Dear Family,
First of all, I am beyond thankful for everyone who
has been supporting me in prayers and/or finances. Praise the Lord – I have not
only reached but also exceeded the amount of funds I need for my trip! I’ve
never fundraised before, and through this process, God has shown me how
extensive and amazing his family is. I am truly blessed to have so many brothers
and sisters who love and care for me. The best part is that we are united under
an awesome Father! His resources are limitless, and I know that He will provide
for each one of my teammates.
As for personal preparations, it's interesting how
fearful one can become when his or her health is compromised. I remember
looking at the CDC website for recommended shots, and boy were there a lot of
recommendations. Yellow fever, typhoid, polio, Hepatitis A AND B... It was a
long list of immunizations. Strangely enough, it wasn't the shots that fazed me
(probably because I’ve gotten most of the shots before), but the Malarone pills.
Malarone is a type of malaria medicine that I will be taking daily throughout
my stay at Uganda. I decided to do a little research on the pills, and I
discovered the wonderful world of "Possible Side Effects." This
included nausea, easy bruising, bleeding from different areas of the body -
just to name a few. Since the day I’ve mentioned this trip, my father has
always been wary of the health risks involved. Up to this point, I’d brushed
off his comments. However, in that moment, all of my father's fears became my
own, and apprehension filled my heart as I walked to my doctor's office.
If there's anything I've
learned so far, it's the fact that I love comfort and I love familiarity. I'm
willing to take risks... As long as I know what the consequences are. In
actuality, I’m terrified of the unknown. Call me sheltered, but this is my
first time going to Africa. I have no idea what to expect, and as much as I am
excited, fear wedges itself into the corners of my heart.
Thankfully, I have an
awesome Gospel to hold onto. I am reminded of Matthew 16:24, where Jesus tells
his disciples this:
“If anyone would come after me, he must deny
himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
I
deny myself daily because Jesus, our sinless savior, is worth it all. In Him, my
fears of physical ailments have no power because He is the one who gives life. In
Him, the victory over sin and death has been given to us! (1 Cor. 15:57) Thus,
the fears in my heart are natural and human, but they are not of God. Of
course, I will take my precautions, but I know that fears will not stop me from
embarking on this journey.
I'm excited for what's to come!
Esther
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