Episode 15 - Jason Blanchard - Growing up as a missionary kid in Malawi and returning to the same country as the CEO of Malamulo Adventist Hospital

Jason is the Executive Director of Clinic Operations at Loma Linda University Health in California, but talks about life as a missionary kid in Malawi, and his subsequent return in adulthood as the CEO of the Malamulo Adventist Hospital. He describes his journey in-between and how volunteering on short-term mission trips ignited a passion to help facilitate medical care for others as a career. He reflects on his first Maranatha project in Zimbabwe and the second in Malawi, where God confirmed his path back “home.” Jason talks about his family’s transition to living in Malawi, including his kids, who were around the same age as he was when he lived there in childhood. He also describes his experience at the Malamulo Hospital and how it benefited him in his future work in healthcare in the United States. He closes with advice for people considering coming on a Maranatha project.Thanks for listening! Please subscribe, leave a review, and share the show.Visit maranatha.org for more info on the work of Maranatha Volunteers International.Text us! Let us know what you thought of this episode and the show in general!On September 19, 2026, join us in Sacramento, California, for our annual convention, Mission: Maranatha. You’ll be inspired by volunteer testimonies, stories from the mission field, and updates from Seventh-day Adventist Church leaders around the globe. Plus, be blessed by Oakwood University's award-winning choir, The Aeolians.Learn more at https://maranatha.org/media-events/maranatha-convention/