Barry Ewy:
We're really excited for this episode of the Blessings Broadcast where we had the opportunity to visit with Dr. Nicholas Comninellis, who's the founder of Institute for International Medicine, which is also known as INMED, and also the founder of the Humanitarian Health Conference in Kansas City. Dr. Comninellis wrote the book Five Bags of Gold, and we had the opportunity to dive into that with him as well.
Laura Berry:
The audience is going to love hearing Dr. Comninellis talk about this book. He dives into what is a treasure. So, what are the treasures that we have before us? What account we will give in using those treasures? And then finally, what can we do right now with the treasures that we possess, the skills that we possess? I am excited for everyone to hear him unpack this great wisdom out of the Five Bags of Gold, the book that he wrote,
Barry Ewy:
And also general information on medical missions as it relates to the work that's being done.
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Barry Ewy:
Dr. Comninellis, we want to introduce you and the topic of medical missions and that you are a medical missionary. You've spent a lot of time overseas doing a lot of different things and served in some really remote and difficult locations. And then as a result of that, and as a result of your life experiences, you wrote a book. And we want to talk about that book a little bit and talk about some of your experiences and also some of the applications that you have in that book to our everyday lives. So again, welcome. Glad to have you here.
Dr. Nicholas Comninellis:
It's a privilege to be with all of you.
Barry Ewy:
Thank you. So let's just jump right in. You've had some amazing experiences and opportunities over your career. How many countries have you served in?
Dr. Nicholas Comninellis:
So my short answer is two, because that's where I spent substantial time. I spent two years at the charity hospital in Shanghai, China. And then another two years in Angola in Southern Africa. Now I've visited a lot of countries for a week or two. But I really don't count those. Those are those provide a little bit of perspective, but in terms of serious investment, it's China and Angola.
Barry Ewy:
How many do you think you've just been to and done short term missions?
Dr. Nicholas Comninellis:
Twenty.
Barry Ewy:
Twenty? That's a lot of places. A lot of investment. Even if it's short-term investment, still a lot of investment.
Dr. Nicholas Comninellis:
It is. And I encourage people who especially are starting out in their in their life, in their ministry, to visit a few places because each one is a data point. Each one provides some perspective. And it helps people to make better decisions later about long-term commitments when they have experienced at least two or three different settings, if that's possible.
Barry Ewy:
Yeah, absolutely. Well, in in your book, Five Bags of Gold, you share some incredible stories. What led you to write the book?
Dr. Nicholas Comninellis:
I am very concerned about people who are committed to Christ, who may have their priorities slightly a kilter. We are saved by faith in Christ alone, not by anything we do. And yet, we who are saved by faith in Christ alone are supposed to be very, very active in sharing Christ and winning the world for Christ, in responding to the needs of people, to those who are hungry and thirsty and sick and lonely and imprisoned and disabled. And we need to be much more committed to that part, that expression of the free gift of Christ that we have received. And so that is the main point of the book. It's faith in action.
Barry Ewy:
So it's not just faith alone, it's the works too. They go hand in hand.
Dr. Nicholas Comninellis:
They go hand in hand. The genuine faith, as James says is expressed in our action, our intentionally following Christ, following his commandment to love the world.
Laura Berry:
Your book, Five Bags of Gold, starts off completely disrupting how we view our lives. In our culture, we're taught from day one, build your own kingdoms. You spend decades in global medical missions, practicing medicine and teaching in places like Angola and Shanghai, often surrounded by people who have next to nothing, at least by our Western standards. Was there a specific moment or a particular face early in your career where your own definition of treasure was completely shattered and rebuilt by the very people that you went there to serve?
Dr. Nicholas Comninellis:
There is an event coming that is far more important than New Year's or Christmas or Easter. There is an event when, at the end of time ,when all of us will appear before the King of Kings and give an account of our lives. And as a young believer, as a young person, I read that in scripture. And yes, yeah, that's coming. But I've walked through this life journey, it's become more and more apparent that, yeah, this is really important. And we need to be prepared for that biggest of all events when we will give an account, especially how we treat the poor, how we treat the minority, the marginalized, the elderly, the ill. In Matthew 25, Christ says in in vivid detail that this is what separates the sheep and the goats. And we need to be very cognizant of this coming event, preparing for this event, looking at the things we have under our control and how can we focus that towards serving Christ, looking forward to that day.
Barry Ewy:
So it was more of that view of treasure, as far as what the Kingdom offers than an individual that you came into contact with. Would that be accurate to say that's what led you to this?
Dr. Nicholas Comninellis:
It is the scripture that describes the treasure of people, that it is people that Christ cares for. And I of course I can think of particular people that I knew, that I cared for, that I think embody the individuals that Christ adores.
Laura Berry:
Yeah, it's a great way to say it. So part two of the book moves the reader into this challenging territory as you've set up so very well. And so you look at the treasure account. The reality, as you mentioned just a minute ago, that you give an account of how we used our lives and you contrast that with the treasure chest of the human heart. It's easy for us to focus on external metrics, but you warn about these things that corrupt our inner chest. So where you're using that moment where it was supposed to be a good project. You talk about this in the first probably four or five chapters. Was there any moment where you're in the field and there's perhaps a temptation for personal ambition in the moment or in the experience that got in the way of compassion.
Dr. Nicholas Comninellis:
I'm an academic physician. I love to study, I love to research, I love to read, I love to make sure that the work I do is state of the art. And many people in the health professions have sort of a similar background. We tend to be kind of compulsive, and usually that has a good intention. But at various times in my career, I have been in situations where the academic world was calling. The U of Missouri asked me to start the academic career ladder, climb up that thing. And I had to really reassess that there's a lot of pressure for position. We all naturally want to be respected and among our peers. And we have to put that into the contrast of the value of people.
And so, I talk about the five treasures and I call them the five Ps. And so there are possessions that house, that car, that adult thing that we like to do, the thing we want to have. There's position, like the academic ladder I described. Sure, there's projects. I want to write a book. I want to start a company. I want to launch into something. There are pleasures too. A lot of us are really focused on I want to be able to ski thirty days a year. I want to go to the beach every summer. I want to… And to that I would say that it is important to have downtime. It's important to have relaxation. But with wisdom, we can use our possessions, our position, our projects, even our pleasures, as ways of serving people, to keep people at the focus, those people who Christ adores, the people who are sick and lonely. We can channel our treasures to their benefit.
Barry Ewy:
So if you think about the time that you spent in your work with INMED or in the field, do you recall any times where you had a specific project or you thought something was really good and in the end it interrupted what you felt like you were called to do? Or have you seen that in others where you think, well, this is really a good project or really a good idea, but it's gonna interrupt what God really has in store for you?
Dr. Nicholas Comninellis:
The best example I can think of is one of the hospitals where I have worked that wanted to basically go digital with everything. We're going to go electronic health records, electronic laboratory, electronic radiology, even treat patient transport was going to be electronic. And the leaders who introduced this thing said, “This is going to make us more effective and more efficient.” And the staff though was completely against all of this. “We're gonna spend all of our time in front of our screens instead of actually talking to people and caring for people.” And the contrast between, yes, efficiency versus people time was the real tension. And ultimately the staff rebelled and said, “No, we're not gonna log in. We're just not gonna do it.” Now maybe ten years from now, twenty years from now they'll decide it was a good idea. But in that particular setting, they said, “No, this this will impersonalize the kind of work that we do day by day. We're not ready for this, at least not yet.”
Barry Ewy:
Yeah. I've seen that too. When, if I go to the doctor anymore, they all have their screens. And it seems like when they're talking to me, they're really talking to their screen because they're having to update their screen with whatever I'm telling them. So that's a great example of, I think, what you're talking about is how impersonal medicine can be if not directed the right way.
Also in in your book in the final part, you emphasize that the treasure account isn't a passive concept, but it's really about active deployment right now. So for someone who feels like they only have one bag of gold instead of five, maybe they feel like their time or resources are incredibly limited. Where do you think the best place on the treasure map for them would be to take their very first practical step today to ensure an eternal return?
Dr. Nicholas Comninellis:
I think that we need to assess our strengths. And also that we ourselves may be pretty poor at evaluating ourselves. And so this is why we need a community. This is why you need to be part of a church. You need to be part of a ministry. You need to be part of a circle of friends and colleagues who know you, who know your interests, who can speak into your life. And so you can go to them and you can say, “Look, I really want to be more faithful in walking with Christ and using my gifts, but I don't know exactly where I should start. What do you see in me? What do you see as my strengths? What have you seen me do or say that that would point the direction of where I should emphasize my investment?”
Barry Ewy:
Yeah, it's really important to have those people speak into you. People who know you well, isn't it?
Laura Berry:
Yeah, that's excellent. As you were preparing to write the book, were there any stories that you were recalling that really stood out to you and stopped you in your place and you really thought about any stories, any experience that that really stood out to you as you prepared to write the book?
Dr. Nicholas Comninellis:
So let me tell you the story of John the Baptist. Now, not that John the Baptist. This is Joan Baptista, the Portuguese John the Baptist in was a farmer in Angola in southern Africa. Like almost everybody in the country, he was a subsistence farmer. He raised corn, but only enough to feed his family. There wasn't enough extra to sell or to use. And so John the Baptist got up one morning, just like every morning, and he said farewell to his wife and his children, and he took his bag of seed corn and he went out to the field where he was cultivating his plants. Normally he would come home at noon, but that particular day, he didn't come home. And his kids were wondering, “Where's Papa?” And the shadows started to get long, and the day was ending, and well, still no Papa. And so his sons went looking for him. And they found their father lying face down in a field covered with mud and blood and missing his leg. He had stepped on a landmine.
Now, why landmines? Well, Angola is a nation rich in diamonds and rich in oil. And for that battle over control of the treasure, the warring factions had attacked one another and put landmines everywhere because they were battling for the treasure of Angola.
So the sons picked up their father and they started carrying him into the Kaluchim hospital where I was on duty. Well, I heard this shout and ran up to triage, and here was this unconscious man. I could barely feel his pulse. There was no blood pressure; he had bled so much. And so, like any medic, we gave him fluids and blood, and we took him to the operating room and cleaned up what was left of his leg. And he was still unconscious. And I was sure the next day that bed would be empty.
Well, I came back in the morning, and not only was the bed not empty, but there was a man sitting up and he was looking around the room and his eyes fell on me, and he was startled and he said, “What are you doing here? Don't you know there's a war going on?”
And so he and I talked about his recovery, and then he paused and he looked around the room at the nurses and the technicians that were caring for people, and he said, “I'm alive today because these people, they treasured me.”
Barry Ewy:
Yeah, that's an amazing story.
Laura Berry:
That's powerful.
If you were to encounter a young physician that was considering going out into the field long term, making a commitment, what advice would you give that young physician?
Dr. Nicholas Comninellis:
Find a role model who is doing what you think you want to do and spend time with that person. I think that exemplary role models can be extremely powerful. Now, now we can read biographies—we should read biographies—we can listen to podcasts—we should listen to your podcast—but most impressive of all is if you can find somebody that you can spend some time with and see how they live their life, how they got to where they're at. That can give you a model, maybe even a counselor who can guide you in making your career steps.
Now, I was real intentional in my early twenties about trying to find people like that. And there were a few, but they were not interested in spending any time with me. And so I appeal to those of you who are a little older, a little more experienced, make yourself available to those who are, who are starting out in their career, starting out in their ministry, starting out in life, because they need to hear what you have to say.
Barry Ewy:
And there's something to being in relationship, isn't there? And that's what that mentor quality provides is not only the information, but also relationship that a mentee can continue to go back to. And so that's a wonderful thing to be able to have.
So you said that it's helpful to have that mentor for the long term. What do you think for the short term?
Dr. Nicholas Comninellis:
I think it's important to test the water in whatever kind of ministry or expression of faith you might be considering. Are you interested in being a pastor? Well, a lot of churches have got speaker clubs. They try out speaking to one another and you very quickly discover whether you've got that gift or not. There are writing clubs. You can write your essays and send those to one another and find out if that is a fit for you or not. If you're interested in doing a healthcare mission, then find an organization, connect with you all at Blessings International and try it out. Go somewhere for ten days and see if that is a fit for you. I think the more of these kind of formative experiences you can take advantage of, the more informed, the better decision you'll probably make.
Barry Ewy:
And when you test the waters, I've always felt like when the waters are tested, especially as it relates to a specific country, people typically find out, do they really have a heart for that people or for a different people? And we should always have a heart for people, but sometimes we relate a little better with one group of people versus another. For instance, somebody may feel really called to be in Honduras where they don't feel called to be in an Asian country, maybe. And so testing that water and going to different places can really open up a person's eyes to where they really feel called to be. And maybe also where they feel like what their skill set is might be better for that location than for a different location. Would you agree with that?
Dr. Nicholas Comninellis:
Yeah, it's a very big world. All kinds of opportunities. When I was a resident physician, I spent a couple of months in West Africa, and it was French and it was very hot. And I had studied French and I had a very difficult time communicating. And between the French and the heat, I said, “I don't think West Africa's for me.” But I did find that China was a great fit. I connected better with that language, with those people, with the spiritual background of Chinese people versus West Africans. It's a big world, and so I think that it's important to pray into those kind of decisions and befriend someone from there. We live in such a cosmopolitan nation now, you can find people from Haiti or any number of countries that you can spend a little time with and find out about their nation. And if you have a heart connection with those people, of course, that is gonna be a powerful incentive to continue developing those relationships.
Barry Ewy:
Again I think to me, maybe your best point in that was when you said to pray. I think a lot of time we just go out and we explore, but we don't necessarily explore what the Lord wants for us. We explore what we want for us. And so to spend time in prayer and intentionally seeking God's counsel on where does he want us can really open up some doors and some ideas to where we should be and not where we want to be.
Well, you started the Institute for International Medicine, also known as INMED, back in about 2003. What led you to want to start a missions organization like that? Well, first, before we get into that, what is INMED? What do you do through INMED?
Dr. Nicholas Comninellis:
So INMED is a graduate school. Our mission is to equip healthcare professionals with the unique skill necessary to provide great care for the world's most forgotten people. And when I say forgotten, I mean veterans, elderly, disabled, minorities, non-English speakers, unemployed people, victims of war and disaster anywhere in the entire world, including in the United States. So there are a lot of healthcare professionals who are inspired by that kind of vision. But when they go through their healthcare education, there are gaps. Maybe important diseases were not covered, cross-cultural skills were not covered. How do you organize healthcare services is usually not covered at all. And so we decided to develop an organization that would equip people to be able to do this. To do it in Christ's name, to do it with excellence, to do it with Christian faculty and staff so that we can multiply the number of people who are engaged in this kind of faith and action.
Barry Ewy:
So when you say postgraduate, is that prior to residency, or would that be included in residency? How does how does that work?
Dr. Nicholas Comninellis:
So we work with people at any at any phase. We work with undergrads, with health profession students, we work with practicing professionals as well. And it tends to be younger people in their twenties, but I'm impressed at the number of professionals in their fifties and sixties who say, “It's finally time for me to always do what I wanted to do. I wanted to do medical missions. And then I got distracted with three kids and a practice and family and but I want to do it.” And so I love to talk to people like that because they bring maturity and a bit of stability that younger people usually don't have. And so they're a great fit.
But just like everyone else, if we can pair them up with a mentor, if we can give them a formative experience, fill in the gaps in their knowledge and skill, they're gonna be more effective in this kind of service field more quickly.
Laura Berry:
So what led you to have this concept to create in INMED?
Dr. Nicholas Comninellis:
I have always been real interested in learning and teaching, and I was a very critical student. I would look at my professors and I would say, “You're doing this all wrong. We can do this much better. Let me help you redo your lecture so it's more, more effective.” So I was a bit pompous like that. But I was able, later on in my career, to take that sort of critical thinking and say, “How can we make this better now?”
And so part of it was my focus on academic excellence. And the other part of it was my focus on multiplying disciples. So as we look at Christ's model of discipleship, of his disciples spending time with him and Christ sending them out two by two and giving them opportunity to practice what he was teaching, that also fits real nicely into the model that we use at INMED today, using that kind of role modeling and service experience to help develop these strengths.
Barry Ewy:
You seem to be very passionate about mentors. You've mentioned that a couple of times in our visit today. What led you, was it that you sought mentors early on in your career and didn't feel like you really got the mentorship you wanted? What led you to be so interested and passionate about mentors?
Dr. Nicholas Comninellis:
When I was in college, I did intentionally seek out some of those Christians in my profession who were older who didn't have time for me. And so that was the negative part. And yet I did have a particular college ministry leader who did spend time with me. And that was really powerful. And so I saw it from both angles. And I grew enormously because I had this college ministry leader who wanted to spend time with me. Who we read scripture together, we shared our faith together. We actually did the Billy Graham crusade in Kansas City in 1978. So having those kind of opportunities to do things hand-in-hand really helped me to grow in my faith.
Barry Ewy:
And that's something we should all be really aiming for as we bring up the next generation, is to help lead them as well.
Laura Berry:
Mentors are incredibly important.
The institute that you founded provides this incredible platform and excellence and it's very intentional. What's been the most satisfying part of INMED for you?
Dr. Nicholas Comninellis:
It's the people that we have gotten to work with, especially those who have carried on in this.
So there is one individual, one of our very first students in 2003, who was interested in working in China. And he came to INMED, he did our core curriculum. He did his service-learning experience in China. And he came back from that and he said, “I really had a great time. And I met this great girl who wants to go to China with me.”
Well, so about five years later, of the two of them moved back to China and they have been there for almost twenty years. Which is really miraculous because people, Americans especially, usually don't get long-term kind of employment opportunities in China. But this couple has managed to do it. And they're doing health care, they're doing education, they're caring for the poor, and they are a witness for Christ among those people. Now, of course, they're very tactful. You have to be careful if you want to continue. But there are ways to present Christ in difficult access countries that can be appropriate and effective.
Laura Berry:
Around 2006, and out of the institute, the Humanitarian Health Conference in Kansas City was started, which I've had a privilege of attending multiple times. You all just spoil us. We love it. We're educated, we're loved on, and it's just an amazing experience. And I can't say enough good things about it, and I would just encourage our listeners to attend.
What led you to start a conference for medical missions?
Dr. Nicholas Comninellis:
This was born out of the need to have an event that not only had a Christian missions focus to it, but also had a real strong healthcare education focus. So there are some other events that you all exhibit at, and they're great events. We wanted to create something that was a bit more medical education focused. So that was the idea behind the Humanitarian Health Conference. We just had our twenty-first annual. The makeup of the conference tends to be about half students. And that makes us especially happy. We had a lot of nursing students, pharmacy, dentistry, medicine, even PT/OT, because they need to see, they need to meet people who are doing this kind of work so that they have an idea of what they could do in the future.
I went to a conference like that when I was a student, and it just rocked my world that I'm not the only person who has this kind of vision. And of course it can be a great opportunity to connect with a mentor, meet somebody and continue that relationship.
Laura Berry:
I like that idea of reaching that next generation. We don't see that in other platforms. And you guys seem very intentional about reaching that next generation and building into them and pouring into them. And it just provides such an incredible platform for them that might not exist anywhere else.
Barry Ewy:
Yeah. And I thank you for sharing kind of the difference between the conference that that INMED is a part of compared to some of the others that health education is a large focus on that. Because it's when our listeners are wondering, “What is a good conference for me?” It's nice to have that idea of where they might feel a little more plugged in, or if there's a more of a specific focus area that they might have, whether it's just learning overall about what is short term missions, maybe, compared to maybe more of an educational side of things.
And also you mentioned the educational part is for all health professions. It's not just for physicians, right?
Dr. Nicholas Comninellis:
That's correct. Yes. And we have to emphasize that over and over again because we have medicine in our name, but we're using medicine with a small M—all of the health professions are welcome.
Laura Berry:
So Dr. Comninellis, when you look back over your amazing career—extensive, amazing, impactful—what brings you the most joy?
Dr. Nicholas Comninellis:
The people that I meet, people like you, Laura. Individuals who are expressing their love for Christ through their own faith inaction. I when I when I when I look at my life, the high the real highlights are the individuals, the people whom Christ treasures.
Barry Ewy:
So here at Blessings, our scripture verse is Hebrews 6:14: “Surely blessing, I will bless thee.”
So for you, what is your either favorite, most impactful Bible verse? What would be yours?
Dr. Nicholas Comninellis:
II Timothy 2:22. “The things you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses and trust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
Barry Ewy:
Interesting that you picked Timothy because he had a great mentor. And that Bible verse really goes back to mentorship, doesn't it? Which it seems like that and people was your biggest joy. It seems that if I could kind of picture Dr. Comninellis in one word, I would say it's probably mentor. That just seems like that is what your life's work has been about, bringing others along and giving insight, opportunity, probably encouragement as well to those that you come in contact with.
Dr. Nicholas Comninellis:
Yeah. I talk to a lot of student groups and sometimes I'll refer to the parable of the Good Samaritan. Well, they don't know the story. Twenty-year-olds, most of whom have no church background, they don't know who that is. So we need to be intentional about communicating these things to each age, to each generation, so that people will have an opportunity to identify a Paul and a Timothy and be able to begin their walk in faith.
Barry Ewy:
That's very well wrapped up. Thank you, Dr. Comninellis. Thank you for coming and sharing with our listeners, sharing with us. And I know for Laura as well as I, you've really encouraged us in our visit today. So thank you for all the work that you've done.
Laura Berry:
And thank you so much for just pouring into this book and the content. I think it just blesses us as we read it and think through the challenges and we appreciate your time and wisdom. It's a privilege to be here with you.
Barry Ewy:
And so as just to kind of wrap up, I would encourage our listeners to go get Five Bags of Gold and read it. It's a really encouraging book, with a lot of encouraging stories. And then also look into INMED and also into the Humanitarian Health Conference.
So thanks again for joining us today.
Dr. Nicholas Comninellis:
Wonderful. Good to be with you.
