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PATTERNS FOR LIFE:
Teamwork in Africa
by Sue Makin
Email: smakin@maf.org
As I look back over eight years in a Central African mission
hospital, I find that the issue of cooperation among the medical staff
was the most challenging and rewarding to me professionally. Our hospital
underwent a transition from a hospital basically run by missionaries to
one run by nationals. It has not been easy to watch this happen.
If you have any encouragement from being united with
Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit,
if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded,
having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of
selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better
than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests,
but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:1-4
I found this passage to be extremely helpful in thinking
about my relationships with my fellow doctors. I never really got to the
point of considering others better than myself, but I was able to accept
that their opinions and needs were just as important as my own. Since all
of us were Christians, we had that wonderful unity of spirit that helped
us in many instances.
One issue that was not resolved, however, was the vast
difference in our salaries as missionary doctors and national doctors.
This is a stumbling block to unity. The only response I could make to this
problem was to continue to work as a part of our team, and try to understand
that at all times my national colleagues were making financial sacrifices
that I was not making. It is fair to say that our doctors at the mission
hospital could be earning more in private practice in the capital city
or another big city.
In trying to work as a part of a team of diverse people
and nationalities it is always helpful to remember Philippians 2:5:
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ
Jesus.
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