Prior to leaving for Nicaragua my roommate asked me if I was nervous to go even thought I had been on a few other medical mission trips before. I told her that it wasn't the medical portion of the trip I was nervous about but in fact the spiritual portion. As a practicing Catholic, I have found that I grow closest to Christ when I am serving Him with my actions and not by preaching His word. I knew that this trip was going to push me out of my spiritual comfort zone and I wasn't sure if I was ready for it.
The trip not only pushed me out of my comfort zone, but opened up a new thirst in my heart to learn more about Christ. I am very open in saying that during undergrad I coasted on my faith and did not spend enough time nurturing it; so when I was challenged on some of my beliefs in Nicaragua, I was unable to respond with the same confidence that I used to have. I took this to be the wake up call that I needed to start developing my faith again. The morning and afternoon worships helped to center my thoughts and realize what I was missing in my life. Christ has always been with me but I am now ready to take the next step and further my faith.
While in Nicaragua, I became more comfortable praying aloud and using the love and healing powers of Christ to help heal the body and soul of the patients we encountered. There were many times that we had patients whose ailments were beyond our medical capacity. Before this trip, these were the patients I dreaded because there was nothing I could do; but now I see the power and ability of prayer to be used in the clinic. By simply taking time to pray with the patient, we were able to show them that we cared about them and wanted to help them. It was through our actions that we were able to open the door for Christ to enter their lives. Over the course of the week, we helped many people medically but more importantly; we brought Christ into the lives of everyone we met.
My faith and the course of my life has been forever altered now that I have seen how Christ can work through my hands to heal the hearts and body of the patients I care for. In America, religion in a professional setting is a touchy subject but I now see that it is a wonderful tool to use as part of my medical plan. Christ is the Ultimate Healer and it is through Him that I will be able to change the lives of the people I serve both medically and spiritually.
The trip not only pushed me out of my comfort zone, but opened up a new thirst in my heart to learn more about Christ. I am very open in saying that during undergrad I coasted on my faith and did not spend enough time nurturing it; so when I was challenged on some of my beliefs in Nicaragua, I was unable to respond with the same confidence that I used to have. I took this to be the wake up call that I needed to start developing my faith again. The morning and afternoon worships helped to center my thoughts and realize what I was missing in my life. Christ has always been with me but I am now ready to take the next step and further my faith.
While in Nicaragua, I became more comfortable praying aloud and using the love and healing powers of Christ to help heal the body and soul of the patients we encountered. There were many times that we had patients whose ailments were beyond our medical capacity. Before this trip, these were the patients I dreaded because there was nothing I could do; but now I see the power and ability of prayer to be used in the clinic. By simply taking time to pray with the patient, we were able to show them that we cared about them and wanted to help them. It was through our actions that we were able to open the door for Christ to enter their lives. Over the course of the week, we helped many people medically but more importantly; we brought Christ into the lives of everyone we met.
My faith and the course of my life has been forever altered now that I have seen how Christ can work through my hands to heal the hearts and body of the patients I care for. In America, religion in a professional setting is a touchy subject but I now see that it is a wonderful tool to use as part of my medical plan. Christ is the Ultimate Healer and it is through Him that I will be able to change the lives of the people I serve both medically and spiritually.
