RIVERSIDE, Calif. (Jan. 25, 2016) – Students from the Southern California region came to California Baptist University Jan. 22-23 to attend a Global Mission Health West Coast Conference designed to help participants explore a calling in the area of healthcare missions. 

CBU's College of Health Science and School of Nursing hosted the second annual event, which drew students from CBU, Loma Linda University, University of California, Irvine and University of California, Riverside.

"Our hope is to cast a vision for healthcare missions so that more people can see clearly how to use their specific gifts and talents for the Kingdom," said Will Rogers, executive director of the Global Mission Health Conference, before the conference.  

Morgan Banducci, a CBU pre-nursing sophomore, said the event gave her an opportunity to learn more about medical missions, the various organizations involved in these ministries and how she can be a part of them.

"I came to the conference because my long-term goal in nursing is to be a missionary nurse and go overseas," Banducci said.  

Speakers included Jeff Lewis, CBU interim director of global mobilization, Brian Zunigha, CBU director of discipleship ministries, and Rebekah Naylor, global health consultant for Baptist Global Response.

Lewis spoke to students about the importance of ministry and using their skills to be representatives for Christ.

"You are developing yourself first and foremost to be ambassadors for Christ through the skills that God has blessed you with. It is your calling," Lewis said. "Everything we do here at California Baptist University should be, and is, about preparing men and women to disciple the nations through their marketable skills."

Alumna Jenna Reed (‘15) attended the conference to learn how she can use her nursing degree for ministry opportunities.  

"With all the things I've learned at CBU, I think it would be great to take that [knowledge] to other nations and serve a greater purpose," Reed said. "I think [it would be] a good experience to have, to get out of my comfort zone."