African Experience

by Sandra Paredes

HCJB Global Hands in Quito was sending disaster relief teams to stricken areas of the world and was looking for professionals to be part of such teams. I liked the idea to serve others so I applied.

Some time later we were told just what relief work could involve and that we should be ready for whatever might happen to us. Our trust should be in God alone. At that time we also learned that personnel were being sent to a Christian hospital in the Republic of Congo. As a nurse and a committed Christian, I was willing to go so was eight months later I was at that hospital in Impfondo.

The hospital is new and doesn’t have all the necessary equipment so our main medicine was prayer. I was able to witness miracles there, not the miracles related in the bible, but the miracles of seeing the critically ill patients healed despite the existing shortages. God showed us His love and power every moment. He made us realize that man can go so far with his own understanding but then God takes control and says, “Now it’s over to Me.”

At first the work was difficult. I needed to adjust to the different time zone, the different language, and the excessive heat, but little by little I adapted so that my two months there seemed very short. God lives in that place. The people are poor, but their main need is spiritual. Many say they believe in God but they tie this in to their African rituals.

The two months in Impfondo was a wonderful experience for me. When it was time to leave I was filled with nostalgia. Everything was incredible despite the language barrier, but even there we began to understand each other bit by bit. I began to pick up Lingala which is the dialect that the majority of people speak there

When I returned to Ecuador I realized the greatness of our God. I thanked Him for all we have here. My view of life has changed. I am now ready to be guided by God to wherever he chooses to lead me. And always I will be thankful to Him for HCJB Global and the opportunity given me to go to that small corner of the world called Impfondo.