God opened a new door for Doctor Rachel in North Africa

By an SIM worker 

“What are we doing?” 

“Did God really lead us here”? 

It had been months since Rachel and her family had moved to a city in North Africa, a challenging setting in many respects. They had come with much expectation of the work God had called them to, as well as an idea of the challenges that they would be facing, but they hadn’t expected this turn of events: Rachel is a Western-trained doctor, but the search for clinics that were willing to work with her came up short. 

Although they never doubted their calling before their arrival in North Africa, after being here for several months with her work still in question, doubts began to erode their sense of God’s leading.  

“We ended up on a path that we would not have chosen, but one through which God has accomplished more than we could have imagined.”

Rachel explains, “I had spent a long time preparing practically and spiritually for cross-cultural ministry, including years in medical training. It had been a great sacrifice of my time and resources, a significant challenge for our family with young children.

After overcoming these difficulties, we finally arrived in North Africa ready to serve, and yet I was surprised to find that the barriers to working as a foreign physician were much greater than I had encountered in other countries. 

God used those months to spend extended focus on language study, but I felt a loss of my identity as a medical professional. 

We began to ask ourselves, “At what point do we try somewhere else? Is God leading us in another direction?” 

Rachel continues, “People have an idea of what workers do or should do overseas, and here we were in a country that could really benefit from my expertise, not able to do what we had expected and been sent to do. I felt like a fraud, uncertain of what to report back home.” 

“Later, I came to a deeper understanding that all of this is part of my sacrifice to God.  God made it clear to us that He wants us here, and He chooses sacrifice for us to accomplish His purposes. My work allows us to be here and gives me a respected identity in local society. 

It enables our frequent opportunities to share His truth in this unreached group, and to encourage the few local believers. More than that, it brings me closer to Jesus.” 

“I had spent a long time preparing practically and spiritually for cross-cultural ministry… and yet I was surprised to find that the barriers to working as a foreign physician were much greater than I had encountered in other countries.”

Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Hebrews 12:1b-2 

“This verse really encourages us, as we learn to follow Him in the path of suffering. There is joy in endurance, as we look to Him who sacrificed it all, and is with us in our own sacrifices.” 

Learning to endure when we don’t seem to see God at work, is something with which all workers in North Africa are familiar. Waiting on Him, following in the path of perseverance and dealing with unexpected challenges are part of life here.  

Rachel now works in a local clinic as the only foreign (and only believing) doctor. 

“We ended up on a path that we would not have chosen, but one through which God has accomplished more than we could have imagined.”