A doctor’s pursuit of wellness for the people of Africa

As the Christ Child lay in his manger all those years ago, the prophesy of Isaiah 9 became flesh and bone. To us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder. His name shall be Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

At that time, a prince coming with an agenda of peace would have had everything to do with the absence of civil unrest. And today, in many places, peace continues to be associated with a country’s political landscape. But in the rural villages of Central Africa, people are desperate for a different kind of peace – peace of mind.

Ann Fursdon is one of many missionaries taking part in SIM’s Faithful Witness Initiative, which is introducing the gospel in communities that have never heard of Jesus as Savior. She left her home in England and first traveled to Africa in 1988. It was the beginning of a fruitful career in medicine that has since brought her to the Ouaddaï Region of Chad.

Throughout her 30+ years as a missionary doctor, Ann has learned that mental health isn’t broached by many Africans. In fact, the hospital where she serves is 900 kilometres away from a psychiatrist. “A lot of people here would believe that mental health is for healers and not traditional medicine,” she says. “Sometimes patients are so sick that when they present to me, they don’t know what they want. But they are very troubled people.”

Ann goes on to share that anyone struggling with an acute psychiatric condition is often hidden away. “They’re difficult to control, which is why they chain them up really.”

As Ann prepares to relocate from a Chadian city to a small, rural area, she is determined to make mental healthcare part of the primary care conversation. After all, the Prince of Peace came to heal minds just as much as He came to heal lands.

Chad is a predominantly Muslim nation, and most communities speak Arabic, or a variation thereof. Over the past two years, in addition to working in the local hospital, Ann has studied Arabic diligently to ensure she can communicate with those in her new rural home.

She is delighted to share that three people from her language school have come to Christ over the course of their lessons. While Ann acknowledges she’s played a small role in this, she is quick to attribute their faith to God and His divine appointments.

The salvation of these peers is particularly encouraging because Ann explains that it’s difficult to find the balance between medical work and relationship building. Patients need her, and much of her attention is reserved for her clinics. She’s also discovered that many Chadians are apathetic toward religious conversations. “They’re raising their families and dealing with poverty,” she explains. “It’s a bit hard to find people who are really interested.”

Still, Ann’s role as a doctor has earned her a positive reputation, and she is hopeful that this reputation will open doors for improved healthcare in her new village. There, she will treat patients and train nurses as she has always done. In her free time, she will advocate for mental health awareness and get connected with local churches.

Surely this is what God intended when He declared that Jesus would bind up the wounds of the brokenhearted – His children tending to the minds, bodies, and souls of the weary and the wandering.

Prayer points for Ann:

• That God would enable Ann to multiply herself so she can do immeasurably more for her patients and her community
• That Bible stories would be translated into the Maba dialect, which is spoken in rural parts of the Ouaddaï Region
• That Ann would make good contacts in her new town and have discernment as she looks for people who truly want to encounter God
• That team members would come alongside Ann and partner with her in this work