Local doctor got early start in serving others in third-world countries

WACO, Texas ( FOX 44 ) – Dr. Ana Crew practices family medicine at Baylor Scott and White in Waco, but that is not where she got her start in service.

She was born to Brazilian and Portuguese-speaking parents whose life’s work surrounded serving others in third-world countries. At a very young age, Dr. Crew got an early education in the medical field, bridging the gap of different languages and sharing the love of God.

“I would go over and help my parents when they would do their mission work. I could be useful because mission work isn’t just what my parents did. It’s what my whole family did,” said Dr. Crew. “Me and my brothers would be teaching the little kids the Bible stories, and we would be leading worship in the church.”

Crew starting kindergarten in a foreign country. For as early as she can remember, the family foundation Love in Action was their focus. Dr. Crew’s father played the guitar and was a pastor. Her mom played the piano and taught Sunday school – but serving the underserved communities in other countries did not stop with their spiritual needs. Her father was also a nurse, and her mom a dentist. Dr. Crew got involved there, too. She started by helping her mom attend to the dental needs of a community.

“So I stepped in, and I was my Mom’s dental assistant for a long time, until I was about twelve,” said Dr. Crew.

Later, when doctors started being recruited by Love in Action, a future doctor found her passion for the profession.

“There were American physicians that would come, and they would need a translator, or they would need an assistant to help them be able to write the prescriptions in Spanish. So I hopped on from the dental side to the medical side, and I just fell in love with it,” said Dr. Crew.

In the midst of a mission field, Crew worked to spread the word of God while working to stop the spread of illness. Today, while the location has changed, Dr. Crew’s message of hope, positivity and her desire to serve has remained the same.

“To me, the mission field is not specific to third world countries. The need is everywhere. So, this is my mission field. Waco is the place that I have chosen to serve people. This is where God has brought me. And, I am going to just bloom where He has planed me,” said Dr. Crew.

Aside from her family medicine practice, Dr. Crew also teaches at the Baylor College of Medicine in Temple, training the next generation of doctors. It is not all work for Dr. Crew. She played some soccer in college and liked it. So now she’s a member of a Hispanic women’s league right here in Waco.

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