Missing You

It's been an incredibly hard week. It's nurse's week.... and I realized how much I miss this wonderful group of nurses that I worked with at LCHC.  They are just a great group of professionals living out their call to Love God and Love People. I miss them. I really do.

It's teacher appreciation week... but I'm not really a teacher, but in obedience I'm teaching kindergartners for 9 months.  Did you know that as the school year winds down to an end that the kids are more hmmm.....  energetic than ever! Which also means more defiant and disobedient as they test limits over and over again.  That can be exhausting. 

Robert, this is NOT OK!!

My uncle died on Monday and I found out on Facebook. Nothing makes you feel more out of touch. Homesick. Grieving the loss of an uncle. Grieving that I'm not physically close to my mom as she buries another sibling.  Top that off with the rainy season and cloudy, gray humid days and I was in the pits. 

Some days it's a choice. You choose to be joyful, when you would rather cry. You hold on to the promises in God's word knowing that he is faithful. My promise for this week comes from Psalms 16:11. 

You will show me the path of life: in your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.  NKJV

Today, those five year olds must have sensed the heaviness in my spirit. As they went back to their seats after story time, one of them noticed that the teacher was still sitting in the reading corner. Before I knew it I was embraced by two little tiny arms. Those little arms disappeared and there was a new set of arms squeezing tight. The next little one gave me a slight kiss on the cheek. and this parade of hugs and kisses continued. and continued. and continued.  As these little ones ministered to me I was reminded again that in God's presence and in HIS will there is fullness of JOY, even on the tough days.

Trust the past to God's mercy, 

the present to God's love 

and the future to God's providence. 

St. Augustine

Give Thanks...

OK, so I had so many intentions of getting a Thanksgiving post up by Thanksgiving week and obviously it did not happen. So, I started to just let it go... didn't make that goal. Shucks. Yet the idea of a post giving Thanks has remained with me and I've felt this gentle nudging to do it anyway even though Nov 22nd has come and gone. Honestly, I haven't been in much of a give thanks mood just recently. That's really not like me so I'm pretty upset with myself. Ha. Imagine that ... me upset with me.

Anyway, forcing yourself to make a list of things that you are thankful for is guaranteed to elevate the Spirit, bring a smile to your face and often, tears of joy to your eyes. So, here goes my list... even if it is almost exactly one week late, I'm glad that Giving Thanks is always in season!

1. Family and friends -  The last 6 months have been an awesome season of faith and stretching and I'm grateful for my family and friends who journeyed with me through this season of transition.  I have a new appreciation for my family and if it’s possible, I realize that I love them more and more every day. We’ve had some tough mountains, but boy we stick together and are stronger and closer because of it! 

2.  My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ - This Advent season is a time to re-focus on the true source of the Hope and Love we have.

3. Group hugs - the last 3 months I've gotten over 18 hugs a day, unsolicited, knock you down, trample on you bear hugs!  That’s what happens when almost twenty 5 year olds decide that a group hug is in order! My hug jar is full :)

4.  Make new friends, make new friends, but keep the old ones, one is silver and the other is gold. That line is from a song I learned as a child and I'm so thankful for my friends... both silver and gold. My newest friends are the Alcequiez family. They have taken me in under their wings (quite literally since the chickens now outnumber the humans) and under their roof and I'm so thankful for them. 

5.  Hot showers-- you don’t realize what you miss until it’s gone!

6.  Food -- I love trying new foods, most ethnic cuisines, and even dabbling in the kitchen. I’m thankful for this immersion into Dominican cuisine and the joys of fresh, unprocessed food!

7.  Internet -- oh boy, I don’t need cable or a TV, but internet, oh Lord, yes I’m thankful. It’s been a lifesaver to stay in touch with family and friends over email, Skype and FB!

8.  Lawndale Christian Health Center -- I spent the last 6 years in Chicago, IL, serving with this wonderful group of Christian medical professionals. The people who serve at this health center are phenomenal and I will forever cherish that faith and professional community. 

9.  Sunshine and Rain - There is a reason and season for every thing. I”m thankful for the sun that shines but also the rain in life that waters my growth. 

10.  Chocolate - I know this counts as food, but still it's different. You understand, right? I can't wait to bite into a piece of Dove dark chocolate. In the meantime, I'm having fun trying out each chocolate bar at the grocery check out :)! I'm sure there is at least a drop of antioxidants in there somewhere. 

11. I'm thankful to be an American -- Chocolate was supposed to be the last one, but I forgot this one that has come to mind so often in the last year.  The blessing of being born in a country that has a great educational system, financial resources, and opportunities galore is often taken for granted. Of course, it's not a perfect country, but having traveled a bit to other countries, we as Americans, are blessed and I am thankful. 

Stuck

Today marks 8 weeks since I arrived here in Santiago. I think it has all crashed down today and my shoulders feel heavy with the weight of it all. It's that moment when you are totally and utterly overwhelmed and you are at a loss of what to do next. That's exactly the point where I don't want to be, but yet here I am.  stuck. You know, unable to move, shut down, stagnant, at a dead end, helpless and just plain stuck.

Our mobile clinic has grown, yet you reach that point where you have to look at quantity and quality. We want to be able to serve people well. When Jesus fed the multitude they were well taken care of. He attended to not only their spiritual needs but their physical hunger as well. We want to care for our patients well...  there are those days that you meet patients who need specialty care, lab tests, imaging, etc, you don't have the right medicines or enough of the medicine and you just feel helpless.  How I wish for the IRIS system in Chicago to refer patients to the County Hospital. Yep, there was a LONG wait, but at least they were on the list, and at some point you knew their name would be called. Here, there is no list, there is no computerized referral system, no comprehensive referral network, there's NOTHING. So, what do you do with the patient who whispers that she is HIV positive, or the 18 year old with the history of thalassemia with a grade 4 systolic murmur that she says was never heard previously, or the 10 year old little girl who has a "ganglion cyst" with atypical symptoms like edema, decreased range of motion and pain. Let me not forget the many, many pregnant moms, who have no prenatal care, many of whom will deliver at home by themselves. You just feel stuck. What to do?

You pray. And pray. And pray. I'm starting to work on a resource list. Easier said than done, but I know there has to be other health ministries on the island. It's time to start looking for connections, people who will help and partner with us in providing care to our patients. It gets a little complicated by race relations on this lovely island. A large percentage of our patients are Haitian, and sometimes that feels like a bad word. I have a student who hides out in the other classrooms because the neighborhood kids pick on her that she has a Haitian teacher.  So, she doesn't want to be in my room anymore. yes, I know I'm not Haitian, but the bullies don't know that and that's all that matters to this 5 yr old. Besides, it shouldn't even matter!!!  Yes, Haitian can feel like a bad word to a kid and to many adults. .. There's also the kid who has a Haitian mom and a Dominican father. He decided last week that he was going to be Korean because he is tired of the teasing, and at least he would know "what" he is and can help people like our Korean pastors help people. This teasing at the school yard level has its root in the prevailing attitude towards the Haitian immigrant here. So, even though I'm looking for connections, you know, people who are on the ground already doing health ministry, yet, we have to make sure they are willing to see our patients, regardless of race.

At this moment, it feels like a big task, but I serve an even bigger God, who can give direction, vision, insight and provide what we need. Ministry here in the DR has been a blessing, but I have to be honest that today is one of those tough days. That's when I come to you, my friends, so, you can unite with me in prayer. The persistent prayer of the righteous will be effective. Here are some specific requests:

1. Pray for referral specialists who will collaborate with us and love our patients regardless of race.
2. Pray for laboratory services-- We desperately need access to some basic point of care testing and some simple hematology and chemistry panels, urinalysis, rapid HIV testing and follow-up. I'm praying for a Christian lab owner who will give our patients a discounted pricing and for increased financial resources to cover the costs of some in clinic testing.
3. Pray for strategic planning and vision for the mobile clinic.
4. Pray for race relations on the island.
5. Pray for financial resources. Pray about how God may use you to support one of these projects.
6. Pray that we will demonstrate Christ's love to all patients who trust us with their health needs.

Labor of LOVE

Christart.com

Today was my last quarterly meeting at  LCHC.  The quarterly meeting has come to be one of my favorite things about LCHC.   Honestly, I have many favorite things, but I love the energy of gathering all 300+ employees together for worship, encouragement, staff recognition, etc. It reminds me of what drew me to Chicago and the work at Lawndale to begin with... the love of Christ. Today Coach shared from 1 Thessalonians 1:3 about the labor of love that serving at Lawndale requires. It's beyond work, as he explained, but it is LABOR. There are days that it is extremely hard, systems seem to fall apart, patients are late, you as the healthcare provider are running behind, all of your patients are extremely sick, noncompliant, depressed, or all of the above and you can't help but feel the frailty of your humanness. Yet, in those moments you are supported and carried by the love of God to press on and endure in this labor of love.

There are not many health care settings around the country that would permit the staff to take an afternoon "off" to be recharged. As Coach said... we are just being paid to do what God commands.... Love God, Love People.  Well, as you may guess, I was holding back tears for the entire 2 hour meeting. Again, for the umpteenth time, I searched my heart, to see if there was a hint that God had changed the plan. Not at all.... in the midst of this ball of emotion, I still have peace. So, 8 hours after the meeting I just clicked the purchase flight button for my soon departure to the next adventure that God has outlined in my Future Filled with Hope!

Thanks for following along with me on this journey.  I need your prayers desperately as I step out on faith. I am raising support for the first year  and you can give by clicking on the give tab above or the link below.

Give to support my work in the Dominican Republic