WHAT ARE SPIRITUAL CAREERS AND WORK OF THE HEART?

Have you ever wondered why some people’s jobs are referred to as a ‘calling’? It’s because they have felt called upon by a higher power to work in their chosen field. A few of them share their stories.

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The diversity of faith-based and spiritual careers has expanded as more and more people are seeking alternative forms of healing instead of just popping pills.



SPIRITUAL HEALING
Deborah Rabosebo Mogomogane has been practicing as a traditional healer for seven years. In her work she communicates with ancestors to help people, and uses herbs and prayer to heal. She was trained for more than a year by a senior traditional healer before she could practice. ‘Not just anyone can do it,’ she says. ‘I was chosen for the work I do. It is a calling.’

She says her work has taught her a lot over the years. ‘I learnt a lot about people, life, how to listen and empathise,’ she says, ‘I love helping people.’ Her work involves consultation, healing and counselling her patients, she explains. ‘Our work isn’t only about helping the sick,’ she says, ‘we help to build people, families and communities.’ She also loves teaching others about the work she does. ‘It is essential to understand the importance of building a connection and relationship with your ancestors, and for others, especially youngsters, to understand that it is not dark and dirty work!’

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“We all have energy running through our bodies. We are all born with natural healing energy in our hands. With Reiki, we release energy flow in the body so it can start healing itself naturally” - Collette Kuiper



ASSIST IN SPIRITUAL GROWTH
Ministers Laurie Gaum and pastor Bonganjalo Mbenenge both studied theology at university. Both men have served communities through teaching about religion and helping with social issues such as gender-based violence and poverty. Gaum explains that a minister leads a congregation and faith community.

‘You do the Sunday service, home and hospital visits and you facilitate the community’s spiritual life and journey,’ he says. ‘You have to present courses and workshops that will assist their spiritual growth. This is considered a calling from the spiritual side of things, but it also has career possibilities. It is a salaried position in some cases.’

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Gaum says he chose this particular path because he wanted to serve God. ‘I like people and I thought that God has got to do with the most significant things in life. I wanted to keep myself involved with something meaningful. I wanted to bring God and people together,’ he says. ‘It is a very community-oriented job. It is wonderful to work with people, although it also has its challenges. It is very significant work because it is with people’s intimate personal lives that you work.’

Mbenenge says he is officially a ‘minister of the word and Sacrament’ and in general is called a pastor. ‘I was previously in business but I gave that up because this is a calling,’ he says. ‘This has nothing to do with career or money for me. This is about serving others.’

‘When you are a pastor you think your main responsibility is to preach on a Sunday, but that is the least of what you do. You are mostly working in your community. You have to look at immediate needs, like soup kitchens and clothing and food parcels. Then you need a crèche for the community, which we built in an informal settlement. Then you deal with your congregants. You have to counsel people about their faith.’ He adds that a pastor’s work is vigorous and mentally stimulating. ‘People think you have all the answers. Their hopes and understanding of who God is depend on how you present things to them.’



NATURAL HEALING ENERGIES
Collette Kuiper is a certified Reiki master who describes herself as a spiritual healer. Reiki involves working with energy points in the body to help it heal. ‘I grew up with spirituality and feel that this is a calling,’ she says. ‘It’s on my life path. I don’t want to see people suffer. I want to see people being well.’

‘We all have energy running through our bodies. We are all born with natural healing energies in our hands. With Reiki, we release energy flow in the body so the body can start healing itself naturally.’



BACK INTO BALANCE
Lucielle Larmuth, a therapeutic reflexologist, used to work in the beauty industry before finding alternative healing. She completed a course in reflexology and has been in the field for 15 years.

‘It definitely was a calling,’ she says. ‘But you must find a course registered with the education department because this profession is governed by the Allied Health Professionals Council. The work we do is healthcare, but it’s alternative healing. This is not a regular doctor’s job. We work on the soles of the feet and we work with energy lines in the body.’

Larmuth says through reading the soles of a person’s feet she can tell where the body’s aches and pains are. ‘I record all the sore spots that correspond with the reflex and have a chart of the body that helps me get a good picture of your state of health,’ she explains. ‘Your whole body gives me feedback from the soles of your feet. I can tell whether you have stress or an infection. In working on these reflexes, we encourage the body to heal. Your body has an inherent wisdom, which is incredible. So when I give you therapy I am aiming to get you back into balance, and it works!’