Wednesday, December 31, 2008

What the Year 2008 Brought Forth

2008

This year although received with much turmoil, turned out to be an excellent one, the best yet.
**The year 07' ended with the uncertainty of whether I was going to have to go through the torture of another semester with Dr. Disla at the Hospital de la Mujer Dominicana (Hospital of the Dominican Woman) and while the idea wasn't appealing at all I knew the outcome and had made my peace with the Lord.

JANUARY 08'
- I never make New Years resolutions but I did plan for the year to loose weight because of health issues and frankly cause my clothes didn't fit so I finally went to a doctor, a nutritionist my cousin had told me about, and committed to obey the Dr. in all respects and the Lord blessed me with self-control.
- Constanza, our usual New Year Trip tradition. The Lord had plenty of lessons in store for me this year and He began with my accident.

FEBRUARY-MAY '08
- As the lessons kept on coming, I realized that repeating the OB-gyn pre-internship was as amazing as I thought it would be and served to remove the worldliness that was getting stuck on me and purify my walk with the Lord. I began to read my bible more, pray more, share my faith more.
- After my 3 month diet with the doctor I lost 21 pounds and as a plus I learned to eat (and I'm not talking about no carbs, lots of meat, and lots of veggies, I eat 5 times a day: 3 meals and 2 snacks and I never once stopped eating carbs)

JUNE 08'
- I finally began my Internship and my first lesson was: "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand." Proverbs 19:21
When choosing which hospital to go to the last one I had on my mind was Billini, in fact it wasn't even an option I did not want to even step into that hospital. But the Lord has his own plans and who can thwart them?(its a rhetorical question arminians) and so off I went to Billini Hospital gladly and joyfully. Let me tell you it was THE best semester, I learned so so much, I cried, I debated, I got frustrated, I was obedient in all respects to all doctors, I witnessed to some, I met wonderful people that I came to love and cherish (specially one doctor Dra. Álcantara she is a walking miracle please pray for her). The hospital was so great I am going back for my Surgery Internship in January. The Lord blessed me during this semester with an A.

JULY 08'
- After a wonderful transformation of the ministry I belong to at church, Sanidad Integral, I re-instated myself and just in time to receive Flora's friend and brother in Christ Don Coords and the gang for their mission trip to our country. I met wonderful people and got to spend and entire day with them in Dajabon, a small town with one Christian church pastored by a brother whom along with his family have dedicated themselves to the expansion of the gospel through VBS and a small school they built and to minister to both teens and adults.

AUGUST 08'
- After many blessings, the Lord took away our comforts, our church building and tested our faith. Through this situation I learned to trust God more and along with my Church we learned to see God's hand even in tragedies. I was glad to see the way my pastor responded to the situation of the church building burning down, there was a call to prayer, to repentance, to look into our own lives and see if there was any major sin we had overlooked and needed to repent of.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 08'
- Internal Medicine was over and finally my ob-gyn/pediatrics internship began, when choosing hospitals I had only one option in mind: Robert Reid for Peds and Hospital de la Mujer Dominicana for ob-gyn. Another semester, another set of classmates: Julissa, Mabel, Elayne and Mustafa. One of them whom I began witnessing to during one of our shifts and have continued to witness to even now after our classes have been over, but to no avail, only the Lord knows when and if she'll ever respond to the gospel call, pray for Julissa and the rest of my classmates.
Many other witnessing oportunities occurred during the 2 months at Hospital de la Mujer Dominicana.

NOVEMBER 08'
- Learning to be thankful in all situations, was the lesson for that month. While I'm not american, I'm sure everyone knows that by now, I was pretty disappointed at how the elections turned out. But ever since our church building burned down I learned that even when we lose we have gained something: the opportunity to praise God at times of loss, tragedy, disappointment, sadness, something we cannot do if there is isn't a loss or a tragedy or a disappointment and that is something definitely worth losing for.

DECEMBER 08'
- This month I had the joy of reflecting on the true meaning of Christmas.
- As for what I leared? plainly said: This month I learned that if we are obedient to God at all times, if we submit to the authorities appointed by Him (i.e. parents, bosses, husband, big brother, you name it) and if we do everything as for the Lord instead of for your own glory, or your parents' satisfaction or your peers, the Lord will bless you in all respects. As for me? The Lord blessed me this semester with two A's.

RECAP:
- Saddest Day: The day my best bud Penny died. I miss my chi.
- Highlight of the Year: Well there were many highlights during this year, but I will only make mention of one: Thanksgiving weekend, at Dolphin Mall, Handing out tracts and witnessing with my sister in Christ Jen.
- Most Important Lesson: Jesus is and should be my all in all, and no one and/or nothing can or should take his place.
- Biggest Disappointment: Not getting baptized. I know, I know. I've been told the next baptism at my church will be sometime in April *sigh*.

No comments: