Physically: I’m in Haiti. We arrived here last Monday, April 23rd. We traveled from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
to Pretoria, South Africa
to Johannesburg, South Africa
to Abu Dhabi
to NYC, USA
to Port-Au-Prince, Haiti
to here, Bon Repo.
We are working with Jesus Way Christian Ministry and staying at a guest house that hosts short term medical mission teams that stay for a week. Last week there was a group mostly from Georgia (with a Minnesotan and a few from North Carolina) and we were able to go out with them to where they set up the clinic each day and parked the school bus that was renovated into a traveling dentist office (SO COOOOL!!!)
They had a group praying and evangelizing, several nurses, a Physician’s assistant, a nurse practitioner, a message therapist, and a chiropractor from the States! Some of our team handed out “goodie” bags with water, soap, formula for infants, rice and beans. The dentist was a local Haitian, along with his assistant and several translators.
I had the privilege of assisting in the nurses with my teammate Sisay, doing our best to keep the medicine organized.
It was an incredible sight to see. I’ve never been a part of a short term mission trip (except for each separate month of the World Race), so it was fascinating to observe the team working together with the locals, and then work together each night to gather and do devotions together.
If there is something I’ve learned on the Race it’s what I want to learn about!
I want to learn more about chiropractic care, medicine, massage, engines, generators, baking, coffee, the Word of God, theology, world religions, cooking, running a business, structure of ministries and nonprofits, self sustaining lifestyles, gardening, animal care, leaderships, followership, mental health, natural resources, alternative medicine, government structures, history (I never thought I’d say that), and languages.. all of the languages. And the list really could go on.
I’ve learned that I want to learn. I want to learn everything. I wish I had unlimited time and resources and that I could just learn everything ever discovered.
I’ve learned that I really have no clue. I have no clue how the world runs, how people think, how things run, or what on earth I actually want to do with this life I’ve been given.
And that’s where I am mentally: clueless as to what direction I should run. It’s like I’m standing 24 m into the 100 meter dash on a track that lost its lines and leads in a million different directions.
I want to sprint but I don’t know where I’m going or how to get there.. so I stand there day in and day out, just dreaming of the potential instead of taking off.
Which is where I am spiritually: standing on that same empty track, watching people race by, too frozen to do anything about it. Too doubtful to pray bold prayers. Too worried to ask God questions that I’m not sure I want the answers to.
But then I hear “it’s aaaaaall good Baby Girl” and this precious woman’s voice encourages me in every direction and soothes the ache of the wandering where I find myself.
I know that God is using me and wants to use me. I know that I don’t need to have all of the answers, I don’t need a plan for the rest of my life, I don’t have to figure it all out, but I have to keep moving.
Maybe it’s not time to sprint. Maybe it’s still time to walk with the Lord and enjoy the stroll, stopping to smell the flowers, looking up to enjoy the view.
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After this month in Haiti, we’ll be crossing the boarder over to The Dominican Republic. This last month our teams will no longer be working together. The squad of 43 will come together and we’ll have the liberty to find ministry for ourselves. Meaning I will no longer have a team, a ministry host to set up a schedule for me, or any other obligation previously established by my leadership on the field.
That being said, please be praying for me and the rest of my squad to stay in God’s Word, to keep Him our priority, for us to each find opportunities to share the love of Jesus with people, for us to stay alert to what is going on around us and for us to follow the Holy Spirit as He leads and we navigate the month. A few potential ministry opportunities have come up and I plan on spending some time in prayer as far as where God wants to use me and I’d love some extra support!
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This really is a marvelous journey and a beautiful adventure and I know that I still have a lot to learn in these last two months overseas.
Two months.
8 weeks.
53 days.
So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Psalms 90:12 ESV
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV
