Let Them Know They Are Loved: Julie's Faith Journey- Part 3
Hi friends! Today we dive into part 3 of Julie’s story. I love how God partnered her with someone who would have the same heart for others. Together, they would begin the process of taking steps toward what would be the start of something truly special. Enjoy!
After I graduated from school, I began working as a nurse on the psychiatric unit at a hospital. It was there that I met a psychiatrist on staff named Gary. Within months of being there he asked me out, but I told him I did not date doctors. I had heard all the reasons why it was a bad idea. Dating a doctor was great if it was going well, but if it fell apart the doctor had superiority and the nurse could get kicked off the unit. I explained that I had everything to lose, and he understood.
A little bit down the road, Gary asked me out once again. This time it was on his birthday. I said yes, and we have been together ever since. Gary and I got married and moved down to Florida after he was offered a job as a medical director of an insurance company. It was a great opportunity for him to do more things.
As Gary and I established our new life in Florida, we talked about how we both missed church. I shared with him my experience the last time I went to a service. I had never returned after that embarrassing day so long ago. Gary encouraged me and validated the fact that I did deserve to be in church. Divorce did not preclude me from a full relationship with God.
Together we decided to find a church to go to. We had grown up in different denominations and were open to exploring both or even something new. First, we tried a Baptist church, but it did not resonate. Next, we tried Beach United Methodist. Bill Baldwin was the pastor at the time and his teachings just filled us. It was a good fit. We signed up for disciple classes and really deep Bible studies. Pastor Bill was even our teacher in our first class. Gary and I were like sponges and wanted to absorb as much as possible.
During that time, we talked about our past dreams. The seed that God had placed in my heart, all the way back to those Sally Struthers informercials, had reemerged. I told Gary about how I grew up wanting to save all the kids, like Sally Struthers, and how I always wanted to adopt and have an orphanage.
Gary shared his dream of using his medical degree to help others that could not afford it. He wanted to get a sailboat and cruise the Caribbean to offer free medical care out of his boat. Although I always loved to tease him and say that sounded like a little Jimmy Buffet with a side of goodwill, at the heart of it his dream was like mine. Both of us wanted to show people the love of Christ and had a deep desire to let others know how special and loved they were.
Although we had a mutual desire to make a step toward those dreams, we had no idea how or where to even start. At the time, mission trips were not trendy. Normally the path to do this type of work was to either enter the Peace Corps or become a long-term missionary. Our church offered one mission trip at the time. It was to Georgia, the state not the country.
The question hung in our minds. How do we go on a mission trip to a different country? The churches mostly sponsored missionaries in other countries, but this was a different concept. We wanted to go on an international mission trip for a week or two, but the logistics were unknown. Did we have to be pastors to do this? Did we have to go to a training school? If so, how long would that school be? Was there a test on Biblical knowledge that we would have to pass? We had no idea what requirements were necessary.
We did computer searches on how to go on a mission trip. It was the earlier days of search engines, so they were not refined as they are today. The information mostly focused on being sent as long-term missionaries. As we scrolled through the information, we found a list of Methodist volunteers and missions. Since we went to a methodist church we hoped they would let us join them. Gary and I sent them an email, told them where we were from, where we went to church, and asked if it would be possible to go on a mission trip.
Soon we received a response with a list of teams that were going out. We were told to reach out to the team leader for further information if anything looked good. Since Kendall was in school, we looked at summer trips and landed on going on a mission trip in June. There were 2 trips offered. One of them was to Panama.
We chose Panama and reached out to the leader. He said it would be great for us to join them. The main requirement was to fill out a simple application and have our pastor sign it. The leader then asked, “What do you guys do?” I told him that I was a nurse and Gary was a doctor, but we were willing to do anything. We could teach kids, paint, dig ditches, move rocks, whatever! Instead, he suggested that we come down and run a medical clinic.
Wait what? Run a medical clinic? I had never even been on a mission trip! He wanted us to run a clinic? The leader told us not to worry, it would be fine. They were building a church in Panama and while we were there, we could offer free medical care. That was what he meant by medical clinic.
Energized with this new plan, we began investigating what was involved. Gary was very good at finding the information we needed. It was all a learning process that involved a lot of research. Gary found places like King Pharmaceuticals and Blessings International where we could obtain bulk medications. We had to contact the Panama consulate, submit our licenses, and get certified and verified to practice medicine.
The entire prep process was long. I honestly don’t remember the exact length of time, but we probably started coordinating at least 8 months before we left. We learned the hard way all the prep that was involved. We had to jump in and learn along the way. Regardless, we were so excited to go.
Being in Panama was such a new experience. It was something we both yearned for and wanted. We loved it. Of course, it was different than what we had imagined when we were younger. I had grown up dreaming about Africa and Gary had envisioned giving free medical care in the Caribbean. Even though Panama was a different location, we both had the sense that we were giving to other people and loving them well.
When we came back, it felt like one of the best things we had ever done. All those dreams and all those feelings that I had from the trip reaffirmed that this was what I was made to do. As soon as we were done with our first trip, we immediately wondered, “How are we going to go next year?”
To be continued.