Easter Sunday

Im sitting on an airplane returning to the DR exactly 4 weeks after I left.  Time has a funny way of working it's way out, doesn't it?  It feels as though a lifetime has gone by. 

My grandma passed on Sunday March 27, Easter night.  She spent her final week in her home surrounded by family and friends.  I had the privilege of working with Hospice and caring for her intensely in her final days.  In all my time as an oncology PA and previously as a hospice tech, I have never walked through a more peaceful death.  Perhaps Holy Week played a role.  Perhaps being with my parents and sharing such an intimate experience.  Or perhaps the feeling that I've never been closer to Heaven.

That final week brought many tears, stories and dependency.  It brought healing of relationships and just an overwhelming love.  My grandma remained coherent until her final hours when it was just my parents and I.  And it was in those moments that my mom reached for her bible, her book of prayers and her hand.

We're not sure how many of our words she comprehended in her final moments but I'm confident she was not alone. That Christ was with her.  As my grandma slipped further from us her final hours were spent crying out for her "Father" "my Lord" and "Jesus."

Never have I more firmly believed in Christ or felt His presence.  What an Easter Sunday indeed.

I was never that close with my grandma even though she lived with us in the winters after my grandpa passed.  But this past month brought us so close with many many shared memories that can only be thought of as gifts.  Perhaps it goes without saying that the greatest was this...to see her faith and the way Jesus brought her home to him.

For the first time I sat at a funeral confident of where the person who passed was.  Not just with my grandpa as her obituary said, but with Christ.  And in those weeks before she passed that's all my grandmother wanted, to be with her maker.

I pray that someday I can look death boldly in the eye with faith as strong as my grandma's and be ready without a doubt for the home we were made for.  In Heaven, with our savior.

Holy Week

Semana Santa.  Holy Week.  

I've always found the week before Easter to be incredibly special.  To walk through Jesus's steps as He prepared for His entire purpose.  Palm Sunday.  The Last Supper.  Good Friday.  Easter Sunday.  

But this year, my Holy week is spent differently.  Instead of having the spring break I had planned, I find myself in upstate-border of Canada NY with snow falling gently outside my window and preparing one of the great women in my life for her death.

I have been back in the states for two weeks and through that time my Mom's mom has stabilized but my Dad's mom has taken a turn for the worse and she has decided to stop chemo and dialysis.  It has been absolutely amazing to walk through that decision with her.  To be her primary care taker for two weeks and hear her stories, cook her meals and become the pill Nazi.  After being abroad for four years, it just feels so good to care for my Grandma the way I care for my Dominican patients.  To love her as a medical provider but also as a granddaughter. 

We don't expect her to live many more days.  Her hours awake are dwindling.  Hospice has been attending.  And the Priest will come soon.

But, what a Holy week it is.  For me.  For my family.  As my parents and I support my Grandma in her final days.  And as she faithfully looks forward to meeting her maker...and perhaps most of all to see her forever hunny....my Grandpa.

I so appreciate your continued prayers for my family and my dear friend Amy as she processes life without her Father.  We do feel so loved.

Please P.R.A.Y.

What is a medical missionary?

Someone serving in a foreign country with a bible in their pocket and a stethoscope around their neck?  Venturing out to remote communities, providing medical care and sharing the gospel to those who have never seen a doctor or heard about Christ?

Just a short week ago that is exactly what I found myself doing.  Venturing 2 and a half miles down a Dominican mountainside to see patients who have never seen a doctor and to share the good news.

And today.  Today I find myself sitting in my childhood bedroom in NY, acting as that very same thing, a medical missionary.

My Dad's mom moved in with my parents last November and while I was home over Christmas she was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, Amyloidosis and Acute Renal Failure.  It has been a long road since then of multiple hospital stays, dialysis and chemotherapy.  And my parents, the ever supportive children, were left exhausted.

About a week ago, my Mom's mom also took a turn for the worse and so my mom had to emergently take off for Connecticut leaving my Dad alone to care for his mom.  And so, with the support of my medical team in the DR and SI, I came back to NY for a few weeks.  

To care for my Dad's mom.  To drive her to chemo, dialysis, cook, clean and support my parents.  To spend time with my Mom's mom.  And to help with decisions.  To be a medical missionary to my family.  To support them in prayer and as a PA.  

I continue to be amazed by "coincidences" that are only God.  As I've been home to help my family my close friend Amy also lost her Dad in his year long battle with cancer.  So amidst caring for my grandma I've been spending time with her.

If you could please keep my family and my dear friend Amy in your prayers.  This season of being a medical missionary sure looks different but I'm confident that I continue to live in God's will.  I'm expecting to be in the states for a couple more weeks as my Grandma lives her final days.  Thank the Lord for the provision of my nurses to continue running clinics in the Dominican.  As always, God is good and so are His provisions.

"Jesus said to her,"I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, 

even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die." 

John 11:25-26

Sabbath

What do you think of when you hear the word Sabbath?

As Christians, Sabbath is a concept and word that gets thrown around a lot.  Something that we grow up hearing but do we truly internalize what it means?  In Genesis after creation God took the seventh day to rest, as Sabbath.

I'm not sure about you...but I had always thought of this as a biblical principal, yet antiquated.  It never dawned on me that Sabbath is in fact a mandate from God.  That He didn't need to rest yet he set before us an example to copy.  That would give us the rest and energy we need, from Him.

Wait a minute, what??  God wants us to rest?  To stop?  To chill?  Doesn't that seem counter productive?  Especially in our fast paced ever evolving culture?

I have to admit, for such a foreign concept I am being hit with the idea of Sabbath on all fronts.  In January my small group decided to do a 5 part study called Breathe by Priscilla Shirer exploring how to implement Sabbath into our ever changing, full lives and personally discover where we are lacking in Sabbath.  If that weren't enough, I just returned from a day staff training on the very same biblical concept.

Ok God.  I get it.  I'm listening.  Don't you just love how God likes to knock us over the head with what we need?

And so, I invite you.  Come along with me.  Explore what Sabbath means to you.  I encourage you to seek outside the typical imagery of encountering Sabbath and God by sitting in a tranquil place reading your bible.  That certainly can be rejuvenating and life giving- but what about those morning walks/hikes?  Taking a couple hours in worship?  What fills your cup?  A night with friends?    Reading?

Take this season of lent to find your version of Sabbath time- rest, relaxation, tranquility.  Time when the "to-do" lists are placed to the side and we grow as Christians.  That may look like a full day or a couple hours of weekly, intentional time.  And in turn, we will be healthier Christians and able to give back in love and ministry to fulfill our most important mandates from Christ...

"Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
Matthew 22:37-39

"...and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria , and to the ends of the earth."
Acts 1:8

Dream BIG!!

Sometimes I worry that I dream too big.  I realize this stems from being born into a situation of relative privilege compared to the majority of the world.  With the American culture supporting my thoughts that nothing is unobtainable.

And sometimes those very same dreams transcend down to my assistants.  I want them to have it all.  To dream big and never think that because of where they came from, their family dynamic or their gender they are limited.

You all know the passion I have for our women's sports site scholarship program.  We have had the opportunity to watch the dreams of these young women from the hardest of circumstances succeed.

One of our greatest stories is Caroly.  We all remember the disappointment of being denied her Visa but she is continuing her education and right now she is finishing up her 3rd year of dental school.  With her increased dental knowledge we have decided this semester that is was time for her to make the transition from medical assistant to dental assistant.  Yes, that means she is no longer working with the community health site but with Dra. Vanesa Cepellan who runs Students International's dental site.  We miss living day to day life with Caroly but are so excited for the opportunity she has to start putting into practice her education!

To fill the deficit of Caroly we have welcomed a new assistant, Loreidy Hernandez to work with us.  She is studying psychology and is doing a great job of learning the role of medical assistant.  Like Dianny, Caroly and Edely; Loreidy is part of the women's sports volleyball scholarship program and in exchange for working with us receives a college scholarship from supporters in the states.  It is a privilege to continue mentoring these young women!

Please keep all of our girls in your prayers!!  That we will continue to have gracious supporters embrace their education and future!!  That they will continue balancing difficult home environments, work and their studies.  And mostly, that they will see their self worth, value and their limitless potential.

If you are interested in helping to support our girl's education please click the link below!

http://stint.com/donate.php?id=f142

Caroly y LIFT

Sometimes it's just so hard to understand God's timing.  

We had the appointment.  We had the lawyer.  We had the course curriculum for LIFT.  We had two letters of invitation.  We had a letter from Caroly's university.  We had a letter of good conduct.  We had a letter of invitation from my parents.  We had the funds and airplane ticket.

And still.  She was denied.

After months of applications and preparations a simple "No, I'm sorry" was given.

To say Caroly and I were disappointed is an understatement.  We dreamed big for this opportunity and what it would mean for her future.  For the skills she would develop in leadership and faith.  We were so sure.  God was just opening up so many doors.  And than it was shut.

To try and understand the VISA process is impossible.  Two women in front of Caroly were awarded visas; one a colmado owner who wanted to visit a friend, and the other a salon owner who wanted to help care for her nieces and nephews.  And there was Caroly accepted into a 4 month semester program, denied.

These are the things we take for granted as Americans.  Our ease of transport and travel.  I'm sure the American government sees her as too high a risk...young, pretty, intelligent, single.  She could easily stay illegally and marry an American.  How many people have done that before Caroly?

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all of your prayers, love, encouragement and financial support to help try and make this a reality.  All support donated will go towards Caroly's dental education.

Please keep us in your prayers as we process this.  We continue to trust the Lord's plan for Caroly and her future!

...and check out below for some of the pics we took on our adventure to the capital...we were blessed with a free hotel stay in an incredible prestigious Marriot....complete with executive access!!

Katie's Here!!!!!!!

After much anticipating Katie Wulf arrived to the Dominican Republic 3 weeks ago!!  She is a nurse from Omaha, Nebraska and has made a two year commitment with SI!!  She brings with her more than 8 years of experience in neonatal care.  I am so excited to see how God will use her!!  Never could I have dreamed several years ago that our medical team would expand as it has!!  God is awesome!!

Katie and Caroly at our clinic in La Joya

Brendaliz (new SI Physician that works in Santiago),
myself, Katie and Dr. Fernando

Dr. Fernando, myself, Katie, Dr. Brendaliz

In September we also welcomed Edelyn as our third assistant.  She is on scholarship with SI like Caroly and Dianny and started her freshman year this semester studying bioanalysis.

Edelyn with Yulisa, our patient in Los Corales

We are looking forward to giving a tropical medicine teaching session in one of our communities (Angosto) tomorrow.  I was so excited to be approached by the director of the school!  Students don't get any health care training in public schools so whenever Fernando and I are approached to give a charla (teaching session) we take advantage!

We continue to lead clinics in 7 communities...Angosto, Corocito, Mata de Platano, Los Corrales, Buenos Aire and La Joya!

November will be filled with two teams....the first a two week outreach with the discipleship program LIFT and another with a one week team from Santiem.  We are excited to have help and continue to serve God side by side with participants!

I hope you are all having a blessed fall!!

Fernando removing sutures in Corocito

Katie teaching Nathan in Buenos Aire