Guatemala on my heart

 

 Long before I started PA school, the Lord placed the desire in my heart to do a medical mission trip. Interestingly enough, I was specifically drawn to Central America. I wasn't very far into my 1st semester of school when I learned of an amazing opportunity that would make it all a reality. In September, we had a meeting about a medical mission trip to Guatemala and heard beautiful stories of the lives others have touched there in the past. I almost immediately felt confirmation from the Lord that this trip was for me. After a few weeks, I prayerfully decided that I would go to Guatemala with the team during my Spring Break. While I was ecstatic and thrilled about this trip, I was a little nervous calling my parents to tell them that I wouldn't be coming in for Spring Break. But of course, my parents are so supportive and loving, and they totally understood. :) While I'll miss visiting home this semester, I know in my heart that this is a very special opportunity that I will absolutely not regret taking. 

     

Our trip to Guatemala is being coordinated by a ministry called Health Talents International, which has been involved in medical evangelism for more than 39 years. Our team of healthcare providers, pharmacy students, and physician assistant students from Harding University are headed to Chichicastenago, Guatemala during the week of March 9-16 (our Spring Break week). We will be having a clinic starting each morning through the evenings in which various stations will be set up. We will have stations to take people's history, their vitals, and perform physical exams. There will also be prayer/spiritual and pharmacy stations. I have been so excited about this trip coming up, especially since we've had our last meeting in which we fine tuned the details and received medical equipment to pack with us. But I have to admit, I was beginning to get a little nervous about whether I was going to make it due to a passport hold up. Who knew passports could sometimes take 4 months to get!? Well, yesterday after my test I came home to check my mail as I do everyday... in hopes of maybe getting it. And to my surprise... It was finally here!!! Thank you Lord! I am excited and feel so blessed to be able to go on this trip in an effort to love, teach, and heal as our Lord Jesus did.  I cannot describe how excited I am to be a part of the Lord's work in Guatemala. Please join me in praying for the people of Chichi and for Him to work through us while we are there. :)

In other news, school is going so great and there is not a day those goes by that I do not feel absolutely blessed to be here! I love our class, faculty, and staff even more, if that was possible!? It has definitely been quite different than last semester in that I don't feel like I'm constantly struggling to keep my head above water. Last semester we took more hours and it was rare that we ever had a week with less than 3 exams. This semester we are so fortunate and thankful that we only have 1 maybe 2 tests each week. And our hardest exams, Clinical Medicine and Pharmacology, are actually on different weeks! Yay times 100!!! (Last semester they would sometimes be in the same week, and on the same day.) I feel like time is absolutely flying by. Where did January go!? We have already had 5 tests and have covered Infectious diseases and the Endocrine system. Next week we stat Neuropsych! I'm nervous for how intense it may be, but I am quite interested in and excited about this section. 

This semester is also seeming to be better because we get some 3 day weekends now and then, how sweet is that!? A couple weeks ago, I got the privilege to go on a trip with these beautiful ladies to northwest Arkansas. We visited Fayetteville, which is in the MOUNTAINS (ya'll know I'm a huge mountain fan!), Fort Smith, and Rachel's sweet home in Greenwood.  I absolutely love these ladies and it was such a special weekend to get away and explore beautiful Arkansas. We were spoiled by Rachel's amazing parents and rejuvenated for a week of studying! We are totally guilty of studying pharm in the car though, couldn't help it ;) We checked out some of the ERs at Fort Smith's hospitals and saw some potential clinics for clinicals. It was nice getting more ideas for where I might want to do my rotations in August, and I have to say that I definitely saw some potentials! I'm starting to feel the pressure though because my decision needs to be made up by March when our rotation forms are due. Decisions, decisions!! 

Well that's about it for this post, I'm trying to keep them from getting too long ;) I tend to write a lot. Here's some verses that I hope bless you today, as they have for me: 

"Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through FAITH in Christ. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on FAITH. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him  from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!"

(Philippians 3:8-11).

Much love,

Lauren