My name is Rose Marie, and I’ve been working with the mission since 2002. But my journey here started a little differently—through pain, perseverance, and an unexpected calling.

A few months before I was hired, my father had a terrible accident. He was log cutter, cutting logs into planks. One day, after finishing a job, a heavy piece of wood fell on him and broke his leg. At the time, RHFH clinic was not open yet, so we took him to the general hospital in town.

Doctors operated on his leg and attached a weight on his leg. They gave him a bed in the hospital but we did not see the doctor again, and there was no real follow-up. His condition got worse. His foot became infected and started to smell badly. I couldn’t stand to see him suffer like that, and no one would come to help.

With the help of another patient’s family, I found a tool to remove the weights from his leg. I used local methods to stabilize and bandage his foot and kept giving him the medications prescribed. But his foot continued to get worse. After not seeing the doctor again for another week, he was even worse. He said he was going to die soon and wanted to return home. We returned home and I continued caring for him daily.

It was around this time that the RHFH clinic opened in Cazale. Every day, I took my father on a horse to the clinic. They gave him strong antibiotics and taught me how to do dressing changes on his leg. They would change the dressing in the morning and I would do them in the evening. They began noticing how I was tending to my father. They offered me encouragement and provided medical supplies to support me in his care. Then one day, the director of the nutrition center called me in and told me she wanted to offer me a job. She said she knew I could care for those that were suffering and sick and I was not afraid.

I was overjoyed. Not only could I now help provide for my family, but I could continue caring for my father while he recovered. That opportunity changed everything for me.

Today, I look back with a heart full of gratitude. Working with the mission has been more than just a job—it’s been a calling. I’ve had the chance to care for others the way I once cared for my father, and I’ve seen firsthand how this work brings hope and healing to so many.

Thank you to everyone who has supported this mission over the years. Your generosity helps stories like mine continue every day.