The Meaning of Service

    It’s crazy to think that I’ve been here for almost a full month!    Some recent highlights have been:

Preparing and helping out with the nursing school graduation 

Going on walks with the missionary girls 

Playing soccer in the evenings! 

Making new friendships with the children in the community 

Getting to hold the babies in and out of the maternity ward 

Getting to watch surgeries and help out in the OR :) 

    Last week, we finally received our work permits, which I was so thankful for! Because of that, we’ve been able to shadow and help out a lot more in the hospital. We even watched some really cool surgeries, including a hysterectomy, prostatectomy, and lumpectomy! 

    Throughout my time here, I’ve been asking myself what service truly means. I came here to serve, but sometimes it feels like I’m not really making a difference. I absolutely love helping in the hospital, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that the biggest difference we can make comes from our connections and relationships with others.

    We’ve been playing soccer almost every evening with the kids here, which has been a great experience. One of the days, in our broken Swahili, we taught the little kids how to play tag! On our way back from the activity, one of my friends mentioned, “You know, you guys are different from most foreigners who visit here.” When I asked why, he said, “because you guys interact so much more with us in the community”. 

    To me, this was the biggest compliment. I’ve been asking God to help me truly make a difference here. But the truth is, sometimes what matters most are the little things. Little things like talking to people, learning their language, playing with their children, and making memories with them. Maybe that’s what service truly is. 

    This past week I’ve been reading in the Bible about how much Jesus suffered and sacrificed for us. One verse that really stuck out to me was Mark 10:45 - it says, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” 

    This verse is so powerful because it shows what Jesus’ purpose was on earth! He says two things: to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. But service comes first!

    I am so happy to know that I’m becoming involved and immersed here, and hope that I can continue to build connections and form relationships; because I feel like THAT is the first step towards the true meaning of service.