Meet Lucie! Twenty-something-year-old from Sydney and a recent graduate of a Bachelor degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences.

Before rushing into a Masters of Speech Pathology, Lucie felt God tugging at her heart. Her sense of calling to mission first came through the lyrics of a Vineyard Worship song, words that took the form of a prayer, “fill us up and send us out!” Lucie says, “I felt so ready for God to do that in me and in my life!”

Months later, Lucie found herself many thousands of kilometres away from home in La Paz, a Bolivian city nestled in a valley and surrounded by Andean mountains. La Paz has become Lucie’s home for six months as she uses her background in allied health to work in a behavioural therapy centre for kids with extra needs and disabilities.

Lucie says, “God can use any skill that we have (not that he only calls the equipped, he definitely equips the called). I think God calls us to use the skills he has gifted to us for the good of other people and for the building of His kingdom.”

Lucie learnt some Spanish at school and university and is enjoying practising her Spanish through spending time with the warm, loving and gentle natured people of Bolivia. Apart from the people, her favourite things about La Paz are the beautiful mountain backdrop of the city and the amazing meals cooked each day by her abuelita (host Bolivian grandmother). However, she still hasn’t quite adjusted to the crazy traffic conditions! Locals say that if the green light is flashing you have the right to be killed – not the right to cross safely!

Lucie hopes that this short-term mission experience will help her explore her future profession and get a taste of cross-cultural ministry. She plans to return home after her placement and commence a Masters of Speech Pathology. She says, “I’m excited to see how my Father will use my profession for His kingdom!”

If you would like to find out more about serving God in allied health or short-term opportunities, go to the SIM website – www.sim.org.au