Posts
Wednesday, June 14, 2000
post-Zambia
14 June 2000
Final (Post-) African trip prayer letter Trivia Question:
What surgical procedure has the pre-op diagnosis of “Philistine” & post-op diagnosis of “Israelite”?
Tambukeni mwane!
Wow! It’s already been about a month since I left Luampa Hospital in Zambia, & it feels like I’ve stepped from one whirlwind of events on the African continent into another whirlwind of events on the North American continent. Some of the whirlwind I’m experiencing now is partially of my own doing. Since my return to the States I’ve gone to visit my brother-in-law & sister in Georgia, returned home where my parents’ loving arms awaited me, sifted through 3 piles of mail (let me know if you need another credit card), went through all the requisite paperwork & ceremony for graduation (Praise the Lord!), signed my contract for residency (4 year sentence to begin Mon. 6/26 – or 26/6 as they write in Zambia & most of the world outside America), went to Sacramento to visit relatives & my grandmother’s grave (while I was in Zambia she went to spend the rest of eternity with Jesus), started looking into buying a home, & just finished all my prerequisite stuff for residency (among other things, an ACLS course & physical – praise the Lord that my skin test turned out TB negative!!)
Next Tuesday I’ll be going with our church to Mexico for a 5-day missions trip, which will have a children’s Vacation Bible School, church building renovation, & a few medical aspects to it. It’s weird to think that my missions experience began in Mexico 7 years ago in Tijuana with YWAM.
In any case, even though I’ve already seen & talked with some of you already, I wanted to use this window of opportunity to write a final prayer letter to let you know how I’m doing & how your support has greatly benefited me. I find it also helpful for me to put my thoughts onto paper as a way of organizing their “jumbliness” into some semblance of rationality. Several of you have stated that you enjoyed my letters, for which I am encouraged & praise the Lord. As I’ve stated in earlier letters, I would not mind it one bit if you quickly scan & delete this admitted mass-mailing. No trees have died to make this email possible.
Again, THANK YOU very much for your prayers! Some of the things I’ve gained & learned are as follows:
- how to treat some tropical disease with limited resources. I found that after a while, it might be technically easier to be a doctor there since there were limited tools at our disposal. I also learned a good community-involving model for rural preventive health care (prenatal, under 5 children).
- A better understanding of the health status of Zambia, along with its cultural, spiritual, & economic underpinnings, particularly with regard to HIV/AIDS
- Some of the Mbunda language (Kushangazala Njambi! = Praise the Lord!) & culture of the people surrounding Luampa. In fact, though it’s much less than before, I still catch myself curtsying & clapping my hands during conversation as I learned to do in Zambia. My sister thought it was hilarious.
- That God wants me to prepare to become a fulltime, longterm overseas medical missionary, as He has made clear to me through prayer, my study of the Bible, the encouragement of fellow believers, and circumstances.
- A little more of how to work with humility, with a better balance of inter-dependence with colleagues.
- How to boil/make different foods, including pastas, potatoes, fresh vegetables, puddings; but NOT including dried peas (even with 3 separate trials, they turn out crunchy)! Hey, not everything I learned was spiritual/ministry-related. A bachelor’s got to survive somehow, you know!
- More about Israel/Judah’s kings, Isaiah, & 1 Peter (a book in the Bible), as I was asked to speak/lead during some chapel services & Bible studies.
- How to share the story of how Jesus profoundly affected my life (my “testimony”) more smoothly
- Beginning to learn how my identity & self-worth are not wrapped up in my past, how other see me, or my performance, but in what Jesus has done for me & who He has made me. If you’re looking for some good reading, you might want to try Blackaby’s “Experiencing God,” Anderson’s “The Bondage Breaker,” or McGee’s “The Search for Significance.”
- How God’s creation looks when unspoiled (I’ll say it again: the sky, day or night, at Luampa was amazing!)
- More about how kids worldwide can enjoy the same group games, even with old tennis balls that would’ve gone to some landfill
- A deeper appreciation for the work of past pioneer missionaries who saw their work for what it was (& is): spiritual warfare; & who understood both the great honor & great costs involved in it.
- A deeper appreciation for the need of accountability, support, & teamwork in the Christian life
- A deep recognition of my own luxurious lifestyle.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your prayer & support. And praise the Lord, praise the Lord, praise the Lord for all that He’s taught me. Certainly there is still very much to learn in life, & some of the things I mentioned about only represent what I’m only BEGINNING to learn. Some of the things are concepts that are just beginning to dawn on me intellectually, & haven’t come significantly into consistent practice (e.g.: my sense of identity & self-worth).
Please pray that I would be consistent with & faithful to the Lord as I plod ahead toward longterm missionary service, & that I’d have the “spiritual eyes” to see how He’s leading me (To what country? What people-group? With which mission board? In what capacity? When?) I still have a desire to teach but admittedly loathe research (not that it exists but my own personal involvement in it), which Dr. Jewel the missionary doctor – professor strongly suggested I get involved with if I want to be a professor. Please also pray that as residency begins, I’d have the right attitude about it, & prioritize my life correctly, especially with family, friends, & church. Please also pray for the Luampa Mission Hospital in Zambia, that God would use it & its surrounding churches to serve the needs of the community & bring many into His kingdom. Right now they are in desperate need of nursing staff. (If you know of anyone who might be interested, I’d be glad to tell them about the mission.) Also, even though it seems to be at least 4 years down the road, you may also pray that God would provide a team of like-minded people with whom I’d serve together. Perhaps God might have you in mind!
I’m a little embarrassed (Njisambeseniko mwane – please forgive me!) that I’ve made so many requests from you, but believe me, I’ve always needed a lot of prayer. Please don’t hesitate to let me know how I may also prayer for you.
Again, praise the Lord for His wonderful work!
Talk to you soon,
Sid
PS: Answer to the trivia question: Circumcision! [I helped with several.]
Final (Post-) African trip prayer letter Trivia Question:
What surgical procedure has the pre-op diagnosis of “Philistine” & post-op diagnosis of “Israelite”?
Tambukeni mwane!
Wow! It’s already been about a month since I left Luampa Hospital in Zambia, & it feels like I’ve stepped from one whirlwind of events on the African continent into another whirlwind of events on the North American continent. Some of the whirlwind I’m experiencing now is partially of my own doing. Since my return to the States I’ve gone to visit my brother-in-law & sister in Georgia, returned home where my parents’ loving arms awaited me, sifted through 3 piles of mail (let me know if you need another credit card), went through all the requisite paperwork & ceremony for graduation (Praise the Lord!), signed my contract for residency (4 year sentence to begin Mon. 6/26 – or 26/6 as they write in Zambia & most of the world outside America), went to Sacramento to visit relatives & my grandmother’s grave (while I was in Zambia she went to spend the rest of eternity with Jesus), started looking into buying a home, & just finished all my prerequisite stuff for residency (among other things, an ACLS course & physical – praise the Lord that my skin test turned out TB negative!!)
Next Tuesday I’ll be going with our church to Mexico for a 5-day missions trip, which will have a children’s Vacation Bible School, church building renovation, & a few medical aspects to it. It’s weird to think that my missions experience began in Mexico 7 years ago in Tijuana with YWAM.
In any case, even though I’ve already seen & talked with some of you already, I wanted to use this window of opportunity to write a final prayer letter to let you know how I’m doing & how your support has greatly benefited me. I find it also helpful for me to put my thoughts onto paper as a way of organizing their “jumbliness” into some semblance of rationality. Several of you have stated that you enjoyed my letters, for which I am encouraged & praise the Lord. As I’ve stated in earlier letters, I would not mind it one bit if you quickly scan & delete this admitted mass-mailing. No trees have died to make this email possible.
Again, THANK YOU very much for your prayers! Some of the things I’ve gained & learned are as follows:
- how to treat some tropical disease with limited resources. I found that after a while, it might be technically easier to be a doctor there since there were limited tools at our disposal. I also learned a good community-involving model for rural preventive health care (prenatal, under 5 children).
- A better understanding of the health status of Zambia, along with its cultural, spiritual, & economic underpinnings, particularly with regard to HIV/AIDS
- Some of the Mbunda language (Kushangazala Njambi! = Praise the Lord!) & culture of the people surrounding Luampa. In fact, though it’s much less than before, I still catch myself curtsying & clapping my hands during conversation as I learned to do in Zambia. My sister thought it was hilarious.
- That God wants me to prepare to become a fulltime, longterm overseas medical missionary, as He has made clear to me through prayer, my study of the Bible, the encouragement of fellow believers, and circumstances.
- A little more of how to work with humility, with a better balance of inter-dependence with colleagues.
- How to boil/make different foods, including pastas, potatoes, fresh vegetables, puddings; but NOT including dried peas (even with 3 separate trials, they turn out crunchy)! Hey, not everything I learned was spiritual/ministry-related. A bachelor’s got to survive somehow, you know!
- More about Israel/Judah’s kings, Isaiah, & 1 Peter (a book in the Bible), as I was asked to speak/lead during some chapel services & Bible studies.
- How to share the story of how Jesus profoundly affected my life (my “testimony”) more smoothly
- Beginning to learn how my identity & self-worth are not wrapped up in my past, how other see me, or my performance, but in what Jesus has done for me & who He has made me. If you’re looking for some good reading, you might want to try Blackaby’s “Experiencing God,” Anderson’s “The Bondage Breaker,” or McGee’s “The Search for Significance.”
- How God’s creation looks when unspoiled (I’ll say it again: the sky, day or night, at Luampa was amazing!)
- More about how kids worldwide can enjoy the same group games, even with old tennis balls that would’ve gone to some landfill
- A deeper appreciation for the work of past pioneer missionaries who saw their work for what it was (& is): spiritual warfare; & who understood both the great honor & great costs involved in it.
- A deeper appreciation for the need of accountability, support, & teamwork in the Christian life
- A deep recognition of my own luxurious lifestyle.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your prayer & support. And praise the Lord, praise the Lord, praise the Lord for all that He’s taught me. Certainly there is still very much to learn in life, & some of the things I mentioned about only represent what I’m only BEGINNING to learn. Some of the things are concepts that are just beginning to dawn on me intellectually, & haven’t come significantly into consistent practice (e.g.: my sense of identity & self-worth).
Please pray that I would be consistent with & faithful to the Lord as I plod ahead toward longterm missionary service, & that I’d have the “spiritual eyes” to see how He’s leading me (To what country? What people-group? With which mission board? In what capacity? When?) I still have a desire to teach but admittedly loathe research (not that it exists but my own personal involvement in it), which Dr. Jewel the missionary doctor – professor strongly suggested I get involved with if I want to be a professor. Please also pray that as residency begins, I’d have the right attitude about it, & prioritize my life correctly, especially with family, friends, & church. Please also pray for the Luampa Mission Hospital in Zambia, that God would use it & its surrounding churches to serve the needs of the community & bring many into His kingdom. Right now they are in desperate need of nursing staff. (If you know of anyone who might be interested, I’d be glad to tell them about the mission.) Also, even though it seems to be at least 4 years down the road, you may also pray that God would provide a team of like-minded people with whom I’d serve together. Perhaps God might have you in mind!
I’m a little embarrassed (Njisambeseniko mwane – please forgive me!) that I’ve made so many requests from you, but believe me, I’ve always needed a lot of prayer. Please don’t hesitate to let me know how I may also prayer for you.
Again, praise the Lord for His wonderful work!
Talk to you soon,
Sid
PS: Answer to the trivia question: Circumcision! [I helped with several.]
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