How can I be most pleasing to Your Heart, Jesus?

Peace of Christ in abundance. I do hope that this Easter season has been most blessed for each you, as we are reminded of just how much Jesus loves us.

I write to you from dear Minnesota, where the loveliness of springtime is chasing away the snow and cold. It has been an immense few weeks. I arrived in St. Paul on March 13th, started my MCAT class on March 15th, and life has continued at an intense pace. Getting myself on the plane and back to the States was the most difficult thing I have done in my young life, I do believe. Going down the walkway between the terminal and the plane, I stopped in my tracks with tears pouring down my cheeks and asked myself if I could really do this. Can I really leave this place I love so dearly? Well, by the grace of God and His conviction upon my heart, a few painful hours later, I was greeting my father in the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport.

And now? I am a student again. Physics, chemistry, biology, everything. Wow. Enlightening and exciting at times, laughably painful at others. But my objective is clear, and I am pursuing it with all my being. I am in the midst of understanding and managing the details of this pursuit, figuring out just what to anticipate and to prepare for in these months to come.

I am a crazy person, I have decided, with all these moment-to-moment changes. But our Jesus has been reminding me at each step that I belong only to Him. I have stopped asking, "Lord, show me Your Will" and instead I petition, "Let me please Your Heart, Jesus. What can I do to be most pleasing to You? How can I love You better?" And in this way, He will guide me through these days to come. If He says, "Bring your books and go study in Ecuador for the next few months," great! If He asks me to stay where I am, here I will be.

Thank you all for your love and support. Back at the mission base, they are gearing up for the new school year. The USA missionaries who are still down there are in the midst of a few new projects to help the situation of the foundation. To read more and support their important work, please refer to www.missionsantamaria.com and to the latest entry in Maribeth's blog (www.missionarymb.blogspot.com).

Peace and blessings,

m

A new mission...or a continuation...

"...every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit."

-John 15-

Peace and blessings to each of you.

I write today what will likely be my last post from Ecuador. The Lord has placed a new call upon my heart, a new mission of love: I am going to pursue medical school.

My time in Ecuador working with Fundacion Santa Maria del Fiat has been extraordinary. I love the outreach, the misioneras, the children, the people, everything. Of course, there have been difficulties along the way, but I have absolutely loved the time the Lord has given me here.

I also love my work as a nurse here and could be very content in this profession always. But a few weeks ago, the Lord placed on my heart that I must reconsider attending medical school, as it has always been in the back of my mind. I prayed and listened for His voice and continued my work here. Then one day in Adoration, He convicted my heart. I opened Scripture to John 15:1-11, and it confirmed what I needed to do. It speaks of bearing fruit for the Lord...being pruned...abiding in His love...doing all things through Him...all that His joy may me in us and that our joy may be complete. And I just knew. I must pursue medical school.

There are medically underserved populations all over the world, and I feel called to bring them the care they deserve. It is a long road from here. But I put all my confidence in the Lord, and He will care for me, His little one. And on my part, I am ready to work to make this a reality.

The most difficult part is that I must now leave this place I love so dearly. I start a MCAT prep class on March 15th, the only class option that finishes before my July test date. Therefore, I have to leave in under two weeks. It is incredibly sad to say goodbye to all my loved ones here, but I know that I must, as Simon and Andrew when Jesus called them from their fishing to be His disciples, leave my nets and follow Jesus...therein lies true joy.

I am in Tena in the Amazon region for a week with the medical mission from Franciscan University. From there, I will head back to the Coast to bid farewell and leave on March 13th.

Please pray for me that I may offer the difficulties of these goodbyes as a consolation to His Most Sacred Heart and that I may always live in abadonment to His most perfect will.

En Cristo,
m