During the summer of 2025, an interdisciplinary team of Liberty University faculty, staff, alumni and students completed a week-long mission trip to Curaçao, bringing vital public health services, basic life support training and community outreach to the island nation in the Caribbean.
Led by Kenneth Christopher, an assistant professor of public health, the members of the trip came from the School of Nursing, the School of Behavioral Health, the School of Communication and the Arts and the School of Health Sciences. Alongside Liberty University alumni, the goal was to train the native Curaçao residents to be promotornans di salú, or Community Health Workers (CHWs) in public health and emergency preparedness.
“I’m hoping to see that (the trip) is building more of an awareness for the individuals in the community,” assistant professor Tiffany Lamas said in a mission trip team interview. “We want to be able to empower the community and not enable … They may have these skills already but for some it could be a refresher. For some it could be just building knowledge. But to be able to equip them with the skills they need to empower their entire community, I think that is the key.”
The team’s work carried heightened significance following a tragic incident in which an 11-year-old student suffered a medical emergency at school. With no nurses on staff and no CPR training among teachers, the child’s life could not be saved before emergency responders arrived. The loss weighed heavily on the community, bringing a new urgency to Liberty’s mission to provide basic life support training and community-based public health education.
Over the course of the mission, 43 participants from local churches, the Red Cross Curaçao, government ministries and the non-governmental organization (NGO) Salud pa Tur completed the program. Along with CPR and Stop the Bleed instruction, training included instruction in health screenings, nutrition counseling and strategies for preventing and managing chronic diseases such as hypertension, which affects one in five adults on the island. They also learned stress management and self-care practices, advocacy and community resource navigation skills and culturally competent approaches to health service delivery.
By the end of the program, graduates were formally recognized by the Ministry of Health, Environment, and Nature, and the Curaçao Red Cross during a ceremony attended by senior government officials. Each participant earned the title of promotornan di salú, becoming a volunteer health worker and trusted community leader.
In 2023, 33% of Curaçao’s population reported at least one chronic condition, while 76% of deaths were caused by heart disease and cancer, according to that year’s census. These numbers continue to increase due to a lack of awareness, education and training on proper health and nutrition.
A highlight of the mission trip was a collaborative community health fair organized with the Ministry of Health, the Red Cross and three local churches.
The fair served as a hands-on practicum for CHW trainees, offering blood pressure and glucose screenings, health assessments and nutrition and physical activity counseling. It also provided CPR training through the American Heart Association’s Friends and Family program, equipping community members with life-saving skills.
“I have always had a passion for health and what it means to serve, since I serve in my community now at home,” participant Madeline Romero said in a mission trip team interview. “I think it’s so awesome that we are able to go beyond those four walls, beyond our country to be able to do that in another place that is in need in some of their communities. I think it’s also awesome that we are able to bring the gospel and share that with others as well in combination with health.”
Educational booths and interactive demonstrations engaged children and families, while multilingual health education materials helped empower Curaçao’s diverse population, which includes Spanish-speaking migrants from Venezuela and Colombia, by boosting health literacy, enabling informed decisions and promoting awareness.
The trip’s success was certainly not without challenges. To reduce costs, the team decided not to ship their medical supplies and equipment; instead, they traveled with them in their suitcases. Upon arrival at customs, the officials held all the equipment and supplies for clearance, initially instructing the team to return for them the upcoming Monday, after the start of the training week.
After repeated appeals, a supervisor stepped in and offered an unexpected solution. The team declared a value of their choosing for the equipment, paid the corresponding fee and left with the supplies in hand. The team described the moment as a clear example of God’s provision and favor.
After a successful week of training, educating and sharing the love of Jesus Christ, the team returned to the U.S. encouraged and grateful.
Future trips to Curaçao are currently being planned, including a women’s health and wellness conference aimed at empowering women in community wellness by equipping them with knowledge, networks and confidence to spark an intergenerational movement of healthier homes and resilient communities.
Upon reflecting on the laborious trip, the team’s lasting sentiment remains one of gratitude for the opportunity to use their gifts for God’s glory and serving those in Curaçao. Though the work was demanding, the team remains grateful for the opportunities to serve, teach and build meaningful relationships along the way. Their hope is that this trip will continue to make lasting impacts on communities and local leaders and bring glory to God through compassion in action.
Long is a staff writer for the Liberty Champion.