When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
John 16:13-15
When I returned from Urbana, I continued to pray about where God might be calling me for the summer. One of the places that God has placed on my heart is Africa. For about four years now, I have been sponsoring a child in Tanzania through Compassion International. I still remember the Sunday that our family chose to sponsor Taramael. To understand how we chose him, you probably have to know a bit about my family. There are three children in my family: two girls and one boy, all about 3.5 years apart. My brother and sister both have birthdays in August. So when I was looking at the different children, I was looking for a younger brother so that our family would be balanced with two girls and two boys. I also saw that Taramael's birthday was in August, so our family could have one month to celebrate the birthday of three children. He is also 4 years younger than my younger brother, making us all about 3.5-4 years apart. I was excited to welcome Taramael into our family and start a relationship with him several years ago. Since then, we have exchanged letters, drawings, and photographs on a regular basis. I enjoy reading his letters in which he talks about the ways he is learning about God and loving his family and friends. I pray for him often and desire to have a better understanding of the ways God is working in communities like his.
Taramael in Tanzania
Back on campus after Urbana, I had many opportunities to share with friends how God was working in my heart. When I talked with my friend Sarah about my passion for medical missions in Africa, she referred me to the missions organization African Inland Missions (AIM). As I found out more about AIM and their ministry among the peoples of Africa, I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to apply for short-term service. I was aligned with AIM's vision to introduce people to Jesus Christ, help believers grow in faith, and establish Christ-centered churches in Africa. Through various efforts such as leadership development, youth ministry, medical ministry, and aviation, AIM is committed to joining God in the work that He is already doing in Africa.
So I decided to apply for short-term service with AIM in early March. I have to admit, I was a bit surprised at the length of the application. In retrospect, I really shouldn't have been. The calling to serve God abroad is not small. It takes much prayer and discernment. I could not have thoroughly completed the application without the confidence from the Holy Spirit that God was guiding me through this process. Instead of having a stressful application process, I was comforted in knowing that God had already planned where I would be and what I would be doing for the summer. I just needed to be faithful and obedient to Him. Through the long application, I gained a better understanding of the mission of God and a stronger confidence that I wanted to serve Him in this way. I believe God can open my eyes to the ways I can serve Him abroad with my interest in medicine.
At the end of March, I received acceptance to short-term service with AIM. Thank you for your prayers during my application process. The Holy Spirit has faithfully guided my application and subsequent decisions. And so I continued my mission with AIM!
John 16:13-15
When I returned from Urbana, I continued to pray about where God might be calling me for the summer. One of the places that God has placed on my heart is Africa. For about four years now, I have been sponsoring a child in Tanzania through Compassion International. I still remember the Sunday that our family chose to sponsor Taramael. To understand how we chose him, you probably have to know a bit about my family. There are three children in my family: two girls and one boy, all about 3.5 years apart. My brother and sister both have birthdays in August. So when I was looking at the different children, I was looking for a younger brother so that our family would be balanced with two girls and two boys. I also saw that Taramael's birthday was in August, so our family could have one month to celebrate the birthday of three children. He is also 4 years younger than my younger brother, making us all about 3.5-4 years apart. I was excited to welcome Taramael into our family and start a relationship with him several years ago. Since then, we have exchanged letters, drawings, and photographs on a regular basis. I enjoy reading his letters in which he talks about the ways he is learning about God and loving his family and friends. I pray for him often and desire to have a better understanding of the ways God is working in communities like his.
Back on campus after Urbana, I had many opportunities to share with friends how God was working in my heart. When I talked with my friend Sarah about my passion for medical missions in Africa, she referred me to the missions organization African Inland Missions (AIM). As I found out more about AIM and their ministry among the peoples of Africa, I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to apply for short-term service. I was aligned with AIM's vision to introduce people to Jesus Christ, help believers grow in faith, and establish Christ-centered churches in Africa. Through various efforts such as leadership development, youth ministry, medical ministry, and aviation, AIM is committed to joining God in the work that He is already doing in Africa.
So I decided to apply for short-term service with AIM in early March. I have to admit, I was a bit surprised at the length of the application. In retrospect, I really shouldn't have been. The calling to serve God abroad is not small. It takes much prayer and discernment. I could not have thoroughly completed the application without the confidence from the Holy Spirit that God was guiding me through this process. Instead of having a stressful application process, I was comforted in knowing that God had already planned where I would be and what I would be doing for the summer. I just needed to be faithful and obedient to Him. Through the long application, I gained a better understanding of the mission of God and a stronger confidence that I wanted to serve Him in this way. I believe God can open my eyes to the ways I can serve Him abroad with my interest in medicine.
At the end of March, I received acceptance to short-term service with AIM. Thank you for your prayers during my application process. The Holy Spirit has faithfully guided my application and subsequent decisions. And so I continued my mission with AIM!
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