Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.— Matthew 28:19-20
The following excerpt appeared in Excelerate magazine after mPower Approach received an award for Innovation in Missions.
During a typical dental mission trip, one dentist will extract perhaps 300 teeth in six grueling days. On an mPower trip, that same dentist can instead train six national believers to do extractions. If these six students work two days a week thereafter, they can extract approximately 150 teeth per weekâmore than 7000 a year. That multiplies one dentist 23 times in one location!
The greatest obstacle was accepting the possibility that a person with very little education could provide the kind of care usually delivered by a highly-trained professional. Dentists, both stateside and on location, were also skeptical. Realizing these as reasonable responses, mPower commissioned a blind study in 2009 by The University of Kentucky College of Dentistry. The study confirmed that, within the limited scope of extractions and palliative care, mPower graduates (known as Community Dental Health Workers) can render diagnoses and treatment comparable to that of conventionally-trained dentists. The mPower curriculum and hands-on training equip Community Dental Health Workers to provide standard-of-care treatment.
mPower dental modules have been implemented in more than a dozen countries. Hundreds of graduates share the gospel as they serve their communities through dental care. Doors are opened for the good news. Churches are planted and men and women accept Christ as Lord and Savior.
mPower has a vision to take the gospel to the ends of the earth through self-sustaining dental modules. Medical modules (addressing such areas as wound management) are also in development, thanks to the cooperation and input of partner physicians.