Away I Go...

For those of you reading this that do not know my story, I would like to share the short version with you. For those of you that do…humor me.

I am a nurse practitioner from Austin, TX and I have always wanted to “move” to Africa. It all started over 10 years ago in Nursing School when I read a book called The Hospital By the River by Dr. Catherine Hamlin. It is the true story of an Australian couple, both Obstetricians, that moved to Ethiopia and started a fistula hospital. I won’t go into detail about what a fistula is, but let’s just say that thousands of African women have been outcast from their families because of this complication of childbirth. This is a very common medical complication in third world countries and, unfortunately, being disowned & outcast is a very common social outcome. This couple started a hospital in Addis Ababa and began repairing fistulas, giving women back their lives & their dignity. After reading that book, I knew that one day I would be called to something similar.

Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless;

Maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.

Rescue the weak and needy;

Deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

-Psalm 82:3-4

Fast forward to 2008, after lots of hours, night shifts, and grad school; I made it to Africa for the first time. I had the opportunity to go to Kenya with Music for Life, the organization responsible for the African Children’s Choir. I went with a team of seven people for three weeks to run a summer camp in Kibera, one of the world’s largest slums. My job was to teach health & hygiene classes and run a 2-day clinic. It was an amazing trip, one that would spur a heart change in my life. I was hooked. I saw extreme joy in the midst of great hardship. It was then that I knew Africa had so much more to teach me than I could ever teach Africa.

Since then I have been back twice to visit friends in Uganda & Rwanda. After each trip I have returned with new ideas of how I was going to stay connected to Africa, but not give up my life/job here in Austin. Clearly the Lord preferred his plan to mine, because I just took a leave of absence from my job & I am moving to Uganda through the end of the year. I leave tomorrow!

Never in my life have I felt so strongly that I would be walking in disobedience were I not to get on that plane & live out my dream. Every detail has been prayed over & every detail has been taken care of. I have 3 precious girls living in my home while I am gone, covering my mortgage. I have a sweet friend driving my car & paying my car insurance. I was able to take 6 weeks paid vacation (clearly I have been working too much to have that much time saved) before taking my leave of absence. I have never been a more perfect poster child for “nursing burnout”. Seeing what I see on a daily basis in my job is more than most people could handle in a lifetime. It was so clear that it was time to walk away. My body & soul needs rest …and the Lord said GO.

What I will be doing there is tentative. I have a few medical projects set up & I am surrendering the details to the Lord. It’s Africa, so lots of things work out & lots of things don’t. The need can be overwhelming & I have a skill that is in high demand. I ask that you pray for discernment & that I will allow the Spirit to guide my time there.

To be honest my friends, I don’t believe I could get on that plane in more pieces. I am more broken & raw than I think I have ever been. Broken by my job, broken by relationships, broken by the world, broken by myself. I can’t think of a scarier or more beautiful way to arrive in Uganda. I tell you this because much of what happens in the next 4 months will be posted here & please know that it will all be of the Lord.

I ask for your prayers. For what specifically, I don’t even know. When I emerge from the fog of preparation on the other side of the world, I’ll let you know. Until then, pray for the people of Uganda.

Away I Go…