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Ruth Mahood, sent from Logie & St John’s (Cross) Parish Church, Dundee, shares about God’s call on her life:
I grew up on a dairy farm in the countryside of Northern Ireland. My mum and dad brought me up in a loving Christian home, going along to church and Sunday school. During this time God was drawing me to him and in my early teens I became a Christian. After school, and two degrees later, I started work as a physiotherapist in Perth. Very early in my career I felt called to short term work in Africa. God wonderfully confirmed that AIM was the mission organisation I should go with and in 2010 I spent five months in Mbarara, Uganda, at the local government-run hospital, and working with students. I learnt a lot about reliance on God for all my needs during that time, and to rely less on my own strength.
Supporting Ruth
Emma Mainds a good friend of Ruth’s shares about supporting Ruth in her ministry.
Ruth has been a good friend for over ten years. We quickly became friends when I moved to Dundee and started going to the same church. For the last six years we have been praying together with two others. It was in this group that Ruth first mentioned working short term with AIM in 2010. She was excited about doing this and felt God’s encouragement. On her return, Ruth had obviously loved her time in Uganda. She had many stories about the people and culture, and the friends she had made.
We continued to meet and pray on a regular basis over the next few years. There was an obvious growth and maturing in Ruth’s faith over this time. She moved to Shetland, and learnt to lean on God when life was not always as planned.
Mid 2015, Ruth tentatively mentioned that she felt God was calling her to longer term mission. We began praying that she would know for certain. During a church service God confirmed to her that she was to apply to AIM. There are some obvious concerns for Ruth about leaving, but she is trusting that Uganda is where God wants her to be.
I will be supporting Ruth in any way I can. This will include financial support, but most importantly involve prayer support. I will also be praying for the Karimojong people, that they would be open to hearing the gospel being preached.
When I came back from Africa I was sure I would go back longer term, but God had other plans for me. Within six months of moving back to Scotland I moved to Shetland to work. I then came back to work in Perth in stroke rehabilitation.
Africa had not been on my mind until I visited friends in Uganda in 2015. It was just a holiday, but God had other plans! Over the course of my time there I knew God was calling me to apply for long term service. I don’t feel qualified for this task, in any way. I feel overwhelmed by the thought of moving to Africa and saying goodbye to family and friends. But God has greater strength than I could ever need and all I need is to trust him with a mustard seed of faith.
I hope to go and live among the Karimojong people of Uganda from January 2017, and share the gospel of Jesus Christ alongside a team from around the world. Karamoja is the poorest region in Uganda and the Karimojong carry the stigma of having the lowest status among Ugandans. They live traditional cattle-herding lives in small communities scattered across a harsh landscape. We plan to work in a town called Kotido, working in healthcare and with the local church, to build relationships and tell people about Jesus.
