The Miele's Journey to Know Christ More Fully

Christmas Day Drive to the Beach On Christmas Day our little family went to pick up trash on the local beach, which was particularly destroyed by a couple of recent hurricanes and the general partying that takes place there. For those who know me, this doesn’t surprise you as a Christmas activity of ours (please see Emma in the car on the way back, below. Note her shirt as well). This activity wasn’t planned; it was just decided by Anthony and I that morning. That morning, Emma found a beautiful, but very recently dead fish, and carried it around as a small pet. Anthony picked up bottles and plates farther down the beach as I was quietly reflecting on that beautiful, but dead, fish, and the hideous trash within this otherwise gorgeous setting. I realized that I was essentially looking among the natural debris of this setting (coral, branches, rocks, shells, leaves), for spots of bright red (Coca-Cola caps), bright blue (Pepsi), dark black (Dove and L’Oréal deodorant, as well as shoe...

Maybe... Maybe too many Gospel-believing Christians avoided jobs in the political realm for too long.  Maybe sometimes they took the jobs, but people-pleasing became their god.  Maybe money and wealth destroyed, leaving the image-bearer poorer than ever. Maybe they took their eyes off the cross and let their gaze shift to the flag.  Maybe this place is too far gone, the vulnerable so flattened by the trampling of our feet over them. Maybe we logged on to social media frequently while our Bibles became dusty on the bedside table. Maybe we trusted the word of the 'authentic' blogger instead of knowing God's word within our hearts. Maybe we stared at our phones while we walked, instead of locking eyes with the homeless and the abused on the streets. Maybe we lorded titles and party allegiance over the actual Lord of all who died for us to see we need no other allegiance beside Him. Maybe we no longer worship the Creator on His rightful throne, but the created in his oval o...

Is it possible-peace in a pandemic? The number of our COVID-19 cases surge at an embarrassingly high rate, resulting in more deaths. At the same time, the city we are closest to has active gang violence, largely unchanged for  decades . The high number of murders, drive-by shootings, and tragically, children caught in the gunfire, is terrifying. Protests rage, sometimes with violence, and always with desperate cries for change. There is so much political unrest with few people who are humbly listening to the 'other side' of opinions. In addition, this morning I personally almost stepped on a enormous snake on my run. Did the above paragraph bring you to picture our life in a 'third-world' country? Are you thinking about  how difficult it must be to live in a less developed' place? Actually, as many of you have realized, I am not writing about Honduras in the paragraph above, but about the United States. Anthony, Emma, and ...

" What a strange Easter weekend we have this year," our neighbor said. "But then, that first Easter weekend was very strange, too."  Thousands of years ago, something far worse than COVID tried to prevent the 1st Easter. Satan's impact put a man named Jesus, who claimed to be God, dead in a grave. This man had many followers, was known as a great prophet, and was baptized by his friend John the Baptist before a voice from the heavens declared, "This is my Son, with whom I am well pleased." Jesus of Nazareth preached to tens of thousands of people about the Kingdom of God, performed countless miracles, loved with a depth that far surpassed that of which humans could show, died mocked and beaten, 'King of the Jews,' while silent in defense. Satan  might have known the eternal impact Christ’s defeat of death would have on the world. Yet, on Good Friday (as we know it today), it looked as though evil had won the battle as Jesus’ family, friends,...

Anyone who has ridden a roller coaster knows that once you reach the top, it's time to plummet down to the bottom. Life can be this way as well; a series of highs and lows, peaks and valleys. I am dramatizing, but our recent experience has been much like a ride on a roller coaster. Our family of 3 had a wonderful week in Tegucigalpa, Honduras's capital city. We went there as part of a short term mission trip with World Gospel Outreach (WGO ). It was a long time desire of mine for Kristen to join me on this trip, since it has been so integral in my development as a Christian, a doctor, and ultimately, a medical missionary. I started making this one-week trip with my dad in 2010, and have since returned 4 times. Members from Peace Lutheran Church in Lombard, IL, along with others from all over the US, come to Tegucigalpa with the goal of serving the Hondurans and sharing the love of Jesus for the week. This happens primarily through medical brigades operated out of local church...

In our recent email newsletter we referred to a young lady who very nearly died while in our hospital. I would like to write a bit more about her case, since I believe many lessons can be learned from it.  I'll call her "Y" for short. Y is a lovely 17 year old Honduran girl, from a mountainous village about 2 hours from our hospital. She presented to our emergency department with chest pain and shortness of breath. These symptoms had been present for 2 weeks at this point. In fact, Y had been a patient at a public hospital in La Ceiba (the nearest large city) for 12 days prior to coming to us. She had a chest x-ray that showed a right sided pneumonia with a pleural effusion (collection of fluid inside the chest cavity). Pneumonia with an effusion typically heals with appropriate antibiotics, and only occasionally requires fluid drainage. She had received antibiotics for over 10 days already, so why hadn't she recovered? Could I have the wrong diagnosis? Hardly! Did...

On the very same weekend that Kristen and I usually attend one of our favorite conferences in the states, there was a conference here in Siguatepeque, just 10 minutes from our house! Many of you know about our involvement in Greek Intervarsity, a Christian ministry for students in Greek houses while attending university (It is also the organization in which we met each other). Every year thousands of students from across the country meet in February to encounter Jesus Christ, and learn to depend on their faith with brothers and sisters in the greek system. The lives of students are transformed at 'Greek Conference.' We have been praying for this conference in joyful expectation of what God would do, but also in sadness that we couldn't be there for the first time since college (we also volunteer there every year). BUT GOD (one of our favorite phrases in the Bible) provided for us to attend a different conference this year. This past weekend North American missionaries f...

After two short plane rides and a two-hour car ride to Siguatepeque for language school -we are settling in at our new home! Emma traveled so well-and  this  we attribute to your prayers (she has not flown well in the past on shorter trips).We will be in Siguatepeque until July, studying Spanish every weekday for 4 hours each. Anthony studies in the morning, and Kristen studies in the afternoon.  The owners of the language school graciously took us shopping and out to eat the day after we arrived. We went to the local Chinese/pizza restaurant for a delicious dinner (yes, a combination restaurant) after we went to the grocery stores. Everything we saw in stores were very similar to American grocery stores, albeit many items are more expensive here. We think our diet will consist of simple meals-like the bean, pepper, and cheese tacos Anthony made for dinner tonight! The town of Siguatepeque has 60,000 people and is surrounded by mountains. It is in the Comayagua dis...

Happy Fall! Cool temperatures descend, leaves change color, pumpkins adorn front porches, and the Miele house in Columbus is emptying. In preparation for our departure, we are selling and giving away most of our belongings. It is a bittersweet process, for we know the Bible says: Luke 12:15b "...for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions" and yet we still feel the loss of earthly comforts. Our goal is to move back to Chicago with what we can fit in our cars, no moving truck or storage pod required. We are living in the present yet actively preparing for the future. We both continue to work our regular jobs and also seek to gather supporters for our ministry. It is essential to have friends and family lift us up in prayer to God and contribute financially to this work of serving the underserved. We are thankful for our friendships, those who support and love us, and we trust ultimately in God's sovereignty and generosity. Nevertheless,...

Today marks the first day in which I am no longer a resident. For the past 8 years I have been a trainee at Ohio State University (medical school and residency); but no longer. I am officially finished with my Internal Medicine-Pediatrics residency program. I now transition to work for an Ohio based primary care network called COPC (Central Ohio Primary Care) for the next 6 months. I will work with adults and children in an urgent care setting. This new job will allow me to have flexible hours so  I can spend time with Emma at home and study for my upcoming board certification exams. As I reflect on the past 8 years I am reminded time and time again how God has been so faithful to me. Initially, I wasn't sure what He had in store for me by coming to Columbus for med school, but now I can look back in awe and thanksgiving for all He has provided. I have received excellent medical training, found a gospel-centered church family, and have many godly friends. Psalm 13:6 says,  ...

As you might know, we have recently had one of the biggest changes in our home. That change is teaching us a lot about who we are as the frequent cries ring out in our home. We named that change 'Emma Joy' when she arrived April 19th. The word joy is often defined as happiness or 'a good feeling.' As Christians, we know that true joy is produced by the Holy Spirit, as he reminds us of our eternal salvation in the Lord (Galatians 5:22). Christian joy is not simply a feeling or emotion, but a lasting truth for our soul to be assured of. In the Bible, we are even commanded to rejoice. As I went through the ups and downs of pregnancy (and there were more downs than ups as I experienced it), I was frequently reminded of Nehemiah 8:10. Nehemiah tell us, " Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the  Lord  is your strength!” I was never strong enough, but my God is! How fitting was it, then, when Anthony suggested we 'choose joy' as a middle name for our daughte...

"For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." (2 Corinthians 5:14-15) Many years ago, I heard a pastor ask 'why is this called good Friday?' He had just explained the gruesome death of Jesus in much detail. He read scripture where people called for Christ to be crucified, flogged Him, hammered nails into His hands and feet, and mocked Him as He died on a cross. By the end of the sermon, the pastor answered his own question by saying, "Jesus died for you. And that is why it is called Good Friday." Many Americans have heard at some point that 'Jesus died for them.' They have the options of walking into a church, reading a Bible, asking a Christian friend about their faith, or listening to a Youtube sermon. However, most people don't. God knew this, so He c...

Today, we lost an icon of American history, a great evangelist in the Christian faith, and a humble servant of Jesus Christ. As Billy Graham once said- "We are all just passing through this world." Nothing is more certain in life than 'passing through this world.' For those following Jesus, there is no real fear in death, as we are assured of where we are going and know that death is not final. Our Savior rose from the grave, defeating death for all who believe in Him. Revelation, the last book of the Bible, tells us- " Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.Yes, says the Spirit, 'they will rest from their labor, for t heir deeds will follow them.' " This verse doesn't mean that good deeds get us to heaven, as the Christian faith is the only faith on Earth which tells us we will actually never be good enough or holy enough to enter the kingdom of God. Rather, it is through faith in Christ alone, believing and trusting in His perf...

I just returned to the US after visiting Honduras for the 5th time. I made the annual trip to Tegucigalpa (the capital) with my home church from Chicago. This trip was extra special because my mom was able to attend for the first time and see what a short term medical mission trip is like. After a week spent in Tegucigalpa, I traveled to the other side of Honduras, to visit Loma De Luz hospital. This is the clinic Kristen and I will serve in for our two-year commitment. As always, God was faithful and set His blessing upon the entire trip. My travels plans were delayed due to bad weather in Columbus, but I arrived safely to Tegucigalpa only a day later than expected. Our team spent a terrific week together serving the Honduran people by giving them much needed medical care. Most importantly, we shared the love of Christ and His gospel with every patient. Many Hondurans came to faith for the first time and were added to Jesus's family. Praise be to God alone. On Friday, I fl...

As I type, Anthony is on a plane headed to Honduras for a two week missions trip. First, he will go to Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras, to serve with his childhood church through  World Gospel Outreach . After working in the medical clinics which often serve the urban poor of the city, he will head to Loma de Luz, our future home. As you might have read in our earlier post, we have committed two years of service with  World Medical Mission . I'm very jealous that Anthony is about to see Loma de Luz and meet all of the other families who live there. Originally, I had planned to go with Anthony on this trip. However, the CDC advises against pregnant women going to countries that have the Zika virus. I look forward to hearing of his many experiences when he arrives home. As Anthony was traveling today, I also read something in Time Magazine concerning Honduras. The article was focused on recent immigration laws and policies. The State Department warned against U.S. cit...

2017 was a year full of blessings, and 2018 is sure to bring more excitement. For many years,  the both of us have desired to serve in overseas mission work. Kristen often likes to recount how she made this an important point of conversation on our first dating conversation! She had personally felt the call to go abroad in public health, and made sure Anthony knew this before they began dating. Anthony agreed that he too had felt the call to serve abroad in a medical capacity. God was already at work in our relationship before it officially began! For several years in our marriage, we have prayerfully considered where God might lead us and with whom we would partner with. Our prayers gradually were answered as we were pointed (again and again) to Samaritan's Purse by faithful missionary men and women whom we networked with. We interviewed with Samaritan's Purse for the post-residency program in August with other young doctors and spouses in Charlotte, NC. God answered our pra...