14 MINUTE READ

from Luke’s Journal 2020 | #CMDFAlyf | Vol. 25 No. 1

Annetta Tsang

Annetta is a specialist paediatric dentist for young and special needs children, sharing her work between Gold Coast University Hospital and a private practice. She has been part of the Luke’s Journal family since mid 2018.

Tell us a bit about yourself:

Hi, I’m Annetta Tsang. Daughter of the Almighty – uniquely created, loved, accepted and valued, baptised in the first year of university. Wife. Mummy. Idealist. Thinker. Dreamer. Recovering perfectionist. Naturally introverted. Purposefully extroverted when around children. Dessert and coffee fanatic. Love reading, drawing, writing, singing and learning. Totally not designed for sports and rather awkward at socialising.

What’s a book that you’ve read this year and really enjoyed or found encouraging?

I am in the middle of reading How Happiness Happens by Max Lucado. It has encouraged me to be purposefully happy. Another book by the same author that I’ve found encouraging each time I read it is Cure for a Common Life.

What do you see as the main purpose of Luke’s Journal?

The main purpose of Luke’s Journal is to engage and encourage Christian readers (especially those who are in health, allied health or other helping professions) in thoughtful reflections, discussions and actions around integrating faith in practice. Luke’s Journal is an integral part of CMDFA and its overarching aim underpinned by CMDFA’s vision, “to be transformed by Christ, transforming healthcare”.

Eleasa Sieh

Eleasa is a Canadian-born Chinese living Down Under. She moved from Toronto to Brisbane in 2009 to study medicine at UQ and currently works as a GP on the Sunshine Coast. She’s also undertaking Biblical counselling part-time online through Westminster Theological Seminary. Eleasa had been contemplating writing for Luke’s Journal for a couple of years but finally took the dive to join the team at the CMDFA National Conference in Canberra. She’s been helping with the editorial team and enjoying learning the ropes and shadowing the other editors.

Who is someone from the Bible that you admire?

Abigail – her courage in standing her ground with both Nabal and King David, exercising both wisdom and wit within the boundaries of her role, while also appealing for justice and peace.

What’s the funniest thing you did as a kid?

I wasn’t a very funny kid, sadly, but I got really attached to certain stuffed animals that really weren’t that cuddly, like a little stuffed duck toy I left behind in our rental van on one of our family road trips to the USA.

Anything else you’d like to say?

If you haven’t heard any of the music by Beautiful Eulogy yet, do yourself a favour, and have a listen to their album called “Worthy”.

Adrianus Thio

(Adrianus on left at a geriatrics conference in Taiwan, with a participant of community active ageing programme.)

Adrianus is a medical registrar from Melbourne who has been involved with Luke’s Journal for the past year.
So Adrianus, what do you think you bring to the Luke’s Journal Team?
My energy and vision. I hope to see Luke’s Journal spread to a wider audience through an online platform…the future is digital.

 

Would you like to share something you’ve recently enjoyed reading?

The Great Flowing River: A memoir of China

What song do you think would best describe your life?

“幸福路”(Happy Road).

Arielle Tay

Arielle is a junior doctor based at the South Metropolitan Health Service in Western Australia and will be commencing General Practice training in 2020. She undertook her medical studies on the Gold coast. She joined the Luke’s Journal editorial team in May 2019. Her main role in Luke’s Journal has been setting up and moderating the Facebook page. It has taught her many different skills – one of them being how to best connect with people in an online format.

Tell us a bit about yourself?

I love warm weather, catching up with friends over coffee, Italian food and a good Pilates class! I dislike a large variety of veggies, being on call and winter.

What’s something unexpected you’ve been challenged to think about or do this year?

This isn’t unexpected, but I think one thing that God has challenged me to do this year is to have more open and honest conversations with nonbelieving friends and colleagues about the gospel. Also to really support and encourage fellow Christians to continue running with endurance the race that is set before us.

Why did you decide to get involved in Luke’s Journal?

As a junior doctor, I am discovering how faith helps to enhance my work and how my work can also grow my faith. I joined the team to encourage fellow Christians within healthcare to press on in being the salt and light in their workplaces… I am very excited about the future of Luke’s Journal and how God will use it to grow his kingdom!

 

Winnie Chen

Winnie is one of the veterans at Luke’s Journal, having been involved since 2015. She lives in Darwin with her husband and for the last two years she has been working as a GP registrar and fellow for the local Aboriginal Medical Service. She also works in nonclinical roles of clinical editing and university teaching.

 

 

Where do you see the future of the journal going or what do you see as the main purpose of Luke’s Journal?

Firstly, Luke’s Journal is helpful for members and others Christians working in healthcare. For example, the content can be used to facilitate a discussion on suffering in regional CMDFA groups. More broadly, Luke’s Journal can be useful to the wider church – eg. in helping Christians think through complex ethical issues.

What’s a book that you’ve read or watched this year and found encouraging?

King’s Cross by Timothy Keller – a wonderful book following Mark’s gospel. Although I have been a Christian for many years, the book was helpful in guiding my reflections on who Jesus is (king) and what he came to do (cross).

Kristen Tee

Kristen is a general practitioner (currently enjoying maternity leave) who lives in Adelaide with her husband and baby daughter. She loves music and she enjoys singing as well as playing the piano and cello. She also has some creative talents in photography, sewing and digital art, especially when she can share the experience with her friends.

How did you come to get involved in Luke’s Journal?

About a month or two before I went on maternity leave, I saw an ad in Luke’s Journal calling for additional helpers. I felt that in the season prior to motherhood, God wanted me to use my “voice” for Him. He had already provided opportunities for this throughout the previous year with my involvement in the church worship team, writing articles for Christian Today and writing some letters to politicians. In the Luke’s Journal team, I have edited some articles, written one myself and been involved with the discussion about moving the journal online.

Through Luke’s Journal, I hope to share my passion for seeing people encouraged to do what God has called them to, whether that be persevering in their medical work, writing or anything else! As such, I also want to encourage the team as they discuss ideas for future editions of Luke’s Journal. I am blessed to be involved with this group of Jesus-loving doctors, and hope that many will be encouraged by the articles in Luke’s Journal.

Where do you get your inspiration for writing?

I have been writing a blog on life with God for some years now. My inspiration comes simply from the testimonies God gives me in my daily life – things that remind me of who He is, how much He loves me, and how He has called me to be His witness in this world – whatever it is that I might be doing.
If you were a type of food, what would you be most like? Hmmm, I would be most like a wrap because I like to collect things, put them together and make them look nice as a whole. For example, putting fabric and ribbons together for a dress, or photos together
in a memory scrapbook, or words together to tell a story.

Georgie Hoddle

Georgie is a Nurse Immuniser for both staff and residents in a Christian aged care group. She has previously worked as a Clinical Nurse Educator in the disability sector and she still recalls enjoying training back in the days when nurses lived at the hospital, shared dorms, learnt the meaning of person-centred care and having compassion for our patients, and made life-long nursing friends.

What is a verse from the Bible that has been an encouragement this year?

The verse from the Bible that has really resonated with me this year is Matthew 6:33 – “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness….” It came to heart and mind during a meeting with IHS Global, in Brisbane March 2019. We actually broke out into spontaneous song. Since then I’ve been singing it, accompanying myself on the guitar, whenever the occasion occurs. It calls me back to turning to God first before I make a decision, or even just leave the house!

How did you first get involved in Luke’s Journal?

I’ve been involved with Luke’s Journal editorial team for more than 2 years, and first volunteered to write in 2015 for the “You Are What You Eat” Luke’s Journal edition. I have a passion for good Biblical food, and wished first to share some of God’s culinary gifts, in the form of recipes, and also prompt people to think about what they ingest into their bodies and how it affects them. We are, of course, the temple of the Spirit. I then went on to submit other articles that I had hoped and prayed about as useful information to divulge to our colleagues in healthcare.

I hope to bring the nurse’s perspective of care, compassion, intelligent questioning, collaboration and resilience to all the team. I also have some editorial skills developed when I lived abroad and worked in medical publishing. It is my wish to encourage the multidisciplinary dialogue where our professionalism and God-given talents can be put to good use.

Where do you see the future of Luke’s Journal?

Luke’s Journal has an amazing future ahead, led by God’s Word it is a source of information and inspiration. Going on-line also means it will burst into colour! Above all, I believe Luke’s Journal is educational and a vehicle through which we can develop wise communication and share the passion we have to assist people, both our patients and ourselves, in a time of vulnerability and need, in the name of Jesus.

Collated by Dr Grace Leo – Grace is a Paediatric Registrar based in Sydney who has been blessed by being part of the CMDFA family for over a decade (and met her now-husband, Matt, at the 2012 IMPACT Conference!) In addition to occasionally writing for Luke’s Journal, she also enjoys working on medical education projects, graphic design, playing board games and baking

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