( Alumni Profile: Annette Williams )
On A Mission
A
nnette Williams'94 has been in nursing for almost
three decades. Most of her career has been on the
mission field, serving in Togo,West Africa as a nurse
at Karolyn Kempton Memorial Christian Hospital. Annette is
currently on furlough pursuing a master of science in nursing
degree at Marshall University in West Virginia.
Annette was an RN for many years before earning her BSN.
"When Dr. Lois Baker brought the first Cedarville nursing
team to Togo in 1993,I saw a wonderful example of Christian
nursing," Annette shares."Watching her interact with the
students encouraged me to update my own skills." While on
furlough the next year, Annette completed her bachelor of
science in nursing. She says it was strange going back to
school after so long."My clinical experiences were sometimes
funny as fellow students taught me to use modern technology
that we do not yet have in Togo," she notes.
When Annette returned to Togo after graduating from
Cedarville,her team decided that they needed to start
educating nurses at the hospital there."My recent experience
with basic nursing education plus the close ties with the
Cedarville faculty were essential touchstones in directing and
teaching in that program," Annette says."Dr. Sharon Rahilly
joined us for most of the program and gave us expert advice
in curriculum planning and in teaching." They graduated the
first class of nurses in July 1999 with several Cedarville
nursing faculty present. Annette hopes that this new program
will produce more Togolese Christian nurses."It is exciting
seeing Togolese Christians carry on the compassion of
medical evangelism with their own people," she shares.
The experiences Annette had at Cedarville solidified her
foundation in missions nursing."The emphasis is on cultural
diversity. Missions is presented as the responsibility ofevery
Christian. God can use you anywhere in the world, but He
may also use you right next to home with people who are
different from you," she explains."The nursing curriculum at
Cedarville is centered around the principles of God's Word.
Every opportunity is taken to make those principles live in the
lives of the students."
Each year Annette has an opportunity to see some of her
Cedarville friends when teams of senior nursing students
come to Togo to do their leadership practicum. Dr. Lois Baker,
one of the supervising professors, says it is a wonderful
experience for everyone involved. Dr. Baker notes,"They
work hard plus they are on call every night. The students
really develop leadership skills during this five-week period."
Annette helps coordinate that program and says it has been a
joy."They are superbly prepared before they arrive.
They exhibit servanthood and flexibility. Besides working in a
missions hospital, the students also help with VBS," Annette
notes. Annette adds that several of the team members have
gone on as short-term missionaries, and one is now an
Association of Baptists for World Evangelism appointee to
another African country.
Annette sums up her love for medical evangelism by saying,
"Nursing places you close to people during crisis times in life
and gives you opportunities to let them see God in your life
and actions."
Inspire 19
