The Family

Some have said that mid-life crisis is the switch from a search for success to a search for significance. We would agree. Why else would a surgeon-entrepreneur and an accountant stop chasing the “good life” in a hope to find a way of living where “Well done, good and faithful servant” is the highest reward?   For the first eight years since retirement in December of 1997 from the position of the senior partner of his general surgical practice, Bruce and Micky spent much of each year as short-term missionaries with the goal of serving God by serving career missionaries. Bruce gave both medical and administrative help and Micky uses her experience as an accountant/controller to help wherever we are called to go. As volunteers under the auspices of World Medical Mission, the medical arm of Samaritan’s Purse, we served for periods of one to six months, using our blend of abilities to provide help where we were needed. In the relatively short time we were there, we could not always learn much of the language or help the nationals as much as we would have liked, but we could help the missionaries by allowing them to take a break from their duties, to take continuing medical education, to return to the States for important matters, or simply to let them know that they are appreciated. By applying whatever modest skills and talents we may have, we can remove some of the stress of living in a different culture and let them know that we care and appreciate their efforts. Always, we try to live and work in such a way that Jesus Christ is honored and the good news is presented.

We have had a change in the focus of our ministry over the past few years. All those things are still very important to us, still very needed and we continue to do them, but increasingly God is leading us into involvement with programs that will leave a greater legacy. There are three programs that we are involved with:

1. Bruce functions as the chief executive officer of the Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons. This is a program which uses rural mission hospitals in Africa to train and disciple African physicians to become surgeons in Africa, for Africa and for a lifetime.
2. We are also involved as a member of the Continuing Medical and Dental Education Commission of the Christian Medical and Dental Associations. This Commission is responsible for a large conference held each year in February, alternating the location between Africa and Asia. This conference allows the missionary physician and nurse attendees to obtain all the category I continuing medical education credit they need to maintain their licensure in the US. It is a great time of encouragement as well
3. We are increasingly serving time as a volunteer on the Mercy Ship Africa Mercy. Bruce serves as a general surgeon while on the ship.

We also strive to communicate to the folks back home what the life and frustrations faced by our missionaries is like. The SteffeScope is written weekly while we are on the field and more sporadically the rest of the year. Please  e-mail us if you would like to get the e-mail version or go to this site to sign up for it. For those of you who are interested in receiving the monthly letter about the Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons, you can sign up for that at that site as well.

 We are always willing to also talk to your church or group.Explore our web site – there is information about where we are, where we might be going next and where we have been.  If you would like to contribute to our ministry, please go to S³Ministries or use the "Donate" button to the left. 

If we can be of assistance to you, please e-mail us and we will communicate as soon as spotty telephone service and slow baud rates in the Third World will allow.

Revised June 6, 2010