During the past few days, I have been contemplating something very serious. For quite a few months I was so sure that God was calling me to South America and not back to Africa. I had heard about an organization called SIM (Service in Missions) whose focus was medical missions. I thought, you know, as a nurse, this could be really useful to me. Maybe this is where I'm supposed to go. I mean...it's medical. That's gotta mean something right?
But for the past few weeks I've been frustrated. You see, I had thought I was being called to Ecuador, but things do not seem to be working out very well. I'm a big believer that if God has called you to a specific place, then He will open the way for you to go to that place. It just seems like the doors aren't opening. So I've started to look around at some different organizations.
I was chatting with my good friend, Danny, who is involved with Teen Mission International. So I thought, what the heck. I might as well check out the website. From there I followed a link to AIDS orphans. I felt pulled in that direction. Then it seemed that God was reminding me of something, but I couldn't remember what. So I went and re-read my journal from Tanzania. Here is what I wrote May 21, 2005:
Today Ashley, Sabrina, Maggie, Catherine, Laurel, and myself visited the orphanage on the compound. I am heartbroken. The overwhelming feeling of sadness and anger I have is undeniable and unbelievable. So many babies and children that are starving for love, but there is not enough people there to give it to them. We spent a few hours with the children, playing with, feeding, and bathing them. My heart had a piece torn out from it. How can I ever go back to being the same person after spending just 3 hours with these prcious little ones?....But I know. I know now. God was/is preparing me on this trip. At first, before I came, I wondered how that could be. How can this trip prepare me? I am going to be a missionary nurse but there is nothing "nurse-like" about it. But I know God wanted me to see this. The overwhelming desire I have to take one of those children home with me was incredible. The only tihng that stopped me was that I could not care for a child at this point in my life. But I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I will be back. Maybe not to this orphanage, but to an orphanage in Africa.....one thing I do know is that my future husband must not only have a heart for missions, but also for orphans.
So there is is. That's all I have to say right now.
But for the past few weeks I've been frustrated. You see, I had thought I was being called to Ecuador, but things do not seem to be working out very well. I'm a big believer that if God has called you to a specific place, then He will open the way for you to go to that place. It just seems like the doors aren't opening. So I've started to look around at some different organizations.
I was chatting with my good friend, Danny, who is involved with Teen Mission International. So I thought, what the heck. I might as well check out the website. From there I followed a link to AIDS orphans. I felt pulled in that direction. Then it seemed that God was reminding me of something, but I couldn't remember what. So I went and re-read my journal from Tanzania. Here is what I wrote May 21, 2005:
Today Ashley, Sabrina, Maggie, Catherine, Laurel, and myself visited the orphanage on the compound. I am heartbroken. The overwhelming feeling of sadness and anger I have is undeniable and unbelievable. So many babies and children that are starving for love, but there is not enough people there to give it to them. We spent a few hours with the children, playing with, feeding, and bathing them. My heart had a piece torn out from it. How can I ever go back to being the same person after spending just 3 hours with these prcious little ones?....But I know. I know now. God was/is preparing me on this trip. At first, before I came, I wondered how that could be. How can this trip prepare me? I am going to be a missionary nurse but there is nothing "nurse-like" about it. But I know God wanted me to see this. The overwhelming desire I have to take one of those children home with me was incredible. The only tihng that stopped me was that I could not care for a child at this point in my life. But I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I will be back. Maybe not to this orphanage, but to an orphanage in Africa.....one thing I do know is that my future husband must not only have a heart for missions, but also for orphans.
So there is is. That's all I have to say right now.
posted by the Cynical student @ 9:33 AM
2 Comments:
At 1:02 PM,
RN3107 said…
Hi, I too am a nursing student who has also consider God using me as a missionary work I heard of SIM my friend who is a Nurse went to guinea in africa through sim. There is also a ministry called Laban ministries they are currently building a hospital in the congo you can find them on the web by googling LABAN MINISTRIES. An encouragement to keep prayign and seeking God and he will make his plan clear.
At 2:05 PM,
Katie said…
I just wanted to thank you for this blog of yours, I happened upon it at just the time I needed it. I'm a nursing student as well, and this summer I'll be going to South Africa visiting orphanages, hospitals and the like. This post has helped to prepare me for something I couldn't have comprehended otherwise.
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