When Rev Karlien Becker left South Africa for Scotland, she knew she was exchanging sunshine for rain. Six months into her role as parish minister for North Carrick in Ayrshire, she has made her peace with the weather — and found something she wasn't expecting.

"I love the green," she says, "and you don't get that without the rain, so the weather isn't a problem for us." It is a characteristically generous response from a minister who has served in some of South Africa's most demanding contexts: a farming community near Durban, a team ministry in Cape Town, and the drought-stricken community of Nuwerus.

Rev Becker's journey to Scotland began with a student trip to Sweden, which opened her eyes to what it means to minister in a less religious society — and, paradoxically, deepened her own faith. She felt called to Scotland, and the call has proved fruitful. She now manages three church buildings, five schools, and two care homes across the North Carrick parish.

Her story is a reminder that the global church is not a one-way street. Christians from the Global South are bringing gifts, perspectives, and a depth of faith forged in adversity to churches in the UK — and the UK church is richer for it.

Find out more at churchofscotland.org.uk.