This month our ministry was medical missions. I was sssooo excited because I knew I would get to use my nursing expertise and skills in another country. Furthermore, it has been on my heart to expand the non-profit I founded in order to do pop-up clinics in indigenous areas in various countries. So, this was perfect. I was about to see how it is done. God was answering my prayers!
When we arrived in Guatemala, we parked our tents next to a national hospital. This was going to be good. We met two fabulous contacts who had been working here as missionaries for years. In our orientation, we got the run down on the hospital and the other ministries we would be doing.
There were three main ministries. Most of them, although not medically related, were beneficial and impactful. We cleared an area full of uneven ground and weeds to start building the foundation for a church; we did an Ask The Lord (ATL) week where we walked to the city square and asked the Lord what he wanted us to do for that day and listened; and we worked inside of the sterilization room in the hospital folding gauze and watching technicians clean sterile surgical equipment. Not my idea of a medical mission. Where was the blood? Where were the IVs? Where was the action? I was told we’d be doing medical missions…. so why wasn’t I able to use my nursing skills?!
Then things got real.
Starting somewhere around the second week, lots of my squad members were getting sick left and right. We even had to hospitalize several of them. Most of them were severely dehydrated because of the high altitude and closeness to the equator. The sun here is very different than what most of us are used to. I rarely tan but my skin has gotten darker than it has ever been (which is GREAT in my opinion, but that is for another blog post). The hospitals do things a lot different than what I am used to seeing in the United States. But medicine is medicine to me and healing was still available because God was still there. I got a chance to take care of several of my squad mates. Some of the conditions were a bit more serious, but it is nothing Jesus couldn’t combat. As I write this, most of my squad mates are doing 100% better! You can’t tell me God isn’t amazing!
This month was nothing like I thought it would be. God gave me the opportunity to minister to my own squad mates. In hindsight, I did use my nursing skills and expertise. Even more important, God taught me to let go of my expectations. He works in mysterious ways. God will give you what you ask for, but it may not always look like what you’re picturing. Ministering to my squad mates while they are sick is absolutely not what I pictured coming into this month or even this trip. But, it gave me the unique opportunity to grow with some squad mates I may have never bonded with this year. To watch someone close to me get sick then help them get better is one of the best feelings God could allow me to feel. Surprisingly, this month was better than I could have imagined!
But I’m ready for Month 3 in El Salvador! We are continuing to plant seeds and foster relationships. Please keep my squad in your prayers for continued health, strength and boldness in witness.
XOXO,
Belle
