Wonderful! Marvelous! Rewarding!
I was very impressed with the preparation for the trip. The team got together for training and prayer and we were able to meet for a church service, pulling together prior experiences from some team members and the apprehensions of those not having been yet.
As the time grew closer for the trip, resources were purchased and packed and I wondered where all my clothes would fit in! I'm not used to traveling light, but with God's help I managed to! That was a first! I had also prayed about having real peace about the trip. I was concerned that I may feel a little isolated, not being a medic on a medical team and that conversations would feel alien to me! Thankfully God helped me there too and I got a real sense of unity within the team.
Our first morning's devotion was given by our team leader who had been given a vision of us being rough stones fitting together to form a pathway in which we could lead people to God; and hopefully by the end of the trip some of our 'roughness' would have been worn down too. We are all individuals though and make up part of Christ's body and He can use us just as we are.
People can be reached by love and friendship through differing aspects of mission, but the main aim is always to bring people into God's Kingdom.
Working in the prayer station was such a privilege. Working alongside people like Tessa, in her third year of study at the bible school (another mission project), and Pastor Bernard was so inspiring. I found that the people of Zambia have been open to negative spiritual influences, however this made it so much easier to talk to them about the love, grace, mercy and salvation they could receive through knowing Jesus. People were openly moved, crying with many thanks.
The following day was the baby feeding programme. I knew I was going to need plenty of prayer support for this day. God is so good and the morning was going so well. Again it was such a privilege to pray with the babies and their carers, who looked so tired. I also had the lovely task of handing out clothes packages for the babies. Wonderful!
I was called over by a team member who was upset and asked for me to pray with them. A baby had just come through the clinic who was so poorly they thought the child would die that day; baby Mayoh, who was 6 months old. As I returned to the prayer station baby Mayoh and his mother were waiting for me. It was more a cry to God than a prayer and I have never felt so much in any prayer time. I was shaking and tears were streaming down my face. It is so good that we can cry out to a loving God, and although He knows the bigger picture we can feel His closeness.
We visited what can only be described as a pathetically resourced hospital that day and to our delight baby Mayoh was indeed revived.
The team at the mission base does a marvelous job and God's hand is so evident in all that they do.
The trip touched me deeply and has taken me to a new place spiritually. Working within the team and with the mission staff was so rewarding. I gained so much more from the trip than I gave and hope that in sharing my experiences I will touch others too.
Karen Robinson