On your mark...

Hello wonderful people! I've never done a blog before, so this is a bit of an adventure! As the title suggests, the point of this blog is to give you all a window into this adventure that God's leading me into for these next couple months. For all of you who aren't entirely updated, here's a little description of how I got myself into this grand adventure and what I'll be up to until May.

In July of 2011 I had the opportunity to travel to Bolivia with a group from my high school youth group, and had an incredible experience of working alongside the missionaries from Parkside Church there and getting to know some of the Bolivian youth and church leaders. Now, 2 years later, God has opened doors for me to travel to Bolivia once again - this time officially with SIM, and with more of a medical focus. For the first half of the trip I will be living and working with Steve and Mary Hawthorne in the city of Potosí where Steve started a clinic last year.I'll be shadowing the physical therapist at the clinic, since that's what I'm looking into pursuing after Wheaton, and helping out in whatever ways I can. During the second half of the trip I'll be back in the capital city of La Paz working alongside the SIM missionaries there and exploring more of the medical missions world. My tentative travel dates are February 5th-May 7th, and I'll be back just in time to jump back into academia up at HoneyRock for the WIN program (Wheaton in the Northwoods). Whew!

These next 3-or-so weeks before departure will be filled with doctors appointments, logistics, heart-preparation, and studying Spanish medical terminology. Prayers are much appreciated as I wrap up loose ends and get ready to go, as it is easy to get caught up in the details and miss the big-picture lessons that God is teaching me. I love you all and I appreciate your amazing love and support throughout this whole process.

In Him,
Catherine


Praises:

• Budget is done, and funds are all in!
• Precious time with grandparents: a rare treat that doesn't usually happen during normal breaks
• Quiet hours at home spent with Jesus

Prayer:

• Discipline to study medical Spanish efficiently without the motivation of a teacher and grades
• A servant's heart while at home running errands, doing laundry, and helping mom out =)
• Ears to hear the Lord's voice over my own demands