Nursing positions

Serving in Mission has given me four possible positions to research and pray about taking on the African Continent in early 2010. Each of these will be open to a Registered Nurse for a two year commitment.

1. Rural nursing at undecided location in Ethiopia. This would involve working at rural health stations and community health teaching, something about which I am passionate..

2. Midwife Student Elective in Zambia at the Rural Mikinge Hospital: . This one is more appropriate for someone who has begun Midwifery School, which is something I am considering for the future.

3. Gidan Bege Urban Street Ministry in Jos, Nigeria. Gidan Bege means House of Hope. This position would involve a lot of social interaction and teaching/ministry with street children and prostitutes. It would be less medical and more of a social/evangelistic position.

4. Memorial Health Project in rural Doro, Sudan. This is part of a project to restore community, health and economic development in Southern Sudan. This position would involve use of basic nursing skills in a temporary clinic and training of local staff in basic education and community health.

When I believe I know which position is the right one for me, I will let the placement person at SIM in North Carolina know. He will contact the existing team in that location and tell them about my skill set, personality, strengths, weaknesses, etc. The team will then approve or disapprove of my joining the team. I plan to take this step in January or February of 2009.

"May your walls know joy; May every room hold laughter and every window open to great possibility."--Maryanne Radmacher-Hershey

Friends at SIM

At SIM start I roomed with two beautiful and amazing women of God and had the pleasure of getting to know several others during the meals, trainings, games and free time. The first SIM Start peer I met was Sarah, who is practically a neighbor, living in nearby Tulsa, Oklahoma. She is energetic, gregarious, hilarious and loves people! She had me laughing from the moment I met her. Her warmth and heart for others is almost palpable. She has already spent three summers working with children in Tanzania. I know God will use her greatly in her longer term placement with SIM.

I am blessed with many friends in Northwest Arkansas, but the addition of friends from across the US who share a common vision of serving Jesus and bringing His fame to the people of Africa, South America and Asia, has my heart overflowing with joy and gratitude for the beautiful way He uses all kinds of people to fulfill His purposes. The people at SIM are absolutely lovely.
Sarah and I on our last day following our exit interviews.
Roommates: Shawnnine from California, me, Sarah from Oklahoma
Regional coordinators Steve and Ann with Sarah
The younger SIM Starters from our house
We played Frisbee and keep away in the field as dusk arrived. Sarah won the "most competitive" award. All had mosquito bites. The mosquitoes in Arkansas have nothing on the North Carolina bugs.

"Those are red-letter days in our lives when we meet people who thrill us like a fine poem…people whose handshakes are brimful of unspoken sympathy and whose sweet, rich natures impart to our eager, impatient spirits a wonderful restlessness which, in its essence, is divine…In a work, while such friends are near us we feel that all is well." Helen Keller