Adventist Mission

Meet James Appel and Sarah Andersen,
husband and wife missionary team
at Béré Adventist Hospital, in Chad.

What do you guys do in the mission field?

James: I'm the medical director and only doctor at Béré Adventist Hospital
Sarah: I'm a nurse at the hospital.

How did you and Sarah meet?

We met in California as a direct result of finding out that we were both headed to Chad at about the same time so we might as well get to know each other. Sarah was coming to California from Denmark to take her U.S. nursing boards and I was just finishing up residency in Ventura, California.

What are some of the most rewarding aspects of your mission work?

Doing things that most people are afraid to do, but that desperately need to be done by someone, often as a matter of life and death.

What are some of the hardest?

Cultural differences, especially in the area of management and finances and expectations.

How do you stay sane with all the demands and hardships?

God, horses, God, soccer, God, reading, God, volunteers, God, supporters worldwide, God.

If you were to ask church members to pray for anything, what would it be?

God breaking the spiritual forces of darkness that cripple and enslave the local population in ignorance and misery.

What does being a missionary mean to you?

Isaiah 61:1-2 quoted by Jesus in Luke 4.

What does it not mean to you?

Imposing western Christian cultural norms.

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