Friday, August 22, 2008

The truth will set you free

Today was another early morning with a 6:15 start time. I wish my parents could be here to see the "waking up" process here. For those closest to me, and especially my parents, you probably have been victim to my "5 more minutes please" morning ritual. Alarms mean nothing to me and I dread mornings. Here however, mornings go on with barely a stirring sound in our bunk room. One person has an alarm on their cell phone, which I have yet to actually hear go off, and one by one, 8 girls wake slowly and quietly, climb out of their bunks and get dressed in utter silence. I know I keep journaling about the "peace" that has embodied this trip, and the mornings here are not any different. I never hear anyone grumble or complain, but instead scrubs are put on, teeth are brushed, hair is done, and faces are washed around one mirror and one sink without any commotion, hassle, and sometimes not even a word.

Thankfully the clinic went on without a hitch and I was able to spend the entire day in Pharmacy. I've never worked in a pharmacy a day in my life, yet I felt like I had just stumbled across a passion that I didn't even know existed. With a team of 4 "pullers", 3 script writers (in Spanish mind you), and 2 Pharmacists, we were able to fill 281 prescriptions. The decoding of the Nicaraguan Doctor's handwriting was a bit of a challenge but we managed. At one point we had a diagnosis in question; I thought it said feces, someone else thought it said fever, and finally one of our louder southern belles on the trip finally shouted out in here southern twang "It's for fiber y'all". We laughed for hours thanks to that one line and it was moments like that among the pharmacy gang that kept my spirits lifted regardless of the hot, sticky temperature and our lack of expertise.

As the day drew to a close and with 121 patients served on the first day, it was time to head to the ranch to share my testimony with the team. I was a bit nervous, but who wouldn't be when making yourself 100% transparent with 21 pairs of eyes watching you and 21 mind's judging you? As I shared my story through truth and tears, I felt anything but judgement. For that moment in time, I felt like I was able to reveal myself to others by sharing the things that I usually keep locked inside. I brought my darkness to light, and much to my astonishment, it felt good. After it was all said and done, I feel worlds lighter than I did when I started sharing my story. My teammates now know me, they know my struggles, they know my heart, and even more importantly, they know that God has made me new in Him.

1 comment:

Mom Meyers said...

I have to comment on this blog. It brought back memories of Waveland, Miss. We stayed in a huge tent housing about 75 people and it was amazing when it was barely dawn the day started with feet hitting the floor from our bunks slowly and oh so quietly. One by one the activity of getting ready to meet the day head on began. Normally, I would have been so exhausted after the day we had just put in hours ago but, that next morning we were refreshed in God's love and ready to meet HIS people again for another day of service. It's amazing the strength HE hands out when you need it the most.
Love you more than life- MOM