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Helen Huston was born to Will and Edith Huston on September 20, 1927. Her father was a United Church minister in Innisfail, Alberta at this time. She had two brothers and one sister. By the time she was twelve she made the announcement that she would become a medical missionary but lost this vision in her teens.
After high school she attended a camp at Sylvan Lake. Before she left for camp her father told her that he would pray that God would show her the direction He wanted her to go in life. At camp she became convinced that God wanted her to become a medical missionary. She started her medical training at the University of Alberta in 1947 with three other women in a class of 55 students.
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In 1953 she was commissioned as a United Church medical missionary but having been confronted by Cathie Nicoll earlier about her spiritual condition she was not sure that her education and determination to help others was enough to help her in India. While at language school in India a young United Church minister gave her the book 'The Reason Why'. After reading this book she wrestled with the question, 'Do you love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength?' On Palm Sunday of 1954 she realized that she could be freed from her guilt and be restored to a right relationship with God. Hence she gave her life to God and became a different person!
After completing formal language study she had six weeks of practical in-hospital experience before she found herself in charge of a 35 bed hospital. Here was only one other person who could speak English. But on January 3, 1955 she was called to serve in a hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal. Later in 1960 she settled in Amp Pipal, Nepal and during her time there saw a dispensary grow into a hospital and developed a community health program. Her captivating story is well written in "A Heart for Nepal" by Gerald W. Hankins. It was printed by Derksen Printers in Steinbach, Manitoba.
- Anna Kroeker
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