GHO: My First Missions Trip

This missions trip was something that I could have never prepared for. This was my first trip and with that in mind comes expectations of how it will go. And while I thought It would be difficult, I never imagined how hard it would truly be. When we got to the Dominican Republic we went to a beautiful hotel, where we were able to meet our team, have a beautiful buffet and worship. This fueled me for the hopes of the days ahead, knowing that I would be doing this to show the love of Jesus to those in need. The following day we arrived at the location that we would be serving, and I believe that genuinely nothing could have prepared me for what I saw. Hundreds of mothers, children, infants, husbands were sitting there clapping and praising God as we walked into the clinic, so thankful for the service that we were there to provide. I worked in triage the majority of the week, which was honestly my favorite place to be. I was able to individually speak to every patient, learn their name, learn their story, learn their faith, or lack there of. I was able to pray with every single patient that I worked with, which was not just true for triage but also with every doctor I studied under. This trip did not only enrich me in my medical knowledge, but it also provided me the opportunity to grow in my faith in a way I never thought possible. I saw the strength of the Dominicans, the struggle that they have been through, and even greater, the hope and faith that they carried with them despite their hardships. It has shown me that we can truly find joy from Jesus in any situation, even through a lack of income, medical struggles, and the hardships of life. Jesus can work in us through it all and will be by our side every step of the way. So while this was the hardest trip of my life, and while I cried multiple times, and did not know what to expect, I do not think I would have it any other way. Because it is through this experience that we were able to help almost one thousand people and that I was able to experience God in such a powerful way, that brought joy and selflessness to me and my team.