General Information

General Outline for the Trip

As we acclimate to our new environment, our mission trip begins with a weekend of touring the major historical and spiritual sites in Armenia. We start our week seeing patients in Vanatzor/Spitak and in Stepanavan for the end of the week. Our clinic is held at the Armenian Evangelical Church of Vanatzor and the AMAA Social Services Center in Stepanavan, where we convert classrooms into doctor's offices. Patients hear of our arrival weeks earlier with radio advertisements and come from many different walks of life. Patients are also bussed into the clinic from the surrounding villages.

The clinic is an ambulatory clinic that sees both adults and children and our formulary is extensive enough to accommodate treatment for most illnesses. During each day of the clinic, patients are encouraged to return for church services where members of the team share their testimonies and the gospel is preached. The week culminates with a celebration banquet, where we fellowship and recap the events of the week.

The teams in the past have included doctors, physician assistants, pharmacist, chiropractor and nurses. We have had medical and nursing students also. One doesn't need to be in the healthcare field to be involved in our mission. In fact, the majority of the team members are not medically trained and they are essential to our success. Team members that are not formally trained healthcare providers are utilized in the pharmacy, laboratory, and as assistants to the doctors and nurses. In the past some team members put on vacation Bible school for the children waiting for to be seen. Also, members can man the eyeglass distribution station or dental hygiene education. We only ask that you come with servant's heart ready to touch and serve the sick and needy.

Al and Sue Phillips