This summer of 2015 I was able to participate in a medical mission trip to El Salvador with Global Health Outreach. This is something I have wanted to do for years. As a child I was inspired by certain people in my life and begged my parents to let me take extra Spanish classes so I would be prepared to volunteer in Central America. I went to nursing school so I would have the practical skills to be able to help people. Then I grew up and faced the reality of having to work and pay bills, and realized it wasn't easy to find the time for a medical mission trip. I was humbled to have the opportunity to finally participate in a medical mission trip this year, thanks to the generosity of many people including the Naomi Kim Scholarship donors.
I was amazed to see how many others were able to participate too. We had about 70 volunteers on our team, and each one had made sacrifices to be there- used vacation time from work, missed events at home, funded their own trip, or donated supplies. Our team included Christians, Hindus, and agnostics, and all were enthusiastic and eager to participate. The people we served also came from varying faith backgrounds. It touched my heart to see all of us come together go further God's work despite our diversities. It showed me that the work of Jesus is a universal language that exists in everyone's heart, whether or not they profess to be a follower of Christ.
I was humbled by the joy of the El Salvadoran people who were living in circumstances that I would consider less than ideal. Even with gang violence and poverty surrounding them, they blessed us with their cheerfulness and kindness. How much more should I give praise to God for all that I have? I sometimes stop myself when I feel the urge to complain about difficulties that I face, because I have met people with much harsher circumstances who choose to praise God instead of complain.
On this trip I witnessed members of our medical team taking the time to pray with their patients. This gesture was well received by the patients and challenged me to be more bold in my faith. It seemed that the spoken words were less important than the spirit and heart with which they were verbalized. I was challenged to have more courage to share thoughts and beliefs with my fellow Christians and others who I encounter here at home. This trip felt like a Christian retreat because despite the busy schedule and full days of work I was able to grow in my faith and learn from the people I met.
I was amazed to see how many others were able to participate too. We had about 70 volunteers on our team, and each one had made sacrifices to be there- used vacation time from work, missed events at home, funded their own trip, or donated supplies. Our team included Christians, Hindus, and agnostics, and all were enthusiastic and eager to participate. The people we served also came from varying faith backgrounds. It touched my heart to see all of us come together go further God's work despite our diversities. It showed me that the work of Jesus is a universal language that exists in everyone's heart, whether or not they profess to be a follower of Christ.
I was humbled by the joy of the El Salvadoran people who were living in circumstances that I would consider less than ideal. Even with gang violence and poverty surrounding them, they blessed us with their cheerfulness and kindness. How much more should I give praise to God for all that I have? I sometimes stop myself when I feel the urge to complain about difficulties that I face, because I have met people with much harsher circumstances who choose to praise God instead of complain.
On this trip I witnessed members of our medical team taking the time to pray with their patients. This gesture was well received by the patients and challenged me to be more bold in my faith. It seemed that the spoken words were less important than the spirit and heart with which they were verbalized. I was challenged to have more courage to share thoughts and beliefs with my fellow Christians and others who I encounter here at home. This trip felt like a Christian retreat because despite the busy schedule and full days of work I was able to grow in my faith and learn from the people I met.
