Registered nurse's knowledge comes in handy as missionary

Shana Luibrand went to east and west Africa at various times from 2013-2020 planning to build relationships with the local people and share the Gospel. But God’s mission for her looked a little different.

She also would provide health care to the sick.

Among other activities, Shana now contributes content to the Samaritan Ministries newsletter. But in the past, the Lord also used the Montana woman’s knowledge and talents as a registered nurse to provide physical care as it was needed. By meeting others' physical needs, Shana could open doors to serve their spiritual needs, too.

“When we commit to saying yes to showing up and allowing the Lord to work in or through us, He often throws us opportunities we don’t necessarily look for or expect,” she said.

God led her to nursing school at Montana State University and years later allowed her to take the skills she learned and care for Nigerian and Ugandan villagers.

“He used that knowledge to help me stitch up a little boy’s hand to prevent infection, to be the physical hands that kept a few very tiny babies alive and well,” she said. “But ultimately, He allowed me to come along for the ride and showed me what a great God He is.”

Caring for orphans in Nigeria

After one step out of a Jeep onto the red soil of a remote village in Nigeria, Shana and her husband, Nathan, were welcomed by about 200 sweet, smiling young faces.

“It was love at first sight,” she said.

Soon after their arrival, Shana met Anne, a very small premature newborn.

“She taught me a lot about life and prayer,” Shana said.

A month or so into their time in Nigeria, Shana realized something wasn’t right with Anne’s health. A trip to a nearby hospital resulted in a diagnosis of hydrocephalus, a condition in which there is abnormal fluid buildup deep within the brain. Shana said Anne passed away nine months later.

Anne was the first of many babies Shana cared for during her 14 total months in Nigeria, split into a few short-term trips from 2013-2014 and in 2016.

“My mom was a missionary kid in Nigeria growing up, so I went with the blessing of our local church to help out at an orphanage that was run by my grandfather’s former interpreter,” she said.

The needs at the orphanage were plentiful. Whether it was teaching kindergarten, finding resources for other teachers, teaching teenage girls Bible study or Sunday school, reading stories at night to the boys in their dorms, or hosting and cooking for groups of short-term missionaries coming to help, Shana and Nathan jumped right in. Popping up through the cracks were medical needs. On any given day there could be a baby in need of a nasogastric tube or a need to spend a few nights stimulating premature babies who sometimes forgot to breathe. Shana would also help clean or stitch up wounds, treat malaria, or travel to and from the hospital for various needs.

“You can imagine how many medical needs there are at an orphanage on a regular basis,” she said. “Everyone— the aunties, cooks, teachers, drivers, etc.—worked together and pitched in to help wherever they were needed. The Lord used so many people for His honor and glory in raising these babies, and I felt privileged to get to be a part of the Lord’s working there.”

Building relationships in Uganda

Shana and Nathan’s experience in Uganda in 2020 looked a little different than their time in Nigeria. They still wanted people to know the good news that Jesus came and died for them, but to know that truth, the residents had to hear it and understand it in their native language.

“Our first step was going to be the long process of learning the tribal language so we could share this good news with them and eventually help start a Bible school,” Shana said.

Despite COVID shutdowns, God opened doors for them to begin language learning and to start sharing the Gospel with those they could communicate with in English.

“We brought along a curriculum that was a snapshot of creation through the Cross,” she said. “It was called ‘King of Glory’ and it gave a full picture of God’s plan for us all. Living life in a semi-remote African town is hard physical work, and it took many hours of our days just focusing on survival. When we met these precious people, we were bowled over by how desperate they were to hear the message we had brought with us.”

Nathan and Shana used creation in their relationship-building. A nearby mango tree became a gathering place for the men. Young mothers in the village invited Shana to sit and shell peanuts and taught her how to cook their food. Even Nathan and Shana’s blonde-haired, blue-eyed baby boy was used as a ministry tool.

“They were enamored with him,” she said. “A couple mothers from the village would send their young children to come and play at our house while they worked in the fields.”

God set everything into place for His glory. He also gave opportunities for Shana’s nursing expertise to be used to demonstrate Christlike compassion and care. Shana recalled treating a case of malaria, a sick child in need of fluids, and a woman with an infected ulcer.

“These everyday moments brought open doors to share why we had come, to share the good news of God’s plan for salvation,” she said.

Saying ‘yes’ to God

When Shana thinks back to her mission trips in Africa, she recalls God’s faithfulness. Just as David was about to face Goliath and recalled God’s faithfulness when he was fighting bears and lions in the wilderness, Shana recalls God’s track record of faithfulness in her time overseas.

She said God took care of their financial needs, kept them alive, and sustained them. He also brought people to the mango tree and into their home to be loved and helped, preparing the villagers’ hearts to receive the Gospel.

“God didn’t just take care of the ‘big’ stuff, because to God there is no small stuff,” she said.

Shana left each country humbled and with deeper faith in the Lord. In Nigeria, she learned that God sees the bigger picture, and that she is only a small blip on His giant portrait.

“Saying ‘yes’ to God is the greatest adventure in life,” she said. “I learned that serving people and sharing the Gospel isn’t always easy or nice, and often it’s uncomfortable, but stepping out in faith and getting to see the Lord at work was a huge blessing!”

In Uganda, Shana learned that God’s plan is not always her plan, and that God uses hardships to draw His people closer to Him. Leaning on the Lord as our ultimate source for strength, she said, is the best place to be.

By being temporarily placed in harder living conditions with people she just met, Shana got to see and experience their deepest needs up close and personal. In showing them love, compassion, and care physically in tangible ways, doors were opened for Shana to love and care for them spiritually.

“He could have done all of this without me, because He’s God,” she said, “but ultimately, He chose to allow me to be used, and I believe there is no greater blessing than getting a front row view of His workings.”