img border="1" src="http://www.sim.org/images/Only If GalmiHospitalSign.jpg" align="left">Jesus came into my life in 1978 when I was a teenager in Nigeria. That same night I decided that I would never make any decisions without first seeking the Lord’s guidance and hearing from Him. To my surprise, He directed me to medical school, and during my first year there He called me to mission. After I completed my medical training, I did an internship at Evangel Hospital in Jos, Nigeria (the hospital related to SIM), hoping to see what a mission hospital is like. What I discovered there changed my life.

The hospital staff members were outstanding mentors. Dr. Dan Iya, the Nigerian director of the hospital, invested in my growth, as did Dr. Bev Truxton and Dr. Phil Andrews, both SIM missionaries. Later Drs. Steve and Jan Arrowsmith and Dr. Bill and Dorothy Ardill joined my team of mentors The Arrowsmiths suggested that I go on a three-month mission to Galmi Hospital in Niger. God confirmed the idea, and it was the beginning of a wonderful pilgrimage—both as a doctor and as a mentor, following the examples of those who mentored me.

In 1993, my best friend introduced me to Joanna, also a doctor. One week later, with assurance in my heart that she was the right person, I asked her to marry me. I warned her that I was planning to serve at Galmi, and I gave her a grim description of the rigors of that desert location. She was silent for a moment and then said, “Let the will of the Lord be done. The first time I met you I knew you were the one for me.”

We went to Niger in 1995 as members of the Evangel Missionary Society (EMS) from the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA) in Nigeria. In Niger, God continued to give input into our lives through people like Gordon and Judy Evans. In 2002, we became members of SIM Canada (following a graduate degree in Organizational Leadership from Briercrest Biblical Seminary in Saskatchewan, Canada). We returned to Galmi, where I first served as chief medical officer and then hospital director. With the encouragement of the Lord and the support and collaboration of our team, we received accreditation for a residency program in Family Medicine at Galmi, seeking to develop Christian doctors with a vision for mission. Joanna works part-time in the hospital and is now beginning a Masters program in infectious diseases by distance learning with the University of London. We are blessed with two children, Jochebed (10) and Joel (8).

We continue to listen for the Lord’s voice, and we seek to pass onto others the blessings we have received from our mentors.

Note from Malcolm McGregor:

“I am delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Joshua Bogunjoko as Deputy International Director of SIM for West Africa and Europe, beginning in September 2006.”