Pat spoke about her experiences as a nurse and a missionary in Gaza, Somalia and Ethiopia.

She did her basic training at Tamworth Base Hospital and midwifery training in Sydney. She began her nursing career in Bulahdelah in NSW, then attended Bible college in Melbourne. From Melbourne, she travelled to Gaza in 1965.

After the Six-Day War in Gaza, Pat was evacuated to Greece. Following the war, she went to Somalia as a short-term worker for SIM (Serving in Mission) in 1968. She stayed at the SIM headquarters in the capital, Mogadishu, and I did language and nursing study onsite. 

It was during Pat’s time in the capital that she met her now-husband John who was working in an English school attached to the headquarters.

After her training was complete, Pat moved to a country station where she worked a nurse midwife in the hospital alongside another nurse. 

In 1970, Pat and John returned to Gunnedah to get married. Their first daughter, Michelle was born in 1971 in Gunnedah, and seven weeks later they returned to Somalia to live in Mogadishu.

SIM withdrew the Warners in 1977 for safety reasons, relocating the family to Ethiopia where Pat nursed and taught English. Their second daughter, Robyn was born in 1975.

The Warners returned to Australia in 1990 but returned a couple of times for periods of about a year.

The Warners are now retired and living in Gunnedah. Two of Mrs Warner’s sisters Nancy and Sue were visitors at the lunch.

Member Delsia Ward thanked Mrs Warner for her presentation and gifted her with a bouquet of flowers in a show of thanks. Winner of the raffle held at the luncheon was Joy Pearson.

The next luncheon will be held on April 28 with Riley’s Furniture owner Jodi Dolbel to attend as a guest speaker. 

Visitors are always welcome. Bookings and apologies to Shail Mitchel on 6742 0887 by the Tuesday prior to the lunch. Members are asked to bring some “goodies” for the trading table.