Yes -- the 51-year-old Alaska Native Medical Center family physician on March 23 was presented with the David Livingstone Award at the Safari Club in Las Vegas. A second ceremony will take place this morning at the annual Sportsmen's Prayer Breakfast, and the striking lion trophy will be on view.

The award is given to the sportsman who best exemplifies the spirit of the mid-1800s missionary, including his zeal for missionary work, conservation and ethics. Livingstone, of "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" fame, made efforts that opened many countries in Africa to the Christian message and professional safari hunting.

"I don't think I'm worthy of a David Livingstone Award," Hickel said. "I'm sure there are a lot more people out there more eligible than I, but, man, I was really tickled. I was really pleased and excited because David Livingstone has been a historical figure I have certainly admired my entire life. To get an award in his name was, well, humbling, to say the least."

As newlyweds in 1981, Hickel, his wife, Jane, a registered nurse, and stepdaughter Natalie headed to Africa.

"I just felt that that's what the Lord wanted me to do," he said in a phone interview Wednesday from his office in the Family Medicine Clinic at Alaska Native Medical Center.

They originally planned to stay for one year but were moved by the country's great health concerns and ended up staying more than 14 years.

"We saw that the needs were so astronomical, that we really didn't feel like coming home and turning our backs on the situation," he said.

Syphillis. Malnutrition. HIV. Tuberculosis. Hepatitis B. These were some of the afflictions the couple confronted in their work as medical missionaries with the Church of the Nazarene. Jack was the chief of staff at the 300-bed Raleigh Fitkin Memorial Hospital in Manzini, Swaziland. Jane worked as a nurse and ran a nutrition program. Jack's work spanned the medical gamut, from surgery to anesthesiology.

From 1988 to 1992, the Hickels worked at a bush hospital named Em Khuzweni, described by Hickel as a one-doctor hospital way out in the bush with more than 30,000 patients.

"We did everything there," he said. "It was a real wild and crazy time, but a good time."

During their stay in Africa, the couple ran 13 bush clinics and built three. Hickel was the personal physician to King Mswati of Swaziland and the royal family.

Education was another thrust of the couple's efforts. They worked with villagers and government and education representatives to train health aides and provide information through radio, newspaper and conferences.

"We taught them about TB, immunization, clean water, safe sex and sanitation, addressing these issues from the ground level on up," Hickel said.

Hickel served as a medical adviser to the public-health team overseeing the care for a quarter of Swaziland.

Hickel also grappled with different cultural perspectives on traditional versus modern medicine.

"A lot of the traditional beliefs are, as you would understand, very difficult to change," he said. "A lot of beliefs have a lot of validity to them. We have to keep that in mind because we don't want to change things that are basic to their way of thinking and culture -- just those that may be hindering progress in health care."

The Hickels' three children -- Jason, 19, a sophomore at Wheaton College in Illinois, and Shawna, 17, and Justin, 14, students at Grace Christian School in Anchorage -- were born in Swaziland. The family made regular extended trips to the United States to raise money for family expenses and their work, since their missionary service was mostly volunteer.

The family returned to Anchorage in December 1997. Jack is a physician at ANMC and Jane continues to run Partnerships in Health for Africa, a program concerned with AIDS. They plan to go back to Swaziland after they put their children through college.

Reporter S. Jane Szabo can be reached at jszabo@adn.com.

SPORTSMEN'S PRAYER BREAKFAST is 7:30 a.m. today at Wayne's Texas Bar-B-Q restaurant. Jack Hickel and former Gov. Wally Hickel will speak, and hunting and fishing guides and outfitters in Alaska will be honored at the event, sponsored by Christian Sportsmen's Fellowship. The $10 breakfast is open to the public, and seats will be available as long as they last. The Great Alaska Sportsman Show continues 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. today and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at Sullivan and Ben Boeke arenas -- $8 adults, $2 youths 12 and younger. (562-9911)