Sunday, August 16, 2009
Check me out!!!
Hehe, I'm famous. Ok not really, but there is a post about me on my friend Meg's blog about my summer travels. Meg was one of my many prayer and financial supporters this summer and I'm so glad that we got to catch up before she heads off to spend a semester in D.C.! I will miss her very much but look forward to hearing about her adventures in the capital city. Check out her blog if you get a chance! http://mbiallas.blogspot.com/2009/08/chris-photojournalist.html
Jamaica, Yeh Man!
Sadly, due to lack of computer and internet I couldn’t blog during the Jamaica trip so that calls for an epic post-trip entry. Bear with me and if your eyes start to blur just take a break, grab a sandwich and come back =)
Quick background info: I spent 8 days in rural don’t really know the name of the city cause we were on the side of a mountain, Jamaica on a medical mission trip through butler YMCA. The majority of the team was made up of Butler students (mostly pharm and PA). There were 47 of us all together. Our original plan was to work/ shadow in the hospital and help in rural clinics. Well thanks to swine flu and a parasite outbreak we had a change of plans. I will summerize what we ended up doing everyday (usually planned/ confirmed the night before) and as always if you want more info, I love to talk and will talk your ear off given the chance.
Day 1: Flying. Our first plane was delayed on the runway once we arrived in ATL and all 47 of us literally eneded up having to sprint to the other side of the ATL airport and if you’ve never been there, um it’s huge. We got to the gate about 3 minutes after our plane was scheduled to have taken off. By God’s grace that plane was delayed 20 minutes. Arrived safely. No running water at the retreat we were staying at. Had some girl in pizza hut almost throw up on me.
Day 2: Woke up to a cockroach next to my pillow. Had a time of sharing a few testimonies with the group. In the afternoon we went to Hanbury Home which is an orphanage run by the salvation army and just hung out and played with the kids.
Day 3: Community health clinic. We opened the doors to the retreat we were staying at to do health screening and education for the people in this small town. This day really helped solidify to me that I don’t wanna practice health care without spiritual care. I felt like I had failed my patients and myself. Luckily God is patient and knows that I needed to learn this.
Day 4: Moorelands Girls’ camp, a week long christian camp. I was a camp medic for 24 hours. Two of us got dropped off in the morning and the bus would pick us up in the morning the next day. This was the best day! I LOVED getting to hang out with the 9-12 year old girls. I built relationships with a lot of them. Got to talk to some of them about Jesus. One of my favorite memory of this day was we got to do the rock wall and zipline while the girls were doing another activity and when we got to the wall there was one girl still up there who had been there for probably 20 minutes because she was too scared to jump off. It was great to just encourage her and we just keep repeating how Jesus was stronger than the fear she was feeling. We (the medics, the rock wall staff, and 2 of the camp directors) all prayed for her and with her as she stood terrified at the top of the wall but we also refused to let the enemy win and we wouldn't bring her down. I couldn't have been prouder when she finally (with a little push, hehe) jumped off. The when she came down she said she wanted to do it again! When I got up there I was scared too cause I'm not a big fan of jumping off things so I repeated 2 Timothy 1:7, thought of Jada (the other girl) and jumped! You'd think I'd be used to jumping off things by now...
Day 5: Windsor Home. Another salvation army orphanage. Most of the group helped paint buildings or organize. I hung out with kids and colored/ stickered cards for us to send back to donors. We tried unsucessfully to fit 50 people in a 25 person bus. Fail.
Day 6: The group went back to Hanbury Home to do a clinic with the kids and to measure them for shoes and clothes. I got to go back to Moorelands (just for the morning and early afternoon) to be a medic again and hang out with the girls!!! Got to worship with the girls again and talk to some of them some more.
Day 7: Free day. My goal for the day was to buy as much stuff at the market for $10 as I could haggle for. It was a success. Purchases: 3 pairs of earrings, 3 bracelets, 7 postcards, and a hand carved wooden mug. Found a cockroach in one of the girl’s suitcase. Killed a GIANT spider in our room (see video on facebook) and a cockroach in the bathroom.
Day 8: Traveling. Not too eventful. Redressed Alaska’s wounds from where she fell down the stairs as we were sitting in the airport. Home.
Interesting things that I got to do/ eat: Goat, pig’s tail, crispy pork? (dunno, but it was sooooo good), rock climbing and zip lining at the camp, aki and salt fish, lots of other stuff I tried that I didn’t and still don’t know what it is.
Quick background info: I spent 8 days in rural don’t really know the name of the city cause we were on the side of a mountain, Jamaica on a medical mission trip through butler YMCA. The majority of the team was made up of Butler students (mostly pharm and PA). There were 47 of us all together. Our original plan was to work/ shadow in the hospital and help in rural clinics. Well thanks to swine flu and a parasite outbreak we had a change of plans. I will summerize what we ended up doing everyday (usually planned/ confirmed the night before) and as always if you want more info, I love to talk and will talk your ear off given the chance.
Day 1: Flying. Our first plane was delayed on the runway once we arrived in ATL and all 47 of us literally eneded up having to sprint to the other side of the ATL airport and if you’ve never been there, um it’s huge. We got to the gate about 3 minutes after our plane was scheduled to have taken off. By God’s grace that plane was delayed 20 minutes. Arrived safely. No running water at the retreat we were staying at. Had some girl in pizza hut almost throw up on me.
Day 2: Woke up to a cockroach next to my pillow. Had a time of sharing a few testimonies with the group. In the afternoon we went to Hanbury Home which is an orphanage run by the salvation army and just hung out and played with the kids.
Day 3: Community health clinic. We opened the doors to the retreat we were staying at to do health screening and education for the people in this small town. This day really helped solidify to me that I don’t wanna practice health care without spiritual care. I felt like I had failed my patients and myself. Luckily God is patient and knows that I needed to learn this.
Day 4: Moorelands Girls’ camp, a week long christian camp. I was a camp medic for 24 hours. Two of us got dropped off in the morning and the bus would pick us up in the morning the next day. This was the best day! I LOVED getting to hang out with the 9-12 year old girls. I built relationships with a lot of them. Got to talk to some of them about Jesus. One of my favorite memory of this day was we got to do the rock wall and zipline while the girls were doing another activity and when we got to the wall there was one girl still up there who had been there for probably 20 minutes because she was too scared to jump off. It was great to just encourage her and we just keep repeating how Jesus was stronger than the fear she was feeling. We (the medics, the rock wall staff, and 2 of the camp directors) all prayed for her and with her as she stood terrified at the top of the wall but we also refused to let the enemy win and we wouldn't bring her down. I couldn't have been prouder when she finally (with a little push, hehe) jumped off. The when she came down she said she wanted to do it again! When I got up there I was scared too cause I'm not a big fan of jumping off things so I repeated 2 Timothy 1:7, thought of Jada (the other girl) and jumped! You'd think I'd be used to jumping off things by now...
Day 5: Windsor Home. Another salvation army orphanage. Most of the group helped paint buildings or organize. I hung out with kids and colored/ stickered cards for us to send back to donors. We tried unsucessfully to fit 50 people in a 25 person bus. Fail.
Day 6: The group went back to Hanbury Home to do a clinic with the kids and to measure them for shoes and clothes. I got to go back to Moorelands (just for the morning and early afternoon) to be a medic again and hang out with the girls!!! Got to worship with the girls again and talk to some of them some more.
Day 7: Free day. My goal for the day was to buy as much stuff at the market for $10 as I could haggle for. It was a success. Purchases: 3 pairs of earrings, 3 bracelets, 7 postcards, and a hand carved wooden mug. Found a cockroach in one of the girl’s suitcase. Killed a GIANT spider in our room (see video on facebook) and a cockroach in the bathroom.
Day 8: Traveling. Not too eventful. Redressed Alaska’s wounds from where she fell down the stairs as we were sitting in the airport. Home.
Interesting things that I got to do/ eat: Goat, pig’s tail, crispy pork? (dunno, but it was sooooo good), rock climbing and zip lining at the camp, aki and salt fish, lots of other stuff I tried that I didn’t and still don’t know what it is.
Cali Reflection- Finally...
I thought it might be good to rewind and explain why I was in Cali, just in case you didn’t know or forgot. The program is a joint project of Campus Crusade for Christ and the Medical Strategic Network which is a network of Christian medical professionals. The program is for all types of medical students: doctors, nurses, physical therapists, dentists, pharmacists, etc. We spent 4 weeks being trained in caring for our patients spiritually. We learned to take spiritual histories in order to identify spiritual needs, to listen beyond what the patient was saying to identify laments of the soul, and how to pray with patients and share the gospel with them. We shadowed Christian doctors who were already practicing spiritual care so we could see what it looks like and from week one we were thrown into the hospital talking to patients.
Talking to patients was scary and cool all at the same time but it was great to practice what we were learning. I got to talk to patients all over the spectrum spiritually from “pre-christians” to really strong Christians who encouraged me with their testimonies and faith. I’d love to share more specific stories but in the interest of not overwhelming this post I’ll just let you ask me about them J It was really cool to see how our career is our ministry and that patients not only need spiritual care, but many of them want it and were more than happy to talk to us!
Whenever we weren't in the hospital or shadowing doctors we had lots of speakers who shared with us about their journey in whole patient care or topics that focused on strengthening our walks such as reading the bible with intent, discipleship, cultivating God honoring friendships and relationships, and lots more. There was so much information and I'm grateful for all of the mature and wise Christians there who were just completely open to pouring into us and sharing what they know. I miss everyone so much now it is a bit ridiculous!!!
It was an amazing four weeks that I hope doesn't end now that I am home but whose lessons and friendships will stay with me for a lifetime!
Talking to patients was scary and cool all at the same time but it was great to practice what we were learning. I got to talk to patients all over the spectrum spiritually from “pre-christians” to really strong Christians who encouraged me with their testimonies and faith. I’d love to share more specific stories but in the interest of not overwhelming this post I’ll just let you ask me about them J It was really cool to see how our career is our ministry and that patients not only need spiritual care, but many of them want it and were more than happy to talk to us!
Whenever we weren't in the hospital or shadowing doctors we had lots of speakers who shared with us about their journey in whole patient care or topics that focused on strengthening our walks such as reading the bible with intent, discipleship, cultivating God honoring friendships and relationships, and lots more. There was so much information and I'm grateful for all of the mature and wise Christians there who were just completely open to pouring into us and sharing what they know. I miss everyone so much now it is a bit ridiculous!!!
It was an amazing four weeks that I hope doesn't end now that I am home but whose lessons and friendships will stay with me for a lifetime!
Friday, July 31, 2009
A Night to Remember...and laugh!
Ok, so I was suppose to do a California reflection in my off week. Yeah...not so much. I'm still very much processing California and missing everyone dearly so I think I will put that off until I return from Jamaica. I will leave you with some amusement though just so that you won't be disappointed ;)
For "A Night to Remember" in California the men on the preceptorship sent all the women on a scavenger hunt, cooked us dinner and some amazing desserts, and wrote each of the ladies a song! Mind you there were 6 guys and some 20 ladies, so they put quite a bit of work into all of this and we all appreciated it very much. They also taught us about the names of God, took us on a stroll to watch the sun set over the mountains and presented each of us with a white rose after we were serenaded. I know, aren't they awesome!?!?
Here is a video of some of the guys singing my song to me! I couldn't help but laugh the whole time :) It was doubly special for me since they took the time to write it in Spanish!
A few more pictures from A Night to Remember...
Sunday, July 19, 2009
If My Life Were a Musical...
No doubt if you've spent any significant time with me I have more than likely imposed my musical tastes on you. Eagerly playing my "favorite" song for you…Needless to say I am slightly obsessed with music (some of you are smiling and/or nodding and/or rolling your eyes right now). So I've decided to summarize my feelings and growth in my walk with Jesus this summer musically! Come on, you know you are a little curious. Follow me on a musical journey :)
We'll start our journey after finals…
Tumble outta bed
And stumble to the kitchen
Pour myself a cup of ambition
Yawnin, stretchin, try to come to life
Jump in the shower
And the blood starts pumpin
Out on the streets
The traffic starts jumpin
And folks like me on the job from 9 to 5
-9-5, Dolly Parton
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpKAA2VxWY8
Admit it, you either already know the Dolly Parton song and are singing it in your head or you just youtubed it and are Now singing along. Seriously though, I worked a LOT after finals before I left for Costa Rica to the point where I was too exhausted to think about God and was more worried about making sure I had all my stuff ready than I was about being spiritually and emotionally ready for the roller coaster that awaited me. Trust me not the best way to start out.
Costa Rica…
Week 1:
You're everywhere I go
I am not alone
You call me as your own
To know you and be known
-Here With Me, MercyMe
Week one was great. I could definitely see that like the perfect sheppard He is, God had gone before me and prepared a place for me in Costa Rica. I had seen Him work in so many ways to even get me there that I was just pumped to be here and learn everything He wanted to teach me.
Week 2:
How patterned is my guilt
To crush the life You've built
To keep me far away from any kind of change
-Fight, Point of Grace
Week two was God showing me that I'm better off not knowing what He is planning. I was starting to get a sense of the magnitude of what He wanted to teach me and grow me this summer. My response? "I don't think so!" So the rest of Costa Rica was a lot of me distancing myself from God because I wasn't ready to deal with stuff, to go where He was asking me to.
Week 3 and 4:
I can't find the words to pray
I'm a little down today
Can you help me?
Can you hold me?
I feel like a million miles away
And I don't know what to say
Can you hear me anyway?
What I need is for you to reach out your hand
You have taught me
No matter what you'd understand
-Lord Move Or Move Me, FFH
I was discouraged by the distance from God (even though I was the one creating it) and just the lack of fellowship that I had during these weeks and I realized how grateful I am for the loving family of believers I have at home that would probably smack me if I was being this stupid at home.
Week 5:
Lord I know the only way is through this
Lord I know I need you to help me do this
Lord move in a way, that I've never seen before
Cause there's a mountain in the way and a lock on the door
I'm drifting away, waves are crashing on the shore
So Lord move (move), or move me.
-Lord Move Or Move Me, FFH
By this point I realize that it's not smart to go to California where I'm supposed to be learning how to share Christ, when I'm fighting against Him. But I also knew that I'm wasn’t strong enough to make the surrender on my own. God moved, of course and I had a rollercoaster of a last week but I needed it to break me for California.
California:
Week 1:
With all of my broken motives
All of my selfish dreams
All of my foolishness
Now I understand where it leads
I want to be in Your love
I want to be so much more
I know You're reaching out
I don't want to fight anymore
-Fight, Point of Grace
I knew what God wanted from me and FINALLY I thought, “Ya know just maybe this will be good for me.” Not that changes were immediate but I was in a place where my heart was open for God to teach me, and oh boy I had no idea.
Week 2 and 3:
At the cross You beckon me
You draw me gently to my knees, and I am
Lost for words, so lost in love,
I’m sweetly broken, wholly surrendered
-Sweetly Broken, Jeremy Riddle
If I tried to explain everything that happened weeks 2 and 3 then this blog would be a book. I'll be more than happy to tell you all about it though :) But I have grown tremendously and I want the change to follow me home and for the rest of my life. It's not been easy but I don't think I've ever understood the chorus of this song as much as I do now.
I will go, I will go
I will go, Lord send me
To the world, To the lost
To the poor and hungry
Take everything I am
I'm clay within your hands
I will go, I will go, send me
-I Will Go, Starfield
I couldn't leave out the fact that even though I had a passion for missions before this summer that I've learned so much more of what that looks like and I want to go NOW. Lol, sadly there is that whole school thing…
Week 4:
If You say go, we will go
If You say wait, we will wait
If You say step out on the water
And they say it can't be done
We'll fix our eyes on You and we will come
-If You Say Go, Amy Nobles
I still wanna go (oh how I want to go), but I'm trusting in the Holy Spirit to guide me to where I'm suppose to go. I want to go home but at the same time I don't but I know that my mission right now is that of a student.
Coming Attractions: I will do a reflection on California sometime in my off week next week. I will be in Indy from July 22nd-July 31st and then I'm off again. I don't know how much computer access I will have in Jamaica but I will definitely update everyone afterward. Let me know if you wanna hang out while I'm home :)
We'll start our journey after finals…
Tumble outta bed
And stumble to the kitchen
Pour myself a cup of ambition
Yawnin, stretchin, try to come to life
Jump in the shower
And the blood starts pumpin
Out on the streets
The traffic starts jumpin
And folks like me on the job from 9 to 5
-9-5, Dolly Parton
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpKAA2VxWY8
Admit it, you either already know the Dolly Parton song and are singing it in your head or you just youtubed it and are Now singing along. Seriously though, I worked a LOT after finals before I left for Costa Rica to the point where I was too exhausted to think about God and was more worried about making sure I had all my stuff ready than I was about being spiritually and emotionally ready for the roller coaster that awaited me. Trust me not the best way to start out.
Costa Rica…
Week 1:
You're everywhere I go
I am not alone
You call me as your own
To know you and be known
-Here With Me, MercyMe
Week one was great. I could definitely see that like the perfect sheppard He is, God had gone before me and prepared a place for me in Costa Rica. I had seen Him work in so many ways to even get me there that I was just pumped to be here and learn everything He wanted to teach me.
Week 2:
How patterned is my guilt
To crush the life You've built
To keep me far away from any kind of change
-Fight, Point of Grace
Week two was God showing me that I'm better off not knowing what He is planning. I was starting to get a sense of the magnitude of what He wanted to teach me and grow me this summer. My response? "I don't think so!" So the rest of Costa Rica was a lot of me distancing myself from God because I wasn't ready to deal with stuff, to go where He was asking me to.
Week 3 and 4:
I can't find the words to pray
I'm a little down today
Can you help me?
Can you hold me?
I feel like a million miles away
And I don't know what to say
Can you hear me anyway?
What I need is for you to reach out your hand
You have taught me
No matter what you'd understand
-Lord Move Or Move Me, FFH
I was discouraged by the distance from God (even though I was the one creating it) and just the lack of fellowship that I had during these weeks and I realized how grateful I am for the loving family of believers I have at home that would probably smack me if I was being this stupid at home.
Week 5:
Lord I know the only way is through this
Lord I know I need you to help me do this
Lord move in a way, that I've never seen before
Cause there's a mountain in the way and a lock on the door
I'm drifting away, waves are crashing on the shore
So Lord move (move), or move me.
-Lord Move Or Move Me, FFH
By this point I realize that it's not smart to go to California where I'm supposed to be learning how to share Christ, when I'm fighting against Him. But I also knew that I'm wasn’t strong enough to make the surrender on my own. God moved, of course and I had a rollercoaster of a last week but I needed it to break me for California.
California:
Week 1:
With all of my broken motives
All of my selfish dreams
All of my foolishness
Now I understand where it leads
I want to be in Your love
I want to be so much more
I know You're reaching out
I don't want to fight anymore
-Fight, Point of Grace
I knew what God wanted from me and FINALLY I thought, “Ya know just maybe this will be good for me.” Not that changes were immediate but I was in a place where my heart was open for God to teach me, and oh boy I had no idea.
Week 2 and 3:
At the cross You beckon me
You draw me gently to my knees, and I am
Lost for words, so lost in love,
I’m sweetly broken, wholly surrendered
-Sweetly Broken, Jeremy Riddle
If I tried to explain everything that happened weeks 2 and 3 then this blog would be a book. I'll be more than happy to tell you all about it though :) But I have grown tremendously and I want the change to follow me home and for the rest of my life. It's not been easy but I don't think I've ever understood the chorus of this song as much as I do now.
I will go, I will go
I will go, Lord send me
To the world, To the lost
To the poor and hungry
Take everything I am
I'm clay within your hands
I will go, I will go, send me
-I Will Go, Starfield
I couldn't leave out the fact that even though I had a passion for missions before this summer that I've learned so much more of what that looks like and I want to go NOW. Lol, sadly there is that whole school thing…
Week 4:
If You say go, we will go
If You say wait, we will wait
If You say step out on the water
And they say it can't be done
We'll fix our eyes on You and we will come
-If You Say Go, Amy Nobles
I still wanna go (oh how I want to go), but I'm trusting in the Holy Spirit to guide me to where I'm suppose to go. I want to go home but at the same time I don't but I know that my mission right now is that of a student.
Coming Attractions: I will do a reflection on California sometime in my off week next week. I will be in Indy from July 22nd-July 31st and then I'm off again. I don't know how much computer access I will have in Jamaica but I will definitely update everyone afterward. Let me know if you wanna hang out while I'm home :)
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
In Christ ALONE :)
In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Cali Week 2
Hello world (or world that is interested in what I'm up to any way)! 
My small group. They pretty much rock :)
I have been the definition of busy since I've been in California so if you've been wondering why I haven't talked to you, well there it is.
Quick update between activities... (I like to number things, work with me here)
1. I'm having a great time just getting to know everyone here. It's an amazing contrast between here and Costa Rica and being surrounded by people who are just totally in love with God. Yay!
My small group. They pretty much rock :)2. I've gotten to talk to some really interesting patients and have been pushed, in a good way, beyond what I thought I was capable of even only after a week and a few days.
3. Did I mention I love it here?
4. I miss spanish soooooooo much. Le hecho de menos :(
5. I have some pretty awesome people at home that I miss terribly. (My house church, my pi phi girls, KK, KR, Lesi...to name a few.)
6. God is teaching me a LOT this summer. I'm learning more about who He is and who I am and I love it. Not always easy but I'm very greatful for the lessons.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
California Dreamin'- Week 1
It's been a hectic week to say the least. This week was the conference that kicks off the preceptorship. So all week we've been learning about spiritual care, kingdom living, and getting to hear lots of stories from doctors and nurses who basically are doing what we want to be doing. It's been really encouraging, slightly intimidating, but mostly fun.
We went into the hospital for the first time on Tuesday. I was scared out of my mind. We were going into patient rooms and asking them questions to try to feel out where they are spiritually (coined a spiritual history) and share the gospel if we so feel led. I didn't really feel ready to talk to patients and so I decided it was best that I go second. God decided otherwise. I ended up going first… I survived, no worries. The patient I learned most from was my second patient. We walked in and I wasn't going to talk in this room. Again, jk. The patient didn't speak English and that meant they were all mine. It was a kid's room so I was actually talking to his grandmother. And I was struggling. I mean my spanish was bad. No, really. So then after about eternity it felt like his mom comes in and she speaks english. Praise the Lord! Well, she was more than willing to talk to us but whenever we brought up God she just completely ignored the question and answered whatever she felt like. So that was kind of discouraging but she let us pray for them before we left.
Later that night I was going over my patients in my head and I was just really stuck at this room. I was frustrated with myself with how bad my spanish had been. So I went through the whole spiritual history in my head in perfect spanish…then I prayed for the family again, in perfect spanish… That frustrated me even more and I was like "God, why couldn't I have done that earlier!?!?" And He told me that it was because I wasn't suppose to be talking to the grandmother but that we were suppose to be talking to the mom. I felt a lot better after that and I just found it really cool because just like God can give me the words to talk to a patient, He is just as sovereign to shut me up when I need to.
I'm learning and growing a lot even just after this week. I'll continue to share stories as the weeks go on.
Prayer requests: I've been really sick so please pray for that. Also please be praying for the patients that I will be encountering and hopefully talking to that I would just be able to tell them what they need to hear.
We went into the hospital for the first time on Tuesday. I was scared out of my mind. We were going into patient rooms and asking them questions to try to feel out where they are spiritually (coined a spiritual history) and share the gospel if we so feel led. I didn't really feel ready to talk to patients and so I decided it was best that I go second. God decided otherwise. I ended up going first… I survived, no worries. The patient I learned most from was my second patient. We walked in and I wasn't going to talk in this room. Again, jk. The patient didn't speak English and that meant they were all mine. It was a kid's room so I was actually talking to his grandmother. And I was struggling. I mean my spanish was bad. No, really. So then after about eternity it felt like his mom comes in and she speaks english. Praise the Lord! Well, she was more than willing to talk to us but whenever we brought up God she just completely ignored the question and answered whatever she felt like. So that was kind of discouraging but she let us pray for them before we left.
Later that night I was going over my patients in my head and I was just really stuck at this room. I was frustrated with myself with how bad my spanish had been. So I went through the whole spiritual history in my head in perfect spanish…then I prayed for the family again, in perfect spanish… That frustrated me even more and I was like "God, why couldn't I have done that earlier!?!?" And He told me that it was because I wasn't suppose to be talking to the grandmother but that we were suppose to be talking to the mom. I felt a lot better after that and I just found it really cool because just like God can give me the words to talk to a patient, He is just as sovereign to shut me up when I need to.
I'm learning and growing a lot even just after this week. I'll continue to share stories as the weeks go on.
Prayer requests: I've been really sick so please pray for that. Also please be praying for the patients that I will be encountering and hopefully talking to that I would just be able to tell them what they need to hear.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Reflections on Costa Rica
So it's already been 5 weeks since I left home. It doesn't seem like that long at all and yet I find myself back in the States already. I'm sitting in the lobby at the Holiday Inn because I missed the shuttle I should have been on to the airport so I thought I'd take this time to look back over the last 5 weeks…
Coast Rica was an amazing experience. It has been filled with so many more adventures than I could have imagined. I got to experience so many firsts: my first zipline, trip to the ocean, trip to the rainforest, killing cockroaches, seeing lizards, sloths and monkeys, flying by myself, staying at a hotel by myself, staying in a hostel, and the list goes on.
Costa Rica, like pretty much everything else this summer was a step of faith for me. I'm pretty shy as most of you know and don't generally like doing things without knowing at least one other person. So traveling to a foreign country by my onsie wasn't really on the agenda. But I loved every minute of it and knew before I even stepped off the plane that God was calling me there. I had the most amazing host family, Lauren who put up with me for 5 weeks and made my days interesting , and many other new friends who I will miss.
I have learned and grown so much in the last 5 weeks and am so excited for the next month in California. Don't worry I'm still blogging during Cali and Jamaica.
P.S. Here is my mailing address in Cali. I LOVE mail (no really, it's kind of an unhealthy obsession) so if you'd like to make me REALLY happy you should send me mail :)
Helena Torres
Medical Strategic Network
P.O. Box 2052
Redlands, CA 92373
Coast Rica was an amazing experience. It has been filled with so many more adventures than I could have imagined. I got to experience so many firsts: my first zipline, trip to the ocean, trip to the rainforest, killing cockroaches, seeing lizards, sloths and monkeys, flying by myself, staying at a hotel by myself, staying in a hostel, and the list goes on.
Costa Rica, like pretty much everything else this summer was a step of faith for me. I'm pretty shy as most of you know and don't generally like doing things without knowing at least one other person. So traveling to a foreign country by my onsie wasn't really on the agenda. But I loved every minute of it and knew before I even stepped off the plane that God was calling me there. I had the most amazing host family, Lauren who put up with me for 5 weeks and made my days interesting , and many other new friends who I will miss.
I have learned and grown so much in the last 5 weeks and am so excited for the next month in California. Don't worry I'm still blogging during Cali and Jamaica.
P.S. Here is my mailing address in Cali. I LOVE mail (no really, it's kind of an unhealthy obsession) so if you'd like to make me REALLY happy you should send me mail :)
Helena Torres
Medical Strategic Network
P.O. Box 2052
Redlands, CA 92373
Life Lessons Part 2!
You know you love them :)
8. You can't stream anything online outside the US. Apparently the US is very posessive of it's ability to watch free television online once you leave the country. I may or may not have had a mini meltdown when I realized that I couldn't finish watching the season finale of Grey's. I eventually broke down and bought it on I-tunes. Fail.
9. Never plan to walk somewhere if you don't know how to get there or at least a general direction from where you are. Because you guessed it you will get lost and have to ask random strangers where to go and prob end up taking a taxi because you have proceeded to walk 6 blocks in the opposite direction.
10. If you thought starbucks was bad ponder this drink for a moment: Iced coffee, condensed milk, chocolate sauce in the cup, a slice of chocolate cake (nope, you wish I was kidding), and ice all blended together with a mountain of whipped cream, chocolate sauce on top. Take that weight watchers.
11. If your room floods in a hotel. Rest assured, "It happens" and that's pretty much all the sympathy you will get
12. Taking a shower in Costa Rica is like doing the hookey pookey. You get a very small stream of water that may or may not be hot and has very little pressure. You have to pretty much wet one body part at a time to get clean.
8. You can't stream anything online outside the US. Apparently the US is very posessive of it's ability to watch free television online once you leave the country. I may or may not have had a mini meltdown when I realized that I couldn't finish watching the season finale of Grey's. I eventually broke down and bought it on I-tunes. Fail.
9. Never plan to walk somewhere if you don't know how to get there or at least a general direction from where you are. Because you guessed it you will get lost and have to ask random strangers where to go and prob end up taking a taxi because you have proceeded to walk 6 blocks in the opposite direction.
10. If you thought starbucks was bad ponder this drink for a moment: Iced coffee, condensed milk, chocolate sauce in the cup, a slice of chocolate cake (nope, you wish I was kidding), and ice all blended together with a mountain of whipped cream, chocolate sauce on top. Take that weight watchers.
11. If your room floods in a hotel. Rest assured, "It happens" and that's pretty much all the sympathy you will get
12. Taking a shower in Costa Rica is like doing the hookey pookey. You get a very small stream of water that may or may not be hot and has very little pressure. You have to pretty much wet one body part at a time to get clean.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Update!
I know it's been forever since I posted more than random stories and antics that I have been up to so I thought I'd post an actual update on what I'm doing and what's going on. Shocking thought I know.
Ok so this weekend I played hookey and hit the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica for an extended weekend. My cohorts and I took the public bus (aka no AC, no bathroom and holding your stuff so it doesn't get stolen) for 5 hours with 1 pit stop. A little brutal but nothing we couldn't handle. The we stayed at my first ever hostel. The first night we stayed in tents. HOT. Let me tell you. Lauren and I were so desperate for ventilation we took the rainfly off and of course we had one of the tents where the top is completely mesh without the rainfly so we got to wake up to some male spectators in the morning. Totally worth it, I think we may have suffocated otherwise. Day 3 we met up with the rest of the group and checked into our hotel. Better right? Wrong. Our room flooded and left a good majority of my stuff wet including my travel journal and my camera (which after a scare still works). Word from the manager? "It happens" Welcome to Costa Rica.
It was a good weekend though. Sushi. Crepes. 15 mile bike ride through the rainforest. Learning that I don't like the beach. Sand, lots of sand. Mosquitoes. Conversations in hammocks. Relaxing and soaking up my last week. =)
Also when we got home on Sunday we taught our host family to play Spoons. Mind you now that I had to try to explain the rules in Spanish after not having spoken much Spanish for a good 5 days...yeah... Let's just say I accidentally started off by telling them that we play with knives. It did get better though and they understood after about 1 round. Except for Zorida, our host mom. She cracked me up. It took her like 7 rounds to completely understand the rules and even then she was still cheating and picking up more than 1 card at a time but we just ignored it. She was laughing so hard by the end that she was coughing and everyone had a blast.
Like I said this is my last week here. My plane leaves on Friday and I will be moving me and my heavy suitcases to California for METS. I'm sad and excited all at the same time. Oh Dr. Pepper, how I miss you and welcome your return to mi vida...
Ok so this weekend I played hookey and hit the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica for an extended weekend. My cohorts and I took the public bus (aka no AC, no bathroom and holding your stuff so it doesn't get stolen) for 5 hours with 1 pit stop. A little brutal but nothing we couldn't handle. The we stayed at my first ever hostel. The first night we stayed in tents. HOT. Let me tell you. Lauren and I were so desperate for ventilation we took the rainfly off and of course we had one of the tents where the top is completely mesh without the rainfly so we got to wake up to some male spectators in the morning. Totally worth it, I think we may have suffocated otherwise. Day 3 we met up with the rest of the group and checked into our hotel. Better right? Wrong. Our room flooded and left a good majority of my stuff wet including my travel journal and my camera (which after a scare still works). Word from the manager? "It happens" Welcome to Costa Rica.
It was a good weekend though. Sushi. Crepes. 15 mile bike ride through the rainforest. Learning that I don't like the beach. Sand, lots of sand. Mosquitoes. Conversations in hammocks. Relaxing and soaking up my last week. =)
Also when we got home on Sunday we taught our host family to play Spoons. Mind you now that I had to try to explain the rules in Spanish after not having spoken much Spanish for a good 5 days...yeah... Let's just say I accidentally started off by telling them that we play with knives. It did get better though and they understood after about 1 round. Except for Zorida, our host mom. She cracked me up. It took her like 7 rounds to completely understand the rules and even then she was still cheating and picking up more than 1 card at a time but we just ignored it. She was laughing so hard by the end that she was coughing and everyone had a blast.
Like I said this is my last week here. My plane leaves on Friday and I will be moving me and my heavy suitcases to California for METS. I'm sad and excited all at the same time. Oh Dr. Pepper, how I miss you and welcome your return to mi vida...
Monday, June 8, 2009
Monkey Business
Sooo...remember when a monkey tried to steal my backpack this weekend? Yeah, it happened. They had told us before that we were going to a rainforest that is right on the Pacific coast so we could have some beach time. We also got the customery warning about not leaving stuff unattended because someone could steal it. Oh yeah and watch out for theiving monkeys and raccoons. What!?!
So of course of the whole group I'd be the one to experience this right? Right. Most of the people had gone to another beach and I'm just hanging out in the ocean enjoying the waves when I see the small group of people that are left have congragated about 20 ft from my stuff and there is a monkey standing at my backpack! So what do I do? I yell of course. So I start screaming "That's my bag! Somebody get the monkey!!!!" Lol, luckily a combination of my screaming and the other people turning around diverted the little thief. That's when I decided my time at the beach was over.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Oh there is more...of course there more
Ok so this is part 2 (WATCH THE OTHER ONE FIRST) This is what happened after my host mom came in after all the screaming and laughing. Sorry if you don't know spanish. Basically she is telling us that there aren't usually cockroaches in the house. Meanwhile I am laughing so hard that all I can manage to respond is "well today there is" and "huh?"
Notice her soccer skills as she kicks it out the door. I think she could have played professionally in her younger days :) I think by this point she knows we're insane. Especially since Lauren didn't even come see what the bug was, the first thing she did was run for her camera.
La cucaraaaacha, La cucaraaaaacha, la la la la la la la la la
Video 1= me killing the giant cockroach in my room. I seriously think this is way more epic than the spider video. My stomach hurts so much from watching it already. I'm sure there will be more bugs as they seem to like my room and I was informed yesterday that there is most likely a lizard living outside my window as well. AWESOME.
P.S. why do I seem to just end up an awkward mess of laughter on the floor after bug killing/ anything epic. Mess.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Mi Familia Tica
Costa Ricans are called Ticos. I don't really know what the word means or where it came from and to me it sounds like it should be the latest breakfast cereal but there you have it. I really like my host family hence the dedication of an entire post about them. I shall begin by introducing them…
Carlos mayor=> my papá Tica. He is a very cool guy. Not cool in like the macho, suave, cool but more in the cute, slightly dorky old man cool. He is a retired elementary school teacher/ taxi driver. He is super sweet and patient and likes to talk to us. He is trying to learn more English that he can use for his job and his accent is really cute and he likes to try his new phrases out on us to make sure they are right and that we can understand him(tonight it was "you need help?") He is one of 12 children!
Zorida=> my mamá Tica. She is sooo cute and sweet with a hint of craziness. She loves to sit and talk to us about any and everything. She is also a great cook and I'm pretty sure she's determined for us to try everything she know how to cook which is perfectly fine with me. She is also a very healthy cook which is great cause I tend to eat a lot and I could easily get into trouble. She also loves to play Rumi (the kind with the tiles) and has already taught Lauren and I how to play.
Daniel=> One of my "hermanos or brothers". He is 20 and yes he's pretty cute for you ladies who are wondering ;) He is in college right now studying computer something or other that I can barely understand in English let alone Spanish. We don't see him very much because he is usually in class or studying or helping his dad take care of his grandparents. He did hang out with us last week and played his guitar for us. He plays really well and is an AWESOME painter/ sketch artist but you wouldn't know that by asking him because he's very humble about it.
Carlos menor=> This is the oldest son who is currently in China. Yeah that's pretty much all I know.
Rachel=> Daughter/ middle child. She is married and is currently going to a bible college in Arkansas to study to be a missionary. Que lindo!
Carlos mayor=> my papá Tica. He is a very cool guy. Not cool in like the macho, suave, cool but more in the cute, slightly dorky old man cool. He is a retired elementary school teacher/ taxi driver. He is super sweet and patient and likes to talk to us. He is trying to learn more English that he can use for his job and his accent is really cute and he likes to try his new phrases out on us to make sure they are right and that we can understand him(tonight it was "you need help?") He is one of 12 children!
Zorida=> my mamá Tica. She is sooo cute and sweet with a hint of craziness. She loves to sit and talk to us about any and everything. She is also a great cook and I'm pretty sure she's determined for us to try everything she know how to cook which is perfectly fine with me. She is also a very healthy cook which is great cause I tend to eat a lot and I could easily get into trouble. She also loves to play Rumi (the kind with the tiles) and has already taught Lauren and I how to play.
Daniel=> One of my "hermanos or brothers". He is 20 and yes he's pretty cute for you ladies who are wondering ;) He is in college right now studying computer something or other that I can barely understand in English let alone Spanish. We don't see him very much because he is usually in class or studying or helping his dad take care of his grandparents. He did hang out with us last week and played his guitar for us. He plays really well and is an AWESOME painter/ sketch artist but you wouldn't know that by asking him because he's very humble about it.
Carlos menor=> This is the oldest son who is currently in China. Yeah that's pretty much all I know.
Rachel=> Daughter/ middle child. She is married and is currently going to a bible college in Arkansas to study to be a missionary. Que lindo!
Lauren=> The other study abroad student. She just graduated from Oklahoma State and is on her way to U Kentucky for grad school. We get along great and have already had quite a few adventures here in San Jose!
This is mi familia for the next 4 weeks. They are all very warm and welcoming and I have enjoyed getting to know them so far. Another cool thing is that they are all really strong Christians and you can tell that family and faith are really important to them and I've enjoyed getting to talk to them about this as well. Love it!
This is mi familia for the next 4 weeks. They are all very warm and welcoming and I have enjoyed getting to know them so far. Another cool thing is that they are all really strong Christians and you can tell that family and faith are really important to them and I've enjoyed getting to talk to them about this as well. Love it!
My House!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Why do these things happen to me!?!
Ok so I promised to write immediately if anything epic happened. So even though I am sick and sleep deprived, I couldn't not post this before heading to bed. The following is what occurs when Helena encounters a very large and unpleasent spider in her room while innocently sitting and doing her homework: (Sorry the video is sideways. You don't think abot these things when you are filming. Just tilt your head to the side, it's fine.)
I would like to thank mi amiga Lauren for capturing this moment on video and for her excellent narration and background giggles :)
I would like to thank mi amiga Lauren for capturing this moment on video and for her excellent narration and background giggles :)
Here are some other pictures that were taken. Seriously the spider was nasty and wicked fast. You would have reacted the same way if you were me. Ok maybe not.
P.S. I wasn't hiding in the 3rd pic I was moving the bed cause the little turd ran under my bed.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Life Lessons
So since I'm not quite in the mood to do homework I thought I'd share some highly important lessons that I have been learning as I explore the fine Costa Rica culture.
1. Don't take pictures in a grocery store. Especially if your camera happens to be located in a backpack. They will think you are stealing things and proceed to follow you around for the remaining 30 minutes of your shopping even though you just wanted a picture of the Frosted Flakes box.
2. Blow driers can be dangerous. Not once, but twice now have blow dryers attacked the unsuspecting head of my poor companera. Hehe and I took pictures :) For the full story check out her blog laurenwsmith.blogspot.com
3. Don't do anything stupid while there is a camera around. Especially if I happen to be the owner of that camera because I will take pictures of you and then post them on my blog. (sorry Lauren)
4. Harnesses are not only uncomfortable for men.
5. The word rappel may be similar in English and Spanish but they do NOT mean the same thing. In English it means to descend slowly usually by pushing off something. In Spanish it APPARENTLY means falling straight down very fast all while I scream and cuss. I was also voted best reaction to this little adventure. ::Takes a bow::
6. If you are at a pool party and drunk, please do not attempt to dance on the poolside bar as it has electricity and you WILL get electrocuted and have to be physically pulled down.
7. The word for panties in Spanish (at least for our 50+ host mom) is bloomers. I was immature and giggled, it's ok you can too.
No, but I had a great time getting to explore the cloud forest this weekend. I only saw one monkey but I am assured that in a couple weeks when we visit a different part of the forest that I will get to see more animals :) I walked for hours (in the shade!) which was awesome because I love walking and got to zip line through a lot of the parts of the forest. That was pretty darn cool. Here is the view from part of the trail that I walked. Check out more of my pictures on facebook (should be up in the next couple days).
1. Don't take pictures in a grocery store. Especially if your camera happens to be located in a backpack. They will think you are stealing things and proceed to follow you around for the remaining 30 minutes of your shopping even though you just wanted a picture of the Frosted Flakes box.
2. Blow driers can be dangerous. Not once, but twice now have blow dryers attacked the unsuspecting head of my poor companera. Hehe and I took pictures :) For the full story check out her blog laurenwsmith.blogspot.com
3. Don't do anything stupid while there is a camera around. Especially if I happen to be the owner of that camera because I will take pictures of you and then post them on my blog. (sorry Lauren)
4. Harnesses are not only uncomfortable for men.
5. The word rappel may be similar in English and Spanish but they do NOT mean the same thing. In English it means to descend slowly usually by pushing off something. In Spanish it APPARENTLY means falling straight down very fast all while I scream and cuss. I was also voted best reaction to this little adventure. ::Takes a bow::
6. If you are at a pool party and drunk, please do not attempt to dance on the poolside bar as it has electricity and you WILL get electrocuted and have to be physically pulled down.
7. The word for panties in Spanish (at least for our 50+ host mom) is bloomers. I was immature and giggled, it's ok you can too.
No, but I had a great time getting to explore the cloud forest this weekend. I only saw one monkey but I am assured that in a couple weeks when we visit a different part of the forest that I will get to see more animals :) I walked for hours (in the shade!) which was awesome because I love walking and got to zip line through a lot of the parts of the forest. That was pretty darn cool. Here is the view from part of the trail that I walked. Check out more of my pictures on facebook (should be up in the next couple days).
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Pura Vida!
Hola! Ok I thought I'd update you all since I've disappeared for the last few days. I'll just briefly describe what I've been doing. I'll use another post to describe my host family in a day or so.
Day 1: My family forgot to pick me up (of course) and so I got to hang out with the program director and the bus driver for like half an hour outside the school while they kept calling my host family to come and get me. But they eventually did, no worries. Got home, ate cookies, waited for my roomate to show up as I tried not to fall asleep since I had been awake for about 22 hours at that point.
This is my roommate Lauren!
Day 2: Orientation and rain. Pretty much sums up the whole day. It rains a lot here. They are in the transition from the dry season (summer) to the rainy season (winter). I of course forgot my umbrella but my host mom is letting me borrow one so I don't have to buy one. We also got to go to church with the family. It was really cool. It was a non-denomination( or interdenominational, idk the difference) church so pretty much what I'm used to. I actually understood most of the sermon and the prayers, so that was pretty exciting. We got there a little late though so I only got to hear part of one song, que triste.
Day 3: Class and Orientation. I'm taking Phonetics and Phonology and Advanced Oral and Written Composition. They seem like they will be more intense then most classes I have taken abroad but I think it will be fine. The hard part will really be sitting in class for 3 hours at a time. On that note let's take a minute to admire my schedule.
Monday: Class 8am-2pm
Tuesday: Weekly meeting at 12pm, Class 2-5pm
Wednesday: Class 11am-2pm
Thursday: Class 11am-5pm
Friday: (drum roll please…) NO CLASS!!!!
I like it.
Ok so I've been having some internet issues which is why I haven't been online. My house has wireless but they forgot the password so they are trying to get ahold of their son in China to see if he remembers. Meanwhile I could connect using a cord (while I sit in the middle of the living room because they only have a really short cord) but yesterday their internet went out and so a guy from the phone company is here trying to fix it as I type and I haven't had anytime at school to get online either… I JUST GOT WIRELESS IN THE HOUSE!!!! All hail the phone guy!!!
Day 1: My family forgot to pick me up (of course) and so I got to hang out with the program director and the bus driver for like half an hour outside the school while they kept calling my host family to come and get me. But they eventually did, no worries. Got home, ate cookies, waited for my roomate to show up as I tried not to fall asleep since I had been awake for about 22 hours at that point.
This is my roommate Lauren!I have my own room! Here are some pictures of it.
The window is really cool because it's not actually to outside. There is a little patio thing between my room and the other part of the house and there are plants on it so it's pretty cool. Most of the windows in the house that I've seen are like that.
Day 2: Orientation and rain. Pretty much sums up the whole day. It rains a lot here. They are in the transition from the dry season (summer) to the rainy season (winter). I of course forgot my umbrella but my host mom is letting me borrow one so I don't have to buy one. We also got to go to church with the family. It was really cool. It was a non-denomination( or interdenominational, idk the difference) church so pretty much what I'm used to. I actually understood most of the sermon and the prayers, so that was pretty exciting. We got there a little late though so I only got to hear part of one song, que triste.
Day 3: Class and Orientation. I'm taking Phonetics and Phonology and Advanced Oral and Written Composition. They seem like they will be more intense then most classes I have taken abroad but I think it will be fine. The hard part will really be sitting in class for 3 hours at a time. On that note let's take a minute to admire my schedule.
Monday: Class 8am-2pm
Tuesday: Weekly meeting at 12pm, Class 2-5pm
Wednesday: Class 11am-2pm
Thursday: Class 11am-5pm
Friday: (drum roll please…) NO CLASS!!!!
I like it.
Ok so I've been having some internet issues which is why I haven't been online. My house has wireless but they forgot the password so they are trying to get ahold of their son in China to see if he remembers. Meanwhile I could connect using a cord (while I sit in the middle of the living room because they only have a really short cord) but yesterday their internet went out and so a guy from the phone company is here trying to fix it as I type and I haven't had anytime at school to get online either… I JUST GOT WIRELESS IN THE HOUSE!!!! All hail the phone guy!!!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Greetings From The Airport!
Ok so I'm currently between flights 2 and 3. I want nothing more than to stretch out on the floor and sleep. For those who don't know, the day started at 3:30am with my alarm going off telling me to get out of bed (after all of a 4 hour nap mind you). Then I get to the Indy airport at 4:15 and learn that United's ticket counter doesn't open till 4:35. Awesome. So I chill. Finally get all checked in after the self check in thing yells at me and so I call the person and he looks at me like I'm stupid and then it does the same thing to him and he finally checks me in. Like I said in my last post I packed 2 bags and I wasn't really sure that I was under 50lbs. The verdict? Bag 1 (the smaller one): 38lbs yay! Bag 2: 47.5lbs! I win! Note to self: NOTHING else better go in that bag on the way back.
Oh let me take a minute to rant. In Chicago I saw I family with their child still straped in to one of those umbrella strollers on the escalator! What? No. You don't do that. Stop being lazy and endangering your child and take them out of the stroller like you are suppose to or find an elevator. End rant.
Ok I'm going to continue to burn my mouth with the buffalo chicken pizza that was suppose to be cheese that I got from the rude people at Pizza Hut and am therefore proceeding to eat because I don't want to deal with them again. I'm also watching the season finale of Greys ;) I still have one more 5 hour flight that will put me in Costa Rica at around 8pm Indy time (16 hours after I began this little adventure).
Be looking for a post in a couple days or so once I've settled. (Unless of course something epic happens and then I will post it right away).
Oh let me take a minute to rant. In Chicago I saw I family with their child still straped in to one of those umbrella strollers on the escalator! What? No. You don't do that. Stop being lazy and endangering your child and take them out of the stroller like you are suppose to or find an elevator. End rant.
Ok I'm going to continue to burn my mouth with the buffalo chicken pizza that was suppose to be cheese that I got from the rude people at Pizza Hut and am therefore proceeding to eat because I don't want to deal with them again. I'm also watching the season finale of Greys ;) I still have one more 5 hour flight that will put me in Costa Rica at around 8pm Indy time (16 hours after I began this little adventure).
Be looking for a post in a couple days or so once I've settled. (Unless of course something epic happens and then I will post it right away).
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Packing By The Numbers
Ok so today was packing day. After successfully procrastinating until 7 at night I figured I should probably get started. 9 weeks is a long time and I'm not sure I can be trusted to pack everything I need for lunch, let alone 2 months. So here is just a summary of how the packing went.
3-number of bags I'm taking (2 rolling suitcases and a backpack)
4-pairs of jeans
20-different shirts (don't judge I'm a girl)
6-number of times I looked at all the stuff and felt overwhelmed
7-pairs of shoes
3-spanish dictionaries
2-Bibles
2-Journals
7- Reading for fun books (soooo excited)
200- times I've thought that I'm forgetting something important
4- DAYS TILL I LEAVE (AHHHHHHH!!!!)
Don't worry I packed MUCH more than this (hence the concession to taking an extra bag). Only a few short days until I leave! I found out who my Costa Rica roommate is on Friday, nothing like waiting till the last minute… Her name is Lauren and she's from Oklahoma State. That's pretty much all I know and that my "family" has 2 sons but they are almost my age or older. Sadness I really wanted kids, but still excited.
3-number of bags I'm taking (2 rolling suitcases and a backpack)
4-pairs of jeans
20-different shirts (don't judge I'm a girl)
6-number of times I looked at all the stuff and felt overwhelmed
7-pairs of shoes
3-spanish dictionaries
2-Bibles
2-Journals
7- Reading for fun books (soooo excited)
200- times I've thought that I'm forgetting something important
4- DAYS TILL I LEAVE (AHHHHHHH!!!!)
Don't worry I packed MUCH more than this (hence the concession to taking an extra bag). Only a few short days until I leave! I found out who my Costa Rica roommate is on Friday, nothing like waiting till the last minute… Her name is Lauren and she's from Oklahoma State. That's pretty much all I know and that my "family" has 2 sons but they are almost my age or older. Sadness I really wanted kids, but still excited.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
It's kinda like jumping out of a plane...
Ok so I'm not the biggest fan of heights. I close my eyes on the hills of roller coasters. I get nervous looking over cliffs. And freshman year I chickened out of going off the swing at Butlers high rope course (it's 38 ft off the ground). So what made me decide to freefall from 13,000 ft you ask? Well a lot of things...
So I wanna write this down before I forget…before I lose the memory of the feeling of shear terror as I looked out the door of the plane or the nauseous feeling in the pit of my stomach as we started falling and most importantly the loss of that terror and fear to just the feeling of complete calm…the feeling that falling was completely normal and where I was suppose to be.
Skydiving wasn't just something I did for fun (I could have gone bowling if I wanted to have fun). It was something I needed to do, something I needed to feel. I ALWAYS want to be in control or at least know who is in control and have the plan set out in front of me so I know what to expect. I don't like not knowing. It bothers me, a lot. I've been getting more and more nervous and even scared as the summer approaches. There is so much that is uncertain and unknown. And I don't like it. I don't have a plan and a backup plan and a back up plan to that back up plan and it freaks me out.
And then I realized that trusting God is kinda like jumping out of a plane. Trust me... getting harnessed: you're fine, getting in the plane: excited, going up in the plane: nervous, moving toward the door: unsure, at the door: questioning, panicked, terrified…I could go on. That's how I feel right now. I'm getting closer to the door and all I can think is "who the heck talked me into this?" I had NO control today. I knew what I was suppose to do but I had to trust that someone who knew what was going on was going to work out the details to get me safely back to the ground. Nothing I said or did would have given me any more control. I had no say in what happened. All I could do was my part and hope for the best… I needed THAT. I needed to experience the amazing feeling of letting go and doing something that is no where in the realm of my comfort zone.
I was listening to a new song last night by Francesca Battistelli called "I'm Letting Go" the words that stood out to me were:
This is a giant leap of faith
Trusting and trying to embrace
The fear of the unknown
Beyond my comfort zone
I’m letting go
Of the life I planned for me
And my dreams
Losing control
Of my destiny
Feels like I’m falling and that’s what it’s like to believe
So I’m letting go
Giving in to Your gravity
Knowing You are holding me
I’m not afraid
I'm not afraid(much). I'm excited. I'm ready. I know that it will be scary. I know that there will be moments where I have no idea what is going on. But just like the calm that I felt with falling, I know that trusting that I am following where God is leading me will give me an even greater sense of peace among the chaos.
20 days...
P.S. Here is my video of me jumping! https://bumail.butler.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=f841bb5a951949c49aec15051fb8827e&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.lifepursuitvideo.net%2fasppublic%2fVideo47240.aspx%3fVID%3d15129%26VF%3dHelenaTorres_042609-1636.flv
So I wanna write this down before I forget…before I lose the memory of the feeling of shear terror as I looked out the door of the plane or the nauseous feeling in the pit of my stomach as we started falling and most importantly the loss of that terror and fear to just the feeling of complete calm…the feeling that falling was completely normal and where I was suppose to be.
Skydiving wasn't just something I did for fun (I could have gone bowling if I wanted to have fun). It was something I needed to do, something I needed to feel. I ALWAYS want to be in control or at least know who is in control and have the plan set out in front of me so I know what to expect. I don't like not knowing. It bothers me, a lot. I've been getting more and more nervous and even scared as the summer approaches. There is so much that is uncertain and unknown. And I don't like it. I don't have a plan and a backup plan and a back up plan to that back up plan and it freaks me out.
And then I realized that trusting God is kinda like jumping out of a plane. Trust me... getting harnessed: you're fine, getting in the plane: excited, going up in the plane: nervous, moving toward the door: unsure, at the door: questioning, panicked, terrified…I could go on. That's how I feel right now. I'm getting closer to the door and all I can think is "who the heck talked me into this?" I had NO control today. I knew what I was suppose to do but I had to trust that someone who knew what was going on was going to work out the details to get me safely back to the ground. Nothing I said or did would have given me any more control. I had no say in what happened. All I could do was my part and hope for the best… I needed THAT. I needed to experience the amazing feeling of letting go and doing something that is no where in the realm of my comfort zone.
I was listening to a new song last night by Francesca Battistelli called "I'm Letting Go" the words that stood out to me were:
This is a giant leap of faith
Trusting and trying to embrace
The fear of the unknown
Beyond my comfort zone
I’m letting go
Of the life I planned for me
And my dreams
Losing control
Of my destiny
Feels like I’m falling and that’s what it’s like to believe
So I’m letting go
Giving in to Your gravity
Knowing You are holding me
I’m not afraid
I'm not afraid(much). I'm excited. I'm ready. I know that it will be scary. I know that there will be moments where I have no idea what is going on. But just like the calm that I felt with falling, I know that trusting that I am following where God is leading me will give me an even greater sense of peace among the chaos.
20 days...
P.S. Here is my video of me jumping! https://bumail.butler.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=f841bb5a951949c49aec15051fb8827e&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.lifepursuitvideo.net%2fasppublic%2fVideo47240.aspx%3fVID%3d15129%26VF%3dHelenaTorres_042609-1636.flv
Sunday, April 19, 2009
27 Days and Counting...
Less than a month to go! I'm really excited with a hint of nervousness and a drop of terror.
First things first, explanation of the blog title. Torpe means awkward in Spanish. And has become my nickname since 1) I say it about every 4th sentence and 2) Anytime I travel there is bound to be extreme amounts of adventures and awkward happenings. (If you've heard any of my traveling stories or even worse have been witness to any of them then you know this to be true)
What I'm up to: Finals! Pretty much sums up my life right now. Well not really. I'm also prepping the final details for the summer like packing lists, paperwork, etc, working on my research project, and trying to fit in bible studies and a social life. I've also been really busy with writing support letters and getting those all sent out. Basically my life is a hectic mess but somehow everything is getting done pretty effectively.
No worries, I'll be writing more as I get closer to leaving. I can't wait and I'll be sure to keep everyone updated over the summer with what I'm sure will be epic awkwardness that seems to follow me wherever I go.
First things first, explanation of the blog title. Torpe means awkward in Spanish. And has become my nickname since 1) I say it about every 4th sentence and 2) Anytime I travel there is bound to be extreme amounts of adventures and awkward happenings. (If you've heard any of my traveling stories or even worse have been witness to any of them then you know this to be true)
What I'm up to: Finals! Pretty much sums up my life right now. Well not really. I'm also prepping the final details for the summer like packing lists, paperwork, etc, working on my research project, and trying to fit in bible studies and a social life. I've also been really busy with writing support letters and getting those all sent out. Basically my life is a hectic mess but somehow everything is getting done pretty effectively.
No worries, I'll be writing more as I get closer to leaving. I can't wait and I'll be sure to keep everyone updated over the summer with what I'm sure will be epic awkwardness that seems to follow me wherever I go.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
It's Official!!!
I've finally heard back from all of the programs and am now ready for an amazingly epic summer!
Where I'll be/ what I'll be doing:
~May 16-June 19th San Jose, Costa Rica taking Spanish classes
~June 20th-July 21st Redlands, CA for the Whole Person Care Preceptorship
~August 1-8th Mandeville, Jamaica with the Butler YMCA for a medical mission trip
Who needs a plane? I'll just pack myself up. I'm ready to go!
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