So this is it. My plane for my flight to Haiti takes off tomorrow, January 15th at 6:40pm (Eastern). I am moving to Haiti tomorrow...HAITI! Haha :D For years I've had a deeply rooted desire to serve in missions in a developing country and now it's actually happening. This is real life. WHOA.
Am I scared, nervous, excited? Yes. Sometimes I get scared of all that I do not know. Sometimes I am nervous that I am moving to a completely different country with whose culture I am not very familiar with and whose language I do not know yet. Most days I am excited because I know that only the Lord could have orchestrated such a series of events to lead my life to this point, and I know He will do great things for His children in Haiti. All He asks for is a "yes" and He does the rest. Often times I forget that.
The main focus of the mission is youth ministry - outreach to Haitian youth so they can come to know and learn of the love God and the truth of the Gospel. The fact that 13 years ago someone cared enough for my soul to reach out and share the Gospel with me didn't just change my life, it brought me to life. I am thankful that I can hopefully be an instrument to help young people come to know the heart of God.
Aside from youth ministry, it is my hope and prayer to start a medical mission. I am a pediatric registered nurse and my background ranges from general pediatrics, ICU, clinic and the Emergency Department. Right now I am praying and talking with people I know have been involved in medical missions so I can get a better idea of what it entails. The more I talk with those who have walked before me, the more convicted my heart becomes that this is possible and that it can happen.
More than once I have been prayed for and the phrase that has been repeated it that the Lord would "expand my capacity to love." To be honest, that scares me a little. I have moved pretty often. I have lived in Guatemala, California, Maryland, Georgia & Texas. Every time I have left, my heart breaks because I leave people that I love behind. It's really hard because my heart hurts. So that's why the prayer to "expand my capacity to love" can be scary to me, because that means I will feel more deeply which means I can potentially hurt more deeply. But when you really think about it, even if you can potentially feel hurt when you love, love is always much greater and it far surpasses the hurt in every possible way. I know it to be true that "love bears all things."
I recently watched "Les Miserables" - OH MY GOODNESS! It was fantastic! I really loved the character of Jean Valjean. Many things struck me about his character, but I think what stood out to me the most was his consistent choice to love. He loved until it hurt and that brought forth life for the people in his life.
So here I go. I thank you for your prayers & support. And I will continue to keep the updates coming.
Until next time :)
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