“Dressing like them made it easy for me” – a missionary moment

Working in another culture is such an amazing experience where you get to appreciate other people without judging them. When I went to serve in a community that was 99 per cent Muslim, I had to change from my normal dresses to wearing very long dresses and head coverings.  Back at home, this attire is limited to funeral attendance, dress for the elderly and pregnant women!

It was challenging to dress this way as a health worker, and even put me at the risk of contracting infections as the clothing swept the ground. It was also hard to keep the veil on all day in the extreme heat and scorching sun.

In that community, men are much more valued than women, so at the hospital, men would regularly jump the queue and leave the women waiting for long hours.  I disagreed with it because I didn’t think priority should be given according to gender.

But as regards the women, dressing like them made it easy for people to respect me and would easily speak to me and even pose questions about Jesus, which really gave me a great opportunity to share the gospel.

– Ugandan healthcare worker serving in a tribal Muslim community in East Africa