Constant Change

Waco > Tulsa > Dallas > Tampa > Phoenix > Dallas > Houston > Lima > Cusco

This is my itinerary for August 21-September 1, a mere 11 days. It’s already been a crazy 5 days, so let me fill you in a little.

On Monday, we left Waco right in the middle of the solar eclipse. Perhaps it was fitting for the bittersweet occasion, as everything was cast in an eery shadow. But the mood quickly lightened as we shifted our attention to all the exciting things ahead of us, and we were on our way to Tulsa, Oklahoma so I could shadow Ryan’s uncle, a cardiothoracic surgeon.

Originally, I had planned to visit Tulsa, then fly to Phoenix to visit my family, and return to Texas so I could fly out of Houston with Ryan. On Monday, however, God sent a clear message of “if you think you’re the one planning and controlling this, you’re wrong.” And in the same breath, He showed me how much greater His plans are than mine. I was offered an incredible opportunity on the other side of the country, so we re-arranged my flights, added Tampa to my itinerary, and reworked the logistics.

Wednesday, I was able to watch Dr. Coleman perform a triple bypass surgery, drop in on a robotic hernia repair, and observe a humerus repair. IT WAS INCREDIBLE. I am so thankful for the opportunity to see some of the best cutting edge technology and surgical techniques in the world.

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On Wednesday night, I was notified that tropical storm Harvey could potentially cancel all flights leaving out of Houston and the surrounding cities, so I rebooked my flights and rental car again and thought I had it taken care of. Less than 10 minutes later, I was informed that my AirBNB in Florida is unfurnished. I wish I could make this stuff up. Anyway, I would say that everything is taken care of now, but as soon as I say that, something will go wrong. Instead, I’ll say that I am temporarily at peace with my arrangements.

This week has taught me a lot about blindly trusting God and being flexible when nothing is going right. I’m an A-type person, and I like to have everything printed out and organized in a chart three weeks ahead of time. This has been a roller coaster to say the least, but I’m actively working to be more flexible, and not stress about details as much, so I guess this was a perfect introduction. The other thing that I’ve come to appreciate is the stability and constancy of our Redeemer. Absolutely nothing is ‘normal’ in my life right now, and I’m in a new, unchartered place in my life. The only thing that has remained constant and unchanging is God’s faithfulness and provision, which if you read my last post, you will know is overwhelming.

T-7 days until we leave for Peru, and we greatly appreciate your continued prayers for our trip! Currently, we are praying for logistic ease, peace of mind and heart, guidance in our conversations and plans, eyes to see what God sees, humility, and safety. We are also praying for our host families, the people we will encounter, the people we will be working with professionally, and the incredible people at VivePeru who are making this trip possible. Cheers to all the change of plans that are inevitably still to come!