Rosemary Wambui, who has just returned from serving for a year alongside a health centre in Uganda shares her experience:
I was born in Nakuru Kenya, where I was raised and went to school. I am a nurse by profession. Jesus Christ is the Lord and Saviour of my soul. In 2016 I completed my University education and was so excited to be in the nursing field and make money
as it was also my family’s expectation. Little did I know that the Lord was calling me to serve his people cross-culturally in a different country. I joined iServe Africa as an apprentice only to realize that my placement was in Northern Uganda, in West Nile region among the Lugbura, where I served as a nursing officer in the health centre and also in the community. In the church I was helping in the youth service while in the health centre I helped conduct morning devotions with the help of a good Christian friend.
Crossing cultures…
It was not only an exciting thing being in a country I had never been to before, but also a challenging thing. Leaving my friends and family and my fiancé was not an easy thing. Praise the Lord for sufficient and even abundant grace. He enabled me settle well despite a tiring journey of 10 hours drive. The people were very welcoming, though some culture shock hit me on the very first day. Language barrier was my great challenge as about 85% of the clients did not understand English or Kiswahili so some times I had to use sign language to communicate whenever I without a translator. Food was also my great challenge especially enyasa, ants, mukene and mudrokori but praise the Lord who enabled me to eat them (though some times with difficulty). Snakes were my greatest challenge and most of the time they came in the house. I also wrestled with boils for eight months.
For the joy set before him…
The most amazing thing is seeing Christ going through so much to accomplish his mission. He suffering hardship we will never understand. He was hated and killed by the ones he came to save. But he did not fail in his task despite it all. His rejection and death was the very thing that achieved his mission which was saving sinful man. This has been my strength through out the year.
I was encouraged by David Platt’s book Follow Me. I learnt what it means to follow Christ. “Deny self and take up the cross,” I told myself, “Despite all the challenges, I will not fail in my task”. This has been my slogan.
I’m grateful that God has made this year a time of great spiritual growth for me as I have read several Christian books, practiced the spiritual disciplines, studied the Word of God deeply as I prepared talks, and received training from Global Link Afrika. Serving people in Northern Uganda only increased my passion for nursing and medical mission. As I go back to Kenya, I go back being a transformed lady, feeling a responsibility and readiness to serve, especially those with terminal illness (palliative care) and share Christ with them as they prepare for departure.
To my fellow incoming missionaries…
We have been called for mission and for cross-cultural missions. He who called us is able to give you strength, grace and wisdom. If you focus on him, He will enable you accomplish your task. May God bless you abundantly.
This testimony first featured in the GLA magazine The Link.
encouraging story. i love it.