Dr. Heather Marten is a missionary pediatrician to the nation of Zambia in south-central Africa.
Heather first felt called to missions when she was 12 years old, but wasn’t sure what that would mean. Through a variety of influences, she ended up in Zambia where she uses her knowledge and experience in pediatrics and tropical medicine to bring both spiritual and physical hope and healing to the Zambian people.
Here is her story in her own words:
She has just completed her first term as a fully-appointed Assemblies of God missionary (after an earlier term as a missionary associate) in which her opportunities for service were quite varied. She served as the medical director of both a local HIV clinic (Zambia is in the midst of an HIV/AIDS epidemic) and a rural clinic. She co-taught classes at the local Bible school. She participated in a mobile cervical cancer screening clinic. She taught nutrition classes with a Christ-centered development program. She was a part of regular evangelistic outreaches. And much more!
She is now back in the United States reporting to the churches who supported her with prayer and finances during her first term and also introducing her ministry to new churches.
Her plan is to return to Zambia in June of this year. When she returns, one of her new, very exciting responsibilities will be to coordinate a compassion-ministry-focused “BaseCamp” focused on helping those who are sensing a call to missions discern how they might be involved in compassion ministries in Africa. Reading her newsletters, one thing I noticed is that she feels a responsibility not only to minister to the unreached in Zambia, but also to inspire the next generation to take the news of Jesus’ love to those who have yet to hear His name, and the BaseCamp is an extension of this commitment to raising up new missionaries.
If you have read our pillar articles, you know that our conviction is that every believer should be part of a team dedicated to reaching the never reached — through prayer, through financial support, through logistical support, and/or through physically going. Dr. Heather Marten’s ministry is a wonderful opportunity to be part of such a team.
We would encourage you to learn more about Heather’s ministry and consider if God is calling you to be part of her team which is dedicated to reaching the unreached in Zambia. Here are some ways you can join her team:
- You can join her and the team in Zambia by subscribing to her newsletter and committing to pray for her on a regular basis and/or by supporting her financially.
- If you are the pastor of a church or part of a church missions committee, please consider inviting Heather to share in a service, with a small group, with a youth group, or in your children’s ministries.
- And, if you are sensing God’s call to be involved in compassion ministries, you can contact Heather about the possibility of being part of the BaseCamp she will be coordinating.
- You can get in touch with Heather by visiting her blog Zambia Adventures, following her on Facebook, and/or stopping by her official Assemblies of God World Missions web page.
COUNTRIES IN THIS ARTICLE: Zambia
WORKERS IN THIS ARTICLE: Dr. Heather Marten
Resources For Medical Ministry In Africa
In He Goes Before: Stories of a Medical Missionary in Africa, Olive Rawn tells the story of her life as a medical missionary to Sudan, Uganda, and Congo with Africa Inland Mission.
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