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From Luke’s Journal May 2025 | Vol. 30 No. 1 | MIMBY

Through no merit of my own, I have been saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8). Furthermore, it is humbling to think that instead of being born into very well-resourced Sydney, Australia, I could have just as easily entered this world in any number of the resource-poor countries that I have been to, or grown up in a harsher era in history.

After quite a few years in general practice, this increasing conviction to leave my “comfort zone” to serve more in areas of need – especially overseas – led me, about ten years ago, to embark on a process of upskilling in more acute areas of medicine by way of regional hospital work. This included working as a locum in remote areas as well as going on several medical mission trips. Meeting and befriending various inspiring people from whom I may otherwise have been sheltered helped to expand my horizons and reinforced areas of my life where I required improvement. This was to have culminated in an important “vision” trip to East Africa in April 2020 to discuss a long-term placement, but of course all plans stopped because of the outbreak of COVID-19.

At that time, I had been across the New South Wales/Queensland border, in Brisbane for a while, working initially with friends in general practice and studying at Bible college part-time. I was thinking that either I could sit out the travel restrictions by staying in the capitals or in some way help address the doctor maldistribution here in Australia by taking up a full-time job, in an area of need until such time as I could resume my plans. I had fond memories of ‘locumming’ alongside a very nice GP principal in Far North Queensland (FNQ) a few years prior and so when a feasible full-time hospitalist job came up that could help hone my hospital skills, I moved north for an unspecified amount of time.

It was hard at first, entering the area with tight COVID-19 restrictions (church gatherings amongst others were prohibited for a long period of time after the initial lockdowns) so my only regular contact with people for many months was with the hospital staff, of whom an overwhelming majority had a very different worldview. This did, however, lay the groundwork in the hospital complex in getting to genuinely know staff more than I probably ever would have before: consultants, nurses, allied health professionals, administrative staff, and so on. 

The generalist nature of the job which involved moving between the wards, Clinical Care Units, participating in the after-hours GP clinic roster, and at times teaching medical students, opened such opportunities. Initially, I was bemused when nurses requesting or informing me of something would ring and state simply “It’s me” assuming I knew who they were, which I thankfully did over time.

“…I was bemused when nurses requesting or informing me of something would ring and state simply “It’s me…”

Despite having initially headed up to FNQ for its medical area of need (a huge area, with Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea closer to it than any other capital Australian city), I soon recognised it as an area of spiritual need as well, at least in the hospital complex where I was most of the time. Confidentiality prevents me from writing in nothing other than general terms of some of the personal difficulties some staff mentioned to me over time. In the absence of any obvious Christian colleagues around, I wrestled with how to witness and share any words of wisdom. I did pray and also asked friends to pray for there to be a Christian doctor or nurse to partner in showing our common grace and in time, it was answered by way of a few Christian medical students and locum doctors on placement and I “discovered” Christian nurses on the other side of the complex.

“I soon recognised it as an area of spiritual need as well, at least in the hospital complex where I was most of the time.”

I took the opportunity when we were allowed to finally meet in larger groups to seek permission from the executive to run a Christmas service in the hospital lecture hall. I admit that it was a scary thought at first, making my faith public (and worrying about possible pushback), and coordinating it myself whilst looking out for partners to help. I invited some church friends who I had got to know once COVID-19 restrictions were lifted to conduct the service where the true Christmas message was able to be shared in music and word to staff who perhaps otherwise wouldn’t usually have heard it.

In time I saw an opportunity to perhaps assist the many Christian health professionals in that part of Australia by introducing them to various training programs which I’ve “grown up” within the Christian Medical and Dental Fellowship of Australia (CMDFA). These very earnest and dedicated friends in all likelihood witnessed faithfully in their own ways at work but being a fan of systematic training and mutual learning, I ran a few “FNQ Christian Health Professionals” fellowship days. These allowed showcasing concepts such as medical missions, Partnerships in Medical Education (PRIME) and the Saline Process^TM. The latter led to a few standalone workshops with great help particularly from a local Christian nurse and other new friends there, as well as some Nurses Christian Fellowship Nurses Australia (NCFA)/CMDFA friends who flew up. It was a thrill to have been able to facilitate an opportunity for some of the fantastic locals in their sharing and encouraging of others.

What lessons have I learnt?

One is that I probably fell into the common trap of trying too hard to be extremely competent professionally in order to be worthy of witnessing. I suppose this is not an unworthy goal and that I should own up to any shortcomings in my clinical work in order to try and improve. However, the Saline Process^TM teaches, amongst “the 5 C’s”, about spiritual vitality, I am required to have competency, not necessarily extreme competency. 

Another lesson learnt is that I had somehow developed this thinking that living in Australia is much more stress-free than some of the countries where I have undertaken missions. Certainly, with my standard of living and ease of daily functioning it is – a lot of problems I am worked up about often revolve around “first world” perceptions. However, I do find there are real moral quandaries society faces here, some of which are self-induced, sadly, which can cause anxiety and moral injury for those of us in the medical field practising conscientiously. Therefore, I am to rest in God, whatever the circumstances, in whatever environment.

Personally, 2020 turned out to be very difficult for me as some of my friends in this readership know, with much cumulative grieving during the year and various changes in the midst of COVID-19. This highlighted that I can witness despite, or more accurately through my difficulties whether work or otherwise, rather than feel like I’m letting God down when people notice things don’t seem to be going well for me.

When hoping and praying for like-minded supporters in ministry ventures, God may choose to grant me “logical ones” such as eager Christian doctors of whom I met a number over the years from around FNQ but also ones who I wouldn’t have chosen if I relied on my own wisdom. These included busy Christian health professional mothers (who I avoided asking for support as I felt I would be burdening them) who ironically proved to be of great encouragement and support in my time there as well as keen senior medical students who I really appreciated meeting.

Post-pandemic, the path to medical mission work overseas for me has slowed down owing to a number of reasons such as changed opportunities, more stringent bureaucracy and life in general. One bright light during and after the pandemic has been online work with Zoom. It’s helped me cross borders domestically and internationally and has opened opportunities for ministries that weren’t possible pre-pandemic.

Where to from here?

Both the hospital and therefore myself directly, have progressively lost one medical colleague after another for various reasons. This has increased the demands of work for me as well as the locums that kept being sent in, which left minimal time and energy for me to continue with the ministries I enjoy. Leading up to Easter in 2024, I became mentally fatigued l, so I switched to a casual role to take a step back.

At the time of writing, I’m having a few months’ break back in Sydney, re-energising and taking stock of various ministries as well as spending time with and helping out loved ones. The medical and ministry inroad opportunities I had in FNQ were on the whole unexpectedly edifying for me whilst admittedly challenging, particularly when overwhelmed with work frustrations towards the latter part. Hard as it is when caught up in areas of need where everyone feels the ongoing demands, it reinforced to me the importance of setting and maintaining boundaries in work and mission as well as self-regulation and being advised by people of integrity. I’d be open to an opportunity like this again if conditions were suitable and equally should be open to other opportunities in the service of His name. The world has changed in some respects since COVID-19 and I have probably as well.

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