Merry Christmas!!

This Christmas, though packed with friends, church family, and contact with family, has also been filled with twinges of loneliness. Yet I am thankful for those moments, because they are a reminder that...

This world is not my home, I'm just a passing through

My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue

The angels beckon me from heaven's open door

And I can't feel at home in this world anymore

Oh Lord you know I have no friend like You

Moving right along, this is what I've been listening to lately. What a reminder of reality in the midst of the ever-present distraction of consumerism this season.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqgJ9OCy3Kg

Merry Christmas!

...and just a glimpse of my adventures this Christmas, I went hunting for the perfect Christmas tree, and I think I found a pretty good one :)

It has arrived

I got a package today!!

Thank you to the wonderful ladies who put it together and sent it off. I've already had opportunity to share of its bountiful goodness :)

God's Provision

In my reading of the Bible, my knowledge of the stories from the Bible times, I often used to wonder why miracles don't seem to happen these days. I wondered why God chose to split the Red Sea for the Israelites, or how Jesus chose which paralyzed man to heal, or why He doesn't show up on a beach where I was swimming with a fish fry like He did for the disciples. I know that miracles happen, but in my knowledge of them, they seem to happen in foreign countries to people who have no other way. And when I think about it, it is the same in the Bible. Jesus didn't heal the the people who were healthy, He didn't feed the people who were at home with their pantries full, He didn't part the Red Sea so the Israelites could just go for a walk in the park. In each of these cases there is a need to be met, an opportunity for God to bless someone, and an opportunity for His glory to shine!

And, through my time here in Texas, living away from family, away from friends, and away from my mother's cooking, I'm learning that maybe miracles do happen to me, I just need to give God opportunity. I read a quote recently that reminded me of this: “When we are weak, Christ has the opportunity to be strong. When we are shattered, he can then go to work reassembling us. When we are defeated, he lends us his victory. When we are dispirited, he infuses us with his joy” (Gracia Burnham, To Fly Again). He provides when there is need. At home, my mom and dad do a pretty good job of making sure I'm warm, I'm fed, and I have a job to provide money. Here, not so much. So while I'm here, God has opportunity because I have need; and I am amazed to see the ways in which He provides. He is amazing. 

Just to give you a glimpse of the ways He provides, here is a list from this month (by no means complete) of things I have received, without any mention on my part of need:

-food (cereal, bacon, fruits, veggies, honey, hot chocolate, bread and biscuits, oatmeal, cupcakes, tamales, tortillas, chips, fish, a pumpkin, etc)

-a space heater (we're not using the main heater in our house because it heats the attic better than the house, and I was getting pretty chilly)

-a friend (she came out to visit, and took care of me when I got sick)

-a week off of work (right when I got sick, perfect timing)

-encouragement (sometimes things get hard, and encouragement seems to come when I least expect it and most need it)

-rides (I have a habit of walking most places, but I really appreciate those times when people surprise me by offering me a ride)

-necklaces (though they aren't a necessity, they are beautiful)

-money (both random generosity, and also some designated for gas, food, or bills)

-a house (to house sit for a couple of days, complete with a heater, bathtub, food, and dogs)

What a miracle! And looking back at this list, I can see that God doesn't provide only what I need, but He gives extra, enough that I can share with others and so double the blessing. How amazing is that!

Joy

In my perusing of the internet today, as I was looking for information about informed consent, emergency protocols, and grief resources, I saw something that made my heart smile, so that is what I will share with you today.


ps. this is originally drawn by a young lady named Dana (I'm not sure who she is, but I like this drawing)

Thanksgiving

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever!

Another thanksgiving season is over, and black Friday was survived yet again. This thanksgiving was spent partially working, partially enjoying food and friends, and partially resting. Since there's been nothing of note happening lately, here are some things that I've been especially thankful for in this season of thanksgiving:

-warmth.  My roommates and I are trying to keep the furnace as inactive as possible to keep bills more affordable. Since houses down here have very poor insulation, home life has been frigged lately, but since I have a ton of blankets, I figured that was God's way of providing for me, and I was thankful for the protection from the cold. But then, as I was leaving a friend's place, she disappeared into the back corner of her house and emerged with a space heater, so now I have both blankets and a space heater. God is good!

- friends. On thanksgiving I was blessed with time spent hanging out with my clinic friends outside of shift. It was a blessed change from the usual work-related friendship we have. Also, God sent me a friend during these days over thanksgiving. What a blessing it has been to have someone who is willing to talk, to walk, to rest, to challenge my point of view, to remind me to rest, and to bring me back to the truth of the bible. What a much needed encouragement. God is good!

-a home.  Yes, I'm currently sitting on a comfortable leather couch, using wireless internet, having just eaten a wonderfully delicious breakfast, enjoying the company of my friend, and basking in the warmth of a normally functioning heater. One of the couples from my church went away for the weekend, and invited us to house sit for them, leaving us a house full of warmth and food. God is good!

I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. 

~psalm 27:13-14

Winter Wonderland

Good morning, and welcome to El Paso. The time is 10 am, it is -3* C, and the weather is SNOWY!



Though this is just a random image I found online, the mountains and clouds did look very similar to this yesterday evening. This morning I woke up to a sheet of ice covering the roofs, the sidewalks, the cars, and the streets. It was beautiful; treacherously beautiful.

Thankfulness

After months of being forgotten, thankfulness is back on this blog. I read a quote lately about choices: Whatever you choose, remember it’ll become easier to make the same choice tomorrow... and that's what reminded me of being intentionally thankful. You see, I work with some people who have the ability to express precisely what they dislike about their situation, and I also work and live with others who have honed the ability to express things that they are thankful for. Based on my experiences with these different types of people, I know that thankfulness is a blessing, an encouragement, a gift. So this morning, again, I am choosing to be thankful.

Here are a couple of things that I am thankful for:
-my daily bread...or less specifically: my daily food. God seems to provide in any and every way possible, and He is never late.
-rest. Though it may or may not come in the form of sleep, there is always enough rest. God says "come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest". He has yet to fail on that promise. Though sometimes the rest He gives is peace of mind and rest for the soul, this past night at work we were all able to rest for a solid 4 hours last night. It was so needed.
-time. There is always enough time for the things that are important. Reexamining priorities is a must in this case, but once priorities are in place, there is always enough time for the necessary.

And speaking of necessary, I need to get back to work to get the clinic ready for the day before the change of shift.

Update on Entertainment

Life is the same old-same old: shifts, classes, homework, and church. Since there's not much to share about life lately, here's a short synopsis of what my life looks like when I'm not out and about or doing homework:

What I'm reading:

http://www.amazon.com/Land-Blue-Burqas-Kate-McCord/dp/0802408141


What I'm listening to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QPuBfJLGik

and:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Edf6IK6ELWs


What I'm watching:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxH2fPhrNEc

The Blessing of Youth

This past weekend I had the adventure of a lifetime (or at least it was the adventure of my lifetime here in El Paso). I went camping!
Now, it's not what probably comes to mind. We weren't in tents in the middle of the desert surviving dust storms. We went to a cabin in the middle of a forested mountainous area. It was beautiful. After a year in the desert, you get used to it. Smelling the scent of pines, seeing the sun rise to melt the frost in the morning, and eating off a fire was such a change from the everyday life. What a blessing!
Along with the blessing of being out in nature, there was also the added blessing of the people I was with. You see, I had been invited along on a youth retreat, so I was in the company of a whole bunch of young people. The contrast between my responsibilities as a midwife and my responsibilities on this trip with the youth was so drastic! After a year of midwifery studies, what a much needed reminder of the diversity that can be had in life. What a reminder of life outside of school!
God is good!

Not Alone

I've never lived in a city before without being in a college campus bubble. Living in such a sprawling city is daunting at times, yet exciting, and after having lived here for over a year now, I'd say I know my way around pretty well. I've walked all over the streets of central and downtown El Paso. I know the bus routes to get me to the places I frequent. I've made acquaintances of hotel workers, cashiers, security guards, bus drivers, and neighbours. But even with these people that I know, sometimes I feel alone in the middle of this big city. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if I made myself scarce for a while. How long would it take people to realize? I wonder how many others feel the same way. And what can I do to make a difference? How can one person change anything?

Well, I found out the other day. I was on my way to a friend's house, and was waiting by the bus stop. There was still a good 15 minutes time till the next bus came, so I made myself comfortable on the ground a short way from the stop and pulled out my guitar to help the time go faster. As others trickled towards the stop, one man came my way, and using music as a conversation starter, he started asking questions and telling stories about his cat. He seemed content to talk, paying no attention to if I answered his questions or not, so I let him ramble on while I continued to watch the traffic and the people around. As the light turned red, one car pulled up near the bus stop. The woman inside rolled down the window, waved to get my attention, then gave me the 'all clear?' sign, as if asking if I was ok. I quickly affirmed that I was ok, and she drove off to wherever her life was taking her. I don't know her, we never even exchanged words, yet in those five seconds and with that one motion she let me know that she was watching out for me. God reminded me that I was not alone.

That is what I can do to make others know that they are not alone. I can care about the lives of those around me. I can let God's love overflow to touch the people I pass in the streets. I don't need to get to know people in order for them to know they are cared for, I just need to keep my eyes open.

Just Another Day

Today is one of those days: a day busy with appointments, a night long with labour, and a morning filled with baby footprints and fresh biscuits.  It's a day of loss. A day of death. A day of beginnings. A day of life. A day of healing.
For one mother, the loss is that of the freedom that comes before children. For another, it is that of her yet-unborn child. For the other it is the sacrifice of a job and a lifestyle for the return blessing of a growing  family. For one, it is just the beginning of the process of pain and grief. For another, it is the rejoicing of new life, and the healing of old wounds.
And for me, it's just one more day in the life of a midwife.

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another.

~Romans 12:16-17

The Current Normal

After a year of doing the same thing at clinic every shift, there has been a change. The new students arrived a month ago, and, on the 21st of September, they started work in the clinic. Being new, they have lots of questions, and need quite a bit of help; so keep everyone else from going crazy trying to do their job and help the students acclimatize to life in the clinic, they've asked a couple of us 'older' students to come in on our days of to be there specifically for the new students. This means that I've had the opportunity to come in a couple of times for 12 hour shifts (only 12 hours!!) to help the new students get into the flow of things. It has been such a good change to be in the clinic, to be working, but to be working directly with the students instead of the clients. This experience has reminded me how much I enjoy working with the clients, but it has also given me a chance to better know the new students and influence them, teaching them to work as a team and look out for each other. It has been teaching me the importance of not letting others look down on me because of my age, but to set an example in my speech, my work, my life, my love, and my faith. 

*Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. ~1 Timothy 4:12

The Beauty in Reality

I have been in this program for a year. Last Saturday we had a graduation ceremony in celebration of all the students who are now on their way to their next phases of life. This time of celebration brought with it a big reality check. This year has been a tough year. It's been a good year, filled with learning, but it's been a really tough year. Just looking at what has gone on in clinic, this year has consisted of:

-over 2,900 clinical hours individually

-over 600 class hours 

-over 500 births as a class

-over a hundred sleepless nights

-thousands of loads of dirty laundry

-millions of pages of paperwork

Yet even with the grueling schedule, lack of sleep, and over-all difficult year, one of my classmates whose memory works in snapshots reminded us of the the good times midst the hardness: of times we came out of a water birth soaked to the bone and doubled over with laughter; of blowing kisses at each other while cleaning clots out of drains and rinsing off moms; of joyous melodies wafting out of the backyard shack where someone must be scrubbing blood, guts, grit and grime out of the sheets; of stories shared and hearts heard while dosing off in between births; of midnight baking parties while a mom's birth process is going slowly; of hard times where a simple touch brings torrents of tears; of the stillness and serenity of the deep darkness that comes before the morning; and, always, of the hope that comes with the first rays of morning light and a new day: a reminder of the beauty of life in the trenches. 

Downpour

So much for living in a desert. These past days have been filled with spatterings of rain, and today it has been steadily raining all day. The streets are flooded, the sewer systems are overflowing, and our leaking ceiling is starting to cause chunks of paint and particulate matter to be raining down on the containers spread out on the floor. One of the good things about this leaking water is that our floors are now totally clean. After having survived a couple of months without being washed, they are no longer in need of cleaning :)

General News

Hey there,

Life's been a busy mess lately. In these past couple of weeks since the last post, I've enjoyed the serenity and simplicity of living alone, and now I have roommates. The house is full once again, and the people living in my home are as diverse as the places they come from. I now have roommates from central Texas, New Mexico, and Washington. Along with their moving in, I've been asked to help teach some of their classes, and coordinate their first 24 hour shifts in the clinic to make their transition a bit smoother. Needless to say, that, together with the final exam next week, is keeping me quite busy, busy enough to actually have forgotten for a couple of days that I have a blog.

But not all I do is business. Today, as the sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon, I took the time to run out to the mountain and watch it until it was well established in the sky. This evening I'm taking a break from the studies to go to a potluck to welcome the new students. I was also invited to go see a movie in the canyon, but I think sleep is more important at the moment, so I'm skipping out on that.

So life goes on. Beautiful. Busy. Bountiful.

Pain

The other day I was out in my yard, digging and pulling, sweeping and watering. I was feeling tired, but accomplished, when I felt a twinge of pain between my toes. Thinking it was just an ant, I reached down to wipe it off and squish it to death, and instead I got a thistle stuck in my finger.

It made me think. I was reacting as if to an ant biting me, when it was just a thistle. I ended up in pain, when I could have instead assessed the situation and reacted in a way to take care of it easily and painlessly. How often do I react to people based on the immediate feeling I get instead of taking the time to actually see them and see their needs and where they are coming from. How often to I end up getting hurt because I've reacted to someone based on perception and prejudice instead of seeing the person for who they are and what they're going through.

Curdie and the Princess

This is just an update and explanation of my absence. My mom is here visiting (and taking care of me). She has been here for a week, and will be here for another week. I doubt I will be posting until after my mother has returned to Canada. Needless to say, I am grateful  that my mother is here.
One part of her visit that I have really enjoyed is "Curdie and the Princess". This is a phenomenally written fantasy, one of George Macdonald's best. If you enjoy quick reads, fantasy, adventure, principles and values, this is a great book. Mom found this treasure at the thrift store, and it can be found online too. It's written for kids, but it has so many underlying themes and is so well written, that it kept my mom and I looking forward to our afternoon reading rests.

The Heart of the Storm

It's raining here, and it's not the light spattering that seems to be common down here. No. Tonight has been a night of thunder and lightning and pouring rain. Despite these conditions, until recently I was fast asleep. Granted, I woke up to the window shaking crash of thunder that sounded at the same time as the light flashing through the windows, but, knowing I had nothing to fear, I went right back to sleep.
On getting up to help a labouring mom, I was greeted by the exclamations of "We were hit! We were hit!"
It seems as that coinciding lightning flash and thunder crash was the moment when one of my coworkers, working downstairs by the window, looked out to see a corner of our clinic's roof get hit by branches of lightning.
In the heart of the storm, pounded by rain and hit by lightning, I felt safe in this rickety old house. Just like that, in the eye of the proverbial storm of life, I can take rest in the knowledge that I am hidden away in the safety of my Refuge.

A Matter of Perspective

After a long night of work, I grabbed the garbage and headed out to the dumpster as an excuse to get a bit of fresh air. I felt tired and sapped of energy after having spent the night caring for a woman and her newest son. As I tossed the bags in with the rest of the trash, I swept a glance over the surroundings and caught sight of a man sleeping at the entrance of the alley. I had seen this man before, often waking him as I maneuvered around his sleeping form in my journey to the clinic and I had never quite known how to respond to his presence. Some days I have looked at the empty bottles surrounding him and have ached for the difficult experiences he must have gone through in his lifetime. Other times I want to have the guts and the time to sit down with him and hear some of what must be thousands of stories packed away in his memory. At times I have wondered how much of his lifestyle is supported by taxpayers. And I have to admit that there are some days when I hardly even take note of his presence.
This morning, as I was surveying the scene, I saw a part of his life that no amount of privilege or money could buy, a part of his life that is because of his 'lack' of these things. He was waking up slowly, stretching his aching muscles and taking in deep drafts of fresh morning air, all the while, in front, above, and all around him was playing out a most beautiful dance of colours and clouds welcoming the rising sun. Imagine waking up to the sunrise and being able to watch it, all of it, just by opening your eyes.
I was watching this, and thinking to myself how I wished that I didn't have to be at work, how I wished that I could be out in the morning air watching with him the whole sunrise from beginning to end. How marvelous! Yet, in the same thought I was reminded of the blessing and opportunity that I had had that night, the chance to see a new life enter the world, the privilege of being entrusted to care for this child and his mother in the first hours of their life together, and I was reminded again of beauty and miracles I have opportunity to experience daily as well. It was a reminder that beauty, blessing, and privilege is in the eye of the beholder.

Random Discription

Words. They can be used for so many things. They can convey action. They can represent objects. They can communicate thoughts and ideas. They can provide description. 

Now as far as descriptions go, I'm sure each of us have been described by others in many ways that have been interpreted both as positive or negative. Hard-working. Lazy. Punctual. Late. Rich. Poor. Messy. Perfectionist. Conservative. Manipulative. Pretty. Slow. Fat. Socially adept. Quiet. Tall. Amazing. Different. Popular. Wise. Funny. Accepting. Stupid. Quick. Selfish. Introverted. Faker. Joyful. Thoughtful ...I could go on, but you get the idea. These words are all words that have been used to describe me. I have heard them used about me in the past 9 months. In thinking about and actually writing them down, I come to realize how much power I tend to give words. The ones that I see as negative especially stand out as personal failures, as ways in which I have not met expectations. On the other hand, the ones I think of as positive are on a level a normalcy, descriptions which I tend to impossibly expect myself to live up to without fail. 

Yet in looking at these words I can see just how many of the words I interpret as negative also have their opposite in the list of descriptive words. Seeing so many of these words in one place causes me to realize just how much these words depend on perspective. How the speaker of the word sees me will influence what words they choose to describe me. How I'm thinking and interpreting will influence how I interpret those words said about me. These words rely on perspective. And the influence that these words can have on me is determined by how much weight I give them. 

Thinking logically, I knowing how easily my own view of others can be greatly influenced by my own attitude/mental state at the time of interaction, so that should be taken into account when I hear others describe me. Thinking of it that way, the only descriptions I can rely on to be fully true of me would have to come from somebody who knows me in every way and in every situation. The only one I know who knows me in this way is God, and according to Him, I am chosen by Him, alive in Him, free through Him, and I am His. 

Now....getting back to what I was going to share when I first wrote the title of this blog. Yesterday I was described in a way I had never imagined would happen. Ever. One of the ladies from the clinic invited her Mexican boyfriend to visit her at work (and to bring us all supper), and throughout the course of the evening I noticed that, though his first language was obviously not English, he would speak to everyone in English, but when he was talking to me he'd switch to Spanish. Finally, out of curiosity, the question came up as to why he was doing that, and he turns to me with a look of confusion, which was soon met with a look of astonishment when he asked, "You're not Mexicana?" 

Power!

Guess what! I've got no power. Seriously. The power got shut off at my place in the middle of this week due to a roommate moving out, and with the 4th of July and the back-up of being the beginning of the month, I won't be able to get it back on till Monday. What a downer...

Just kidding! I have to say that I am quite enjoying it! It has been exciting to see how it changes the way life runs. I can no longer stay up late reading or studying. I get out more because I can only buy so much without having a refrigerator. I'm not distracted as much by being entertained. I've had excuse to totally clean out my fridge. I've had reason to write some more snail mail. I've had excuse to hit the hay earlier. I could definitely get used to this (especially when I live close to so many places where I can go to have air conditioning or internet...).

Housing

I'm sure a lot of you have lived through the experience of looking for a place to rent. Some of you have even lived though trying to find a place to buy. And I think most of us would say that it is not something we'd want to do frequently. 

That's what I was thinking at the end of last month when one of my roommates said she was moving out. Then another one followed her shortly after, leaving the rest of us scrambling. This month has been a whir of working, school, homework, and house-hunting; not exactly the combination I would have asked for. Though there were countless moments in which I felt discouraged and wanted to throw in the towel on this whole ordeal, in the middle of it all God would remind me that He is the one who provides for all my needs. So I kept praying, I kept looking, and I kept waiting. 

And, just as He promises, God totally took care of the whole situation in His timing (which to me seemed really last minute, but that's because I couldn't see what He had planned). It was a back and forth issue for the whole month of June. I was under the understanding that as long as the three of us roommates stayed in our place and kept paying, it was ok if we stayed, even without the fourth roommate. But my roommates kept waffling between saying they were moving out and saying they wanted to stay. I was doing my best to just wait it out and keep my cool until they came to a final decision. 

Finally on Monday evening my roommate came home glowing! She had found a place, and as she described it to me, I could see that it was a perfect fit for her. That night I did my best to sleep, seeing as there was nothing I could do till morning, but my mind kept racing around trying to figure out what I would do, where I would live, what I should pack, what I could leave. The next morning, after prolonging the inevitable till lunchtime, I finally called the landlord and let him know that my roommates were moving out. I was about to ask him what date he wanted the house empty, when instead I asked what he was hoping for the house. He let me know that he was glad for the empty house since he was hoping to do some renovations, but then he asked if I'd be willing to stay in the house so it wouldn't be empty. So there you have it! For the next two months I get the whole house to myself for the price of one room! This'll give me the chance to organize and clean up the things left here by previous renters, and also will give me a place to rest and enjoy the quiet. 

In the end, I'd like to think that I have a relatively creative imagination, yet God worked this out in a way that had never crossed my mind. His thoughts are not my thoughts, and He does work all things out for good. 

Hope

If you know one thing about where I live, it's that I live in a desert. And if I were to tell you one fact about what deserts are like, it's that deserts are dry. Very dry. 

It takes a while for the body to adjust to life in a desert when you first get here. Your hair gets really greasy because your body is trying to compensate. Your nose becomes a mucous factory, yet still manages to get cracked and irritated. Your skin starts flaking every time you scratch it. It's quiet the ordeal. 

It might seem like moving to a desert would be the last thing on everyone's list because of the inconveniences: flaking skin, dust that gets into every crack and corner, temperatures so hot your pores expel all the water in your body the second you step out the door, winds that blow hard enough to give you miniature welts from the sand it throws against your body, and the list goes on. Yet there is one thing that makes living in a desert worth it: desert rain. 

For those of you who living in a place that has a rainy season and you get drenched, flooded, and all out sick of this water-falling-from-the-sky phenomenon, you might not understand. But when you live every day under the beating hot sun, day in and day out, there is a certain sense of excitement when there are rain clouds on the horizon. Even though most of the time the rain detours around us, there is a spark of anticipation when the dark clouds start looming. But what really stirs up hope is the smell. Though few and far between, clouds come and go. But when you can smell the scent of rain, hope blossoms. 

When it smells of rain, it hardly matters what you had been in the middle of doing, it draws you outside. The other day I had planned to go to bed early, but when I smelt the rain I ran outside and sat on the fence to watch the clouds darken the sky and wait for the rain. There is always the possibility that the rain won't come, and here in El Paso, the possibility that it won't rain is a lot higher than the opposite. But probability is of little consequence. When there is the smell of rain, hope is in the air. Even if rain doesn't fall, we are reminded once again that there is something other than dryness. We are reminded of the possibility of something different. We are reminded that dust isn't the end all and be all of life. There is hope. 

O God, You are my God; I earnestly seek You.

I thirst for You, my whole being longs for You

                   in a dry and weary land where there is no water. ~Psalm 63

Invader Update

I had just arrived at the house, and, having not taken my keys with me when I left, I went around to my window. I jimmied it open, and had just fallen through it head first when I realized that I was not alone in my room. I knew this first because I sensed something else in the room, then I heard the skittering noises, and then I finally caught sight of him. The cockroach had made the mistake of being surprised while in the middle of the room. 

Going back through old posts, I realized that I never gave closure to what happened to the cockroach that had taken up residence in my room. Though I hadn't seen him since my first post about him, I had heard him on a number of occasions, and was getting used to the fact that I'd never be able to catch him. I was getting used to him, until the day I fell through my window and caught sight of him again. Then, I took full advantage of the opportunity by grabbing the nearest shoe and sending some semi-well aimed swats in the general direction in which I had first spotted him. Needless to say, I once again have my room to myself. 

Pick Up Lines

I don't usually specify who I'm writing to in my blogs, as I am usually writing to anyone who wants to be reading, but this post is for a specific audience. This is addressed to all the young men reading this blog who are single and looking.

I don't know about you, but when I was in youth group, and even in college, every once in a while the subject of pick up lines would come up, and the guys would go around trying out pick up lines on the girls: "I would part the Red Sea for you", "Did it hurt? When you fell from heaven?", "I was reading the book of Numbers and realized that yours is missing", and other things like that. Not that I'm a big fan of pick up lines, but having had the experience of being on the receiving end of quite a number of them, I thought I'd share some with you as kind of a 'what-not-to-say' type thing.

A while ago, I was walking my bike along the side of the road heading to a friend's place when I heard a car slowing down behind me. Looking over, the man was rolling down his window. He leaned his head out and remarked "I like the way you ride your bike. Where do you live? We should hang out sometime. Can I have your number?"
'What's wrong with this?' you might ask. He asks questions. He compliments. Those are both good things...except that he's complimenting me on something that I'm not actually doing, and the questions ask for too much information too soon.

The other day I was coming out of the library when I was approached by a young man. "Can I use your phone to call my grandma?" he asked. "I need to check in on her, and then get your number yet too."
He was off to a great start, bringing his grandma into the conversation, because how a man treats the women in his family lets us see how he might treat his future girlfriend/wife someday. But, gentlemen, if you're asking to use someone's phone, make sure your phone doesn't start ringing as you're asking. That really discredits anything else you say.

And then today I was walking home from church. I walked around a car that was waiting to merge from a parking lot into traffic, and as I kept going I heard the man open his door and call after me. Assuming he was offering me a ride (which is usually the case in this situation), I yelled over my shoulder that, no thank-you, I was good. He must have realized that I had no idea what he said, because at the next intersection, there was the same grey sedan waiting at the corner. I wasn't sure what to do at first, but the man hadn't been crass when he addressed me the first time, so I just walked around the car again and was going to keep on going when he called to me again. This time I stopped and turned around to see what he had to say, and it came out something like this: "I ain't tryin' to stalk you o' anything miss, but I think yo kinda cute. If you give me yo number we could hang sometime."
Yes, he was polite. But gentlemen, if you have to frame what you are saying by clarifying that you're not a stalker, you might want to rethink either the timing of what you're saying, or if you should be saying it at all.

All of these men incorporated something good in their pick up intents, but the end result was just not a positive result. So learn well from their mistakes.... And don't hit on random girls you see walking down the street. Please.

Water for Weary Souls

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in" ~Matthew 25:35

This morning I was in the back yard of the clinic, writing in my journal and enjoying the brisk morning before the start of a new shift. As I was relaxing and thinking, the dogs next door started barking, announcing the arrival of 'intruders' in the back alley; and soon after, two middle aged women came into view, huffing and puffing. As they caught sight of me, one of the women came towards the fence, waving to catch my attention. She called out to me, asking if she could have a bottle of water. As God would have it, I had just gotten a bottle of water from a friend the night before, and was able to pass that on to this young woman. She went on her way with a whoop and a holler, running to catch up with her friend while at the same time yelling out what had happened to her. Though I wasn't too sure about her over-enthusiasm, I was clad that I could be a blessing to her.

But, just a couple of minutes later, I saw this same woman shooting up in the alley behind the clinic. In that moment, I doubted whether I should have shared the water with her, if my gift had meant anything at all to her, if she had just been seeing if she could take advantage of me in some way. So quickly did my attitude change from open and giving to closed and suspicious, all based on the fact that now I knew about her drug addiction (which should have instead alerted me to the fact that here was another person in need of love). 

This made me think. My first reaction was that I had done something wrong in giving the water. But then I realized that, in reality, God doesn't say much about the recipient's use of what we give them, He seems to focus more on our attitude of generosity, that we take joy in giving to others what He has shared with us, that we overflow with the love that He has given us. My responsibility is not to control how others use what I can give; my responsibility is to live with open hands, remembering that all I have is a result of God's generosity towards me.

Rest

Nothing like two blogs in one day (not that either of these are actually my own writing). But I stumbled across a post in someone else's blog that I appreciated and thought might be appreciated by some of you as well. http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=f63562b3be485ea0ae33acf18&id=ac0bc66b7e

This is a blog on rest. With my studies and my life, I often find myself physically tired, and I'm realizing that sometimes my spiritual tiredness blends in with this physical exhaustion and goes undetected. So for me this was a good reminder to continue to rest in God.

Fun Facts

Life down here is going on as normal: clinic, school, church, and homework. With nothing extraordinary to note, I thought (with the help of my mother's ingenuity) that I'd let someone else do the talking this time, and give y'all some interesting facts about El Paso:

1. The Plaza Hotel

Hilton hotel mogul Conrad Hilton opened his first high-rise hotel in El Paso in 1930. The building, located at 106 Mills Ave., is now the Plaza Hotel and remains a landmark in the city’s skyline.

2. The Margarita

The tequila-based drink, the Margarita, was allegedly invented in the El Paso-Juárez region at Tommy's Place Bar on July 4, 1945, by Francisco "Pancho" Morales.

3. Mount Cristo Rey

The monumental statue of Christ atop Mount Cristo Rey is not technically a crucifix, as the palms of Christ face downward in a gesture of blessing.

4. The International Hotel

Elvis Presley, Steve McQueen and Ali McGraw all stayed at the once luxurious El Paso International Hotel, now a Doubletree Hotel.

5. Gen. John Pershing

Gen. John Pershing used El Paso High School’s Jones Stadium as a staging area during the pursuit of Francisco “Pancho” Villa.

6. El Paso Street

El Paso Street, the city’s first and oldest street, has seen the footsteps of Wyatt Earp, Pat Garrett, Billy the Kid, President William H. Taft, Pancho Villa, and was the scene of the infamous Four Dead in Five Seconds Gunfight.

7. Ysleta del Sur Pueblo

The Tigua Indian Reservation Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, located in El Paso County, is one of two Indian reservations in Texas.

8. Mountain Standard Time

El Paso is the only major Texas city on Mountain Standard Time. When its sister city, Ciudad Juárez, was on Central Standard Time, you could celebrate New Year's twice by making a short trip into Mexico.

9. The Borderland's First Thanksgiving

Spanish explorer Don Juan de Oñate arrived at the Rio Grande near El Paso and ordered his expedition party to rest and conduct a mass of thanksgiving on April 30, 1598.

10. Six Shooter Capital

Nicknamed the Sun City, El Paso earned an earlier moniker as the "Six Shooter Capital" during the late 1800s because of its lawlessness.

Invader!!

You know that post, way back in my first months here in El Paso, the one about the mosquito in my room? Well, tonight I saw a cockroach skittering into the corner of my room. A cockroach!

If it were only a mouse, I've trapped those before, I'd know what to do. But what do I do with a cockroach? At the moment it is hiding under the mattress, so for tonight I'll just have to pretend it doesn't exist and try to sleep.

So what do I do to get rid of a roach? How can I trap it? Any ideas?

Extremes

Another week has passed since I've returned from the snowy north. It was a drastic change from blowing snow to sand storms, from minus 30 to plus 30, from snowshoeing and tobogganing to frizbee and hiking. Even on my trip south, trying to get to El Paso, I left a country of snow to be caught in a snow/sleet storm. I escaped that to be caught in a rain storm. And finally I flew into a dust storm.

For vacation I was so relieved to have two weeks off where I could rest easy and not be constantly on the alert for the ever-pending call of "birth team", but now that I'm back in the clinic (currently up in the middle of the night because of one of those calls) I realize again how much I love this work. Yeah, it gets in the way of a normal life. No, it's not really all that fun. But I love it. And I'm glad I'm here for now.

CANADA!!!

It's been a full two weeks since my last post. And during these two weeks I've been in CANADA!!! Yes. I've been blessed once again! I was able to go home for my two week break, and though it was too short to fit in all the people I may have wanted to visit, God worked my schedule together so I was able to see many of my friends and family.

Being April, I was half expecting to come home to a land of slush and floods, but, lo and behold, the place I landed in was a winter wonderland!

To give you just a glimpse into my time here, one afternoon I headed to my friends' place, and this is a summary of how we spent our afternoon:

We made.

We destroyed.

We conquered.

April Fools

It is April. The first day of April in fact. And seeing as we sometimes celebrate this day by playing pranks, I had been thinking of what I could do here, on my blog, in honour of this day. The first idea was to tell you about my pregnancy, but for those who know me, that would be an extreme almost-impossibility. The next idea was to announce my engagement, but that also is kind of far-fetched without first having had a boyfriend. So then I thought I could let you know that I have a boyfriend. But that is too much of a possibility  at my age for me to be joking about it and I didn't want to have to back track and give explanations.
So I've settled on just letting everyone know that I'll be heading back to Canada later this week.

My Morning

As you have noticed, if you've been following this blog for any amount of time, there is a mountain in the middle of my city. And, as you can tell, the novelty of the mountain hasn't worn off yet for this prairie girl. 

After my encounter with the police last time I ventured onto the mountain side, I was eager to go back, but until this week I didn't take the time to do so. Finally, having a whole day off earlier this week, I walked to the mountain and realized just how close it is to my house, and I made a mental note to go back there soon.

So this morning, when I woke up as my roommate was getting up for work, I decided that I needed an adventure in my morning. Throwing on shorts and a T-shirt before my brain could convince me to stay in bed and miss the morning, I stuffed some food, homework, and sunscreen into my backpack and took off running. Less than half an hour later I was on the side of the mountain enjoying the beauty of the sunrise and the freshness of the morning. How glorious!

Thankfulness

I don't have much time today, but I do have time to be thankful. So here it goes:

I am thankful for
-leftovers!
-new students that are willing to learn and do and who bring new energy to the clinic atmosphere
-the spoonful of cookie dough ice cream that a friend just shared with me
-a phone call from my sister
-hanging out with the mission team from Portage that's here for the week
-having a mountain down the street where I can practice my climbing skills (or what skills I pretend to have)
-having vacation time coming up
-eating outside under the full moon
-and being able to (hopefully) sleep a bit tonight. I'm working today, and the day has been wonderful. I have so enjoyed it. I hope you're enjoying your life too, whether busy with plans and commitments or open to spontaneity.

Praise the Lord

This morning, as I was making my way home through the streets of El Paso watching the sky change from deep darkness and fade into the oranges and yellows of a new day I couldn't help but feel at peace with such a desire to praise the Lord for His goodness to me. The only words that could describe what was welling up within me were the words of the psalmist:

Praise the Lord, oh my soul!
All my inmost being, praise His holy name!
Praise the Lord, oh my soul!
And forget not all His benefits!
Who forgives all my sins
And heals all my diseases.
Who redeems my life from the pit
and crowns me with love and compassion.
who satisfies my desires with good things
so that my youth is renewed like the eagles.

The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses
His deeds to the people of Israel
The Lord is gracious and compassionate
slow to anger and abounding in love
He will not always accuse
nor will He harbour His anger forever.
As far as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is His love for those who fear Him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has He removed my transgressions from me.

As a father has compassion on His children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.
He knows how I am formed and remembers that I am but dust
As for me, I am like grass, flourishing like the flowers of the field.
The wind blows over it and it is gone and its place remembers it no more.
But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear Him
and His righteousness with their children's children,
with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey His precepts.

Praise the Lord, you His angels,
you mighty ones who do His bidding.
Praise the Lord, all His hosts,
you His servants who do His will.
Praise the Lord, all His works
everywhere in His creation.

Praise the Lord, oh my soul!

All in a Day's Work

I'm on a roll! It's 5:30 am. If I get this post done before the next woman comes needing my help, I will have three blogs up in a week. Following the idea of Monday's blog (general news), I'll give you a glimpse into what a work day looks for me at this point in my training. And I will use today's workday as an example.

For me, work starts at 8am. All of us midwives gather together in a circle, hold hands, and sing kumbaya. :) Well, we do circle and hold hands, but we use that time for the old shift to debrief us fresh hands on what is going on. I got handed-over a mom who had recently arrived in labour. She had had a c-section on a previous birth, so that changes our protocol as far as listening to the baby's heart, meaning that I had to listen to the heart tones every fifteen minutes. This gave me no time in between to do appointments, a nice change from the norm. At around mid-morning, mom stood beside the bed and pushed out a beautiful baby girl into dad's arms, allowing me the blessing to stand witness to the process. The next couple of hours were a blur of keeping an eye on mom and baby while trying to fill out all the necessary paperwork.

Though class was supposed to start at one, I only got away from the clinic at 1:30. Making my way two doors down to the school, I scrubbed down in the shower to wash off the blood from the birth, then got food together and went to join the rest of the class.

Today's class was about emergency procedures. All the students, my class, the newbies, and the graduating class were all there. We took the afternoon to enact different emergency scenarios that we face in the clinic, then took the time to critique our actions and reactions, going over every detail both for our benefit and the teaching of the new students.

(4:30 pm) Heading back to the clinic after class, I got my postpartum mom out the door, showing the whole family how to use the car seat properly and helping carry everything to the vehicle. Then another mom came in labour, so I took her vitals, and checked her. She still in early labour, so though we predicted she'd be back before the end of the night, it was still early enough for us to send her home to rest and relax a bit.

(7pm) I took advantage of the lull in activity to start "list". I signed up for different rooms and tasks around the clinic and slowly started going around and cleaning in order to check off the areas I had signed up for.

Finishing my part of list, and enjoying the quiet, I phoned a friend, then took the time to get ready for bed. (11pm) Just as I started brushing my teeth, the doorbell rang. And rang again. Spitting out my toothpaste and throwing down my brush, I ran to the door and was met by a smiling face. Looking around, I took in a couple more young ladies, and finally, doubled over in pain on the step of the van, a pregnant woman, seemingly on the verge of giving birth.

Throughout the next two hours, a couple of disconcerting things popped up, and we decided to transfer her to the hospital to get checked out. I guided the family to the hospital, going up with them to the L&D floor, and even getting to be with the client while in triage. (3am) When it was evident that I could be of no further help, I returned to the clinic to find that two labouring moms had been admitted while I was at the hospital.

I did what I could to help clean up the clinic and keep the laundry going, then sat down to write this blog. I'm kind of wary of making any moves towards going to sleep, because it seems that then is when the mom's ring the doorbell, but I've got to get some rest sometime.

Everything In Moderation

I've heard news from the far reaches of the north that some parts of this great world are still covered in snow. I've heard stories of snow so deep that it reaches almost to the eves of the houses. That sounds incredible!
In contrast, down here in the deep south that is not the case. Though I have been missing all the winter activities that come with the snow, I decided yesterday to embrace the warmth and enjoy the seasons that I have here. In light of that, and taking into account my upcoming exam, I decided to combine the two, taking my stack of notes outside to soak up both the warmth and the information at the same time. After hanging up the wash, I wandered around the yard, flipping through the pages and pages of writing as I went. It was perfect: the perfect temperature, the perfect studying conditions, the perfect day. It was so perfect that I spent the whole day out there... That was a mistake.
Once my brain started spazzing, I finally came to my senses. Yes it was perfect, but too much of a good thing is still too much. My brain was fried, and after a couple of minutes of being inside it became apparent that my skin was too.
This mishap reminded me once again that I need to live a balanced life, to live in moderation. My life is full, with work, school, church, friends, roommates, and the basics of staying alive; and I have to remember that my life will not be like everyone else's. Though I may look at other's lives and wonder at how they are able to be so involved in church, or how they get so much homework done, or how they are always on some adventure; my life is not their life. My balance will be different than theirs. And where God is leading me is be different than where He is leading them.

Life in General

Since it has been more than a week since my last blog post, and since I still have no idea what to write, this blog will be a general update of life.

School: I'm finally at the end of my second quarter, which means that I've been here for six months. This also means that there is an exam coming up this week, and that I'm being turned into an intern. Even though I feel as though I just got here, I'm no longer a new student so it is now my job to help teach and train the newbies.

Work: Not much to report. I haven't caught a baby since my two in a row that happened in mid-February.

Home: My new housemates have moved in, and one of them has become my roommate until my old housemate moves out. I enjoy that I am able to share what I have with this young lady, and she has been wonderful to have around.

Church: I've really appreciated the small group that I'm a part of; they have become like family here. I'm also blessed to be a part of the music team every once in a while, and I've been getting to know a lot of the youth girls as well. Now that I'm involved and am getting to know the people, it seems more like a church family.

Over-all, I am blessed. I have work that I love. I have friends who really care. I have a God who provides all that I need. I am blessed.

Not So Criminal Activity

As promised, I got a call from the police recently in regards to my adventure the other day. They let me know who the owners of the land are, then went on to say that since the area does not have clear boundary markings and there are no trespassing signs to be seen I was in the clear. They just asked that if I go out there again, I should be aware that I am on someone's property.

Criminal Activity pt. 2

As promised, here's yesterday's adventure:

I had been looking at my schedule, wondering how on earth I had stayed so busy for so long, and understanding one of the reasons for my state of tiredness. Seeing a semi-free day, I decided to go up to the mountain, find a secluded place, and spend some time reading, praying, and just being.
Making my way up the scenic drive, I found a beautiful lookout area overlooking the city. Hopping the ledge, I skipped over to the edge of what looked like a cliff, only to find that the edge of the mountain looked pretty climbable. So bit by bit, stopping to take in the view every once in a while, I made my way down the side of the mountain, sliding, jumping, and crawling till I finally made it to the bottom. It was exhilarating!

Stopping for a break, I pulled out an apple and took a bite, basking in the feeling of accomplishment, enjoying the feeling of freedom. Then, all of a sudden, with the wail of sirens, and a flashing of lights, I turned around to come face to face with the police.

The leader of the group approached me warily, looking around in every direction as if expecting a trap of some sort. He asked for ID, then went on to ask for all my information: home address, school address, phone number, date and place of birth, my business on this part of the mountain, if I was an artist, if I was suicidal, if I was hiding climbing gear in my bag, how long I had been in El Paso, if I was alone, and on and on the questions came.

When he finally finished with questions, the young man stood looking at all the information he had taken down as if trying to find the next piece in the puzzle. After a prolonged pause, I finally took my turn at asking questions, first asking his name, then, explaining that I had checked for "No Trespassing" signs, I asked if what I had been doing was in the wrong. The young man looked at his two companions who just shrugged their shoulders, then turned to face me.

It turns out that they weren't sure who owned the property I was on, so they couldn't tell me if I was going against laws or anything.  The reason they had come out was that they had been getting phone calls regarding a stranded hiker, an unsafe climber, and a suicide risk that was climbing around on the side of the mountain; so they had been sent to check it out. Seeing that it was just me, a girl (they were surprised to find that I was 'of age'), they weren't quite sure what to do, but they assured me that they would check things out regarding the land and get back to me.

In the mean time, one of the older cops gave me a ride back up the mountain to my car. So much for peace and quite and time to think...but what an adventure!!


*some writers' licence has been used in the telling of this story

Criminal Activity

I don't have enough time to write the whole story right now, but I will tell you that I had a run-in with the police today.

Sand Storms

Some days I still wake up and I feel as though I'm in a totally different world. I head outside and instead of seeing immense amounts of space in every direction, there are mountains on one side and yet the sky still stretches out in every direction as if it will never end.

I know I've mentioned sand storms before. I've probably mentioned them every time we've had one. And I will mention them again. I'm used to snow storms, and how they can create white-outs, but it is such a foreign idea to me that there could be enough dust in the air to obscure anything. Yet it happens. As I was walking home yesterday, enjoying the wind whipping through my hair and the slight chill in the air, I noticed that I couldn't see the mountain. There is a mountain in the middle of El Paso. I know that for a fact. But yesterday, no matter how many circles I turned, and no matter how sure I was that I was looking in the right direction, the mountain was nowhere to be seen. In fact, everything looked sort of like this:

I was amazed at how something so small, just a bit of dust, could obscure something so obviously big. It was again a reminder to me that just because I don't see something, that doesn't mean that God doesn't have something big on the horizon. I just have to keep trusting. 

Busing It

As you can probably tell, I have been busy lately. Either that, or I've just sort of forgotten that I have a blog :) To update you on my life, I've been working a lot in the past couple of days; working the regular shifts, and then also working a day in between to take care of an 'on call' client in labour. I'm still enjoying what I do, and I enjoy it immensely despite the long hours and exhaustion. 

After getting off of work on Sunday morning, I wanted some fresh air and time to think, so I packed up and headed out to walk to church. For those of you who know how far it is from my house to the church would know that it was a crazy idea. 6 miles of walking after having skipped a couple of nights of sleep! Looking back, it was evident that I hadn't thought everything through right. 

But I set out on my way, whistling and enjoying myself. After walking a good 2 miles, I realized that I wasn't going to get there in time. I thought through the people I could call for a ride, but the sound guy was busy, my small group leaders would be in the middle of Sunday school, the college and career leaders wouldn't have room with the two car seats in the back of their tiny car, the youth leaders were facilitating the youth Sunday school as well, and the bass player was in practice. So I kept walking for a bit, pondering what to do. 

I was just coming to terms with interrupting my small group leaders with a text when I saw a bus stop ahead of me. Knowing that I had three dollars in my pocket, and seeing that there was someone at the bus stop, I went up to the young man and asked him for help. I don't know what he thought of me, obviously college age and not knowing how to use the bus, but he readily explained everything to me, which buses went where and which bus I should get on and how much it would cost. Then he gave me two quarters so I wouldn't loose $.50 because of my dollar bills. As I got on the bus I confirmed my destination with the driver; and turning around to thank the young man I found that he had disappeared. 

Though it may be that he had places to go and people to see, I'd like to think that God sent him there to that particular stop so that I would be taken care of. 

The Traveling Duo

These past couple of days have been so full of blessings. One of the biggest of these blessings I want to share with y'all.
I've been in Texas for about 5 1/2 months now, and though I have a lot of friends here, I still miss my friends from back home. I got word that some of the missionaries from my church would be passing through the El Paso area around this time, and I got quite excited to finally be able to see someone, anyone, from my 'former life'. Then the reality of my life hit. They would be arriving on a Wednesday at lunch time, and leaving before 8 am the next morning...and it just so happened that I would be working on that specific Wednesday and wouldn't get off until Thursday morning, after 8am. So my friends would be in my city, and I wouldn't even be able to see them; in my mind that was worse than if they had never come at all. I was disappointed.
But then God stepped in.
I was at work when I got the text from Mr. Unrau that they would be trying to stop by the clinic when they arrived. I knew they were arriving around noon, so I worked as hard as I could to finish my appointments before noon rolled around. And then, just before the clock struck 12, a new client walked in, and since I was the only one not in an appointment, I was sent to do her appointment, and initial appointments take 2-3 hours! Though I took the client without grumbling, inside I was thinking I had just lost my chance.
But again, God was working in the background.
Instead of arriving in El Paso at noon like they had been expecting to, the duo had taken a bit of the scenic route, and after doing some shopping, Mr. Unrau and Alexander arrived at the clinic at 4:45pm, just fifteen minutes before the end of my lunch break. Though in writing, 15 minutes seems like such a short amount of time, in the experience of those 15 minutes, it felt like so much longer. Being able to fellowship and to share and hear about the way God has been working in the middle of my work day was such a blessing, and then to be prayed over. Wow! What a blessing it was. What an outpouring of God's love!

Irony

On my way to work, I often take different routes so that I can escape the red lights. While it doesn't always help, time-wise, it does let me see other parts of the neighbourhood. Sometime during the first months I had seen a storefront that made me laugh, and the other day I passed it by again and enjoyed the irony of the word choice and name of the store. I wanted to share it with you, but my lack of camera put that on hold until figuring out how to link up to google maps street view. So THIS is the store.

*translation: 'esperanza' means 'hope'

Stone Salad

You all know the story of the stone soup, right? (And if you don't you know how to google things probably). Today I had an experience like that. I had received a bunch of lettuce the other day from a friend who had found it in the dumpster, so I had volunteered to bring salad to my small group get together this evening. The only interesting part, I only had lettuce, and anyone who brings salad to a function knows that you can't just bring lettuce. You need something to bring colour and flavour to the salad.
As I was washing the leaves in the sink at the clinic after getting off of shift, one of the other midwives asked about what was going on. Explaining that I was bringing salad to an evening get-together, she 'tsk'ed me, saying that I couldn't just bring the lettuce, I needed tomatoes and cheese with it. Then she went over to her food stash and pulled those things out, handing them to me. Next, chopped onions were offered, and then some extra spinach. A carrot also appeared on the counter beside the growing bowl of salad.
So now, because of the generosity of others, I am able to share what I have with others in a 'respectable' fashion :)

A Tree in El Paso

Anyone who has known me for any amount of time knows that I like to climb, and I especially like to climb trees. Though I have mentioned once or twice in my writings that El Paso has no trees worthy of my time, I have been proven wrong. I present to you my tree. It may not look like much, but it did take some thinking and planning, scrapes and bruises to finally make it to up to the first branch, after which the tree is a beautiful haven with tons of easy branches right up to the top.

A Bowl of Sunshine

This past weekend I had the opportunity of a lifetime. I was hanging out with friends, wandering through the mountains, cruising the city, and enjoying the feeling of freedom. We somehow ended up at the local university, and after driving between all the buildings, came to the following scene:


Well, maybe it didn't look exactly like this, but you get the idea, and those of you who are football fans will recognize this as the sun bowl.  Seeing I had come to such an important place where many great feet before me had trod I took the opportunity to run between end zones, and up and down the bleachers before we moved on with our wanderings.

Penner

I'm just stopping by here to say that during my last shift, I had one of the best all-nighters that could be had. I got to spend the night serving a Mrs. (and Mr.) Penner. It was a delightful experience, and though I don't understand much Low German (thankfully they do understand English and Spanish), it felt like a taste of home.
Isn't it amazing how something, even something I don't understand can bring a feeling of comfort? That's a feeling I'm encountering more and more often as I go through life. As I see God working in and through my life, His love and mercy is such a comfort to me, even if I can't begin to grasp the infinite-ness of it.

Not Much

As you can tell from the title, there's not much going on. I've spent this past week sleeping, working, and eating, and since I was kind of sick, I did those things in that order and by now I'm feeling a lot better again. That sleeping, working, and eating thing seems to be the general cycle of my life these days. I don't remember how much I've shared about my schedule, but in a week I work no less than 48 hours and have 12 hours worth of classes. Looking at my past week and adding everything together, with three days of work and classes added on top, I spent a grand total of 90 hours of my life between work and classes. I am so thankful that I love the work that I do.
That said, I still had time to go to small groups on Friday (I was so grateful for the fellowship), and I spent that night with my El Pasoean "grandparents" who spoiled me with a wonderful breakfast before I went off to work the next morning. God is so good. He provides exactly what I need, despite a schedule like mine.

Hair

As you can see from the title, this post is about my hair. Now if you know me, you know that I spend hours and hours agonizing over my hair to get it to look as good as it does...or not. But in the five minutes I take on it, I try to make it look presentable. Now if this were a perfect world, I'd never have to take time for my hair. It wouldn't get greasy, it wouldn't look like a wet dog, and it wouldn't give me any worries.
But this world is by no means perfect, and I ran out of shampoo two weeks ago. Having no extra baking soda in the house, I decided that I would actually go out and buy some real shampoo like a normal person, so I headed to Walmart. Going through the beauty and hair aisle, I first found the cheapest brand, then the biggest bottle that didn't smell like something edible. I threw it in with my other purchases and didn't put any more thought into it. Not till the trouble started.
Before continuing, I have to let you in on a bit of a secret. I don't like washing my hair. And my hair usually lets me get away with that. In fact, I usually only need to wash it two or three times a week. Some of you might think that's crazy. Others might think I'm turning into a hippie midwife (don't worry, I've been doing this for years already). Whatever the case, it's my hair.
Moving on with the actual story...
Any girl knows that when you buy a new shampoo, there's always that 'getting used to each other' stage. This means that for a couple of days your hair can look pretty greasy no matter how often you wash it. Though I dislike this stage, I was prepared for it, and spent a week washing my hair every single day. But when on the second week my hair was still greasy by the end of a day, I was getting a little frustrated. Discouraged over my greasy hair (it wasn't even dry from washing it yet), this morning it finally clicked. I ran to the bathroom, realized there was some guy in it (a housemate's visitor), so I went to the kitchen and ate my breakfast as nonchalantly as I could before running back to the bathroom and checking the bottle.
This whole time, I had been using conditioner.

I was using conditioner this whole time and yet was looking for the results that only shampoo would give. The conditioner was doing exactly what it was made for, it made my hair sleek and shiny (and greasy), and I was frustrated that it was doing what it was made to do. It makes me think; how often do I expect certain work or results from people, when they are made by God to be doing something totally different? How often am I discouraged when I see the 'wrong results', when really everything is working exactly the way God has made it too? How often is it that my expectations are wrongly placed?

Of Snow and Work

You probably remember the last post I posted, the one about the snow (if you don't remember, it's right under this one). As a result of that amazing amount of snow that was dumped on us (a good 4 inches out of the annual average of 6 inches), our day was relaxed. I did a total of 2 appointments in the whole day, half of the total number of appointments for the day. (You might enjoy some of what this article has to say about it)
When there are a couple of standstill days like that, there's bound to be a rebound. And yesterday was the day for that rebound. The appointments started coming before we were officially open, and kept coming, leaving us with a packed waiting room the whole day. Nothing like a little pressure to keep us on our toes. Instead of only doing two appointments like last shift, yesterday I had the chance to do a grand total of six appointments. That doesn't sound like much, until you take into account that two of them were initials (first timers), appointments which take between 2-3 hours each.
In all, it was a great day, I met and reconnected with a lot of sweet clients, and I now have a potential on-call client in mind! To top off a day of hard work, I just woke up from an uninterrupted night. What an answer to prayer!

Snow in El Paso

I woke up this morning to flakes of white floating gracefully through the air. Looking out over the freeway (which is basically in my back yard) I saw the cars creeping along at a snail-like pace. Now you might think that with a pace such as that there would be a cause for caution, for instance a white out, icy roads, a foot of snow, or something of that nature. But no, the snowflakes were not even making it to the ground before melting, there was no ice or even slipperiness on the roads, it was just the sight of snow. Who knows, perhaps because it is so out of the ordinary here the drivers were slowing down just to take in the beauty of the individual flakes.

Christmas in my Room

Just in case you were wondering, this is the extent of Christmas decorations in my room. Thanks goes to my father for making sure I have a beautifully crafted nativity :)