Nurses Christian Fellowship International (NCFI) consists of 33 member countries worldwide, organized in six regions, all with a unique character.
CARIBBEAN AND NORTH AMERICAN REGION
The CANA region-the USA, Canada, and Haiti-have national Nurses Christian Fellowships (NCFs) and contacts in Jamaica. Phyllis Ferrier from Canada chairs the regional committee, which meets monthly through internet calls to prayerfully and strategically dialogue and plan. All are invited to the first stand-alone CANA Regional Conference July 19-22, 2018, at Azusa Pacific University, California, U.S. Pray for NCF Haiti for vision, strength, and encouragement as they are hands and feet of Jesus to those who are suffering.
LATIN AMERICA
The Latin America region consists of 22 Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking countries from Guatemala in the north, to Chile and Argentina in the south. There are six NCFI member countries: Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, and Peru, with contacts in Uruguay, Paraguay, Venezuela, and Brazil. Gladys Altamirano, Chile, chairs the regional committee. The latest member country to be accepted into NCFI is Cuba. The leader, Dargelia Oquendo, works to build a strong source of camaraderie and sisterhood among the Cuban nurses. Everyone is welcome to the LA Regional Conference in Mar del Plata, Argentina, October 24-28, 2018. Pray for the continued opportunities in more countries and universities to teach spiritual care.
EUROPE
Europe is a diverse region where communication is challenging, due to lack of a common language. There are NCFs in Finland, Denmark, Norway, the United Kingdom, and Spain, with contacts in Eastern Europe, Austria, France, and Germany. Rosa Lopez from Spain chairs the European regional committee. European countries are generally more secular and wealthy, with well-developed nursing education, but Christianity is increasingly marginalized. In Eastern Europe, nurses are poorly paid and have low status. Within Europe, nurses migrate from east to west and north of Europe. NCF in Spain has connected and supported migrant nurses. Please pray for NCFI's student and younger nurse ministry, Next Generation, and contact person student Camilla Kaltoft (Denmark), and for growing new fellowships across Europe.
AFRICA
Members of the Africa region work with churches and parachurch groups to tell others about God and Christian principles in nursing, through capacity building, evangelism, networking, and collaboration to support government efforts in providing quality and holistic healthcare. Africa has NCFs in Nigeria, Ghana, and Zambia, and contacts in Benin, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, South Africa, Kenya, Mozambique, and Gambia. Luke Laari, South Africa, chairs the Africa regional committee. Diverse languages and cultures make outreach difficult. Ask God to call missionaries to this region.
SOUTH ASIA AND MIDDLE EAST
The SAME region was established in 2010. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal are NCFI member countries, whereas contacts are being established in Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates. In this region, it is increasingly challenging to be a Christian nurse. Sarfraz Masih, Pakistan, chairs the SAME regional committee, and members link through monthly internet calls. During the SAME regional conference in November 2017, in Bangladesh, a Next Generation group was established. Region members are planning a 2019 conference in Nepal for Next Generation nurses, with a focus on spiritual care. Pray for wisdom in outreach and safety for Christian nurses in the SAME region.
PACIFIC AND EAST ASIA
The PACEA region is blessed by many cultural differences and a variety of models for NCF ministry. Links between countries are strengthened by conferences every 4 years, as well as training programs for NCF staff and leaders. There are NCFs in Australia, Fiji, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, and Taiwan. Mongolia and New Zealand are currently moving toward NCFI membership, and there are contacts in Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands. The regional committee is chaired by Marg Hutchison, Australia. The next PACEA Conference will be held June 7-10, 2018, in Taiwan. Pray that this large NCFI region will be further strengthened and new countries contacted as an outcome of the regional conference.
Visit http://ncfi.org/ncfi-regions/ for contact information and updates about projects and conferences in various global regions.