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