhVrmtPSM
CONTACT US!
- 18549 Hawthorne St
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
Are you interested in serving with GMMA? Utilize the talents and gifts that God has provided you and serve with us! Please contact your area of interest above!
Until next time,
Please share about GMMA and let us all remember to Arise and Shine for His glory.
Global Medical Missions Alliance | 714.444.3032 | admin@gmma7.org | GMMA7.org