Special People Doing God's Work

“When they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter. Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these? He said to Him, Yes Lord, You know that I love You. He said to him, Feed My lambs.” John 21:15

*******************************************************************************************************
There are 36 team members on this years mission.  Most are medical and a handful or so are not....there have been years in the past when it's been the opposite.  But it does seem that it is changing.  It is a medical mission after all....but don't let that take your eyes off all the team.  Their feeding the lambs!!

Susan, my bestest...this is her 7th trip with this team.  She came the year after I did...there was a special something that touched her heart during my presentation at church.  She came, she loved, she was loved...she was hooked.  She found that she left a part of her heart in Barahona, and she took a big part of them home with her.  Susan is one of the ones on the team that is "non-medical" or so she says.  No, she doesn't have medical credentials at the end of her name but she has the heart to touch more hearts and shine the light of Christ than any medical person on this team.

Her first year, I laugh as I say she played...she cried, she had compassion, she prayed...she played.  I was so envious of her, with me now being 'seasoned' I had a job to do and at the time there weren't as many 'medical' people...so I played through her. She loved on the children, she painted, she took pictures, she delivered goodies to the patients...she "fed the lambs."


As the years have gone on...Susan has counted pills in the pharmacy, she's been a triage person at clinic, she's encouraged and been a cheerleader for the entire team.  She's a top notch pre-op nurse at the hospital.  She's learned how to do vital signs, how to reach the charts and complete the pre-op paperwork...she created a sign to go at the end of each bed to write/erase the patients name so you know when you walk in the room what the patients surgery is...she's learned how to flush IV's.  Last year, she literally began 'feeding the lambs' as she started being responsible for the teams lunches both at the clinic and hospital.  She planned, did the shopping, and recruited someone on the clinic team to help.  She has that way about her...that way to get you to do something before you realize you're doing it.





When she made the statement to me earlier in the week that the team was becoming more 'medical' than 'non-medical'...I sensed her maybe feeling a little less needed or wanted.  I quickly replied to her that it doesn't matter if you're medical or non-medical.  We ALL find our niche' and if committed...we're a part of the team. 

1 Corinthians 12  One Body, Many Parts

¹² The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. ¹³ For we were all baptized by^[a] one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
¹⁴ Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. ¹⁵ If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" ²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unrepresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

Susan...she's the heart.  She shares this mission with my heart. She's always been so special to me, but this trip every year bonds us even closer.  We've shared tears, laughter, and prayer.  We've sweated together...heck, we've even slept together and spooned.  (her with me!!)  She belongs on this team and I won't let her think otherwise.  Kim shared with me that someone told her toward the end of the week that 'every team needs a Susan.'  That made me smile...because I knew it already, I was just happy others noticed it too. 


She's not into this for the recognition or the praise.  She would never want anyone to bring attention to it as she gives all the praise and glory for all that she has to her Jesus....our Jesus.  She's feeding the lambs....

Susan...you are so needed by this team, but more than anything YOU are needed by God to go 'feed His lambs.'  No question.  I love you and so look forward to our trip every year...our memories, our laughter that we share throughout the year, the planning for the next...I thank God for you in my life...the wisdom you give, the accountability, the friendship and sisterhood.  Like so many other people on this team....you are a vital member of God's plan every year...not to be diminished by a lack of medical training or credentials.  You and so many others have all you need by being willing to do whatever is needed. 

I cherish you and thank you for sharing my heart.