The Lighthouse Bulletin
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ICMDA NIHSJ Newsletter Volume 1 Issue 3 Dec 2015<br />
Editorial<br />
Marking exam papers, a Christmas party before the students leave for home and an end of the year staff retreat are the things<br />
on my mind as we come to the end of another prolific year. <strong>The</strong> ICMDA Institute is well and thriving and we are grateful for<br />
Gods favour all through the year. <strong>The</strong> staff have all worked hard to teach and support the students. <strong>The</strong>ir varied personalities<br />
only adds to the rich mosaic and provide the students with a truly International and Christian studying environment. <strong>The</strong> students<br />
also have come a long way on their journey to becoming health professionals and they are in many ways the heroes and<br />
heroines of our story. It is really their story and we are privileged to help them along their path. In this edition of the <strong>Lighthouse</strong><br />
we continue to share with you their stories and also to profile some of our staff members and volunteers.<br />
<strong>The</strong> primary requirement for working with young people and students (even the older ones) is “tough love”. <strong>The</strong>y all have<br />
their mood swings, good days and bad days. <strong>The</strong>y often feel the need to complain about most things. Any form of discipline is<br />
often resented and yet as their teachers and educational facilitators we are often called to push them on, rescue them from<br />
drowning in self-pity, yet build them in confidence and make them increasing self-reliant. <strong>The</strong> other real development challenge<br />
is to make them authentic learners and promote their God given talents. Can our education be transformative? Yes but<br />
we constantly need to be reminded in the midst of our busy school life that ultimately we are there to be conduits of Gods<br />
mercy, hope and love to the nation of South Sudan.<br />
Having come to the end of another semester, most of the previous month was spent preparing for the end of semester exams -<br />
completing the portions, compiling the student’s internal assessments, preparing exam papers and practical tests. Earlier in<br />
October Shalini and I took a holiday and travelled to India to meet our family and attended the Students Missions Conference<br />
(Shiloh 2015) at Christian Medical College Vellore. I also had cataract surgery during this period. This was possible because<br />
Dr. Bertha Rathinam, Professor and Head of Department of Anatomy at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal, India<br />
graciously volunteered to teach for a month covering for us during the period that we were away. We also had Dr. Stephen<br />
Madgwick a retired GP from the UK visit us for 10 days and help the clinical officer students with their revisions. Most of the<br />
students presented their learnings from their external postings in Butabika National Mental Hospital, St. Joseph’s Hospital in<br />
Kitgum, St. Mary’s Hospital, Lachor and the community posting in Gulu and Amuru in North Uganda. November 26th was an<br />
important day on our calendar when both the staff and the students met for a day of prayer for the future of the Institute and our<br />
immediate needs. We called this a Global Prayer day requesting all our partners from around the world to join us for a time of<br />
prayer.<br />
As we celebrate Christmas we primarily pray for peace in South Sudan. A country that still boasts of the largest<br />
pastoral communities – the cattle keepers of the world. We are reminded of the message of good tidings and<br />
peace that the angel brought to the shepherds in the Palestine hills. We look forward to the New Year 2016<br />
spurred by the Latin quote – “per aspera ad astra” or through difficulties to the stars. Wishing you all a Blessed<br />
Christmas and a Happy New Year.<br />
Anil Cherian