God's Great and Perfect Plan

The birthing centre that I volunteer at attends on average about one birth a week.  So as you can imagine that leaves alot of free time that I must fill.  At first I tried small things such as reading books and the Bible and going for walks but i had such a craving for doing so much more.  I was still confident that God had called me to spend  my summer here in the Peten.  


One afternoon I was sifting through the bookshelf that is in the clinic and I found a book on prayer.  As I looked at the front cover of this book I realized that I have so much time to pray here yet I haven't really done that much praying. I knew God has placed this book in my hands for a reason. So I started reading this book.  One thing that surprised me in the book was a bible verse it quoted; "You do not have, because you do not ask God." James 4:2. I was surprised because i had never read this verse before.  So right away I prayed that I would have more opportunities to serve God while I am here in Guatemala. More opportunities to do his will and keep myself busy.  That afternoon the midwife that I volunteer for asked me if I was interested in volunteering at the hospital delivery a few days a week.  I could hardly believe my ears!  That was easy, I thought.  She explained to me that we would have to talk to the director of this hospital first.  Immediately I prayed that I would be allowed, and I felt God reminding me that if it was his will it would happen.  


Unfortunately the director made up an excuse about needing my papers to prove that I am a nursing student in order to be able to work ere.  We knew it was a lie because all of the other doctors, had never heard about that, and had had other volunteers.  The director is jealous of the midwife because she is taking alot of the patients away from the hospital to her clinic, so she didn't want someone who worked for the clinic to work for the hospital as well. She did allow me however to work there two days in total (which I will talk about in another blog post).  I was slightly disappointed but I was actually at peace because I knew somehow, it wasn't want God had planned.  But, while i was at the hospital the nurses talked to me about a nursing home that was right near the hospital.  I have no idea how we got on that topic but I am glad we did.  It apparently has 30 seniors but only 1 nurse and many of the people who live there have no family, or have family that don't care about them.  I worked at a place similar to this in Ecuador so I listened with keen interest, and God put on my heart that I could volunteer here a few times a week.  


Over and over again I have run into opportunities to to volunteer at nursing homes.  In Ecuador, I asked to work at a clinic but was told I had to work at a nursing homes for neglected seniors.  In Canada, during my first year nursing when I volunteered at a nursing home for my clinical i was matched up with a man who didn't have much family.  And here again I was attempting to volunteer at the hospital but God directed me to a nursing home, I truly felt him telling me that this is what he wanted me to do a few days a week.  I know not many people enjoy working with seniors but it is something that I greatly enjoy.  Time and time again, people have told me that it takes a special person to want to work with seniors, (particularly seniors that have been through alot), but that I was that type of person).  


I volunteered there on Saturday and I was able to give seniors a good thorough gentle bath based on guidelines i had learned in School (its more complicated then you think).  I also was able to just talk with the seniors, an important aspect of caring for seniors that is all too often forgotten.  The seniors spoke to me about wanting to do stuff, to make stuff because all day, they just sit around.  I pray that God can use me to help eliminate boredom in this nursing home. 


I will still get to work at the birthing centre all the other days and if we think that a birth might happen that day I just  won't go to the nursing home.  It is the best of both worlds I guess.  All I know is that is is perfect because it is clearly God's plan.