A Long Silence!

Sorry for the long silence! Yeah, so it's been about 8 months since I've updated my blog and a lot has happened since then. Here's the condensed version: quit my job in Children's Accident and Emergency in London and moved back to Canada in March, and spent April, May, and June travelling back and forth and up and down between Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario visiting family and friends. In May, I also took the huge step of beginning the application process to SIM (Serving in Mission) as a long-term missionary. I made this decision after changing my mind about returning to Sierra Leone, West Africa to work with International D.O.V.E Association, as had been by goal for 4 years--since spending the summer of 2002 there. Coming to that decision was a long and difficult process, but suffice it to say that I clearly sensed God leading me in a different direction. I knew that I was still passionate about mission in Africa, desiring to use my children's nursing skills that I have been developing for the past 6 years to serve God. During my tropical nursing course, I became very interested in community based health care and in training village health workers.

So I have applied for the position of community health nurse with SIM South Sudan. I have spent the last few months, in addition to all my travels, filling out application forms, completing doctrinal and psychological assessments, attending interviews in Toronto, and working on a missions course that SIM requires. Phew! It has kept me busy! In October, I have SIM training in Toronto as well as 2 final interviews before they can decide to accept me.

I am pretty excited about the prospect of going to Sudan. I've been intrigued by everything I've heard about this country for quite some time, but especially since reading a fantastic book called Emma's War. It's written by a journalist who has spent many years in Sudan and is about a British relief worker called Emma who falls in love with Sudan and with one of the leaders of the Sudan People's Liberation Army, one of the main rebel groups in Sudan's most recent civil war (1983-2005). What I love about this book is the author's vivid descriptions of the history and cultures of this fascinating land. It is the largest country in Africa, encompassing desert, mountains, savannah, the lush river valleys of the Nile, and tropical rainforest. It is a mosaic of Arab and African cultures. For more info on Sudan and on what SIM is doing there, go to www.sim.org. From there look for "Where we serve" in the left column, click on Africa, then on Sudan. This week on the home page there is also a nifty little slideshow of SIM's work in South Sudan. Look under "What's New" for "Rebuilding Sudan: Church and Nation (slideshow).