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A Doctor’s Year in Asia with Interserve
Paul*, a doctor from the North of England, shares how faith, medicine, and community intertwined during a year serving at a Christian hospital in Asia, with Interserve’s short-term On Track programme.
A Calling to Serve
Ever since I was a teenager I’ve felt a God-given passion to be involved in His global and cross-cultural family. So I was really blessed and thankful that I could take a year out of my medical training to serve at a Christian hospital in Asia. I’d been praying for a long time about having the opportunity to experience and serve in a resource-poor setting, particularly in a part of the world where Christianity is not the majority faith. I felt very blessed, but also incredibly challenged, by living alongside local brothers and sisters and local communities of different faiths, seeing what life looks like for those guys, working as a doctor there and being really welcomed into their family for a year.
I’m a qualified doctor here in the UK but hadn’t entered my specialisation years when I went to Asia, so I spent time chatting with people at Interserve and other organisations about how I could best serve. There was a local paediatric consultant at the hospital who was my senior while I was there. That was important to me. There were times when I felt pushed beyond what I was used to and had experienced before. Generally though, I was able to work with newborns and children with various acute problems or chronic health issues just like we do in the UK, while learning a lot about what that looks like in a very different setting and health system.
“It was such a privilege to live alongside Christian brothers and sisters”
Life and Learning in Community
Most of my day-to-day life was spent at the hospital, where I had a small flat in the grounds, but I would go into the local town to do my shopping and visit people. I really enjoyed experiencing local food and customs. Many of those serving at the hospital have lived and worked there for a long time, and it was such a privilege to live alongside Christian brothers and sisters. I had a lot of my dinners with the local guys there and we would spend evenings chatting, going on runs around the hospital grounds, praying and doing Bible study, and doing church life together. The local culture is incredibly welcoming and people-focused. It took a bit of time to get used to, but really blessed and challenged me.
It was a joy to be part of a small local church and to see how their faith is lived out in that community. I was struck by the beauty of the church sharing life and all they have together, while witnessing boldly to the gospel despite many challenges. It’s something I’d read about in Scripture but seen less frequently in the UK. I am hoping, God willing, that I can go back and visit soon. I’ve stayed in touch with the guys there and they’ve become dear friends. But obviously, I’m on the other side of the world – so I need wisdom on keeping up these relationships in a sustainable and appropriate way. That’s not always the easiest thing.
Looking Ahead with Hope
I really hope that being involved in healthcare in that country will be a part of my future in some way. It could mean living there again long-term, or perhaps a sustained relationship with frequent visits to learn, support and contribute what I can. My focus for now is to continue my work and training here, to gain skills and experience that could be of use in some way. This autumn that looks like getting through my specialty exams. Beyond that, my future is in the Lord’s hands.
*Name changed for security purposes
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On Track Programme
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