December Prayer Letter

Are you called?  This year’s theme at Christian Veterinary Mission is “Called” from Ephesians 4:1. Paul writes, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called…”  This necessarily leads one to ask what calling Paul was talking about?  We are called in many ways as Christians: to seek to be more like Christ, to live our lives as salt and light, and to glorify God in all we do to name a few.  But, perhaps, the most well know call given by Christ was to “…go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”

Recently, I gave a talk at the CVM breakfast at a veterinary conference in Kansas City about being called and wrote an article for the CVM journal on the same topic so it feels appropriate to share with you a bit more about my journey toward being called to South Africa with CVM.

Where do I begin the story?  Even looking back I think we often fail to see the full extent of God’s preparation and design, but I will begin with my undergraduate studies in Michigan.  I applied to Hillsdale College last-minute late in the spring of my senior year and missed the deadline for getting scholarships, which could have ended everything right there, but God provided and Hillsdale scrounged several scholarships for me (one was for engineering students which I most certainly was not!) and managed to cover about half of the tuition. 

Due to an exciting first day which involved a fire in my dorm and moving from the dorm into an empty house with 9 other girls, I became friends with a student whose family runs an orphanage in Uganda.  The following year, ten of us spent a month at that orphanage and I got to see the fatherhood of Christ put into action.  However, I was also struck by the fact that our presence there on a short-term trip would have little lasting impact and decided no more mission trips for me until I had a more valuable skill to offer.  

Also, while at Hillsdale, God managed to drop into my lap an all-expense paid trip to South Africa to do biology research.  During that trip I was struck by the dichotomy between white South Africans living with all the western luxuries and the black South Africans living primarily in poor townships and villages with no running water, three sided corrugated steel shacks, and a monotonous diet of pap (a corn mash). 

Fast forward a few years and the Lord managed to send me all the way to Scotland for my veterinary degree.  I had always planned to go to Washington State University, but He managed to make the thought of that quite unpleasant during two trips there for interviews (think freezing cold, snow, two parking tickets).  When I found out that I was not accepted to WSU after two attempts, but was offered a place at Glasgow, it was a relief.  I was also excited that a UK degree would be accepted in many countries around the world (including South Africa).

After graduating from vet school I settled into small animal practice back home and became involved with emergency animal shelter programs (set up during emergencies to house animals displaced by flooding, earthquakes, tornados, etc).  That led to attending a CVM conference (ShortCourse) which offered training in emergency animal shelters.  This was my first experience with CVM and I was hooked.  I was incredibly inspired by the stories of veterinarians who were carrying out God’s calling across the nations. 

Ever since my trip to Uganda I had been pondering serving in missions overseas long-term, but after vet school I assumed that it would be many years before I could consider long-term service as I had large student loans to consider.  While at my second CVM ShortCourse, during a small group prayer discussion, we were talking about missions and someone asked what was holding me back.  When I brought up students loans they mentioned MedSend, a non-profit organization that helps medical professionals while they serve the Lord overseas by making their student loan payments.  It was as if a door had opened, revealing a multitude of possibilities. 

After quite a bit of prayer, I decided to move ahead towards long-term missions and trust God to close the door if He had other plans.  Since my two trips to Africa had so affected my heart, I knew that was where I wanted to serve and found out a perfect position, where God could utilize my small animal skill, was available in South Africa.  So here I am, in the deputation phase (support raising) with CVM and so excited about the opportunity to serve God at North-West University.  I’m following my “calling” as best I can and depending on God to do the rest.  

While I raise my support, I’m also organizing a short-term mission trip to South Africa for vet students next summer and would appreciate your prayers.  Please pray that God would stir the hearts of those He would like to go and give me wisdom in planning the trip.

November Prayer Letter

What are you thankful for this year? I’m incredibly thankful that God set me down a path I could never have imagined a few years ago and His grace and strength keep me walking. My current deputation process (support raising and preparation) has been a chance to renew old friendships and make news ones, but it is also stretching me in many uncomfortable places. God always knows the best ways to mold us and grow us and the final rewards are always worth the struggle.

Many people have asked what they can do to help me get to South Africa, so I wanted to expand on that topic. The most obvious answer for many is financial support. Encouragingly, several individuals and families have already stepped up with monthly or yearly recurring support and/or one-time gifts, but I still have a long way to go before my budget is met. If you would like a breakdown of my budgeted expenses, please just let me know.

You may wonder why I need to raise monthly support when I will be working at the university? Although North-West University will be providing me with a secure flat (apartment), they are not able to pay my salary due to South African laws and restrictions against hiring foreigners in government paid positions (NWU is a public university). That means my monthly living and project expenses need be covered by supporters like you.

Are you wondering if Christian Veterinary Mission is a trustworthy charity? Because CVM has a four star rating from Charity Navigator and is a charter member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA), you can be sure your donation will be going to support me in God’s work in South Africa. Also, all donations through CVM are tax deductible. CVM will never send you tons of annoying requests for money, but if you want to be sure, you can ask to receive only my communications.

When am I actually leaving for Mafikeng? It is important to me to be financially responsible, so I will not leave to teach in South Africa until my monthly support matches my budgeted expenses. The sooner partners like you step up to help, the faster there will be another crazy American veterinarian teaching at North-West University. Even a little bit helps! Whether it is $5 or $500/month, your partnership is greatly appreciated and will help send me on my way to share God’s heart with the students in Mafikeng. Recurring donations can be done automatically from credit/debit cards (sign up online) or you can send checks to the CVM office in Seattle.

You can also champion me in your churches, bible studies, and other groups. I would love to come give a presentation about what I will be doing in South Africa or I can give talks on other topics as well. Or, if you want to pull together a few friends who might be interested, we could all get together for a breakfast or to cook a South African inspired dinner where I can share about my plans with Christian Veterinary Missions. I’ll even bring along some biltong for you to try! Or maybe you would prefer dried mopane worms?

Biltong - A South African spiced & cured meat

Perhaps most importantly, prayer is critical to the success of my preparation for, and work in, South Africa. I would love to have a group of people committed to pray for me daily and when specific needs come up. If you would like to be on that team please let me know. If that isn’t something you can commit to at this point, please pray for me whenever I come to mind.

Over this holiday season, please pray especially that the Holy Spirit would provide the energy and enthusiasm to keep up with writing engaging monthly prayer letters and thank you notes in addition to all the regular holiday events and activities. Also, pray that the Holy Spirit will give me peace and confidence that He will supply all my needs in His perfect time.

May the Lord bless you greatly and fill your heart with thanksgiving.

Village Worship

Dr Emery, another CVM veterinarian currently teaching at the same place I will be serving posted this great video to his facebook site.  He has been assisting two African pastors who are planting a church in a neighboring village called Lokaleng.  This is a video from a recent worship service where four locals from the village found the Lord.



I can't wait to joint in!  To help me on my way please donate at www.cvmusa.org/quam

October Prayer Letter

Hurry, hurry, read all about it!  Breaking news from the front lines!  It is with great excitement that I share with you a quote from Dr. Emery, a Christian Veterinary Mission (CVM) veterinarian currently serving at North-West University (NWU) in Mafikeng, South Africa.  

“God blessed us tonight in Lokaleng (a small village on the outskirts of Mafeking) as we were privileged to join Him in worship and song! The Lord brought nine people into His fold tonight! Moruti KG preached and we had a blessed turnout! The Lord is building His church in the village. What a blessing it is to be here! Words can't express the joy! Please pray with us for this village and for the ministry God is doing here.  Hallelujah!”- Dr. Tim Emery

Dr. Emery and I will be working together in the NWU small animal hospital once I arrive. God is moving in the area where I will be serving and I can’t wait to get there! 

The opportunity for Dr. Emery and me to work at NWU in South Africa all relates back to the hard work of another veterinarian, Dr. Dale Beighle.  Dr. Beighle, a Southern Baptist missionary and veterinarian, started teaching animal health in South Africa in 1979 at what was then the Taung College of Agriculture.  Eventually, Taung College was incorporated into the University of Bophuthatswana and then, after apartheid, it was amalgamated with two other universities into North-West University.  Dr. Beighle’s goal was to “come to South Africa to advance God’s work and to teach animal health at the same time.”  Because of his hard work and dedication, the animal health department continued to flourish and grow and was able to build a small animal hospital to service the needs of the local community and provide a training ground for the students.

The small animal hospital entrance

Since Dr. Beighle’s retirement in 2007, the university has been eager to have more veterinary missionaries come teach and indeed, would love to have Christian missionaries teaching in every field!  What an amazing opportunity to openly live for Christ at a secular university.  Thankfully, through CVM, two other veterinarians have served in the Animal Health Department since 2007 and now I will be the third.

The Mafikeng campus of NWU is located about a four hour drive west of Johannesburg and Pretoria (the capital of South Africa) in a rural area on the border with Botswana.  The campus is quite large with over 9,000 students from over 24 countries.  The Dale Beighle Centre for Animal Health Studies at NWU is located on the main university grounds, but is situated in a secluded area with a separate entrance.  The department also has a training farm a few miles out of town with a dairy herd, pig unit, poultry unit, and additional classroom/research facilities.

Lecture and office block

As a teaching clinician at NWU, I will be working as a veterinarian in all the same aspects I do now, but with the added benefit of teaching and mentoring the students.  The first item on my official job description from NWU is to “be a Christian witness to the students.”  Can you believe it!  What a blessing to be able to openly combine the veterinary talent and skills with which God has blessed me with the opportunity to speak into the spiritual lives of students.

During the next few months, as I continue the support raising process, please pray for the Lord’s patience to fill me since waiting is not one of my strengths.

Why Africa

“Why in the world are you going to Africa?”

A question I have heard frequently since I made the decision to move to South Africa, but one to which  I was only recently able to fully articulate an answer.  Africa is a land of contrasts. We watch Discovery Channel shows about lions and migrations and imagine ourselves on safari experiencing the stunning beauty and the freedom of open spaces. But, Africa is often that place we try to forget about – war, famine, greed, racism, hate, corruption, child soldiers...  Our subconscious tries to convince us that if we don’t think about it, it’s not really happening.  Maybe we can avoid facing the truth of the pain and sorrow that is so common in Africa.  Often it all seems so overwhelming that we tend to give up even thinking about making a difference. 

As I started down this path with Christian Veterinary Mission I often wondered “What good can I really do?”  Will leaving my home, stepping out of my comfort zone, and asking others to financially support this project actually result in any benefit for those I go to serve?  While pondering these thoughts, I happened to stumble onto a movie called “Blood Diamond” (2006) and several thoughts from the dialogue stuck in my mind.  The movie is set in Sierra Leone during their bloody civil war in the late 1990’s. 

Danny Archer, a character in the movie speaks, I believe, for many in Africa when he say,  “Sometimes I wonder... will God ever forgive us for what we've done to each other? Then I look around and I realize... God left this place a long time ago.”  Those words struck my heart and stuck with me for days.

Later, just after the chaotic and viscous take-over of the city by the rebel forces, an American reporter covering the war is asked to help one local man find his son.  Her initial response is “The entire country's at war. Why should I help this one person?” and then “I can’t believe I just said that.”  That was my revelation. Although I cannot eliminate South Africa’s lingering racism and poverty, God can use me in little ways to touch a few individuals.  Perhaps I will bring His hope to a student who has none, His peace to a troubled heart, or His healing to a broken spirit.  I will focus on one person at a time as they move through the small animal clinic and then God can send them out to touch others.

Thankfully, South Africa is currently peaceful and its people are “equal,” but it was not long ago (1989) that war and conscription and apartheid were the norm and the country is still healing.  Despite many improvements, two thirds of the Children in South Africa are still living on less than $1/day and at least 10% are underweight. Perhaps even worse, 40% of sexual assault charges filed were committed against children and you can imagine that many sexual assaults by family members go unreported. Startlingly, over 25% of pregnant woman are infected with HIV giving birth to over 300,000 HIV positive babies per year and over 1.2 million children have lost their mother to AIDS.

Although many in South Africa are better off than elsewhere in Africa, there are still to many with damaged hearts who have never had the opportunity to be unconditionally loved or to hear of Christ’s overwhelming love and forgiveness.  Christ’s love alone can bring the healing needed by these many hearts and I pray that God will use me to share that love with those I encounter there.

On my way!

Working on a visual to track my progress support raising.  What do you think?  To donate go to my page on www.cvmusa.org.

First Prayer Letter!

Dear friends and family,

For many of you, this letter is probably a surprise (hopefully pleasant :).  Or perhaps you have kept up with my plans on Facebook or through our conversations.  Either way, I’m excited to officially announce my partnership with Christian Veterinary Missions and North-West University.  

The desire to use my veterinary education and skills as more than just a means to a salary has long been on my mind.   Since I graduated as a veterinarian five years ago I’ve helped out with veterinary aspects of our local county fair and had a veterinary 4-H club for several years, but now I have the opportunity to move to South Africa and teach Animal Health Technician students at North-West University.  I am so excited about this opportunity to share both my veterinary knowledge and my love for Christ with hundreds of students over a three year period.

I will be working at the university’s small animal hospital with groups of 5-8 students on 2 week rotations.  These students are in their final year of the Animal Health Technician program and are learning veterinary nursing skills.  This structure provides an ideal environment for forming relationships with students on a personal as well as professional level. That relationship can then open the door for me to share God’s love for them through my words and actions.

This past April I traveled to South Africa and spent a week touring the campus and surrounding area and meeting with the Animal Health Department staff.  God truly confirmed my call to South Africa during that visit and I can’t wait to return.  Every staff member I met was excited about my upcoming involvement and very welcoming.  I feel as though I already have a family awaiting my return.

So, when will I be returning to South Africa?  Well, this letter is the first step in my deputation process through Christian Veterinary Missions to raise the prayer and financial support I will need before I can return to serve at North-West University.  Although the university is able to provide me with safe housing, I am responsible for raising the remainder of my living expenses through donations.  I have both a one-time expense budget (car, flights, setting up my apartment) and a monthly expense budget (insurance, food, gas/petrol, etc.) that will need to be met before I can return.  All financial support is tax-deductible through Christian Veterinary Missions, a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.  I encourage you to pray about committing to support me through regular prayer, monthly financial support, or a one-time donation.

If you feel led to partner financially with me in this exciting opportunity to support South African veterinary technician students both spiritually and practically, please donate through Christian Veterinary Missions at www.cvmusa.org or by mail at:

Christian Veterinary Mission

19303 Freemont Ave N

Seattle, WA 98133

Project name: Go, Speak, Live Boldly

Over the next few months I’ll be sending out further updates about Christian Veterinary Mission, North-West University, and my role in the small animal hospital, but I would also love to speak with you personally to answer any questions you may have. 

God bless,

Rebecca Quam

hislightrq@hotmail.com

www.facebook.com/GoSpeakLiveBoldly

…and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel…  Ephesians 6:19 

What, where, and when?

"What are you going to be doing?"  A question I hear almost daily that has a complicated answer.  I will be working with North-West University in Mafikeng, South Africa in their School of Agricultural Science department.  The department trains Animal Health Technicians who will work for the government.

"The main duties and responsibilities of the Animal Health Technician is to ensure a healthy, productive and reproductive livestock and animal population in South Africa by means of the following: prevent, control, and eradicate animal diseases through disease investigation, sampling, collecting & evaluating epidemiological data, implementing sound animal health strategies, veterinary extension and primary animal health care activities."

There is a small animal hospital at the college so I will probably spend most of my time seeing clients along with a group of 6 or so students. There may also be opportunities to teach lectures and labs and take students out into the surrounding countryside to put on animal health clinics for locals.

Of course, the main reason for this move will be the opportunity to mentor the students and share the gospel of Christ with students, faculty, and locals.

So, when am I going?  First, I have to raise the support that will allow me to live in South Africa without wages from the University.  Due to restrictions on hiring foreigners, NWU is only able to provide my housing and cannot pay a salary so I will need to raise my salary through donations from friends, family, and all other interested parties :)  My budget is not yet set, so no fund raising has started, but I'm looking forward to getting the ball rolling.  Once I have a monthly donation income equal to my budget then I will move to South Africa to start teaching.  Unless you are all extremely generous, it will likely take 12-18 months for the fund raising process to reach my budget.

I'll keep you up to date on the process as things happen!

Getting Started

Let's inaugurate this new blog for my anticipated Christian Veterinary Missions work in South Africa with a verse from Ephesians and my request to you.  


"Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador ... Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should." Ephesians 6:19-20