Wednesday, January 13, 2010

The Eternal Flame

I get breaking news texts sent from AZCentral. I usually get the texts and quickly glance over them. Most of the time it's local news and it's something that I don't consider breaking news. Yesterday, I received a breaking news text saying that an earthquake had happened in Haiti. My heart began to hurt for those people. I already knew how poverty stricken that country was and the earthquake is going to make everything worse. In 2006 I went on a 10 day mission trip to the Dominican Republic. We worked with a small town called Puello. While we were there, we crossed over into Haiti to a surrounding neighborhood to minister to some people. And although we were only there for a few hours, those people left an impact on me.

I got on and logged onto a local news site. As I read the article, I began to wonder if the Dominican Republic felt it as well. The article said the earthquake hit the capital, Port Au Prince. Further down it said that the quake was felt 300 miles away in the capital of the DR, Santo Domingo. This would mean the Puello and the surrounding Haitian community I worked with felt the earthquake as well. The news said it was the worst one Haiti had seen in 200 years. The earthquake demolished many buildings, including the hosptial.

I heard on Air1 this morning that an American Missionary team had landed in Port Au Prince one hour before the quake hit. Being on mission trips before, I know they had a schedule and an itinerary they would try to follow. God had other plans for them. As soon as the quake hit, they hit the ground running. They went into the devastation to show God's love and try to help out where ever possible. Needless to say, it will be a mission trip that they will never forget in so many ways.

My prayers last night were only for Haiti. I just want to get on a plane and go help, do something, anything. I feel as though my prayers aren't enough right now. But, it's the best I can do. The need to get on a plane is so strong to just be in the middle of it all trying to save lives.

It's a deep hurt that I can't explain.

It would seem as though I have been trying to get my nursing degree forever now. I decided on majoring in nursing a long time ago. I want to help people as much as I can. A few years ago, I also decided to minor in Spanish. I want to be a bilingual nurse. Did you know nurses make a lot of money? Did you know that bilingual nurses make even more money? The money is promising and there is always a need for nurses.

But I'm not doing it to make more money. I am doing it because I want to go work in a another country. I want to be a missionary or work for the Red Cross. I just want to help people as much as possible and share the love I have in my heart for God.

Sure you may think I am crazy, but this morning the need to drop my life completely and get on a plane to help those people is very strong. I am glad to know that after that first Chile trip in 2005, my heart still burns for missions. The flame is still there to move to another country and do missionary work. I have had many discouragements along the way, but after it's all said and done, I would leave the US in a heartbeat to go live my life in another country.

That flame burns eternally in my soul. It is taking me awhile to get there. But I will get there and that is all that matters.

Please join me in praying for Haiti. There are so many people who are believed to be buried under the rubble and they don't have the machinery or manpower to quickly pull these people out. Here is a link to some pictures. Warning, they are graphic.

My heart is heavy today and I shall leave you with some quotes about my want to leave this world that I know and venture into a world I don't know.


"To stay here and disobey God - I can't afford to take that consequence. I would rather go and obey God than to stay here and know that I disobeyed." ~Amanda Berry Smith
"The will of God - nothing less, nothing more, nothing else." ~F.E. Marsh
"If God's love is anybody anywhere, it's for everybody everywhere." ~Edward Lawlor
"Let my heart be broken with the things that breaks God's heart." ~Bob Pierce

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I don't think you are crazy! I felt the same way when I saw pictures. I wanted to go and help and share the love of Jesus. I think your plan for your future is admirable and that God gave you a huge heart for His people!