As I head back to my second home, words can’t possibly encompass my level of excitement. When I left Brazil 584 days ago, I felt so incredibly lost. Stripped of my sense of purpose and questioning why I felt as though God was calling me to leave. 584 days later there is no doubt that He has had a hand in every second of these days, showing me how to trust Him when I too often can’t see the path ahead. I have gotten to learn how the body was created and how to serve people in a different way through nursing. I have made some special new friends, strengthened friendships already present, and been pushed to grow both academically and personally every day. I met a man that laughs with me and  leads me to the Lord and have gotten to learn how to pursue a relationship with God in the center. I have deepened relationships with family and seen so much healing in the lives of those I love. Needless to say, there has been and always will be a plan even when only a singular next step is in view. 

Today I am headed off to Brazil with a team of 5 other missionaries to help construct not just a physical church building for a congregation who has long awaited a place to call home, but more importantly share about the God who has made a way for us to have a place to call a forever home. I am going to be able to introduce all the friends I made to Tyler (my boyfriend), my mom, and my cousin. They have some big hugs incoming, oh how I have missed my people in Brazil. I am going to have a women’s Bible study while there and decided to share something I prepared on my blog too because it brought me so much joy to put together:)

As some of you already know, I am in school to be a family nurse practitioner and midwife. I am currently feeling pretty amazing (& maybe a tad exhausted) as my last final of the fall was yesterday. It has been a really hard, but also really meaningful semester of learning the knowledge and skills I need to take care of the patients I will see in the upcoming semesters. The last few months of my program, I have been learning a lot about the intricate details of reproduction and how to take special care of women and their newborn infants, especially as they walk through pregnancy and labor. As I sit in class every day and am studying, I stay in awe of how intentional our creator was when He made us with every single detail thought out to perfection. It is actually crazy!! 

 

As I read through the words of Jesus to those he interacted with every day, He never fails to meet people exactly where they are at in their confusion, sadness, joy, anger, fear, anxieties, and more. One of the main ways he connected with people in his life here on Earth was through parables. A parable is a simple story used to illustrate a deeper spiritual lesson or meaning. When thinking about how to meet women in various stages of life, I thought what better way than to relate the ways that our bodies were designed to things that God calls us to. So, I have five comparisons for us to learn from.

 

1. Alright so not to make this a science lesson, but just for a little background. Whenever a woman becomes pregnant, her body starts to grow an extra sac-like organ for the baby to grow inside, called the placenta. This organ is responsible for giving the baby the oxygen and nutrients that it needs to survive and taking away waste that the baby doesn’t need anymore. The only way that the placenta can support the baby though is if the baby stays inside its mother for the full pregnancy. As soon as the baby comes out, it has to breathe and eat on its own which is incredibly hard for newborns.  

In the same manner, we must abide in Christ and walk in obedience to His word if we long to experience His rich blessings of provision and peace. The most amazing place to be is in the center of God’s will, as He shares with us that His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. John 15:4-5 states, “4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” So just like the baby must stay inside the placenta in order to receive the exact sustenance that it needs, we also must remain in our Heavenly Father, trusting that He will always equip us with exactly what we need to carry out His kingdom purposes.

2. The placenta that I mentioned in the last example is connected to the baby through the umbilical cord. If the cord is strong and healthy, it remains connected to both the placenta and the baby until it is cut after birth. This umbilical cord can be compared to a healthy soul tie. What exactly is a soul tie, you might ask? Soul refers to our mind, will, and emotions and a tie is what attaches or binds these things. These are super important to consider when pursuing purity, which is cleanness of the heart, mind, and soul. There can be both good and bad soul ties, just like a good umbilical cord brings life, but an unhealthy one can be deathly. An example of a good soul tie is seen in Matthew 19:6 when Jesus describes a marriage by saying, “6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” An example of an unhealthy soul tie can be seen in 1 Corinthians 6:16, which says, “16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” Trust me, I know that pursuing purity in today’s culture can be hard, but whenever we have any type of sexual intimacy outside of marriage, we are tying our soul to that person. Satan is so good at using this to destroy our intimacy with God and others but 1 John 4:4 tells us that He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world. So today, I challenge you to ask God to reveal any unhealthy soul ties in your life and to give you the courage and strength to remove them. 

 

3. These next two are all about childbirth. It is painful and takes a lot of effort but as soon as the baby comes it is all worth it and the pain is replaced with pure joy. John 16:21 says, “21 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.” Living as a Christian in a world so focused on temporary pleasures can be exhausting. However, keeping our eyes on God and the eternal perspective He gives us through salvation will make all the pain and struggling worth it one day. The day we see our Heavenly Father and hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

 

4. The experience of labor can be seen as a form of self-sacrifice, as the mother gives of herself in labor to bring new life into the world. This mirrors Christ’s sacrificial love for the church. In Ephesians 5:25, husbands are called to love their wives as Christ loved the Church, a love that is sacrificial and life-giving. Jesus gave His own life on the l cross and shed his blood so that our sins could be washed clean. This allows us to truly live, in close relationship with the One who stitched us together in our mother’s womb, and who showers us with new mercies every morning.

 

5. Lastly, the very instant in which a baby is delivered, it becomes part of the family unto which it is born. Biologically, there is nothing that could ever change who the father and mother of the baby are. In the same way, the second that we choose to believe in and entrust our lives, desires, and everything to Jesus, the Son of God, there is nothing that could ever pluck us from this family. In Ephesians it tells us that our inheritance is then guaranteed, an eternal relationship on earth and in heaven with the One who chose us from the beginning of time.

Here are a few prayer requests for the trip for those who want to partner with me in what all God is going to do in the hearts of both our team and those we will have the privilege of meeting and learning from. 

• Attitudes of openness, patience, and a desire for growth amongst the mission team 
• Courage to walk in step with the Spirit each day 
• Safety for our team and those we interact with during our time in Teresina and traveling
• That the Great Commission (to make disciples of all nations) would be carried out and heaven would become a little more crowded