10 days and counting

10 days to go and I am almost ready…. almost…..

I have almost finished work. I have almost completed my list of administrative tasks. I have almost finished saying final goodbyes to friends and family. I have almost started packing…..but not quite !

This month I have been overwhelmed at people’s generosity and support in numerous ways. Work colleagues have voiced their appreciation and affirmation of what I do in the medical world; friends and family have said how much they value me and will miss me; and many of you have prayed specifically for me and given financially. I am truly grateful for all the love and encouragement I have received. There’s been something quite humbling about this last month.  

Humbling – yes. Why? Because I am aware that I don’t have a right to people’s support, but I do need it. Acknowledging that I actually need help and then seeing it so generously provided is actually quite a humbling experience.  

In the 21^st century we are brought up to be independent and self-reliant. So the idea of relying on someone or something else to provide for our needs takes a bit of getting used to. We are also brought up to work hard so we deserve our achievements.  So giving up my job and financial security, leaving behind emotional attachments to family and friends, so I can volunteer on a ship in Africa seems to turn this view upside down. Or does it?

I am reliant on others to support and provide for me. The concept that I don’t deserve it, I don’t have a right to it yet I still need it, reminds me of Christmas. God sent His son into the world because we needed Him. Jesus offers to support and provide for us. We don’t deserve it, but the gift is given. Receiving the gift requires humility (or meekness). The carol, O little town of Bethlehem puts it like this:

How silently, how silently,
    The wondrous gift is given;
So God imparts to human hearts
    The blessings of His Heaven.
No ear may hear His coming,
    But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still,
    The dear Christ enters in.

So, thank you for your kind support and generous provision which has been a tangible reminder of the meaning of Christmas.

Only 10 days to go…..I’m almost ready ……. but I’d better start packing.

Preparation – joy or hassle?

‘How’s your preparation going?’

That was the question I was asked by a colleague the other day.

What was my response?

I think preparation consists of two aspects, social and administrative. I love the social. Time spent with friends and family before I leave is a total pleasure. However, the administrative aspect produces other emotions. Hassle, and a sense that much effort is required to do everything I need to do before I leave. The list of tasks is endless.....sorting out my house, my car, various professional licensing issues, change of address notifications, booking flights, filling in numerous forms, deciding what to pack and what to leave behind. It feels like it’s constantly one thing after another.

There is so much to do and so little time to do it. But I don’t want my last few weeks in England to be defined by ‘effort and hassle’. I want to enjoy them. So I’ve decided to do just that. I believe you can change how you think because the bible says you can, and I have seen it to be true in my own life. ‘Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think’. (Romans 12: 2). I’m learning to change how I think.

I can’t control what needs to be done or what might happen to me. But I realise I can control how I react to external things. It is choice and I can choose. I’m choosing to think joy and peace not hassle and effort. I am choosing to enjoy all the little jobs that need doing. And I’m refusing to let anything or anyone to rob me of my joy. And how do I do that? By applying another biblical principle,‘Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus’. (Philippians 4: 6-8). That's how.

So, what was my response to the question, ‘How’s the preparation going?’

‘Great thanks. I’m really enjoying my last few weeks.’

Why?

I have just resigned as a consultant anaesthetist……..why?  

Many people ask that.

I have resigned so I can volunteer for a few years as a ‘long term’ anaesthetist on board the Africa Mercy. The Africa Mercy is the world’s largest non-governmental hospital ship and is run by Mercy Ships. This amazing ship is based in West Africa with a mandate to bring hope and healing to the world’s forgotten poor. They specialise in treating diseases and injuries due to poverty and war.

I have already worked for Mercy Ships twice this year as a ‘short termer’ ie for a few weeks, while the Africa Mercy has been in Sierra Leone. War destroys a country rapidly, rebuilding takes time. A long time. In Sierra Leone, poverty is rife. War-time injuries, burns, as well as disfiguring diseases of poverty all need treating but there are scarce and inadequate facilities to do so. Without hope of a surgical cure, nothing happens. Actually it is worse than nothing. Disfigurement is often considered a ‘curse’ or something that someone else could ‘catch’. Therefore the victim becomes a victim again. Socially isolated; children banned from school, fathers excluded from work. Outcasts. Further poverty ensues, trapped in a downward spiral. Mercy Ships makes a difference. I’ve seen it.  And not just in Sierra Leone, but when I have worked with Mercy Ships in Liberia, in Togo and in Benin.

That’s why I resigned. I want to help Mercy Ships make a difference. Why me? Because I can. Because I have the medical skills that are needed; and people say I have the spiritual and emotional capacity to cope with what I see and help others do the same. That's why.