Nick and Phosfe Walters have served the Adventist church as missionaries for more than 32 years, focusing on healthcare, across the globe. In this conversation, Orna Garnett, the NAD’s associate secretary for Missionary Services, speaks with the Walters about their joint calling to overseas mission, God’s guiding in mission work and family life, and lessons learned.

Orna: Nick, thank you for connecting with us regarding your mission experience.  It is always fascinating to learn about mission journeys.  My hope is that as you share your story today,  we can inspire others to find their path to mission. So, tell us, “How did you receive your first mission call? And where were you at the time of the call?”

Nick: I was a student missionary in college, but I wanted to be a missionary since I was a kid when the Adventist Book Center used to sell missionary storybooks. 

Orna: Were family/friends supportive?  Who or what was most helpful [as you prepared for service]?

Nick: It was my feeling that I was called to mission service. My family was not involved in the decision-making [process], but I was attracted to my wife partly based on her love for Jesus and her desire for mission service. 

Orna: If you could turn back the hands of time, what changes (if any) would you have made in your own personal preparation for mission service?

Nick: No changes. I made all my decisions based on my plans for missions.

Orna: What misconceptions did you have to overcome [about being a missionary]?

Nick: None, really, because I had already served as a student missionary, so I knew what I was getting myself into.

Orna: Is there a specific time in your mission experience where you saw God’s hand leading?

Nick: There were many times, but one example comes from my work here in Thailand. To work as a physician in Thailand, it is necessary to pass the medical board exams in Thailand, [which are conducted] in the Thai language. It is a six-day exam. Days 1 and 2 cover basic science; days 3 and 4 cover clinical subjects; day 5 consists of essays; and day 6 is practical, i.e., examining real patients and telling the professor in the room what the diagnosis is and how to treat it.

No Adventist missionary physician had ever passed this exam since the exam requirements for foreigners were changed from English to Thai in 1985. I went to Thailand with my wife and two sons in 2002, and 18 months later, I passed all six days of the exam on the first try. This shows what God can do. It required a huge effort on my part but would never have happened without God’s direct blessings. I do not use a translator when seeing patients, which is a blessing of this requirement. 

Orna: What part of missionary work do you enjoy most or find the most rewarding?

Nick: Interacting with patients and seeing God bless them, watching them get better, and pointing to God as the source of their healing.

Orna: Phosfe, while Nick is serving as a physician, how would you describe your unique mission experience?

Phosfe: I homeschooled our boys from first through 12th grades. Today, one is a dentist and the other a physician. I now make friends with my husband’s patients and support and encourage them. I am also his PR person, encouraging people to come to our hospital. 

Orna:  What specific ways has life been richer or different because of cross-cultural service?

Phosfe: I [have enjoyed] making friends from other cultures.

Orna:  What is a most treasured memory?

Phosfe: It is too difficult to say, but [one is] seeing our sons dedicated and later baptized into the Adventist Church and seeing them continue to keep Jesus in their lives.

Orna:  For both of you, what advice would you give prospects headed for cross-cultural mission service? For example, 2 or 3 tips.

Phosfe: Be adaptable and make local friends by being friendly. Do some nesting in your house. Make it nice, even spending your own money to do it. Making your home nice and comfortable will help you be nice and comfortable. 

Nick: Learn the language in a consistent manner, knowing that if God wants you to be there, He will help you do it. Be flexible and know when to say no. Be friendly and make friends of the local population. 

Orna:  Ethiopia, Bangkok, Guam, and Singapore are all amazing places to have lived and served.  God has truly blessed your service, and I am sure He is still sustaining you.  Remember that we are always cheering you on and praying that the Adventist mission is realized each day in your service.

Nick: Thank you, and God bless!