At the October 10, 2025, Mission Interest Group Vespers, Drs. Brent (SM ’15) and Laura (SD ’15) Sherwin reflected on their journey of faith and service at Malamulo Adventist Hospital in Malawi, sharing how their years there have shaped both their work and their calling. Both graduates of Loma Linda University, the Sherwins felt drawn early in their training to serve globally, a conviction that guided every step of their professional and spiritual journey, even when the path forward was uncertain.
Their story, however, began years earlier and thousands of miles away in the jungles of Peru. As college students, both Brent and Laura independently chose to take a year off for student missions, joining mobile dental and medical clinics in the Pucallpa region. There, they met for the first time, discovering not only a shared passion for healthcare but also a mutual call to serve. Their nine months in Peru changed the course of their lives. “We saw firsthand the huge need for Christ-centered, quality healthcare,” Laura said. “Helping people where and when they need it most, that’s how we show Jesus’ love.”
The two married just before beginning medical and dental school at Loma Linda University. During their training, they joined the Deferred Mission Appointee (DMA) Program through LLU, solidifying their path to overseas service.
For Brent, now a general surgeon, that journey continued through the demanding world of surgical residency, where long hours and exhaustion tested both his faith and endurance. He often turned to Proverbs 3:5–6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart…,” as a source of strength and reassurance. Many questioned their plans to serve overseas, yet both held fast, believing that God was preparing them for something larger than themselves.
When the time finally came to depart, the COVID-19 pandemic halted international travel and delayed their assignment through the General Conference. Having already sold their home and belongings, they returned to Ohio expecting to wait a few weeks, a period that stretched into nearly a year. Brent described that season as their “Moses year,” a time of waiting, humility, and preparation. “It wasn’t wasted,” he said. “It was preparation.”
Exactly one year after completing residency, the Sherwins arrived in Malawi. Within days, Brent found himself the only surgeon and physician at Malamulo Adventist Hospital. The first week, he said, was both humbling and transformative, deepening his dependence on God’s strength and provision. Over time, he grew into leadership as Chief of Surgery and PAACS Program Director after his mentor, Dr. Moses Kasumba, left for further training. What began as an overwhelming assignment gradually became a thriving program. Today, Malamulo’s surgical department includes two additional attending surgeons and several PAACS resident trainees.
Laura’s work as a dentist has also grown into a remarkable ministry. Through a partnership with a UK-based dental mission team, Laura organized mobile clinics serving rural communities across the Malamulo catchment area. Over two weeks, their team visited four sites, seeing more than 900 patients, performing over 1,200 extractions, and providing oral health education and fluoride treatments for local schoolchildren. They also distributed more than 2,100 toothbrushes, helping promote preventive care in areas where access to dental services is extremely limited.
On the final day of the most recent outreach, the team arrived to find nearly 180 people waiting before sunrise, twice their usual caseload. Exhausted but unwilling to turn anyone away, they prayed for strength and began working. By sunset, they had seen 198 patients, serving every person who had come. The visiting team leader, not particularly religious, was deeply moved and said the only explanation was that “God was doing this, this was a God thing.”
In addition to these larger outreach efforts, Laura conducts monthly dental visits to nearby villages, providing free exams and extractions to 15–20 patients each time. Each outreach begins with a short oral health talk and time to answer questions, offering not only practical care but spiritual connection. Laura notes, “It’s not just about their dental needs. I pray with patients and hope to minister to them in other ways as well. God has sustained me and given focus to complete each day, even when the work is long or challenging.”
The Sherwins also regularly host visitors from around the world, including medical volunteers, residents, and PAACS fellows. One recent visitor, a surgeon who described herself as “not very religious,” came for two weeks to serve. “We didn’t preach to her,” Laura recalled. “We just did what we normally do.” By the end of her stay, the surgeon was praying with patients and attending Bible studies. “It was amazing to see how God worked without us saying a word.”
That spirit of openness and witness is now being carried on by the Malamulo residents themselves. Laura noted how they lead with confidence and prayer, even inviting visiting surgeons to join them in praying before procedures. “They’re not afraid to share Jesus,” she said. “It’s beautiful to watch.”
Reflecting on their years in Malawi, the Sherwins emphasized how each challenge has revealed new dimensions of God’s grace. Through delay, isolation, and unexpected leadership, they have seen His hand sustain them and multiply their efforts. “The need for surgical and dental care in Malawi is immense,” Brent said, “but we’re blessed to be part of something where God clearly shows up again and again.”