Mending Broken Hearts in MONGOLIA!!

So it turns out (as if anyone is surprised!) that I am awful at updating my blog.  But true to the blog’s name “Wherever He Leads…I’ll Go”---I tend to update when God is leading in a fun, new direction.  **Believe me, you wouldn’t be impressed with my day to day; therefore, NO NEED to update you on that! **

So I’m here to update and tell you…

GOD is at it again…
Opening doors that seem to be jammed shut! 
Oh, how excited I get when I get to be a part of His Heart for the nations!!

In less than 2 weeks I leave for Mongolia…yes, MONGOLIA!!! 

Before I get to that story, I feel like you may need a little back story to be able to understand why I’m so stinkin’ excited about this trip. 

Until 2007, I had every intention of graduating from A&M and heading off to medical school.  As I would soon find out, that was MY plan for my life and not God’s plan for my life.  Through a series of events, God opened my eyes to the world of nursing.  The more I researched my options, I realized that NURSING was the direction the Lord was leading me into….not medical school. 

I was confused…I didn't understand at the time.  Luckily God doesn’t ask or even desire for us to know all of the details before being obedient, He just says to listen and obey…He is faithful to fill in the details in His perfect time.  As I prepared for nursing school, God placed on my heart that I wasn’t just “going to school”.  Time and time again He showed me that nursing school was my training for the mission field HE was preparing for me.  I felt like the Lord preparing me for my future in missions----whether here in the States or overseas. 

Ok….back to Mongolia! 

There is a group of physicians,  nurse practitioners, nurses, etc. from the hospital where I work that go to Mongolia every year.  They go with a group called For Hearts and Souls.  When I began working at Santa Rosa in July 2010, my preceptor was preparing to leave for the trip they would take in September.  My interest was peeked. What was this group all about?  What are they doing in Mongolia?  MAY I GO, please please please?!?!?!?!?!  So I began to ask questions. What I found out is that For Hearts and Souls goes into Mongolia to screen children for heart defects and then they mend their little broken hearts.  I knew that as soon as I had enough nursing experience, I wanted to be part!  Last year (2011) I wanted to go so badly, but I wasn’t able to go.  I thought this year was going to be the same.  

But God had other plans…

He opened door….after door….after door.  He opened doors that I was almost certain couldn’t be opened.  I’m sure He gets a good laugh at me in situations like this!!  But honestly, there is nothing that thrills me more than seeing God at work in my heart in circumstances such as these----seriously, NOTHING thrills me more!  He’s so good to me! 

So what is it about this trip that gets me so excited??

My heart is for the nations….God has put something deep inside of me that desires to see ALL NATIONS know Him.  When God told me that nursing school was how He was equipping and training me for my mission field, He knew that this trip to Mongolia (and hopefully other trips like this---or more long term!) was part of His plan for me.  Yes….the PICU at Santa Rosa is my mission field, day in and day out, and I don’t take that for granted! But part of me knows that medical mission work overseas is what I was created to do---to HIS glory and for HIS glory!  I’m so excited because this the first trip I’ve taken that combines so many of the things that I’m most passionate about in life---children, the nations, sharing Jesus with those who don’t know Him, and nursing/medicine.  

So as we mend broken hearts, we get to share about the ULTIMATE Mender of ALL broken hearts….and God is LETTING me be a part of that!  :)