This trip to Honduras has completely changed me for the better. This was an unforgettable experience. I feel privileged to have been a part of and witness the body of Christ not only working in perfect unison, but also being able to experience the love of God in such a profound way. I came to this trip not knowing anyone and many would ask if I was nervous about going to a foreign country with people I don’t know, but I knew the Lord had a good plan and that there was no reason to worry. I was able to come out of this trip with a deep love and appreciation for every single person who was on this trip, nothing can explain it other than God’s love. I always had a hard time understanding the Lord’s love and up until the trip I was praying for God to show me his love in a radical way, and he sure did deliver. I came down with some sort of sickness for a few days and thought that was it, my trip was ruined, but everyone tended to me so well, I was healed very shortly. The way everyone came together to pray for me, love me, and take care of me was only explained by the Lord. It finally clicked on what a fraction of God’s love is like. It wrecked me in the most beautiful way possible, my perception of him had changed for good and it allowed me to love others better as well. On the medical side, it was so cool to be able to see the doctors go to work and figure out the best plan to get the patients on the course of healing. I was able to translate, converse with the doctor, and, under a doctor’s supervision, practice physical therapy by doing stretches and exercises with the patients. As for me wanting to be a Physical Therapist, this experience solidified my calling. I love that PT is a medicine that never runs out and keeps on giving. As the saying goes, teach a fisherman to fish and he will never go hungry, I feel this saying resonates with what Physical Therapy can offer. Being able to explain different movements to people and seeing their faces light up with relief, filled my heart with joy. Seeing how grateful these people were for our care made me want to do clinics all summer! Missions are a beautiful work, especially medical mission trips because we are able to not only help with spiritual health but physical health as well. I loved hearing everyone’s stories and how the Lord worked in them, it was all so encouraging to hear. I loved being able to connect with each patient one on one and really get to hear their story. It was encouraging to even see our nurses and doctors giving out scripture and praying for each patient as they left our office. You can feel the empathy and love these medical professionals had for these people without even really knowing who they were. It was great exposure to even learn more about the ins and outs of how a clinic runs. I was also challenged to share parts of my story to groups of people, which was hard, but I feel the Lord used that and grew me to be stronger in my faith, and if anything this trip has shown me that you can be firm in your faith, even as a medical professional. I am so happy to have been placed with this group of people, I could not have asked for better. I can say that from this trip I have a better grasp of God’s love, hope in the medical field, new friendships, a stronger faith, and much much more. The Lord is lovely and faithful and he is on the move. I am thankful for this opportunity to have gone on this trip and plan on using my experiences to further glorify the kingdom. Thank you.
Andrea, how delighted I was in reading your piece about the Honduras medical mission trip. I was especially moved when you shared about the immense love you experienced from the team showered on you while you were sick for a period of time and how you were then able to understand that this is just a small piece of God’s immense love for you. I too became overwhelmed as I reflected on what you shared and how much He loves me and all of us! Thank you! (1 John 3:1)