Mission Work From Caravan

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31771, 30 August 1968, Page 2

Mission Work From Caravan

A New Zealand woman takes the Gospel to the people of West Pakistan by caravan. She is Miss Valerie Baker, of New Plymouth, who is in Christchurch for three weeks.

Miss Baker is a missionary for the Church Missionary Society but works in conjunction with the Caravan Hospital, run by the Bible Medical Missionary Fellowship in Umarkot, lower Sindin. The hospital, which is movable but not mobile, was sent from Britain at the end of 1960. It is now at its fourth position in a area of less than 100 square miles. There are six actual hospital caravans and some of the staff have their own.

Miss Baker said the hospital was for the village people who were afraid, or unable, to go to a large town. It was manned by three doctors and three nursing sisters, all British, as well as some Pakistani staff. The only one there engaged in evangelistic and pastoral work, Miss Baker has often been out to surrounding villages to work in conjunction with the Pakastani pastor. Primitive Conditions

When she went to West Pakistan nearly 10 years ago. she stayed in fairly primitive conditions. A little over three years ago, a Christchurchmade caravan, with all necessary facilities, was sent to her. Miss Baker has spent up to three months at a time in villages with an Irish nurse from the hospital, who also has a caravan. The caravans were taken by utility vehicle to the village where the women were to stay and parked near the houses of the Christians there. While the nurse held a clinic. Miss Baker taught the Christians. They often worked together. When a call came from another village, perhaps to. a difficult maternity case, the two women went, sometimes walking two or three miles. If there was a track, they went by utility vehicle or by horse. In the summer, Miss Baker

has been out with the pastor and his wife to teach scattered Christian families. They travelled by utility vehicle and carried camping equipment although it was hot enough to sleep outside. "We might stay one or two nights at each place, or even a week if it was central enough for villagers to come to us. We would hold a meeting each evening and sometimes one during the day for

the women,” she said. Christians lived in villages with Moslems “quite reasonably” and Moslems and Hindus came to clinics set up by the hospital staff. Miss Baker said. Christians Scattered

“The Christians, who are third or fourth generation, are so scattered, it is a terrific problem teaching them. They are mostly illiterate and it is very hard to have a literacy programme that is long enough to be effective.” Cotton and wheat were the main crops in the area and all were grown with the aid of Irrigation. The feudal system of share cropping on a landlord’s land still existed.

Health education was needed, said Miss Baker. “A good thing about living among the people is that, not only are you gaining their confidence, but you are setting an example and being able to give help in their own situation.

“We feel, though, that we are just scratching the surface. There are not many missionaries in West Pakistan engaged in district work and the nationals who are, are not trained for health education.” Tuberculosis was rife and there was a terrific medical need still, she said. “The Government is doing its utmost to meet this need but time and education are needed. There are not enough facilities in the way of schools and teachers, but there is a very good programme, reaching to university level, in the cities." Miss Baker said shd had seen a tremendous forward move, both economically and industrially, since going to Pakistan.