Confidence and Trust in Christ!

This weeks update is an accumulation of the last two weeks being here. I was actually sick last weekend. A sick James equals a rather negative and morbid James. Therefore, James did not see it fit to right an ‘encouraging’ blog update in such a condition. Apologies in advance for the long entry, when I get going, it is easy to just type out my mind as if it were a conversation.
The practical components of the course have been very busy the last two weeks. We have been overwhelmed with a plethora of infectious diseases common in tropical countries. We have learned about urine testing, diseases associated with vitamin and mineral deficiencies just to name a few. It is so weird to hear about all of the diseases caused just by not eating enough, say, Vitamin A. I find that I am realizing daily just how much of my education and upbringing that I take for granted. I am also finding that day by day I am getting more and more excited for our outreach to Uganda in order to implement all that we are learning. So far, we have just confirmed a few weeks working in Northern Uganda in some Sudanese refugee camps.
Summer has finally hit England. The countryside truly comes alive with the sun. The tress FINALLY bloomed and their leaves are in full swing. It is also a great time of fellowship at the Kings Lodge here. Since the Lodge is rather big, it is easy to not see people – sometimes for days. But in the sun, everybody hangs out and does homework on out enormous front lawn. So I am getting to know people that I barely knew in a deeper level.

Spiritually, God is still doing a work in me. It sounds a bit funny, dare I say generic, to say such a statement. But every week God challenges me in something new. It is a nice pace for me. Slow enough so that I am not overwhelmed, yet weekly so there is always something that I am being challenged in.
The first challenge that I had (in Week 4) was about the future. Suffice it to say that I love to worry about the future. In fact, one could argue - myself included – that in the past I have ‘idolized’ my future plans. It is exciting to plan for the future. One thing that I had to lay down on coming to YWAM was my future. I had to give up my job and enter into a school with no financial certainty. Just before leaving Ottawa I applied to a job posting at Health Canada. This job appealed to me for numerous reasons. Firstly, it would allow me to return to Ottawa/Gatineau. As much as I have complained in the past, I feel that Ottawa is my new home and I actually really enjoy it now (‘gasp – did I just say that’). Furthermore, I feel that God has put Ottawa in my life for a reason; everytime that I go back to Ottawa, it is for a purpose that God does. Secondly, living in Ottawa, or rather Gatineau, would allow my to really work on my French. Finally, the job is actually just a really good job. I’m ranting so I will get back to the story. The job was a university recruitment posting. Therefore there were gonna be a load of new graduates applying (most likely more than 500). I applied on the whim that I was highly qualified for the post. I actually attended an information session on the job. At this session I asked about interviewing overseas etc. Basically I was told that it would be too much work to single out an applicant like that. In other words, if I were not in town at the time of interviews, I would probably be out of luck. Come a couple of weeks ago, I get an e-mail stating that I have been shortlisted for an interview (this means that I have passed two levels of the application already). However; dilemma seeing as I am in England!
My first reaction on hearing that I had an interview was not one of praise to God, but rather a reaction of stress. Immediately God pointed out this reaction. If God really wants me to get this job, in which I am highly competitive and qualified for, he will make it happen. After the instantaneous moments of stress I decided to begrudgingly give this to God. This doesn’t mean that I won’t act on asking questions etc. Rather it meant that my first reaction was to change from that of being stressed to one of giving, or submitting, this part of my life to God. Thankfully there are people here at the lodge who are willing to pray for you about anything. So I asked for some prayer (not only here, but back home too). If God really is God, then he will have a plan for my life that I am surprisingly willing to follow. It was so refreshing to give up the stress to God, to not have to worry about the future as I had in the past.
Needless to say, I e-mailed Health Canada, and they have agreed to conducting a phone interview. So I haven’t gotten the job just yet, which is something the people can please pray for, but I can be confident that God is presiding over this situation. If I don’t get the job then that is fine, likewise if I do get the job. The great part about the whole situation is that I now know that it is God that is in control. Therefore I do not have to worry about it like I would normally. It is in God’s hands. This is quite a relief.

The next thing that God has challenge me on (week 5) is being confident in who I am in Christ. I recall walking down the stairs past the bookshelf and seeing a book titled something to the likes of ‘Being stuck in the grips of Sin.” That is not the exact name of the book, but the central idea was one of us humans being innately evil and without hope. This ideology frustrated me because we Christians tend to always say how we are naturally bad and horrible beings only sanctified by Christ. That before Christ we were pure rubbish. Though this can be true from a theological point of view, it doesn’t jive well with me from a practical point of view. I am tired of thinking that as a human I was worthless and without any hope. This just isn’t true. Even though we were created in a state of sin, we were still created in God’s image. God has made us wonderfully and powerfully. Our bodies themselves testify to God’s greatness. Now, as a Christian I can be confident in who I am in Christ. This means that I can stop always getting down on myself for all of my faults. I am by no regards perfect – this is why I must rely on God’s continual renewing of me – but I am sanctified in God’s eyes. This whole idea really got me thinking about how we ought to, as Christians, not be walking in shame, but rather in confidence. We are God’s children, a new creation in whom God is pleased. This means God is pleased with me who I am at this moment in time. He won’t only be pleased with me when I have reached the goal that I strive for to be more like Him. No, He is pleased with me NOW. I can walk in confidence that God looks at me, right now, and is pleased. (am I repeating myself or what!) What a relief to accept this. I can still strive to be more and more like Christ. But I can walk in Victory knowing that I am right in God’s eyes.

The Nitty, Gritty, and Gross!

This week saw us learning about gastro-intestinal diseases and infections that – these most commonly are diarrhoeal in nature! In addition to this we started learning a hands on approach to patient examination. This included feeling the abdominal quadrants for irregularities, learning the location of the lymph nodes, and listening to irregular breathing patterns just to name a few.
I really enjoyed the learning this week as the majority was hands on. Much of the anatomy and physiology was just reiterated information - stuff I had previously learned in my undergrad. The practical component, on the other hand, was something new for all of us. We learned patient examination (see image) such as feeling for abdominal irregularities, finding lymph node associated with various diseases, and listening to regular and irregular respirations. The school is finally in full swing and although it is rather easy in terms of difficulty it is still life-saving and extremely practical. This is one of the joys of being in a school like this. The majority of all deaths in these impoverished nations are easily preventable just by taking simple precautionary measures that can be taught or taught by ANYONE. I think that God really desires for us as a people to stay healthy and to take care of ourselves. Therefore He has made it simple for all of us to be hygienic and clean. I find that the more schooling that I am doing, the more excited I am become to go to Africa and actually implement what I have learned.
In addition to the GI diseases, we learned about nutrition and lack there of (malnutrition). It was odd to hear stories from our instuctor (a nurse who has spent over 10 years of her life in Mozambique) about children dying just due to lack of food only eating one type of food. It is also interesting to see just how much our culture affects the developing nations. For example, Avacados are really a super food because they are rich in proteins, essential nutrients, and energy in the form of carbohydrates. Yet many people in these nations do not eat this readily available and affordable food. They often believe that these foods are not good for you for just that reason – because they are cheap. In fact, healthy foods are most often equated with price. The higher the price, the healthier the food. Going by this logic, potatoes (not as readily available in Uganda) are more nutritious than say bananas. It is simple things errors and beliefs like this that can easily be changed just by proper health education. Yet some of the consequences of poor nutrition are ghastly. For example, Rickets –caused by a deficiency of Vitamin D- will give an individual bowed legs for the rest of their lives. Or take Xeropthalia, due to a simple lack of Vitamin A, can result in an optical ulcer or even blindness.
This week also gave me the opportunity to visit London. This is the second time that I was able to see London for a weekend. I recall the first time I went to London I was overwhelmed by the big city. One could say that I fell victim to the lure of what London had to offer. I fell in love at first site. Yet this time I was really able to see London from a different perspective. I didn’t realize just how skewered my point of view has been over the past few years. Yet after living with a load of people that are living example of the gospel, one can only be changed. This time in London had a different feel to it. This time its vanity didn’t seduce me. In fact, I was able to see the all the marketing and bedazzling for what they really were. London is a great city, but in the end it is just a city, like any other. Perhaps in the past I idolized London for all that it had to offer.
While in London I had an epiphany. I was sitting in the middle of a park enjoying the sun when I realized just how happy I was then and there in the moment. It sounds trivial I know. It wasn't the fact that I was just happy or content. For the first time in ages I was, dare I say it, thankful! And thankful to God (this just keeps sounding crazier every moment!). I keep viewing myself as 'not one of those people in church' that is openly thanking God in front of everybody because, quite frankly, I am not always thankful. But this was one of those genuine times in which I was actually truly thankful. I think it maybe has to do with God slowly renewing me more and more daily (or something like that - you know you've heard it all before). It really brings a new dynamic to the relationship when you can say your thankful and actually mean it, when it is not forced. I think every week God is doing something small like this in my life. By the end of the five months it will be many small things which will hopefully equate a big change.

Worldview, poverty and health.

  
Worldview, poverty and health.
This week we have been learning about biblical worldviews. It is so interesting to see how one’s view is shaped. The lecturer started the class by asking us the simple question: “is the world changing for the better or is it changing for the worse?” I think as westerners our natural inclination is to say that the world is getting worse. By just being inebriated by the scandals of the world via the media, there really is not another way of viewing the world.
What about a black person from South Africa? Certainly since the fall of the Apartheid their lives have gotten better. Yet a white South Africaner who left the Country years ago, on the other hand, may state that the country is going to the dogs. We, as westerners have a worldview different from other parts of the world. Therefore, we must be open and willing to hear other points of views if we are to be effective servants of Christ.
As a health school, there is a huge focus on serving the poor and needy – in other words the sick. Often our worldview instills in us the false belief that these impoverished people are also stupid and inept at life. It is thus easy to even subconsciously have a superiority complex. How we have forgotten that these people are also created in God’s image? Our God does not make mistakes.
One aspect of training this week was on poverty. Poverty is a unique issue in that it not only incapacitates the individual physically through lack of food and water, it also destroys the individual mentally and spiritually through feelings of powerlessness, hopelessness, and loneliness.
This week’s teaching has been an amazing. I feel as if my eyes have really been opened up to various aspects of health that I would have otherwise never even welcomed the thought of. If anyone is interested in community health initiatives as a means of evangelism I highly recommend the book Jamkhed.
Once a week the base comes together to worship. But once a month there is a larger worship session in the evening with invited guests from friendly churches and such. This week was when we had the monthly meeting. At the centre of the room was a cross. Through my time here God has been slowly ebbing away my walls of comfort. So often I find that I desire for God to change me, yet more often than not it is myself that hinders these changes. This week I was praying for God to truly break me and to reshape me. I was emotionally and spiritually high (perhaps relying on these euphoric feelings too much). But God asked me to bow down to Him first before He would initiate such a change in me from the inside. I thought to myself “Bow down? I don’t ever speak up in church or do things that would bring attention to be like that in church. That is for other types of people, surely not me. I just like to sit in the background.” But God was adamant. How was he going to bring about change in my spirit if I wasn’t even willing to bow down in surrender to Him? I think God wants to bring about change in so many of us, but we just need to fully surrender to Him before his is willing to do so. The simple act of bowing on my knees is really nothing if you think about it. Yet my initial reaction was to say ‘No!’
How often in my life I have wanted change, but have not surrendered. This concept of surrender is not new to me either. It is kinda funny… or I guess I should say odd. I know that as soon as I surrender to God that He will bring about change. Yet everytime God asks me to surrender I hesitate. You’d have thought that I would have learnt my lesson by now.
Getting back to the story I finally did surrender. The simple act of bowing down was more difficult than I had expected. I think that it is the difficult things we do truly bring about change. As soon as I bowed down a peace came over me – a peace I can only describe as the peace of God. I was able to surrender to God various issues and worries in my life that had really bound me.
I don’t want to preach to people but rather share that we have a God that wants to change us from the inside. We just have to be willing to initiate that change ourselves and he will gladly take over!
For those of you who are laboriously reading my blogs each week I thank you. I hate asking for prayer, but please pray that God would continue to renew me in His image, and that I would be open to this and willing to obey. For those of you who LOVE to write letters I must admit that it is a real joy here at the base to receive a letter from abroad. If you feel so inclined to share what God is doing in your life or just to send a letter of encouragement I would be most appreciative. My address here is:

James Mullen
c/o The King’s Lodge
Watling Street
Nuneaton
Warwickshire
CV10 0TZ
England

First week in England

            Well I've arrived safe and sound in England. After a week long bout of jetleg (worse than I've ever had before), my body has finally adjusted to the time change. The school is so far very interesting. It is a combination of curative medicine and preventative medicine. In other words, the school focuses on addressing the present disease and wound needs such as prescribing medications and wound care. However, the school has a large focus on health education. Since a majority of diseases that we will be dealing with are easily prevented, health education has the greatest ability to bring about change.

             There are four students in my school along with four staff: Chelan, a fellow Canadian; Kelda, from Switzerland; Linda, from England; Rose, Caroline, and Lyn - all British; and Lucena, Philippino.  We've decided to do the practical component of the school in Uganda.  Many of the staff have been to Uganda on previous occasions so they already have a good rapport with the locals there.

              Being back in Youth With a Mission (YWAM) was a bit of a shock for me since I have been away from it for the past 5 years.  I am used to the academic component of any schooling.  However, YWAM also has a huge emphasis on personal and spiritual development.  Therefore I often am spending a large portion of my time doing readings and devotions.  Having done solely academic before at University, I can see just how important personal and spiritual development is in regards to education.  YWAM is not only teaching, they are raising future leaders.  

               The base, like most YWAM bases, is an eclectic cultural soup.  There are individuals here from England, Scotland, Whales, Germany, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Norway, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Philippines, Canada, U.S.A, Malaysia, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, and Egypt.  Like a said, quite the mix!  I love being surrounded by all of the cultures.  Everyone is so different yet we are all here united by one God and one faith.  It is so crazy to see so many cultures working together - especially community living - in a manner that works!  

               I normally am busy from morning to night Mondays to Fridays.  This consists of classes, intercession, worship, work duties, meals, and devotions.  Every Tuesday or Wednesday we have a local doctor come in to teach us about various health things.  In addition, two of the staff members of the schools are nurses.  One has spent over ten years living in Africa!   

               This week we learned about Primary Health Care, what it is and what is its purpose.  In addition we started with human anatomy and physiology, health education, and taking vital signs.  I must say that wearing a stethoscope around my neck feels very natural.  During our health education class we were asked what we thought were some of the main causes of diseases were.  Every answer we stated was a typical western answer such as poor hygiene, infection, poor diet, overpopulation (not a lot of space), poisons etc.  We never thought to say things like sin, spiritual bondage, worry etc.  Yet these are biblical principles!  Not only that, but the people that we will be trying to educate and work with in Uganda are very spiritual.  It is so easy to get caught up in our own worldview.  In the west we tend to focus just on scientific and logic-based health methods.  How on earth are we to tend to the health needs of the malnurished if we come to them with an attitude of superiority or we dismiss many of their religious beliefs.  Many tribes have witchdoctors, therefore; often the individuals being treated will search out a physical cure (ie. medicine) as well as a spiritual cure.  Both cures have equal importance to these people.  This was an eye-opener to me.  If I am to truly have faith in God, then why would I dismiss such ways of thinking.  If God exists, then the spiritual realm must exist as well.  

           God is definately doing a work in me.  I am excited to see refreshment from God in my life as well as to see how he guides this school.