Good Health

Here’s to good health, Mexico!

By Katherine Young – on her survey trip in Mexico

When you think of Kiwis in mission overseas, Mexico is probably not the first place that springs to mind. It definitely didn’t for me. Yet I travelled to Mexico City for three weeks on a survey trip (of the missions, not geology kind).

For the last few years I have been working towards long term service overseas. Last year I reached the stage where I was like, “Ok God, I’m getting to where I’m ready to go. Now, where in the world do you want me to serve?” I’ve never had a burning passion for a particular place. Instead for me, it has always been the opportunity and organisation that mattered – something involving health (I am a nurse), children, poverty and the gospel.

I had found out about Pioneers through trying-to-stay-awake-on-night-shift internet searches, and over the last year had realised that it was the organisation for me. So then we were looking for something that would mesh with my areas of focus. Nothing seemed to be much of a possibility, until I was told about a kiwi family, the Barnards. They are in Mexico City involved in children’s work and a local church community centre. And yes, they could use a nurse. So, thinking that this could actually be it, I booked my tickets, tried to learn some Spanish, prepared some health resources and set off.

My three weeks in Mexico City were spent doing a range of nursing, children and tourist activities. With the help of translators (the Spanish I had learnt ran out after a minute), I conducted health seminars, held blood pressure and glucose screening clinics and sorted out donated medicines.

It was great to be able to use my nursing skills to bring some new people along to the community centre and to be of service to those attending the church.

My participation in the children and youth programmes was limited by my lack of language, but misbehaving youth still understood what I meant when I glared at them, and it was fun teaching them some games that I had learnt in youth group growing up. The rest of the time was spent hanging out with my Mexican host family, eating good Mexican food, using my dictionary to try and work out what was going on, squashing into the Metro to explore the city and quizzing the Barnards about life in Mexico.

Where to from now? I would loved to have come back from my trip with a definite ‘yes’ or ‘no’ about whether this is where I should be serving long term. But I didn’t. So, I am currently in the land of limbo seeking God’s will for the future, and I am trusting (well, trying to) that the God who cares more about his kingdom than I ever will, and knows me better than I do, will lead me in the way that is best for his kingdom in his time.

Katherine has since found her calling. Within weeks of returning to New Zealand an opportunity arose for her to check out a medical work in South Sudan. Since serving in Sudan was a childhood dream, she jumped at the chance to visit. She’s now sure South Sudan is where she’s meant to be. 

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