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In the summer of 1999, Dr. Kyle Sheets and his wife, along with their ten children, took a trip to Zimbabwe, Africa. At the time, Dr. Sheets was a third-year resident at the Via Christi Family Medicine Residency Program in Wichita, Kansas, and was seeking a one-month clinical rotation at an exciting place where his family could experience a new culture. He had no idea that one-month at Karanda Mission Hospital would change his worldview forever.

Four years later, Dr. Sheets started PAPA Missions with the intent of providing practical help to other physicians who had a desire for medical missions, but no practical experience in planning mission trips. Since then, PAPA’s mission has expanded as we have seen needs arise. We now focus much of our attention on sending medical supplies and volunteers to those in need. The vision for PAPA Missions began in Zimbabwe, but since its inception in 2003, PAPA has sent dozens upon dozens of volunteers to six different countries, and has shipped medical supplies worth millions of dollars to needy medical facilities around the world.