In preparation for my trip to Nicaragua, I made sure I was going to be protected from mosquitoes and any illness I may catch when I am there. I tried to brush up on Spanish and make sure I packed enough scrubs for clinic and long skirts for church. One thing that I did not do was to prepare my heart. Growing up a Christian, I had my own journey of finding a true relationship with God during college. Since I love Jesus, sometimes it’s easy to let things such as studying for a test for PA school get in the way of church, bible studies, and prayer. To be honest, since I have been in PA school my spiritual relationship has definitely been on the backburner. My trip was unexpectedly refreshing. I thought of the verse “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied”. I was satisfied momentarily, but left Nicaragua wanting more.
My favorite day in Nicaragua started with our leader telling me that I was a part of a group going on a home visit that afternoon. I was so excited! We rode in the back of a pickup truck down the bumpy roads of Jalapa, Nicaragua and as we drove through the town, it was obvious that they had very little. At one point, I looked up and saw a breathtaking view of the mountains. The beauty of creation reminded me of the greatness of the God we serve. The patients we saw welcomed us into their homes, had chairs ready for us, and were so thankful for our presence. One lady that had significant hypertension originally would have refused medication but because she believed God had sent us, she agreed to start treatment and listen to our recommendations. There is one patient in particular that will forever stay with me. He was an elderly man named Nicolas and lived in a concrete home with a sheet of black plastic that served as a room divider. All he had was a bed and the clothes on his body. A red rope held up his pants. We examined him and listened to his concerns and quickly realized that there was not much we could do for him. He asked us for a cane but we did not have one or have one at the clinic. He needed Tylenol, but we had forgotten to pack that in our medical supply bag. There was hardly anything we could medically do for him. What did we do? We sang and prayed for him. It was beautiful. I don’t know if I have ever felt so physically helpless. But in my helplessness, God was able to use my team and me as his hands and feet to show Nicolas his love, grace, and provide him hope.
I went to Nicaragua expecting to be fulfilled clinically: to gain experience and to practice all the skills I have been taught in PA school thus far. We served them well but I left with more than I could have ever expected. I left with a renewed spirit and a heart that has been deeply touched by the people of Nicaragua. I have experienced the joy of praying with patients and providing them hope when there is nothing medically I can do. All of these experiences in Nicaragua have forever changed my perspective as a future clinician and I am eager for future opportunities to serve those in need.
My favorite day in Nicaragua started with our leader telling me that I was a part of a group going on a home visit that afternoon. I was so excited! We rode in the back of a pickup truck down the bumpy roads of Jalapa, Nicaragua and as we drove through the town, it was obvious that they had very little. At one point, I looked up and saw a breathtaking view of the mountains. The beauty of creation reminded me of the greatness of the God we serve. The patients we saw welcomed us into their homes, had chairs ready for us, and were so thankful for our presence. One lady that had significant hypertension originally would have refused medication but because she believed God had sent us, she agreed to start treatment and listen to our recommendations. There is one patient in particular that will forever stay with me. He was an elderly man named Nicolas and lived in a concrete home with a sheet of black plastic that served as a room divider. All he had was a bed and the clothes on his body. A red rope held up his pants. We examined him and listened to his concerns and quickly realized that there was not much we could do for him. He asked us for a cane but we did not have one or have one at the clinic. He needed Tylenol, but we had forgotten to pack that in our medical supply bag. There was hardly anything we could medically do for him. What did we do? We sang and prayed for him. It was beautiful. I don’t know if I have ever felt so physically helpless. But in my helplessness, God was able to use my team and me as his hands and feet to show Nicolas his love, grace, and provide him hope.
I went to Nicaragua expecting to be fulfilled clinically: to gain experience and to practice all the skills I have been taught in PA school thus far. We served them well but I left with more than I could have ever expected. I left with a renewed spirit and a heart that has been deeply touched by the people of Nicaragua. I have experienced the joy of praying with patients and providing them hope when there is nothing medically I can do. All of these experiences in Nicaragua have forever changed my perspective as a future clinician and I am eager for future opportunities to serve those in need.
