I haven't exactly been a faithful blogger. My last post was 2010, and then this nursing school thing happened and, well, the rest is history. The very first post on this blog spoke to my heart for Sudan, and the journey that led me to eventually led me to put that trip on hold.
The following summer I was given the opportunity to go and live in Guatemala for two months volunteering with an amazing organization called Education & Hope. During my two months there I taught English, science, and math to kids from extremely poor families.
My two months there taught me how adjusting to a country's culture can be the difference in creating a lasting difference as opposed to a temporary one. Teaching for two months really solidified that teaching was not my calling, and that nursing was most certainly the right choice for me! That trip taught me how to get along in a foreign country and ultimately how to have complete reliance on God for my safety. While I was over there, however, my heart longed to do what I have wanted to do since I was 14 years old- that is mission work with a medical focus.
Early on in my high school career when I began pursuing the dream of becoming a nurse/nurse practitioner, I would lie awake at night dreaming of the day I would board a plane to a foreign country to do medical mission work. When I was 14, that dream seemed to be ages away, and now at 22 that dream is finally coming true.
Who knew that 15 years ago a Halloween costume...
...would turn into a reality...
And now, about a month after graduating nursing school, my time has come; I will be flying to Haiti with a medical team based out of New York for a 10-day medical mission trip. The group I will be going with is the National Organization for the Advancement of Haitians (NOAH), and was founded by a Haitian American doctor (who will be on the trip with us), with a vision of empowering Haiti through a variety of different alliances.
These 10 days will be filled with outpatient visits (for both adult and pediatric patients), as well as multiple surgeries ranging from hysterectomies to surgical repairs of penetrating wounds. As many of you know Haiti has been ravaged by natural disaster, poverty, and disease. This medical mission is a yearly trip for NOAH, and each year the potential to make a difference is enormous. Medical care is something that can make a tangible difference, especially in a country that has been ravaged by natural disasters, poverty, and disease.
I am asking my friends and family to partner with me- both financially (if they are able) and prayerfully. Any funds raised will go towards the cost of my plane ticket, accommodations, food, interpreter that I will need when I get there. There is a PayPal button in the upper right and I can take checks as well. Any amount at all would help immensely, and would be greatly appreciated. :)
Prayers for safety during our travels, border crossings (from the Dominican Republic to Haiti when we arrive), and during our daily clinic days are greatly needed and greatly appreciated. My prayer is that I will make an impact and show Jesus to everyone I come into contact with (even though NOAH is not specifically a Christian/church-based organization).
All the glory belongs to the Lord for this trip, for this opportunity, and for orchestrating events in my life that have placed me in the position to go and serve the Haitian people medically.
"For such a time as this, I have been placed upon the earth, to hear the voice of God, and do His will, whatever it is."
- Wayne Watson, "For Such a Time As This"
(based on Esther 4:14)
