Music.

So, that is pretty much awesome. Especially those two songs.

Back for a Bit.

I've been home from my South American travels for a bit more than one week now, and it's been good to be back and adjust to work life again. Getting up at 4:30 or 5:30 a.m. is not so cool, but it's been good (as in beneficial) experience once again.

This week we have taken care of several residents who were living the last days of their lives. Yesterday one resident died during our shift, and today another resident died. Both deaths were anticipated, but not welcomed, of course. Working in a nursing home and seeing death as it takes over someone's life is not a thing I like to watch. I hate watching death, so you may wonder why I am in nursing with an interest in intensive care nursing. Yes, I hate seeing death, but at the same time, I have learned from residents that death can be a scary, lonely time... as nurses, we can help to ease some of the suffering and offer a hand to hold or a presence to comfort.

It's truly a gift to serve in this way, even though it is also painful.

More Pictures from Life in Peru!

Calla lillies (sp?) from the local San Jeronimo market, for 4 soles (approximately $1.33 in U.S. currency)!


Downtown Plaza de Armas at night


Agricultral ruins from the pre-Incan time period (1100-1400) or the Incan empire (1500's). They used these varied, circular terraces to imitate, test, and perfect growing spots on the mountain sides.

Salt mines near Urubumba. About 3,500 plots of salt fed by one small salty stream

One picture from our most recent trek---to Macchu Picchu! I am exhausted from those last three sites, all visited in 24 hours during a two-day trip!

Welcome to Cusco!

(Great apologies for the sideways pictures. I think I should have rotated them before posting them, but too late now and I don't want to wait for the computer for another 10 minutes!)

Flying across Peru, into Cusco from Lima... early, early last Tuesday morning (above).

Part of Cusco, near the school during the day (above),
and the view out of our bedroom window at sunset (below).

I tried to write a post last night, but with no success. Internet services are available, but not necessarily "rapido!" It's hard to believe that we have been here in Cusco, Peru for almost 2 weeks. But, it has been wonderful, interesting, strange, exciting, exhausting, and many other things! We adjusted to the culture fairly well, and we didn't experience any health problems related to the change in altitude. (Although we continue to laugh at ourselves as we become breathless after a climb up the stairs or a walk up the street. Pathetic, we say.) I got a cold about two days and have been dealing with a runny nose since then, but no other major health problems, praise the Lord!

We have been spending some of our time at Promesa (the school), helping in the 4-and-5-year-old classes, signing out books for the students in "library" from 2-2:15 each school day.

Children at Promesa in the library at the end of the school day.

I also was able to help Jen, one of the other missionaries who is a pediatrician and is completing health checks on all the students. I helped by taking the students vital signs and completing documenting/charting. (The picture below is of our little health room at Promesa.)


We also helped at Prosim (the health clinic) by bagging (and remeasuring, readjusting, and rebagging) food for a nutrition program for 37 students in Cusco who need food assistance.

In our other time, we spend time with the Shultz's, either by tagging along on errands, playing games with the kids, watching movies, or taking little half-day trips to the main plaza to watch parades and celebrations, which are a signature of the month of June in Cusco.

We have also enjoyed getting to know several other people who are serving here in Cusco for short terms. Today we enjoyed a day out with Nick and Sylvia (who will be here for another week) and Steve (who is here for 5 more weeks); we ate out at a restaurant near the Plaza de Armas. (I had an Alpaca sandwich!! It was delicious!) After lunch we went shopping before heading to the "March for Jesus" to walk with the kids from Promesa through the city of Cusco.

Some Things In My Life Recently

- Packing (!!)
- Four out of the five books in the Redemption series by Karen Kingsbury and Gary Smalley... and working on book no. 5 (I'm not usually a fan of "Christian fiction," but this is a good series!!)
- NCLEX review books (the long study process begins... previous test-takers recommend reviewing little bits consistently over a long period of time)
- Naps
- Details, details, details for the trip that's coming up in less than one week!
- fans and air conditioners for humid days
- Books from Amazon for the flights next week
- Early mornings (5:30, that is) for work and not-so-early mornings on days off of work.
- last minute shopping for last minute packing
- and more....

Things that aren't but should be part of my life...

- cleaning my room
- cleaning my room
- aaaaand.... cleaning my room!! HA.

Those Things Called Naps.

I just woke up from a nap. You know, those wonderful times that you lay down for a 30-minute nap and wake up about 2 hours later. I absolutely love that kind of sleep! Besides the fact that a part of your day is gone in the matter of a few dreams, it's more-often-than-not refreshing---which is wonderful any day.

Mom and I also worked on some "first round" packing. "First round" because it wasn't the final cut to see what will/will not fit in my suit case; rather the cut to see exactly what I wanted in my checked luggage and what I wanted to pack in my carry-on.

My friend is away for the weekend, so I don't know if there has been any progress in her visa-fiasco. But, we are all anxiously awaiting its arrival---and I, for one, am praying that it comes soon! I could do it, but I don't really want to travel by myself!!

It's time to go for a walk...

For My Momma.

Yesterday my mom asked me to post something new on my blog. I had actually forgotten about this blog for a little while; in the hum-drum of summer, it doesn't seem like there's too much to be talked about!

However, in a matter of a little more than a week I will be on my way to South America for 5 weeks, so I guess that deserves an update! A friend and I will be helping a missionary family from our church in any way we can. They are dedicated to a school, Promesa, so we will probably be mostly involved at the school.

Of course, hassles are involved, and my friend is still waiting to get her passport back from the visa application we needed to file. So, if you'd take a few minutes and pray for a quick delivery of an intact passport that would be greatly appreciated!

Otherwise, I've been working and lounging. I've also been working on a little bit of studying for the scary NCLEX test of next summer! The most frequent advice I've received is to start studying small doses consistently ahead of time.

But, it's 9:00 and I should probably start wrapping up.

Just Another Day.

Summer (not the season, the "vacation") has officially been happening for almost 2 weeks now. It's hard to believe that I've been home for that long, but, hey, it's a lot better than school. I am definitely grateful for the break from the insanity of this last year. I started work of sorts this week (although it was just reorientation, not the real work yet :) ), which helped to establish a sort of routine to my days. Kind of. I still have difficulty getting up when that alarm clock goes off. I did better when I had an 8:00 class...

But, I still catch myself thinking of things the way they were before Grandma passed away. At work, I find myself wondering when she will wander through the halls looking for me, until I remember that that is only a precious memory now. Things like that remind me that I miss her, and all the little ways she was a part of my life.

I'm counting down the days until the big trip this summer... I simply cannot wait to be able to get away for a few weeks and do things that are beyond my comfort zone, bless others, and experience life in less fortunate areas.

Till the next post... adios!

p.s. I'm hoping to start reading some thought-provoking books soon, so I'll try to post interesting thoughts on here....

12.

12 days of insanity. 12 days until the end of the school year.

I just got back from Easter break, which ended up being a bit longer of a break. We said goodbye to Grandma, as she passed away on Saturday after a brief illness. It was so hard; even though I rejoice in the hope of Christ, she was my last grandparent... and such a dear one to me. I miss her already, there's things that suddenly I'm realizing will never happen again.

I'm exhausted and weary. It was a tiring 6 days of going, going, going... I got the usual amount of sleep, but there's just so much going on in life right now. Almost too much handle if I let it take over... My to-do list is looming over my head, with projects full of (in my opinion) rediculous requirements from some profs. Somehow a 2-credit-hour course should not take up most of my time! and a term paper should not be expected to be a dissertation at the Bachelor's degree level. HA.

I'm looking forward to the weekend in two short days... granted, it will be full of homework. But, it will also provide some extra time for breathing hopefully.

That's what I feel like: I haven't been able to catch my breath. Sounds strange, but I don't think I've even fully realized the meaning or depth of all that happened this weekend, in the sense of all the things that will be different now.

I'd certainly appreciate your prayers on behalf of my family as well, as we adjust to perhaps a "new normal"... not that this was completely unexpected, but, as someone said last night, it's a big deal when you lose the matriarch.... especially such an amazing one!

Pressing on...

In these few minutes...

Since I have a few minutes before I need to catch some zzz's, here's a quick update on life!

- I finished writing my Public Health Nursing term paper on Yellow Fever and related epidemiology tonight. . . after countless hours, I am finally finished writing the 22.5-page beast! Now onto revising it before the due date next Friday. . .

- The nursing department cancelled the Junior exam---which is a huge blessing! It means one less thing to do, one less test to study for, a huge stressor to cross off the list, and one less thing to rearrange should the need arise to go home at a moment's notice.

- I'd continue to appreciate prayers for my family, as we continue to walk beside Grandma in these probably last few days of her life.

- It snowed today... snow, in April---alternating sunshine and pelting snow/sleet every 20-30 minutes. Gross.

- My sanity.... wearing thin, but the end of this craziness is getting closer! ....and the upcoming trip this summer is getting closer too! : D

- As always, I'm ever so grateful for worship music that comforts and relaxes such weary spirits.

Update.

I realize that there might not be many people reading this, especially since I don't update it very often anymore.

But, I'd really appreciate prayer for me and my family right now. On top of the insanity of school demands (only 4 weeks left!), we are beginning to grieve the loss of my grandma, who was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer. Although we are treasuring her in these last days and weeks, we are all very aware of her approaching death. Please pray for comfort (physically and emotionally) for her, so that she can rest well at night and enjoy her days. Also, please pray for my family as they have a lot on their plates right now with an 8-month-old (or maybe 9 by now)baby, grandma, a dog with a fungus, and two young adult children to keep in touch with. And, finally, for the rest of my family (aunts, uncles, cousins) who are spread all over the country and Canada, as they decide when to come in and then make the trip. A few are making the trip this weekend, some later in the month.

Please pray for strength, for rest, for memories, and for humor to brighten and ligthen the days! Thanks!

Update.

Since I have wandered away from the blogging realm for almost one month(!), I decided I should return and give an update on my life... especially since I probably won't be writing much in the next 7 weeks.

Returning to school after spring break meant encountering a new nursing clinical rotation (this time Public Health) and realizing that any taste of free time and freedom is long gone. During these last seven weeks of my junior year I have an gigantic amount of reading to do, 3 papers to write, one group paper to edit (and design an accompanying powerpoint), 1 regular test, 3 finals, and one "Junior Exam" (an exam for all junior year nursing students before entering the senior year---just mostly intimidating, that's all). To give an idea of the amount of reading for Public Health alone, most weeks I have 2 chapters in at least two textbooks, plus 3-4 chapters to read in "Ebola," a fiction book required for the class. That's not to mention the book I have to read for Christian Worldview Integration or the reading I have to do each week for Concepts of Gerontology and Nursing Care for Diverse Populations, the two other classes I have this semester.

Needless to say, I'm slightly overwhelmed. Ah. I would certainly appreciate your prayers for miraculous time management, efficiency, effectiveness and energy. We sang an extremely applicable and appropriate song this morning in chapel---the old, beautiful hymn "I Need Thee Every Hour." I'll close with those words, for His strength is truly the only way I will survive these weeks in one piece with a sane mind.

I need thee, oh I need Thee
Every hour I need Thee
Oh, bless me now my Savior
I come to Thee

Like She Says, It Warms Your Heart

Oh goodness. This is too cute!

Sometimes You Just Need a Hug

These lovable little creatures arrived in the mail yesterday. . . much needed snuggliness and smelling of home : )

25 Random Things About Me.

Imported from Facebook, for the benefit of those of you who haven't discovered the true art of procrastination and distraction.


1. I always back into parking spaces... that's right guys, my dad taught me well!

2. I already started a collection of things for my home someday.

3. I hate roller coasters... and therefore, most rides at amusement parks.

4. I have an insanely long list of "want-to-read" books.

5. I love to decorate.

6. I'm in love with writing to-do lists... crossing things out... writing new lists... adding things to the list I already accomplished, just so I can cross them off... you get the idea.

7. I have 4 beautiful lucky bamboo shoots.

8. I allow hot chocolate to ferment in my mug a few too many times. gross.

9. I used to hate cooking, but am slowly being changed and accumulated at least 4 cookbooks over Christmas.

10. I'm a huge fan of simplicity, and desire to live simply.

11. My feet are about 1/2 inch different in length... talk about shoe-shopping problems.

12. I'm quite possibly addicted to cheese. Specifically yellow cheddar cheese.

13. At home I sleep with 4 blankets, a hoodie and sweatpants. Nice 'n cozy. (dorm room is too hot for that!)

14. I'm a sucker for black and white photography.

15. I hate coffee.

16. At the moment, I'm addicted to Hillsong and Hillsong United... and the free music on NoiseTrade.

17. I love going to the zoo.

18. I have a knack for finding random (but wonderful!) items at yard sales and bargain stores---for really cheap!

19. I don't like English/grammar. As has probably been evidenced.

20. My journal and listening to music saved (and continue to save) my sanity repeatedly.

21. I love to have spontaneous, long conversations, one-on-one or in small groups.

22. House churches, as a ministry of a larger church, fascinate me.

23. My dream house is not big, but has room for an extra person---in case they need to a place to live.

24. I am continually writing down quotes and song lyrics.

25. I love wild and "home-grown" flowers.

Radical Alternative?

Tomorrow I will be faced with the opportunity to present Christian pacifism (or should we say the "Third Way"---active nonviolence) as I understand it. I will be discussing this with about 25 other people, most of whom grew up with just-war theory and believe just-war to be the solution. Some have never heard of Christian pacifism; some have heard of it from angry, aggressive "pacifists." I will undoubtedly be dealt ever-so-familiar questions: "What would you do if..." "What if we hadn't fought in WWII and stopped Hitler..." "How can you sit back while thousands of innocent people are oppressed..." "What about 'there is a time for everything, a time for peace and a time for war'..."

Here are some of my thoughts.

Pacifism is not only choosing against war, or choosing not to participate in the military. Pacifism is a lifestyle, an attitude towards life and others... which some tend to neglect.

"Ethical humility reminds pacifists who sometimes slip into moral pride or the illusion of perfectionism that they too stand before God in daily need of his forgiveness and grace." (Choosing Against War, John Roth)

Conflict, violence and the sin of human nature will not be resolved until the kingdom of God transforms the globe. But we are still called to be peacemakers---to be in the world, but not of it.

The kingdom of God is the radical alternative to the kingdom of the world. Do we truly believe this?

Are we placing more confidence in the ability of Christians to influence society by political means or by distinctly kingdom-of-God means?

If we are to live according to the kingdom of God, providing a radical alternative, what is the difference of a Christian going to war and a non-Christian going to war?



As the sun rises tomorrow, I pray that God will grant grace and courage to present the third option in love. I'd appreciate your prayers, especially around 1:00 p.m.!

Crisis.

It is so easy for us to become so consumed with the day-to-day requirements that we forget to look beyond the weather here, the this morning, the to-do list this afternoon, and the party tomorrow evening. We forget to look beyond ourselves to a world that is dying before our eyes.

Violence in the Middle East.

Hopefully that statement comes as no surprise to anyone; violence is present in so many areas of the world, and especially concentrated in the Middle East and parts of Africa and Asia. However, I think many of us overlook a now-21-day crisis in Gaza, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Not many of us are aware that more than 1,100 Palestinians have died, more than 5,000 Palestinians are injured, countless others homeless refugees. Not many of us are aware that at least 13 Israelis have died and others are injured. Not many of us are aware that it seems as though each day humanitarian aid (food, health supplies, shelter, etc) are turned away or destroyed in attacks on Gaza. Not many of us are aware that each refugee is only given 6 pieces of bread each day.

And we have the audacity to fear and complain about our "hopeless" economic times? Yes, we are in a different position than we were several years ago, economy-wise. But, we are still blessed beyond what we deserve. How can we possibly complain when there is a deadly, heartbreaking crisis happening in Gaza?

Perhaps this is my soapbox for the day, for the week or for the month. I'm not sure why this crisis touches my heart and mind in this way. I've never gone to the Middle East, I don't know anyone personally who lives in Gaza, and I'm not typically one to keep up-to-date on political/national/global events. Certainly violence is nothing new to our minds (although many of us cannot imagine the physical and emotional horror of it), and certainly not to this area of the world. But, that doesn't mean we shouldn't care. So what part of this story gets to me? I'm not sure.

But I am sure that we should be on our knees concerning this situation. We have brothers and sisters in Gaza who are hiding, avoiding and fleeing attacks for their lives.

I am sure that we should be relooking at our current financial state and praising God for His provisions, even now in these "difficult times" (by Western definition, of course).

I am sure that we should be writing Gaza on our hands, on our mirrors, on our doors to remind ourselves of the life-threatening crisis in the Middle East.

Please pray for a strong ceasefire and peace in Gaza. They need us to be their brothers and sisters, even in the midst of our busy schedules of Western lives and worries.

Not Just Numbers.

The following is a blogpost from Peter Miller, one of several MCC workers in Palestine who are keeping a blog to shed some light on the crisis in Gaza. This is staggering; please pray for peace.

Other contributors to this blog have noted how pervasive news coverage of
Gaza is within Palestine. On buses, the radio seems to constantly be tuned to
the latest update from Gaza. At the grocery store, the TV behind the counter
shows clips of rubble and mangled limbs and IDF spokespersons. At the internet
cafe, computers display Facebook groups announcing the next demonstration. In
this whirlwind of images and sounds and information, we wait for the numbers.
The numbers of the dead, the numbers of the injured, the number of days that
this catastrophe has continued. These numbers are always changing---always
growing.

These are the numbers that I am encountering today (unless otherwise noted,
figures are from the United Nations):

19 days of death and destruction
971 Palestinians dead
----311 children
----76 women
4,418 Palestinians injured
----1,549 children
----652 women
9 Israeli soldiers dead
4 Israeli civilians dead
58 Israeli civilians injured
4 UN staffers killed
6 UN staffers injured
49 UN buildings damaged or destroyed
4 aid convoys attacked
3 rockets fired from Lebanon into Israel this morning
8 shells fired back at Lebanon from Israel this morning
35,520 Gazans are displaced due to the fighting

6 pieces of bread given to each displaced person each day by the UN
38 of 47 bakeries have been closed due to shelling
28 of 58 Palestinian Ministry of Health healthcare centers have been closed due to shelling
1 Christian health clinic completely destroyed by an air strike
½ million Gazans do not have running water
170 babies born in Gaza every day
56% of Gazans are children under age 18
100,000 Spanish demonstrators demanding an end to attacks in Gaza
1.5 million people live in Gaza (similar to the population of Idaho)
139 sq. miles--the size of Gaza (twice the size of Washington, D.C.)

I have a hard time keeping track of these numbers. After a while they start to lose their strength and their meaning. After 19 days of tallies and analysis, it is easy for me to forget that every number has incalculable meaning to someone else.
The difference between 5 pieces of bread and 6 pieces of bread means something to
someone in Gaza. Healthcare center number 32 used to be just down the street
from a family in Gaza and now they have to take their sick and injured
elsewhere. The fourth Israeli soldier killed in this conflict has a mother who's
life will never be the same. The 170th baby born later today—if she survives the
coming weeks—will grow up in a devastated society. Protestor number 87,312
believed that he should skip work to march through the streets of Madrid as an
act of solidarity with Gazans.

These numbers matter.
Behind every number is a story and a person.

Write It Down.

You want a man who will lead you down the beach, with his hand over your eyes, just so you can discover the feel of the sand beneath your feet. You want a guy who will wake you up at dawn, just bursting to talk to you---he can't wait another minute just to find out what you'll say.


from Runaway Bride . . . I think that's the right movie . . . ?

Here and Now.

How would I know the sunrise, if I knew not midnight?

I just finished listening to a song that is currently one of my favorites, Sunrise, by Nichole Nordeman. To me, it's a powerful song speaking to the point of struggles, pain, heartbreak, "valleys". . . all those things that we use to describe the difficulties in life. It seems we are always looking on the other side of the fence, wishing we were somewhere else, wondering why we have to experience this, now? I certainly find myself asking that, and I'm not even out in "real life" yet.

We need to learn to live in the here and now. Not obsessively so, but sometimes we (especially my peers and I) get so focused on tomorrow, next week, next year, that we forget to watch how God is working right now, we forget to learn what He is teaching right now. Too often we rush through today to get to tomorrow, because either we hate the realities of today or long for the dreams of tomorrow. Living fully today does not mean that we resign to the thought that tomorrow will be exactly like today and nothing will ever change. It just means accepting today, for now, serving the most through it and gaining the most wisdom, strength, grace and patience from it.

Sometimes this also means living with the questions of today without needing to know the answers. A friend shared a quote with me about this from Rainer Maria Rilke:

"Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in
your heart. Try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like
books written in a foreign language. Do not now look for the answers. They
cannot now be given to you because you could not live them. It is a question of
experiencing everything. At present you need to live the question. Perhaps you
will gradually, without even noticing it, find yourself experiencing the answer,
some distant day."

Who knows, maybe today is meant to make tomorrow even more beautiful? Maybe midnight today will make tomorrow's sunrise even more breath-taking. . .


I certainly hope so! : )