October 2016 saw a VCF CPD meeting in Cambridge. With a number of members of VCF who are experts in their particular fields, we are hoping to begin a series of VCF CPD meetings. These will provide not only high quality CPD, but also the opportunity for members to meet one another and share together as well as being able offer these meetings to vets generally as an evangelistic outreach.
October’s meeting was hosted by Dr. David Williams at St John’s College, Cambridge. Entitled “Eyes, Evolution and Evensong” David gave a fascinating talk about the eye and its amazing complexities, and how once you look at something that has evolved in such an incredible way you cannot help but believe in a creator God. He took us back to those pond dipping days as children, where you get that lovely jar of green water and considered how the amoeba had developed a pigment spot attached to a cilium which allowed it to move towards the light for its nutrition. He then went on to talk about how the eye has developed from there to the complexities that we now see in the mammalian eye.
We then looked at the problems that we come across with the eye, from retinal dysplasias to perforating corneal ulcers and how we can best treat or manage them.
David graduated from St John’s College then returned as …… and was a wonderful, enthusiastic guide to show us around the college. He detailed its history, how it had come about and many of the folk who had been through its doors and whose portraits adorn its walls.
The meeting then concluded with a wonderful service of Evensong in the stunning St John’s Chapel. The reading for the service was taken from Luke’s gospel, Chapter 10, Verse 2 where Jesus says “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” It was a vivid reminder that there is still so much to do and that we all have a role to play.
The day was not only a great way to learn about the eye, but was so much more as VCF members were able to meet together and share the challenges of being Christians in veterinary practice as they have that unique quality of being brothers and sisters in Christ. Old acquaintances were renewed and new friendships made and the Kent group continued to grow in numbers!
Being in Cambridge for the course also allowed the opportunity to visit a number of the folk at the vet school including Dr Penny Watson (Senior Lecturer in Small Animal Medicine) who has a real heart for supporting the students there. (Watch out for a future VCF CPD meeting with her). It was good to meet a number of the students and to hear some of the issues they face and consider again how VCF can best support them. Please be praying for all of these young folk. They each have their own ministry at the college, as well as facing the challenges of the veterinary degree, and really value the support, encouragement and prayers of vets in practice once they qualify.
