Crosslinks Publications - Noj and Mary Northway

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"God has taught us so much"

Mary and Noj Northway, eight year-old Joe and baby Samuel live in Berega, in Tanzania. Berega looks like I imagined an African village - one dusty road lined by houses and mud-huts without pavements. It has no electricity and no running water for most of its 2,000 inhabitants. Its focal point is Berega Hospital, a Christian hospital which provides employment for about 80 local people and healthcare for about 200,000, as it serves a large area.

So, how did the Northways come to exchange their comfortable life in the UK for that in Tanzania? Mary explains, "My parents worked in Uganda, where 1 was born and spent my early years. I'm sure that had a lot to do with my desire to work in Africa. As a medical student, I spent two months back in Uganda on my medical elective, which gave me further insights into what working in Africa would be like."

She met Noj at university in Southampton, where they were both studying medicine, Noj had chosen to study medicine with a view to becoming a missionary. He recalls, I became a Christian during my teenage years. I belonged to a church where going on mission was a normal part of being a Christian."

He spent eight weeks in Tanzania as part of his medical training and knew this was the country to which God was calling him.

Mary and Noj looked at several missionary organisations and decided that Crosslinks was the right one for them. They knew that preparation was essential. 'We spent two years at All Nations Bible College in Hertfordshire and studied the many issues to do with mission and working cross-culturally. We both felt it was good preparation for our life in Tanzania.

"During the course we spent two months in Tanzania and visited Berega - so we knew what it would be like here. Of course it was hard saying good-bye to family and friends, but Noj and I both felt sure that God was calling us to work in Berega. It was easier knowing that we were obeying God's calling and would be in the place where he wanted us to be."

They spent their first four months in Tanzania learning the national language Swahili, but the language barrier proved to be the greatest Nhembo - women line up to be examined
difficulty when they first moved to Berega. Mary says, "Not many people speak English in the village. I found it really frustrating and in a sense isolating. Local people were welcoming, but I found it took time to get to know people and feel that we had made friends. Now, having lived here for six years, knowing the language, and having friends, we feel very much part of the community,"

Feeling part of the local community in a Tanzanian village is much more of an achievement than any of us in the Western world can imagine. To adjust, you have to forget everything you know and take for granted, and come with an open mind. People have a different attitude to family, work and life in general.

Mary Northway teaches on health issues Church life is very different, too. It is still the done thing in Tanzania to go to church. Mary explains: "Spiritually, things have been
difficult living in Berega. There is a lot of local witchcraft. When things go wrong, such as the rains not coming, people are blamed for using their witchcraft powers. In an area where Satan is felt to have such power, we long for the power and grace of Jesus to be demonstrated.

"The local church struggles. Many people attend church but few would call themselves followers of Jesus and many mix their faith with traditional witchcraft beliefs. As members of a church where many are going through the external formalities of religion, we have frequently felt frustrated."

Noj heads the management team of Berega Hospital, where he is one of three doctors, the others being Steve, there with CMS Australia, and a Tanzanian doctor. Mary works on the TB and leprosy ward, and sometimes helps out with outpatients and the children's ward. There is not much leprosy but plenty of TB. She says, "One of the main things we have found difficult working at the hospital has been the lack of resources and facilities. Coming from a developed health care system in the UK to one that is so basic has been hard to cope with.

"Three years ago, the hospital faced a major financial crisis and seemed on the verge of closure. it seemed hopeless to us. But now we can look back and testify to God's amazing provision. There has been a big turn-around."

Mary co-ordinates the community outreach programme which started only last year. She visits six different villages (each one once a month) together with the hospital chaplain and several of the hospital staff, to see women and children. We visited the village of Nhembo, which has 1,000 inhabitants. If the local people want to come to the hospital, they have to walk for five hours.

The hospital chaplain gave a short talk about a Bible passage, then Mary taught the women on an aspect of health care. Africans have an integrated view of the spiritual and the physical, which works well.

After the teaching, pregnant women were examined, children were weighed and immunised, and sick children were seen to. These visits not only provide teaching and health care for women and children but also show the love of God to them by practical example.

Joe, Mary and Noj's son, enjoys living in Berega. He speaks fluent Swahili and has many friends. He also likes coming back to the UK Joe (striped shirt) with friends and notices the differences more than his parents - differences like traffic lights, and electric doors in the underground.

Life in Berega is hard, but also greatly rewarding. Mary says, "We have been immensely encouraged by the few committed Christians who meet twice a week for worship and prayer, and who have a desire to see things change and tosee people come to know Jesus. Another big encouragement has been being part of a team of other mission partners here. We have enjoyed the unity and love of being part of a team and find it very refreshing meeting once a week for worship, Bible study and prayer in English."

The Northways enjoy what they are doing and they radiate the love of Jesus. My time with them has encouraged me to focus on what is really important - not any of the things society tells us, but serving God with our whole life. God is faithful and can be trusted. As Mary says, "God has taught us so much in the years that we have been in Berega. There have been lots of difficulties, but also lots of encouragement, and God has shown himself to be faithful to us in so many ways."

Pray for Berega:

For revival in Berega, that people would come to know Jesus and his grace and power

For the small group of committed Christians, that they would be encouraged as they pray for change in Berega
That the hospital would continue to run well, and would be a place where people can come to know Jesus.
For more doctors to work in Berega, specifically that a Tanzanian Christian doctor would come and work there permanently
For the comm unity outreach programme, that it would be effective in improving health in surrounding villages and in making Jesus known.
That the Northways will demonstrate the love and power of Jesus through their relationships in the community,

More Information:

If you think God is calling you to follow in Mary and Noj's footsteps and you would like to find out more, look round this web site, and contact Crosslinks

For information about courses at All Nations Christian College, visit www.allnations.ac.uk

To support Berega Hospital through the charity "BREAD" (Berega Relief Equipment And Development), Reg Charity No 1091256, contact Mrs C Sanderson, 29 Park Road, Redhill, Surrey RH1 2AG or e-mail catrionasanderson[at]hotmail.com

Crosslinks - Noj and Mary Northway's story

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