what a unique 3 weeks it has been! I’ve loved almost every moment. there is growing to be had around every corner, and with that, more realizations of God’s unique love and creativity in His design for this world.
it’s truly amazing to finally be here and be living out this plan I’ve talked about (and even dreamed about) for so long. it’s as if I never truly thought it would happen. from the minute I landed in Los Angeles to meet up with my 4 other classmates, I felt such a peace about the journey. I remember going from confusion and fear about all the unknowns ahead, to excitement and adrenaline when we were all finally together and traveling here. there was finally some clarity on at least one thing, and it was such a blessing to be able to laugh.
that’s one thing about the Body of Christ that amazes me: the connection you can have with a person so instantly, even if you don’t even know their favorite food or you can’t even say their name right. : ) but really ! each person differs in their processing and convictions, yet you can join together with the goal of simply loving others because Christ has already done the work of uniting us through His redemption – and that is peace-giving. it creates the vital groundwork for serving together. It takes the pressure off of us to begrudgingly make partnerships “perfect.” it gives us the feeling of honor and joy in giving God glory while we’re in the world.
I would’ve never anticipated all the relationship forming and community work to be had upon arrival. I knew we’d be encouraged to make friendships and attend a local church, I knew we’d have leadership to guide us academically while here… but I suppose I just have never had the opportunity or maturity to look outside of that and at all of the unique people in the world that we worship alongside without even knowing it!
I realized just how much my mindset has shifted already in the first few weeks when I listened to my conversation with a new friend and wise encourager on The Devoted Dreamers Podcast. at first, I was tempted to critique myself ( wow was I nervous beforehand ) and a little bummed out about my lack of clarity on certain things… but then I was grateful because I remembered how far I’ve come, AND how true it is that God’s character remains the same from month to month, year to year, and lifetime to lifetime. He does that for His own glory, and for our relationship with Him. He is so reliable. even though I didn’t know specifics of how I’d be serving, He knew I didn’t need to know them, but rather to remain focused solely on Him. I really do think that helped with my transition into life in this foreign place. even as things clear up and I gain knowledge a little bit at a time and get more comfortable with the tasks in the clinic, watching God’s character gives me a glimpse into His care and love for each day and moment.
The Gospel is divinely weaved into every aspect of life, and it has been from the beginning of creation. even
If you want to listen to my thoughts from about a month before my mission-field departure, click here or on the photo!
I am grateful to Merritt for asking sweet and intentional questions and creating a place to discuss the goodness of God, and inspire discernment in my pursuit of Him. I cannot wait to watch how God takes that conversation and uses it how He desires; my hope is that I will recall it as I move forward and gain clarity and knowledge of how to implement my faith in new contexts, not just that of my expectations. real example: “I’m here where you brought me, how do I trust you now as I physically make decisions that should honor you?”
while I have so very many questions about all that is new in my surroundings and I’ve had to welcome the feeling of being “in the way,” a few times, I’ve never felt more in the right place – at least according to what I know of how the Lord calls me to look out to others and up to Him. to have the chance to assess and address the personal and spiritual well-being of someone I care about in the eternal perspective, to have the desire and learning materials all prepared for me to become excellent at providing care… it’s kind of unbelievable.
I haven’t seen a birth here yet, but my goodness, there are so many more aspects to midwifery and the care of women. for one, observing a few prenatal clinic shifts has just opened my eyes to a really broad and lovely way to form relationships with patients as they anticipate new life. we observe, record and talk about signs and symptoms of infection, nutritional deficiencies and the patients’ hopes and concerns during pregnancy, we monitor baby’s health and growth, and schedule them back for exams leading up to labor. that actually barely touches the surface of what’s involved in each appointment, but even in those things mentioned there is so much room for God to work in the conversations and encouragement of the patient’s care for her body. it is so sweet and humbling to pray over her body and baby as she progresses, sometimes long before she meets them earth-side. both signs of concern and healthy progression require immense faith and trust in God for His will and sovereignty. I can honestly see how easy it would be to address only the medical observations, but there’s something selfless and servant-like to truly trust and honor the Lord by asking for His hand in a stranger’s life… I’ve loved watching that demonstrated in my second and third-year classmates.
scattered throughout the days are cultural classes, wonderful ( and shocking ) health statistics and mission-minded medical journal materials to read, new friends to get to know both as I live with them and make intentional efforts to return their sweet welcome, and language classes which began this week ( that is a post in itself for later ).
each day, I realize there is an adventure and aspect of life to document and share – that’s it for now, but I promise to be back soon. I’ll be learning and consuming much more in the weeks to come as opportunities present themselves more often. until then, I am so grateful for sweet leadership to train me with patience! It’s sooo surreal to have conversations with my housemates about the beginning of their time here – the knowledge and confidence in the Lord they have today is remarkable and makes me very excited to continue with patience and gratefulness. one day (hopefully soon) I’ll be having sweet conversations with worried and joyful women about their lives and new babies. how does the hope of redemption and eternity with Jesus affect their pregnancy? their approaching labor? their journey into motherhood?
anna
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anna cherie