Elizabeth Brehm (guest post; College of Veterinary Medicine student)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7
Over the past 6 months, I have been in charge of planning and organizing the annual veterinary missions trip that the ISU College of Vet Med Christian Veterinary Fellowship participates in. After being a part of the team last year, God deepened my heart for using my vocation of veterinary medicine to reach people. At the beginning of this planning experience, I didn’t realize how much God would grow me during this time. I knew things would be challenging, but there were many nights I went to bed just crying out in prayer over things I didn’t understand and wasn’t sure how would work out. These verses from Philippians became my prayer and my encouragement during this time.
As I continue to prepare for this trip logistically, I find myself growing closer to God in dependence and in awe. I can’t help but marvel, when I am at my lowest or most confused about God’s plan, that those are the times God brings me closer to Him and deeper in my surrender to His plan. Only a couple short weeks before we had to have a list of team members turned in to Christian Veterinary Missions (our parent organization), we did not yet have a veterinary leader. It’s a little hard to have a veterinary missions trip and do surgery when you don’t have professionals that are a part of the team to assist and oversee any surgeries that students will perform. Last year during our trip, we vaccinated quite a few cattle and horses, but over half of our time was spent performing small animal surgeries, so this is a very big need for the people we are traveling to help. As I continued to pray for a leader for our trip, I reached out to several veterinarians I knew as well as to Christian Veterinary Missions, in search of a person to fill this role. It was easy to become disheartened when I was getting repeated emails back from people who were unable to serve. One of the veterinarians I reached out to was Dr. Mary Sauer, she has been a part of this team before, and was happy to serve with us. Praise God!
During the planning process, we had vets and students who had planned to join the team but for various reasons became unable to join us. I am a planner by natural tendencies, but God is continuing to remind me that His Plan is so much greater than my own. When I get frustrated or anxious that organizing and planning isn’t moving at the rate I would like it to, He gently reminds me of His peace and to turn to Him. The verses from Philippians seem to be on repeat in my brain with different parts affecting me at different times, above all in being thankful for the opportunity to serve in this capacity.
As the team and I finalized our preparation for this trip, I am in awe of the ways I have seen God at work in the small things and in the large things with planning this trip. From organizing plane tickets for 14 people in 3 different states, to collecting supplies and trying to figure out which drugs we can bring with us, to just trying to stay on top of a challenging curriculum, God has been faithful through it all. In just the past few days, there have been so many details that have come together, and it is all by God’s hand. I am really excited for the ways God will move during our week of service and for the ways He will continue to grow me in dependence of Him. The team and I would love prayers for opportunities to share Christ’s love through both action and word as well as to grow in our relationships with Him.
NOTE: The team has left and will be in Nicaragua during spring break.