A Little Girl's Dream

There once was a little girl who had a dream.  She loved animals and she dreamed of being a veterinarian someday.  But more than anything, this little girl loved Jesus.  When she was 12 years old, she had the opportunity to go on a mission trip with her mom to Guatemala.  While in Guatemala, she fell in love with the people.  Her heart broke for the scrawny dogs she saw in the street, but her heart broke even more for the people who were living in poverty and far away from any available medical care.  As she was leaving the country, she stated with full confidence to her mother, “I don’t want to be a veterinarian anymore, I want to be a Doctor and I want to come back and help the people in Guatemala.”

The next several summers the little girl returned to Guatemala with her mom, dad and brother.  Her love for the people of Guatemala continued to grow and she continued to express her desire to be a Doctor.  During this time, her mom and dad were praying and seeking God’s will on whether He wanted their family to go serve full-time.  They didn’t know whether this desire of their little girl to be a Doctor was a wild dream of a little girl or a calling from the Lord, but they knew they didn’t feel led to home school her, which is what being on the mission field would require.  So they decided that they would stay in the States at least until their kids graduated from High School so that they could be educated there. 

Throughout High School and College, this little girl, now beautiful young woman, returned to Guatemala many summers and helped out with a medical ministry.

Fast forward to today.  This little girl is now 29 years old.  In June of this year she will graduate from a 3 year family practice residency program.  Her final step in becoming a full-fledged, out on her own, Doctor.  Turns out her wanting to be a Doctor was a calling from the Lord after all.  During med school, God also brought into her life a young man who has the same calling, to be a Doctor and serve the Lord by helping others.  They married right after med-school graduation and will be graduating from residency together.  After much prayer, they have accepted an offer from a small town in Iowa to work at a clinic/hospital there.  But here is where God’s mighty hand and plan comes in play.   This clinic has partnered with the medical ministry in Guatemala where this young lady has been serving for years.  The Doctors in this clinic each take a 3 month rotation to go to Guatemala and serve at this ministry while the others stay back and hold down the fort.  It has been a long journey, but God has brought to fruition the dream and calling He placed in the heart of a 12 year old.  She is now a doctor and for 3 months each year she will be going back to Guatemala to help the people

The day before she began medical school, her parents left for Guatemala to serve at the Children’s Home they had gone to when they first went, which is 20 minutes away from the medical ministry she will be serving at.  God is such a good and mighty God!

Most of you know that this story was about our family, specifically our daughter, Heather.  We as parents have had the awesome privilege to watch God work in her life throughout the years to carry out His calling He placed in her heart as a 12 year old.  We are so thankful that Heather has chosen to follow the Lord with all her heart.  It has been a tough journey and has not been easy.  Only through the power of God has she made it this far.  God is faithful!