Dawn Plummer is serving at Faith Alive in Jos, Nigeria

Background

 

Dawn comes from Inverness in the Highlands of Scotland.  She left school at the age of seventeen and began what was to become a thirteen-year career with the Highland Council working in the Assessors Department in Inverness.  Dawn was involved in clerical duties in a wide variety of areas such as the Electoral Register, Community Charge (poll tax), Non-domestic Rates and Council Tax.

 

Dawn was brought up in a non-Christian family.  She recalls how she became a Christian in 1997.  "God challenged me after initially softening my heart towards social issues through travel to third world countries.   One day while working I felt God telling me to buy a Bible (although not realising it was God at the time, I obeyed the urge of the Holy Spirit).  After reading the Bible for a few months I got into a conversation with a Christian in my workplace and ended up attending a Bible Study.  After this I was challenged as to what I was going to do, in my usual fashion I backed off and said I needed to think things through.  I did, and that night in the privacy of my own room I gave my heart and my life to the Lord.  I didn’t realise at that point, quite what a change that would mean for me!"

 

Dawn began attending Culloden Baptist Church, which was held in the local Secondary School just a few minutes from where she lived.  During those early days she began to build up her knowledge of what the Bible teaches through fellowship and bible study. 

God's Call

It was through a lady at Dawn's church (a former Qua Iboe missionary in Nigeria) that she attended her first Mission Africa Scottish Conference (held annually in Dunblane).  Her attention was grabbed by someone speaking about their time in Nigeria on a Short Term team. 

Before long Dawn had signed up to go on a Short Term team herself.  So in 1998 Dawn went to Nigeria for the first time and was challenged.  On her return home she tried to settle back into the daily routine of life but things had definitely changed for her.  She could not return to the way they had been before.  She applied to International Christian College in Glasgow.  She was accepted and began in 2000 what ended up being a four year BA (Hons) course in Theology with a Cross Cultural Specialism.  During that time Dawn developed an concern for the area of HIV/AIDS and as part of her studies did a three month placement at Spring of Life in Jos, Nigeria.  This gave Dawn valuable practical experience of people living with HIV/AIDS.

 

In 2004 Dawn applied to Mission Africa for full-time service and was accepted leaving for Jos Nigeria in November 2004.

 

Current Role 

 

Dawn is an Administrator with the Faith Alive Foundation.  This means working closely with the founding coordinators and other staff members at Faith Alive.  "I try and keep an eye on the day to day running of the Foundation with the help of the Heads of Departments.  This was a new role, created in order to try and stabilise Faith Alive after the influx of demand after the arrival of free drugs provided by the PEPFAR scheme since 2004."  There is now an Administrative Department to help with the daily needs of the Foundation, although this is still in its infancy.

Outside of work Dawn enjoys life in Jos.  One of her main interests is animals.  "One of the hardest parts of accepting Gods call to go into mission was giving up my pets.  My cat had to go to a new home but my mum still has Peanuts and Hollie – two Senegal Parrots.  In Nigeria I have a cat called Dimitri and a parrot.  I have been fortunate to live on a compound where the neighbours have a dog who, after a little hesitation, became my friend early on and even comes to visit from time to time."  Dawn has also learnt to play tennis since moving to Jos - "I love it and many of my friends also play.  Not quite so sure getting up for a 7am lesson is a very sensible thing to do though!"  Dawn enjoys reading "Not having bookshops at hand has led to books being passed between us missionaries and also has meant I have read different styles of books than before.  I am thankful to Amazon which delivers overseas and has a huge selection."  Dawn has an eclectic taste in music with favourites including Cliff Richard; Elvis Presley; Olivia Newton-John; George Michael; Robbie Williams; Ian White; Queen; Abba to name just a few. . .