Owen and Nicole Miller, September 1993 - June 1994

Two things motivated me to search for a service project in early 1993. One was my frustration with the highly developed medical system in Switzerland, and two, my growing up in a Baha'i family.
After working for three years as a grad nurse, I grew frustrated with some aspects of modern medicine and wanted to work in an environment with limited physical resources and where my contribution would make a difference.
Growing up as a third generation Baha'i, I always felt deprived of the enthusiasm newly declared youth displayed. And even with attending Youth Conferences and trying to deepen in the Faith, I was always worried about my ability to teach the Faith.
So, after long months of searching for a project, I came upon Hospital Bayan. It seemed to be an answer to my prayers. Shortly after discovering the project, I found out they were looking for a nurse in the Hospital team. At the time, they were developing a Mobile Clinic and one of the requirements was to have a full time nurse serving at Hospital Bayan.
Looking back now, I would say that through this experience, I actually really became a Baha'i. One of the things I learned at Project Bayan, was to teach the faith and to become a confident Baha'i. Regarding my nursing career, I loved the work and enjoyed the responsibility and the challenge.
Meeting my husband Owen on this Project was also a big bonus and getting to know him under difficult circumstances, helped me to see his real character. The time we spent together teaching the Faith, deepening communities and working at the hospital were most valuable as life experiences. We soon discovered common interests and visions.
For Owen, the Bayan experiment confirmed his direction to become a doctor. Initially unsure of a career in the medical profession, Owen's natural ability to care for people was supported and nurtured by the Bayan staff who saw in him great potential. From Bayan, Owen enrolled at the University of Alberta to finish his pre-med program before transferring to the University of Saskatchewan for his professional training. He is currently in his last year of the residence program. Currently, I am working part-time as a labour delivery nurse at Regina General Hospital in Regina, Saskatchewan while caring for our darling children.
Now, after eight years of marriage, and two wonderful daughters, and a medical practice for Owen in Regina, Saskatchewan we often think back to those idealistic days in Honduras. We even think of returning to Bayan one day.
In our material world, it seems very easy to get swallowed up by our environment and to lose the idea of wanting to change our community and make a difference in peoples' lives.
I can only encourage our youth to embrace the opportunity to experience a different culture and embark on an adventure of service. It can be a life changing experience...

(See www.onecountry.org/oc83/oc8304as.html for an article on Hospital Bayan.)