Here I Am Lord

One of Bert Bowden's favorite Bible verses is Isaiah 6:8. In that scripture Isaiah heard God asking whom He should send to bear the truth. "Here I am," Isaiah answered. "Send me." In that passage, Bert, an ophthalmologist in Huntsville, Alabama, hears God's question directed at him. And three or four times a year he answers by traveling to places such as the Dominican Republic, Belize, Mexico, and Trinidad.

"I find things get pretty dull if I'm not working for the Lord," says Bert, whose specialty is oculoplastics, or eyelid surgery. Born in Alaska and reared in Texas, Bert made a commitment to missions after a Work and Witness trip in 1996 to the Navajo Nation, where he used electrical training from his Navy days. During a 1997 meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Bert dropped into an ice cream social hosted by Medical Ministries International.

There he heard a presentation about a Christian resident training program for ophthalmologists in the Dominican Republic. "They had many sub-specialists in ophthalmology, but no one in my field of oculoplastics," Bowden recalled. "The man giving the presentation said they had many people with problems that needed help, but he couldn't do it with his lack of time and training. He said, "If you know anyone with oculoplastics training who will come to teach and help out, let me know." 

I stood up and said, "Here I am. Send me."

That first trip was in March 1998. He has been back to the Dominican Republic 14 times. Bowden's private practice in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery is successful-he says he has even participated in miracles. But he never takes things for granted. "The Lord always provides for me financially when I am on the trips," he says. Bowden's wife, Connie, and three of their four children have been on mission trips with him. He said, "My sons were amazed on one trip when they went into a village to share the Gospel with children. The children were so excited to get a single page from a coloring book and a single crayon. The boys realized how spoiled we all are, with our TVs and Game Boys."

He has ministered to Belize (2001) and Mexico (2003, 2004, 2005), and participated in another Work and Witness project on a Sioux Indian reservation (2002). He's planning a trip to Azerbaijan. But the fruit of his efforts in the Dominican Republic keep drawing him back there, which his students and patients appreciate. "Dr. Bowden was important in my decision and training as an oculoplastic surgeon," said Antonina Paniagua, of the Dominican Republic. "He has not forgotten me, or my country, since he keeps helping needy people through me and the charity hospital where I work."

In May 2005, Bowden returned to the country, teaching students who are the "second generation" of oculoplastic surgeons. "When I ask any of the residents questions in my lectures, they answer with my answers," says Bert, with a tinge of awe. "Just think about that. I taught [the first students], they taught the residents, and now the residents return my answers to me. I have taught them how to fish, as the old saying goes." He also has taught them to be fishers of people. "Dr. Bowden is not only an incredible physician and teacher, but he is also an incredible evangelist," said Nicole Hunter, hospital administrator of Elias Santana Hospital in the Dominican Republic. "He takes every opportunity to share the gospel and the love of Jesus Christ with everyone he comes in contact with. He is a man of integrity with true gifts from God."

His activities mirror that assessment. Bowden also sits on the Alabama North District Board of Nazarene Missions International and gives monthly talks to young people about missions. But his interaction with kids isn't just talk. He is currently sporting a bald pate. He had told a local group of church kids that if they raised $2,000 (U.S.) for missions, he would shave his head. They raised $2,187. But his passion is overseas. He says that although he has taught ophthalmology residents during his three trips to Mexico, no one is yet specifically trained in oculoplastics. "That will come, though. I also plan to go to Azerbaijan and teach there. Medical Ministries International has a goal of offering 500 training programs by 2050. I wonder how many of those I can get to?"

Anita Palmer is a freelance writer and editor in San Diego, California.

Holiness Today, November/December 2005

Please note: This article was originally published in 2005. All facts, figures, and titles were accurate to the best of our knowledge at that time but may have since changed.