"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?'"

As I prepare physically, emotionally, and spiritually for the journey ahead of me, I cannot help but be blown away by God's faithfulness and constant provision. I have learned that all it takes is a willing heart and the ability to trust in Him completely, and God will take me places I never imagined going. I cannot say that I literally "heard the voice of the Lord" telling me to go to Nigeria this summer, but I can say that He is sovereign, that He opened up the doors for me to take this trip, and that His hand has been evident every step of the way.

I will be traveling to Jos, Nigeria with my friend and fellow nursing student, Alisha Gilbert, on Monday July 7th to work with SIM (Serving In Mission) at Evangel Hospital and in whatever other ways we are needed. We will be staying for six weeks in an apartment on the Evangel compound and we are both so excited to go and let God work His will through our lives.

In these last few days before I leave, I am filled with many differing emotions, but one of the most prominent is that I feel honored. It is such an honor to have the opportunity to serve the Lord, and I feel especially blessed to accomplish this through the gift and passion of nursing. I cannot think of a better way to enter into and positively effect someone's life than to meet their physical needs while being able to minister to them emotionally and spiritually. It is my prayer that God will use me to bless the people of Nigeria, whether they be doctors, nurses, patients, families of patients, other missionaries, or anyone else He brings into my path. I know God is going to do an incredible work in my heart while I am there, and it is my greatest hope and prayer that He receives the glory in everything that is said and done.

I cannot fully express how eager I am to begin this journey, and I cannot believe I will be in Nigeria in less than four days! As excited and full of anticipation as I may be, I have to recognize that whenever we as Christians strive to live out God's will and serve Him wholeheartedly, Satan gets pretty upset. However, it is through the Word of God and the power of prayer that Satan's schemes are thwarted...and this is why I ask that you please support me in prayer. I cannot stress enough how grateful I am for your involvement in this way!

I am glad to say that Alisha and I will have wireless internet while in Nigeria, so I plan to be updating this blog on a regular basis and letting you know of specific needs, praises, and prayer requests as they arise. Right now Alisha and I are praising God for getting our entry visas in on time--they just arrived this morning...He is so faithful! Immediate prayer requests would be for thorough yet precise packing, and then of course for safe, smooth, and non-stressful travels. Thank you again so much for your support and your prayers...they are greatly appreciated!