a little piece of me

Sunset Cliffs

2012-02-08T19:32:00.000-08:00

I was home from work unusually early and the sunset was extra motivation to muster up the extra energy for a run...here's the view from the cliffs, enjoy!

and a little something to think about, “The world says “seeing is believing,” but God wants us to believe in order to see.”

Citizen of the Kingdom

2012-02-06T08:04:00.000-08:00

Matthew 5 –The Beatitudes

Blessed arethe poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

Blessed arethose who mourn, for they will be comforted

Blessed arethe meek, for they will inherit the earth

Blessed arethose who thirst and hunger for righteousness, for they will be filled

Blessed arethe merciful, for they will be shown mercy

Blessed arethe pure in heart, for they will see God

Blessed arethe peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God

Blessed arethose who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom ofheaven

Blessed areyou when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evilagainst you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward inheaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

I attended a couple sessions of a mission conference entitled, World Madate West, this past weekend atAll Peoples Church in San Diego. Iwas invited by a friend from school who thought I would be interested because Ihad a heart for missions. I don’t remember having a specific conversation withher about my passion for missions, but it is true. My thoughts frequently reston people around the world from my time spent building relationships with peoplein Basque Country, Uganda, the Dominican Republic and Mexico. I have always hada dream to be on the mission field on a global level. Initially, I thought thatmedicine would be my door into different areas of “unreached people groups,” a termthat I picked up during my Perspectives on the WorldChristian Movement class a few years ago. An unreached people is a people group which has no indigenouscommunity of believing Christians with adequate numbers and resources to finishevangelizing their community without further outside/cross-cultural assistance (kindof technical, I know).

TheGreat Commission, found in Matthew 28:19 says, “Therefore, go and make disciples ofall nations, baptizing them in the name of the Holy Spirit, and teaching themto obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, tothe very end of the age.” Jesus had just finished telling his disciples that, “All authority inheaven and on earth has been given to me.” He has the authority to send us outinto the nations, for his cause, to share the gospel message of this new lifein Him. My faith extends far beyond my own heart, my community of friends, oreven the church I attend. It is a global faith that extends to the nations.

Iwas reminded of this over the weekend while listening to the testimonies of twofaithful missionaries, Jimmy Seibert and Jim Yost. Both focused on a message ofobedience to the purposes of God in daily life. Both had wild, awe-inspiringexperiences that came about because of this daily obedience to God. Jim Yosthas worked in Indonesia for years and has started various ministries amongvarious groups of people: youth, prison inmates, prostitutes, gang members,etc. He goes out with his church members to the places where people are andbuilds churches from a handful of initial disciples (sound familiar?). He doesn’t wait for people to come into his church for them tohear the gospel message. He shared from Luke 10, “After this the Lord appointedseventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and placewhere he was about to go. He told them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but theworkers are few…’” People all over our neighborhoods, cities and world areready to hear the gospel. The Lord has supernaturally prepared their hearts toreceive him, but the workers are few. Unfortunately, we aren’t going out to the places wherepeople are to tell them about Jesus and disciple them.

Story after story Jimshared, gave testimony to Jesus’ words. He believes that 1 in every 5 peoplethat pass him on the street in Papua, Indonesia are ready to hear the gospeland believe. He shared of a prison ministry where they trained up leaders todisciple other inmates, which completely transformed the atmosphere of theprison. In fact, one of the inmates prayed over another inmate who had brokenhis leg out in the courtyard and the man’s leg was healed. Word spread of theprisoner’s healing touch and prayers and people from churches around the community, Muslimsincluded, began bringing their sick to this prisoner to pray over. Doesn’t thissound like Jesus? He went out into the streets and met people where they wereat. He used the most unlikely to carry out his purposes.

AsI read theBeatitudes this morning, I see more examples of this upside-down faith…blessedare the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, the list goes on, and goesto show that the humble, broken and those seeking after the Lord will find whatthey are looking for. It ends with blessed are those persecuted because ofrighteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven…how am I a participant ofthe kingdom of heaven? Who am I talking to Jesus about? Am I obeying him daily;looking for ways to be involved in his purposes? Am I strategically, lookingfor ways to go out and minister to others? The Holy Spirit is definitely movingin my heart, helping me to catch a vision for the next steps of the day, week,year...it’s a pretty simple message. No need to over-think our faith. It’sabout living in obedience to God and in doing so, sharing the gospel message ofnew life in him; discipling others into this kingdom life. Where is yourmission field today?

What I made this weekend

2012-02-06T00:18:00.000-08:00

It was another beautiful weekend here in San Diego. I broke out the barbie and made sweet potato fries both Saturday and Sunday nights! So good! I especially love the charred, crispy ones :) I also got a craving for some oatmeal cookies. Not sure if this was because I wanted to procrastinate to keep from doing homework or if I was just reminiscent of the days when my Mom packed our lunches, which typically included two homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Oatmeal also helps lower cholesterol and mine has been notoriously high in the past...most likely from familial, genetic causes. Once, I got so sick of eating oatmeal that I fasted from it for at least two years...just the thought of it would make me sick. But now that I've discovered Coaches Oats, I eat it almost every morning with a scoop of peanut butter and honey. I stumbled across the bag at Costco here in SD...never seen it in Bremerton/Seattle. Anyway, I tried the recipe on the back of the bag and the cookies turned out pretty good...a little more hearty than when you just use the old fashioned, quick cook oats by Quaker.

After an insightful church experience this weekend (more on that later), I stopped by the Point Loma library to get my first San Diego County library card! I forgot how much I love the library! I needed some resources for a lesson I'm teaching in class tomorrow night...an inductive lesson on ecosystems...fun times :) I picked up a few over-sized (and extremely heavy) coffee table like picture books of different biomes - rainforest, coral reef, deserts, Yosemite. But then, of course, I had to peruse through the science section and stumbled across, The Invisible Kingdom, a book on microbes and their amazingness :) as wells as Packing for Mars, by Mary Roach. I loved her book Stiff, so I'm hoping this one is just as entertaining.

It's now, officially Monday morning. I definitely got side-tracked during my homework because a moth kept flying around my head while I was sitting on my bed and I decided that I have moths...clothes moths...and that I need to launder ALL of my clothes, bedding and fabric in order to rid myself of the pests. I found a couple of holes in some shirts and sweaters in the closet awhile back...GROSS! So I threw everything out and separated it into piles to wash and dry clean and then vacuumed out the closet and wiped it down. I then noticed how dirty my white curtains had become and so took those down and wiped out around the window, then vacuumed the blinds and decided that wasn't enough and so I took those down and tried to wash them in the tub...not going to happen, so they are sitting outside on the patio waiting to be hosed down in the morning! Despite the chaotic state of my room and mind, I was able to finish my lesson planning and write this blog entry...maybe I am more of a night person than I realize??? nah :) I can't wait to get up and finish cleaning in the morning so I better get some rest!

Hiking San Diego

2012-02-05T09:13:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday was a beautiful day, not only because it was my friend Deidra's birthday! but because we spent it hiking in God's magnificent creation. The scenery here in Southern California is quite different from the lush green forests and snow capped mountains of the Northwest. It is a different beauty that I hope you can appreciate from some of the pictures below.

Whenever I am out hiking in the mountains, I can't help but feel closer to the Lord. I'm reminded of Psalm 121, which I learned at a young age, from visits to Packwood where it was hanging in the bathroom of the butterhut :) Here is the passage; I hope the words encourage you today and whenever you find yourself in need!

God the Help of Those Who Seek Him

A Song of Ascents.

121 I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
²My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.

³He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
⁴Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
⁶The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.

⁷The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
⁸The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.

Sunset Cliffs - these cliffs are within running/biking distance from my house and span the west side of Point Loma

Torrey Pines - a state park/reserve that includes coastline just north of LaJolla; one of the first places my roommates took me when I moved to San Diego

Volcan Mountain - a short hike near Julian

Potato Chip Rock @ Mt. Woodson - A hike that starts at the base of Lake Poway and includes famous, potato chip rock...a sliver of a rock off a cliff, perfect photo opportunity!

Mt. Cuyamaca - the second highest peak in San Diego County; hiked twice, once with snow and the second time this past weekend with Deidra!

Wednesday highlights

2012-02-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I spent time planting lettuce, spinach and herb seeds for the start of my vegetable garden. I was able to splurge on a new pair of gloves, potting soil and planter box at Home Depot with an old gift card.

(I must have returned something and received store credit, although now I'm thinking about how useful gift cards to Home Depot are...great gift idea!) It's amazing to me how a seed so small, yet big in the cellular world, contains all the genetic information and initial ingredients for life! I'm excited to do a little more research beyond the obvious needs for the seed to start developing...if all goes according to plan in about a week to 10 days I should have little sprouts coming up from under the surface! That is if the neighbor's cats don't disturb them :)

The other excitement to my day yesterday was discovering that tis the season for Girl Scout cookies! I couldn't help but support my dry cleaner's granddaughter by purchasing a few of my favorites and am trying a new one...Savannah Smiles, a lemon variation. I've already broken into the Samoas!

The real highlight from yesterday though, was spending time catching up with friends. I was able to Skype with Emily and the Drennans and catch up on the phone with Jennie. I even gave a little piano concert to Malia and Peter...such good sports for listening to me! I'm lucky we have so many different ways to keep in touch despite the long distances. It's always good to get a little piece of home. I love it here in San Diego, but I miss family and friends at times...if I only I could get them to all move down here! :)

What I made this weekend

2012-01-31T07:48:00.000-08:00

My classmate and good friend Erica, decided to throw a little concert this past weekend to benefit Airshine Music, which currently includes piano and choir instruction. She is hoping to expand the programs and open a school this summer with numerous teachers...percussion, violin, etc. I admire her courage to dream big and was excited to attend the concert to hear her play and support the cause. There were probably around 15 or so of us sitting around her red piano in the courtyard of her building listening to her play ABBA, Chopin, Debussy, and a Disney favorite...to name a few. The evening was titled Blackout Shuffle and was inspired by the blackout that we experienced in San Diego back in September. Instead of sitting around the television and radio, Erica was able to play and sing for her neighbors. There was electricity this time, but the stars and the moon came out as well to make the perfect combo.

She asked a few of us to volunteer to make baked goodies for a raffle, and of course I was excited to make a special treat. It had been awhile since I made my friend, Cristy's, favorite coconut cake...maybe not since a bridal shower??? Anyway, it is the most simple, delicious treat ever...if you like coconut that is!

Cristy's Coconut Cake:

The best part about this recipe is that you use a boxed cake mix...so easy!

Follow instructions on box to make the Vanilla cake batter

Add 2t of coconut extract to cake mix

Bake 2 8-inch rounds according to the Vanilla boxed cake instructions (a tip here...I always grease the inside of the cake pans and then flour them so the cake doesn't stick)

At this point, let the cake rounds cool and then I recommend freezing them (wrap them in some sort of cling-wrap or ziploc bag). It is easier to frost a frozen cake :)

For the frosting, mix together:

2 sticks butter (room temp)

2 8oz. pkgs cream cheese (room temp)

Additional coconut extract (to taste)

Approximately 3c of powdered sugar

Once your cakes are nice and cool (or frozen) frost the cake in between layers and all around...don't be shy, there is A LOT of frosting so pile it on thick!

And the final decorative touch! Toast some coconut in the oven until perfectly brown and sprinkle on top!

YUM!

If you don't enjoy this cake right away, I would stick it in the fridge to keep it fresh.

Well, I didn't win my cake during the raffle, but I did win the GRAND PRIZE! Lucky me :) I walked away with a gift basket that included a history of Jazz book (I love jazz...I even took a class at UW on the history of jazz!), a music CD and an iPod shuffle (that matches my car!) I felt pretty blessed, not just by the gift, but to be able to enjoy a night of music under the stars! A perfect end to the weekend.

Monday

2012-01-23T23:15:00.000-08:00

So excited to have my iPod shuffle back...now maybe I'll be more motivated to go for a run :) And, love that my Mom included a few extra goodies...a beautifully crocheted dish cloth and some seeds for lettuce and herb container gardening! Sounds like a weekend project! Love you Mom!

A little culture

2012-01-22T23:34:00.000-08:00

My Thursday night class, Schools in a Pluralistic Society, is turning out to be much better than expected. Last week we wrote a cultural autobiography, describing our ancestry and how it influences our lives. My mom grew up on a dairy farm in South Dakota and consequently, grew up in a home of early mornings, frequent baking, gardening, sewing and 4-H. After moving away from home and out to Washington, she kept quite a few of these traditions/hobbies. Even though she's a little too old for 4-H we always went to the fair and walked through the livestock and craft/quilting exhibits. She definitely is not an early riser these days...preferring to sit in bed and read while sipping on her morning latte...so spoiled :) However, she passed on to me the desire to keep up with some of the family culture, which has led me to container gardening, baking (in fact, last night I made these delicious cookies!), and sewing. A few years ago, I was fortunate enough to receive a sewing machine at Christmas. I don't consider myself a serious seamstress, but I've dabbled in making tote bags, quilts, kitchen accessories and APRONS, lots and lots of aprons.

Just when I thought I was through with aprons, I found a pattern I couldn't resist...in fact half of the fabric pieces had already been cut out. Where did I find this half-started gem? At Grandma Hoogestraat's farm house in South Dakota this past summer. The fabric is beautiful and I bought a little ruffle at JoAnn's for 50% off. It's a bit "old fashioned," or maybe I should say "vintage," has a better connotation. :) The directions were a bit difficult to follow, but like I said I've made my fair share of aprons, so I was able to piece it together and improve it a bit here and there. I love it, not because of the vintage design, but because of where it came from. A half started project from my Grandma that I was able to finish...keeping the family tradition and culture alive!

Market Tote

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

While browsing the Sew Mama Sew blog, I stumbled across a tutorial for this tote bag from Bijou lovely. I was nervous because this was the first structured bag that I had made, but the tutorial walked me through step-by-step and was so easy to follow! I gifted this one to a friend who loves the yellow/gray combo, and now need to make one for myself :) which rarely happens! The only improvement I would make to the original would be to add interior pockets for a cell phone, keys or whatever. Otherwise it is the perfect bag to take to the market, school or playground.

Resolved to....

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

from Creating Clever

Resolutions...I usually have one or two in the back of my mind that I never fully commit to, like giving up sweets...really? like that lasts more than 24 hours. Another year, I tried to take a picture everyday and post it on a photoblog. I think I made it into February before that one fizzled out. This year I started out with a week of unlimited hot yoga for $10, which I succeeded at going 5 times...wow! However, I soon learned from the NY Times that yoga is dangerous (not really, but can be if you push yourself too hard) and that more specifically hot yoga gives you wrinkles (that depressing piece of information came from my brother who heard it from his friend who owns a non-hot yoga studio...maybe just trying to eliminate the competition?). Anyway, the reality is I don't have $15 to spend on a class with my Grad student budget. In fact, I don't have a lot of money to spend on anything right about now. This sad realization has led me to many brainstorm sessions...how can I save, or even earn a little cash in my life right now? Mostly, I've tried to think about how I can somehow sell things I already have...ridiculously overpriced textbooks I'll never read again, old clothes/shoes, or take my crafting to the next level and open an Etsy shop. The Etsy shop has been on my mind for some time and I may have some product in the works...the Grad school life just doesn't lend a ton of "extra" time for crafting.

So, my next money-saving thought was, why not commit to only buying used clothes for the next 6 months? I mean, I know I can get away with not buying clothes for 3 months or so, but then I get restless and dive head first into a shopper frenzy hopping from Nordstrom Rack, to DSW, and TJ Maxx. So the 6 month time frame will be a bit more of a challenge! You may be thinking...hmmm...what about the more personal stuff...like undergarments or swimsuits. I have the perfect solution. I can purchase "new" items with money earned from consigning my "old" items...pretty genius, huh? Luckily, I haven't purchased anything new this year...December was a different story :) I'll keep you all updated on how it turns out...in fact I made my first thrift purchase of the new year today...an adorable blue and white-ish striped dress. Crazy to think that I could be wearing it in the next few weeks here in San Diego (the Washington winter would never allow this!). I also posted a picture of another thrift steal from a few months ago, Stuart Weitzman pumps. And we're talking maybe worn once, Nordstrom tag still intact, made in Spain, classier than ever, probably from the 90's heels. I LOVE them so much and guess what...only cost me $6.99...incredible I know!

So it's possible, I'm a believer, sold on the idea that I can thrift it for at least the first half of the year to reduce financial stress! Who knows...maybe it will become a way of life!? very unlikely :)

What I was thinking this time last year.

...pretty hot, I know :)

Vintage Crafting

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

While visiting my Grandma in South Dakota this past summer, I rummaged through the attic and found this treasure hidden away:

My Grandma has quite a few embroidered flour sack dish towels that I just love. The simple designs add a kind of elegance to the kitchen. The flour sack towels can be found at a local bakery for sale...I happened to purchase mine this Christmas while at Sluy's Bakery in Poulsbo, WA, famous for their bread, donuts and Scandinavian treats. The hot iron transfers still had life left in them and easily stamped onto the towels. I made a few for my Mom for Christmas, including the pears below and I just finished the strawberries for my own kitchen...it's always hard for me to hold onto my crafts, typically I end up finding my project is the perfect gift...not this time :)

If you're interested in purchasing a towel or two, let me know and we can figure out the design and colors!

Fisher Fair Scones

2012-01-17T06:51:00.000-08:00

Fisher Fair Scones...a classic Walker family tradition and let's be honest, my sole reason for attending the county fair. The fair has always been an important family tradition. Some of my earliest memories from my childhood include going to the Kitsap County Fair.

First off, we had to enter something into the fair to get free admission. One year, I entered placemats, another peanut butter cookies and surprisingly, one year I won a Grand Prize ribbon for my vegetable figure (in case you're having trouble picturing it, imagine a Mr. Potato Head like guy made solely out of veggies)...must not have been much competition in that category!

My mom also used to bake brownies to serve at the Young Life BBQ Beef Booth. This was another favorite of mine, because I would get to "taste" some of the brownie batter and any scraps of the finished product that didn't find their way into plastic bags to sell. YUM! The YL Booth was our chosen lunch spot due to the delish sandwiches and corn on the cob. My mouth is watering just thinking about that meal :)

Then we always made our way to the livestock. When your Mom grew up on a Dairy Farm it is a must to visit the Holsteins. I enjoyed the cows, but LOVED the horses. I remember being jealous of all the girls showing off their 4-H horses. I think I typically ended a visit with a request to move out into the country so that we could raise horses.

Finally, our trip was not complete without a trip to the Fisher Fair Scone trailer. What goes on in that trailer is pure magic! I don't know how they do it in such a small space, but the cutest little Grandpas and Grandmas bake up the most incredibly delicious, melt in your mouth scones slathered with butter and homemade raspberry jam. They are most perfectly browned on top and bottom, while being warm and soft inside. Every, year I would savor one, two, maybe even 3 scones...depending on how many days I made it to the fair. One year I remember buying a whole dozen to share with family over the next few days.

There really is nothing more comforting than a hot, fresh out of the oven scone. One day this past week, I went to bed in a somewhat sour mood and woke up thinking that the only way to brighten my day would be to fix up a batch of Fisher Fair Scones...and it's true, they never fail me.

While you can buy the Scone Mix at stores in the Northwest, I haven't seen them down here in California. The recipe below is one that I found online and tweaked a bit. It's a pretty accurate replica of the original! Enjoy!

Embroidery and Family

2012-01-16T09:23:00.000-08:00

This past summer my Mom and I drove out to South Dakota to visit family. I was amazed by our road-tripping skills, such as, sleeping at rest stops in the middle of the night for three hours, playing putt-putt, drinking milkshakes at an old school diner, and efficiently packing the cooler with sandwich fixin's and veggies (there were a few unhealthy snacks too) :) We were a fabulous team taking turns behind the wheel, while the other navigated and played DJ (aka chose which audiobook to listen to next).

The 2 1/2 day drive was well-worth the quality time spent with my Grandma, Uncle and his family. I loved being back at the farmhouse that is filled with memories from the time spent there as a child: sleeping in my mom's old bedroom, watching lightening strike the yard, be-friending the kittens (by bribing them with fresh milk and bacon fat), exploring the old barn, baking yummy goodies, taco pizza from pizza ranch...It's a little different now that I'm older, but I still enjoying fixing a fresh cup of tea or coffee and sitting down at the table to chat about whatever comes to mind. The conversations are what I value the most...especially the stories surrounding my Grandma's life....she just celebrated a birthday this past June and has so many experiences and wisdom to share from her last 90 years.

As we all get a little bit older, the roles begin to shift. My mom and I take over most of the cooking and cleaning, while Grandma sits in her chair by the table folding plastic grocery bags :) I love being able to serve her in these small ways. We also were able to put a fresh coat of paint on the kitchen and dining room walls, giving the space a fresh and bright look/feel. Another highlight was the fact that my Grandma used my Nook to read The Help...she LOVED using it! Too bad she isn't technologically savvy enough to operate her own (downloading books, etc). I've also become a crafter of sorts and enjoyed browsing the attic for treasures. I walked away with a bag of fabric for a scrap quilt and some embroidery fabric stamps, which I most recently used to make dish towels for my mom for Christmas! (Now I'm thinking about making some to sell on Etsy???)

I cherish time spent with family, especially my grandparents. It was a tremendous blessing to be able to love and serve my Grandma for those 10 days.

Enjoy the slideshow of pictures that I think capture the essence of my Grandma's farm!

When life hands you lemons...make lemon bars!

2012-01-15T16:45:00.000-08:00

I'm a little embarrassed to say, but yes, this is the second time this week that I have made lemon bars. However, the second time was more social in nature because I was able to teach my friend Jen, over at The Arizona Russums, a thing or two about baking :)

First of all, I grew up loving my Aunt Pam's lemon bars. Occasionally, she would bring them to family gatherings and I would always over-indulge. In fact, I'm pretty sure I've specifically requested them for parties/gatherings. Her lemon bars had the perfect ratio of shortbread crust to lemony goodness.

Recently, I tried Ina Garten's lemon bar recipe. I typically love anything that Ina makes, but her lemon bars fell short. The lemony goodness (I don't really know what else to call it...the topping?) was too thick and gooey, almost like the filling in a lemon jelly donut. So I went to one of my most visited cooking blogs, Smitten Kitchen for help and I was not disappointed. She too, had tried Ina's recipe and also wasn't a huge fan of the proportions. Lucky for me, she had posted her revisions which decreased the amount of topping to an almost 1:1 ratio. You can find the recipe over at her blog or down below with a few of my added tips.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Lemon Bars
Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

These are bold and tart lemon bars, ones I feel are best in smaller doses than Ina Garten suggests. I’ve made a few changes to the recipe–increased the salt in the crust, reduced the sugar in the lemon filling and an encouragement to grease your pan, as mine were all but cemented into their non-stick pan. For those of you who like the 1:1 crust to lemon layer ratio, use the second option (Smitten Kitchen alterations).

For the crust:
1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For the full-size lemon layer:

6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup flour

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

[Or] for a thinner lemon layer: (this is the topping that I prefer)

4 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (3 to 4 lemons)
2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2/3 cup flour

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet.

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into the greased baking sheet (I greased the baking sheet and then lined with parchment paper to ensure sticking was not a problem), building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

For the lemon layer, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes (I baked the thinner topping for 20 min), or about five minutes beyond the point where the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

Cut into rectangles and dust with confectioners’ sugar.

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The stars of this dessert are the fresh California lemons...I have a few leftover, but think I'm going to freeze the juice to use at a later date :)

While Jen's lemon tree wasn't quite producing fruit, this orange tree was in full bloom!

2011-11-15T00:51:00.001-08:00

I'm up late tonight...it's almost 1am and I still feel like I'm full steam ahead. If you know me well, you know this is unusual as I prefer going to bed by 10pm and waking up at 5:30am, since my brain operates more clearly in the morning hours.

I'm not sure if it's because I have a lot on my mind...school work (finished an assignment due Wednesday), job search (trying to find something more interesting and more full-time), processing of recent events, or keeping up to date on my friends and familys' lives via social media sites. I'm in need of sleep because I've been up since 6am today and have a busy day tomorrow with the alarm set for 5:30am and a list of tasks as long as ever.

Maybe I'm awake because I just need time to be...to listen to my favorite Pandora station, smell the scent of my favorite candle, reflect on the recent past and daydream about the near future. Without times like this to be in the present and contemplate where I am and what I'm doing, I would be rushing and spinning through life without a clear purpose. So I think I'll sit here in my room, for as long as it takes and just be (but secretly hoping that sleep comes sooner than later so that I can survive tomorrow :)

Peace.

it does not mean to be in a place

where there is no noise, trouble or hard work.

it means to be in the midst of those

things and still be calm in your heart.

(unknown)

Light!

2011-10-07T09:59:00.000-07:00

Monday night I went down to the beach with a friend and saw this...these beautiful electric blue waves! I had recently read a story about the red tide here in San Diego, and being the biology nerd that I am, couldn't wait to go check it out! It was absolutely magical...I couldn't help but pull up my skirt and run out into the waves just to try and get a closer look. Unfortunately, the bioluminescence was pretty far out where the waves were breaking farther from the shore. It was a spontaneous trip so I didn't have my own camera to capture the moment...sad. I've got to get better at bringing my camera with me everywhere. Isn't God's creation simply phenomenal!

On a related note, I was reminded yesterday in my devo, of the light imagery used in the Bible.

Jesus said that He is the Light of the world (John 9:5). We are told to “put on the armor of light” by clothing ourselves with the Lord (Rom. 13:12-14). And Matthew 5:16 instructs that we should “let [our] light so shine before men, that they may see [our] good works and glorify [our] Father in heaven.”

Jesus said that no one hides a light under a basket but puts it on a lampstand to illuminate everything around it (Matt. 5:15). Our light (our actions) should point people to the One who is the Light. We don’t have any light in ourselves, but we shine with the reflection of Christ (Eph. 5:8). (odb.org)

The true source of light, Jesus, lives in us and we shine the reflection of this light in order to love others and point them to Christ. Isn't that what it's all about?

Again in Matthew 5:14-16 from the Message, "Here's another way to put it:You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand - shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven."

I just love that last part...by opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God...that is my prayer, Lord help me to be a light, speaking truth and prompting others to come closer to you.

2011-10-03T09:47:00.000-07:00

Isaiah's poetry

On my morning run today I ventured out to Sunset Cliffs and admired the vastness of the ocean, the beauty of the cliffs and shoreline. I love how being present in God's creation bonds me to my maker. I can't help but draw near to him when I see his presence in the world around me. Today that was in the view, in the landscape. Other times it's in the love, generosity, or forgiveness of friends or strangers. Regardless, I pray that my eyes would be open to seeing his work and will being done here on earth.

The Message Bible describes Isaiah as "a poet in the most fundamental sense-a maker, making God present and that presence urgent." It also says that for Isaiah, "words are watercolors and melodies and chisels to make truth and beauty and goodness." LOVE that.

So here's what I read this morning...
"I don't think the way you think. The way you work isn't the way I work. For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think. Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don't go back until they've watered the earth, Doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, So will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They'll do the work I sent them to do, they'll complete the assignment I gave them.

So you'll go out in joy, you'll be led into a whole and complete life. The mountains and hills will lead the parade, bursting with song. All the trees of the forest will join the procession exuberant with applause. No more thistles, but giant sequoias, no more thornbushes, but stately pines - Monuments to me, to God, living and lasting evidence of God."

Love the imagery used to describe God's majesty!

2011-09-25T13:11:00.000-07:00

Love

The church that I've attended the past two weeks is in a series called "Wired for Love." Today the pastor addressed three different types of love and how they pertain to the development of our relationship with God and with others. It was a good reminder that my love for God leads me into obedience. That it isn't a "good feeling" but a commitment to obey when it is the hardest...when I am fearful, unequipped, lonely, hurt, angry. Romans 12:1-3, serves as the perfect reminder, probably why I chose it as my life verse in those long ago high school days!

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will."

In view of God's agape love, his unconditional, altruistic, unselfish, covental love, I choose to love in return through actively living my life in obedience to Him and His will. Not seeking out the acceptance of the world, but living in the truth that I am accepted and loved by God and that He will continue to perfect his love in me. It's not always easy to receive that agape love from our Father when we continually fall short, but it's not about us, it's about Him and His ability to love.

"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." 1 John 4:10-11

Love, it's sacrificial, unconditional. It's not about what you get out of it, but what you do in response to it. My hope is that I let God's love fill my soul, my being...spilling out to the world around me, into the lives of others so that they can experience the agape love that only comes from our loving Heavenly Father.

2011-09-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

My OB life so far...

an amazing house to live in

a back patio for entertaining

housemates that I can call friends

bike rides along the coast

visits with Molly and Corrie

surfing lesson uno

harbor tour

running along the beach

church shopping

swimming at the YMCA

multiple trips to Target for all the "necessities"

great start to classes

walks along sunset cliffs

working in the charter school grading and tutoring

a behind the scenes visit to SeaWorld

games with new friends

phone conversations with old friends

cooking for one

tasting new wines and old favorites

revealing, getting to know you conversations

time reflecting on God's love and goodness

scheming that next great adventure

2011-09-15T08:45:00.000-07:00

"And now children, stay with Christ. Live deeply in Christ. then we'll be ready for him when he appears, ready to receive him with open arms, with no cause for red-faced guilt or lame excuses when he arrives.

Once you're convinced that he is right and righteous, you'll recognize that all who practice righteousness are God's true children.

What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! just look at it - we're called children of God! That's who we really are. But that's also why the world doesn't recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he's up to.

But friends, that's exactly who we are: children of God. And that's only the beginning. who knows how we'll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we'll see him - and in seeing him, become like him. all of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus' life as a model for our own."

1 John 2:24-3:3

_________________________________________________________________________________

One month. That is how long I've been away home, living in a new city, far from the familiar and most of all far away from my loving family and friends...it sounds sad, scary, and overwhelming. But, it is far from the truth...in reality, it has been an experience of God's generosity, faithfulness and love. In losing the proximity of family and friends - their love, companionship, laughter - I'm gaining a deeper understanding of God's love for me as his child. The way he's been working in my heart to prepare me for this adventure, the way he has drawn me to himself in times of loneliness, and blessed me with a place to live and great new friends all demonstrate his marvelous love.

I still feel like a child in my faith, but want to grow...grow into the likeness of Christ, grow into a life that brings glory to God, grow into a story that God is orchestrating to bring about his kingdom here on earth. It's because of the love that he first had for me, that leads me to love him with my life in return.

2011-09-11T21:40:00.000-07:00

I feel like my head is a jumble of thoughts today...

It's been a whirlwind weekend filled with fun, laughter and reflection. Life is exciting, brimming with adventure...small and big, that I am free to pursue without fear. It's a great way to live, in freedom. Not only in the sense of personal rights and national security, but also in spiritual and personal freedom. Insecurities and fear can exist on so many different levels, keeping us from living the life that God intends...one where we are free to love, fail, confess, and forgive, constantly being transformed "from glory to glory" as we reflect the character of Christ to the world around us.

It's my desire to live this kind of life where I am an image-bearer of Christ, reflecting his character and glory as I strive to know him more intimately and truthfully. It is a struggle, an impossibility to perfect in this life, but I am free to live in my brokenness, embracing the love, grace and forgiveness freely offered by my God.

Romans 8 - The solution is life on God's terms (from the Message)

"The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death."

"Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God's action in them find that God's Spirit is in them-living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end, attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life."

"But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells-even though you still experience all the limitations of sin-you yourself experience life on God's terms. It stands to reason, doesn't it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he'll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you, you are delivered from that dead life."

A verse that really struck me....Romans 8:15

"This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike 'What's next, Papa?' God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are."

And from Galatians 5...

"My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God's Spirit. Then you won't feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness.These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. why don't you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?

So what does this life in the Spirit look like where we reflect Christ's glory? Galatians 5 continues...

"But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard - things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely"

Everyday, I fail to live this free life as I am entangled in my own selfishness, pride and will, but I will continue to strive deeper into understanding of life in Christ, in order to reflect his glory to the world around me.

Sun Surf Halter

2011-09-04T16:19:00.000-07:00

Awhile back, I found some Amy Butler patterns on sale and thought I would try to sew clothing. I've gotten comfortable making aprons, quilts and other small projects, but have always been intimidated by clothes that I would actually wear...because would they even look good enough to wear/fit right? I decided to make the Sun Surf Halter first...you can probably figure out why from the name alone...I was moving to San Diego where I would be in the sun and hopefully surfing :)

It was a pretty simple piece to make although next time I would make it a size smaller and not use quilting cotton as my fabric choice...it just kind of hangs there. However, it's been my go to top for trips to the beach. I polish off the look with my cowboy hat and walk around like I'm on vacation.

2011-09-03T09:46:00.000-07:00

Unscented garden - BBC

Click on the link above to view nano-scale structures of atoms that have been created via electroplating. The spontaneous arrangement of atoms resemble larger biological structures...like this fern.

metallic atoms

My favorite is the last picture, which somewhat resembles the microvilli of the small intestine where nutrients are absorbed.

made of metallic atoms

microvilli made of living cells

The atomic structures are so small that they can only be seen via electron microscopes. The scanning electron microscope allows for a 3D image as a high energy electron beam is scanned over the object surface and a detector measures the amount of surface secondary electrons that are scattered.

What I made today...

2011-09-02T16:43:00.000-07:00

We have some really cute chairs out back, but they were missing seat cushions. I've had it in the back of my head since we got here that I should make some. Well, let me tell you it was much more expensive and harder than I thought! :) But I do like the finished product, so I guess it's worth it. I only made one today...that means I'll have to find time and more foam to make the second this weekend!

2011-09-02T09:55:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy week....classes starting, job interviewing,textbook ordering, homework, getting my CA drivers license, and a haircut!

I was a little apprehensive about my classes...I was worried that they would be boring, pedagogical-filled, and non-practical, but I was also worried that I would be discouraged reflecting on my past four years of teaching. I never had any formal training in how to teach, but stayed in the classroom anyway. I am worried that going back to school to learn how to teach would reveal my inadequacies in the classroom. I also feel a pressure to do well in my classes since I have teaching experience...it is a whole jumble of feelings. But I must say that after my Monday and Tuesday classes I am much more relaxed and excited about the process. The teachers are engaging, funny, and care about our journey to becoming excellent teachers. I'm focusing on reflecting on my classroom experience and critically thinking about how to improve my skills. I was affirmed by what I've learned so far about what makes an effective teacher and I have confidence in my abilities to continue to become an effective, expert teacher.

Next week, I'll start a job in one of the charter schools as a classroom assistant. It is a lot of grading and tutoring...not a lot of teaching, but it is an opportunity to get connected with the charter schools and see another side of education. My field experience hours will take place in a local public school. I'm also in the process of becoming an SAT/ACT instructor and private tutor through Revolutionary Prep. All this to say, that the school/work side of things is really coming together. God is directing my path and opening doors, providing me with opportunities and the means to live :) I am so blessed by this move and although I anticipate missing home, I am still excited to be here and hoping to take advantage of my time in the here and now.

Last night, I went to watch the sunset at the PLNU undergraduate campus. There are large swells coming in this weekend and the surfers were out well into sunset...you may be able to see them in the pictures! I'm so lucky to live here...what a beautiful place!

can you see the surfers out there to the right?

sun setting behind the clouds on the horizon

waves rolling in

Sunset Cliffs

2011-08-27T21:22:00.000-07:00

Click to enlarge the map for a better view!

I'm posting some pictures of Sunset Cliffs (highlighted on above map). I live in Ocean Beach/Pt. Loma area and the "A" is the location of PLNU's undergraduate campus (which is beautiful!). Unfortunately, my classes are way over east in Mission Valley at a satellite campus, but I don't mind because I'll only spend 8 hours of my week there. Today, a friend of Deidra's invited me to go walking along Sunset Cliffs. We started down at the PLNU campus and then walked all the way up to the OB Pier. It was probably around 6-7 miles and the sun was already hot by the time we left at 9am. It was high tide, but we were mostly able to walk along the cliffs and nearby road. Here are some pics from the adventure!

I know I'm not in any of the pictures....working on it!

Bargain Shopping

2011-08-27T21:00:00.001-07:00

So...I've had quite a bit of extra time on my hands this past week and Kukui and I both like a good deal. We went out to AMVETS (supports Veterans) and Goodwill. I was scanning the books for a Ina or Giada cookbook find, but found some teaching books instead and thought that was a pretty good deal since I'm going back to school to become one...well a better one :)

They had two copies of the book every new teacher gets when they have their very first classroom...The First Days of School and then another on classroom management and one on teaching science as inquiry. I have a feeling they might be a bit more practical than the $110 textbook I just bought for class called "Educational Psychology." I hope I'm wrong...

But I hit the jackpot at Goodwill. In the car on the way to Goodwill from AMVETS I said to Kukui, "You know, I should have looked for an ice cream maker at AMVETS, maybe they'll have one at Goodwill." I have ALWAYS wanted an ice cream maker...who doesn't want to be able to make their very own funky flavors of creamy frozen deliciousness, especially now that I live in California! Plus, it'll be a lot cheaper than the stuff you get at molly moons or other fancy ice creameries. So I bee-lined it to the electronics and there in all it's fabulous red glory was a

brand-spankin'-new-looking

Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt - Ice Cream and Sorbet Maker...yes that is it's full title!

Perfect timing for the new addition (did I mention it was only $12.99), because I had some over-ripe plums that needed a purpose. So the next day I threw the plums in the blender with a little sugar and lemon and wah lah...the perfect summer heat remedy! I'm really excited to try out the pistachio recipe as well as the mexican chocolate. But it was a simple start to what I think will be a long-lasting and fruitful relationship. My housemates disagree and think the hype will fade after 5 or so uses...only time will tell!

2011-08-24T22:15:00.001-07:00

I have loved getting to know my new housemates here in SD and am so thankful that I decided not to live on my own. I've probably asked way too many questions and talked way too much this first week, but lucky for me I have new friends that are excited to show me around and welcome me to their home and city.

On Monday, we had a bonding adventure and went out to Torrey Pines State Reserve. "Nature" definitely looks different here than back home. The landscape is dry and desert-like with cacti and brown vegetation...hopefully due to the fact that it's the end of summer :) However, the ocean makes up for it. I've always wanted to live in an ocean beach community and now I live in Ocean Beach...or OB as the natives call it...although I'm reluctant to take on all the new lingo. Although I'm finding it doesn't take long to pick it up when everyone around you talks shorthand. I'm already saying things like "oh...I take the 8 to the 15 and then...." I guess there are too many interstates around here so you just drop the "I" in front and say "the" instead???

Here are the pics from our hike...with a couple from my last hiking adventure in WA for awhile with my good friend and native Californian, Deidra....she really should move back down here so we can play tennis in the beautiful San Diego sun!

Kukui the "cave monster"

my "sunburst" flower

AMAZINGNESS!

the Barbie

2011-08-22T07:59:00.000-07:00

So, moving into my new room here on Seaside street was a breeze! But assembling my new purchases from ikea and home depot...not so easy. I LOVE my new house. There are palm trees in the yard, grass that stays green all year without watering...you are probably asking, what is this magical grass...oh it's artificial turf! A backyard that is filled with beautiful plants thanks to my housemate Kukui who has a serious green thumb and a house with natural light streaming in all directions! I am so blessed to have a safe and beautiful house to live in so close to the beach and with wonderful housemates. God is good.

However, the wall that I put my new headboard on from Ikea is bowed...meaning we had to make some adjustments after frustrating attempts of securing it to the wall and fitting all the pieces together. It has bookshelves on the side and a shelf on top for extra storage! LOVE it.

And the charcoal grill given as a housewarming gift from my parents had a handle malfunction due to some human error on our part (of course). Well, the handle broke and although it is not necessary for the grill to function properly I had recently acquired some "gorilla" strength super glue and thought this would be the perfect beginners project! So after the goodbyes to my parents as they made the trip back home up the 101 I put dave matthews on Pandora and got to work on reassembling all of the broken little plastic pieces. I was pretty pleased with my progess...it was like a 3-D jigsaw puzzle, but with really strong glue that stuck to my fingers. I was SO excited to put the handle back on the barbie and text a picture to my Dad to show off my handiwork....however....when I got back out to the barbie I discovered that I had FAILED to notice that there were screws that were meant to be enclosed within the handle...aaahh! My moment of pride and success was quickly over and I sulked a bit before thinking of another way to make it work. Tim Gunn was definitely in my head at that moment :) I'm working on my new solution to super glue the nut into the handle so that the screw can go the opposite direction....I'll let you know how it turns out!

Despite a broken handle I broke out the briquets and fired them up yesterday to make my FAV lemon chicken by Ina Garten and some corn on the cob with a side salad...the perfect summer dinner! YUM

Thankfulness

2011-08-22T07:35:00.000-07:00

Recently, my prayers have been of thanksgiving...

Thankfulness for

supportive and loving friends and family

blessings of surprise parties and gifts

time in packwood with family

safe moving travels

a house and new housemates to enjoy

dreams coming true

and for peace that God has lead me here to San Diego for a time and purpose that he has prepared me for!

I am so grateful to have a God who is more than a name, he is my provider, protector, healer, confidant, and so much more. He desires relationship with me! in my weariness, brokenness, strength and joy. My God never fails and he watches over me day and night. Oh how I love him!

2011-07-28T09:31:00.001-07:00

I LOVE my old housemates so so much. Last week we all got together because Jen was in town from Arizona...definitely a reason to celebrate! Sarah offered to make a delicious dinner at her place, which started with appetizers and cocktails out on the lawn...love summer nights :)

It's hard to think about leaving all these amazing friends here in Seattle, but life calls and I know that I will find a great community in my new program and life down in San Diego. But in the meantime, I'll enjoy as much time with these girls as I can get!

San Diego!

2011-07-28T09:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I conquered a personal comments essay for entry into PLNU's Master of Arts in Teaching program. Yes, this is a far cry from medical school, but let's be honest...I am a teacher. I can't seem to get away from it. So I've chosen to pursue it until God directs me otherwise. 15 minutes after I sent the email containing the essay, one of my soon to be professors, responded with excitement to say I was accepted and would start this AUGUST! In a few short weeks I will be moving to sunny San Diego where I will live near the beach, learn to surf and of course learn to become a better teacher. :)

I was able to find 2 great roommates who rent a house near Ocean Beach...a total God send! One studied Biology at PLNU and works at Sea World...who wouldn't love that job! The other just finished her masters at Bethel Seminary in counseling and loves to surf in her free time. Really...it sounds perfect!

So I'm cherishing time with friends and family (especially little Owen) and simplifying my life's possessions in order to streamline the moving process. I've been dreaming of a sun-filled beach life for some time now and really can't believe it's actually happening. This past year in Bremerton has been crazy...the ups and downs of applying to medical school, a busy teaching job at my old high school, far from my friends...but I've been close to family, saved money for the move and feel rested for this next life adventure!

God is good...he has been preparing a way for me and I continue to follow him in expectation of his great plans!

If a dog can learn...so can I!!!

trips to Sea World in my near future!

and the San Diego zoo of course!

Owen at the Zoo

2011-07-07T10:18:00.000-07:00

tumblr

2011-07-06T14:25:00.000-07:00

I'm trying something a bit different over at Tumblr

We'll see if it sticks!

Jul 6, 2011

2011-07-06T12:46:00.000-07:00

2011-07-06T12:24:00.000-07:00

road trip

2011-07-06T10:40:00.000-07:00

It's about time to hit the road again. This time my mom and I are driving out to visit my Grandma in South Dakota. I'm looking forward to some adventurous time in the car and sitting in the 1900 farm house with three generations together again! My grandma turned 90 this past June and I can't wait to celebrate her, even if it is a month late.

I'm getting more and more excited about my plans to move to San Diego next month, but trying to be intentional in the present, enjoying time I have so close to family. I don't imagine most 28 year olds are taking off on road trips with their moms these days, but I'm lucky to have the time and relationship with my mom to enjoy such an adventure!

I hope to post some pics/stories about our time along the way! Prayers for safety and fun adventures ahead!

Packwood

2011-07-06T10:16:00.001-07:00

I can't believe we're already a month into summer! The sun burst out this weekend while we were in Packwood celebrating the 4th of July! I LOVE the Fourth...mostly because it means the arrival of summer, but also because of the fruity seasonal desserts and of course the FIREWORKS! And who doesn't like to celebrate independence, right!?

Sunday night some neighbors down the creek put on a fabulous show that mom and I enjoyed by our campfire. Monday night the neighborhood went to town as we enjoyed a homemade apple tart with vanilla ice cream...you really can't get more American than that.

burp cloths

2011-05-30T21:07:00.000-07:00

Whipped up a couple of burp clothes today for a friend who is expecting a baby girl in about a month. I had fun with the stitches to give them a little more flare!

Rest

2011-05-30T20:51:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day weekend has been busy, yet restful. More birthday celebrations on Friday, at the Canal with Malia and Peter on Saturday, and time with family until now. It's almost 9pm and I'm not ready to say goodbye to the weekend. It's been filled with reading (finished the Help), cooking (made my favorite couscous salad today), exercising (took out the bike, hiked to a hidden lake, walked the Clear Creek Trail) and sewing (worked on a quilt and finished some burp cloths). And now my mind is wandering to the start of the school day tomorrow, ecosystems in Biology, cooking in Chemistry, Gas Laws in Physical Science and then judging a 7th grade English project later in the evening. I'm dreading the busyness of tomorrow...it's sad that the day is dreaded not because of the events, but because of the sheer number of obligations packed into short amount of time. I'm definitely feeling the burn out and thankful that we only have 2 more weeks of school. I'm hoping the weekend has given me just enough energy to fly through finals with cheerfulness and grace...the secret...pray without ceasing :)

Had to show off the pants I made him for his birthday :)

Grandma got him his very own house...with a door that he loves to open and close!

Owen turns 1!

2011-05-30T20:35:00.000-07:00

Being an Aunt is one of the best in this world. I love laughing, playing and cuddling with my sweet little nephew. He is growing up so fast...holding his own spoon, taking steps on his own, signing milk, talking incessently, eating toast (a walker thing for sure) and throwing mini tantrums when he doesn't get his way. He is spoiled with love from all around the family, this kid is blessed beyond measure. I'm excited to see how he grows this next year...you can see the wheels turning in his head...he is dying to get those words out. I can't wait for our talks on the phone some day!

Kendra's Cookie monster cake!

Daddy making him laugh :)

Birthday month

2011-05-30T18:35:00.000-07:00

This birthday month has been different from all the rest. I now share it with Owen and he basically steals the show. Fine by me...because this is the first year that I've started to feel "old." I know 28 is still young, but it's a little too far from 21 and a little too close to 30.

Luke and Owen came over on Friday to stay for the weekend, while Kendra was visiting a friend in Minnesota. Chris and Jennie came over on Saturday night for dinner. I didn't do the cooking this year, unless you consider the coconut cupcakes...yum! We also had fun learning to play Dominion, a strategy card game that has quickly replaced Settlers of Catan.

After church on Sunday a couple of my best girlfriends, Meg and Malia, came over from Seattle for brunch. Meg even brought over one of her famous birthday desserts. This time it was a yummy chocolate oatmeal cinnamon gooey delicious cookie with sprinkles! I'm so blessed to have such loving friends :)

It feels like the year has gone so fast. I want life to slow down...I guess it comes down to being intentional to enjoy each day for what it is.

2011-05-15T10:47:00.000-07:00

More twists and turns...

I'm wrapping up the school year at Crosspoint...just a few short weeks left. Looking forward to a birthday weekend, memorial day in Packwood and SUMMER! I've enjoyed teaching at my old high school, but living in Bremerton has been a challenge. I knew it would only be for a year, but with medical school not working out, I'm back in the tranisition, waiting for the next steps to unfold.

This year has reminded me of the joy found in teaching and working with high school students. I was able to teach Chemistry this year...which I loved! It was fun to watch the students grow and understand how to think as scientists, mastering unifying concepts and applying their knowledge in new situations. I am more motivated to become a better teacher, desiring to continue my own education so that I can improve and diversify my skills as an educator.

However, I know that I cannot stay in Bremerton and am feeling the urge to move to California. Ever since vacationing in sunny, beach settings, I knew that for at least a time I would have to live there more permanently. So I've been pursuing opportunities in Southern California because I am at another life crossroads and now is the time, I can just feel it.

I know my purpose and calling is not solely dependent on my career. The person I want to be is not tied to what I do for a living, but to how I react to the events around me and create a life that glorifies God. Regardless of where and what God leads me to next, I want most of all to be a woman of faith that lives to make known the glory and Kingdom of heaven here on earth, loving and sharing hope with the world around me.

Sewing

2011-05-08T22:23:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's day! I had a great day celebrating my mom and grandma. After church we stopped by Bremerton City Nursery to buy a hanging basket of flowers for grma and enjoyed coffee from the Spigot.

We also stopped by Pacific Fabrics where I picked up a couple of patterns that were 30% off...2 top/dress patterns for me and then a pattern for Owen. I decided to make him some pants after my success with the Oliver + s "ice cream social" dress I made with Emily in Denmark.

After making mom some asparagus risotto and a layered lettuce salad...Dad grilled the salmon, I got to work on the pants and practically finished them...I just have to hem them and anchor the elastic once Owen tries them on him. They are going to be a great addition to the French toy I bought him in Denmark for his birthday. I CANNOT wait to celebrate him on Saturday! Love him.

a bun in the oven

2011-04-30T18:34:00.001-07:00

I had the priviledge of co-hosting a baby shower for my dear friend Jennie this morning. She is expecting her first baby in July and it was so fun to celebrate with her...the excitement and joy beams from her face!

The cake pops were a hit and I gave her the dress I made with my friend Emily, while vacationing in Denmark. She'll have to wait to wear it from a year from now...but it will look cute hanging in the closet.

It's weird to be moving away from the bridal showers and into the baby showers...a natural progression :)

Creative ways...

2011-04-28T20:05:00.000-07:00

Spring is trying to break through the cold and clouds here in the NW. I took my bike in yesterday for a tune-up, hoping with a little TLC it will be ready for my daily commute. I'm challenging myself to ride my bike as much as possible in the month of May. The motivation...I think it's National Ride you Bike to Work Month??? it'll whip me into shape and with gas prices creeping towards $4/gal, I really have nothing to lose!

Tonight, I'm baking cakes to make cake-pops for a friend's baby shower on Saturday...feeling oh so trendy! The sewing machine made an appearance this last week as well. I picked up a Moda Charm pack - Central Park that I am really excited to work with. The fabric is cut and I'm in the process of piecing together the squares.

Candy Bar Inspiration

my new fabric :)

I'm dreaming of sunny days...

the art of living

2011-03-08T20:21:00.000-08:00

"the art of living"

This phrase entered my mind this evening. I'm at another crossroads. There are seemingly limitless options. I fear to make the "wrong" decision, to take the wrong path.

After watching the season finale of White Collar...favorite show! A program came on the USA network...Character Approved...recognizing life "artists" who have used their gifts and passions to benefit community, something bigger than themselves. People whose rich life experiences have given shape and purpose to their art whether in fashion, music, film, shoes, technology, architecture, writing or culinary.

Blake Mycoskie founder of Toms shoes is one of the characters. He noticed that people in business found great joy and gratification when they were able to give back and serve the community. Unfortunately, most waited until they were retired to really get involved and invest in this type of service. Blake decided to create a business approach that would allow him to give and serve now. At age 29 he created a business model after taking a vacation to Argentina where he saw a need for shoes. The one for one movement guaranteed that for each pair of shoes sold by Toms, another would be donated to a child in need. Powerful generosity. Don't wait to give, to serve until you have the finances, or have the time. Find a way to give now.

Fear. A theme that I dealt with in applying to medical school. It was addressed by actress Lily Rabe whose biggest fear was losing her mother. She is 28 years old and that fear was faced when her mother passed away. She can now reflect on this loss with the attitude she has less to fear now in life. I faced my fear this year, applied to medical school and feared rejection. But now I can say that I stood up to my fear and followed my dream. When my fear came true today in the form of rejection, I felt disappointed and injured, however, I also felt a burden lifted, a release. I have endured this rejection and it has not defined me for worse, but for better. I have lived through my fear. It does not control or have power over me anymore. There is something invigorating, inspiring and even freeing in this moment.

The characters honored in this program each told their story. A story about the journey of their lives...where they've come from...how this shaped their art...how they find meaning in their art by sharing it with community...the benefit reaching far beyond themselves.

Their lives are journeys and they have left a window open, for people to enter in and experience their art, their life. I want to use my passions and life experiences to inspire, to build and connect with community...this will involve great risk, discernment, ambition, creativity and humility....character traits that develop over time as I live. I want to be better at the art of living this kind of life...the kind of life that reaches beyond myself, spilling over into the lives of others.

I missed February!

2011-03-06T17:59:00.001-08:00

Well...I guess it's been awhile since I've allowed myself some self-reflection...or at least time to write about the self-reflection.

The flu knocked me flat on my back the past 5 days and that allowed a little extra time for thinking, not a ton as I found myself sleeping and wishing myself healthy most of the time.
Now I can't stop thinking about all the work I have to catch up on at work...those kids don't teach themselves and you never are really sure what all went down with the sub! :)

Today, I forced myself out of bed to go to my nephew's dedication at Church and then to my brother's 30th birthday brunch. I can't believe Owen is real. Everytime I go to my brother and sister-in-law's house to visit, he surprises me, captivates me and it's like falling in love with him all over again...really...I mean he is only 9 months old, can't talk, and can't walk, so maybe my feelings will change...doubtful...but he is the center of the world when we are around him. It's fun to daydream about what he'll be like when he's older and then scary to think about how so much of who he becomes is out of our control. He already makes his own choices, but soon they will be choices of greater responsibility and consequence, defining who he is and the path he chooses to take in this life. It's so joyful now to watch him learn to do the most simple things...climb off his little 4-wheeler, scoot around the ottoman, clap his hands, wave bye-bye. It's hard to believe that soon he'll be walking, talking and I'm sure causing terror...not all the time though! I'm praying for him today as he was dedicated...really a dedication by his parents and family and friends to love him, pray for him, and share what it means to follow Jesus with him as he grows into the 6ft-5in good looking, collegiate basketball player he will be someday! :) But seriously, it was a reminder that I will influence him and I want to be a person that shares what it means to love unconditionally, give generously, live adventurously and give and receive forgiveness freely.

Really, we should be living boldly to share Christ with everyone in our lives, not just our favorite nephew of all time, who mean the world to us! xoxo, love you little guy!

2011-01-31T19:19:00.001-08:00

january

I decided to get one more post in the month of January. Last year I was trying to take a picture everyday for a year. I think it lasted most of the month of January and then life happened and I started studying and working more. This year has already been busy and although I lack pictures to speak of my adventures I suppose I can share some thoughts.

I trained hard and reaped the benefits of finishing the Phoenix marathon in under 4hrs! It was fun...yes fun, but I think the friends I was with, the sun and the flat course had a lot to do with that atttitude :)

I've spent time with my nephew Owen who is now crawling and walking witht he assistance of a huggies diaper box. One of my favorite feelings in the whole wide world is having him fall asleep in my arms.

I learned how to ski at White Pass last weekend. My ski instructor told me I made his day...I think because I was a quick and teachable learner, but his comment in fact then turned around and made my day!

Now enough "I"

God is working on my patience and giving me peace during this waiting period, while I wait to hear from schools regarding interviews.

God is teaching me about what it means to love him and follow him through his Word, John Piper and my favorite Bible Study girls.

God is preparing my heart and mind to speak at secondary chapel next month as I talk about "persistence, not perfection" in relation to being a disciple of Christ.

come back in February and hopefully I'll have pictures

New Year...same goals

2011-01-01T08:48:00.000-08:00

I was reading the blog of an acquaintance yesterday and he talked about finishing, rather than starting something new in the new year. He pointed out that we are bombarded in our society with the next best thing, that new fad, toy or lifestyle that will bring you happiness, organization or success. How true it is that we are constantly looking for the next best, while sometimes forgetting what we've started. I have a tendency to do this with my sewing projects. I start something, but then I receive inspiration to do something else...luckily I've used up most all of my fabric, so I really do need a new project...once I get my mermaid quilt finished. Training for my marathon in a couple of weeks is something I have to finish. If I decided to stop training a month or two in, I would literally die or hurt myself on race day. I think that training for endurance events has taught me a lot about discipline and follow through. I want to continue to translate those attitudes into all areas of life, especially my spiritual life. If I want to know God's will and grow in relationship with him, I must discipline myself to train with him...through prayer, reading and spending time in relationship with other Christians. I think ultimately every new year, it is the same goal, to follow and seek after God that much more. The goal takes your life to complete, not a new year.

Phil. 3:12-14
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing Io do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Paul goes on to say in vs. 16 "let us live up to what we have already attained." Christ has given us an example to live by and our reward is citizenship in heaven with him. I eagerly experience and await the continued transformation of my life to be more like his.

2010-12-30T22:49:00.000-08:00

I've been a little crafty over Christmas break! Finished Owen's quilt for a soft a cuddly Christmas gift and was inspired by the sewmamasew green grocery bag challenge to make a market tote!

The quilt top was done and ready for a month or so before I finally found the backing and put it all together. I used the machine to quilt...really didn't know what I was doing exactly, but I like how it turned out!

The fabric I used for the market bag jumped out at me while I was shopping for Owen's quilt backing...so of course I decided why not buy it :) I was surprised at how quickly I finished the bag. I like the size, although I wish the handles were a bit longer...I had to slip stitch the bottom of the lining closed, hopefully no one looks too closely at my handiwork!

East vs. West

2010-12-29T17:10:00.000-08:00

Last night the family headed to BHS to watch the oldies hoop it up. This was the second year they've had an East vs. West alumni basketball game and there was a great turnout. Last year the gym was packed as they honored Les, the old East High coach, who has since passed. It was fun to be back in the gym again this year with an addition to the cheering section...Owen Reid! I can already tell he's going to be the most handsome basketball star!

Dad came through with a double, double earning co-MVP for East and plenty of recognition after the game. He sure is a local legend!

Kendra ready for an accidental slip...

3 generations

grandpa walker

rebounding machine

tip off

nephew love

2010-12-24T11:02:00.000-08:00

He really is the cutest...spreading Christmas cheer!

2010-12-24T10:55:00.000-08:00

Behold I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it, and will you not give heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

(Isaiah 43:19)

A promising reminder of God's faithfulness to those that seek to follow him and his will.

Christmas Card

2010-12-20T21:26:00.001-08:00

I chose my photos carefully for this years Christmas/New Year card. The year has been filled with much determination, adventure and ultimately new growth. My life is a story that God continues to write and bless each step along the way. I am so grateful to have had experiences, challenges and relationships this past year helping shape me into the person God is calling me to be! Merry Christmas friends and family! Thank you for all your love and support.

personal statement

2010-12-05T11:59:00.000-08:00

Rolling paint onto a bare cement wall, I stop to look around the empty room and close my eyes. A vision fills my mind and the space comes alive with voices of medical personnel. A patient lies on the operating table, his vital signs displayed by screens and monitors. I watch as a life is being saved in this room. As I step back into reality, into the smells of paint and sweat, I am proud of the small part I am playing in creating what will become a busy medical clinic in impoverished, rural Dominican Republic. I feel an overwhelming sense of purpose and foresight that one day I will return to this building, not as a volunteer college student, but as a volunteer physician, to help and serve this community of Haitian refugees. Now, six years since this initial trip to the Dominican Republic, I look back on my life experiences and see how they have given me the skills and confidence to pursue a life of learning and service to the underserved as a physician.

Fast Forward three years and I am posing for a picture with a man wearing feminine looking eye glasses, both of us grinning ear to ear. Only half an hour earlier I had seen this man hesitantly walking around our temporary vision and dental clinic. Upon noticing his need for help, I immediately walked over to greet him. We were just starting to close down the clinic for the day, but after discovering he had come straight from work in hope of a new pair of glasses, I led him through the sequence of steps to determine his prescription and fit him with a new pair of donated glasses, even if they had a slight feminine touch. It was in Mexico, that I felt the deep reward and satisfaction of giving new life to someone through medical treatment. We worked hard as a team, seeing over 500 patients in 5 days. I developed a sincere compassion for the people I met that was communicated not necessarily through my limited use of the Spanish language, but more visibly through undivided care and attention for the individual. The ability to serve and meet immediate needs of such worthy, hard working people was gratifying and rewarding. Through simple vision and dental services we helped instill a new confidence and hope within an oppressed and impoverished community.

Fast forward three more years, and I am huddled with the audience under the mango tree, out of the intense sun, watching a story unfold. A story that highlights a struggle typical to the Ugandan household; whether to eat the food they grow, or sell it for a profit. In the stage version, a husband greedily sells the food and possessions for money to spend on a life of indulgence, at the sake of depriving his family of proper nutrition. What amazes me is that this sensitive cultural problem is being confronted and presented by teenagers. During my public health internship, I learned that there is much more to working in global health than the satisfaction that comes with meeting an individual's immediate needs. In the context of a village, the health problems are not solved by the treatment of individuals, but by the empowerment of a community through preventative education and improved access to resources. As we worked together to find sustainable solutions, we faced the challenges of inadequate health infrastructure, lack of available medications, and cultural differences. By the end of the summer we had trained 20 leaders within the community to rise up and lead the village in the areas of malaria, HIV, sanitation, family planning and safe water. Our most effective work was in partnership with the local people because it centered on inspiring behavior change by addressing cultural norms and traditions that outsiders themselves are unable to address alone.

In all of my travels, I saw how disease and poor healthcare were obstacles that families did not have the power to overcome. People would constantly ask me to help diagnose and treat sick family members because of my white skin and relative wealth, to them the equivalency of holding a medical degree. I craved the skills and knowledge to be able to understand more entirely the causes of disease and health problems in order to more effectively treat and help create sustainable solutions. My desire and love of learning is an important factor in my decision to pursue medicine. I have found that for work to be fulfilling and engaging, it must challenge my intellectual abilities and skills. My work so far has been limited to preventative education and training, but I've seen that to be effective, prevention must go hand-in-hand with treatment. The study of medicine would greatly enhance my ability to serve and help create sustainable health systems in underdeveloped communities.

It has been six years since my initial exposure to the developing world and my desire to serve has not faded, but has been strengthened by seeing first-hand the health challenges much of our world face every day. I want to have the training and education that will empower me to help bring hope and resources to these disadvantaged communities. My travels have shown me that people are the same all over the world. They desire to live long healthy lives in order to care for those they love. I want to be a blessing to those who are lacking the hope for a healthy family and future.

the "owen show"

2010-12-05T11:43:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving was blissful...

snow flurries, resulting in 2 days off school

family and friends staying the night

upholding my reputation as the Wii tennis champion

watching husky basketball

cooking and eating delicious food...over the course of a few days

However, the main highlight, who everyone absolutely could not get enough of, was my favorite little man, OWEN! It was the full on Owen-show as we all watched him play with new toys, eat oatmeal and peaches and beans, and laugh and screech (like a teradactyl).

He loves books, his food, laying on his back, pulling long loose strands of hair and necklaces, chewing on anything he can get his hands on and any expensive technological gadget (aka - phones, laptops and cameras)

My, oh my, he is one cutie whose personality comes alive more and more everyday.

he can be such a flirt!

reading brown bear with grandma

mom's lap...the best place for a nap

some of the other guests this thanksgiving

2010-11-13T20:58:00.000-08:00

Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.
Robert F. Kennedy

2010-11-07T20:38:00.001-08:00

Daylight savings! I have mixed feelings, yes, it will be light in the morning when I go to school, but now I have limited running time in the evening. I read the Great Divorce by CS Lewis this morning...a quick and good read that always gives me an eternal perspective and consider idols that are keeping me from seeking Christ alone. After church, I roasted some squash, onion and apple and made Ina Garten's Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. yum! Luke and Kendra and Owen came over and Owen tasted his first rice cereal for dinner. He wasn't sure what he thought about it :) so fun to witness! After dinner we played a little Wii...mom's got a great follow through!

fall

2010-11-06T19:03:00.000-07:00

Enjoyed spending some time with friends in Seattle this weekend. Lucky for me I had the day off on Friday after long days of parent conferences at school. I spend some time with Kendra and Owen salon hopping around town and then had a somewhat spontaneous dinner with friends and then killed a 12-mile run with Meg this morning. The leaves were beautiful...red, orange and shades of yellow. I took a mental image...sorry I couldn't upload it to share.

A car ride home was spent catching up with Rach, while enjoying some Hansens Natural Soda she is now marketing...yum! And now I'm taking some homemade mac n' cheese out of the oven. Talk about comfort! You can almost see it bubbling with cheesy goodness!

baking

2010-10-30T09:41:00.000-07:00

It's fall and the perfect time to cozy up on the weekend with some homemade treats.

Last Sunday, after Alicia's wedding I stayed with my friends Rachel and Mike and we enjoyed a lazy morning and baked some yummy pumpkin cookies with orange flavored cranberries and chocolate chips. They were cakey and delish!

This morning I woke up early...my body is adjusted to school time and so I stayed in bed as long as my will would let me, but finally got up to make some oatmeal pancakes. I've ordered oatmeal pancakes before while out for brunch, but had never attempted to make them myself. I found this recipe online from smitten kitchen. It was a huge success and we enjoyed the slightly sweet and hearty pancakes with pumpkin spice lattes. Just the fuel I need for my training run today!

Alicia's Wedding

2010-10-30T09:20:00.000-07:00

I don't have too many pictures of all the festivities, but it was a fun weekend...from the rehearsal to slumber party, getting ready the next morning, pictures with the Seattle skyline, and of course the ceremony and reception at Shilshole. The decor was beautiful with teal and a splash of red. Alicia was stunning and Tim handsome...so joyous together on their wedding day!

At the rehearsal

WEDDING DAY!

The beautiful and delicious cake Alicia's mom made! WOW!

2010-10-19T20:12:00.000-07:00

I'm starting to get some request for secondary apps from medical schools! hurray!

I finished the Poulsbo half-marathon!

And this weekend visited the pumpkin patch with the cutest nephew ever!

fair time!

2010-09-22T18:46:00.001-07:00

Last year I missed the fair experience while I was on my cross-country journey, so this year I made sure to make good use of my free educator tickets. Luke, Kendra, Owen and Mom all came along and we made the usual stops...YL BBQ Booth, the Cattle, Roasted Corn, the Horses, the Photography and Quilts, and last, but most important of all...SCONES! Unfortunately, I wasn't served my warm doughy, yet crisp, filled with delicious raspberry jam scone by a grandma/grandpa...but by a teenager...sad. I thought it was always the "seniors" that worked the scones at the fair? oh well...tasted just as good!

Action shot...mom finishing her BBQ Beef sandwich...Luke eating noodles??? really?

Luke excited to show Owen the cows

Love the corn!

We just missed the clydesdale show

Best of Show

surprise sun

2010-09-18T12:57:00.000-07:00

Went on a quick bike ride with mom. We were inspired to get outside due to the surprise sun this morning...I thought it was going to rain today??? Glad the forecast didn't come true. Now if the rain could only hold off for another day so we have a dry day at the fair tomorrow!

Emerson wisdom

2010-09-11T21:40:00.000-07:00

Writing a personal statement forces you to delve deep into your desires, motivations, ambitions and life experiences. It's hard to pause in life and forcefully reflect on why you are who you are, and what you want and why you want it. They are such big questions that don't really have concrete answers that can be arranged in a neat little 2 page essay. The demands and pressures you face!

So of course, I've been procrastinating. There is always something else to be done, seemingly more productive to be done, than sit and think about yourself. However, today, I found myself drowning in the burden of finishing my application and all that stands between me and the online submission button is my personal statement.

After brainstorming a bit, rediscovering myself on a superficial level, I created a start to my outline that focuses on how my life experiences have given me the confidence and direction to pursue medicine. Two categories of experience stand out the most: my cross-cultural service and my teaching background. Now I have to weave it all together with witty leads, smooth transitions and unique evidence that helps me stand out in the crowd...God help me.

A theme stood out as I reflected, it was the idea (no great light bulb here), that life is a journey, not a destination. I decided to look up my quote to see if someone had said it before me (which I was convinced, because it is not sheer genius), and sure enough Ralph Waldo Emerson received the credit. It is such a true statement, no matter how simple it seems. I think that is why it is hard for me to answer the big questions as to who I am and what I want, because my life is not focused on a destination. I'm more interested in what I do in the meantime, the adventures that have led me into teaching, driving across the country, serving in mexico, the dominican republic and uganda, mentoring high school girls, building relationships with my friends and family. Where I end up, is not as important as who I am becoming and how I am impacting others in the process.

So here I go, enough procrastination, back to writing.

basque

2010-09-11T15:54:00.000-07:00

ol' daddio is in spain and loving it! read his blog to follow the adventure

pacific northwest

2010-09-11T15:01:00.000-07:00

I missed the beautiful pacific northwest, my friends and family, while in Uganda and now that I am home, I miss the beauty and people of Uganda. Completely different climates and scenery, but the people are the same both here and there; genuine, loving and generous.

I've been home just over a month and have already started a new job teaching high school science and seventh grade math...yes, my first time in the classroom with loving and hyperactive sevies :)

I've celebrated a good friend's wedding, hiked in the cascades, spent a day in the OR at Harrison (shadowing, not on the table), moved to Bremerton and relaxed in Packwood.

What a blessing to be home with family and friends and to have had the chance to live among the beautiful people of Uganda. Life is never dull...always a new adventure around the corner.

labor day

2010-09-05T15:22:00.000-07:00

family

creative crafting

packwood salsa

loving on baby owen...we're pretty obsessed

poulsbo

2010-09-01T15:30:00.000-07:00

I love poulsbo...norwegian, colorful, alive

mt rainier

2010-08-12T15:14:00.000-07:00

oooh mt. rainier how I missed you!

journey home....

2010-08-01T17:45:00.000-07:00

I'm in the Dubai airport on a lengthy layover sipping starbucks and reading emails. I just watched a video of my nephew Owen on Facebook and I am so so so excited to see him and luke and kendra and mom and dad tomorrow!!! I can't believe how big he's gotten and his smile...he is so adorable! I loved listening to luke and kendra talking to owen...trying to get him to smile...what great parents they are and will be!

I'm in the process of uploading pictures and blogposts that I wrote on my computer the past few weeks! I hope you enjoy them! See you all soon!

xoxo,
b

It's been awhile...

2010-07-25T02:46:00.000-07:00

So a couple weeks have gone by since I've been able to get online and post from Africa. Today I was sitting outside by the Nile thinking...I can't believe I'm in Africa! The past two months have flown by and though I'm excited to be home in a week, I'm also sad to be leaving this place. It feels more familiar here than I thought it would and there is a comfort I find from being in my village with our neighbors. I have many short posts that I will try to upload sooner than later, but for now I have a few albums online that will hopefully speak more than my words.

VHT elections

2010-07-22T17:58:00.000-07:00

7.22.10
Tuesday, we had a sensitization on patient rights as well as our VHT elections. People started showing up after a burial of an older woman that took place in the early afternoon. At first, I was surprised by the turn out. I didn’t see any of the regulars…meaning those (mostly women) who came to our sensitizations. The LC1 was there as well as Eliasa, our mobilizer, and a handful of men who are friends with a guy named Amos. Amos was first introduced to us when we were moving throughout the village. He seemed well respected at first, but soon we began to hear that maybe he wasn’t a man true to his word and of good character. He didn’t show up to a single sensitization after the initial meeting, but here he was at our elections with a group of his friends. Great. We were concerned that perhaps the VHT would not be a good representation of those interested in our work, but of mere figure heads that liked the idea of being on the committee…probably in hopes of some type of financial incentive, which of course we don’t give. Good thing we had a drama on patient rights because it lasted around and hour or so and as a result gave time for more of our regulars to show up and those tired of waiting that weren’t genuinely interested to filter out. The drama was entertaining, as usual and drew a good crowd. By the end the rain had started and the people gathered beneath the mango tree. Nominations for the VHT were shouted out and we tried to write them all down. Some weren’t even there…Amos’s name ended up on the list. By the end 30 names were volunteered, a good start to what will most likely eventually be around 10 or 15 once everything is said and done. We have training on Monday and Tuesday of next week, which not all will be able to make and then after they start working with UVP on a regular basis we’ve been told some will drop out from lack of time and then some will drop off because of lack of incentive. All in all, I think we have a good group that will naturally evolve into an even better group of leaders who can inspire change in the community…only time will tell.

Namungalwe Rural

2010-07-20T17:57:00.000-07:00

7.20.10
I took some pictures yesterday as we were mobilizing for our Village Health Team elections today. We have finally finished all of our sensitizations and the time has come for the community to elect leaders to serve on the VHT and carry on our work when we leave. UVP will continue to follow up and work with the VHT over the course of the next three years. As we moved through the village, I tried to take some pictures that captured the essence of Namungalwe rural. I’m here only for about another week so I’m working hard on remembering. I don’t want to forget what life is like here. As we talked with people, they were sad to hear we were leaving so soon, after only just starting to get to know us. I thought 2 months would be a long time to live and work in the community, but in fact, it was just enough to get situated and become known and trusted. Hopefully, the follow-up work done by the year-round UVP staff will be successful at continuing to train the VHT and work in the community to improve their health. There are an overwhelming number of problems and frustrations that will take time to resolve with sustainable solutions. Our work here was short and superficial, but a start. I’m excited to see if the villagers elected today will have the motivation and leadership to continue the work.
I’m torn as I think about leaving in just under 2 weeks. I’ve loved my time here and feel as though there is so much more that can be done in the community. Things take longer here…it’s just the way it is…and so it is hard to leave when things are just getting started. I know that there are staff here year round but they are spread pretty thin and it’s not the same as having someone living in the village working alongside the community, teaching and inspiring them to work towards a better quality of life. However, at the same time I’m looking forward to coming home, seeing my family and friends, taking a real shower, using a washing machine to clean the Ugandan dirt off my clothes, and finish my medical school applications. I have loved getting to know Mutesi and her family…a term used loosely here in Uganda as the household includes nieces and nephews, and grandchildren. I will miss them the most.

Mabira

2010-07-19T17:56:00.000-07:00

Mabira National Forest

7.19.10
On Sunday, the team minus the Ugandan interns, took a day trip to hike in Mabira National Forest. When we asked Simon-Peter and Hannington if they were interested in hiking we were given looks of “are you kidding me…why would I want to walk around in a forest?” Too funny. So we left them behind and took off for the small village of Nejembbe. Travel in Uganda is anything but predictable, kind of like the weather. So, after switching matatus (taxis) in Jinja we headed toward the forest into some pretty ominous looking clouds. Next thing we know we’re in the middle of a full blown hailstorm. I pull out my peanut butter and banana sandwhich…by now it’s already past 12pm (after leaving the house around 10am) and hope for the best. We are crammed into this taxi…water splashing up through holes in the bottom of the van, dangerous puddles of water collecting on the roadway, and unfortunately the van’s defrost system wasn’t working…why would it? Everyone is a little on edge…for our safety and plans for hiking. By the time we are dropped off in Nejembbe about 20 minutes later the rain is now a steady Seattle drizzle. Typical Ugandan rain…lasts about 30-40 minutes and then disappears. Lucky for us it was when we reached the forest and as we started our walk the sun was shining through the trees and the butterflies (over 200 species live in the forest) are out.
The forest was beautiful…lush, tropical and full of life…mostly plant life, but we did see some birds, butterflies, dragonflies, spiders, ants…by the time they were biting us, millipedes, and yes…a red-tailed MONKEY! We didn’t happen upon the monkeys until the end of the hike, but we saw a bunch of half-eaten fruit on the ground so we started searching in the canopy high above and sure enough saw what looked like a large squirrel from our viewpoint. The camera’s zoom revealed a red tail with a furry body! We were pretty excited. I tried to get a picture, but the resolution is not that great…but still…we saw a monkey on our own little safari through the forest.

HIV Testing Day

2010-07-15T17:51:00.000-07:00

7.15.10
HIV testing was rescheduled to the day originally scheduled for our nutrition sensitization and we didn’t find out about the change until 2 days before…no surprise. However, we were able to mobilize in the community to let them know the date change…it was just disappointing because our HIV sensitization was all about knowing your status and now we had to delay the testing four another 4 days. We had around 125 people turn out to get tested and St. Mary’s (testing group) did a great job accommodating the large number of people and counseling. I had been asked numerous times at the borehole if I was going to get tested. At first I thought, Africa, needles…no way! However, on the day of, I felt the urge to get tested and went through the entire process…including sitting with the women who were waiting for their results. I wasn’t really all that nervous about my own status, but I tried to put myself in their shoes to try to understand the courage it would take to find out one’s status, knowing it could completely change your life.
When they called my name, I figured they would say, “Great, here are your results, thanks for coming.” But instead, they took me over behind the goat shed (the testing took place at our compound), for privacy, and we sat in plastic chairs (a little too close for comfort), and the counselor began asking me questions, “why did you come to get tested today?” “Do you have a boyfriend/husband?” “Why is it important to know your status?” The questions kept coming…and at this point I hadn’t even heard my status yet. For half a second I thought to myself…could I be positive? No…no way. But I still found myself getting a little apprehensive…finally…I hear the words, “Well, Rebekah, you are not HIV positive.” Huge sigh of relief…not exactly…but I did break out into a smile and thank him for his work, but quickly got out of my plastic chair and back out into the open.
The majority of the turnout consisted of women, which did not surprise me. When we went around doing door-to-door surveys many women said they knew their status, however, they did not know their husbands status. It is sad…the lack of disclosure between husband and wife here. There is a lack of trust and an obvious lack of concern as to how their choices affect one another. Men dislike the idea of using condoms here (at least in the village) and wouldn’t dream of using them with their wives. With a high trend of infidelity (side-dishing) here, I know I would live in fear of contracting the disease, even if I was faithful to my husband.
Hopefully, our message at the HIV outreach was one of hope. Mostly women attended the outreach. We approached the idea of disclosure, of being tested together with your spouse, but unfortunately the ones who needed to hear that the most, the men, where not in attendance. Life is not over here, once you test HIV positive, which we also emphasized in our message, especially through a testimony of a mother of 2 who had lost her husband to AIDS. The health centers have ARV’s available once you reach a certain CD4 count and they have a support program, called Positive Living. The day was a success…I’m anxious to hear about the results!

HIV Sensitization

2010-07-08T23:08:00.000-07:00

7.8.10

We had our HIV sensitization Wednesday afternoon. Our take home message was “Know your status,” and I think it was clearly communicated through testimony, song, drama and discussion. The nearby health center has a Positive Living program for HIV positive people and we asked one of its members to come and share her testimony. It was a powerful opener to the event as she explained how she had lost her husband to the disease and is now living with HIV and raising her family. I wish I understood the language…I miss out on so many of the details as much is lost in translation. It is difficult to not be able to communicate effectively with people, especially when our work is so much about education and relationships. We have great Ugandan interns that help translate, but it’s not the same. Anyway, despite the language barrier, her testimony was powerful. She captivated the audience and delivered a message of hope. She encouraged the people to get tested so they could receive the help and support they need if diagnosed with the disease. My favorite part was she wore a baseball cap with “know your status” embroidered on it…“so perfect,” as Simon-Peter would say.
The HIV sensitization attracted the best turnout so far, although it was all women. The reason for the large turnout was due in part to a performance by a local drama group. Ugandans love to be entertained and any gathering is reason enough to dance, sing or watch a drama. We advertised during our mobilization that there would be drama and dance and as a result our turnout doubled! We still started late (African time), but the audience was captivated by the energy and message of the drama, which again focused on knowing your status and living positively with the disease. We had a group discussion after the first performance, led by our intern Simon-Peter and again I was lost in all of the Lusoga. However, based on the questions and body language it seemed like people were taking the message seriously and asking relevant questions. The second drama was pretty wild…the content being a tad offensive to the politically correct outsider in my opinion, but not to the crowd…it was almost like a Ugandan soap opera, with infidelity being the major issue. The drama’s were beneficial even if a little offensive to those outside the culture, because they stirred emotion and allowed people to talk about sensitive issues. Unfortunately, only a handful of men were in attendance and some left early (the meeting/performances were over 2 hours). Men need to be reached with the message of knowing your status, but many are stubborn and unwilling to listen. Many of the women we’ve met in the community know their status, but not their own husbands. As a result, they live in fear of getting the virus from their husband as many of the men have what Ugandan’s call side-dishes (extra-marital partners). Of course, this type of infidelity increases anyone’s chance of contracting the virus and increases transmission. It’s sad…HIV isn’t taken very seriously, mostly because it isn’t talked about, people don’t know their status, and if they do they are in denial that it will hurt them or those they care about. I hope that people begin to realize that they can’t live confidently in the dark…they must know their status in order to make the right decisions to protect them and the ones they love.
We have HIV testing at our house all day on Monday. I hope that those who heard the message on Wednesday follow through and come to get tested. There is so much fear around the virus that people would sometimes rather just not know. I’m praying that attitude changes.

As always, the kids were exceptionally cute…can’t get enough of them! Hope you take time to check out the pictures and captions…they sometimes do a better job of describing life here than my words.

Outreaches

Click on the picture above to see the album and captions!
xoxo,
b

Fourth of July!

2010-07-08T22:48:00.000-07:00

7.5.10

Yesterday was a good day. It was the Fourth of July, our Independence Day. I had a great idea to celebrate by having an American BBQ to celebrate! Nina made a flag, we went grocery shopping for the goods the morning of and I spent most of the afternoon sitting in front of our small charcoal stove.

The meal: minced meat hamburgers (mixed with onion and egg) with all the toppings…including ketchup! Cassava chips dipped in ketchup and apple crisp. Yum! This Fourth of July was like most at home, it drizzled during the afternoon reminding me of Seattle. Unfortunately, fireworks were out of the question as we would have to go pretty far up on the political ladder to get approval! But, despite not having fireworks, I felt the most American I’ve felt all trip sitting in front of the stove. We shared our traditions with Mutesi and the family. All of them loved the burgers we made and we all ate the chips together. Mutesi had never tried an apple so I shared some raw and cooked with her and she saved some of the seeds to try to plant…I told her it probably wouldn’t work to grow them here and even if it did the apples wouldn’t taste good for a long time. I do miss Washington apples. We buy ours here in the Indian run supermarkets…who knows where they come from.

We also, had our Family Planning outreach yesterday. A nurse from the nearest health center came and spoke with women in a very candid and humorous way. Around 15 of the women who came walked away with birth control pills or had an injection. The nurse thought it was a successful turn out so we were all pretty excited. This week we have our HIV sensitization on Wednesday and then testing next Monday. In between we’re going rafting down the Nile….I’ll be honest, I’m a bit nervous.
On Saturday, we looked at fabrics in the market and I actually found a couple I liked and am having a couple of skirts made. I’m excited to see how they turn out! Hopefully I’ll be able to wear them here the last few weeks and blend in a little. I also had a freak illness on Saturday. I started to feel some severe abdominal cramping and was very uncomfortable. I sat down on the stairs while the other girls ran some errands and found myself about 5 minutes later running to the bathroom at a Café we are regulars at across the street. Something hadn’t sat well in my stomach and I thought I might be in trouble. I sat on the toilet…which I usually just squat over…but I thought I might vomit as well. I started to feel faint and put my head between my knees and next thing I know I wake up with my body lying back to one side…I FAINTED! Weird. (sorry mom, I’m sure you’re freaking out right now) I woke up in a cold sweat, disoriented, nauseous and alone. Right before I passed out I was trying to text the girls where I was (luckily I had just put airtime on my phone) and so when I came to I quickly called them for help. I wiped the sweat off my body and waited outside on the stairs. I could feel the color coming back into my face, but I was still queasy. They came not to long later and fortunately, we had been with some of the UVP staff while we were fabric shopping and they were able to take me back to the UVP office where I rested over the next couple of hours. I felt fine after an uncomfortable bathroom experience and a couple hours of sleep. I was obviously weak after, but felt fine and my symptoms haven’t reappeared. I must have eaten something weird…thankfully it all passed through in one go. I look back and think so many things worked out…even though I was disgustingly sick…God came through with providing airtime when I needed it, the UVP staff, and a real toilet to use at the UVP office (better than the latrine!).

Uganda Fourth of July

Click the picture above to see the whole album and captions!

day-to-day

2010-07-03T00:11:00.000-07:00

The last couple of weeks I’ve spent reflecting. I’ve settled into the routine of the day to day and have more time and energy to think about the big picture. Here is some insight into my favorites here in Namungalwe...

My runs…I haven’t been as consistent as I am at home, when greenlake is right outside my door, an easy 3 mile loop, but I have made an effort to try to run 3 days a week here. I’ve been saving them toward the end of the day when I’m already hot and sticky. It takes a bit of effort to put on the spandex capris, sports bra and running shoes (that are now encrusted in Ugandan dirt). However, that effort is well worth it when I start out on the dirt path and wind my way through the village. Children on their way home from school sometimes join me. Of course, their feet aren’t protected by cushioned soles from the pounding on the gravel/dirt roads. They don’t care…or even seem to notice, but instead run right behind you smiling…huge smiles. Sometimes people ask me, “Madame, where are you running?” And I say, “nowhere, just running.” You start to feel guilty when you don’t respond to every call…”mzungu, mzungu, how are you?” “jambo, rebekah!” It’s flattering they remember my name, even though I will probably never remember theirs. I’ve started into the habit of jumping into the occasional soccer match in a front yard, stopping to chat and giggle with some teenage girls, or pump water at the well. It’s always an adventure, a somehow calm release from the work we’re doing.

My showers…yes, it would make sense that this favorite would follow the first. I make my way back to the house, enjoying the sunset. I take off my socks and running shoes and put on my flip-flops, grab my night clothes (loose pants and ¾ sleeve shirt) and fill the basin with water. I try not to use too much, as we only have 3 jerricans among the six of us living in the house. We’ve designated a cup to use for showering and I love the feel of pouring a full cup of water over my head and the coolness as it trails down my body. I feel exposed in the bathing area. It is a small cubicle on the other side of 2 latrines with eye-level cement walls. I could be in and out in less than a couple of minutes, but I enjoy taking my time to feel clean, to shampoo and condition my hair and to slough away the dirt from my feet with a washcloth that I end up cleaning almost daily. My running clothes make their way to the line to dry for the next day…the sweat accumulating over the week until I do laundry. Feeling fresh and clean is a momentary pleasure here, and I relish it.

My host family…I say host family, but really that isn’t their official title. We live in the home of Dr. Lukandwa. He works in Kampala, about a 3 hour drive away. The compound has two houses a kitchen and a building for the animals (not quite a barn though). The yard is huge and has a prominent mango tree in the front which the village uses as its main gathering place. It is private, set far from the street, although occasionally in the morning and afternoon as children walk by to and from school, I’ll see bright orange, pink or blue uniforms with arms waving from them at us. Our house is situated in front and the sister of the doctor runs the household that occupies the second house. She is definitely the in-charge and maintains the property. The property includes three cows (ente), a handful of goats (mbuzi)…the kids laugh at my goat impression, chickens…including the baby chicks in different stages of growth from cute fresh chick to awkward, almost ugly adolescent, and of course the rooster…he reminds me of his presence or should I say dominance every morning well before the sun is up and then constantly throughout the day whenever he feels is necessary. But of course the highlight is not really the animals, although I do love them and love the scene of the yard when the cow is laying lazily chewing its cud at that perfect time in the early evening when the light is just right, but even more so I love Mutesi (sister of the doctor, who runs the household), Joy, Nicholas, Helen and Lilian (the younger children 11-16 years who are all somehow or another connected to the family). You never know who belongs to who, but it doesn’t matter here. The family isn’t an isolated unit of mother, father and children. It consists of sisters, brothers, nephews, nieces, grandmothers, aunts…some of who are not even blood related. Everyone has their role that keeps the compound alive and running. Lillian leads the goats in at nightfall, Joy fetches the water and helps with dinner, Nicholas kills the chicken and works on laundry, Helen waters the cows and everyone helps in the garden…filled with matooke, groundnuts, potatoes, cassava, papayas, and coffee beans. Overseeing all of this is Mutesi, who has become a good friend and protector. She is always looking out for us and helps me with my lusoga and always appreciates when I come out to help with dinner or in the field. My favorite was when she told me I was a “good girl” because I was off to shower. She works hard, all day. She is a strong woman, but has a limp from a hip problem…she walks slowly but deliberately and I love her. The kids are all off to school by the time I’ve finished my morning coffee, so most of my interactions with them are in the evening when I go to help peel potatoes or dice cassava. Language is a barrier. Some speak better English than others. They try to teach me Lusoga…my favorites are stars – munyenye and moon – omwezi…probably because it is at night when my lessons begin and we are sitting out under the expanse of dark sky filled with the brightest stars and moon. The laugh at my accent and attempted pronunciations of the long words filled with an unusual number of vowels. Soon we’re taking turns singing songs in English and lusoga and maybe Helen or Lilian will even dance. Mutesi is quick to correct them when they fumble in translation and I know she loves it as much as they do. There are others that live at the house, whose relation I do not know, but everyone is so polite and generous. Granted, most of Ugandans are…a signature of their culture, one of long greetings and generosity. I will miss my family here.

2010-07-03T00:07:00.000-07:00

2010-07-02 malaria outreach

Make sure to read the captions...

Last couple of weeks....

2010-07-02T23:42:00.000-07:00

It’s been awhile since I’ve been able to blog from Uganda. Unpredictable internet speed and availability is the main problem. It’s also difficult to keep up on my journal without electricity to recharge my computer every few days. So I’ll have to do a quick recap of the last couple of weeks.
Most of last week, I was anxiously awaiting my MCAT scores. I had my parents check the day they were out, but didn’t hear until the following afternoon due to time difference and cell service. I was so relieved when I found out I had exceeded my goal score by a point, but also immediately wished the score was better. But that’s usually how it goes…never satisfied.
We had our Safe Water/Sanitation outreach Thursday of that week and I think it was a success. We prepared and made visuals the few days before, mobilized the community by putting up posters at the boreholes and then went house-to-house as well, which was somewhat inefficient as we only have 2 lusoga/luganda speakers on our team. However, we had a pretty good turn out; even if we had to wait about 2 hours after the posted meeting time, but that’s African time. You say 2pm and people show up at 4, 4;30 or even 5pm. We may consider it rude in America, but that’s just the way it is here. I had made an outline of our lesson of sorts and we tried to make it as interactive and interesting as possible. We had one rogue attendee who enjoyed asking absurd questions. One example was when we were introducing waterguard as an option to treat your water. It is a chemical based treatment and you pour a capful into a 20L jerrican. The man asked, “ you say it kills and cleans everything, what’s not to stop someone from using it to clean their clothes, or eye, or maybe they’ll just pore the whole thing down the borehole….” I thought he was rather entertaining and made the crowd laugh, even if he was a bit unruly. We sold a few bottles of waterguard, but most of the women didn’t bring money, so hopefully they’ll be back.
That weekend we went to Jinja for the day on Saturday to indulge in a mocha and use the wireless at flavours café. I started looking over my AMCAS (med school) application and freaked out a little about all the information I have to input about courses and what not. I wasn’t able to spend much free time as I was focused on emailing out about letters of rec and transcript requests. We left Jinja feeling refueled and recharged for the week ahead and excited about watching the US/Ghana game later that night in the village. Transportation in Uganda is a bit sketch and unpredictable. In order to get to jinja (about a 45 min drive from iganga) our team has to walk about 10 minutes to catch a boda boda in our village marketplace to get to iganga (about a 20 minute ride). We then go to the taxi (or matatu) park where we wait for a van-like taxi to leave for Jinja, sometimes you wait 10 minutes, sometimes you wait an hour. We could catch one en route off the main road, but when you travel with a larger group it’s better to wait in the taxi park. This is because Africans don’t abide by obvious car safety standards…like how many people can fit in a row of seats. You would think you would have one person per seat, but that isn’t very profitable so they tend to squeeze one, maybe two extras in. You can imagine this makes for a fairly uncomfortable ride, especially when you factor in all the stops as people get off at different stages and then conductors frantically wave at passerbys to see if they need a ride. It can create a jerky and long ride. On the way home from Jinja that day our matatu actually stopped about 10 minutes outside of iganga and everyone except the Americans got out…we were confused, thinking we would continue on, but after waiting about 10 minutes, being harassed by vendors to buy everything under the sun…one teenage boy even asked Sean if he could buy one of us girls…..what??? Anyway, after we put up a bit of a stink we were shuffled onto yet another matatu that finished the drive to iganga. Later that night we went to “the barn,” a random building in the village that broadcasts the world cup games. It was heartbreaking watching the US lose to Ghana…I feel like the African audience was exceptionally proud and rowdy with a group of Americans in their midst.

The next week we spent preparing and mobilizing for our malaria outreach, meeting with the Namungalwe health center management committee and building a tippy-tap in the primary school after teaching about sanitation and handwashing. The malaria outreach went well on Thursday. We put up posters on Wednesday and Nina and I rode bikes around the village reading off one of the posters in lusoga, inviting people to come. It was fun to try to communicate on our own without an interpreter and people were surprised we were able to ride bikes and were excited we had come to tell them about the sensitization. There were about 50 people that trickled in from about 4:30 to 6pm…over 2 hours after it was supposed to start. We shared about transmission, dispelling local myths, talked about what types of treatments are effective and how to prevent mosquito bites…we pushed using long-lasting insecticide treated nets and sold about 25 after the outreach. I was distracted by the neighbor kids after our presentation and ended up having a photo shoot with them instead of interacting with the adults. Mpulu…a cute little boy who cries if a white person gets too close, was especially adorable and I was able to get some great pictures and play Frisbee with him…one time accidently hitting him in the forehead…oops. I think though he is on his way to overcoming his fear of white people…although the Frisbee incident probably didn’t help much at all.

Yesterday (Friday), we came into Iganga for a mid-trip debrief. Teams were able to share about their work so far and talk about what they hoped to accomplish over the next couple of weeks. We also talked more about what the Village Health Team will look like and heard from the health care team, which is working with the health centers and the follow up team, which is looking in on last years VHT’s. I’m sure I’ll have more to write about that after I process all that was said. I had a great conversation with our Ugandan team leader about the health care and political system here in Uganda, which I’ll share more on later. For now, I just hope to be able to post these couple of blogs and latest pics!
Iganga shoppers...where i buy my yogurt I drink with a straw and apples...imported apples

travels

2010-06-21T03:18:00.001-07:00

Random and Sipi Falls Adventure

Sunday, June 20th

2010-06-20T02:53:00.001-07:00

This weekend we travelled to Sipi Falls, near Mt. Elgon. We left around 7:30am on Saturday morning and after a boda boda ride and two matatus later we arrived at the Crow’s Nest (hostel like accommodations started by a peace corps volunteer) around 1:30pm…it was a crazy ride and very uncomfortable. However, the view and the hiking was worth the trip. We had lunch when we arrived and then hiked around to the top most waterfall and continued down to the second highest when we suddenly found ourselves in an absolute downpour! We speed walked back to the hostel and were soaked! Fortunately, we had a hot shower and even though I didn’t have super dry clothes to put on…the hot chocolate made up for it.

The waterfalls come from a spring up on Mt. Elgon, which I believe is the highest volcano in Africa at maybe some 14,000ft? don’t quote me on that. Anyway, the people in Sipi live and farm on the hillsides and it is incredible. The beauty is awe-inspiring. It is lush and green, and the views astonishing.

The waterfalls are extremely powerful and people collect water, bathe, and do laundry in the streams between the falls. I went hiking again on Sunday morning (you have to have a guide to navigate you through the small paths hidden by tall crops such as corn and matooke. There were also eucalyptus trees and cabbage. One of my favorite photos is from the top most waterfall where the light hit the spray to create a rainbow…just beautiful. My second favorite is probably the bee in flight…the insects here are HUGE! On Sunday, I also went a little way into a cave on the hillside where we saw a few crystals…not many and then I saw a bat fly by and said, I’m out of here!

This week we have our first large sensitization on sanitation and safe water. I’m excited to see the turnout and be able to start distributing WaterGuard (chlorination purifier) to the village members. I also met with Nurse Nalwoga at the health center on Friday of last week to talk about my Nutrition sensitization and she like my ideas. I figured we would have a large meeting and then find 3 or so women who have a keen interest in nutrition to train even further. We would then have them lead smaller group sensitizations within their area of the village on how to have a balanced diet, make baby food, nutrition for pregnant women, etc. I hope that it works out although…you never know here in Africa. There is no rush and rarely efficiency…so we’ll see!

Friday, June 18th

2010-06-18T02:52:00.000-07:00

Today we visited a couple of schools after a morning meeting with the LC 3 (sub county political leader) and Nurse Nalwoga (nutrition lead at health center). We visited Bulanga Children’s center (school and orphanage) just a few minutes north of our village, Namungalwe Rural. The headmaster had come to our front door earlier In the week to introduce himself and invite us to visit his private school. So we went this morning and the children were so so excited to see us. They were the most respectful and polite (as schools we’ve visited have been) and absolutely adorable! They ranged in age and after introductions sang us a song and some of the children danced…one of them I found out later was one of Esther’s girls (the women who gave us the yams )…so so cute (she has earrings on in the video). The older kids also recited a poem on Aids, which makes me think at least they are talking about the problem as most of the village is in denial about its affect on the community. Most people don’t get tested and if they do and end up having HIV/AIDS they don’t disclose the information to their partners, which is so unfortunate. It is hidden and in the darkness…which makes me think that most aren’t getting treated, aren’t taking any preventative measures and will likely die from the disease or complications associated with a compromised immune system.
After visiting the primary school, we had a delicious lunch prepared by our pseudo-mom, Mutesi, and then went to the local secondary school to watch a music competition. As distinguished visitors we were escorted to the front to watch the performances as students sang, danced and acted out skits about HIV, family life and social issues. I couldn’t understand everything, but I definitely could pick up on some of the story line. After a couple of the performances they invited us to share a meal with the teachers/administers…I’ll remind you we had just eaten a huge meal at home so of course we weren’t hungry at all! However, it would be rude to decline so in line we went…buffet style. I asked for just a little bit of rice and no matooke and some cabbage…a huge pile of rice and cabbage later I looked at my plate in desperation thinking I am never going to be able to finish all of this (which also was rude, in my opinion). So I grabbed a sprite and looked for the silverware…oh wait…they eat with their hand! Cool. So I take a seat and do my best to scoop up rice with my fingers and shovel (best word to describe) it into my mouth without making a mess…I’m sure you can picture it. Well…a few bites in and one of our hosts comes in with a big thing of matooke (plantain like…not much flavor). He noticed we missed out on it in the buffet and wanted to make sure we had some. We all smiled and laughed and graciously took a helping. At least, it’s sticky and helped me pick up all the rice and cabbage. After finishing the last sip of my Sprite I literally though I was going to lose it…a couple burps later and I was okay…but definitely was thankful for the digestive walk back home….oh Uganda.

Wednesday, June 16th

2010-06-16T02:51:00.000-07:00

We went back to the Namungalwe Health center this morning as the last time we were there the MO was too busy to receive us (poor planning). So this time we scheduled an appointment with him only to find he was still in Iganga when we arrived around 10am. However, Nurse Nalwoga was there (she had talked at UVP intern orientation) and she was able to give us an informative tour of the grounds and answer some of our questions. I also scheduled a time to come back on Friday and speak to her about nutrition and the feasibility of training and educational program in the village. The hospital is a Level 3, and contains a laboratory, maternity ward, HIV clinic and dental room. I’m not sure how many actual doctors and nursers work there…it does seem to be short staffed. The laboratory looked like a lab you would see in a high school back home with some specialized equipment…but not much. The maternity ward was simply rows of beds with a wool blanket (patients must provide their own sheets and there is no surgery theatre to accommodate cesarean sections…so in that case mothers must be rushed to the hospital in Iganga.
We also heard about a research project that was being carried out in Namungalwe sub-county on malaria. We asked a few questions and the researcher wasn’t too revealing. We were able to find out that they had been working on the project over the past year and had trained community distributers to pass out rapid tests and coartem to village members when they were sick…at least that was the experimental group….I wasn’t able to figure out what the control group was because he wouldn’t tell us the research question…it was all a bit shady and unrevealing, but I liked the idea of the trained community distributer who
Our last stop on the door-to-door surveys was inspiring. An older woman, probably around 50 greeted us and welcomed us into her humble home. She was absolutely beautiful. Her face was so distinct and she had a warm twinkle in her eye. There was just something different about her. Everything about her was warm and generous, from her smile to offering us seats on her most comfortable furniture. She answered all of our questions and talked about how she was born again…how she trusted in God to take care of her and her 4 children. She had such a strong faith. (update…the next day she sent yams to us as a gift…so so sweet!)

Tuesday, June 15th

2010-06-15T02:49:00.000-07:00

This morning after a run and oatmeal breakfast, Nina and I took a boda boda into Iganga to Sol Café where we enjoyed a cup of French press coffee and using the internet. I did some research on nutrition and updated my blog with some pictures and posts. When we got back to Namungalwe, we visited the secondary school. Our intention was to carry out a few focus groups for a research project, but I ended up in a classroom with around a 150 female students. It was so fun to interact with them! I talked about UVP, our goals and areas of focus: nutrition, family planning, HIV and STI’s, Malaria, sanitation, eye care, and safe water. They asked questions about the above topics and then of course personal questions such as: how old are you? Are you married? How many kids do you have? All very typical questions for the curious high school aged student. I had to try to explain how American culture is much different and families start later and are smaller…so different than here in Africa where women have many children and at a young age...even while still living with their parents. What opposite worlds we live in. However, when I asked the young women what they aspired to become after graduating from secondary I hear the same answers as from my students back home: doctor, teacher, nurse, lawyer…such high aspirations, such hope to become something more, to move out of the poverty into a position with the power to help and enable others. I do hope that some of their dreams come true.

Dance Party!

2010-06-15T02:40:00.000-07:00

Sunday, June 13th
Today has been my favorite day in Uganda so far. It started with a hot shower in Jinja after watching the US tie England in the 1st round of the World Cup at 2 Friends, a ritzy restaurant/hotel on the outskirts of the city. LOVED IT! We spent some time on the internet in the morning and I was able to upload some pictures and blogposts. Once we made the trek back to Namungalwe I laid down for an hour and woke up to drumming and singing. Usually, I need a few minutes to revive myself after I take a nap but this time I poked my head outside to see what was up and there was Mutesi walking down the drive toward the music in her fancy dress. So, I followed. I followed to her to what was a crazy dance party across the street in anticipation for the arrival of a woman candidate for the parliament. Apparently, it’s voting season and so all the women were there in their fancy dresses; singing and dancing. So, of course, I show up with Mutesi and almost immediately some of the older women put this sash thing around my hips and escorted me out onto the “stage.” I absolutely LOVED it! I wasn’t embarrassed at my lack of dance skills, but tried to follow their movements and rhythm and enjoy the music. The women cheered and laughed and I felt like I was accepted into their circle. I continued to clap and yell and laugh as more women and young girls went out to dance. It was absolutely beautiful…the fabrics of the dresses, the rhythm, the clapping, yelling, dancing; it was what I expected Africa to be and I felt a part of it. I didn’t feel like a complete outsider. I felt like I was invited to join in on their life and celebration and was moved by it. We took the opportunity to take a ton of pictures of the kids that come and play with us and the women we had met earlier at our meetings. The highlight of the evening was seeing our “sister,” Helene dance…seriously…I’m glad I wasn’t out there dancing at the same time. She was amazing, I found out later that she is in a dance class at school and I think I’ve convinced her to give me lessons. We’ll see how that pans out . Well, I hope to make a movie of sorts from the footage! Get excited!
p.s. while I was helping prepare the rice for dinner tonight a hen and its chicks hung out under my skirt…so cute…but one of them is sick and weak and doesn’t look well. I hope it survives.

Monday, June 14th

2010-06-14T02:47:00.000-07:00

Today was a productive day…I finally feel a bit tired form our work, not just from the sun. I think my body is finally adjusting to the climate and food. We started by creating a set of questions for a door-to-door survey. The questions were to give us insight into some of the issues that UVP is interested in…nutrition, family planning, eye care, malaria, HIV and STI’s, and sanitation. As we were waiting for our team leaders to come back from their weekly meeting I started researching nutrition. I had downloaded some materials over the weekend and glanced through them. One of the resources was from the WHO and outlined 12 key practices that center around child growth and development. It was helpful to see what WHO emphasized as important health practices and potential interventions to encourage a change in behavior and care for children. They are all very basic, but in impoverished areas such as Namungalwe, practically impossible to carry out.

As we went around and surveyed 3 different households this afternoon I saw just how hard it would be for a family in Namungalwe to carry out these 12 practices. The first house we visited the woman we met was the sister of the mother of the household who had passed away 8 years ago. She moved in to help take care of the children…and there were a lot of them…at least 10, maybe 12, but some of them belonged to the older girls of the family. Children everywhere, some obviously stricken with diarrhea as evidenced by their solied underwear and malnourished as seen by the distended bellies. I was astonished when I heard that all they eat are starchy carbohydrates that they grow…corn, matooke, potatoes and posho. They didn’t mention any forms of significant protein and rarely do they eat vegetables. And with that many mouths to feed and lack of finances I don’t blame them. However, I was encouraged that most mothers exclusively breast feed up to 6 months and then continue for 2 years. Breast milk is such a good source of nutrients (the mother must be eating well) and helpful in developing immune response. I’m excited to talk more with the Nurse at the Health Center in charge of Nutrition to see what time of complementary feeding they promote and begin to develop interventions/outreaches to try to encourage some of the key practices.
It’s 8pm now…waiting for dinner, Nina just swallowed a bug while doing lunges outside, a bug just fell from the ceiling and landed on my head, the room smells of kerosene from the lamps, and I’m just waiting to hear the squeals of the bats as they start to hunt. I’m thankful for my time here and I hope our work continues to be insightful and productive.

Week 2

2010-06-13T01:10:00.001-07:00

I am beginning to adjust to life here in Namungalwe; pumping water from the borehole, peeing in a small hole in the ground, washing dishes and clothes by hands in basins, eating rice and beans, the name mzungu, lusoga greetings and African time…always late. The week started off with a visit to the schools, a primary and secondary, just down the road. We introduced ourselves to administrators and then were able to talk to the students. The primary school kids were adorable. They were so excited to see us and after introductions went crazy for a picture. The older students were a little harder to impress and wanted to know how old we were…typical. I told them I was a science teacher and two of the boys quizzed me yesterday to make sure I knew my science. Question #1 – What is an atom…apparently my explanation satisfied their curiosity because they looked at me like I was speaking over their heads.
A mouse scurried into our house the other day and made it’s way into our room. I kicked it out of my backpack once and then heard it again around midnight after it had made its way into my computer bag. So I kicked the bag around a bit hoping it would run out…nope, nothing. So I continued to move the bag around and pushed the computer out and saw a fleshy, pink blob…a closer look revealed, baby mice; two of them, definitely dead. Eew. Elina and I didn’t know what to do about it because we were half awake and I’m pretty sure at some point she said, Sean will help us in the morning, which I seemed satisfied enough with because I fell right back asleep. However, by morning, the mouse was gone again and we still hear it at night…I might try to make a food trail out the front door…or buy a trap in jinja this morning…I guess a mouse isn’t quite as bad as bats. The boys have a bat that screeches all night long next to their room…scary. I don’t know why Simon Peter ever wants to shower at night.
Monday night we had chicken for dinner, which is quite gourmet by Ugandan village standards. A typical meal for us usually consists of a carbohydrate (rice, potatoes, cassava, posho), beans (always) and a vegetable. If we’re lucky we have goat, beef, chicken, fish or eggs. Coming up with daily menu’s has definitely been the most stressful and disliked job of the house. So Monday, I helped Helen go cut down some Matooke from the garden. She is skilled in the machete department; with one swift blow she cut down an entire tree and when I tried to cut down a single leaf I had issues. On the way back to the house, we came across my favorite part of the trail…the ant path. It is seriously just like out of planet earth. Parts of the trail across the path are covered, large soldier ants stand guard, while ants scurry along carrying goods. It is fascinating how efficiently they work. Back to dinner though…so we get back and Mutesi starts showing me how she prepares Matooke and then I see Nicholas holding a chicken and I asked him…are we having that for dinner? Sure enough…we were…so of course I asked if I could watch it all go down since I’d never seen a chicken killed before. So we took it out back, behind the kitchen, he held it down and slit its throat, drained some of the blood, then took off its head. His two sisters joined him after and pulled out all of the feathers. That’s when I left and we met again on the dinner table. There isn’t as much meat on the chicken here, and it’s a bit gamey, but not bad; probably the freshest meat I’d ever tasted.
On to business…this week our game plan was to make ourselves known in the community. I felt I was doing a fairly good job making myself visible – going on bike rides, runs, fetching water, walking around – just making sure people saw us and saw how friendly we are. Definitely, had a lot of opportunity to work on our lusoga greetings and know I’m realizing we need to move on to more advanced language skills. Hmmm…not sure about how that will work out.
On Monday afternoon we visited two of the schools in our village, the primary (elementary) and secondary. We just showed up and the administrators were excited to meet us and held impromptu assemblies so we could introduce ourselves to the students. Each school has near 1,000 students and the schools share 1 borehole (well). WOW! A major issue they deal with is access to water…and then I don’t think they treat the water before consuming it…hmmm. Something to propose. The little kids especially were thrilled to see us. They were so respectful and quiet and then when we took their picture they erupted with energy and excitement, practically rushing us! Loved it! There was a music class going on in the background as well…so good. The high schoolers were typically high schoolers…a little more guarded and more interested in knowing how old we were. The headmistress of the school is awesome, she reminds me of my sister-in-law and is a great leader and works well with the students. We are going back this week to meet in focus groups with the high schoolers to get some more information about health issues.
On Tuesday, we stopped by the health center, which is a level III and provides services for HIV and malaria and has a maternity ward and offers laboratory services. They were very busy when we stopped by so we plan on going back at a scheduled time to meet more of the staff. It was interesting though, during our community meetings last week one of the major issues people brought up was lack of assistance from the center and lack of medications. It seems as though there is some corruption in the handling of medications and most doctors maintain a private practice outside of their work at the health center in order to make enough money to get buy. They also sell medication from these clinics/pharmacies and recommend patients to them when they come to the health center where they expect to get medication for free. It’s kind of tricky.
On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday we met in 3 different areas of the community to introduce ourselves to village members and explain our goals for the summer and how we want to work with the community. Our Ugandan team leader, Simon-Peter did an amazing job as our speaker/interpreter and was able to convey our goal to create a village health team made up of volunteers in the village that would be able to provide initial primary care/resources to members of the village. We also explained we would be gathering information over the next couple of weeks to identify major health challenges in order to know what to center our interventions on. We stressed partnership and ownership, as we really want to empower the community and help them to find solutions and create sustainable programs. It will be interesting to see how our work unfolds. I’m researching nutrition and eye disease and hope to provide some valuable education and resources to the village health team and community members. The people seemed extremely supportive and excited about our plans for the summer and UVP in general. At one meeting location we were even given giant papayas as a thank you!
Overall, the summer will be a challenge, but I must realize that our work is only to get the village health team formed and off the ground running…establishing a distributer for waterguard, condoms, mosquito nets, and train the members on identifying health issues and giving them resources for continued education and treatment. It will be a challenge though because we are dealing with African time (no one shows up on time…really like 2 hours late) and limited resources (internet, communication, etc). But, I will count our time as a success if we are able to motivate the community and help them to take ownership of their health issues and excitement to find solutions.

Village life

2010-06-13T00:13:00.000-07:00

Uganda

Pictures from the source of the Nile

2010-06-12T23:38:00.000-07:00

The Source of the Nile

What to say...

2010-06-12T03:07:00.000-07:00

I've been here in Uganda for two weeks already...but it feels like I've been here much longer. I love the people and the landscape. The land is so green, lush and tropical. I've already looked for a field guide to use to identify all the plants and insects...but to no avail. Next time I travel it will be a mandatory purchase beforehand. I'm at a place where so many thoughts and ideas are swirling around in my mind that I am having trouble trying to put it into coherent thoughts I can write about. So I guess I should try and choose a few things to write about...but even that overwhelms me. I've made a web album with pictures...but even they don't do my experience justice.

I miss home a little...the food and my family and friends, being a new aunt, running water, refrigerators, but I wouldn't trade any of that for my experience here. I'm enjoying the freshness of the food...the fruit really (and chicken I watched being killed) and eating lots of beans. My GI tract hasn't had any difficulties yet...fingers crossed and I kind of like using the latrine in the backyard and bathing from a basin. Fetching water is a task even though the borehole is so close. The sun is hot...it is so good to be in this climate...I love the tropics that is for sure.
hmmm...more later I promise

Tuesday, June 1st

2010-06-01T00:30:00.000-07:00

Already, the other interns I’ve met are fabulous. They come from a variety of backgrounds, although mostly public health. Many are working on their masters and using this as an internship or practicum experience. There are also a few medical students who have finished their first or second years, some undergrads, and a couple going into law and policy making. I’d say amongst the international interns it’s about 75% female and 25% male, but amongst the Ugandan interns it’s flip-flopped. I love my team members, they are all pretty relaxed and down to earth and I think we’ll get along fine. Simon Peter, one of our Ugandan team members took us out into Uganda today where we were definitely the only white people and an obvious distraction from normal life. Our mission was to purchase phones so we could be in contact with family and friends back home, since internet access is less available. Kids would run up alongside us yelling “bye, bye” and then others would ask “how are you?” but not be able to continue a conversation after that. It was still pretty cute though. One of the international interns tried a “rolex,” which is like a wrap with egg and vegetables in the middle. We were only out for about an hour because the sun quickly set around 7pm.
UVP staff gave us an introduction to Lusoga, Ugandan history, culture and politics. We had an overview of the healthcare system by the DHO of Iganga and talked more about the role of the Healthy Villages Project. We also heard about other UVP programs providing sustainable development. We went over safety issues and I bought a helmet to wear on the boda bodas. Overall, we are definitely being prepared to succeed in living in rural Uganda with limited resources. I am starting to feel more prepared and confident in what we will be doing…although there really is a lot of flexibility in our work. Realistically, our goal is to assess our villages needs and then begin to hold sensitizations/educations surrounding those needs and set up a VHT that can then be a primary resource for village members regarding general health needs. Tomorrow, we will be talking more about the specific areas of development such as, malaria, HIV, obstetric fistula, nutrition, sanitation, safe water, eye disease, etc.
I definitely feel as though public health and development is an area of interest. I was taken in by the statistics and data showing how plagued the country is with disease and poverty. It is sad to me that the leading cause of death in the country is malaria, that the maternal mortality rate is so high, that children under the age of 5 commonly die due to malnutrition and diarrheal diseases. So much unnecessary death that could be prevented by clean water alone. I realize that there is a lot of global hype surrounding clean water, but there is an obvious disconnect between funds being raised and actually practically meeting the needs of rural life. It sounds like there are a lot of superstitions and myths about best health practices, even WaterGuard, the leading chlorination method for purifying water. It’s not as simple as providing the resource, the people must be educated and convinced of its benefit. I hope that our team can make a difference, that we can relate cross culturally to impress upon these people the importance of hygiene and good health practices. As in anything, there must be value and ownership placed on the ideals and methods, otherwise the information is meaningless and will be tossed aside. People have to want to change, have to be open to change, and I realize how difficult that is in many areas of life. We become used to life as we know it and are afraid to do something different, whose results/consequences we may not foresee. It is comfortable to continue along the same path. Hopefully, we will find some pioneers in our villages that are willing to try something new for the sake of their health.
There is a lack of freedom here in Uganda, especially for women and other minorities. Currently, they are voting to punish homosexuality with the death penalty. There are many taboo topics that are ignored and left in the dark, such as homosexuality and health issues like obstetric fistula. People live hidden lives or are ostracized because of their unique differences. This is so different to the diversity of America…the fact that our culture aggressively promotes diversity and giving power to the minorities. To be honest, I usually get sick of the emphasis and sometimes partial treatment and attention given to minorities in our culture back home, but when you see the other extreme, where people are not free to express themselves or questions themselves, be accepted because of their differences it makes me sad…I wouldn’t want to condone a culture like that. It makes me realize how radical Christ was in his view of people and salvation. How his kingdom was open to all…not just the religious elite who outwardly had it right, but to the gentiles, the outcasts, the tax collectors, the lepers, he came for everyone….the homosexuals, the women with fistula, the poor. Christ does not see these differences the way we do…he sees a person who was created to love him, to be in relationship with him and to experience the life the God created for him. I hope that I can take the eyes and heart of Christ and love the people I work with and meet in an incredible way.

Monday, May 31st

2010-05-31T00:28:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Entebbe after a 7hr flight with a stop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I was so thrilled to be off the plane after a total of 22hrs spent sitting in a cramped seat with no leg room, reading and watching movies. I already finished one of the books that was loaned out to me, The Glass Castle, an interesting memoir of a girl growing up in a crazy transient family in the US (Thanks Rachel). I started a second one that about a peace corps volunteer in Mali working with a midwife. It gave me a glimpse into life in rural Africa and I think has prepared me a bit for village culture and practices (Thanks Meg!). When we arrived in Entebbe we walked off the plane into the sun and heat! The landscape was green and lush and the smells of cut grass. We were greeted by UVP staff and loaded up in vans for a 3 hour drive to Iganga. We stopped in Kampala on the way and exchanged money and I bought some banana chips, whose packaging declared “God is able;” didn’t see that until afterwards…interesting place to speak of God. We didn’t get into Iganga until late that evening due to waiting for some local interns to arrive in Kampala, but when we did there was a delicious dinner waiting for us and comfy beds to collapse in.

Sunday, May 30th

2010-05-30T00:25:00.000-07:00

I survived the 15hr flight from LAX to Dubai and now I’m sitting in a very quiet hotel room thinking about how I need to sleep so I can get over my jet lag and onto the right schedule.
The time building up to this moment has been a whirlwind. I haven’t had much time to stop, think and anticipate my time in Uganda. I keep thinking…is this real? Am I really going to be walking around in Africa in less than a day? Already, Dubai is a bit of a culture shock. The city itself reminds me of Las Vegas in all it showy, materialistic glory. All of my previous travel has been in Hispanic and European culture, not Middle Eastern/Asian. I can only imagine what it will be like walking off the plane tomorrow and then into the village where I will be staying for two months. I checked it out on google earth yesterday and saw Namungalwe, which is about 20 minutes NE of Iganga. I’m excited to get there and unpack, settle in, walk around, and visit the health center.

Sarah's Rehearsal Dinner

2010-04-23T16:08:00.000-07:00

Dinner at Ivars Salmon House...mmmm

He is risen

2010-04-04T09:24:00.000-07:00

He is risen indeed! Here is a great reflection by John Piper on the death and resurrection of Christ.

oh baby!

2010-03-29T18:12:00.001-07:00

I'm so excited for the day this little guy arrives!

2010-03-29T17:11:00.000-07:00

But in service we must experience the many little deaths of going beyond ourselves.

“Whoever would be great among you must be your servant…even as the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve.” Matt. 20-25:28

Self Righteous Service
Inspired by human effort – energy and scheming to plan how to serve
Concerned with gains/scoreboard – impressed with the “big deal”
Requires external rewards
Concerned with results and reciprocation
Picks and chooses whom to serve
Affected by moods and whims
Temporary
Insensitive – demands the opportunity to help, insists on meeting a need, even if destructive
Fractures community – glorification of the individual

True Service
Inspired by a relationship with Christ
Difficult to distinguish the small from the large
Content in hiddenness – divine approval enough
Needs no results and can serve enemies
Indiscriminate, servant of all
Ministers simply and faithfully because of a need
A lifestyle, springs spontaneously
Can be withheld as freely as performed
Builds community – it quietly and unpretentiously goes about caring for the needs of others. It draws, binds, heals, builds

“Above all the graces and gifts the Holy Spirit which Christ gives to his friends is that of conquering oneself and willingly enduring the sufferings, insults, humiliations, and hardships for the love of Christ.” -St. Francis

Large tasks require great sacrifice for a moment; small things require constant sacrifice.

Service
guarding the reputation of others - “speak evil of no one”, submission- being served, common courtesy; hospitality, listening, bearing each other’s burdens; sharing the word of life