Pembury Baptist Church

Many of you may know that I am currently spending a year in Beira, Mozambique, and working with Oasis to develop a community health programme that will be sustainable in the future. When I write it like that it doesn’t seem like too much hard work, but if I’m honest, I don’t have a clue where to start, and as its already February, time is of the essence!! 
I arrived on the 29^th January, with the expectation, that I would be working with another nurse, and that together we would assess what is already here, and implement change where necessary, and maybe include some basic training for others. As many of you will also know, I have been working at Great Ormond Street Hospital for the past four and a half years, as a paediatric nurse on the surgical unit. I have learnt a lot during my time there, but nothing really on the level that a place like Mozambique would require. I came out here hoping that the fact that I am confident in my basic nursing skills would be enough, and also hoping that I would be able to change my mindset from nursing with equipment and drugs at hand, to doing more of a blue peter style job, and using whatever is available!! So far, I have found out there is no other nurse, its just me, so it could be interesting!

I won’t go too much into the lead up to arriving here, but God basically spoke to me quite a few times over the last eighteen months about coming to Africa to work and use my skills. It all started after my first trip to Mozambique in 2006, when I spent 2 weeks helping in an orphanage near the capital city. Prior to this trip I was adamant I didn’t want to go, and was worried there would be no running water or electricity, and thought I would be eaten alive by bugs. I didn’t have much choice though, as I had already spent nearly £1000 on paying for it. I can be very stubborn, which is not always a good thing, but I have come to learn that God uses it to lead me in the right direction!! In this case, I was not going to let all that money go to waste, and I also didn’t want to miss out, so I went!! From the minute I arrived I felt so at home and loved every minute of the whole trip. So much so, I booked up to back the year after, a few months after getting back home!
The next trip was slightly more of a challenge, because God spoke to me about some situations that were going on in my life, and this unveiled some hard to stuff to deal with. I wasn’t expecting to deal with these things, and I think I tried to ignore God quite a few times , but once again he did his usual thing of going over and over the same thing until I listened! I came home feeling quite out of sorts and vulnerable, but there was something at the back of my mind that kept niggling and that was Africa!! 

I had vague thoughts about returning to work long term as I had loved what I had been doing there each trip, but after a few months, once I was settled back into my life at home, I convinced myself that I could satisfy myself just as easily at home, and that I didn’t need to go all the way to Africa to live according to God’s plan!! My walk with God was good, and I had a fab job, loads of friends and a nice comfy house!! Sorted! 
However, God had other ideas. As the months went on he put various things in my path for me to get past. I saw each one as a challenge, but soon worked out that if I prayed long enough and hard enough, they weren’t that difficult to get around, and I developed quite a good skill of avoiding things as well. This was fine in my books for a while, but the whole Africa thing was still niggling me so I decided to apply to Oasis, just to see!! I knew God was in the process of growing something in me, but because I was quite happy in what I was doing, I didn’t really acknowledge it, but I did think I should start listening a bit more!! 

The process of coming to Africa kind of just happened, but I know that it was only because of God that everything fell into place so easily. Every little thing involved minimal effort, and if I’m honest, I didn’t really realise the full extent to which stuff was happening until the day I left the UK. Right from the interview process, to the fundraising, to getting my visa and packing, until it was time to say goodbye, it just happened. I’m not saying it was easy by any means. The whole thing was quite possibly the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but I know that I got through it, and that it all happened so smoothly because of God’s grace. And God gave me this grace because I said yes. 

To me, saying yes can be quite difficult, especially if I don’t really like the sound of something. Yes, I loved Mozambique on the two short trips I did, but at the end of those trips, my comfy bed and power shower were waiting, along with all my friends, family, job, income, and life just as I want it. The thought of staying for a whole year brought along a whole new perspective, and I came up with so many excuses and reasons why doing this wasn’t a good idea! Its hard to explain why I said yes. It was mainly because every time I decided that this was too extreme and my mind had run off with this crazy idea of leaving everything I loved, God gave me his amazing peace and strength to get past each hurdle. Everything I was worried about got sorted out, right from the smallest thing to the biggest. He sorted it in so many different ways, some which were unimaginable, but the main thing is I’m here and its all ok!

Since I have arrived, I have generally felt really at home, and welcomed and I don’t think it will take me long to settle in!! I’m sure there will be many challenges along the way, but as long as I keep walking with God and saying yes, I think it will be ok! And life would be boring if we didn’t take a few risks!

So my conclusion is, whatever you are doing in life, just say yes and you will receive loads and loads of God’s blessings! Sounds like a good deal to me!!