This is what I was made for!

In the first installment of my Nicaraguan adventure, I'd like to take it back a few blogs to a few weeks before my trip. As I pondered the trip, I got super excited about it and what God was going to do, but at the same time, I was a little afraid to be too excited... what if I was disappointed? HA!! One of the coolest things coming back from this trip, I realized, after a semester of ups and downs, many let downs and unmet expectations, my God does not disappoint! He does more than we can possibly think or imagine, and even if it does not turn out how we expect, it is better and for good.

As I pondered the trip a few weeks before and what we would be doing, I also wrote a blog on feeling that this is what I was made for. When I arrived in Managua, I was informed that I would not be just shuffled in with the med student rotations, I would in fact be practicing physical therapy! Needless to say, I freaked out a little bit, but the doctors were awesome. They would bring a patient to me, talk through what was going on and then let me take it from there (I even diagnosed a problem before the med students figured it out :) I had read 1 Corinthians 12-14 the week before we left and prayed that though I had no clue how I was gifted for this trip, that God would somehow use me in my utter and complete weakness to bring glory to His Name in the week ahead. As I interacted with patients, I almost felt like I was experiencing it in the 3rd person as God just moved and worked through me. The physical therapy was great, and I learned a lot and was incredibly humbled, but the most encouraging and incredible part about being in the clinic was seeing medicine and the gospel meet and work seamlessly together as modelled by Jesus himself, medicine, loving people opening doors to sharing the gospel, praying for and with people. Medicine unhindered by legal issues, public policy, and political correctness.

Every patient who came through our clinic went through an evangelism station first where the pastors would talk to them and find out if they were a believer. If they were, they would check that and when they came to us we would treat them and then talk to and encourage them and then pray with them. Many people were anxious about medical issues, or anxiety was one of their main complaints, and it was so sweet to just encourage them with Scripture and point them to the King of kings to take their burden away, and have them in tears hug and thank you after you said "Amen". No pill or exercise can accomplish that. If the patient was not a Christian, they would share the gospel with them and check if they accepted Christ or not. The just accepted were the coolest because we got to celebrate with them, to share Zephaniah 3:17 that God is rejoicing and dancing over them today, present them with a Bible of their own and disciple them through where to begin and what this decision, the biggest they will ever make and the one that solves life's biggest problem for them, means in their every day life. And then to see the peace and the joy light up their face. And finally, those that had not accepted, we simply asked what was stopping them, which opened up some really tough conversations and life stories, but it was good. We would encourage them but not pressure them with the hope and joy of eternity with Christ as well as the God of the Universe to walk through trials with here.

Once again, in all of these, I felt ridiculously inadequate, but God showed up. The last day of the trip our devotional book quoted Philippians 2:13 in the NLT: "God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him." I've read that and heard it a thousand times but have never experienced it like I did during this week in Nicaragua. All the trials and challenges of getting me to this point in my life were worth it for that feeling, that surrender and knowing God is working in and through you. The rest, I count as loss.

And, that is what I was made for. In between patients I had a chance to go around and shadow some of the other doctors. It so moved me to see them giving out pills one minute and talking through the particular problem, and then to turn around a second later and see them praying with the patient. To look into hopeless and hurting eyes that have seen a lifetime of pain and hurt, and be able to say that yes, these pills will only last for 30 days and we are leaving after this week, but there is hope! There is hope for eternity and there is peace and joy that surpasses all of these circumstances, and seeing medicine and PT be such an amazing gift and vessel for those conversations to take place.

Forever Changed

Just a quick note. We made it back to the States with no problems Sunday evening. Although the drive from Orlando to Gainesville took about as long as the flight from Nicaragua to Miami :)
God did incredible things, and I look forward to sharing them with all of you in the weeks ahead! It was quite possibly the most amazing week of my life thus far and i am so excited to see what God has in store.

As always, reverse culture shock and just being away from 54 other people who are running hard after Jesus 24/7 with you for a time takes it's toll, so I'd appreciate your prayers as I kind of transition back to PT school with renewed perspective.

EEEK! :)

24 hours and I will be well on my way to Nicaragua. I was talking to someone this morning on the way to class about flying out and when we got there and when I'd meet my team, etc... when I realized I will be in Nicaragua tomorrow night! I think it almost seems further away now than it ever has, but anyways...
My final note on here/ final prayer request as I pack up and before I leave (highly doubt there will be any internet activity while I'm there, so you'll have to wait til I get back and then I'm sure I'll have lots of phone dates :) is that I would become less as Christ becomes more this week. It's been kind of a crazy week of ups and downs, stress, pride, excitement, fear, disappointment, adn I just pray that those would fade away into a peace and joy beyond worldly circumstances and I could focus on what God has called me to do in this short week.
I read I Corinthians 12 & 13 this week, about gifts and the gift of love. Never have I gone into a trip feeling quite so inadequate and "un-gifted". I have no idea what to expect, feel like I have absolutely nothing I can offer as a first year PT student, and yet it is in exactly that spot that God tends to use our weaknesses to display His glory, so I pray that is the case this week and I wouldn't get in the way. I also pray that this is a unique opportunity in that I really don't know anything, so I can't get too caught up in the medical part of the trip and hopefully as I learn will have opportunities just to love people and share the love of Christ with each person I interact with. There will be many opportunities to be in the community working with local churches as well as putting on a VBS. For humility and love for these people, for strength and endurance, faith and obedience.

2 Corinthians 4:7-9
Revelation 15:3-4
Acts 20:24
Hebrews 12:1-3

AND

OH! And, found out yesterday our whole team is 100% supported!!! God is so good and faithful!!

:)

We leave on Saturday!! :)
Yesterday, I got my official package from GHO for the trip complete with luggage tags, polo, a letter for the immigration authorities if we run into trouble, and an Evange-cube. I leaped and danced around my apartment for a good 15-20 minutes in excitement! :) Also could have been partly due to the stress and ADD-ness of having 4 exams/competencies/quizzes + a couple projects between me and heading for the airport.
About to go meet with the other med students going on the trip for dinner and just some time to get to know one another, which will be nice.
God has met me in some absolutely incredible ways this week, from the message and worship on Sunday to random messages from friends and classmates that have encouraged and directly spoken to many of those unspoken prayers of my heart. I feel very well prepared and equipped and almost like I'm expecting too much... and then I realize the God I serve and the fact that He will do more than I can ever imagine on this trip and it will probably look nothing like I expect... it'll be better!
Thank you for your prayers and just keep praying for our team and all of the lives Christ will place in our path, that He will go before us and use us.

"What I was made for"

Here we are 10 days out :D I have had some amazingly encouraging conversations over the past week and am so excited for spring break! It has seemed so distant, and I've almost felt like other people were more excited about than me at times :) Today though, as my mind drifted off from studying for our next exam tomorrow, I began to think about my time in Nicaragua and what I actually get to do for a week in the middle of this semester. Today was the first time I have thought about it without also thinking about all the details, the logistics, what I need to do to prepare, how much support we have... and something inside of me just delighted :) To use this stuff I've been learning that seems to pointless some days to point people to Christ. WHAT?! YES!!!!! That's what it's about. I don't even know what to say, it's just so amazing to me right now! So simple and incredible.
Over the past year, amidst serving in the church, working, school, etc., God has blessed me with moments, moments where I have seen Him working so clearly, I have seen His love and purpose at work so clearly through me and in others that I am moved to tears (and I'm not one usually moved to tears). I have looked back on each of these instances that have resonated with me so deeply, and my only response has been..."this... this is what I was made for."
I was reminded in conversation last week of this calling, this reason for living. Today was a "this is what I was made for" moment as I pondered spring break, and it makes the next few weeks seem like nothing because it's all for a greater purpose, something so much bigger than me, my grades, my comforts, etc. But for Christ and His Name to be proclaimed, worshipped, praised. So amidst school, amidst the absolute chaos that is the next week and a half, amidst the stress of graduate level coursework (especially exams you don't know about :), amidst it all... it's worth it for those moments, those indescribable, exciting, nothing-else-matters times of being faithful and obedient when you feel you're in the desert and seeing God show up and move, knowing it's nothing I can boast about but only to be in awe that God allowed me to be apart of it. That's why I am here.
Acts 20:24
And for the detail people :) I haven't received final numbers on support stuff yet. We still haven't gotten together as a team of students from UF, but God is good and faithful, so here we go :)

t-minus 2 1/2 weeks

So, we are 2 1/2 weeks out from Nicaragua. I have so much to accomplish in the next 2 1/2 weeks, it is somewhat overwhelming, but I am so incredibly excited for what God has in store during this week. I have no idea what to expect, which is absolutely terrifying, but thrilling :)
I have had several ups and downs over the past few weeks, many "freak out" times where I had no idea why I was doing this and contemplated backing out, only to be comforted by the fact that where we are so unbelievably weak, God is more than strong, and our becoming less only allows Him to become more... and knowing that and submitting and trusting is the only way anything will become of this week we have. I was encouraged even today by God's faithfulness, seeing things He has been orchestrating and bringing about with perfect timing in my life.
2 Corinthians 4:7-10 ~ But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that hte life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.
I do not think I have ever understood this passage as God has revealed it to me these past few weeks. Yes, there's the potter and the clay analogy with the pots, but we are made as fragile, breakable, dirty, clay pots so God gets the glory, so that though all of those "bad" things happen to us, we are made alive in Christ. And, God chose to place His most precious gift, the gift of salvation inside of us, frail little pots. WHAT?!? Mind blowing!! It's a little like putting your life savings in a paper thin china piggy bank and then setting it in the middle of Times Square. Why?? Paul writes in Romans that in all of these things we are more than conquerors, and as children of God, heirs to both His suffering and His glory, we have life and nothing can separate us from that. So, not only are we fragile clay pots, we are fortified by the all surpassing power of Christ. He loves us... that's why, and we are most satisfied in Him as we become less and He, in His perfect power, becomes more. So, during these weeks when my pot is teetering on the edge, I find comfort in that and pray God uses it to make Himself known, both here in Florida and in Nicaragua.

Please be praying for these next few weeks of preparation, for our last bit of support to come in, for unity and fellowship among our team, those of us coming from UF as well as with those from around the US, for safe travel for all 55 people going, for the hearts of each person we will interact with

Nicaragua 2010

Many of you know I feel God called me into the field of physical therapy specifically with a heart to serve in some capacity overseas at some point (see previous blog for a synopsis). I am writing to tell you about an exciting opportunity I and several medical students from the University of Florida have over our spring break, March 6-14th, to join students and medical professionals from around the country to participate in a medical mission trip to Masachapa, Nicaragua with an organization called the Christiam Medical and Dental Association along with the Global Health Outreach. I am very excited to have a chance so early in my education to use the gifts God has given me to serve other nations for the advancement of the gospel, and also to see how God uses this trip to guide my steps in the future.

Nicaragua is the 2nd poorest country in the Western hemisphere. Hudson Taylor, a medical missionary to China, "found his medical equipment of the greatest value in opening the way to people's hearts." We will have a chance to meet even the most basic medical needs of a community of people while offering them eternal life in Christ. Last year, the team had over 40 people from all over the country from Oregon to Florida. They had many physicians including surgeons, an anesthesiologist, dentists, a pharmacist, a nursing staff, a cardiologist, a chiropractor, an optometrist, and students in all healthcare fields. They had triage, a medical clinic, pharmacy, dental clinic, an ultrasound, two surgical suites, and an optometry clinic with hundreds of pairs of donated glasses. Overall, they saw almost 2000 people during the week. But more importantly, they were able to minister to the people, praying and sharing the Gospel with them. They went to local church services and walked around the town with pastors. Those who went on the trip described it as "life changing."

I ask you to come alongside of our team in prayer as we prepare and go overseas. In addition to praying for our team, our fundraising efforts, unity with one another in Christ, safety, etc., please pray that God would be preparing a way for us and softening hearts for our short time there. Pray that He will give us spirits of power and boldness and words to speak tobring His awesome and marvelous name glory in Central America, that people will see and experience not our medical expertise, but the love of Christ and a life-changing relationship with Him.

Rather than send out mass e-mails, I will try to continue to post updates here as we prepare as well as on/after the trip itself. So check here if you'd like info :)
Also, feel free to e-mail me with questions/encouragement :) l.cameron.taylor@gmail.com