To The Least Of These...

Year in review...13 days late

2011-01-13T17:54:00.003-05:00

I love Passion. It is like bookends to my year, both starting and ending it in a mindframe that I strive to hold throughout the year. A life that is here only to serve others, sometimes seen, but most of the time not. Last year was my first year volunteering and it blew me away. I was prepared for what I was going to see, but this year seemed so different. We were of one mind and body. Motives were plainly visable, whether good or bad. It's always powerful, but this year was somehow MORE powerful. It's always completely focused on God and changing the injustices of the world, but this year even more. Not just b/c of the amount of dollars given, but Christ's love for the poor pierced our hearts and we could not help but respond. A LOT of the church volunteered and I honestly think it made a huge difference. It was worship for us!

It's been a year, that's for sure. This time last year I was on my face in prayer wanting so badly to go and help my friends in Haiti. I didn't know that only a week later I would be there with people from all over the world doing what we could to help those hurt get better, but knowing that only God can heal. I reread those blogs and look at the pictures with wonder...did I really live that!?!

Africa entered my world and changed my heart forever. I really wish I could find the shirt that people wear saying "I need Africa more than Africa needs me." I still look back on those days and marvel at how much I learned and how it so quickly changed my perspective of God and what he desires for his people...and that he uses US to do it. What an honor! Not a day goes by that I don't think about those I have come across.

In all honesty, work has been rough. Not patients or traumas, but the typical growing pains every department has to go through. Many times I have thought, "God, this is NOT what I signed on to stay for!" I've comforted many friends having a hard time at work and dreading the moment of going in, but it's different when it's you. You let your entire day be stolen because you are walking on eggshells, constantly worried about what will be said to you and how you will react. It's miserable. I've had to learn a lot this year (mostly in a span of the last 3 months)...and not all easy things. But now that I am aware, I know how to apply it and learn and grow. There is always something to perfect and work on in yourself, if not, than you need to be humbled. I just pray that I am a good representative of Christ through it all. It would be my devastation to ever find out that someone looked at me and thought...if that's Christ, I want nothing to do with it. He's been so good to me, I want His goodness to pour out of me.

Community is finally here! There have been tough months of wondering if some of the most treasured friendships I have are even real, or if they are only real to me. That I think more of it than the other person. In some cases...yes...that was exactly the case and the season ended. In most cases, I found that a lot of us felt that way. We all felt out of the loop, last to know, left out, not invited...and yet it was never intentional. However, I think that once we all realized we all feel that, we were well on the road to creating a community that's inviting, not exclusive. I praise God for the precious friendships that have been born out of volunteering at church, going to Africa, genuinely living my life out at work, and keeping some close ties to home.

New years is always a bittersweet time for me. I get sad about things coming to a close, especially when so much happened and now it will be referred to as last year, then a few years ago, then back in 2010. But the other half gets excited about the unknown. Things happen every year that are unscripted...and those are usually the most impactful. I have high hopes for 2011. I may not get to leave the country, I'll still try and be the best nurse I can be, I may still be in the same little one bedroom apartment this time next year, but I'll be a better me. A me that, I pray, looks more like my Father.

Consecrate yourselves TODAY, for TOMORROW He will do amazing things among you.

I Heart Uganda!

2010-09-29T11:29:00.005-04:00

WARNING: This has the potential to be a really long post. Sorry if I lose you! I have a lot to tell, but and working the next 4 nights =)

The above picture is what we saw as we were flying to Amsterdam. Of course, the picture doesn't do the moment justice as the beauty was breathtaking. We knew we were going to spend the next 10 days with 12 other women, loving on babies and taking in a nation recovering from war, tragedy and Aids. That sight was how I felt inside. A new start, a fresh day with the potential to change anything. A little side note...You know God is in it and gathered each of us by name to be on this trip when 13 women are together 24/7 and there was not even a hint of pettiness or catty attitudes once on the trip. In fact, we all couldn't wait to see each other again the next day at church. I felt sad when I woke up alone and not in my bed inbetween Janet and Whitney...when Janet is threatening to cook the rooster who has no idea what time it is and Whitney and I are cracking up.

So we arrive and our fantastic guide Phillip and the driver stuff all of our 27 bags and 13+ carry on's into 24 seat bus. From there we were off! We got a night of rest and went to church the next day where we had a little orientation and had the honor of watching one of the children's choirs practice for a tour in a few months. We sat in the front row, smiles glued to our faces and choking back tears. When you hear an orphan sing "I am not forgotten, God knows my name"and "praise him, o my soul praise him" in a sweet child voice while busting out beautiful African moves all at the same time...your heart does more than melt. Finally we got to the place our heart had been desiring for the past 8 months.

THE BULRUSHES: a babies home right in the middle of the city full of 50 babies. The environment here was a controlled chaos, as they have a schedule and stick to it, everyone is always busy doing something. Since I work in an ER...this was my favorite place...I love the busy surroundings! Once nap time was over, it was game on. We got to feed them, change them, and did our best to hug and kiss as many as we could. We played for a few hours on blankets on the floor where we quickly became the toys. I remember looking up at one point and all of us had 3+ babies in our laps, on our backs or using our bodies to stand up and get our attention. One day we took "the toddlers" out for a walk and to the mall to play at a playground. This required us carrying them through Kampala traffic...which is basically playing frogger everytime you need to cross a street. They LOVED it! The next day we took the itty-bitties out for a walk at Serena Gardens. I had little Emmanuel, who was asleep before, during and after. But being 3 weeks old, there was no need for him to care and I could not have been more content to have a baby resting against my chest in a Baby Bjorn. My hardest moment came when we had to leave. As we put our babies down, they started WAILING! How do you walk away from that? So I picked them up again, hugged them tight and kissed their little heads and put them back down. I had to walk away before I started crying as hard as they did.

Sunday we went to WATOTO CHURCH: which the Holy Spirit was all over and I decided in that moment, it would be great to be African. Our group experienced a little piece of what heaven will be like. We worshiped, in awe of God (a huge theme of our trip that He made known from the beginning). It wasn't our typical American style service...although similar in ways...it cemented that God is the same in every part of His creation.

After church we went to BBIRA: a Watoto Village containing over 900 children. Our team broke up into small groups and ate lunch with a family who had made us traditional African food. Which I thought was quite tasty, but outside of seafood, there's very little I don't like. Each home is made up of a house mother and her 8 children, there are 8-9 homes in a circle with one being set above to look over the circle. I think there were 15 circles there. All the children refer to other kids as their brother or sister. Biology means very little in the villages as they truly take to heart that "It takes a village to raise a child" It's responsibilty of everyone. I fell in love with our family and they gave us a tour of the entire village, which includes schools, a store and church that is open to people outside the village as well. I know the kids were probably on their best behavior, but NOT ONCE did I see children fighting. I saw more older children picking up and taking care of their younger siblings, walking with arms around each others shoulders and hand in hand. Watoto children are some of the most polite children I've ever come across...and I come across different children everyday.

Next up SUUBI: a breathtaking community in the mountains. Watoto has a production line here that makes everything that goes into the babies homes and villages. They offer older children and men of the community outside of Watoto the opportunity to learn a job skill and employ them. We visited the school, many beautiful young women in their sewing class, and tons of other kids learning different subjects. I forget how many circles are here and the amount of children...but it was A LOT as well. The babies home at Suubi is beautiful. The complete opposite of the bulrushes. It's removed from the city, crisp air, incomparable views. There are about 30 babies here, 11 with special needs. Moses 5 yrs old, who has hydrocephalus, is the funniest kid there, bossing everyone around, answering for everyone and if I had a question about what to do, he would tell me. As of a year ago he wasn't even walking or talking. God does miracles.

Then we went 5 hrs north to GULU: an area that up until the past couple of years was considered to be very dangerous. Ripped apart by war, children hiding in the bush. We visited Living Hope, a place where vulnerable women have been restored their dignity and hope. Their stories are to tragic to share, but they would rather you know about how Jesus changed their life anyway. They have been through some of the worst atrocities women can face and yet, they have smiles a mile wide. They have gone through rehabilitation counseling and 4,000 women have come to know Christ! They are given jobs to make scarves, purses, dolls and jewelry. They make peanut butter and have discovered ways to make sanitary pads out of papyrus. Most girls drop out of school when they start menstruating. Now they can complete school and become well educated citizens ready to change the face of a nation. Where Living Hope is housed used to be an Internally Displaced Peoples camp where children would run to at night for protection and the fear of being abducted and forced into being a child soldier. Baby Gulu had about 20 babies. All just as precious as the first 80 we'd met. This is the newest home. You could tell the difference of the nannies here and in the bulrushes. The babies know who is responsible for them and are more attached. There are just so many in the city that it's all hands on deck. One of my favorite moments of the trip came when we walked the streets back to the guest house. We were walking where so much pain had taken place. War was here, but now freedom is here! Within minutes we had a pack of kids following us, walking with us and running out to greet us. It was a special trip and we all felt so blessed to have been able to see it and experience it. We also got to cross the Nile (AMAZING!) and it was the roughest water! Philip told me it would be considered a Level 6 rapid. We fed monkeys and laughed as a few of the girls had to go to the bathroom in the bush and Philip kept watch of the baboons that were only a football field away.

I left with mixed emotions. I thought I would leave wanting to move back for 6mos, but now I think I'll just do a month or two when God tells me the time is right. Uganda takes care of Uganda. Even Watoto takes the extra clothes for babies and give it to other local orphanages who don't get as many donations. 50% of the population is under age 15 and 70% is under age 30. There is huge potential for this country! The church in one weekend had 1500 families step up to sponser children in need in the villages. The men go to villages every week to be fathers to the fatherless. The women give up their lives to raise a responsible generation. Watoto is a well thought out organization. I did not see one aspect of life that was not effected by the Church. They know the ecomony will cause support to drop...enter production line, a self sustaning business. They know the value of education, so they find a way to change life for teenage girls. I did not walk away feeling sorry for the people of Uganda. I walked away praising God that He is SO ACTIVE and ALIVE in that nation! Thanking Him for the vision he has given Watoto and the faith of the church to believe that He is able to do it! We came back to Atlanta knowing, because we have seen it is possible, that we need to dream big. That God is able and wanting to do major things in our city. We want to be his hands and feet here. Burden and hurting for our own city that has it's own fair share of needs and hurts and least of these. We don't know what the future looks like for us, and it could still be years off, but God's Hope is coming to Atlanta. His name will be glorified.

This was our last view as we walked to our terminal to come back to ATL. God's promise. A fitting way to end a trip but start a lifetime.

Send us out!

2010-09-12T23:22:00.003-04:00

Wow...what a journey this has been so far and the best is yet to come! Almost everything is packed and in its place. My eyes are so tired, but my brain just won't stop. So many hopes and dreams for these little lives we are going to be entrusted with for a few days are constantly on my mind.

Every now and then there are days that you are pretty sure will stick out in your mind for forever. Sunday, September 12, 2009 was one of those days. So many precious moments of family. While I will cherish them in my heart always, it made me ever more excited to get over to Kampala! Our church prayed over us in such a mighty way. I shed more tears this past week just out of excitement and gratitude than I've shed in a long time. I think that being sent out with blessing has to be one of the best feelings in the world. There are 13 of us going out with about 3,000+ people going behind us. We will represent you well, but our goal is to BE Christ well! We take you with us, and are greatly depending on your prayers. Names you can be praying for...Janet, Rachel G, Deeann, Aynsley, Whitney, Natalie, Kerri, Morgan, Rachel J, Tindell, Joy, and Brandy.

I'm so glad that God has chosen me to be a part of this church filled with people that are passionate about knowing God and living it out. Tonight we found out a little more of where God is taking us to...it's going to be good! We are going to be moving into a neighborhood. We will have a building, but that's not what it's about and I hope we keep that at the forefront of our minds.

This past week at work I had a friend ask me, "so why do you do it? what to get out of it? I know you go to help people, but what else?" He had already asked me again about my tattoo. We've already had these conversations before. I answered the only way I know how. It's not about the great feeling you get from helping people. I am called to love and to serve. I do it because I want to please God and I know that helping his creation makes him happy. This particular person doesn't believe in God and is sure that church would kick him out since he disagrees with everything in it -I want these babies, my friends and my co-workers to have their lives undeniably changed for the Kingdom of Christ. My goal has never been to just help people...that's just a humanitarian effort...my desire is that when I walk away people have a better picture of just how much God loves them regardless of their circumstances.

So we head out Tuesday. We will be gone Sept 14-25. You can keep up with us at www.ugandaonmyheart.wordpress.com and we are going to update as much as we can. We go out with confidence in the One who has brought us this far. Thank you for your prayers! I'll hug and kiss a baby for you!

Calling all mommies!

2010-08-05T16:50:00.002-04:00

Most moms I know are great at finding a bargain or know the best prices around town. So I am asking for some of your knowledge...

Our team going to Uganda received this urgent plea today. If you know of any way you can help...please let me know! We don't care if it's formula being sent to our houses, donations to buy it or connections to the manufacturers.

Dear team….

At any given time we have several infants in our Baby Watoto homes who for one reason or other cannot tolerate a regular baby formula.

There are specialty formulas on the market that are designed for various medical issues, that we use in these cases. Unfortunately they cannot be purchased in Uganda and so we have to rely on donations from abroad and our current stock is out.

As this can make a life or death difference for a baby, we are appealing to you to help us with this urgent need. If your team has the space and means to bring even a few tins, it would help tremendously. If you have space, but would need us to fund the purchases, please let us know so we can work this out. The formula’s we need are:

Pregestamil – very hypoallergenic and quite expensive formula
Nutramigen or Alimentum – moderately hypoallergenic and moderately expensive formulas
Pediasure – A formula for over 1 year olds who can’t eat a regular food diet or have to be tube fed.

Thank you for all you do for Watoto!

Our teams momentum is building as we are just so excited to go and and I've been so blessed by how our relationships have flourished in the process of preparation. Thank you so much for being a part of it whether in prayer, money or buying T-shirts...little lives now can have big expectations. =)

Sometimes life stinks...literally

2010-08-02T18:38:00.000-04:00

July 2010...a month I am glad to say goodbye to. A month full of defeats, frustrations, misunderstanding, stress and thanks to a local GI virus...crap (thankfully, I was unaffected, but the little kiddos at work...well, that's why they were there). Basically, a month I needed to go through in order to look more like my Father. A stretching, wearing, learning and surrendering time.

So thankful for August. A new month. A new beginning. A new opportunity.

So much to look forward too and reminders of all I have to be for which to be thankful.

TRUST in the LORD with ALL your HEART and LEAN not on your own understanding, but in ALL your ways, acknowledge HIM and HE will make your path straight.

Time for a sports metaphor..."It's all in the wrist"

2010-06-08T14:42:00.000-04:00

So I finally did it. I got my tattoo. This action did not just come on a whim, but actually out of great consideration…and 4yr thought process. While I’ll never be able to fully explain why NOW was the perfect time to get it to the entire world (or the two people that read this thing), I’ll do my best to explain a part of scripture that has meant so much to me for so very long.
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' "
I remember hearing this growing up in Sunday School, youth group and mission conferences. I heard lots of things during those times, but this is a passage that stuck close and was always on my heart…along with the “peace that surpasses all understanding”. It’s who I was created to be. It’s been the anthem over my life for as long as I can remember. It’s why I am a nurse. I always knew I wanted to help people, and through nursing school (a beast all its own) all I could think about was how I was gaining such a practical skill that I would be able to take around the world. It was what got me through nursing school. It’s why I even do medical missions. I’m not changing the world…only Jesus can do that. In light of reality, I do very little for all the need that surrounds me…but I feel compelled to let others know the love of Christ. To care for them, to educate them, to help them, to give to them, to come along side them, to listen to them, to pray with them…not because it’s charity, not because the government has a program for everything so I can be hands off and lazy…NO..it’s because my Jesus loves them and cares for them. He wants to listen to them, guide them, to intercede for them. But how will they know? They will know Jesus by the love I show them.
I got it on my wrist for a reason. Numerous ones actually. It has to be covered at work and my watch is the perfect size. No one has to know it’s there, but it will be a constant reminder to me…always staring me in the face. Yet, if ever I am not wearing my watch, it’s facing out purposely so others can read it. The perfect opportunity for someone to read it and ask “what’s up with that”. The wrist is where cuffs are placed. If I am going to be a slave to anything in this world, it will be only to my Jesus and the life he has set before me. The wrist is where you literally FEEL someones pulse, their life…these words are my heartbeat. The wrist is a sensitive area. It’s where young mothers used to test the milk to see if it was too hot. It’s a pressure point. In some cultures, they lead you by the wrist to where you are going. You can’t extend your hand to help unless the wrist is involved.
On a funnier note…during a staff meeting we were talking about identifying factors that we’d use if ever there were a major disaster. Kelli…who affectionately calls me ‘Sister Laura’ and always asks to make sure I am praying for certain staff members, had been teasing me about my tattoo. I told her it was now my identifying factor and we had a good laugh. In all seriousness though, should anything ever happen to me where I had to be identified…there’s nothing I’d want more on my body than that to distinguish me from others.
Like I said, it’s a sensitive spot. It hurt. The three dots were fine, but when the artist made the “e” all I could think was “great. I have so many letters left to go.” More annoying than anything, but the only time I really did not appreciate the art was when he was on the word “least”. Ironic. That’s life…isn’t the “least” the hardest to deal with, the one that hurts the most, the one that makes you think if it’s worth it?
It is. Everytime I see what I am now branded with, I smile. My heart gets a little burst of joy. Not going to lie…work has been pretty terrible since I got the tattoo. I had a feeling it would happen. Staff moral is down, I got crapped on and had to change my scrubs, I saw more nasty snot come out a trached child’s nose then I ever care to see again, I’ve had to be sweet and understanding to parents laying me out with their words, saw a newborn infant with old healing fractures, sat next to a mom with my arm around her as the doctor told her that her very young child has a brain tumor. That’s the least. Those are the feelings, those are the smells, those are the sights. It’s made me all the more thankful for my Savior, and everything he has protected me from…and that he’s placed me here, in Atlanta, at my job, at my church and with a heart for the nations that will soon be going out to Africa in just a few months.
This is a time of my life that I never want to forget. I want to be able to look back at my times of singleness and be so glad I did something with it! I’m not going to sit around and waste time waiting for life to come find me. BORING! I make the most of every opportunity…

Food for the hungry
Water for the thirsty
Clothes for the naked
Worth for the widows
Mothers for the orphans
Jesus to the world

In other news...we (the women going to Watoto) are going to be selling t-shirts. Below is a picture of what it will look like. They are going to be $20 and all the money goes straight to the $1000 we each have to raise as project money for the babies. Let me know if you want one!!!

The video from Passion 2010

2010-03-02T12:24:00.000-05:00

As I sat in Passion 2010, if I wasn't convinced I was going to go already...this sealed the deal. God is doing amazing things! God's story is HUGE! I'm not sitting on the sidelines waiting for it to happen, I'm not missing out!

http://vimeo.com/9832009

Sorry, I can't the link to work, so just do the 'ol copy and paste and you'll get there...and be ready to Praise God at the end of it!

Thank you to Africaprincess who gave me the link!

High Hopes and Heartbreaks

2010-03-01T18:55:00.000-05:00

Good grief...a lot has happened in a month. Just a little over a month ago, I came back from having my life rocked in a major way through the honor of helping survivors of the Haiti earthquake. I've gotten a few updates about a couple of my pt's (Denise and Annika are doing well! They were evacuated to the Comfort Ship). I've been able to continue here in ATL with the recovery of little lives from Haiti and when I saw an update on a local TV spot and saw my little one LOOKING GREAT, I had a moment of "wow, God is powerful!!!" Not a day goes by where I don't think about them and pray for them.

Along with that comes a new season of life. Back in Oct, I met Rachel through our friend Janet. Rachel is pretty much amazing and we are cut from the same cloth, yet with different strengths and weaknesses. Immediately the Lord let us hit it off and she quickly became one of my very closest friends her in Atlanta. Our first conversation was at church as we were tearing down a mock apartment created to show what we needed to bring the next week for refugees randomly placed in ATL. It completely revolved around God, his call on our lives...and of course...our heartbeat, missions and loving people. Before this time, I had always been willing to go where God wanted me to go, but Africa had never really been on my radar. The second Rachel mentioned she had heard about a hospital in Uganda that needed nurses to help out and educate...I was hooked. She had hurdles to overcome, but our conversation ended with me saying to her, "if no one else can go, even if it is just the two of us, I will go to Uganda with you. There's no reason I cannot go and teach people everything I know and serve God while there in however He chooses." All of the sudden, I could not get Uganda off my mind, constantly googling for information, plane ticket prices, requirements, ect. I mentioned it to Janet, and lo and behold, she had been praying about Uganda for 3 yrs!

At Passion 2010, the founder of Watoto was there as a speaker, shared her heart and in one of the sessions a video was created to show what Watoto does and how it works. By the end, I was just a cryin' away. (Once again, I do not cry over my own life, but show me need and hurting people...I'm a mess) I text Janet immediately asking "seriously, when are we going?" She also received about 4 other texts from 4 other women at the same time. Word spread, people met, circumstances and opportunities that only can be put together by God came together...and WE ARE GOING!!! I wish you could see the video they showed at Passion...but you can go to their site to find out more information http://www.watoto.com/ It's an organization that Passion City Church knows well and has worked with before, and we hope to continue to build relationships with these amazing and wonderful people. I can stand behind this group with full confidence.

Details are still being ironed out. Some people still have some things to work out and seek the Lord about. It looks like we will be going in September, about a group of 10-11 women. We will be working in Baby Watoto with the 90+ babies, coming along staff to help, care, feed, change, play and love on these precious little ones...some of which haven't even been born yet. 2, possibly 3 of us are nurses and may be doing medical things as well with the kids while we are there. The price is overwhelming...I'm not going to lie. $3200-$3500 for a 10 day trips seems like a bit much. $1000 of that is straight project fund to Watoto. I am assuming they use that money to help with costs of food, diapers, wipes and all things needed to care for babies. It's hard enough to pay for 1 child much less 89 more! I am totally trusting God for the funds to do this. The call to go is undeniable, so I KNOW God will make a way for something as little as money to be taken care of. The money doesn't scare me. (Side note:I did have to promise my parents to not come home with a child, but I did not promise to not return for one at a later date!)

With that...here comes the hurting of the heart. With expenses being what they are, I am not going to be able to go back down for my normal 6 month check up of the students in the Dominican. Praise be to God that Lauren P.A. is there now, so medical needs will not go unnoticed or undone. I'm just not needed there right now! God provided for those children in a great way! The group is going back down in Novemeber, and I hope to hop on a plane to join them...but once again...that will be ALL God as well. My heart hurts when I stop and think about not hugging my little Yunairi, watching Ambi's toothless smile, washing more feet than I care to mention or hanging out with the staff and joking with the locals. But my heart breaks when I think about not going to Baby Watoto. If I were to force my way into the DR and make that trip happen, I would be being disobedient. I don't feel like my relationship in over in the DR...I'm just getting a great GLOBAL view of what God is capable, willing and wanting to do!

I'm excited. The women on this trip have all had the desire placed on our hearts and I believe hand picked by God to go. We had our first meeting together and I look forward to each month as we get together and prepare, get to know each other's stories and hearts...and spend time in prayer. Expectant of the future and overwhelmed by God's capability!

Humbled on the Homefront...

2010-01-31T21:35:00.000-05:00

This whole experience has humbled me in a lot of ways. We said from the beginning, we didn't want to be at ground zero and we would be happy out on the fringes. God put us there and it was such a blessing to serve. Had we been near the center of it all, I may not have gotten to know and serve my pt's as much, I wouldn't have been able to witness God working the exact way He did before my very eyes in Jimani, I wouldn't have had to learn to trust for His guidence in such a practical way.

We all have roles in life and I am no different from you. If you were given the skills God gave me and then gave you an opportunity to go...you would do it. I'm not special. I just had the honor of being obedient. You were obedient in your own way. On the first post about this trip the day before I left, I mentioned that I had bought $500 in medical supplies that I honestly didn't have money for. By the time I got home, $300 of it was paid for...two days later it all was paid for...and then tonight at church...someone handed me money and told me to use it however I saw fit. I promised that anything over the $500 would go in a check straight to Makarios and that is exactly where it is headed tomorrow. I met most of the givers at Passion 2010 as I served with them, I serve with one at church, and another is from a house church back home...many of whom do not know me. That is obedience. And I am so humbled. The fact that people would A) ask how they could help was amazing B) Actually follow through and give money blew me away and C) to someone they had just met or never met. Bride of Christ...you are generous! You gave with your heart, you gave with your time (PRAYER, messages, texts, calls, posts) and you gave with your resources. I cannot thank you enough! Those that have clean wounds cannot thank you enough...and may grasp how high and how wide and how deep is the love of Christ! I can say truthfully that the Church was represented well. I have never been so proud to be a part of it! I pray our words and our actions, not only reflected Jesus, but that it also stirred those around us that do not know him. The only difference between what we were doing and what humanitarians do is Jesus...but what a difference one man makes.

The Dominicans say "gracias", the Haitians say "Merci", this American says "thanks", but this Believer says "To God be all glory and honor and praise, I serve You as I serve others, I count it a blessing and privilege and thank you for the opportunity and for making it possible through your people."

Denise and Annika

2010-01-28T16:20:00.000-05:00

Upon arriving the first day at the little hospital/orphanage, that we now know is called Good Samaritan, and put straight to work in the ER, I was put in charge of little Annika. She is a month old with third degree burns and a fracture to her right arm. We were told her parents were killed in the quake and her aunt brought her in. This super cute, kinda sassy, little one was not going to lack for care! I had her and loved her, felt personal responsibility for her (being a human and a peds ER nurse) and every person that walked by felt the need to lay a stethoscope on her even if just for an excuse to have five seconds of light in his/her day.

I got her ready for surgery, Kurt the pediatrician walked her up for surgery, and I was left praying. Praying she would make it through surgery and that they would somehow be able to save her arm. A while went by and then I saw Kurt sitting on the bed watching Annika to make sure she was recovering well. I took over and started talking with one of the translators who was helping in the ER while Kurt went to find the aunt. He spoke spanish and creole, so our conversation proceeded in spanish. He asks about her a little bit and asks where her parents are. I sadly tell him I was told they were killed. He looked at me like I was crazy..."What? No, her mom is right over there." and points to a woman laying on a mat under the pharmacy window, one of the busiest places, turned on her side facing the wall and shaking. Mitch was her nurse and I had seen him giving fluids and antibiotics. I thought, surely my spanish is failing me and I am hearing wrong. We went back a forth a little bit, both of us insisting on the story we were told. Kurt came back with "aunt" who was actually "cousin" and both of us had huge smiles on our face. "That's Annika's mom!" Apparently he had got the story from cousin as I was getting the story from the translator. THANK YOU, JESUS! Not only was Annika's mom alive, but she ended up in our ER at a completely different time! Then my heart broke as I looked at Annika's mom as she facing the wall, without strength to turn over and unable to care for her baby, Denise (pronounced Deese)looked bad...like real bad, didn't know if she'd make it through the night bad. I'm sure she was thinking, "do they see me here? I am going to die here." We decided to move her so she could atleast face her sweet baby. After I finished doing all sorts of nursing stuff, I just couldn't take it anymore. The cousin was kinda hands off, we had to teach her that it's important to change the diaper and feed her (although feeding her was a point of solace during the day that I looked forward to). By the time we left, she was a pro, but at the time she was content to sit on the bed...I went over, scooped Annika up and took her over to Denise. We didn't have a bed to put her on yet, so she was on a mattress on the floor. She was still on her side, but now facing her daughter. I said her name and it took all her strenth to push her hand out to lay on the mat. I leaned down with Annika and put her head in her mothers hand. I was holding her awkward and she was crying, but she heard her mom's voice and immediately stopped, turned her head and nuzzled her mom's cheek.Denise had one tear traveling her cheek, rubbed her cheek on her head, speaking soothingly and had a smile like I've never seen. During my labor and delivery practicum in nursing school, that was always my favorite part. Cleaning off the baby and handing the baby to mom for the first time. Watching them instantly become a family face to face. This might have been even more precious...like a second birth. Denise might have thought her sweet liitle baby had died, she might have thought she herself was dying, but to see each other and hold each other for the first time since such a life altering event was an absolute miracle in front of my eyes that I will remember forever.
The next day Denise was sitting up in a wheelchair and looking at her daughter face to face. Camera's were snapping. I took a couple, but I wanted to soak in the moment.

Denise seemed to be a new women over night and Annika was showing no signs of infection and going back into the OR the next day for debridement again. But like I said in the last post...the aftershock came and everyone was pulled out into the open air...Robin and I found Denise shaking and it was not good. We grabbed a doctor (one that we actually ran into in the airport two days later) and worked on getting her under control again. I got pulled to start organizing and moving pt's and I knew that Denise was being taken care of. Medically I didn't care for her...Mitch was taking care of that while I had Annika, but emotionally I felt it was my job to do something. At one point, I looked up and a sheet was being held up to give her some privacy and I saw blood all over the sheets. I prayed! What else could I do? She had doctors and nurses giving the best care they could and I was needed elsewhere. Finally things had calmed down and Denise was recovering well. I walked over to her to point out where Annika was for her and see how she was doing. She grabbed my hand, smiled and looked like a million bucks. I am not sure what all medically they had to do, but The Great Physician guided their hands and was caring for Denise. I have no idea how they are doing now. I think of them often and wonder how their continuing operations went...but God is in control and loves them regardless. I rest in that. This was Denise right before the aftershock.

There were plenty of stories that I listened to of parents losing their children, literally right in front of their eyes. Building falling and crushing...fires burning. But this was a story of hope. Yes...plenty of suffering and complete devastation...but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Thank you Jesus for HOPE found only in YOU and the suffering YOU went through!

Jimani, DR...a place God led us to

2010-01-25T15:08:00.000-05:00

I honestly have no idea what to say. I, first, must THANK YOU for your prayers! I know that that is the only thing that got the team of 7 through those days. Please know that amazing things were accomplished...and it was only through Christ. Everything seemed to have an amazing story and I am not sure how to organize my thoughts. I'll just tell from my perspective and tell stories I guess.
OVERVIEW: Arrived Tuesday, drove a very bumpy 8hrs to Jimani, told by the hospital that they would call if they needed us, there was plenty to do, obvious need, people everywhere, we left some supplies, found an orphanage and played with the kids a while, but they were fine. It was getting too late to do anything else and the church was full of Haitians so we drove 1 hr to Devaje to sleep. It was a bed and I was grateful. We ate dinner and prayed a lot, hoping to find the orphanage (in need of food and water we had heard about) in the morning. All in all, I would be lying if I didn't admit to being a little discouraged at the end of the day. I had paid a lot of money to be there b/c I truly felt like it was what God was calling us to do...so where were we supposed to go from there. Thursday morning we got up and went in seach of the orpahange...only by God's divine direction did we find the Good Samaritan. (Basically the Lord led us to that place. 5 MD's from TN had this vision and started building. The upper building was built to be a outpatient surgery and clinic, the lower building was built to be an orphanage for Haitians. It took five years to complete the orphanage b/c the guy that was building it wanted it to be earthquake proof and at one point fired a whole crew for not building it the way he wanted it. It was just completed about 6 months ago but since DR/Haitian relations are so bad, they weren't able to yet get the kids from across the street over to the new place. Well Praise God b/c it housed all our refugees!) We offered ourselves up and all of us were put to work. I was placed in the ER. I wish you could see it with your own eyes b/c you need all your senses to take in this place. It's hard to explain and frustrating to know that no one will understand it. There were people everywhere in controlled chaos. Charts consisted of paper tied around their necks like a neckace and then someone brought in folders and paper. (Makarios actually ended up buying more admin/office supplies for everyone with donated money.) In a matter of five seconds I saw a young girl with a leg amputation, a 12 yr old boy with blown out eye injury that lost his eye, multiple femur and pelvic fractures, wounds everywhere covered but in need of cleaning, everyone had broken bones with casts or external fixators, so much to do. I started IV's, emptied foley cath bags, debrided and dressed wounds, worked hand in hand with the doctors to get our pt's to the OR or up to the Ward when they were stable. At one point I had just taken a bedpan to dump it in the bathroom and on my way back I looked around with a dirty bedpan, saw a truck unloading food and water, Haitians sleeping or laughing with family, 1,000 things to do and the only thought that came to my mind was "God is so good!" It literally stopped me in my tracks as it seemed like such a weird time to have this thought, but tears welled up and I kept going thankful to see beauty among ashes. Amongst so much suffering and overall disgusting tasks, there was such joy and people that God had sent there. I felt honored to be a small part of it. We worked hard all day and found a place to eat and sleep...another bed! No floor! And a lovely pipe sticking out of a wall for a shower that felt like the most magnificent thing I've ever felt in my life. Friday we got up early, went straight back and went right to work. There was more organization than the day before and organization seemed to be the goal. Darren had 55 pt's and he, a nurse and a MD worked 12 hours to not only see pt's but get their meds together, explain use and discharge instructions, and get them ready for discharge. In the ER, we had a great little system going and I had an AMAZING team to work with. I grew close to my pt's over the day as I was constantly checking pain levels, giving antibiotics, shots, IV's, draining things, Changing dressings, feeding babies, and just loving on them. Blood administration was started upstairs, Surgeries were proceeding, each ward had about 7 rooms, each room had 12-20 people inside. I said bye to all of my pt's, which was one of the hardest thing I have ever done, they all wanted to know when I would be back, why was I leaving, what my name was, how to find me, and hug after hug after hug. All I could say, as I was holding back tears was, Merci (thank you) to them. Then it happened...one of the top 3 scariest things I have ever experienced in my life..and I don't know what the other two are yet! It was time for us to leave when someone asked me to run upstairs quickly to go see a woman that was "shaking", I was thinking seizure or septic...septic it is. The doctor asked me to run up to the main pharmacy grab some meds and come back to start them while the iv was started. By the time I got back, the other nurse had tried twice and needed me to start the line. The pt's and their families were laughing and joking, some singing and praying while I started the IV. I had just finished taping it down when I heard a loud boom and got knocked around a bit while 20 people ran for their lives out of the room. The woman I was starting the IV on grabbed my arm, trying to climb up me to get her out and begging me not to leave, save her or help her (I don't know, it was Creole, but her eyes said it all!!!) Another older woman was left in the room calling on Jesus as if she had just accepted she was going to die or God was going to deliver her. I looked out in the hall and just saw people running, dragging mattresses, carrying beds and people. For a split second I had the same fear (do I need to get out of here right now, how do I get these two women out, it's just me left here with them!) I tried to convince the lady I was coming back and ran out into the hall, a teenage girl with just a short t-shirt and underwear on grabs me to help her, she was sobbing and shaking, she couldn't even move. Her bandages had come loose and I could see all her scars and wounds, I just held her and looked down to try and find someone from the group. ROBIN! Praise Jesus I saw her as hundreds were running out. I was yelling for her and she yelled back that it was an aftershock but everything was fine, no damage, I didn't feel it (I did feel the one a few hours later). I took my girl down the three flights of stairs, weaving through people, wheelchairs, beds and belongings. In a matter of five minutes every single person was out with everything they had, including IV poles with IV's still running...how did they manage that!?! I felt like that point in the movie where the character is standing still and the camera is just swirling around her in circles. I frantically searched for my pt's from the ER to make sure they were ok, knew we were safe, and to comfort them. I found Darren and he was stunned as he told how he felt the pile of bricks he had his hand on move a little and then not a second later watched a man (who only had an eye injury) jump off the second story balcony. Not look down, not hang over the edge...just straight ran and jumped. He landed and Darren ran over to help him, he couldn't walk and ended up having compression fractures. Can you imagine? That was just such a small taste of the fear these people will live with for the rest of their lives, and you felt so helpless, and all the organization? Out the window. I was surprised at how many people still had their charts...they knew they were important. I've never seen people move so fast, helping others so fast, calling to Jesus and singing so fast. When they all got out, that was the first thing they did. It may just be cultural, but it was encouraging none the less. We worked for another 2-3 hrs to get people in rows and organized outside...they were not going back in out of fear that the building would fall. My heart broke when the translator I had been working with just looked frustrated and exhausted as he was trying to explain. "To you, this is not an earthquake, but to us, to Haitians, this is an earthquake. It is to us, we just lost everything, our homes, our families, our arms and legs, I was holding my sister when our house fell and killed my brother. To you it's not, but to us it is, don't blame us for reacting this way, I'm sorry" Some in english, Erika and I in spanish and Robin in creole couldn't convey enough that we understood, none of us were mad, and we were so sorry for what he had gone through.If i had just lost my arm or leg and watched a building kill my whole family, I would run too, no question, and a bunch of white people holding their hands up saying "No, it's ok" wouldn't make me change my mind. He grabbed my arm, took me to his sister and asked me to cover her arms...there were basically chunks missing and he and I both knew they need to be cleaned and covered before infection set in and being out in the open air with dust and other people, the chance is high. I hugged him and told him I would do it, no problem. I got her taken care of, moved some more pt's around and we were getting ready to leave when a woman came up to me and handed me the medication I had ran for with the tubing. Are you kidding me!?! I was amazed, the only thing missing was a needle and with all the running and mayhem, I couldn't believe that not only the medication made it, but that the tubing (a completely seperate package) was still with it! It was an IV medication and can only be given with the proper tubing! She led me to the women, I hugged her and explained to her new nurse what happened and why she needed it. We finally reached our limit and were beyond exhausted. It was time to go. We went back to the hotel with our keys that we had kept only to find out they had given our rooms away. They offered a house for us to stay in, but after we saw it and saw the neighborhood, we decided to just drive a couple hours to the nearest midsize city and get a room there. We traveled back on saturday, Darren and I had to say goodbye to the rest of the team as they headed back to Puerto Plata and we stayed in Santiago for our flight in the morning. On both of my flights we ran into doctors we had worked with and it was great to hear how God was working in their lives as well. I was planning on being back in time for church, but the weather in ATL had a different plan. After sitting on the plane for 2 1/2 hrs and being told it would be another 2 hrs before we took off I was at the end of my rope, I got a coffee, a cinnabon and cried for about two minutes. But God works all things for good and I was able to share what I did but also WHY I did it with three people...the gospel! Again, God is so good!
Alright, that is all I can process right now...but it will be storytime as days go by...I was told many and experienced plenty and they all deserve to be shared. Here are a few pictures...

Heading to Haiti...well kinda

2010-01-18T18:25:00.000-05:00

Ever since the moment I saw the news of the earthquake in Haiti, my heart has been there. Myself and the medical team from back home were immediately on board for trying to get a team together and go down and help. I actually got a call to start seriously thinking about it as I was forking over $700 for car things (GA plates, tags, tax, transmission, brakes and rotors). I laughed when Darren mentioned it and then realized he was serious. Off went an email to my boss asking for time off and on to my knees for a plan to come together. Doors seemed to keep shutting and we were given the opportunity to learn patience. We sit here with trauma skills and willing hearts, but no way in. So we prayed.

Sunday night I got an email telling me to get plane tickets for Tuesday. I do not know much about the situation we are walking into. I do know that we will be working in the border town of Jimani at a local hospital that was found in desperate need. I think things are looking better as Makarios continues to send supplies, but on Wednesday a small medical group will arrive and it is an honor to be a part of it. I think there may possibly be 2 MD's, 2 PA's, and 2 RN's...which would be awesome! I believe we will be sleeping in a church. We will probably smell, but I look forward to the closeness and conversations. I told my family...This is why I became a nurse. I will do absolutely everything I can to alleviate pain, stop infection, and clean the wounds that these people are suffering. But more than that...I have the opportunity to place a hand on someone, to hug them, to care for them and their children IN THE NAME OF JESUS and lift their lives to God. Their souls are far more important than any physical actions.

Two weeks ago, I had the priveledge to watch God work in major ways in the hearts of 22,000 college students at Passion 2010. I was a volunteer on the International Students Team and at one point was literally sitting among the nations. Brazil, Ireland, Australia, Korea, England, Ukraine, Mexico, and Estonia were just a few of the people I got to serve while they were here. But now is the time to GO, to meet needs in other people's countries, and to follow the calling that God has placed on my life.

I am so very humbled to have received all the comments, messages and phone calls offering words of encouragement, support and prayer. They are truly what will get us through the next few days. Please pray for protection, endurance, wisdom and Hearts of our Savior.

Some of you have expressed willingness to give financially. First of all, that alone humbles me. Whenever I go on medical missions trips, I have a few months notice and plan my budget accordingly. I am not used to needing others for financial matters and basically work to go on these trips. This obviously was not on my radar and was not ready for it. I am solely responsible for my plane ticket, but I did spend $500 on medical supplies that we will need and what has been requested. If you want to give to that, the easiest way to get it to me would actually be to send a check to my mom (Sherri Simpson) in Ohio. She has access to my account and can put it directly in. Anything above the $500 will be sent in a check from me to Makarios. If you would rather give straight to Makarios International for tax reasons, you can do that at Makariosinternational.org. Just make sure you put Haiti medical needs in the memo. To get the Ohio address, email me at holalola1685@earthlink.net. I will not be taking my computer, so I do not know if I will be able to check anything until I get back Sunday night.

Thank you for praying! I cannot say it enough! I am so excited to be leaving tomorrow and watching God work on a global scale! This song has been on my heart for days...may it bless you and encourage your obedience.

By our love...Christy Nockels

Brothers, let us come together
Walking in the Spirit, there's much to be done...
We will come reaching, out from our comforts
And they will know us by our love...

Sisters, we were made for kindness
We can pierce the darkness as He shines through us...
We will come reaching, with a song of healing...
And they will know us by our love!

The time is now
Come Church arise...
Love with His hands
See with His eyes...
Bind it around you,
Let it never leave you,
And they will know us by our love...

Children, You are hope for justice,
Stand firm in the Truth now, set your hearts above
You will be reaching, long after we’re gone,
And they will know you by your love

What is normal exactly???

2009-12-02T10:54:00.000-05:00

So it's been three weeks since I got back to American soil...and I'm finally feeling like myself again. I usually have a hard time coming back regardless, but this took an extra week or two. I was just in a funk, being super analyitical, and increasingly sensitive...all things that I am normally not. Granted, I used to be Queen of thinking about absolutely every little detail and analyizing it over and over again. However, a few years ago...with the mental breakdown of July 3, 2006 (which is actually a VERY FUNNY STORY)...God sent conviction about trying to figure everything out. It doesn't matter...He knows! In the past three and a half years, He has proved over and over that He is faithful and He is the provider. It applies to all the aspects that seem so important. Where are you going to place me on the map? Where am I going to live once I get there? Which hospital can I serve you best? What church should I go to? Which friendships do I pursue? Am I ever going to meet someone? Will I ever get to be a mom? How long am I going to be in this city? How attached do I get? Which ministries do you want me to be a part of? It's often at this point that the Spirit brings to my mind common scriptures that mean the world to me. "Be STILL and KNOW I AM GOD!" "For I know the plans I have for you..." "Are you not worth more than sparrows?"

A week after getting back to ATL, I went home. Ah, Dayton, Ohio...how I love you. It may be a dying city and I am glad to be out on a great adventure, but it is home and where my heart feels so comfy and safe. The time was packed with people, just the way I like it! I got to spend a full day with the Carters. Scott was my youth pastor, Laura became a mentor and very close friend. I watched their kids all the time and it felt like they were my own. They have been called to Colombia and were back on furlough. It had been three years since I had seen them face to face and hadn't seen Scott since I visited them in Costa Rica in March 2004. It was a fantastic day of catching up, deep conversations and genuine encouragement. Pray for them as they head back to Colombia in January.

Of course, time with my parents...my rocks. I just love them and am so thankful for everything they have done in my life. Being raised being taught to pray, to put others ahead of yourself, to seek God in all things no matter how big or small. It's priceless and as I deal with children everyday who have less than engaged parents, I grow more and more grateful. I had the priveledge of sharing Thanksgiving a week early with them and their house church. What a great group of people...and it only deepened my longing for close community in ATL (something that is happening!)

Also, The medical group got together for a couple hours before the big OSU game. GO BUCKS! It was fun to see everyone a couple weeks out and how perspectives are still affected.

Passion City Church is slowly becoming a permanent presence in ATL. I cannot explain how much I love this church! I am on the volunteer Host Team and it's been fun to see us grow closer, share parts of our lives and begin to encourage each other in everyday life. The worship is so God honoring, the preaching is straight from the Bible, and the actions of the Bride are all about helping others and showing them Christ. We have begun a relationship with World Relief, helping refugees and now sharing meals with them. We were able to furnish almost 40 apartments and bring food for Thanksgiving to families thrown into a whole new world and culture. I was working and unable to participate, but from what I gather, these people are amazing. Their stories are humbling. I cannot wait to get to meet and share Christ with literally all the nations!

Thanksgiving was a blast! Since I was on call, I couldn't leave the city to join my brother and his family. The Reeves welcomed me in. Janet has been such an encouragement ever since I moved here. This woman loves the Lord, is as honest as honest gets, and has no problem making you feel like family. It's been such a blessing getting to know her, Jesse and their brood of four over the past year. The whole day was laid back, including all of us racked out on couches and chairs in the living room. Amazing family, GREAT food, and I didn't get called in...=)

That's a little of life right now...

Processing...

2009-11-10T21:03:00.000-05:00

Oh Crazy Marta! I've decided I have many favorites and this girl is definely one of them.

Ambiorix actually didn't run when he saw me this time...although he didn't really smile either! =) It was so great to see him and his family again. He's growing so big!

Yunairi...ahh, seriously one of the most beautiful children I've ever seen

Yulena, Luis Fernando, myself and Islan

The medical team on the first day of clinic

Wow...it was an amazing week. Still don't have words for all of it. I usually have to take a few days to adjust to being back, but this time is a little different. I am terrible at goodbyes. With it being my 5th time leaving, I really thought I would be ok, but I found words escaping me with the staff and tears streaming down my face on the way to the airport. I didn't really have a chance to say bye to any of the kids...no special hugs, but in my heart I was hanging on! I've honestly been an emotional wreck since I've been back as I try to flesh things out and decide where to go from here. I'm not usually emotional...but twice a year it happens!
Our Team was such a great group of people! This was probably my favorite year as far as groups go. Everyone just got along really well and all willing to help out. It was wonderful to meet new people and get to know hearts better. It was a little piece of home (ohio) in a place that feels like home (dr) even though I have established a new home (atl).
Once again, we all felt like what we were doing wasn't enough. You always want to do more and give more and love more, but it is important to keep in mind that what little we were able to offer is still more than they would have available to them. The clinics went well, the dentist and his assistant were fantastic, and we were able to see all the kids and their families. All of us that have gone all three years have been encouraged to watch the living conditions and the conditions of the little bodies improve over time. The Mak Team is doing a great job medically. Between cleaning wounds, making the kids brush their teeth, getting two meals and taking vitamins...the difference is obvious.
The Makarios Staff is alive and kicking! It has expanded and it's fun to watch the organization grow over the past three years. Meeting the new staff was so encouraging and I can't wait to see them again and see how much they've grown in just 6 months.
I've already started taking steps to go back in May. I have to go back. Hopefully there will be more post in the future that make more sense.

Mi Familia

2009-10-27T17:20:00.000-04:00

Ok ladies and gentlemen...We head out in 4 DAYS! As usual, I am beyond excited and literally losing sleep over longing to be back in the DR for a bit. (I don't sleep well at all while I'm down there and kinda wish my body would keep that in mind this week!) Being in Atlanta and the rest of the team in Ohio, I have yet to meet 3 members of our group, but it will be a sweet introduction in Miami Airport on Saturday! And a sweet reunion as the other 7 members are returning to the island. Please pray for us as we 1)meet and work, not only with each other but alongside the staff already down there 2) Travel...we need to stay healthy and safe! 3) Effectiveness...keeping a big picture mentality and wisdom on what/how to treat 4) We will have opportunites simply orchestrated by God to encourage, teach, discuss and, we pray...to show others Christ in all we do and see them come to know Him personally! 5)Great attitudes. When you are thrown into living life with strangers and friends while you are used to flying solo, it can be an adjustment. Also, not to get discouraged with the language barrier.I can communicate but it takes my spanish a few hours to get adjusted to island spanish. God is bigger than personalities and communication...and since He created both of those things...we want to use them to honor Him.

Also, I decided to sponsor a child. I was so excited to find out which little one was going to be mine. Introducing Ambiorix Martinez Baez...

I LOVE THIS KID! He's just so fun! Of course, since I helped the dentist pull six of his teeth, he's a little leery of me. How appropriate, my kid runs when he sees me! I am very excited to see him again...and look at him through different eyes. Here is a picture of after his teeth were pulled...he walked right in, looked me and climbed in my lap...I didn't mind holding him for a little while

Here is his sweet family. His mom is really one of the sweetest people I've met down there and does so much for her family. His dad died a couple of years ago and his oldest brother has really stepped up. Click on the picture and take a look...18 months later he still doesn't have any front teeth!

Also, some great news to share. Ronal had his surgery! Can't wait to check up in him and see how he is doing.

I thank you in advance for your prayers, for I am well aware that without God, none of this is possible and all for nothing. I will try to update as much as possible, but since internet/electricity is spotty and everyone will have their computers, I make no promises. =)

Two reasons I love life...Because I knew you, I have been changed for good

2009-09-15T17:36:00.000-04:00

Do you have these kind of friends? The kind of friend that even though you are miles apart and can't talk all the time, you just love each other and have a bond. Literally the best friends you could have even though life goes on and you're not five anymore, your lives are completely different. It doesn't look like the typical friendship, but yet, it works. I have five of these friends. We literally are all over...Dayton, Columbus, Raleigh, Chicago, Colombia...special bonds with special ladies.

This is one of them. My Sarah, known fondly as Sarah Kate, Say-rah, but mostly to me as my best friend. We met when we were two. There was a group of us and I keep in touch with most of them, but Sarah, Beth and I did spend our sunday mornings together long before AWANA started. Sarah and I haven't had the perfect relationship. It was seemingly perfect and than came crashing down. And I mean crashing...painful, heart-wrenching time. But I believe this time cause both of us to turn to God and good counsel harder than we ever had before in our lives. A few years went by and things were awkward as we waded through desperately wanting this friendship back, but not really knowing if it were possible. I stand here today being better for knowing and loving this beautiful young woman. As only Christ is able to do...we have been restored. There has been radiant reconciliation! I praise God that He had brought us together again, to share in life, and what an honor to stand there with her as she excitedly moves forward into this new chapter of her life with a fine man who loves our Lord. At the rehersal, we both ate our typical meal...only instead of walking to Dairy Queen, we drove to TGI Fridays. Yay for chicken fingers and fries!

Sarah and her father. She got married in the backyard of her childhood home...just like her mom did.

She did in GREAT job of picking out beautiful dresses and colors

Myself, Elizabeth (sister) Sarah, Christina (sister) and Stacey (sister)

Also, since Justin (Sarah's hunsband) and I went to high school together and we all went to the same church. How funny is it that Bo was one of his groomsmen. Bo was Prom King and I was Prom Queen in addition to being great buddies...Here's a picture of us in the Fall of 2002.

And here we are in the fall of 2009...and now I feel old!!! What the heck happened!

The end of a busy and fun day. Oh Sarah, I love you!

In any given box of pictures at our houses, there are atleast 100 pictures of us in 100 different outfits on 100 different days, but the same pose. I have long arms =)

Here is the second reason. This is the Lovely Lindsey, AKA Lou, Linds and aggressive twin...of which I was the other half. Lindsey and I met in 3rd grade but didn't really become friends until we started playing volleyball. Even that was a bit rough at first as we both played the same position and are both highly competitive. Once we figured out that we both can play the whole game,just opposite of each other, our friendship blossomed. Both being believers on the team and going through the same things outside of school at the same time, we became a stronghold for each other and constant encouragement. Our friendship has continued through going to different universities, me traveling and her traveling both for our jobs. James is one blessed man and I could not be happier!

Also at the wedding was Andrea. She is a dear friend of the family and we laughed...a lot

Lindsey's photographer caught this shot. I had no idea, but it is one of my favorites! Linds mom told me to go up and see Lindsey before the wedding. I came around the corner and she came running across the room in her dress. We did the typical hug and scream...can't express my excitement for her!

Also, Sarah and Lindsey, thanks for both getting married in the same weekend!

Love Thy Neighbor?

2009-09-12T22:31:00.001-04:00

Situation: My upstairs neighbors are LOUD. I hear everything. Every step, the cabinets, when they move stuff. Pretty much everything but conversation...and they constantly seem to be on the move. I've gone up to talk to them, the man was smug, denied everything and basically told me I was wrong and must have been hearing someone else. I went to the office, spoke with the manager who promised to send them a notice. A few nights later, I had to knock on my ceiling three times to which they stomped three times. And there went a call to the security officer. Then tonight...doors open, two fans on, and my TV on watching the game and I can STILL hear them. I knock, they stomp, I lose it. I walked myself right up there and knock firmly on their door. The man looked at me like "here we go again, what's your problem?" The first words out of my mouth..."Why do you insist on being so inconsiderate?" I said it calmly and with a look of dumbfoundedness. That was the beginning of me being berated by the man and the two women. Once again, they were rude, denied everything and implied I was the one with the problem. The conversation ended when the woman told ME that I was disturbing THEM and to please leave. I strongly stated, "I'll leave, and you have a WONDERFUL night!" but part of me wished I would have said right back "WHY DO YOU THINK I AM HERE WOMAN!?!"

Upset, I called Mom who sympathized and told me that I needed to continue to pray about the situation and pray before talking to management agian tomorrow. I did that very thing, and as only Jesus can do, I was covered in peace. The noise hasn't stopped, but my heart is sad for these people. And once again, the question rose to the surface that I always seem to struggle with...How do you love others without getting walked all over? If they were purposely being loud because they wanted to annoy me because I was a Christian...I'd let them bang away and I doubt it would bother me. But they don't know I'm a believer. A fact that I am ashamed of and considering that our only interactions have been heated discussions, I doubt that it has even crossed their minds. I'm annoyed with them for refusing to acknowledge that maybe they might be louder than they realize. I'm annoyed in general when others live in their little world and don't consider others. Small things like stopping in the middle of a walkway, putting your cart in the middle of an aisle, talking on your cell DURING a movie and having to be the first person on the plane bother me just as much as a parent insisting their child is sicker than every other child when my other pt just died or found out they have cancer, or that people state "I don't care, I'm not paying for it" when I work hard for my paycheck and insurance. On every level, lack of consideration and thoughtlessness are like fingers on a chalkboard to me. Not that I am never guilty of this! I feel bad everytime I am on my phone when I am checking out or am lost in thought and make a stupid move driving.

But I am to consider others better than myself. I am to be a representative at all times. I am to extend grace and mercy. I am to practice patience. The fact that I love God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength should be shaping my every interaction. I'm mad that they just won't simply say "sorry, we don't think we're making that much noise, but we'll try and keep it down." when I should be devastated that they could be going to Hell. Who knows why God placed them above me. All I know is, my attitude needs to change and I need to be praying more for them. As my mom used to say even though she thought it sounded cheesy...you can't kick those who you are on your knees for. And honestly, if I wouldn't be charged for assault or I was still a two year old...I would have been happy to kick them.

But the question still remains...how do I love without rewarding their behavior? How do I love without feeling I am getting walked all over and am constantly just having to let things go. I'm a pretty easy going gal, it takes a lot to upset me...but inconsideration and lack of respect will put you in the fast lane to reaching that destination. How do I love and express my frustration when we can't see eye to eye?

So I have learn to love my neighbor as myself...I just have to trust God to show me how.

If you're wanting to help...

2009-07-13T21:27:00.000-04:00

Hello all! So for some reason unbeknownst (yep, that's right, I used that word) to me, the children of the DR have been heavily on my heart over the past couple of weeks. It's normal for me to think about them once or twice a day, but it has been a flood. I've even had a couple of patients that looked just like two of the little one's still living their little lives in La Republica Dominicana. I cracked up when I heard a girl at church laughing just like Cara...who has the most contagious laugh ever. And I watched a video made by Makarios' newest staff member Jody Chance that made me miss the kids all the more.

Facebook, of course, played a huge role tonight. I started talking with Cara and she told me about Ronal. Ronal is a teen that lives in Chichigua, a Haitian Batey and has no income. Last year, as a medical team, we learned about Ronal and his health issues. We examined him and found out he has what's basically a hernia that causes lots of swelling and guessing by it's location...pretty uncomfortable. Makarios has been working really closely with Ronal to get him ready for this much needed surgery. It has taken some time, but we found out in May that he is finally ready. His bloodwork looks good...he's been having to take vitamins/supplements to level it out so that he would be safe during surgery. This is a huge deal for him! In the US, we just expect people to remember to take pills everyday and have access to the pills. Well there, the staff would have to buy it and then take it to chichigua and then he was responsible for taking it. Again, this seems simple, but as I said before...nothing is simple in the DR and this is a huge deal for him! Cara told me that they have a doctor, they are basically waiting on the funds to come in.

I know that times are hard. Money isn't really something that we are willing to part with these days. But I know for a fact that God is bigger than the American economy and that there is a precious human being in the DR who could forever be impacted for the Kingdom of God by those who are being faithful to care for those that have less than we do. I wouldn't ask you to do something I myself am not going to do. The surgery will cost approximately $1000. The Mak staff does a great job of seeking out honest and good care. If you want to offer some money to help pay for the surgery you can send it to

Makarios International
3267 Bee Caves Rd
Suite 107-71
Austin, TX 78746

Just put a note with the check saying "Ronal's surgery" or "Medical Fund"

Big Girls Don't Cry

2009-06-16T22:15:00.000-04:00

That was inspired purely from the musical Jersey Boys and has no reflection on how I am actually feeling at this particular moment. If you know me at all...you know I only cry when it's appropriate and it usually has nothing to do with my own life! I saw this musical this weekend with my wonderful Rachael at the very fun Fox Theater. Terrible language...great music...that's my review.

This isn't a great post and really has no point. Just kinda a recap. Got back from the DR and went to Ohio and then onto Atlanta. On my way back Jordan, sister in law, went into labor which led to me being in ATL for less than 24hrs before I was on the road down to Ft. Walton. Ethan Davis Simpson made his way into the world on June 2nd (also my grandma gouge's birthday) at 0716 weighing in at a hefty 10lbs 1oz and 21 in long. He's huge! And cute! Got to spend some special time with Emma and thought to myself more than once, "I would be so content to have her with me everyday." It just seemed so natural. Obviously Skype plays a huge role because I am not a stranger, she knows who I am...and she comes running right up for some big hugs and kisses. Here we are...a very happy Aunt with her precious niece and nephew...

I came home long enough to get everything ready for my good friend Justin to come down and visit from Ohio. He stayed at my place while I stayed with my friend Charlotte who lives in the same complex. He was here two days and we packed in the goodness of Atlanta. Lunch in Centennial Park, World of Coke, Aquarium, Stone Mountain complete with laser show, walk up to twisted taco with coffee at the bakery on the corner...and then a Braves game. A good visit with many laughs. I'm pretty sure all the business and traffic of this city was too much for him and he thinks I drive crazy...but honestly, you have to go with the flow down here. I can't help it if the flow is 85mph! =)

Rachael and I have been able to hang out a lot and started a new Bible Study on the life of David. It's pretty much life changing and I am loving every second of it! We did head down to screen on the green to watch Field of Dreams, of which we left early, but did thoroughly enjoy watching people get together play, sing and dance. The Cupid Shuffle was calling our names...but I'm not one to dance in front of thousands. That's right...rockin' the Ohio State Buckeye hat

Had orientation the past couple of days and am working the next two nights. I have missed the people, but not really the job...for the first time. I am sure once I get there, it will all come flooding back and it won't even feel like I've been off for a month.

As I sit here and write this, I feel so content. I love my new place. I love walking through the door. I love people saying it's "cozy and homey". I always want people to feel comfortable in my home. I grew up in a comfy home, a place people could drop in.

Guess that's all for now...looking forward to seeing everyone at work again and lunch with friends next week. Trying to stay up late tonight so that I can sleep late tomorrow in an effort to not be exhausted tomorrow night. A month of days...might take me a few nights to get back into the swing of things. Although, I could just keep reading about all my benefit options and be right to sleep in about two minutes.

Here and gone...

2009-05-28T08:51:00.000-04:00

Time flies. I feel like I just got here and now I am already leaving. A dentist and another family have come and gone since I've been here, so I should just be grateful that I got to stay 10 days instead of 4 or 5.

Yesterday was a success at Maternidad. We got there at 7:15 and there were already a lot of people there waiting with numbers. We got a number and waited for our turn. The doctor was pretty nice and added in the letter "s" when he spoke which made it immensely easier for me to understand. One letter...amazing. Our time with the doctor took about ten minutes, but the tiny little office we were in had about 30 degree air blowing out which was a much better alternative to tropical island weather and being packed in with tons of other people. Cara and I looked around the room and saw the bed half falling apart and an isolet (where you put babies when transporting or they need extra protection) that was being eaten away by rust. The doctor had a little table where he did his thing. The sharps container was an old Ajax bottle. It's not like that everywhere, but it's like that here. And this is all they have. We got out of there around 10:30-11 and dropped Joslina back off in PM. We went back to Cara's place for lunch and had incredible conversation. About language, God, our gifts and our life experiences that we have learned.

I didn't get very far to finding out about the vaccinations. Maternidad said that we would have to bring the kids five by five to get their shots done. They can't send them with a group because they need to be refrigerated. I'm thinking a cooler would work, but they aren't really budging. So that's one option down, but we do have a couple more that if I had more time, I could have explored. Hopefully, it'll all work out with email.

I always have this internal crisis while I'm here. Mom says that I get really introspective everytime I come down, which can be a wonderful thing since I am usually too busy to see or notice the things I should while I am living life in the states (my words, not hers. She'd say something like that, but with a lot more love). I have new goals in mind for my life back home. Things that need to be done and made into a firm part of my everyday life. Once again, I feel like I am leaving having learned more from my time in the Dominican Republic than I have given back. But God sees the bigger picture, He is able to communicate between our native languages, He is able to reach down and heal things I have no clue how to treat, and He has the ability to protect the little bodies that I can't. Because I can't. I'm not God. I do not know His ways. Yes He gives us knowledge and skills, but we first and fully rely on Him.

Cars, Crazy women, Healthcare and Movies

2009-05-26T17:06:00.000-04:00

I had to take public to get to Cara's apartment. I hadn't seen a guagua for atleast 10 minutes and a public car is flashing its lights at me. It's only 5 pesos more so I give him the "I need a ride sign" and hop in. We get up the road a little ways to drop off one of the passengers when the driver asks me where I am going. I tell him and he states he's not going that way. Apparently I was too taken with flashing lights to notice he was going to Munoz instead of Sosua. I offer money for my little ride and he says it's no big deal and lets me go. Not a typical Dominican thing to do, so I am telling him thanks when his car dies. Yep, just shuts off. The car behind him stops to jump him, but some random guy across the street yells at them to just push it and jump in the car. I move to help, but being a woman, they tell me to stay where I am. Ah, chivalry...I'll never fight it. I did get a picture, one of the guy is running to jump in the car. The next public car was going to Sosua and it was just the driver and myself. He asks me if I like Obama, because they always do, and I reply absolutely not. I respect the office, but I greatly dislike his ideology, policies and worldview. This puts us into a good political conversation and ended by him telling me my spanish is really good. It's not, but I appreciate the compliment.

Yesterday Cara and I went to take Joslina to Maternidad to see a doctor for a specific issue she has going on. Maternidad is a free clinic that Anne calls "straight out of Africa" and since she's been there, she can say that. That's how I feel about it too. Everytime I go for whatever reason, I leave just hating that this is their option. I cringe at every part about it. Healthcare here is weird. There are both public and private, but the private Doctors have to give so many hours a month to the free public clinics. Regardless, we only need one slip of paper to ensure that the furture treatment is taken care of and even though the lady had it sitting right in front of her, we were told to return on wednesday. The doctor that was going to be there that day doesn't deal with the issue that we were bringing. That's a little frustrating. So since we were up se early to get a good number and hopefully avoid sitting there all day, we couldn't even go to the pharmacy because it wasn't open. Cara and I took Joslina back to her apartment and gave her breakfast and looked through magazines. Finally the pharmacy opened, we bought the medication we knew she needed and took her back to pancho in Cara and Ashley's new car.

Next we had to go to Chichigua to drop off some medicine for Renal, who's in much better health and is on his way to getting his surgery done! Along the way, this old woman needs a ride, so we give one to her. At first she's going on and on about how beautiful we are for giving her a ride, she rips off the lid of the box she is carrying and hands it to me. There are drawings on it and she's apologizing that they were colored in. She kept saying "There's no one to help me and give me money, so I don't have colored pencils" Um, I'm confused, is that how life works? She offered us a tomato and pepper in exchange for the ride. I knwo we will have food later, but I don't know if she will. We tell her that it's her food and we are happy to just give her a ride and don't need anything in exchange, the drawing was enough. I gave her my diet coke too. The woman is old and frail and I immediately think that water would be a much better choice for her, but I don't have water on me. Plus, this could be a treat for her. Maybe she just wants to tastle the bubbly goodness like I do every once and a while. Then she kept going on and on about stuff I didn't understand. I looked at Cara to translate and she said "I'm pretty sure this woman is crazy. She's making no sense" She hopped off at Chichigua with us and that's there she stayed. I wonder if the chichiguans are wondering why we brought this woman and then left her.

The rest of the day was uneventful, but full of community. Even with Anne and Garrett at the beach with their days off, the four of us left in the house have still eaten almost every meal together, shared life stories and shed a few tears watching Finding Neverland and The Green Mile. A couple of them I have only met for one week, and there's a good chance I'll never see them again. However the time is sweet and will not be forgotten quickly.

Hola Sr. Tarantula...now go away

2009-05-24T17:45:00.000-04:00

Last night Garrett picked up his backpack and SURPRISE! There is a tarantula. It was small compared to others seen on the island, big by my Ohio standards. I immediately hopped up on the bench that I was sitting on and Garrett starts trying to shoo it out. It's not cooperating. Leave it to the broom to do the trick! Of course, the rest of the night, I was very shifty and inspecting everything before I committed to using it or entering the room. Here's the little guy. Obviously, I am across the room and zoomed in as far as I can go.

Dr. Steve left today and we took him to Lax in Cabarete to eat. The picture isn't great, but the sun was out and conversation was wonderful. It's always fun to watch people's perspectives change from what they think poverty is to what they now know it to truly be. Until you actually see true poverty, you can't understand it's impact...and you will never be the same.

Yesterday was a hard day physicaly speaking. Every person we saw needed to have work done...like 6 or 7 teeth. One boy flipped out and we all assumed our now very familiar positions. We saw less people as we were more focused on the adults, but adult teeth are much harder to remove. We had no idea what we were in for. The last guy had three teeth, it took an hour and a half to just get two of them out. The third one was from a broken off tooth with semi-infected roots and he wanted to save it for another day...he wanted to be able to chew tabacco. His was an hour and a half of bending over, teeth breaking, blood pooling and terrible sounds. None of it hurt him, but the noises always sound so awful! It became a personal mission for Dr.Steve and I to finish. Mission Accomplished.
This is a house at the end of the street leading into the school. I don't know what goes on there...but this is always what the porch looks like...tons of kids. Must just be a good location.

This is sweet Amaury, he actually lives in the house across from the one above. I don't know why, but I just love this kid. He is always so good with his sisters and sweet to me. It's so funny, every time I see him six months has gone by and he is looking more and more like a man instead of the kid I met. Life goes on...

This is amaury's siter Heidi (Jasmin is his sister too) Heidi always has gripe, a cold like illness, but she is cute none the less and on bad days I give her motrin to help with the fever. Otherwise she is a happy girl. The mother, Mercedes, is one of the sweetest women I have met on the island. She always remembers my name and welcomes me in and we chat about the kids. I hope I smile as much as she does in my life. P.S. in the picture Heidi is chewing on something...she doesn't have a dental abscess =)

This is Esmili, in the yellow. Neither she nor her sister, Escarlet, every say anything to me. In fact, they usually keep their distance. I remember their family very well since they were one of the first families we helped the first time I came down. Well, yesterday, she had to get a tooth pulled and was doing great...no crying. After she got her shot of lidocaine she just looked so sad and I picked her up off of the table. She wrapped her arms around my neck and laid her head on my shoulder...dead to the world. I stood rocking back and forth and she shut her eyes. It was an incredible moment! After the tooth was pulled she was up and out of there with a quickness and I didn't get to talk to her much. Today we stopped by the school to grab something and she came RUNNING to me and jumped in my arms. My how one moment changes everything. I have a picture of her up in my new apartment along with other faces of the dominican, but I kinda thought twice about putting her face in the frame since I was pretty sure she is scared of me. Now, she'll be one of the first faces I see when I come home and a gentle reminder of what I am living for.

Um...wow

2009-05-22T17:51:00.000-04:00

This is Luis Miguel. Remember him? Fungus Head? Well he is numb right now and swears his bottom lipis gone and wants to see a mirror to prove it's not there since he can't feel it. I don't have a mirror, so I took a picture and let him see. So concerned he is...

Typical first five minutes of the morning. Notice...this is Dominican Hair, I'll show you American Hair when I return to the states. It's huge and I can't help it...just embrace it

My Robin and I right before she leaves for her flight home to Austin. Miss her already

The famous cups of Tylenol, water and a rinse they have to swish until I tell them to stop. It burns and I am quite impressed...I have a hard time using regular Scope and this stuff is pretty potent.

Working...I'm not having to do much, she's a good kid

This is crazy Kendri before the extractions with Anne. Can you see our issue? The front teeth needed to come out. You might get a better look if you click on the picture

This is him after...mom carrying him home

The work station

Kendall making the kids brush their teeth before seeing Dr. Steve

Yazmin and I playing around outside

So the dentist is here and we had lots of work to do. Thankfully, not as much as last year, but still...lots! Most kids did great, the girls did much better than the boys. Not one peep out of most of their mouths, and yet there were a set of brothers that it took four of us to hold one of them down. Jesmarco has more strength than one child should, but I seriously think for a lot of them, they go into survival mode and they will fight with all they have to get out of a situation. Kendri, who had has multiple medical issues, gave us a run for our money. Between a stuffed animal, bubbles, singing, four women, tylenol, benadryl and brute force, we got the six teeth out. I don't know the exact count, but I believe we have so far removed somewhere around 45 teeth. Only four kids have given us a really hard time.

Yesterday I went to visit Marta in Pancho Mateo. She has a bad case of chicken pox and was not herself AT ALL! This is the one who is usually up to something, bouncing off walls and barking orders. She was sleeping and miserable when we got there. I went to take motrin for her fever and a bunch of water to keep her hydrated. Her one eye was swollen shut and she was covered in bumps. I am going to be taking some benadryl to her tomorrow and some drops to a kid with pink eye. Gabrielle's burn looks much better and I didn't get a chance to see Diori's dog bitten hand, but will call for him tomorrow.

Today in between groups of kids I met a super sweet kid. I was talking with Nata, whom I love, and he was telling me they had no gaterade in their colmado but there was another one around the corner that I could go to. His brother, Isaac, walked me around the corner and it was closed...next one...closed. Finally way up the street and around the corner there was an open colmado. He even negotiated getting change for me. How sweet! It's always nice when people take time out of their day to help, even when not asked. I often feel like I am inconvient and troubling someone, but here, that thought doesn't seem to occur to them.

Tonight we had a great big family dinner with many stories and laughter. Time to be still...which I don't do well in the states. Praying to come back with new insight and depth that can only be gained through this experience.

Oh the adventure begins...

2009-05-20T19:56:00.000-04:00

So I have made it to the DR without any problems. I took a new flight route with a new carrier and this brought on a meal and movie. I have purposely avoided Marley and Me like the plague since I heard it could make a grown man cry, but alas, that was the movie that was on. I had four hours and no place to go, so I watched it. I thought I was doing great until I felt a tear trickle down my cheek and drop onto my arm. What in the world! Dang animal movie. While I am trying to hide my tears and face, I notice the MAN next to me wiping his eyes and pulling his sunglasses down over his eyes. Now, I feel better.

Upon arrival, I get a huge hug from Anne and Kate. (Kate is the same Kate who was here the first two times I came, she's visiting). They immediately tell me that we will catch up later b/c they are on a mission and want to know if I am willing to participate. GAME ON! Apparently a guy hit the back of the truck at the airport when Anne was paying the 5 pesos to get in, she and he got out and he saw she was white, shrugged her off and got back in his car. She doesn't know insurance spanish, so they got his license plate number and wrote a note that went along the lines of "Dear Mr. Accident. We are nicer than you. You need to help if you hit someone. We hope you get eaten by a cow." The next step was going to be to have his car towed to a different spot in the lot just to mess with him. It's nice to know people. However, we spotted his car too late, he was in it, and we followed him as he picked up someone from the airport and then for a while on the main road. I think we made him nervous...which was our goal.

Got back to the house, settled in, and heard a really high pitch beeping. We notice people are gathering outside the house. We go out and there is a snake in the bushes! A beautiful black and teal snake, but a snake none-the-less. I run in to grab my camera, but when I come out it's slithering by and I jump up on the truck as I have no shoes on and one of the guys picks it up. And they walked away. We still don't know what was causing the beeping...

Cara has been teaching some boys guitar and last night was their concert. It's amazing how the second I stepped off the plane, I immediately fell right back into place. It feels so familiar, comfortable in a "man, I can't get comfortable" way. Kate and I walked into the apartment and Cara just waved from across the room. I waved back and ran in the kitchen to gove Robin a hug. Cara started cracking up! "I can't believe I didn't get up to hug you! It just seemed so natural to see you and Kate walk through the door! Like, Oh there's Kate and Laura". This made me laugh as I did the exact same thing when I walked in...Oh look, there's Cara!

Today I went to school to do some nurse-like things and catch up with Cara on vaccine progress. I would be lying if I didn't admit that my heart was FULL as kids ran up calling my name and giving me huge hugs that lasted minutes! Luis Fernando sang a song about five minutes long for me, Bernito gave me an earing, Regina was the first to jump in my arms, Ruth and Wildana were fighting over my lap as Ashley played with my hair...I was in heaven. Diori got bit by a dog on saturday and his hand looks awful...cleaned it up and will check again for infection tomorrow. Luis Miguel hurt his foot and won't walk on it...and there are others with moto burns...something I know plenty about. After school Kendall, Mary and I went to Chichigua and hung out with some kids. It staretd raining and we ended up sitting in a room with a bunch of haitians playing pool. Who would have thought I would ever do that in my life. Took a moto ride back to the girls apartment and then picked up the dentist at the airport. We ate dinner at an Italian place and I got to do one of my favorite things. A little boy was asking for money, of which I don't give away because I don't know where it's going, but then he patted his tummy and there went my food. I had it all boxed up and ready to go...just for him. One of my most dear moments of the day...handing over a meal to a kid that doesn't know where his next one if coming from.

Tomorrow starts all the dental stuff. Should go pretty smooth...but as you learn in this country, just go with the flow, whatever you plan will change.

Que crees!?!

2009-04-24T17:33:00.000-04:00

Guess what!?!

I will be heading back to the Dominican Republic May 19-28 to see my little kiddos and hug them until they squeal "no mas!" This time around I will be assisting a dentist as he does his thing. I remember watching all this unfold last year and laughing hysterically as Bobo feel asleep with 8 of his teeth being pulled. Snoring actually. SO dental assisting will be new for me, but I will do whatever is needed and am quite excited about it. Also, I am going to do some investigating with the clinic and find out what vaccines they have and try and get the kids on a schedule. Then, when the group goes back in November, we can work in the vaccines as well. Maybe I'll get to give a few shots since I enjoy perfoming that task more any human should. The only thing I like more...starting IV's...sick sick sick, I'm aware.

It's been an emotionally rough week at work. We've had a few abuse cases in which the babies are now no longer here. I've had suicidal teens. A few weeks ago I was rocked when I took care of the sweetest little girl with a pretty much terminal diagnosis. It happened again this past week. The parents needed a few minutes to grieve and mourn the future months. I walked in after about fifteen minutes of talking to the kid and making sure he was alright. Mom was on the phone making calls and Dad was a mess. Nothing kills you more than seeing a grown man cry in desperate brokeness. I looked straight at him and asked if I could get him anything. Water? More tissues? It seemed like such a dumb question considering I know he wants me to take this diagnosis away and all I could offer was something superficial and material. He looked right back threw him hands up and said "prayer." THAT I could do. I knelt down beside him and just prayed. I have no idea what I prayed and was pretty sure I was repeating the same thing over and over, but what an honor to be able to intercede through words and tears for a family that has had their world turned upside down in one second. I think that's what I love most about my job. Whether it's in the Dominican, innercity Philly or Atlanta's suburbia...the Lord has a role for me in each. I love getting to pray with my patients. I don't know their relationship with God, they may or may not know Jesus. But I know with all my heart and soul that I can speak straight to my Savior and I can bring them to the foot of his Throne. It's a stressful job sometimes...but it's very humbling.

Last night we had a global night of worship at Buckhead. Anyone could join in via web. We had two worship leaders from our partner church in Brazil come and sing with us, videos about what's going on all over the world, an 8 yr boy singing a lullaby his dad wrote to the disabled children of China that have been abandoned, Tribes in africa, Ireland joined in, tons of US states and many other countries. It was two hours of praising God, communion and once again realizing how big he is and that he is the same all over the world. I was choked up all night...as usual when I quiet down enough to get a little glimmer of God. Apparently the skies were just as abundantly thankful! When we left there was a lightening show going on, thunder shaking everything and POURING down rain. It was wonderful. I love thunderstorms anyway, but in that moment it was just a continuation of His power.

Here's Rachael and I when we finally made it to the car.

New Hair for a New Life...

2009-03-31T15:52:00.000-04:00

It's time for summer Laura to appear and winter Laura with darker hair will not appear again until next fall. =) And I figured it was a nice little emphasis on the huge change that was made official yesterday.

Over the past couple of months God and I have been having some very serious conversations, several tears, and a major tug of war with my heart. I wish I could say that the whole time God and I were trying to figure out what to do with my life, that I was completely on board and never once wondered if I was doing the right thing. Let me go back and explain...

With the ecomony being the way it is right now, EVERYONE is cutting back...that includes hospitals and healthcare. It's expensive to bring on a traveler on board and since they are cutting their own staff, they certainly aren't going to keep a temporary nurse around. The jobs just aren't coming in like they were. That being said, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta has asked me to come on board as staff numerous times, but I wasn't really ready to take the plunge. I went into travel nursing thinking that I wouldn't stop until I A)Loved a city so much that I couldn't even think of leaving b/c I had finally found my place or B)Met someone, fell in love and decided to finally settle down and start a family. Let me be the first to say that I have experienced neither of those things here. I have however developed friendships that have changed my life, found a church that preaches the Word and reaches out to the community in a major way, and work at a hospital that is at the forefront of researching better ways to make kids lives better...and I could get back into the trauma room, a place I miss. All that should be a no brainer to want to stay...ecomony stinks, I'd actually have a job while so many are left without, and I have a great life here.

On the other hand I was going to have to do things that I have not missed at all being a traveler. Triage, rape kits, abuse cases, getting sent home early, staff meetings, evaluations, work place politics...the list goes on. Not to mention that I felt like I had no choice in the matter. I felt like my wings were being clipped before I was ready. I didn't know where I wanted to travel and didn't really want to leave ATL, but I didn't like dealing with the realization that my dream of travel nursing only got to last 9 short months. I loved having everything I needed in life fit into my car...this posed another issue that I didn't even realize was a problem. I think it had actually become a point of pride for me...it was freeing, I was a simple person, not materialistic. NOW, I was going to have to find a place to live and buy furniture...how much was I going to let myself spend on it. I need it, I need it to last, but I also need to be realistic about it. I quickly found that pride can be at the root of everything that I do. I'm pretty self sufficient, never really ask for help, I'd rather do things myself and get it done right the first time that ask someone to do it or help and then have to go back and redo it. Pride.

That's why there was a tug of war. I completely feared that if I left I would never again have the friends that I have here and it would never be the same if I ever came back, that I would hate every other hospital I'd go to, and that I would be longing to have the teaching, worship and fellowship that I so missed while I was in Philly. On the other hand, I completely feared that if I stayed I would never be able to travel again, my friendships would change anyways with or without me, and I'd have to do all of the above nursing issues. I wish I could say I totally trusted God and whatever He said I was going to do, but guess what, I had fear. I took it to Him daily and he provided...in a HUGE way.

1) I already have churches that I love (one is just getting started) and the friendship that I have are in no way coming to an end just because our Bible Study did...we already have plans to start some new things in May. I just love these women and what they have poured into my life is priceless.
2) I found a really nice apartment in a nice/safe part of town in my price range. I am actually really excited about "having my own place" decorating it how I want, my own bed and furniture. I found a great deal on a table and some other affordable living room sets.
3) I already know everyone at work and people keep telling me how excited they are about me staying...that just does a heart good. I am coming on full time and have the option after six months of dropping down to a status that actually will allow me to continue my medical missions AND take travel assignments! Who gets that kind of flexibility with their job!?!

Best of all I am at peace...the peace that transcends all understanding. I feel like I didn't make any of these decisions, but not in a bad way. It was just like God said, "This is what you are going to do, I have the best for you, are you going to trust me in this?" to which I say "Here I am Lord, send me! Even if that means staying where I'm at!" My life has been cake since August and I came to Atlanta knowing big things were going to happen. Maybe the big things were just to occur in my heart and teaching and stretching me. He's keeping me here for a reason. Though unknown to me, I will rise daily in eager expection of great things.

So on May 9th, I move to Savannah at Park Place, go back down to the Dominican, visit my new nephew Ethan Davis (due May 30th) and then start as staff on June 15th. It's official! All my ducks are in a row and they're quackin'!

Random...

2009-02-11T15:10:00.000-05:00

Where to begin. Well, if I hadn't extended, I would be headed home this weekend. I love Ohio and miss my family and friends there...but I am very glad I extended! It's hard to believe that I only have three months left here. I would love to stay through the summer and with the economy taking it's toll on ER's (you won't hear me complaining, people are actually seeing their doctors and only coming in if they are truly sick) I don't really know where I will end up. All the other travelers are having problems finding new assignments and with this lovely stimulus package promoting universal health care, I don't know how much longer traveling will be able to last. Very sad, but I really think by May things will have turned around and I will have a job available...God provides.

On a lighter note, I am very excited about the start of Passion City Church this weekend here in ATL. Check it out at passioncitychurch.com I am actually looking forward to spending 6-7 hours there volunteering. I haven't been given a specific role yet, but I am just happy to be a part of something.

Also, right now my friend Rachael and I have been going through Lady in Waiting. I've done this study before and it helped change my perspective a lot. It's been fun to go through it again 2 years later and see how the principles have been applied to my life. In addition to that, I am part of a weekly study going through James with 6 absolutely amazing women! I cannot believe what God can do when hearts are totally open to Him and devoted to learning from His word. I feel like half the time I don't even really get it until we start discussing the verses. All the sudden the light comes on and we are all on the same page, applying deep truths and becoming better women for it. These are my favorite times of the week!

I have to work tonight and tomorrow. I get called all sorts of things at work. Lately, it's been whatever scrub top I am wearing. Twister, Bambi, Rainbow Bright... I can guarentee you that I will hear "hey Dora!" more than once tonight. However, Jermaine, who didn't talk to me for the first month I was here, ALWAYS calls me Donna Reid. He and everyone else thinks this is hilarious...my vote is still out

Cherish today...tomorrow could be totally different

2009-01-13T21:45:00.000-05:00

Well I am totally loving life right now. I was telling my mom tonight that life is just so great. I have such a feeling of excitement about the future and what's going to happen (I have no idea what I am so excited about, but my heart is full), thankfulness for God's provision of my needs, friends and guidence, and awe of watching God work in people's lives. Light is shining through the dark cracks of peoples lives and some tough conversations have been had. Satan is doing his best to thwart any sort of gain, but I do not serve him. I serve a God who knows all, is in control of all, and has His own perfect timetable. I will cherish today, because tomorrow could be totally different. But even if I wake up and all the excitement and awe is gone...I will cherish that God is still at work doing all those things. How grateful that my hope is not placed in my feelings. He's constant, my catalyst.

A few random notes...I went to the Bodies Exhibition and Dialog In The Dark down at Atlantic Station tonight. I had mentioned I wanted to go at work and then all of the sudden four other ladies were wanting to go with me. We had a great time. Bodies was just cool and being nurses we were all fascinated. Dialog was amazing. It's an hour long tour in complete darkness where you are lead by a visually impaired individual. Ours was Dexter, he has been blind since he was four. He was incredible, always knew exactly where we were at. We asked him how he knew and he said he's just used to it, plus we all were wearing perfume which helped him distinguish us from each other. Thank you Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue...I've never been so happy to smell! After we all has a mild anxiety attack in the first room, we learned to use all of our senses and what we each depend on. Some felt like they were squinting the whole time, trying to see something and that the world was closing in. I, on the other hand felt like the room was huge, my eyes were opened wide and hated being in the middle of a room. I had to be touching something...like a wall. I needed a reference point. Even though it was so dark and you couldn't see ANYTHING it never ceased to amaze me how it could always get darker. But how? Isn't that so much like life? We walk around aimlessly, feel alone, desperately grasping whatever we can to gain some reference and trying not to get hurt. And it can always get darker. I tell myself and others all the time, "it can always get worse" You learn to get through life. By the end of the tour you are functioning pretty well. You've learned to trust your guide, you're pretty good with the stick, and your stress level has finally decreased...but nothing compares to seeing that glimmer of light peek through the curtain. I quickly picked up my pace and couldn't wait to see again. I wouldn't choose to go back in. Life with light is much better than just trying to get through without getting hurt.
Didn't mean to make that into a weird deep thought, but as I sit and think about it, it just kinda popped out. In any case, if a Dialog In The Dark comes near you. GO! It's so interesting! Here are all of us on our way to dinner...

My Tara came in for the weekend and we had an absolutely wonderful time! She's one of those people that you can just be yourself and laugh around. And we did a lot of laughing. We hit up Cirque Du Soleil: Kooza and I left once again feeling like a big lazy person. Glad I saw it though. It never failed, no matter where we went, there was someone with a super annoying laugh. Now, I like laughs, they usually make me laugh, but these laughs were not those laughs. They were obnoxious, high pitched, loud and always happening at the wrong time. Oh well, it's now a memory of ours! =)

This is one of my new favorite things to do. I cook. I cook a lot. It's cheaper and better for me than eating out all the time. And since I am single and have plenty of food for my meal, a meal for work and still have left overs...people at work and in my apartment complex get fed as well.

Also, Michael Jackson's "Don't stop till you get enough" has been in my head for literally 5 days. I'm ready for it to be gone.

I'm watching a rerun of the Office, laughing to myself and yes, I still love Jim.

2009...what do you have in store for me?

2009-01-04T19:12:00.000-05:00

New Years is always such a bittersweet thing for me. I remember distinctly as a child when 1990 was waving goodbye and 1991 was waving hello thinking "I never get to go back! I never get to be in kindergarten again! That year is over!" Every year I think the same thing. Of course the grades changed, but the sentiment was the same. I think I get so sad because I truly do enjoy the year! I look back and am so thankful for what I've had the opportunity to do and am sad that I may never get to experience those moments again. On the other hand, sometimes I love not knowing the future and get so excited about what's to come. Some of it I think I know, but then, I really don't. It's amazing to watch dreams come true. This time last year I thought travel nursing would be fun to do, now I can't believe that I am doing it. God is so much bigger than I realize and watching Him work and orchestrate my life leaves me in awe.

I think this puts me in a good state of mind in my relationship with my loving Savior. I try to keep an eternal perspective even though it's so easy to get caught up in the here and now. I constantly have a sense of urgency that I can't shake. I feel like it's my responsibility to be Christ to everyone I come in contact with. Don't get me wrong, I know it's not me that saves them and I fail a lot. It's the Holy Spirit that convicts and draws those to God and I can always do a better job of taking the opportunities laid out before me. The future makes my heart beat fast! I don't know what's coming, all I know is that I am God's child and that he is returning! I cannot wait to see what will come about this year. Will I get to return to the DR? Where will my job take me? Who will I meet and befriend? What will my new nephew be like? This year is going to be good...

The last few weeks feel a bit like a blur. I saw the Otto's, went home for Christmas to be with the entire family, worked for three days, my parents came down for a long weekend and now I will work three more, celebrate my birthday with a friend from church and then Tara comes for a long weekend! I'm excited about going to the movies...haven't been since seeing Mamma Mia in July. P.S. While my parents were here we took in the aquarium, world of coke and Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy...which was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. It was a hour and forty five minutes of brute human strength, sickening flexibity and sheer beauty. Basically, I left feeling like a lazy and out of shape person.

Here's some pictures from Christmas and visits...
Dad and I trying 64 different coke products...I felt queezy by the time we were done

Mom and I on the Coke American Idol couch

The Ohio Family

Zach (Brother), Me and Eric (Cousin)

Emma Michelle and Laura Michelle

Asheville with the Otto's

2008-12-15T18:55:00.001-05:00

This past weekend I had the pleasure of driving 3 hours north to meet half way with the Beth, Noah and Isabella Otto of Raleigh, NC. Beth and I have literally been best friends our entire lives. Our families are best friends. Naturally, when Beth married Noah Otto and then had a baby...they became part of my family too. Beth and I haven't lived in the same state for over 8 years, but our friendship has been made deep through growing up together, going through some tough life experiences and both knowing and loving Jesus.

We watched fireworks the first night and spent the next day seeing waterfalls and different rock formations on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It may not seem that exciting, but we were happy to just be together and hang out.

Me, Bella and Beth at the waterfall

Here's Isabella all bundled up and out of the wind. This little girl loves to smile and squeal!

Bella being loved dearly by her mom

The Otto's

I left the weekend very thankful for getting to spend time with some friends that I love so much!

Giving Up Christmas...Buckhead Style

2008-12-06T16:36:00.000-05:00

So this morning was the singles Christmas breakfast at Buckhead Church. Seeing as how I am still new, I figured this was a good opportunity to continue to get to know more people. The even cost $5, which the church matched and then throughout the morning your group/table could win money. This included Christmas trivia, which due to our amazing amount of useless knowledge bought us a trip on stage to sing a rousing rendition of "let it snow, let it snow, let it snow", more trivia and acting out the 12 days of Christmas...thankfully, we got out of the later. With the money, you could do whatever you wanted with it, but the goal was to get the focus off yourself and to serve others. Our group ended up with $140 total...and this is what we did.

We at table 53 decided to split our money. We gave $50 to another table so that they could sponser 2 kids at Safeway. With the remaining money we decided to buy fruit, donuts, muffins and hot coffee to take to the park and give out to the homeless. We walked around for a while and only found a few people to share our goods.Our journey led us downtown to a United Mission House. There were so many men lined up on the side of the building. It was a little intimidating at first. A worker told the guys that they can't bum rush us and this will be done in an orderly fashion. They let us go in and we went to work passing out coffee and food. I looked at the line and then at the amount of food we had. I thought "Lord, you have to multiply this because we aren't going to have enough!" Sure enough, by the end of the line, every person had at least one thing to eat if not more...and we had nothing but cream and sugar left over. What a lesson of how God provides all that we NEED, both for us and them. Some of the men when we offered them more even said "Oh, I'm full!" they were so thankful and respectful, no threat of a stampede. We all left full of joy and by the time we got back to the car we couldn't wait to give thanks. A great morning, an eventful afternoon and a precious moment of prayer. I just moved here three weeks ago and this was the exact thing I was hoping to find. What a blessing getting to bless others!

I continue to meet some very cool people and am having a blast...

So Much To Be Thankful For...

2008-12-02T14:54:00.000-05:00

Wow, where do I begin? I am a "glass half full" kind of lady, so I am completely enjoying life right now, but I can't help thinking..."this can't last forever...it's just too good!"

I have settled in to Atlanta quite nicely. I completed my orientation and finish up my first week on my own tonight. I can't get over how nice everyone is! I love the hospital. It has everything you need to be a good nurse! Of course, I really like the people on nights as third shifters, well we tend to be a breed all our own. I like the humor and atmosphere. I get called things like "youngster" "love" and "little darlin'" I kinda chuckle to myself everytime I hear it. One guy calls me Katie...he thinks I look like one. I could be called worse, so I don't mind.

I went to Buckhead again and don't really plan on visiting any other church while I am here. I just love going there. It's a lot like Apex...only bigger. I thought it would be weird to watch Andy on a screen but they have it set up so that he is actually lifesize and the churches have the same back drop so you can't even tell that you're watching a screen! I laughed the first week when people would answer back and talk like he was there, but I found myself doing it the second week. I met a super nice couple my first week and we went out to breakfast this past week. They introduced me to a fun single gal who I am going to go to the Singles Christmas party with this Saturday. I am hoping to meet some more people!

Thanksgiving was a lot of fun! I drove down to Valdosta to meet up with my brother and my sister in laws family. Of course Emma and I had a great time! She is the funniest little girl! Zach and Jordan announced that they are expecting! She is due in June and we are all beside ourselves with excitement! Christmas is going to be wonderful! I am flying home Christmas Eve to meet up with the whole family to be together. Then I will drive back with Zach, Jordan and Emma. Here are a couple pics from Thanksgiving...

So all in all, I have NOTHING to complain about and bask in the many blessings from God. Great Family, great job, great city and great people...my heart is full. I won't wait for the other shoe to drop, I will simply revel in the life God has given me.

Georgia On My Mind

2008-11-19T20:46:00.000-05:00

Ok, so arrived safely in Atlanta with an uneventful trip down. I haven't done much of anything out on the town yet, except for grocery shopping, but even that was enjoyable. This is just a very convienient city. Everything is just around the corner or right up the road. And so far, as long as I avoid the highways, the traffic hasn't been unbearable. I started orientation today and already feel like I am going to love it here. I am preparing to be a little overwhemled next week when I start on the unit. It's twice the size of what I am used to, but they have amazing resources here. There are two other travelers in orientation right now and we've had a good time talking about past assignments and homes. Below are pictures of my apartment. Keep in mind, I took these tonight, so in your head add a TON of sunlight and a balcony on the 7th floor! I can't wait for a warm day so I can open my balcony doors from both my living room and bedroom, drink a cup of coffee and relax. Also looking forward to going to Buckhead Church this weekend! I am so excited to find a Bible preaching/teaching church so quickly. They're much harder to find than I thought they would be. I'll let you know how it goes! Here's my bedroom looking into the bathroom

The bathroom with two huge closets

Looking at the living room into the kitchen

The kitchen...with a WASHER AND DRYER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Standing at my front door

How Can I Not Love Them!?!

2008-11-16T20:51:00.000-05:00

Sorry I have not posted about the trip to the DR sooner. It's one of those things you process over time. I guess I will approach it in two ways...group and individual. As a group, I was very proud of the enthusiasm that was put forth by the group during the clinics and village visits we did. We saw every pre-schooler and his/her family. Once you add in that the families can be large, it was a lot of people! We also saw every kid at the after school program that was there that day, among many in the villages. It was amazing to see how much can be accomplished by a group and not just one person (AKA...me...in May) I had to laugh because everything I did was usually repeated because people would just be so eager to help. Rest assured, almost every kid in my group was listened to approx three times. It was so great to see the kids again! Here is a picture of our group as we left. The picture coming back wouldn't be pretty...half the group was sick.

On a personal note, it was much harder than I was expecting. This was the hardest trip for me to the DR to date. While I love being around and enjoy people's company, I like to do my own thing. The ironic thing is...I am a big team player at work and feel it absolutely essential for an emergency room to run smoothly, but at the same time I was the student who despised group work. When it comes to accomplishing tasks together...I have a hard time. Being a travel nurse, you get used to doing a lot on your own and have to become very self sufficient. It's not an option to rely on others, at least not for a couple weeks until you are comfortable with the staff and start creating friends. In May, I was on my own. I had staff there and couldn't have got by without them, but if I needed some time, I could just hop on a moto, grab a bite to eat and then sit while watching the ocean. I felt like I was in a constant battle of wanting to make sure everyone in the group was getting the most out of their experience and wanting to (let's call a spade a spade) take control. I have to say I was a little disappointed with my attitude. Things that shocked me the first time are familiar to me the third. I felt so selfish and like I was giving Satan a foothold to let little things annoy me. By the end of the week, the Lord prevailed. All kinks with the clinic were worked out within an hour...with no input from me. Everyone being so eager to do medical things left me with nothing to do...until I got to step outside and just hug and love on the kids I so desperately wanted to see. Just like so many other times in my life, I look at things I want to do and think that I know the most efficient way of doing something and God says "No Laura, you need to step back. You are just a person that I created and I want you to do this my way...the right way" Looking back, there's nothing I would have changed about how the clinics ran. Why? Because God knew better. While planning and organizing trips are some of my favorite things to do, I'm learning when to step back. In God's Kingdom, we truly are a body and must work together. You have to love others and learn to work with everyone. Here a just a few of the 2,000+ pictures that were taken.

The new staff down there is amazing. I was a little nervous, not knowing how we'd all click since I had lived with the last staff and loved them dearly. My heart overflows with the new people God has placed down there with Anne, Garrett, Robin, Cara and Sharla. They are a fun group of people and I look forward to getting to know them even better. I found myself often just wanting to stay up and chat with them...and laugh. Things seem funnier in the Dominican. Here's a picture with Robin and Cara in Cabarete...discussing my return.

Tomorrow I move to Atlanta Georgia to embark on my new assignment. I am so excited! A different excited from Philly since I know a little more what to expect. I just feel like God is going to do some big things there. I am so looking forward to already knowing a church to go to and having some extended family and friends close by. This time I go by myself. I would give anything to have my Mom or Dad with me when I walk into the apartment and stay for a week and get to know my way around a little bit. But this is not the case...so I face this adventure with Jesus. He and I are going to have road trip.

Sorry this was not and upbeat Laura post...I have lots to learn.

So Long Philly!

2008-11-01T13:20:00.001-04:00

As hard as it is to believe, three months have already gone by and my assignment in Philadelphia is done. My last night at work started out terrible, including cleaning up vomit from a four year old while The Philly's won the World Series...the exact moment actually. But then my co-workers threw me a HUGE carry in with a ton of very good food. We were all stuffed! I will certainly miss them. I met some very funny and wonderful people. I hope to keep in touch with them and will miss the way they say things...beacause it's usually entertaining.

I learned a ton in Philly. A lot about myself, what I am able to handle and how good God is to lead you through and give you the strength that you need to stand up, or keep your mouth shut. I know I am a better nurse for working at St. Chris, and I hope to take those skills with me to Scottish Rite.

I am ready to move on and Atlanta is the next stop, but not before returning to the DR! We leave Tuesday! Please pray for safety as 1)we leave on election day...yay...my vote is already in 2) There are 14 of us going, double the size last year 3)Housing and school schedule have changed a little bit. I know that it is all in the Lord's hands and I cannot wait to see ALL that He is going to do. It's going to be so great to see the staff, the kids, and all that God has done in the six months since I have been gone.

Why am I not sleeping?

2008-10-22T03:43:00.000-04:00

It's almost 4am. I got off work at 3am and as I have done a few times now, I called back home to my old job on my way to my apartment and chatted with everyone for a half hour or so. I got off so that I could go to bed, but the second I hung up was the second I woke up. I think it hit me that in just a week and a half I will see these people again! And in exactly two weeks I will be hugging and loving on the the kids that I came to love this time last year. Excitement has taken over and yet part of me knows I have more goodbyes to make...which I am never good at. So here I sit, writing a blog and watching Fox News.

Speaking of goodbyes...this past weekend Kara and I were going to Baltimore, but since she was getting sick, we decided to go out to dinner at a cute place on a Friday night. We had such a great time, but it was never far from my mind that at the end of the night, who knows when I would see this amazing girl again? I can't say enough good things about Kara, if you haven't met her, you are missing out. She is a beautiful young woman striving desperately to serve and honor God through her life. She's not perfect and stumbles like the rest of us, but she is truly repentant...not only in her heart, but her actions and words back her decisions to change what she feels isn't pleasing to the Lord. She is a great listener and an extender of grace. I just look at her sometimes and think..."it would be so nice to articulate my thoughts, ideas and emotions as clearly as she does." She is also the type of person that would be saying "no, no, no" if she were reading all of this. Plus she's got a great sense of humor! I just have to laugh that God put us both here in Philly at the same time. It was not an easy goodbye...and we decided we will meet again. Hopefully in the DR or in Atlanta.

On Saturday, Kristin and I went to dinner with her friend Mark who was in town. It was a super nice chinese place. I tried all sorts of things that I had never had before, but my favorite was the dessert which was ALL chocolate, like 6 or 7 different things that were each incredible! We spent a lot of time laughing. Mark is Chinese and was showing us pictures of the misinterpreted chinese to english translations during the Olympics. Kristin has been a good buddy here as she is a traveler too. We have a blast together and I am sure our friendship as I go south and she goes to Arizona. Eventually we'll probably end up in California for a stint there. Here is a picture of us outside "Susanna Foo"

I can't believe how fast the time has gone, but I know the time is coming to a close. God sent me here, right in the middle of Philly (not to mention during a huge election! Philly is not a fun place for a conservative individual such as myself), for a reason and he's moving me for another. I am just so thankful he has provided people along the way and that He is who He is...constant and faithful. I have lacked nothing and have more than I need.

I think I'll go to Boston...

2008-10-13T15:13:00.000-04:00

What a great weekend! On Thursday I picked up Laurin and Camille from the airport. If they sound familiar, it's because they were on staff with Makarios while I was in the DR. We walked around downtown Philly for a bit and then met up with Kara for a dinner outside on the sidewalk of a cute Italian place. After we picked up some ice cream (for them) and milano cookies (for me) and went back to my place to watch The Office. I had to go into work at eleven, so I didn't see them long but it was so good to catch up and see how life was going for everyone now that they are back in the States.

The next day I headed out with a friend to Boston. Apparently everyone wanted to join us b/c our 6 hour drive turned into 9. We got to the hotel at 11 and went to bed knowing we had a big day up next. She and I both slept terribly, but not to be discouraged, we drove downtown and found our way around via a hop on hop off trolley...I feel like I am a pro with them now since this is the third I have taken. But it's a GREAT way to see the city cheaply and seeing only what you feel like taking the time to see. We saw everything from Paul Revere's house, the church he got the signal from, the graves of many famous patriots and the 5 killed in the Boston Massacre, Boston Massacre site, Boston Commons and of course Cheers.

Boston is a very cute city and I could see myself going back there with no problem. I have decided since I have always believed I was meant for and wanted a husband with an accent; the accent can be Australian, Scottish, Irish, British or Bostonian. I could have just listened to conversation all day! And the people are really nice! I was expecting to be treated like I was in New York, but I was wrong.

USS Constitution, nicknamed "Old Ironsides"

Big wig of Maritime's house

Part of Boston Commons...a BEAUTIFUL park

Boston's Old State House

Where everybody knows your name...and yes, we ate lunch there with the whole gang

On Sunday we went to Salem, MA home of the Salem Witch Trials and a very cute little town. Both Boston and Salem have the small town, cute atmosphere of Cedarville and Yellow Springs only a little bigger and a lot older...making it even more fun to be in. Below in the Witch House...really it's just the home that one of the judges and his family lived in while in Salem. It does look creepy though doesn't it? And yes, all the leaves are changing and I was so in awe of God's creation and what an artist HE is.

We were there during a festival, so it's busier than normal, but you can still see the cuteness of it.

In other news...I was offered a position at Scottish Rite, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta in Atlanta, GA. I quickly accepted it as I hear Atlanta is a cool place to live and it puts me closer to my brother and his family, one of my best friends in Raleigh and is the same distance from my parents in Dayton. I start November 19 and end on Feb. 14 (AKA Single Awareness Day). This is what I get for stating back in May, "I would never live in Atlanta!" well look at me now! Actually I am VERY excited about it! Maybe I should take erase my comment about a husband with an accent! Ha HA! For all you thinking..."I thought she was going out west after Philadelphia." I still am, I just wanted to be close to home for the holidays...this will be the first in Ohio with Emma...pray for snow so I can take her out on a sled! =)

Four score and seven years ago...

2008-10-06T14:41:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I decided to venture two hours west to visit Gettysburg, the site of one of the most major battles fought and most men lost on our soil and Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. At first, you think, well it's just farm land, but you are quickly struck with the immense struggles that took place here. Gettysburg only had 2,800 residents and in a matter of three days they had to dispose of over 51,000 bodies. Three friends born and raised there were all killed just days apart, 2 of them sweethearts, one of them carrying a letter from him to her, she was the only civilian killed when a stray bullet came through her sisters kitchen where she was baking bread for Union soldiers. The two young men died in battle. Another story of two brothers on opposite sides, seeing each other, embracing and then both dying the same day in the battle just hours apart. It's sobering, to think of hand to hand combat, or of Pickett's Charge, running to death shoulder to shoulder. The battle at The Wheatfield is said to have so many dead that you had to walk on bodes to get across, there was no ground to walk on. Yet, among the horrors on war, especially civil war, when you look out at the farms, mountains, trees and quaint little welcoming town, it seems like a beautiful and simple place to live. There is always hope, no matter how bleak the circumstances. I also put in more pictures of Washington DC. If you ever get the chance, these are two places you need to visit. Very interesting...
National Soldiers Memorial, the place where Lincoln stood to give the Gettysburg Address

A memorial to the two minute speech. When Lincoln finished, he thought the people hated the speech, little did he know it would be one of the most famous speeches ever given

Pickett's Charge

Past soldiers meet present on Little Round Top

Lincoln Memorial in DC, it looks like he just sits there looking over the city...straight to Capitol Hill. I wonder what he would think today.

Vietnam Memorial...overwhelming

Korean War Memorial

In front of my home at the WWII Memorial

A little side note...less than ONE MONTH and I will be back in the DR loving on the kids that have stolen a part of me. Thankfully I get to see the some of the DR girls this weekend as they are coming to the East Coast for a visit!

4 States and a District in 4 weeks...

2008-09-29T23:05:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I have had quite the month. Philly is great for a lot of things...being close to a lot of cool cities is one of them. The day after my parents left, Amanda and I headed out to Ocean City, NJ to meet up with Kara and spend a nice relaxing day at the beach. Certainly not the ocean in Cabarete, DR but we made it work. Below is a picture of the boardwalk. It was so funny seeing it 10 yrs later. Perspective of "so cool" is much different now, but I still loved re-living it none-the-less.

The next weekend, my old neighbor growing up and good friend Kevin came for a visit. We made our way to New York City for $20 via huge, air conditioned charter buses. It was so nice to just watch as we drove in and see things and not pay the tolls and fight traffic...which was unreal. I was dying to see a real broadway show actually on Broadway Ave. After much sadness about our first show being canceled, our second choice going up in price, our third ended up being...

I heard it was good, but I wasn't prepared for the amazement of this show! I was wondering how they were going to pull off scenes from the movie, but they were so clever in the delivery. Also, the costumes were fantastic...especially the giraffes, which I think are an amazingly beautiful animal anyway. When we got off the metro and saw the bright lights of Broadway I was all alive with excitement...for about two seconds. There was a show "Broadway on Broadway" going on in Times Square, so there were mass amounts of people trying to get around, mass amounts of swearing, mass amounts of trash, and pretty much mass chaos. I decided "I don't like this city" and once we got into the theatre, we were able to see what the hold up was...

Thankfully, once our show was over, so was the one outside and we were able to take a picture in Times Square.

And you can't go to NYC without going up the Empire State Building...

So we did. We were super pressed for time so we were only up there for about 6 minutes so we could get back and catch the bus back to Philly. Once we get to Penn Station to catch it we find out they double booked the bus and we ended up leaving on another bus 45 minutes later...all that basically to say, that was the most expensive 6 minutes I think I've ever spent. It was cool and worth it though.

Kevin had never been to Philly so here we are in front of Independence Hall. We did all the other touristy things too. Including the Franklin Institute, where I flew a plane. Not really, but I did get in.

The next weekend I flew down to Florida to visit my BEAUTIFUL niece Emma. We went on walks, played on the swings, went to the beach and chased each other around the house. All in all, we had a wonderful time and it was great to spend time not only with her but Zach and Jordan as well. =)

Today I went to Washington DC. What an incredible place. Kristin, another travel nurse, and I decided to spend the day there. We took the train in and had a very full day. Lots of laughing, good conversation, and appreciation were shared. This place deserves a post all its own. We saw all the major things we wanted to see. The monuments are overwhelming and a sight to behold. More on that later when I have had some sleep... Here's the White House

Next came Arlington Cemetary in Virginia. Wow. We didn't get to spend a ton of time there and we only got a quick glimpse, but it was enough to make me choke up and once again just be so thankful that there have been so many men and women willing to fight for what I have the honor of enjoying.

Being in DC is like being hit constantly with a political bat. I get pretty fired up about politics and had to bite my tongue on more than one occasion. This only brings to my mind that I need to be in prayer for this nation. How comforting it is that God already knows the outcome of the election and ultimately is in control. He is above man and rules all. He is sovereign and wise!

We the people...

2008-09-01T17:25:00.000-04:00

I think every American should have appreciation and respect for the radical decisions and actions our founding fathers took in order for us to enjoy the freedom that we have today. History makes my heart all aflutter and I can easily get lost thinking about what it was like back then, how life would be different and whatnot. I've always loved history and this is an amazing city full of it. To walk the same streets, to be in the same room, and to eat at the same place as George Washington, John Adams, Ben Franklin and the like is just cool. I felt the same way in Rome. It's just incredible to experience it. Our stops included The Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Christ's Church, Ben Franklin's grave, Besty Ross's house, Military Hall, Carpenter's Hall, Washington Square with the unknown soldier (along with 11,000 other bodies who died in the revolution, from yellow fever, or other random life altering events)The Constitution Center, and the Franklin Institute. Below is Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence was signed, the Constitution was created and where congress met.

We took a "Ride the Ducks" tour. People at work said it was fun and even though your not a kid, you recieve a "quacker" and make duck noises with it. The kids were the least of my worries...mom and dad and every other couple found them incredibly entertaining and were worse than a 3 yr old. Thankfully once the tour gets going you start listening to the history and paying attention to what's around you...including passing the home of Larry of the three stooges, singing "south street" and boys II men. Also saw the condo Will Smith bought for his Dad. And since it is a true DUKW, we drove on land and went into the river. Below is Delancey Street. This street was long considered the most beautiful street in America and people traveled from all over just to see it.

Among seeing all the historic sites, we decided it would be fun to take a tour through Eastern State Penitentiary. This was America's first prison created by the Quakers who believed that inward reflection and complete isolation would correct your mind, you would turn from your evil ways and return to society as a good citizen. Great thought...creepy place. It opened in the 1800's and was used until 1971. However, it was one of the most interesting places I have visited here. The audio tour used voices of actual inmates and guards which adds to the experience. This is a picture of a cell with the same furniture that was left there from 1971. After walking through that place, it's about the last place I would ever want to live.

A view of a two story cell block. The second story had to be added due to the number of growing inmates.

This is a picture of Al Capone's cell...apparently since he "gave generously" he was allowed the comfort of a sitting chair, desk and radio that he used to listen to the waltz. In my opinion...he was still a prisoner, participated in illegal activities and overall didn't contribute anything good to society, therefore he should have been held responsible and treated as such...too bad money talks.

This was our reaction...ok not really, but I think it's a funny picture.

Of course, how can you come to Philly and not run the Rocky Steps? Dad and I went up the 72 steps and took a few pictures. Below is a picture of Rocky and I...I had to act overcome. I've never actually seen any Rocky movie...and I'm ok with that. "Yo Adrian!", you can have him! =)

Mom and Dad left today and made it back to Dayton in one piece. Tomorrow I head to Ocean City, NJ. I haven't been back since going there on a mission's trip when I was in 7th grade. My friend Amanda should be joining me and we may meet with with Kara...should be fun!

Light and Dark

2008-08-26T15:18:00.000-04:00

What a wonderful week it has been and will be! Sunday I got to meet new people at church as well as catch up with Kerry. Amanda will be back next week. I think it's funny how the Lord has let us all meet and strike up a friendship. I'm a nurse, Kerry works with Americore and Amanda is a social worker...apparently we are all like minded when it comes to helping others.

Today I had lunch with my good friend Kara...you remember her from the DR. She is in PA for the time being and will be here while I am. Since she is only about 40 minutes away, we are planning on not being strangers and being buddies here as well! Oh, how I have missed that lady! It was so incredibly nice to catch up with her, hear about how things are in the DR and the excitement that is her life. She has such a wonderful attitude and it's just a blessing being around her. I am amazed that we just pick up where we left off almost three months ago. Once again, so thankful for the bond of Christ! Here we are after our lunch in Chesnut Hill.

For those of you back at Dayton CMC...I have hung out with Casey and we plan on hanging out again soon. She is doing great and is still her sweet and funny self. I filled her in on as much as I could and we both agree that we miss you all terribly.

I work the next three nights, but my parents arrive this weekend! I am so excited to see them in person instead of on Skype, although we have passed many hours on it. We plan to tackle downtown and the history of our country. I'm excited since I am so into history anyway. I can't wait for Dad to see everything!

On a more dissapointing note...it's not all bliss all the time. There is a saying that Philadelphia's anthem are the sirens you hear constantly. I didn't notice them until I was told this and now I notice every one. Within one week of just working 4 days, we had a severe abuse case taken to the trauma room of which the child later died, a gunshot wound and another kid with a knife stabbed into his head. A domestic abuse case playing out in the hallway and numerous child vs. auto cases. I don't say all this to make you think...wow...things must be rough there. I can't imagine. I say this all as a reminder to myself that people need Jesus here just as much as any other place. A reminder that it is my job to love and care for people who feel so alone and helpless in this city. God is the same God that is in Dayton, the DR, and here. Who am I that I get to be God daughter and live out the gospel in the flesh.

I am currently reading Francis Chan's book called Crazy Love. You need to read it. Period. This is comimg from a girl who never takes the time to really read books. It will wake you up and spur you on.

That's all for now...will post next week sometime after downtown and ocean city!

Yes, I'm in Philadelphia...

2008-08-18T14:47:00.000-04:00

I have heard the cries of the people (all two of them) and decided to blog every now and then to keep everyone posted that I am still alive and well. Although, it was very hard to leave this...

Ok, so here's the story. As most of you know, I decided to take a travel nurse position at St.Christophers Hospital for Children in their ER. I will be here until November, at which I return to Ohio to join the team and head down to the DR for another week. CAN'T WAIT! Mom and I headed out to drive through the night and arrive on the first. I figured, since I work nights, I would be fine to drive in my can't-move-an-inch-it's-packed-so-full RAV 4. However, since we weren't planning on leaving until the next morning and I didn't get a nap, I got tired at 5am, not too mention that I could no longer feel my rear. We decided to stop at a hotel and be out by 10am at check-out. The first room they gave us hadn't been cleaned and smelled like something had died in there. I really thought I walked into a crime scene. The mattress was flipped over and there were sheets and towels thrown about. A while later we were in a different room. We left and got to the apartment at the time we originally thought 3p, which was good considering they moved my funiture in at 1p. Getting all my stuff up to the fifth floor was a trip. We had no dolly and it's a tiny european style elevator with no air. A couple hours later we ventured out to find a wal-mart to get the necessities. On the way back we ended up on a not so great side of town, mom's panicking and refusing to leave me in this town by myself. Thankfully the next day we found the good parts on town and mom's heart was set much more at ease. She and dad had no problem with me going to the island of the DR by myself but put me in the #1 murder spot and city of "most dangerous" driving, they are a little bit more on edge. I assure you that I am very cautious! Here's some pics of my apartment
My bedroom, there's two closets and two huge windows

looking from my front door through the living room, dining room into the kitchen

looking to the bay window

standing at the bay window toward the fireplace

My apartment is so cute and much bigger than one person needs. If I were going to live here the rest of my life it would have the potentional to be the most adorable place ever. Not having to pay a dime of the rent or utilities makes me love it all the more. It has a beautiful lobby, a gym, sauna and pool. It was built in the 1920's and restored in the 1998. There's a ton of character! Google it! Alden Park Apartments

I have started going to a church called Liberti and met a couple of girls who just recently moved here as well. We all did lunch yesterday and it's nice to have people to call if I want to go get coffee or just someone to hang out with. The people at work have been so incredibly helpful and nice. Believe it or not, I have yet to get sworn at...don't worry, I know my day is coming.

Mom and I took the train into downtown...super nice! I love the train! We did some sight seeing, but we are saving most of it for when she and Dad come to visit in a couple weeks. I'll post more pictures then.

I'll also post more about travel nursing, why I am doing it, the people and observations when I have time to seriously think it through...which could be soon! haha

Lessons learned...

2008-06-03T23:46:00.001-04:00

It's almost midnight, there's an awesome storm and I am wide awake. Probably thanks to a coffee too late in the evening, but shared with good conversation. As I have been back I have started to slowly get back to life, but part of me is desperately holding onto the things I have learned...about the Lord, about life and about me in general.

1) I realized about myself that, until I am otherwise told, I usually always assume that I get on the nerves of those I meet. It wasn't until the last weekend in the DR that I verbalized to Weston that I was pretty sure I annoyed him all the time, that he assured me that I didn't and I could finally be comfortable around him. I don't know why I do this. Maybe it's a form of protection. I can't assume that someone doesn't mind me until their words or actions tell me so.

2) I'm invisible. And I mean that in the most shallow and the most deep sense. But it doesn't matter. I don't get my self worth from others. I may feel like I am never the first choice or that there is always something better that is coming along, but to Christ...I am everything I need to be. I am His. He created me. If that means that throughout my life I need to be looked over, passed by, or the second choice, well I am ok with that. This only happened once while I was down there, and it was for a very dumb and superficial reason. However, it served to remind me what life was like back here. I am not number one. I'm always on the "B" team, but I am so grateful for that. It's humbling. I was chosen by Christ. Not because he wanted someone else and it didn't work out so he settled for me. Not at all! He chose me! He initiated and pursued me!

3) I like living a selfless life. All life consists of there is serving others. When you are stripped of everything and all you have left to rely on is God and those he put around you, you begin to understand what God meant when he said "42They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
I felt like every person I met was an opportunity to love like Christ loves me. This didn't mean that we gave handouts to everyone or let them sit around like a bum while we worked our tails off. I can honestly say that all my needs were met...not by my own doing, but by others. Hopefully I was able to meet their needs as well. There is so much joy to be found when you are miserable. The world holds us back. We have too much. Not once did I miss a cell phone or tv! When you have little, you are thankful for so much more. I think that was the most thankful my heart has ever been. I am not the center of the universe, this life is not about me. It was nice to live in an "others" focused setting. I feel like I was my true self there, just lost in living life the way God intended it. We all were there sharing our gifts, doing different things, but in everything we were serving Christ and He was our main focus. I love living simply.

Sorry that this is probably not the most uplifting post. I am sure you can tell that I am still deep in process. All I know is, I don't want life to just go back to how it was. Not that it was bad or that I had a bad outlook. I just think God has further molded my outlook to desire to go deeper and live for Him even more.

Before and After

2008-05-30T22:30:00.000-04:00

So I'm home. It's strange, but I feels like I never left. My heart knows differently and I truly miss being there. The carpet feels odd under my feet, I had to turn a fan on to have some noise when I slept, and I swore I heard a cow this morning, but it was actually the neighbor firing up a chainsaw. I ran errands, took a nap, and went to a graduation party today. Typical American day. It's so very good to see family and friends! At the same time, I don't want to forget or just go back to life here.

I had to fight back tears as I was leaviing Monte Llano. As I pulled out of the school and taking in my last time in the streets, my heart sank. I love these kids. The last day was precious. The normally rough and tumble pair of Marta and Regina sat on my lap for a good half hour, when they got up, Felix climbed in, then came Neifi...next was Diori. It was a sweet time of just holding them and praying over their lives. God is big enough to save them and change their lives. Saying goodbye to staff was quick as I am the worst person ever with goodbyes. I can't stop thinking about them though.

I forgot to tell about the second to last day. I had taken Angel with his mom to the denist at the public hospital. This was one of the worst experiences of my life. When we walked in the Denist was so rude to the mom and Angel. She asked me to take a seat and attempted to numb Angel up. Not slow like in the states, but within one second the entire amount was in...along with him screaming out. She waited a minute or two, he knows what's coming and starts to stress out. She keeps making threats, he's hanging on to his mom who is holding him down for dear life. Then she starts in with the instrument. I try to get up to hold hand and comfort him, but she tells me that "it's ok if I want to stay seated over there." I watched in horror as Angel is screaming and pleading at the top of his lungs, his body is shaking...not the I'm scared shake, but the uncontrolable shaking you get when you are experiencing so much pain. I could feel myself getting angry, wanting to ask her to give it a few more minutes, and tears rising with my grip tightening on my shirt. Thankfully, the rest of the tooth came out quickly...with a blood bath. I am a nurse. I love blood. It does not freak me out...but there was a lot of blood coming from that mouth! Mom did great though and didn't pass out. The dentist wrote a script for antibiotics and sent us on our way. By the time we get the medicine, Angel says to his mom, "I can't feel the side of my mouth now." Are you kidding me? 45 minutes later and he is just now feeling the effects? I know he was probably just losing it and was scared so he didn't know he probably couldn't feel much before, but I also know that he felt plenty. He was dying for a bag of chips on the way home, so for 12 pesos, I bought him some. At that point I probably would have bought the kid a years supply. Angel being the sweet kid that he is gave me a hug on the last day and thanked me for taking him to the dentist.

Diori's foot got infected but looked better after I did some serious cleaning and removal of flapping skin.

Luis Miguel head looks so much better, thanks to an antifungal pill that he still chews rather than swallows.

And I ate steak tonight...=)

I'm thinking the blog will be coming to a close. I may write a couple more as I process through everything I saw and experienced. Chris Tomlin's song "God of this city" is stuck in my head. I think God put it there on purpose.

Highs and Lows

2008-05-28T21:53:00.000-04:00

Fifteen things I will miss...
1) Having a little hand in mine at all times
2) Conversations in Spanish and actually getting the jokes
3) Taking time one on one to care for a child and calling them by name
4) Walking miles a day between public, school, pharmacy, hospitals and exercise
5) God honoring times in prayer and study with each other
6) Talking and walking all over the DR with Kara
7) Laughing, dancing, singing at any given point in time with the staff
8) Being needed...even for little simple things
9) Rice, beans and chicken
10 Taking kids with their parents to the doctor and good conversations along the way
11)Friendly people along the walks
12)Cows, horses, chickens, dogs, and cats in every street
13)The people I share life with
14)Seeing the cycle of poverty slowly but surely change due to believers being faithful
15)Children running to me down the street with arms wide open yelling "Laura!"
Bonus thing: Spending time at Cabarete, eating great food and making friends with the locals

Ten things I will not miss...
1) Never, ever looking like I care about myself...hair a hot mess and heat edema
2) Feeling dirty all the time
3) Sweating the second you wake up to the second you fall asleep
4) Taking a shower and 2 minutes later having black feet
5) Not having a microwave
6) Not being able to drive, although I'd be scared to drive here anyway
7) Flying cockroaches that attack
8) Ginormous spiders that stare at you and then run faster than anything you've ever seen
9) Waking up with new bites every morning from who knows what
10)Not being able to put toilet paper in the toilet...and never flushing until truly needed

My time here has been one of the best things I have ever experienced. No regrets. Even the things that I won't miss, I would gladly put up with for another month if I were able.

It's so hard to leave, but I take comfort in the fact that there is a strong staff that God has put in place, He is working, and I am planning to return for a bit in November in between nursing assignments if I do this whole travel nursing thing.

I forgot my camera at school, so I will post pictures tomorrow if I can from the Miami airport...I have a 4 hour layover. I have before and after pics!

I have no clever title...

2008-05-27T21:24:00.000-04:00

Today was a nice day. It stormed yesterday, so last night and today were actually cooler than what I have been getting used to experiencing. There was no electricity at school, but I was kept busy by the plethora of lacerated and hurt feet. If you know me, you know I hate feet. I think that they are incredibley gross and dirty...being down here only deepens my thought, but since I am here to serve, I would wash feet and wounds all day if needed. Jesus washed dirty and gross feet too. Diori's foot actually looks better. I had been washing it everyday, gave antibiotics when he started developing a nasty infection and today I cut away all the extra skin. I was actually quite please with the results even though it still looks terrible.

Junior made a guitar out of a piece of wood, can, nails, and fishing line. He busted out in song to each of us ladies and we all had a good laugh. He sang in a mock Louis Armstrong voice and it was so funny to listen to him make up lyrics that actually rhymed and were in spanish...and I could understand him.

The electricity finally came on for about 40 minutes for the afternoon class. We fed them outside all the while building the anticipation for them to watch Aladin in Spanish. I have never seen kids eat so fast or sit so quietly. These children are never quiet, but they were so into it. Camille and I shared quite a few smiles when the kids would all get the same joke and laugh out loud. Little things that warm your heart. Next thing we knew, power is out and the kids are sad.

I made my way to try and catch public. A 7yr boy named Robi decided to walk with me, offers me a piece of mango, I politely say no and then he tells me to give him 5 pesos. What? How did that just happen? I didn't, but we kept up conversation until I went to check the girls apartment to see if Robin had left. I hear the rain getting harder and try to make it to the main road. By now it's pouring and I decide to hide under a tin roof and wait it out. I hear "Laura! Ven!" I look to the door next to me and there is Robi and his grandmother inviting me into their house. How sweet! It's at this moment I see Kara running down the street. So I call to her to wait with me and grandma offers a towel. Sometimes Dominicans can be so kind. The children know how to share. It's funny, you would think that with having so little you would hoard all that you have or is given to you, but this is not often the case. On numerous occasions the children at school will buy, find, pick or come with something they are eating. Withing seconds they are either calling their friends over or just giving pieces to those around them. I have a lot to learn from them in this aspect.

Only 1 1/2 days left. I'll try and make a funny post for tomorrow instead of a super sappy one...but no promises. And I will try to post pictures when the internet decides to cooperate.

Village Day!

2008-05-26T21:39:00.000-04:00

Since the interns arrived yesterday, we took them all over Puerta Plata, Tamarindo, Pancho Mateo, and Chichigua. I love going to the villages. I love how one child spots you and then in seconds there are children everywhere! I will miss the interaction between the people while walking through and sitting in their homes with them. It rain and stormed later in the day, but I was thankful since it cooled down.

Walking to Pancho...

A Dominican and Haitian together. This is a sweet picture if you knew the history between these people...

A laughing boy

Let the little children come!

Why is there a limo stopping by a roadside fruit stand...must enjoy the simple things in life...

We had an all staff dinner of spinach and chicken enchiladas with colorful salsa, topped off by frickin' bars...which got their name because they are frickin' awesome. After dinner we sat around and sang praises to our Savior and Perfector of our faith. I have decided that nothing causes my heart to fill more than to worship our God, focus on Him completely, and to do this with others who understand and love the Lord as well.

I can't believe how close I have grown to the staff here. I woke up sad this morning that I only have 3 short days left. The interns are a lot of fun and I am excited for them to have a life changing summer. Everyone is just so great, it's like a little family here...well a family of about 22 people now.

Tonight we sang "Hosanna" which is one of my most favorite songs. I will leave you with the words that I prayed before I left, during my trip, as I leave and for the rest of my life...

Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like You have loved me

Break my heart for what breaks Yours
Everything I am for Your Kingdom's cause
As I walk from Earth into eternity

27 Waterfalls? Yes, Please!

2008-05-24T20:22:00.000-04:00

A little known fact about me is that I am a little bit of an adrenaline junkie. I love skydiving, white water rafting, repelling, and hiking when I get the chance. So, when Kara and I decided to go to jump some waterfalls...I was all for it! All these things should be done atleast once in your life.

Ok, so first I have to get shoes...I rent the water shoes that they have which basically look like black plastic/rubbery loafers. The little boy put them on for me, I felt like Cinderella...minus the love of my life. Next, we met our tour guide...La Maquina...which translates to "The Machine". I now know why. The guy is huge and has guns! These large biceps and triceps saved my life today! He makes sure you don't fall...which is important. This excursion is not for the faint of heart. There is serious climbing, jumping, walking, sliding and hiking up a mountain at a 60 degree angle.

Literally, this man pulls you up the waterfall! It was awesome! The water is clear and cold! And seeing how it is always a billion degrees here, it felt like a little piece of heaven. It was amazing to swim around and enjoy the scenery. Kara, who is a little afraid of heights, did an awesome job. We jumped every fall we had the opportunity too...the highest being about 30 feet...I am guessing. I know one was 22ft and there was one higher. I remember thinking after I jumped, "Um, I've been in the air for a while. Kara is getting closer, but I am not in the water yet!" Some of my favorite parts were the rock slides. The rocks are smooth and you slide down and it drops off like 10ft...there were about 4-5. Loved them! It was just the three of us, Tarzan and two Jane's. It was nice, quiet, peaceful, and nail biting at some points. Our guide was a beast! He crawled up the crevasse like spiderman...a good 15ft if not more. He swims like a fish too! He would jump way after us and then in two seconds, he would be way far in front of me. Here is a picture of The Machine...

You can watch video's of the 27 Waterfalls on youtube and I recommend you do so. It's beautiful.

Dancing in the Dominican!

2008-05-23T18:02:00.000-04:00

Last night a bunch of us girls, plus Weston, thought it would be fun to venture out to try to go dancing again. Our mission was a success! First, we had all been there all day b/c there was a huge staff meeting. Kara and I got a super cute room for $32 total...with a pool that we hung out in for a while. Next we met everyone again at LAX. We also met up with some Dominican friends. This provided lots of humor! Somehow this 45 yr old Italian guy started hanging out with them that day and was therefore with them when we met up with them. I had no problem understanding this guy. He would use a mixture of english, italian and spanish to communicate. I feel like italian is close enough to spanish that it's easy to understand for the most part. Apparently I was wrong. Robin and Cara, the two I look too when I can't understand the spanish down here, were completely lost with this guy and couldn't understand him at all and were depending on me to translate for him. Cara in particular thought that this was the funniest thing ever. We all got a kick out of how I can understand the random italian guy.

Next came the dancing...and it was fun! I did a little bit of marengue with the locals, but it was mostly our group just having fun. I love dancing. I feel like I sweat off 1,000 calories that night and our legs hurt from so much of it. I was actually surprised that the guys we were with were pretty respectful as far as dancing goes. They kept their distance and if they got to close and we pulled away...they got the hint. Needless to say Kara and I were tired and went to bed around 2am...I felt like I was back on my night schedule! We got up at 7:30, ate at our favorite German Bakery and caught a terrible guagua back for our meeting at 9.

I spent the rest of the day re-organizing, packing for home, taking a nap and then hopping on a moto to go downtown. Anne told me about this amazing little lady that cooks the best chicken sandwiches at a little stand on the corner. She was out of chicken, but I got a ham, cheese, green tomato with all sorts of delicious toppings sandwich. I decided to take a moto to the Malecon to find a cool place to sit to eat dinner. I just sat there and in typical Laura style, I ate in 5 minutes. But it was five minutes of thankfulness. For this country, for the people I've met, for the things I've seen, for what I get to witness God doing. It's a big deal. Here's where I ended up...

I took some pictures of the fort down there. It's a cool place. People sit outside it along the shade. Couples are scattered about on the edges to watch the water and just be together. It's sweet. I caught a moto back and here I am! Down to 6 days...unbelievable. Where did the month go? And if you think that the moto burn would deter me from using them...it hasn't. I still love them. I am healing nicely, even though it looks gross. I don't kow if you can see my lovely band-aide tan line. Nice.

This is the fort...

What the walk on the Malecon looks like...before you hit the shade

Two kids playing in the water

We may go karaoking tonight, but I may opt for a movie on the roof. It's been a chill day. I only have 3 days left with the kids. We have 10 people coming to live with us on Sunday. I think a night in would be good.

Un poco mas...

2008-05-21T22:00:00.001-04:00

So, we managed to get the kids to the eye doctor. I am not completely satisfied with the results. The doctor said it was just allergies, gave them some drops, and then said they needed to see an allergist. The allerigist is in Santiago which is a couple hours away. I will see them again in a week if not sooner on the sea walk and hopefully the drops will have helped. I kinda laughed b/c the doctor asked him if there are any dogs, cats or other animals around. Um, has he stepped out of his office? There are dogs and cats and cows and chickens and horses everywhere. Not to mention this is a super poor area with dirty nasty water that the kids get into, as well as people in an out all the time and a constant breeze by the water. Oh well...what can you do? Just your best...

I leave a week from tomorrow and have mixed emotions about it. There are things I hate here, but there are more that I love. I don't ever see myself living in another country long term, but I can definately see myself going where I am needed for a few months at a time. Coming here for a month has been one of the best decisions of my life. It has streched me and molded me in ways I was not expecting. I highly doubt this will be my last trip back...

It was a good spanish day. I was able to navigate with the doctor, mom, receptionist, moto drivers for all, as well as have full fun conversations with the kids at school. As always, the guagua was an adventure. I told the cobrador about five times where we wanted off. When it was missed and I yelled "Aqui, donde puede!" and he ignored me, the entire van yelled in unison "Aqui!Aqui!" In a strange way I felt protected. I always feel like the stupid gringa, but they were helping us! A guy told me to not pay the full amount for the ride since the guy dropped us off further from our stop. I told him I didn't know how to fight in spanish. He said, "You know plenty. Don't pay the full amount, the cobrador can fight with me about it." I thought that was kinda sweet.

Hope you enjoyed a few more pictures that I forgot yesterday.

Surroundings...

2008-05-19T22:21:00.000-04:00

Here's a little taste of what life looks like down here...

This is actually the best looking dog of all the mangy mutts down here

And no lie, I watched a man not only go down the road in a horse and buggy with motos and cars, but he also parallel parked the horse with the buggy attached. I must say, that's the first time I have seen that.

Sharla, Shara and I went for a run/walk on the Malacon (Sea walk) where we met two boys who live in a poor poor area. They were there collecting trash that they can use as toys for the other kids in their neighborhood. One of the little boys eyes look awful. We rode with them to their house full of 10 kids. We decided that Shara and I are going back in the morning to take the little boy to the doctor. It's probably something very easy to fix. His eyes are a weird irritated color, but not red, sometimes itch, but hurt all the time and give him headaches. I would assume that it was just sand in his eye, but he has it ALL the time and his brother does too...interesting, hopefully we figure something out tomorrow.

Ladies and Gentlemen! The Greatest Show On Earth!

2008-05-18T21:43:00.000-04:00

That's right! 3 American women, 2 Haitian twins and 1 Moscow Circus in the Dominican Republic. Does life get better? Seriously though, it was so much more fun than I was expecting. Isaak and Jakob LOVED it! We walked there and got a ride home. The boys went straight to sleep...our plan worked perfectly. I was highly impressed. Everything you hope to see at a Circus, we saw, but it was better. The acrobats and tight rope walkers made me extremely nervous. And the contortionist was amazing...no human should be able to bend like that. I loved seeing the giraffe, tigers and bear. No lions though... Passing a cow on the way to the circus, because who doesn't pass at least one cow everydayHolding Jakob when he got tired of walking. We went from back to side to other side to front to shoulders

Isaak and Jakob so into it. Very glad we took them!

Woman balancing on tight ropers head, next was with a 10ft pole, next was one foot and then he went uphill with her on his head still!
This is sign language for "Wow!" We did this to Isaak a lot tonight. Sorry about my appearance...it was super hot and humid in the tent.

Honestly, who sees a circus when they are in a third world country?

Gringo Day!

2008-05-17T20:46:00.000-04:00

It was a very American day today. I had pancakes and eggs for breakfast. I talked to my family via Skype, so it was like I was there. We took the twins to the store to pick up some very American foods such as oreo's, lay's, and coca lite (Diet Coke). The boys did awesome and loved looking around the store. A little later I ended up getting my first Moto burn...I'm an idiot. How many times have I gotten on and off a moto or my Dad's motorcycle and never even come close? I heard the sizzle of flesh in my head and pulled back quickly. However, it still got me and I have a couple blisters. It looks and feels way better than I thought it would. It only stung for an hour or two, now I forget it's there. Praise God! Here's what it looks like now and hoping that it doesn't look worse by morning.Tonight was Gringo Night. We had some other gringo's over to hang out. We ate hamburgers, cheetos, sunchips, pasta salad and bread! It was wonderful and everyone had fun playing apples to apples and catch phrase. The two haitians you see are the two children that live with Rachel.Alright, it's now 9pm and dark and I am tired...I'm going to watch a couple episodes of The Office and call it a night.

I need Thee every hour...

2008-05-16T16:46:00.000-04:00

The past two days have been ones of much needed tranquility. I woke up to rain...ahh, finally, the Earth had cooled off. The group of people I share life with down here are some of the most interesting and genuine people I have ever met and had the privilege of serving with. We are able to be vulnerable with each other and carry each others burdens. It's a sense of community I have craved and missed for a while now since I am away from my house church. We literally spent hours in prayer yesterday, but they felt like minutes. It was such a sweet time. This is the type of community we long for and what a blessing to get to experience it.

I went to Pancho Mateo with some girls yesterday as well. I love this place. It was so fun to get to see the little ones 6 months later. They've changed! Life goes on. I love hearing little kids yell "Laura! Laura!" with their little spanish accents. When I started walking out to catch a moto, the little girls followed me. Oh My, please don't tempt me, I would bring them all home in a split second. Check out the little girls holding onto barbed wire.

Angry baby before in November...

Angry baby now...

Super cutie before...
Super cutie now...

I am doing much better now, but last weekend as I sat in the house by myself taking care of twins, I worked myself into being slightly homesick. Thankfully, this was fixed as soon as I was able to hear my parents voice and see them on the computer screen. Who knew what a voice could do! You have to be here to understand, but nothing here is convienent. Travel, food, heat, communication, electricty...it all takes a lot of effort. Nothing is easy, it's not that it's hard, it's just not what you're used to. It starts to wear on you and then one child comes up, hugs you, grabs your hand and says your name. That's it. That's all you need. You see instanty why you are here when you could be somewhere else where you are comfortable. But I don't need comfort, I just need to know that I am doing what I am called to do. I just need to know that I am being obedient and recognizing that God is so much bigger than me and that he has a specific purpose for me while I am here. It's not to heal every kid and solve every medical problem. I can't do it. But I can show Jesus to these children and their families. I can use the skill that God has given me.

Kara, Cara, Robin and I decided to go to cabarete to get a room and go dancing. Little did we know that since today is the national election that the world stopped at midnight. We went to LAX and chatted for a while before making our way to Ohno's to dance. We were thinking the party was just getting started and danced for one song (Outkast's Hey Ya) when they turned on all the lights and said to go home. All day there has been no music or alcohol...not that I care about the alcohol, but it just makes me laugh that for 24 hrs you can't buy any. Needless to say, our girls night out turned into a going to bed earlier than expected night. We did have a sweet room though. The window was HUGE and faced the ocean with palm trees. The bed could have fit all of us, but there was another room with 2 twins and another table and chairs. Not to mention a bathroom and small kitchen...all for the price of $28 a person. Would have only been $15 if we didn't want air...we did and we all got the best sleep we've gotten in a while, and we woke up to the Ocean yet still in an air conditioned room. Kara is displaying the massive window, while Robin and Cara chat outside

On a sad note, last night while we were walking around waiting to go back to the room we spotted two OLD men with two YOUNG dominican women who were obviously prostitues. This is common in Sosua, but the first time I saw it in Cabarete. It made me so sad. The two men said "Good Luck!" to each other as they parted ways with the girls. I just wanted to grab these women and tell them, 'You are so much better than this! Your life could be so different! Let me tell you about what could be yours!' But I didn't. I'm kinda mad at myself for not making an effort. It took me by surprise and I didn't react quick enough. This only reminds me that I am always to be on guard,with sure footing, ready to react. I hope to see the girls again, not at night, but at some point where I could get to know them as a person.

On a random note, Kara and I on the guagua again sitting perfectly uncomfortable. It's quiet. It's crowded. Out of nowhere, this woman in the very back starts belting out a ballad for the whole van to hear. What in the world? Singing is so serious here. It would be like an RTA being double stuffed and then some woman singing as loud as she could "Wind Beneath My Wings". Weird.

And this made me laugh...

Vaca Santa! Holy Cow!

2008-05-14T17:20:00.000-04:00

What do you do when you meet a cow? This was exactly my predicament the other day on the way to school. I was by myself and on my way to school via the ever-so-lovely cow path. I was trying to avoid the presents that the cows had left and was very focused on it. I started to hop up this 2 ft ledge when I find that I am 3 ft away from a giant cow with giant horns, face to face. I have never been in this situation before and my first thought was "Holy Cow!" I wanted to take a picture but feared that the flash would cause him to charge and knock me into the gifts I had so desperately avoided. Then I started getting nervous b/c I had no idea how to get past. The cow must have known this and had the typical thought that I feel I get often..."stupid gringa" b/c he literally shook his head and moved to the side to allow me to pass. Thank you Senor Vaca! I also crossed paths with about a half a dozen chickens and a tied up horse.

The following may have happened the same day, I can't remember. I hop on the guagua and tell the cobrador (the guy you pay and determines stops) "Monte Llano, a silencio" which is the name of the town and street that I want to get off on. He replies, "Oh si, no problema" I am becoming increasingly proud of myself for being able to get around the country and feel quite satisfied that I am not going to have to be surveying like an eagle. Guess what...three stops later the guy gets off...HE WAS NOT THE COBRADOR! He totally played along though. Oh well, I still made it. And I am sure he thought, "stupid gringa."

Today while Kara and I were on a guagua bus, I felt like you could buy the most important things in life. A guy had a huge display of sunglasses and cell phone carriers that he was going to sell, the lady next to me had a huge bag of potato chips to sell and the old man in front of me had a handful and bag full of bras...the Latifah brand...I didn't even know she had a line of bras for well endowed woman to buy. Only in the DR would you go to a corner to buy a bra.

Last week at our karaoke adventure, David tried numerous times to get the servers attention, but to no avail. I did the unthinkable...I hissed at the guy...AND he came right over. I hate the hissing! It just seems so disrespectful and demeaning, but I never say anything b/c it's their culture and they do it ALL the time. I can't believe I did it though, I guess I just hear it a lot. When in Rome...

Luis Miguel's foot is back to normal size. Two if the boys eyes were red and swollen. It looked like they had been in a fight, but they said their eyes were itching. The only thing they had in common is that both had been in toxic river in the last 24 hours. I gave them some benedryl and warned them they will get sleepy...they were both out of it by the end of class and it was cute. The kids were very funny today. I will leave you with some pictures. The one where cara is hugging the kid is funny b/c this kid talks nonstop even when you aren't paying attention, so she hugged him hoping he would think it was weird and pause his string of words...it didn't work, he kept on going.

Big Medical Day...

2008-05-13T21:36:00.000-04:00

So, Jenny had a c-section last night and it was my pleasure to go check on her this morning at the hospital. They had told her she might be able to go home this afternoon...I highly encouraged her to convince them to let her stay an extra night. She is more than just a postpartum mom, she just had major abdominal surgury. The way they do things is so weird here, even over 24 hrs later she still hadn't had anything to eat or drink and was barely walking around. Other than starving, she is doing great and the incision actually looked 10x better than what i was expecting. I'll check on her again tomorrow. I only got to hold him for a second but it really made me miss all the little babies I hold all the time at home...He is the wonderfully handsome Diego Miguel Morel...

I get to school and Luis Miguel, the head full of fungus kid, is limping around on a foot twice the normal size. He kept telling me nothing happened. I am assuming this is in part because I force him to take an antifungal pill everyday that he always chews instead of swallows and he is sure I will have nothing nice to do to him....and he's right. Thankfully Robin got the story and he stepped on a nail. So, I walk myself to his house, talk to his mom, who agrees to whatever treatment I decide, drop him back off at school and then go to the pharmacy to buy a tetanus shot. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I got to give my first shot down here. Oh, how I have missed it! He totally freaked out, as would I, but after he got a sucker from Camille and was pacified quickly. I cleaned his foot out even though I couldn't see a fresh entry site. He said it happened in the morning and that he stepped on a nail. I thought it looked like a bee sting and tried to save him a stick, but he stuck by his guns and I can't take the chance of him getting all tetnified on me.

In the midst of all this another child comes up with a swollen thumb where he cut it with a kitchen knife. Much to my dismay, it happened on Sunday and already had a scab. He will have a scar, it could have used a couple of stitches...and no, I would not have sutured, I would have taken him to the doctor for that...or Darren, the suture king, if he were able to be here. Here's what it looked like...it looked worse in 3D

After school we all came home to get ready for Kate's Birthday Party at Agualina. Such a great time! Here is a picture of the staff...not the greatest, but atleast you can see who I share my life with here.

Alright, that's it for now. Tomorrow I am going to try and post about my funny adventures this week.

We know our days!

2008-05-12T16:53:00.000-04:00

Orquidia sang beautifully today. She's a little hard to hear but by far one of the sweetest and cutest students. She cracks me up when she says "Sabado". She is one that runs up and gives me a hug everyday. Ok, well I will post it when it decides to load in a decent amount of time.

I took Angel to get his prescription filled and then Cara and I took him to the dentist. He is all swollen and has not been able to eat or sleep. The dentist wrote another prescription and told us to come back when the inflamation goes down. I feel so bad for him, he looks miserable.

On the guagua ride home today, this boy was sitting next to me in the back and couldn't have been over 11 yrs old. He kept nodding off and before I knew it, he was fast asleep on my shoulder. All the older guys were laughing and talking about it. When he woke up I asked him why he was so tired...he had worked all day. This poor little guy is too little to be working all day long. I let him go back to sleep. Who cares if it was on my shoulder. I knew I was safe for him to be near and he just needed to rest. I'm glad God gives us shoulders.

Robin is back from the States and it was so good to see her! I got to meet Laurin who is also on staff and in charge of the interns. Laurin's mom is visiting too. Kate's parents are in as well. Lots of visitors! And Shara gets in tomorrow to care for the twins while Sharla is in the States.

Speaking of Los Tweems (not proper spanish, it's a joke). I watched them Saturday and Sunday and was surprised at how well it went. They are 2 and I am 23, so I had to show them who was boss, but once they got that down we had some fun. They are loving all the attention of having everyone back in the house and new people to play with.

Random: Cara laid down to rest on the dentist chair and it looked like she lost a leg. We found this funny and took pictures.

I had my first stuffed bell pepper tonight with a side of the most amazing pineapple ever. I really liked it, maybe I'll make you one when I get back.

OH! We just got a call...Jenny is going to have her baby tonight! A c-section was scheduled because she has low amniotic fluid. Please pray for Jenny and Miguel as this is not how they thought things would go and that the baby is delivered safely without complications.

55 teeth, 17 kids, 3 days

2008-05-10T11:45:00.000-04:00

That's right. The dentist removed 55 teeth from 17 students in 3 days. Once again, the kids did great. One child needed 11 removed but we only took five...he has to try and eat with something. It was so good having them here. I bought antibiotics and antifungal stuff for like $30. It's weird just walking in and telling what you need without questions being asked. While we were waiting for the kids to see the dentist, Sharla broke into song about one of the students who talks all the time and thinks she knows everything. It was hilarious. Everything Sharla was singing, Ashley was arguing with. Since I think my life is a like a musical and I have a song for everything, I found this to be a funny few minutes. Look at the size of the mega pic

Holding Ambiolix after he had his teeth pulled Bobo's bonus root

Last night a bunch of us went to go sing karaoke. David brought the house down with his rendition of "Sweet Caroline" and occasional spanish words thrown in. I have it on video, but the lighting is bad. Dominicans take karaoke pretty seriously, not like how we just do it to make a fool of ourselves in the states. It was good to be able to get to know the staff a little better and made to feel welcome.

Today we all came to the beach, which is where I am sitting in LAX. I am out of the sun as I am sure I am well done. Kara and I had the world's worst guagua ride. Kara gets sent straight to the back to sit in the fetal position on a tire by a rather large angry old woman. I sit directly in front of said angry old woman with her knees in my back. I was sitting where there was two inches of actual seat on each side and 8 inches of gap in between the seats. I get on and off as passengers get on and off. Then, I get sent to the back. Angry old woman REFUSED to move, so I have to hand this frail old man my bag as I practically climb over the seat. This only proves to convince me that I am only good working with children. So now I am stuck between these two elderly people and can't sit down as I am afraid the woman will go off on me and I don't want to break the kind old man's hip. Remember wall sits? I used to have to do them during volleyball conditioning and in pilates. Well that was basically what I did for a good ten minutes. My coach would have been proud. Finally the woman got off and I had a second to put my keyster on the seat. Glorious! But then I somehow ended up on a bar in the seat and was pretty sure I was going to break my coccyx (tailbone). This is what the guagua typically looks like, but this picture doesn't do it justice.

We reached our destination and went to the german bakery which has the best coconut pastries. We sat for a while and then she headed to the sun and I headed to the shade to enjoy this view...

Just FYI...1)I met my first dominican spider of the trip the other day. I didn't kill it b/c we're not supposed to, however, I did not appreciate its presence and was thinking that it was going to attack me in the night. A girl from the group that was in just smashed it with her hand...I was thankful but now fear the spider family. They must be a tight knit crew b/c I have seen 3 since. Not to mention a tarantula hiding in Kara's shoe. Gross. 2) There is nothing soft to sit on in this country. I don't have a lot of padding to sit on anyway (it's distibuted other places!) and I find myself constantly shifting to try and get comfortable. 3) It's hot here. Enough said. I think fan's are the single best invention ever brought to this country.

Alright, enjoy the pics. I miss you all and wish you were with me experiencing this precious time of my life.

Most days I look like a 50's doo-wop singer because my hair flips out in the front. It has always had a mind of it's own, but it's running free down here!

Be thankful for good teeth!

2008-05-08T17:05:00.001-04:00

We have had the pleasure of having Dr. Glennen and his assistant Connie at the school for dental work. They have managed to see every child and pull lots and lots of teeth. I was highly impressed with their skills and how well the children handled it. Of course, I am only posting the pictures of the kids freaking out because they are much funnier. And seeing how I am always a part of the shoving the tooth back in as opposed to taking it out, this was a learning and interesting experience. Edwin, AKA Bobo, had 8 (yes, count 'em 8) teeth extracted and slept through it! Not only that, he was snoring and had one tooth that had four roots instead of the normal three which made it extra hard to remove. He didn't care. I know he was numb, but good glory, there is still pressure. And we all know the doctor means when he says "you're going to feel some pressure." Oh yeah, he had an infected wound on his leg, so I cleaned and dressed it...he woke up for that, go figure. Below are the dentist and his assistant working on a student...and then Marta having a very dramatic moment!

I am always amazed at how children react to situations. I think only three of all the kids actually cried and got upset. Only two of them were we not able to work on b/c they wouldn't cooperate. This would have never happened in the States. We would have had to use all sorts of distraction and papoosing. I notice it even with the latinos that come into the ER back home. They are the most well behaved kids and don't cry until we leave the room or are told they are allowed. It's the machismo culture. And never in the States would we be able to just pull teeth without permission from parents.

Yesterday, I took a walk to buy more bananas and Ronni and Marco came with me. What sweet boys. Ronni is especially calm and nice to talk to. He's not a big talker but would answer and ask questions. I told him he wasn't a man of many words and he just smiled. Not a lot was said, but it's nice that they feel comfortable enough with this gringa to walk her around and put up with her bad spanish. And then Diori, who just stops by school, had a fall and had a nasty gash in his back that had already scabbed over. However, his ankle looked like this...

I feel like I can only do so much here and that there is so much that I don't know. It's a good place to be. To realize that I am so very finite and more importantly, I am able to do nothing without Christ. I just look at the situations and circumstances that I have encountered already and am in awe of his sovereignty and protection.

I'll post more pictures in a bit, the big bad blogger man won't allow me to add more on this post.

FINALLY the kids!

2008-05-06T20:32:00.001-04:00

Today was a great day. Some of the kids remembered me from November, but even those that didn't simply ran up and jumped into my lap or arms. They hug so tight! I am still sunburned, but this was not going to stop me from the hugs and kisses I had been saving up for months. It was so incredibly good to see them! Forgive Nefii for her lopsided "H" of the O-H-I-O. They don't have long attention spans and this was the second time trying to get the picture.

My job description here is to "heal all the children." I laughed and apologized for the impending disappointment. Within 15 minutes I was put to work. A little girl had stitches removed a few days ago but the area was full of dirt, so I just did the usual scrub with soap and water and redressed the wound. Next was a little boy with swollen glands, cough, complaining of dental pain and basically looked really uncomfortable. I gave him some motrin and good for him that we just had a dentist arrive today that can look at him tomorrow. This is Cara looking in every childs mouth to see who is getting their teeth pulled out of their noggin.

A little girl just getting over chicken pox but had developed discoloration and rash to only her lower legs.

This is a little guy with a funky fungus all over his head.

Overall, it was a good day and I can see where I have my work cut out for me. I feel so blessed to be here and loving on kids like Christ loves on me. Tomorrow I will try and post the kids singing/yelling...it's quite funny.

Vamos a morir! We are going to die!

2008-05-05T14:53:00.000-04:00

The dang guagua's provide more entertainment than I orginally thought. On our way to Cabarete I counted a total of 21 people in the guagua at one time. I was wearing a skirt and sitting backwards by the door. Of course between my skirt, my bag and the wind, My skirt kept flying up. I kept it down, but that didn't stop the guys on the moto's from trying to look. If I weren't wearing a swim suit underneath I would have been way more offended, but since I knew all their effort was for naught, I just threw a look their way and went on. Then, this guy hops on. I had good reason to think he was drunk. Kara and I were up front at a stop when we heard this huge thud. I turned to see what had happened. This cemented my previous thought. The guy is on the ground in a ditch. Some guys helped him up and he went stumbling on his way. I laughed a good two minutes about it.

Last night on our way home from Cabarete we encountered some sort of political ralley. A one lane road going two directions turned into a four lane road with 3 going one way and 1 going the opposite. It was loud with music and cheering, complete with bumper to bumper traffic. I felt like yelling "Viva la revolucion!" I happened to look up right as we were meeting nose to nose with a jeep. Somehow we got into the other lane. As if seeing my short 23 yrs pass before my eyes wasn't enough, my abdomen and top of my feet are sunburned and I was feeling every bump and jerk. But as with everything, it could be worse.

Next came the marriage proposal. I would have been more flattered had I been the first gringa he asked, but I was not...I was the 3rd. Not that I would have considered this as a possibility anyway. Leave it to a Dominican to take notice.

Today, Kara and I conquered the grocery store! Which means I rode a moto for the first time and LOVED it. I want to go into the city again just so I can ride on it. We were going a wee bit fast and we both tightened our grip. The store offers this free service to drive you and your items home. Our driver had remembered me from my previous trip and was apparently enthralled with my bad spanish. He asked for my number...denied. He's a very nice guy that I am sure we will run into again considering I have seen him twice on two seperate trips. Weird. Random thought...it was nice to wear a seat belt for the first time in 5 days. So many things here go against my nursing instincts.

A group is coming in tonight so we have been busy preparing the house and having a staff meeting. School is in session tomorrow and I am dying to see the kids. I promise to post pictures as they are the number one reason I am here and my writing is getting boring.

Dominican Day #3

2008-05-03T12:27:00.000-04:00

Well, it's rained since I arrived, so we have kinda been up to nothing. Last night a little baby lizzard decided to come and visit Sharla and I while we were watching a movie. It was causing no trouble and we just let it do it's thing. Hopefully I don't accidentally bring it home with me at the end up the month. It better not be setting up shop in my suitcase!

Today Kara and I decided that we were sick of being stuck in the house. We waited for a break in the rain and then made our way to Cabarete. Quite the experience getting here. First, it starts raining harder as soon as we leave the house. We took the cow path because it is faster, but there is a reason it is called the cow path. I don't know what all that brown water had to contain. In any case I saw a small snake and my flip flops had formed the super suction of an octopus as we were trekking through. We finally made it to the street, after much laughing with our bags and umbrellas. Then we hop in the good'ol guagua (pronounced gwa-gwa). It's a form of public transportation and always offers a story to tell.

Since it's pouring, we hop in with a quickness. We are in the FRONT row. So I decided to count the number of people in the front seat and in our row...10. 10 in two rows! This is not unusual since these are packed to the max and the driver is usually on the outside holding onto the inside. I didn't dare turn around and count how many were behind me (atleast 8) as I realize what I look like. They are probably thinking "Stupid white gringa" and, really, at this point who could blame them? My hair is a hot mess, sticking up everywhere, I think I have swollen up to the size polar bear from the humidity and I'm obviously caucasian.

Our driver couldn't have been able to see anything. When I was pretty sure we were going to hydroplane and crash, he would wipe off the inside of the windshield with a towel. Whew, I feel so much safer now.

The guy controlling the starts, stops and placement of people did not ever make us move to the back as I am pretty sure he was falling for Kara. He kept trying to talk to her and made sure she knew he had no girlfriend, no kids, and a job. Qualities we all look for, sure, but dang, not on a guagua. He was sad to see us go, but after an hour of riding, we hopped off with the same quickness we hopped on with.

Here we sit in Lax with free internet and a rainy beach. However, you will not hear me complain. A rainy day people watching at the beach is better than what I would be doing at home...which is probably sleeping since I would have worked the night before. In a weird way I kinda miss work. The people and our constant laughing. It was a little anticlimactic to not be put to work right away. I can thank the rain and random dominican holidays for that. But it did give me time to catch up with sharla and the boys...who, by the way, have only gotten cuter. We'll stay here awhile and then make our way back home later this evening. I still have a guagua ride home to prepare for! This place is full of funny situations!

P.S. We had an uneventful guagua ride home. Also, I met a guy in Lax who is from Dayton...go figure, the guy grew up like five minutes from me. He currently splits the year between the DR and Norway. How's that for extremes?

Already so Dominican...

2008-05-01T15:59:00.000-04:00

So my plane took off and I had not one problem. My luggage was 50.0lbs and 52.0lbs...the nice luggage lady said I was in the buffer zone so I wouldn't have to pay an extra $50 for being overweight. (I wouldn't have paid, I would have just stuffed 2lbs of something into my carry-on.)

In any case, I get to Puerto Plata without problem. I knew it was too good to be true. I get stopped to have my big blue bag checked. It's full of medical supplies and medicines. They pull out my boxes of motrin and tylenol, then the vitamins. They look at the sharps box, but don't take it out. That hit me kind of funny. So I think I am good, they've checked, I've been honest, I should be on my way. Nope. They leave to get a doctor to come and look at all I have brought. They moved my bag over to a different line, which made me feel better since I think I was having a mild anxiety attack over thinking that they were going to take away all the donations AND I was holding up the line. (Just kidding, I was calm, cool and collected.) The doctor comes and gives the contents a once over. He asked me if I was a missionary, I said yes, He asked if I was a doctor, I said no. I clarified that I am a nurse. Then he asked where I was going. I told him the names of the villages. He simply states "oh yes, they need lots of help. Go ahead." AWESOME...back of my way with my 100lbs of luggage on a cart.

Cara and Camille are outside to greet me. Moises leaves to go grab the car. We are waiting and catching up, laughing at my previous trip and what the staff has done since. It had kinda been a while when Camille gets a call and apparently, our driver left the lights on and the battery is dead. We wait a few more minutes and then watch him roll down the hill towards us, but in the wrong direction. Someone jumps him, we load everything and head to the house. Not so fast, Speedy! The first stop sign we got to, the car stalls and won't start. Thankfully we are still in the airport and his coworker jumps us again. Then, in typical dominican style we almost took out two pedestrians and rear ended a truck on the way to the house. This is not because Moises is a bad driver...this is just how they drive.

We get to the house in one piece. The whole experience makes me laugh. This is the perfect start to how I thought this trip would go. It's going to be a funny month! I haven't even had dinner yet, this day could get even better.

I'm outta here!

2008-04-24T21:46:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,

In as little as 6 days I will be heading back down to the Dominican Republic for the month of May. Yes, a whole month (May 1-29)! I will be working at the school from Monday thru Thursday dealing with whatever medical issues arise there with the children, as well as preparing meals. These are special meals as it may be the only meal the child gets all day. On Fridays we will go into the villages. I am so excited to go back to these very specific places! I am praying that I am able to relate and befriend the adults in the villages as I, with the staff, help care for their children. While I am there I will be doing some basic testing (eyes, scoliosis) so that we can bring back appropriate supplies when a team returns in November.

This time as I travel, it will be just me. The staff at Makarios is in place and I will be joining them as a medical member...scary! I have become a little anxious lately as I realize I have less than a year of true nursing experience and they have some weird stuff down there that I am not used to seeing. However, I know that Satan would love for me to feel defeated before I even arrive...therefore, I take comfort and power in the fact that the Lord has given me a passion and a skill. I am just a nurse, but in Christ, I can do all things. He has and will always provide and how exciting to learn lessons with Him! So, I've been a nurse for less than a year, but I have been His child for 20 yrs...in Him, and through Him only will His kingdom be furthered.

I have just a few things I ask you to pray for. 1)Safety and health as I travel. 2) Knowledge and wisdom to help medically where I am able. 3)That little children and even their families would continue to come and know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. 4) To continue to build friendships with the staff and encourage them as they have been there longer and are much wiser than I! Their hearts would stay soft and compassionate toward the Dominican and Haitian people.5) That my Spanish with hold up as it is very different than Dominican Spanish and all I know how to say in Creole is "You're crazy" 6) The Word of God be spoken and people overcome their superstitions and "black magic"

I remember when a woman from the team this past November and I were walking around the markets just shopping for gifts to bring home. We ended up walking down a hall/aisle. Before we knew it we were in the back of a store with all sorts of lotions and candles with pictures of what looked like Mary on them. I assumed it was some Catholic tradition until I literally felt a heaviness come over me. I did not feel right being there. We turn around and saw a sign on a make shift door that said "Witch Doctor is in" We immediately looked at each other and I heard a voice in me say "Get Out! Get Out! Get Out Now!" She and I booked it out of the store and into the sunlight. I have never been so happy to feel sun on my face! One of the villages had just had their witch doctor pass away before we arrived. The building looked like a parable being told with the murals on the wall. Obviously, we had second thoughts as we looked at the pictures later. Evil can be overwhelming and yet so subtle. How thankful I am for the Holy Spirit to guide me and tell me to "Get Out!" I don't know if what they do is called Black Magic to them. I know that they are a very superstitious people. Help us to continue to be the Light for them to see. Let us conduct our lives that Jesus is pouring out of us. You and I know that hope is found in the Lord and that we are more than conquerors in Him. Pray that the people there come to know this freedom as well.

I thank you in advance for your prayers. I go very aware that I am so little. I can take away their headache, but I cannot heal their heart. Please take time to go to Makarios International at makariosinternational.org .
Laura

P.S. If you are interested in possibly going down with a group in November, let me know! We especially need doctors and dentists =)