Earlier this year, team members from AdventHealth’s Rocky Mountain Region traveled to Lesotho, Africa, with AdventHealth Global Missions, bringing care, compassion and expertise to communities in need while returning with a renewed sense of purpose.
For Harmony Furlong, chief development officer and foundation director for AdventHealth Parker and AdventHealth Castle Rock, the experience was filled with moments that were both joyful and humbling.
One encounter that stayed with her was a woman who received a pair of glasses through the Community Health Team. “She was so overjoyed, she sang ‘Heaven! Heaven!’ as she left the tent,” Furlong shared. Later that day, the team saw her again—walking with a baby on her back, smiling brightly and proudly wearing her new glasses. “It touched my heart to know we had contributed to that joy.”
Through the Water Team, Furlong also witnessed entire villages celebrating the arrival of clean water systems—dancing and singing in gratitude. “Joy came so easily to many of the people we met,” she reflected. “It reminded me how powerful and simple joy can be.”
For Antje Oudakker, director of perioperative services at AdventHealth Parker, the trip was a return to Maluti Hospital after her first visit last year left a lasting impression.
“The staff provide incredible care with far fewer resources than we’re used to,” Oudakker said. “It’s a powerful reminder of what truly matters in medicine.”
During the week, the surgical team completed 25 procedures for patients who otherwise would not have had access to care. One patient, diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer, will now receive chemotherapy thanks to donor support—treatment that would not have been possible otherwise.
Another patient’s story left a deep impact. Living with HIV, tuberculosis and advanced colorectal cancer, she chose to share her experience—not for herself, but to educate others and reduce stigma in her community.
“Her bravery was humbling,” Oudakker said. “Moments like that remind you this work is about far more than surgery. It’s about dignity, compassion and human connection.”
For Miranda Schick, director of the mom and baby unit at AdventHealth Avista, the impact of Global Missions was seen in the success of long-term partnerships.
Serving on the Helping Mothers and Babies Survive (HMBS) team, Schick helped train local providers on tools to improve neonatal outcomes. During this visit, she learned that a baby’s life had been saved just days before their arrival because a midwife used a device introduced on a previous trip.
“The baby wasn’t breathing and they were ready to pronounce death,” Schick said. “But the midwife used the device, detected a heartbeat and resuscitated the baby for over 15 minutes. That baby lived. Seeing that impact was incredibly rewarding.”
Now on her eighth mission trip, Schick says these experiences continue to shape her perspective. “I always come back grounded in gratitude. The connections we build across the globe truly change how you see the world.”
Together, these experiences highlight the profound impact of Global Missions, not only for the patients and communities served, but for the team members who carry those lessons forward.
Learn more about mission trips like this one at www.adventhealth.com/global-missions
