If you were to ask me a year ago what I would be doing after
graduating college, my answer probably would have involved moving to an
exciting city, finding a great job as a pediatric nurse and working hard on
building up my career. If you were to ask me how I felt about doing medical
mission work, I would have told you that it was something I would probably do
eventually once I had my life in order. If you were to tell me that after graduation, I would be moving to
Africa for a year to do medical mission work, I probably would have laughed.
Really hard. That is the beauty of life though, as soon as you think you have
it figured out, God sends you on an unexpected adventure.
The whole process that lead me up to the decision of serving
for a year with the Salesian Lay Missionaries taught me so much about being
patient and trusting in God’s plan for my life. Those of you who know me, know
that I am a planner. I like to have everything planned to the T and I don’t
usually like things that involve a lot of unknowns. It’s been amazing to see how God has used my
weaknesses in order to show me that this is His plan for me and not my own. I
know that this path is not something that I would have chosen for myself, but
that provides even more comfort to me in knowing that I am following God’s will.
I offered this decision up to Him in prayer and He revealed to me that I am
capable of more than I ever thought I could be.
At the time of my discernment, I was reading through the
gospel of Luke. The trust that Jesus’ followers had in Him inspired me. Luke
5:10-11 says, “ Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be
catching men.’ When they brought back their boats to the shore, they left
everything and followed him.” They left everything
and followed him. I knew this was what Jesus was calling me to.
Leaving everything I know behind for a year and moving to
South Sudan might seem crazy to some people. It might not make sense. It might
seem radical. It might be radical.
But, I feel called to live a radical life because of what was done in order to
give me life. Jesus died for my sins. He died for me. If giving a year of my
life to serve Him and love His people is His will for me, than I must go. Like
the fishermen, I must leave everything behind to follow Him. Pope John Paul II
said, “life with Christ is a wonderful adventure” and adventure definitely awaits.
