Wherever He Leads

Haiti Video

2012-02-01T14:13:00.001-06:00

Here’s the video of our trip to Haiti in June 2011!

GBC Haiti Trip June 2011 from Erin Weaver on Vimeo.

Haiti….Round 3!

2012-02-01T14:00:00.001-06:00

On March 8 I will head back to Haiti for the 3rd time since the earthquake in 2010!

My first trip was life-changing---I had never seen such devastation ANYWHERE...in all of my life. I thought I was prepared for what I would experience during my time there, but I wasn't.

I was prepared to see a people living in tents---I wasn't prepared to see the many homeless, without even a tent to stay in.

I was prepared for poverty---I wasn't prepared to see it to the extent that I did.

I was prepared to see people begging for money and food---I wasn't prepared to see such malnourished babies that were literally skin and bones.

I was prepared to go to Haiti to give, to love, to serve---I wasn't prepared to receive so much love from these amazing people or to be served by them.

It was this last reason that I left part of my heart in Haiti. I've never seen such a resilient people---people who, less than two months earlier, were involved in such a tragedy, yet had a deeper faith and hope in Jesus than I could have ever imagined.

Since I left part of my heart in Haiti during my trip during March 2010, I had to go back! God opened doors (rather...flung them right off the hinges) to get me to Haiti in June 2011. Once again, I thought I was prepared...after all, I had been to Haiti ONCE before---what more was there to learn, right?!? HA! God brought a different group of amazing Haitian people into my life during this trip, and the relationships that were formed were deep. We loved on each other, prayed for each other and worked side by side to do our part in rebuilding Haiti. God was so faithful to teach me about the body of Christ and how each of us plays a specific part in that---yet together we are so much stronger than we will ever be alone. We also spent time in an orphanage where I got to love on some VERY SPECIAL kiddos!

Since the trip in June, my heart's been aching to go back. Why? Because I left even more of my heart there! That brings me to right now. :) March 8-15 I will head back to Haiti with my church- Grace Bible Church in La Vernia. I'm excited to go back to the same people and building on the relationships we have already established! I'm excited to be a part of whatever God has in store for us during that week while we are there!

If you are interested, I have the perfect way for you to be part of what God is already at work doing among the people in Haiti! On February 25, our team will hold a 5K walk-a-thon in La Vernia to raise funds for the trip. You don't have to live in San Antonio or anywhere close to help out! :) What I'm looking for is people to sponsor me to walk that day...any amount God puts on your heart is greatly appreciated! You can make checks payable to Grace Bible Church and put Global Missions in the memo line---your contribution is tax-deductible.

If you in San Antonio, I can make arrangements to get donations from you, or you can mail it to me! (Let me know if you are interested and I'll send my address to you). If you are outside of San Antonio, let me know if you are interested in sponsoring me and I'll send you my address as well. If you are in Lufkin, mom or dad will have a form and you can get your contribution to them!

Thank you in advance for helping me get back to Haiti and love on these amazing people, in Jesus' name! I'm so thankful for you. Even if you are unable to support me financially, please don't underestimate the power of prayer! I will be so thankful for your prayers for my team leading up to the time we leave and while we are on our trip. I am confident God has amazing things planned, and we will need your prayer support! There is nothing more comforting while walking out God's plan for me than knowing that people who love and care for me are lifting me up in prayer.

It’s a WILD ride following Jesus!

Beautiful Scars

2011-09-04T15:02:00.001-05:00

***I started this post back in January of this year, but I never finished it. God, once again, brought this topic to mind recently; so here I am finishing this post and ACTUALLY posting it!***

For those of you who know me well, you know I LOVE scars. Every scar is unique. Every scar has a story. Every scar is part of the person who wears it. More often than not, if I see someone with a scar, the first question out of my mouth is, “How’d you get that? I wanna hear the story!” Some of the stories are funny--- some of the stories are heartbreaking. I love them all.

Recently in the PICU, I had the privilege of taking care of a 7 year old boy who taught me a valuable lesson that he will never be aware of. For this post, we’ll call him “Caleb”. Caleb was in our unit for a couple of months before he died from his chronic disease. Caleb had a scar about 3 inches long on the side of his neck from a previous surgery. It was a big scar! I spent a lot of time with Caleb’s mom who was frequently at his bedside, and so I asked her about his scar. She told me as a result of his disease, Caleb had to have frequent surgeries and that was a scar from the most recent surgery. This scar on Caleb’s neck was one of many scars, but I was completely captivated by it!

Day in and day out, I would look at the scar and my heart would just break for all he was having to endure. In those moments/days/weeks I took care of Caleb, the phrase “beautiful scars” continually came to my mind, but I had no idea why. Although I think scars are AWESOME, I’d never thought to use the word “beautiful” to describe a scar.

God used the scar on this precious 7 year old boy to show me something about Him. He showed me that all of our “scars” can be used to bring glory to HIM. Each of us has a story written by the most brilliant author of all times, and each story is marked by varying degrees of hurt, disappointment, pain…and that comes in all kinds of ways. Often times those areas of hurt (wounds) leave us with scars…little marks that seem like “imperfections”. Many times it’s easy to complain about the way it may look to other people or even try to conceal it so other people can’t see our imperfections.

Think about it…. each scar is a beautiful example of healing from pain! Each scar is a picture of God’s creativity and handiwork. Each scar is outward evidence of the unique story God is writing. God could have chosen to heal our wounds without any outward evidence, but then other people wouldn’t know to ask about the STORY! Isn’t the STORY the best part of scars?!?!

Maybe it’s time that we look at our scars in a different light…

What if we look at them as what they truly are?
What if we look at them as part of God’s brilliant plan of healing?
What if we look at them as an evidence of what makes me “me”…and what makes you “you”?

But most of all…

What if we looked at our scars (the evidence of God’s healing in our lives) as a way to brag on our Healer? In that, we bring Him glory with the little imperfections that make us who we are!

God’s shown me not to hide my scars out of shame or embarrassment of not being “perfect”, but to willingly share of the story of His love and healing in my heart and life.

Perhaps the most beautiful scars are the one’s in Jesus’ hands and feet….they tell the beautiful story of how much He loves us! The story behind those scars definitely bring His Father glory! It’s only by the wounds which created those scars that we can have a relationship with our Creator and Healer! When Jesus reappeared to His disciples after the resurrection, He showed them the scars in His hands, feet, and side to say, “Hey! It’s really me….God is who He says He is! I AM who I say I AM!”

Let God turn the wounded places in your heart and the pain you experience into BEAUTIFUL scars that will point other people to Him! Share your story!

A Place to Call “Home”

2011-08-28T17:57:00.001-05:00

The blog posts are few and far between these days, but I’m not going to spend time listing all of the ~~excuses~~ reasons for my absence. Let’s just leave it as…life gets crazy, and I’m sure EVERYONE else can relate. Today seemed like a perfect day for a quick post.

My little world has been full of changes lately….but one is on my heart to write about today.

The best change that’s happened recently is finding a church. I’ve been actively searching for a church to be plugged into for close to a year and a half….a VERY LONG, DIFFICULT year and a half. I never imagined how difficult the search would be. I must say that the long road of searching for a church has made the destination so incredibly sweet!!

God knew exactly what I needed…exactly when I needed it! For that I’m so thankful.

In May I was having a conversation with a co-worker (who has become a dear friend) about missions…China…Haiti…etc. She LOVES Jesus and it’s obvious if you spend more than…oh, 2 seconds talking with her! She mentioned to me that her church was taking a trip to Haiti. (the post below has that story) God said, “Go!”, and so I went. Never did I imagine that I would find MY church through that trip! But God….but God….but God! I love how He works in ways that we can’t imagine.

While in Haiti, I fell in love with the people on my team from Grace Bible. In fact, there was another team with us, and many of them couldn’t believe that I just met most of the people on our team only two days before coming to Haiti. They said it seemed like I’d known them forever…and that is EXACTLY the way I felt. Not once did I feel like a “visitor”….not once did I feel like an outsider.

I went to Haiti thinking that I was going to GIVE, but God GAVE me one of the biggest blessings and answered a long time prayer of mine. He gave me a church family…a place to call home!

I LOVE being surrounded by people who love the Lord.
I LOVE Sunday being a day I look forward to once again.
I LOVE the relationships that are being created.
I LOVE that I’m challenged in my walk with the Lord.
I LOVE that I have the chance to serve.
I LOVE the hugs.
I LOVE being known.
I LOVE having a “place”.
I LOVE hearing the Word being preached without excuse…even on hard topics!

I LOVE that God heard my prayer and has placed me in this church I can call “home”.

So any times I forget that God created my heart and He knows EXACTLY what I need and precisely the right time I need it. Was it in “my plan” to search for a year and a half to find a church? Absolutely not! Was it in HIS plan? Yes, it was! How sweet it is to be in this place now!! I think God knew I needed this time of wilderness/searching to fully appreciate the role and necessity of the body of Christ. I’ve often thought I do a decent job of living life on my own…and He used this past year and a half to show me the vital role of the body of Christ.

I do have to say that in the midst of all of the changes, there is an overwhelming contentment with where I am right now. Of course, there are moments of insanity/chaos/questioning what God is up to….but then the dust settles and I realize just how blessed I am to be RIGHT WHERE I AM!

It’s a WILD ride following Jesus!

Katie’s Going BACK to HAITI!!!

2011-06-21T16:47:00.001-05:00

I’m beyond excited that in about 48 hours, I will be back in Haiti! Bags are packed and all items on my to-do list are completed…only one more day of work and then I’m outta here!

Even now as I sit here typing this post, I can’t believe I’m going back to the place where I left part of my heart over a year ago. The people in Haiti are amazing…they are strong and resilient…they are so full of joy. Even more than excitement about going back, I’m humbled that God chooses to let me be part of what He is already doing in the lives of these beautiful people. Seeing God work in people’s lives, whether in San Antonio or China or Haiti, is what makes me “tick”. It is the thing that brings me the biggest smiles and the fullest heart.

So here is a little bit about how this trip came about…

Sometime in early May, I was having a little convo with a sweet friend at work. *just as a side note…I can’t tell you how much of a blessing to me it is to work with someone who loves the Lord with everything and radiates Him ALL THE TIME. Talk about an encouragement and answered prayer! Love her!!* Through this conversation I told her about going to Haiti after the earthquake and how much I wanted to go back. She mentioned that her church would be going in June if I was interested. Of course I was interested, but the problem was that my June was already SO FULL…two weddings, VBS, GA Camp, and work. But just as it always happens when the Lord is calling me to do something, He provides a way where there seems to be no way. That is exactly what happened over the next few days…GOD MADE A WAY!! He opened door after door beginning with no scheduling conflicts with things I had previously committed to. He moved mountains and allowed me to have those days off of work on short notice, and all of this happened on the day of the deadline to buy tickets.

There are 14ish people on my team (I can’t remember the exact number), and we are meeting up with some others once we are there! We will be in Haiti for 8 days, and I’ll have to fill you in on the details of what we will be doing once I get back…because I’m really not sure at this point.

Before I leave, I wanted to write out some specific prayer requests that I have as I am in Haiti. I would appreciate your prayers more than you ever know.

1. My heart is to be the hands and feet of Christ as I serve. Would you pray that I would step out of the way and hide behind the cross? I don’t want people to see ME; I want them to see JESUS. I don’t want people to tell me how great I am for going to Haiti; I want them to know how great GOD is and how He loves them beyond anything they could fathom. It’s not about me…it never has been…and it never will be. It’s about the people of Haiti seeing Jesus in everything I do.

2. Pray for perseverance and strength as our days will be long and tiring!

3. Pray that I would exchange the expectations of what I want to see happen in Haiti for an attitude and heart of expectancy to see what the Lord will do.

4. Many of you know how clumsy I am…so would you pray for safety and protection. Not just for me, but for my entire team.

Thank you in advance for your prayers! They are what gets us through each long, HOT day! I’ll be back in a couple of weeks with stories and pictures of what the Lord is doing; so stay tuned!

This trip is completely different, but here is a recap of my last trip:
My Heart is in Haiti- Part 1
My Heart is in Hait- Part 2
My Heart is in Haiti- Part 3
My Heart is in Haiti- Part 4
My Heart is in Haiti- Part 5
My Heart is in Haiti- Part 6

*parts 3, 5, and 6 are my favorites! :)

It’s a wild ride following Jesus…but I wouldn’t have it any other way!

The 26 Years of ME!

2011-02-15T09:42:00.001-06:00

Tomorrow I turn 26 years old. I know some of you may laugh, but for some reason 26 sounds REALLY old to me. Last year before my birthday, I took a trip down memory lane and recorded on my blog some of my biggest memories of my life to this point. I figured I would continue to add to it each year as a way to remember the big things…the small things…the things the Lord is doing in my life…etc.

YEAR 1: It all began on February 16, 1985 when all 10 lbs. 11 oz. of me made an entrance into the world. Of course I don’t remember anything from this year, but pictures and stories tell me that my fat rolls had fat rolls. I was extremely chubby! This was also the year when I began all of my broken bones…a skull fracture at 9 months old!

YEAR 2, 3, 4: I’m lumping all of these years together….In these years I spent a lot of time with my Mama Sue. Mama Sue kept me while my parents worked, and I loved going to her house. We spent lots of time in the garden…chasing cows that got out of the pen…shucking corn…and snapping green beans. I gave my “passy” away to her baby calf because it didn’t have one. One of the biggest memories I have of spending time with Mama Sue is when we got into a wreck on the way to pick her kids up from school….even at that age, I still REMEMBER it (not just hearing stories about it!).

YEAR 5: During this year, I started taking dance. I’m pretty sure it only lasted one year…I definitely turned out to be a tomboy instead of a girlie girl. So sorry, Mom! At the end of my fifth year, I got a little sister. Hard to say if I was excited or not….I’m pretty sure I wanted to send her back. (No worries…I love her now!)

YEAR 6: I started Kindergarten this year, and I absolutely loved my teacher. My favorite part of Kindergarten was the memory verse cards we had. Each week was a new verse starting with a new letter of the alphabet. We learned scripture while learning our alphabet…I thought it was amazingly cool back then. I also began playing t-ball this year!

YEAR 7: This was the year when SOFTBALL actually started, and I was hooked from the beginning. I got to “play” on an all-star team which I was almost too young for, but I made the cut because I was “coachable”…what really ended up happening was I sat the bench and occasionally got to play right field [read…picking flowers!].

YEAR 8: I started piano lessons this year from the organist at our church. I enjoyed learning to play, but I hated practicing and hated recitals even more. At my Christmas recital, I walked in, saw everyone looking at me, started crying, and walked out. I can’t remember if I actually played my pieces. My FAVORITE softball memory from this year is warming up with my brother before a game and the ball hit me in the face. I had a bruise in the pattern of the “stitches” from the softball. I was SO proud! I’ve always loved my battle wounds!

YEAR 9: I got my first kitten this year, Oreo! I also had my first teacher in school that I didn’t like. Other than that, softball continues!

YEAR 10: I had my favorite birthday party in this year. My mom planned a Mexican Fiesta at our house and we all played Bunko!

YEAR 11: I broke my leg on Christmas day of this year, and ended up being in a long cast for several weeks. I vividly remember getting my cast off and a couple of days later having the first softball practice of the season. The last thing my mom told me before she left was DON’T run the bases. As she came to pick me up, sure enough, I was running the bases! OOPS! You couldn’t keep me away from softball.

YEAR 12: This was the year of my favorite vacation of all times. We spent two weeks going to New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado. We had two weeks worth of pimento cheese and chicken salad sandwiches (which we STILL talk about to this day!)…and stayed at the “Best Inn”. Oh the memories from that vacation…

YEAR 13: This begins the awkward years…and I had it bad. I started 7th grade during this year, and it was a big deal because it was the first year for all of the kids in my grade to be at the same school (we came from several elementary schools). My best friend at the time, Amanda, moved to town, and we were instant friends. Without a doubt we were inseparable until she moved in 9th grade. I got sent to the office this year for accidently touching my teacher’s paper cutter, and I thought my world had ended! We added on to our house and I FINALLY had my own room. I started taking dance again because I thought I might want to be in drill team in high school.

Most significantly in this year is that the Lord began showing me through someone I looked up to greatly that I needed to make my faith in Him my own….

YEAR 14: March 4th of this year Andrey (from Ukraine) came to live with us while he had surgery on his eye. It was an interesting experience, but one I wouldn’t trade for anything. On June 24, 1998, I accepted Christ as my Savior and began following Him. My faith went from going to church on Sundays to having a relationship with the one true God! My life has never been the same since that day!

YEAR 15: I started high school during this year. I was on the JV Drill team and I made Varsity softball as a freshman. During my freshman year, I had two of my best friends, Amanda and Mallory, move away. I had to find a new group of friends which isn't always the easiest thing to do in high school.

YEAR 16: During July of this year, my parents bought me a red Volkswagon Beetle! It was what I always wanted…I couldn’t believe I was actually getting one!! I remember being so happy that I couldn’t quit crying as my mom and dad signed all the papers. Sad thing was that I was TERRIFIED to drive it because it was a stick shift. I finally learned, and at the end of my 16th year (on my 16th birthday!), the K8TBUG was mine!

YEAR 17: During this summer, I went to Super Summer and the Lord put China on my heart. I knew from that moment on that I would serve there someday…I wasn’t sure when…I wasn’t sure how…but I knew I was going!

YEAR 18: The thing that sticks out to me most during this year is junior prom. I didn’t like it one bit. It was my first (and only) dance I ever went to. That summer I went to several camps (like every summer) including softball camp at Texas A&M!!

YEAR 19: This was a huge year for me! I graduated from high school #6 in my class, and then packed my bags to move off to Texas A&M which was a dream come true. I left home being one extremely shy little girl afraid to order my own meal at restaurants. I was scared to death to be on my own, but I wanted to be an Aggie so badly!

YEAR 20: At the beginning of my 20th year, the Lord blessed me with an incredible friendship that proved to be one of my best friends of all time, Christi! She was (and still is) a huge blessing in my life. I learned so much of the Lord’s character and how much I needed Him DAILY during this year. I donated my hair to Locks of Love for the first time, and I got the chance to work at T bar M.

YEAR 21: I went back to work at T bar M this summer. My 21st year ended with my mom and dad driving to College Station just to take me out to dinner on my birthday. I was reminded of how blessed I am to have a mom and dad who would do things like that…and even sometimes just drive up to surprise me!

YEAR 22: Year 22 was another big one for me! I took the MCAT for the first time, and didn’t do as well as I had hoped. A few months later (only days after getting my MCAT scores back), I hopped on a plane and spent a portion of the summer in China teaching English. God used the MCAT to form a bond between me and my sweet friend from China, A! The best part of the summer was that A came to know Jesus and she loves Him with everything she has. The Lord showed me that summer that He works out ALL THINGS for the good of those who love Him.

YEAR 23: During year 23, I took the MCAT for the second time, and the Lord began to reveal to me that medical school wasn’t the direction He wanted me to go. Not knowing what to do instead, I applied to medical school and again hopped on a plane back to Nanning, Guangxi, China (where I left my heart the summer before). This trip to China was cut short due to a broken arm, and I was completely devastated!

Oops…I can’t forget to mention that I graduated from TEXAS A&M! WHOOP! Proudest member of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Class of 2007.

I also began working at College Station Middle School in August. It was during this time the Lord led me to nursing school, and I began the application process.

YEAR 24: I continued to work at the middle school in the Special Education classroom where God taught me so much about unconditional love through two students that I affectionately call “My Honor Student” and “My Ray of Sunshine”. The entire experience of working at this school allowed me to fall more in love with Jesus and see new aspects of His character. I was completely changed by the lives of these two precious students!

I decided to come to San Antonio for nursing school, and it was a HUGE change for me! Little did I know that when I moved so far away from my family that God would bring a big sister (something I always prayed for) into my life. He also completely blessed me with an amazing house church of people with a heart for the nations.

YEAR 25: If I can sum up my 25th year in one word, it would be FREEDOM! I’ve learned a lot this year about what it means to truly walk in freedom in Christ. Freedom from fear…freedom from failure…freedom from perfection… Life isn’t about living for other people, but it’s about living for Him and following Him wherever He chooses to lead me.

YEAR 26: This year has been a year of change in my life….I’m no longer a student. :( The early months were filled with a job hunt. The process was not fun, but I was completely blown away with how the Lord blessed me. I experienced post earthquake Haiti, firsthand. And to say that I fell in love with the people there is an understatement!! The month of April was difficult because in the midst of applying for a job, one of my favorite clinical instructors/mentors unexpectedly went to be with Jesus. Then in May, I walked across the stage and received BS degree #2. You can betcha that when I walked across the stage I flashed a big GIG ‘EM to the camera as I received my diploma. I may have got to a “t.u” system school, but I am still 100% Aggie through-and-through. In July I started an amazing job as an RN in the Pediatric ICU at Santa Rosa. At this point, I have been there about 8 months, and Jesus has changed me. I’ve been humbled by the trust of my patients and their families that is given to me on a daily basis. Each day as I go to work, my prayer is the same. I pray that I would bring hope, comfort, joy, and peace in Jesus’ name to my patients and their families. I don’t want to miss any opportunity to be Jesus’ hands and feet. A definite highlight in my 26th year is my roomies. I live with 4 of the greatest girls I know….they deserve their own post.

I know this is long, but I wanted to write down some of my biggest memories! What I didn't have time or space to do was write down everything. So woven throughout these years were many more broken bones, lots of laughter, lots of tears, lots of amazing memories! In doing this, I was reminded how incredibly blessed I am. I have the best family…the best friends…and I serve the most amazing God! These 26 years have been full, and I wouldn’t have it any other way! I’m so blessed and so thankful! As I look back at these memories, I am blown away by the life the Lord has given me. I can't wait to see adventures are in store for the next years of my life.

Feel free to comment and add some of your own memories. :)

Graduation Day!

2010-07-04T21:37:00.001-05:00

May 23rd marked the end of the “nursing school” chapter of my life. It was a day to remember, and I’m so glad I had friends and family there to share it with me. The diploma is great….having another degree is great too, but having my friends and family there to celebrate with me made the day the MOST special!

Several of my classmates and I all wore green and purple ribbons on our gowns at graduation. We made these to honor and remember Mrs. Selvester. She meant the WORLD to so many of us, and we wanted to remember her on this day because she was so instrumental in us walking across that stage. And for me personally, Mrs. Selvester was instrumental in me wanting to continue on in my nursing education and eventually teach! This was the least we could do to honor her.

Here are some pictures of the actual ceremony!

Like I mentioned before, here are the PEOPLE who came to graduation that made it so special!!

Here’s my family!

And more family…the Foote family! Cindy has become my big sister since I have lived in San Antonio. I’ve always wanted a big sister, in fact, I prayed since I was a little girl that God would give me a big sister…He answered that prayer in Cindy, and I am so thankful! Cindy and Libs came to graduation and Billy and Gracie met us for lunch afterward.

It was also really sweet to have Mrs. Selvester’s husband, her dad, and Bailey sitting with my family at graduation. It’s no secret how big of an impact Mrs. Selvester was in my life and how important she was to this day. I was glad they were able and willing to come out and support her students! It meant a lot to us all! Let’s not forget the friends who graduated with me and have been a blessing throughout these last two years.

WE DID IT!!!

Incase you’ve made it this far and are curious…..I’m still a Fightin’ Texas Aggie through and through! It was painful to wear the burnt orange, but somehow I made it through. When I received my diploma, I gave everyone a big “GIG ‘EM!!” Gig ‘em Aggies!!!!

A Long Overdue Update: Graduation Weekend

2010-07-04T20:42:00.001-05:00

My family came in town to celebrate graduation weekend with me, and we had such a good time. It’s not very often that all 5 of us are in the same place at the same time anymore. I got a Spring*field XD Sub*compact 9mm as my graduation gift, and I couldn’t have been more thrilled. If you notice, my mom is holding her pink gun she got as her Mother’s Day present this year. I guess that officially makes us a “redneck” family…guns as gifts for special occasions!

We drove to Corpus one day…went to the aquarium…walked on the beach…and just hung out as a family. We had such a fun time!

Saturday evening was supposed to be the pinning ceremony for nursing school. I originally was excited about the ceremony because it’s a nursing tradition…and we all know I LOVE traditions. :) I then found out that they were going to be doing the ceremony differently than it had been done before. Long story short….I was going to have to stand up in front of people and speak into a microphone…I HATE doing things like that….got nervous…and backed out. Do I regret it? Absolutely not! There are just some things in life that aren’t worth the stress, and to me, speaking in front of people when it isn’t absolutely necessary is one of those things! No worries though, we had our own family pinning ceremony on the rooftop garage at my apartment complex where my dad pinned me. In my opinion, it will be much more memorable than the other…with so much less stress involved.

After our pinning ceremony, we had dinner with my group of friends from nursing school. I love these girls to pieces! I’m not sure how I would have managed the last two years of nursing school without them! Each of them are truly a blessing, and I’m so thankful that the Lord chose to put them in my life. All of us were excited to get our families together and celebrate our graduation from nursing school.

Graduation was the following morning, but that deserves a post in and of itself!

Remembering Mrs. Selvester

2010-04-26T20:14:00.001-05:00

Sunday evening (a week ago) I received a phone call telling me one of my {favorite} clinical instructors passed away very unexpectedly shortly after delivering her baby girl. I was in complete. total. shock. Even now, a little over a week later, I have a hard time wrapping my mind around the situation. I still feel as though I could go knock on her office door, and she will be there. Mrs. Selvester was my OB clinical instructor during the fall semester. She is to be credited for the beginning of me enjoying the nursing school clinical experience, getting me through other {not-so-fun} clinicals with our frequent venting sessions in her office, and most importantly, wanting to be a clinical instructor/nurse educator in the future.

I remember….meeting Mrs. Selvester for the first time. She was beaming as she told our clinical group of her new husband, new little boys, and the new addition on the way. I think it’s safe to say that all of us who had her as an instructor during her pregnancy were blessed by her and got to experience OB in a WHOLE DIFFERENT WAY!

I remember…Mrs. Selvester pushing me on a daily basis beyond what I thought I was able to do, but being with me step-by-step and encouraging me as I faced those things. She quickly caught on to my stalling tactics I used when I wasn’t comfortable doing something and didn’t let me use them.

I remember…Mrs. Selvester’s contagious laugh and how she would say, “That baby…that baby is perfect…just perfect!” each time we would hold a new little one. It was never routine and never “just a job” to her.

I remember…anytime Mrs. Selvester would find one of my strengths during clinicals, she made every effort to allow me an opportunity to “teach”…anything from patient teaching to teaching a fellow classmate how to give a newborn bath and MANY things in between. It was in those moments she gave me little nuggets of wisdom on teaching. {which I find funny because most of the time I had her in clinicals I was adamant about NOT EVER wanting to be in education}

I remember….how she invested into my life consistently even after I no longer had her as an instructor. If I had a question in another class, she was the first person I would call. Not only in academics, but Mrs. Selvester always had little words of wisdom to speak into my life. I’ll treasure those forever.

I remember….how one day with Mrs. Selvester in clinicals changed my future nursing career…changed me. Here’s the story…

{Let me preface this story by saying as much as I was excited about OB, I was terrified of clinicals in the beginning because everything was so new to me…}

My first day in Labor & Delivery was busy. Mrs. Selvester spent most of the morning with me and the other student in L&D that day because there were going to be three deliveries in a short span of time. We all went in for the first delivery, and I fully expected to observe as the other student administered the erythromycin (eye ointment) and Vitamin K injection since it was my first delivery as a student nurse---Mrs. Selvester had other plans.

She looked at me and said, “Here ya go! Now tell me what you are going to do with the Vitamin K.” I was TOTALLY caught off-guard (because remember…I thought I was OBSERVING) and froze. When I say “froze”, I mean, I completely went blank and no intelligent thoughts came to mind. At that point, the tears started flowing and wouldn’t stop because I was so nervous/embarrassed at this point. I held the Vitamin K injection out to Mrs. Selvester and said, “No! You do it. I can’t right now!” {probably not one of my finer moments}. She took it from me, and I stepped away to compose myself.

After regaining composure, I walked back over to the baby. She handed the Vitamin K back to me and said, “You okay now? Good! Let’s do this together. I’ll walk you through it.” She walked me through the steps, and I did what I needed to do.

Later in the clinical day, she pulled me aside to check on me and to talk about what happened earlier. She said something in those moments that I will ALWAYS remember. After asking me if/what I learned from the situation, Mrs. Selvester said, “Had I given the Vitamin K injection for you, you would have missed the opportunity to learn those things. Aren’t you glad you did it?”

Of course my answer was YES! I’m so glad she made me confront my fear because in those moments, I learned so much more than giving an injection to a screaming newborn---I learned more about confidence in myself and that I had an instructor who truly cared about my learning experience…my nursing career…ME! After that day in clinicals, I called my parents and told them I wanted to be a clinical instructor because of the way Mrs. Selvester handled the situation with me that day.

Mrs. Selvester knew my potential; she knew my strengths/weaknesses, and she consistently pushed me beyond what I “thought” I could do because she wanted to see me succeed. Because of her investing so much into my life, it always made me want to work a little bit harder…

After my time in clinicals with Mrs. Selvester, I had much more confidence in my abilities and that carried over throughout the rest of my clinical experiences in nursing school, and I am confident it will carry over into my career.

I wish everyone could have known Mrs. Selvester. She would have touched your life and made you smile. It doesn’t make sense to me why a sweet baby girl was brought into the world shortly before her mom went to be with Jesus, but I am confident that even in the times where we ask “Why?”, the Lord has a plan and a purpose. HIS story is bigger than anything I can imagine and comprehend, and I am trying to trust Him.

Isaiah 55:8-11
8"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD.

⁹ "As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

¹⁰ As the rain and the snow
       come down from heaven,
       and do not return to it
       without watering the earth
       and making it bud and flourish,
       so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

¹¹ so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
       It will not return to me empty,
       but will accomplish what I desire
       and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

God has a plan and purpose in the life and death of Mrs. Selvester, and my prayer is that HIS glory is shown mightly through it all.

The Job Hunt

2010-04-17T23:38:00.002-05:00

UPDATE: I'm so excited to update that the Lord provided a job! Not just any job, but He went far above and beyond anything I could have imagined. I found out on Monday that I will be a Pediatric ICU nurse!! Praise the Lord...HE was faithful...yet again! I'm so thankful that He never tires of teaching me how to trust in Him. Thank you so much for praying!!

In 35 days, I will walk across the stage once again and receive a second BS degree. I’m excited, no doubt! I’m also pretty anxious at the thought of being in the “real world” for the first time. Since Kindergarten, my life has revolved around semesters, spring breaks, and summer vacations, and shortly that will all end. With as much as I complain about wanting to be finished with school, I do enjoy being a student….I REALLY enjoy being a student!! In fact, I’ll give myself 4 months before I am trying to figure out how/when to apply for graduate school. But at this moment, I am completely burned out. I don’t want to study for another exam…present another pointless presentation….attend another lecture. I want to graduate, and I want to get a job.

Which leads me to…

The job hunt.

It’s frustrating to say the very least. Since I have been in nursing school, everyone has spoken of this so-called “nursing shortage”. While I know this may be true as a whole, let me give you a little bit of advice….please don’t speak of it to ANY of us who are going to be new nurses! It’s the biggest lie for us, and it has been so deceiving! It is EXTREMELY difficult to find a nursing job as a new graduate nurse in San Antonio…or Houston…or Dallas…or any larger city. Sure, there are plenty of nursing jobs available, but you have to have experience. The only way to get a job in one of the bigger hospital systems is through an internship or residency program. The problem is only {about} 10% of the applicants to those programs actually get accepted. One of the hospital systems I’ve been most interested in working for isn’t hiring ANY new graduate nurses into their pediatric areas right now. GRRR….

I mention this because the closer graduation gets and I don’t have a job, the more anxious and worried I become. I’m a worrier and a planner, and when I don’t have things planned out, I worry! Makes sense, huh?! On the other hand, there has never been a time in my life where the Lord has not been faithful and provided for my every need. It’s so hard to trust sometimes. I feel like the Lord has had to teach me this lesson of trust in His timing and His perfect will over and over again. Will I ever learn?? I hope so….I want to….I NEED TO! I’m so thankful, though, that the Lord is even faithful in continuing to teach me to trust His perfect plan. I’m thankful that He never tires of teaching me and making me more like Him.

So, if you are reading this, would you be praying? Would you pray that I would be able to rest and trust that the Lord is STILL faithful even when I don’t have my job planned out? Would you pray that I would lay my worries and fears at His feet?

Thank you so much!

A Sweet Reminder

2010-04-12T22:00:00.001-05:00

I have to preface this post by confessing that I don’t like to throw ANYTHING (especially school things) away.

Recently (a couple of years ago) I went through my old middle school and high school English journals and tore out some entries that I wanted to keep and tucked them away in my drawer. I completely forgot about them until I went home for Easter and realized they had fallen out of my drawer and were on the floor. As I took time to read through these journal entries I wanted to keep forever, I was reminded of God’s faithfulness and how he has been working in my life from the time I trusted Him as Savior on June 24, 1998.

The first thing I found was a written out version of my testimony written only a few weeks after I trusted Christ as Savior. Reading it took me back to Wild Week youth camp….probably the most miserable camp I’d ever been to, but obviously the most memorable for me.

Then I came across a short paper I wrote in 8th grade titled, “I Believe In…”

“I believe in many different things, but there are a couple in particular…God, the bible, and prayer.

I have grown up all of my life in a Christian home and I was practically born in the church nursery. Since I was young, people have always…God. Also, they have told me that God sent his son to die on the cross for our sins. As I began to get older, I began to understand more about him. and now, I believe that god will take care of me and protect me.

The bible is something else that I strongly believe in. Every story in the bible is true. From Adam & Eve to Jesus and the cross to Christ coming back.

God makes promises in the bible that I depend on every day. One of my favorite promises is the rainbow. The rainbow is God’s promise that he would never destroy the earth and the people again. God kept Noah and his family safe because Noah believed and trusted in God. That is just one of the many promises.

I can look for almost anything in the bible. When I start to worry about my future, I read Jeremiah 29:11-13. These verses say that God knows his plans for you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Prayer is another thing I believe in. The power of prayer is so overwhelming. There is so much that can take place through prayer. I know from experience.

God, the bible, and prayer are just a few of the things I believe in.”

My sophomore year in high school, I had to write journal entries on a given topic for English class. One entry talks about what I will be doing in ten years (which from the date I wrote it will be next January). I talked about how I would be finishing up medical school and beginning my residency. But the best part of it is that above all of the other things, I wanted to have a “good relationship with God”. THAT was what was most important to me.

The last journal entry I found was also during my sophomore year in high school. And perhaps this is the one that means the most to me right now. The prompt given by my teacher was “A Risk Worth Taking…” and this is what I wrote.

“There are many risky things that can be done, but there is no risky thing more worthwhile than being a missionary. In the Bible, God calls us to go and be witnesses in His name. Matthew 5:11-12 says that those who are persecuted for Christ will have greater rewards in heaven. God also says in Matthew 28:19 that we are to go and make disciples of all nations. In places where Christianity is forbidden, people still need to hear about Him. It may be risky, but God promises that He will always take care uf us. We just have to have faith in Him that He will do what He said. I take comfort in those words, and I have a peace in my life if I had to take that risk. Everyone needs to know of Christ’s love, and how will they know about Him if no one tells them. God wants me to be obedient to Him, and so I try to do what He asks of me. So therefore, being a missionary would just be being obedient to Him. Being a missionary is definitely a risk I would take if Christ impressed it upon me because it is worth taking. After all, if you won’t take risks for Christ, then who would you take risks for.”

As I read through each of these pages, the Lord sweetly reminded me that HE has been at work in my heart for a long time. My heart for the nations is something HE placed inside of me. I am so thankful for the sweet gift of getting to see in written words a desire I have to make His name known….whether it was in school to my teachers by writing these papers/journals or to the nations by taking a risk and becoming a missionary. I know the Lord’s hand is in it all, and I’m so thankful!

Lord- may I never lose a heart to make your name known!

Easter Weekend

2010-04-12T21:14:00.001-05:00

Just quick post to say….

You are NEVER too old to dye Easter eggs…

…or to HUNT Easter eggs!

…or to have a fun little downtown Lufkin photo shoot with your mom and
see-ster!

…or to get a new car!

I had a fabulous Easter weekend hanging out with the fam! It’s a rare occurrence these days for us to all be in Lufkin at the same time! How is it that we didn’t get ONE family picture?!?!

My Heart is in Haiti Part 6

2010-04-12T20:47:00.001-05:00

There is something about an orphaned child that captures my heart every time. I can’t imagine not having a family to call your own….someone who loves you unconditionally. But I noticed something else, something special, about the orphans in Haiti….they have such a pure heart and love for the Lord. He IS their DADDY, and they aren’t afraid to let anyone know. These four girls in the picture below were no exception, but the one who really captured my heart is the little girl that’s looking down.

Her name is Martine. These four girls came in late to the worship service on Tuesday night and sat down on the bench in front of me. I didn’t pay much attention at first until I looked down at the little girl sitting on the end. As I looked over at her, she looked up at me and we locked eyes. She had a HUGE smile on her face and was just as cute as ever. I put my hand out for her to “give me five” and she simply placed her hand in mine. As she did this, her smile got even bigger---which I didn’t think was possible. She then looked down at her hands and PROUDLY showed me her missing fingers on both hands. It was then that she did the same thing with her legs. I noticed at that moment she was sitting down because she was a double amputee---she had different portions of each leg amputated. I reached out both of my hands to her, and she FLEW into my arms. There she stayed for the majority of the service. She sang in Creole…I sang in English! But we have the same Daddy and I’m positive He heard us both loud and clear. It was so precious. She was so precious. Later on in the week I found out that Martine had lost her fingers and portions of her legs as a result of the quake. I loved watching the other girls with Martine…they carried her around and doted on her like she was their own. They always put Martine’s needs before their own and were so selfless when it came to caring for her!

This picture below is of me and Job. From what I gathered of his story, Job was dropped off at the gate of the orphanage a few weeks before we arrived. He has a sun allergy, and as a result, he developed a tumor in his eye. His eye had to be removed, and Job received skin grafts in the eye socket. Sadly, those skin grafts got infected and so he needed further medical care.

My first interaction with Job wasn’t ideal. I was sitting outside of the ward talking with some of the patients when this little boy ran up to me and screamed, “AHHHHHH!!!!”. Then he proceeded to try and jump into my arms. I looked at his hands and face which had patches of skin with no pigment and I didn’t know what caused it. He also had a big patch over his eye. With all of these things combined with the fact that he caught me completely off guard, I gave him the obligatory side hug (when he was looking for me to hold him in my arms) and sent him on his way. It took me about 2 seconds to realize that I was an idiot….did I really just send a little boy away because he “scared” me? Did I send this little boy away because I was afraid of his medical condition? I went over to him and scooped him up in my arms and he just rested his head on my shoulder for a few minutes. I’m so glad that he was full of second chances because he became my buddy the rest of the week!

Job is now in the USA receiving medical treatment, and I’m hoping that I can make it down to see him sometime soon.

Here is a short video of Job and Martine at the worship service on Tuesday night. Once again, it’s really short and not steady at all….that’s what happens when you have little kids trying to take your video camera from you! I treasure it though because in this short video I can see their personalities shine through, and I love them to pieces.

My Heart is in Haiti Part 5

2010-04-06T22:48:00.001-05:00

Here is the story of Roberta…..

Roberta is 11 years old and is one of the most courageous people I know. I met her my first night working in the hospital ward as she was one of my patients. As I spent more time on the ward, I noticed that there was something special about this little girl…always smiling….always content….NEVER complaining about anything. Something about her personality and demeanor was intriguing to me.

Roberta was home taking care of her 2 year old little brother when the quake happened. Not knowing what to do (because they don’t teach you “earthquake drills” in school) she grabbed her little brother and laid on top of him to protect him from the rubble falling around them. That’s what I call courageous…and SELFLESS! In doing this, Roberta suffered a pretty bad fracture to her right leg. She broke both bones (tibia and fibula). To keep the bones stabilized to heal, they put an external fixator (the big metal thing sticking out of her leg) on her leg. Not only did she have a tibia/fibula fracture, but she also had to have a skin graft. They took skin from her thigh and grafted it on the part of her leg where the fracture was located.

In all of this, Roberta smiled…Roberta was content….Roberta never once complained! I was amazed by this. One day we took her to the clinic to do a dressing change on her leg. She was so scared, and I held her as she cried. That’s when we bonded!

I tried putting myself in Roberta’s shoes…. What would I have done if I was at home watching my little brother when an earthquake happened? Would I have panicked? Would I have run out of the house by myself? Would I have stayed calm? Would I have endured the pain that Roberta is going through with a smile and contentment?

The Lord used this sweet 11 year old girl who loved to teach me Creole and then giggle when I pronounced things wrong to show me what courage looks like. Through Roberta I saw child-like faith from someone who faced such a scary situation and trusted the Lord to get her through each moment.

My Heart is in Haiti Part 4

2010-03-29T14:11:00.001-05:00

A guy on our team made this video as a little glimpse into what we saw and experienced during our time in Haiti. I wanted to post it here so that you could see just another glimpse of this country and the people who now hold a little piece of my heart.

I’ll be back to post more once my exams are finished this week!

My Heart is in Haiti Part 3

2010-03-28T22:18:00.001-05:00

Seeing that this is Sunday, a day of worship, I decided to give you a little glimpse into worship with Haitian believers. During my time at Mission of Hope, I had the opportunity to worship corporately with Haitian believers on two different occasions.

Sunday morning church service began at 9:30 and lasted a few hours (I’m not exactly sure how long). Songs were sung in both Haitian Creole and English, and it was one of the most beautiful sounds I’ve ever heard. There is just something unparalleled about hearing people belt out “How Great Thou Art” in THEIR language after each had endured such tragedy. I mean, I would be willing to bet that each one of them had lost someone CLOSE to them in the quake…a mom…a dad…a sister or brother…a best friend…a child. Yet, you BELIEVED them when they sang about how great God is! They sang with such conviction and total abandonment to the Grace of Jesus in their lives.

The second time to worship with my new friends was on Tuesday evening. I worked in the clinic that day, and so my shift was over around 3. Having extra time to kill, I walked down to the ward to hang out until the worship service started that evening around 5. The ward is close to the sanctuary, and I listened from the ward as the choir practiced a beautiful song. Here it is…once again sung with so much conviction and emotion.

Around 4:30pm Tuesday evening, people started making their way to the sanctuary for a worship and prayer service. Not having to work anymore that evening, I made it down to the sanctuary for the beginning. I picked a seat and began worshipping right along with them. Little did I know that I picked the best seat in the house!! All of the Hope House kiddos (the orphanage at Mission of Hope) came and sat around me. I was so blessed to be able to worship in the midst of them. All around me were little precious ones….some with hands lifted…some on their knees…some holding younger children. It was a beautiful night! To me, it was a little glimpse of Heaven….every tribe, every tongue, every nation….worshipping! For about an hour, I held and loved on a sweet little girl about 5 years old who lost both her legs and portions of her hands (fingers) in the quake as we sang “All I Need is You, Lord”…she sang in Haitian Creole….I sang in English.

What a joy it was to see the Church so alive and joyful! I was so encouraged!

Just a sidenote…I apologize for the shaky videos…it’s a little bit difficult to video while holding a kiddo who is trying to grab the camera the whole time!

My Heart is in Haiti Part 2

2010-03-26T14:28:00.001-05:00

Be joyful always;

pray continually; (Photo taken by John Hicks)

give thanks in ALL CIRCUMSTANCES; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

My Heart is in Haiti- Part 1

2010-03-25T22:33:00.004-05:00

I’ve thought long and hard about the best way to update my blog about my trip to Haiti, but each way seems so inadequate to really give you a picture of all that I saw and experienced while I was there. So many incredible stories of hope and joy in the midst of tragedy as well as stories that are so incredibly sad and bring tears to my eyes each time I think of them. There are stories of kids who stole my heart from the moment I laid eyes on them….stories of children who desperately need homes and medical care…stories of bravery and survival…stories of children just waiting to come home to their forever families.

Haiti now has faces, names, and stories…I want you to see them too. So my plan is to show you one story per post. I have no idea how long it will take. Be patient with me…I’m trying to finish strong in school as well and so I don’t have as much time as I would like to update.

-----

To start off, here is a little overview of our trip!

We flew into Haiti on Saturday afternoon, and the adventure began as soon as we stepped out of the Port-au-Prince airport. Men would come up and try (forcefully) to take your bags for you while yelling at each other in Creole. It was a slightly frightening experience, and I wasn’t sure if I was up for it.

We spent Saturday through Wednesday working at Mission of Hope. Seriously go check them out; they are an incredible organization that is sharing the love of Jesus in so many ways. During our time at MOH, I worked in medical clinics, attended church services with Haitian believers, and loved on orphans! What could be any better than that?!?

We left MOH on Wednesday evening to spend the rest of our week in Port-au-Prince. During this part of the week, we visited two orphanages and a tent city in the National Stadium. Both of those things were amazing experiences that I wouldn’t trade for anything!

----

I went to Haiti to serve, comfort, and show love to these beautiful Haitian people, but quite the opposite happened! They served me….they taught me about persevering in tragedy….they loved unconditionally. The Lord changed me through these people. They are beautiful and so resilient!

Katie's Goin' to Haiti!

2010-03-13T09:13:00.004-06:00

I'm pretty sure you all figured out by now that I'm heading to Haiti...I just like that it rhymes! :D I only have a couple of minutes before I head to the airport, but wanted to say thanks to all of you who have stopped by and who are going to be lifting me as well as my team up in prayer this week. We are excited!

One group already left about 30 minutes ago, and our part of the group flies out from Miami at 1:35 pm (Florida time). If you want to get updates on how things are going while we are gone, become a fan of "We Hear Your Voice" on facebook or you can go to the website www.wehear yourvoice.com!

That's all! I'll post when I return!

Would You Please Pray?

2010-03-11T00:52:00.001-06:00

I just finished packing my bags and have them sitting by the door. Tomorrow morning (early!) I head to Miami and then to Haiti on Saturday morning. Since finding out about this trip, I feel as though EVERYTHING has been a whirlwind. I’ve gotten so much accomplished, yet I can’t tell you what any of those things are. My mind has been consumed with preparation for this trip that happened on such short notice, and things not related to Haiti (i.e. SCHOOL) have been on the back burner. *I have a feeling I may regret that when I return!*

Before I leave, I wanted to write out some specific prayer requests that I have as I am in Haiti. I would appreciate your prayers more than you ever know.

1. There is an amazing story unfolding right now that I don’t have time to write out on my own. So head on over to Cindy’s blog to read a little bit about K. Pray that the Lord would open doors while I am in Haiti to make it to HCRM!

2. My heart is to be the hands and feet of Christ as I serve. Would you pray that I would step out of the way and hide behind the cross? I don’t want people to see ME; I want them to see JESUS. I don’t want people to tell me how great I am for going to Haiti; I want them to know how great GOD is and how He loves them beyond anything they could fathom. As we work in the medical clinic, I don’t want them to leave only having their physical needs met, but to have an encounter with the Great Physician. It’s not about me…it never has been…and it never will be. It’s about the people of Haiti seeing Jesus in me.

3. Pray for perseverance and strength as our days will be long and tiring!

4. Pray that I would exchange the expectations of what I want to see happen in Haiti for an attitude and heart of expectancy to see what the Lord will do.

5. Many of you know how clumsy I am…so would you pray for safety and protection. Not just for me, but for my entire team.

Thank you in advance for lifting me up in prayer this week. If you are interested in getting updates about how things are going/what we are doing, become a fan of “We Hear You Voice” on Facebook. I think there will be updates posted there. I will also try to post updates on my Facebook as well, if I am able.

I’ll be back in a couple of weeks with stories and pictures of what the Lord is doing; so stay tuned!

It’s a wild ride following Jesus!

Haiti!

2010-03-08T21:48:00.002-06:00

**If you have more questions about what we are doing, let me know and I'll try to get them answered before I leave**

About two weeks ago, I found out about a group in San Antonio who was going to Haiti over Spring Break. Simply upon hearing it mentioned, the Lord began to tug at my heart about going. My immediate response was “I’m in!”. It was Friday when I found out and knew they needed an answer by the end of the weekend. So I began to pray that the Lord would open (or close) doors to show me whether I should be part of this team. Starting the following Monday, the doors began to FLY open. From finding the funds on short notice….to getting permission to skip a clinical day….to getting permission to make-up a big exam. Each little open door was confirmation that I would spend my Spring Break in Haiti and that the Lord’s hand was in it.

The biggest “open door” confirmation to me came as I began to pray about this trip. As I prayed, the words that continually came to mind were “The Lord sees them! The Lord hears their cries! They are not forgotten by Him, and I get to go tell them so!” The very thought of using medicine and caring for people (both things I’m passionate about) to be the hands and feet of Christ excites me to no end! I began praying about this the day I found out about the opportunity (Friday). Monday evening rolls around and I get an email saying I have a spot on the trip if I am interested. As I scrolled through the email, I read the name of the organization…WE HEAR YOUR VOICE! Really God?? My eyes filled with tears when I read this. Not only do WE hear your voices, sweet Haiti, but HE hears you and loves you more than you will ever know!

We had a logistics meeting tonight and met with some of the people who will be going with us. Right now, it looks like we (the nursing students) will be helping out in clinics as well as loving on kids in the orphanages there. Does it get any better than that?!?! Dear friends, I don’t think so!

I hope to post some prayer requests on here tomorrow night. Please be lifting us up as we are in Haiti next week. I know I greatly appreciate your prayers. I’m so excited to see what the Lord is up to….

It’s a wild ride following Jesus!

A Lesson Learned in Clinical

2010-02-23T21:12:00.002-06:00

It’s halfway through my final semester, and at this point I find myself simply going through the motions of studying for exams….filling out clinical paperwork…attending lectures…etc. Especially with clinicals, most days I look forward to leaving the hospital even before I walk out of the apartment in the morning. I’m so ready to be finished; to be a nurse; to be taking care of my own patients!

Monday was a little bit different for me. It was my last day of taking care of multiple patients before I graduate, and I decided to be PRESENT (which I should do all along) with my patients instead of going through the motions. I was so blessed and was reminded of WHY I love nursing.

About 10 AM, one of my patients turned on her call light. As I walked closer to her room, I heard crying. I found my patient in the bathroom leaning over the trashcan crying because she was extremely nauseated and due to an incision, it was very painful to throw up. I looked at her orders and she didn’t have any medications I could give her for her pain or for her nausea. That’s when you get on the phone and call the doc…the problem was, the doc wasn’t answering his phone!

So here I am with a fresh, post-op kidney transplant patient in excruciating pain with no meds I can give her. What do you do?!? I decided it was time to put my “agenda” (also read as waiting at the nurses station until lunch at 11 AM) aside and be PRESENT with her. I finished checking on the rest of my patients right before this happened, they were all okay, and so I knew I had some time to spend one-on-one with her. I wasn’t really sure how to help her, though.

So for about 30 minutes, I sat with her in the bathroom and did my best to help make her comfortable (if that’s possible). I held her hair while she vomited and wiped her tears….it’s all I really knew to do. The initial bout of nausea passed and she wanted to go back to her bed. So we did. We got her situated in bed, and soon after, round two began…I’m pretty sure it was worse than round one! I wanted to cry for her knowing how much pain she was in. So I did the same thing over again…sat with her…held her hair…wiped her tears…but this time she couldn’t make it to a trashcan and got vomit all over her gown and linens. She was embarrassed, and I continued to reassure her that she was not a burden as we cleaned her up.

After round two of nausea ended, I sat on the end of her bed and talked with her. I learned about her family and how she had one daughter who is 20 years old. My patient has been sick since her daughter was 6 years old. Through my patient’s tears, I listened as she told me how hard it was for her to tell her only daughter to go, live her life, and see the world knowing she (my patient) was very sick. I learned about her new little puppies, and how her employer is making provisions for her to be away during her recovery. I learned that my patient’s face lights up when someone comes to visit or bring her flowers. I learned the books she likes to read and how much she loves for her hair to be nice and clean.

I thought about this throughout the rest of my clinical day, and the passage of scripture in Matthew 25 continually came to mind.

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'”

The Lord reminded me that it’s not always about the big things we do as nurses…it’s about being PRESENT and caring for and loving people. It’s about meeting daily needs….it’s about cleaning up vomit…it’s about giving them fresh water…it’s about taking time to listen to their concerns. I can easily go through my day checking things off of my list, but what if, in doing that, I miss HIM? What if, in doing that, I miss an opportunity to show someone Christ’s love? Is it worth it? No, it’s not. I came in to nursing to make a difference in the lives of each patient and their families that I encounter, and some days, making a difference might mean cleaning up vomit and sitting at their bedside.

Lord, may I never lose sight of the importance of meeting basic needs and loving people as You love them!

The 25 Years of ME

2010-02-15T23:12:00.005-06:00

Seeing that tomorrow I will be a QUARTER OF A CENTURY old, I spent some time this evening thinking back on those years. I came up with a list (definitely not all inclusive…and probably not 100% accurate on some of the years) of memories that I have of each season of life. So here are all 25 years from my perspective....

YEAR 9: I got my first kitten this year, Oreo! I also had my first teacher in school that I didn’t like. Other than that, softball continues!

YEAR 10: I had my favorite birthday party in this year. My mom planned a Mexican Fiesta at our house and we all played Bunko!

Most significantly in this year is that the Lord began showing me through someone I looked up to greatly that I needed to make my faith in Him my own….

Oops…I can’t forget to mention that I graduated from TEXAS A&M! WHOOP! Proudest member of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Class of 2007.

I also began working at College Station Middle School in August. It was during this time the Lord led me to nursing school, and I began the application process.

YEAR 26: So it begins….I simply can’t fathom what the Lord is going to write into my story this year. I anticipate graduation and a new job, but we will see how it goes!

I know this is long, but I wanted to write down some of my biggest memories! What I didn't have time or space to do was write down everything. So woven throughout these years were many more broken bones, lots of laughter, lots of tears, lots of amazing memories! In doing this, I was reminded how incredibly blessed I am. I have the best family…the best friends…and I serve the most amazing God! These 25 years have been full, and I wouldn’t have it any other way! I’m so blessed and so thankful! I can't wait to see adventures are in store for the next years of my life.

Xin Nian Kaui Le!

2010-02-13T14:28:00.001-06:00

Happy Chinese New Year! Usually around this time of year I find myself missing China A LOT! I’ve always wanted to be there with my sweet friends celebrating Chinese New Year. Today I find myself missing China even more because I had my hopes up for returning this summer, but it didn’t work out. My sweet, precious friends in China have been at the forefront of my mind this week, and all I want to do is go back to Nanning. I want to hug their necks…catch up on life….eat Old Friend Noodles…practice their English…practice my Mandarin…visit the city center…and just live life with them for a while. Oh, how I love China more than I have words to say!

Each summer I taught English in China, our camp had an Olympic theme. For that reason, each class represented a different country, and we would have “Camp China Olympics”. My class was Brazil, and we had a BLAST! Unfortunately, my time with them was cut short because I had to come back to the US after breaking my arm. I found this video that I wrote as a “letter” (kinda) to my class once I got back….so I decided to post it here. It’s a little long (about 7 minutes I think) but it reminds me of the place and the people I love so much.

My Best Friend!

2010-02-04T19:45:00.002-06:00

Meet Christi Carter. I have no other words than I. LOVE. THIS. GIRL. I am so incredibly thankful to the Lord for blessing me with her friendship. My first semester at Texas A&M was fun, but I spent most of Christmas break praying that the Lord would bring a friend into my life who I truly connected with…someone to share my college experience with….someone I could call best friend. Oh, did the Lord answer!

We both ended up being in freshman biology for the spring semester. I can’t remember how the initial conversation started, but I remember it didn’t take long for us to become friends. Through getting to know Christi, I learned that she, too, had prayed over Christmas break for strong friendships, and the Lord had answered both of us. We were thankful!

I can honestly say, I’m not sure how I would have made it through my college years without Christi. We went through a lot together….laughing until we cried…late night chats….baking cookies (lots and lots of cookies)…Tuesday night Breakaway….Fightin’ Texas Aggie Volleyball games…road trips….camping…studying. We also had our share of tears and arguments. Through it all, we were there for each other, and we loved each other! She was (and still is) an incredible blessing. She loves the Lord and is passionate about serving Him in EVERYTHING she does. She is a loyal friend and is always waiting with encouragement and a prayer.

On December 27th, I was privileged to stand with Christi as she said, “I do!” She was the most beautiful bride, and I am so incredibly happy for her and Christopher. I look forward to seeing what the Lord is going to do in Christi’s life….through medical school….through whatever kind of doctor she decides to be…through her marriage…through it all!

I love you, Christi! Thank you for being you!

Love People

2010-02-04T18:16:00.001-06:00

These words have been in the forefront of my mind and on my heart for the past few months. The Lord has used this phrase to take me to a deeper place in my relationship with Him because I realize in my own strength I don’t do a very good job of this.

Of course it’s easy to love those who love me…those who think the same way I think…those who agree with me. But what about those who don’t? What about the people who annoy me to NO END (which is more people than I care to admit)?… or the people who don’t value the same things I value?…or the patients I care for who don’t appreciate a darn thing? Love them, REALLY? Yes, those are the ones I have a hard time loving. This is where the Lord stepped in and said, “Those are the ones I want you to love.”

Matthew 5:44-48
"But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Ok, ok Lord. Love those who are hard to love. I know I’m supposed to, but why?? [please take note that I realize now how extremely juvenile and immature my thoughts on loving people were]

Proverbs 3:3-4
”Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.”

Through learning to love people well, I realize how thankful I am for God’s grace. He loves me even though I don’t deserve it in the least. Because of His love that is in me, I choose to love what HE loves….who HE loves. More and more, I’m finding that it ALWAYS includes people who aren’t “like me”.

I love how Proverbs 3 says “Let love and faithfulness NEVER leave you….THEN you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.” People will know us by our love….not only will they know us, but most importantly, they will see Christ through our love. After all…that’s the MOST important thing!

God is SOOOOO Faithful!

2010-01-25T21:52:00.001-06:00

Let me just preface this story by saying that He has ALWAYS been faithful, but this story that’s unfolded over the past few weeks in my life has been a constant reminder of the Lord’s faithfulness and provision.

I am getting through nursing school on student loans. Not the ideal situation, in my opinion, but I am so thankful for them! The first year I borrowed more than enough money, not knowing exactly how much I would need. When it came time to take out loans for the last year of nursing school, I ended up borrowing less than the year before. The thing I didn’t take into consideration was all of the extra costs involved with graduation…licensure…NCLEX prep course….etc.

The first day of 4th semester rolls around, and I am actually excited to be there! A chance to start fresh with classes….a chance to be more organized…a chance to gain more confidence in the hospital…a chance to continue my training for whatever type of nursing the Lord is preparing me to do. My excitement quickly faded when we were presented with an itemized list of the extra costs for graduation.

My. Heart. Sank.

When it comes to money, I have a lot of fear. I don’t like to spend money. If I feel I don’t have enough, I get anxious…definitely not trusting the Lord. So for the next two weeks, I worried….plain and simple. The thought of all the checks I would soon be writing was never far from my mind.

Then, literally, out of the blue I get an email from the school saying money was being deposited into my account. I was confused because I already received the same email at the beginning of January when my loans went through. I read the email and when I got to the end, I noticed that there was, indeed, more being deposited into my account. PRETTY MUCH THE EXACT AMOUNT OF THE EXTRA COSTS INVOLVED WITH GRADUATING!!! I have NO idea where it came from, but I am thankful. SO thankful! Then tonight I received another email saying I received another scholarship I was not expecting.

It’s been a humbling experience for me.

In that time of worry when I received the first unexpected gift, I was reminded of this passage of Scripture in Matthew 6:

²⁵"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

²⁸"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³²For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

In that time of worry, the Lord reminded me of His GREAT faithfulness.

And in that time of worry, He worked a miracle in my heart, and I saw in a tangible and extremely meaningful way to me that He is Jehovah Jireh…God, my Provider!

I’m so thankful for the little (and big!) reminders in my life that He is ALWAYS there…He ALWAYS takes care of His children!

NYC

2010-01-07T18:09:00.001-06:00

Right after Jenny finished finals, the two of us hopped on a plane and spent a few days exploring NYC. We both needed a getaway after the semester that we had. Jenny planned the entire trip and did a great job. I’m not sure there was ANYTHING else we could have squeezed in with the amount of time we were there.

Here are a few pics to highlight the best parts of the trip (in my opinion)…

The Big Apple Circus! A carriage ride through Central Park. The driver totally knew we were tourists and charged us $20 more for this ride than what he was supposed to charge. Central Park! One of my very favorite parts of the trip…I could probably spend several days there. You can’t see the sign very well, but this is at the zoo. I got to see a PUFFIN! Oh…and they had a black cow in their zoo…go figure!!Lunch at the Boathouse in Central Park! Mary Poppins on Broadway. SO GOOD!!! Snow….lots and lots of snow! At this point we still liked it. When we woke up the next morning to SEVERAL inches all over the ground and less than adequate footwear in our possession, we quickly developed a love/hate relationship with the snow. This pic will have to do for my next favorite part of the trip. Just picture this penguin as Jenny and the setting is in the middle of Park Ave. Yes…Jenny busted it in the snow in the MIDDLE of Park Ave. I couldn’t think fast enough to get my camera out because I was doubled over in laughter as people were pointing and laughing. The CHARMIN Store! Cleanest bathrooms in NYC…Charmin’s gift to NYC during the holiday season.

Serendipity FRRRRRRROZEN Hot Chocolate! Yummy!

Central Park in the snow…Beautiful!

Isaiah 40:1-8

2009-12-22T17:53:00.001-06:00

¹ Comfort, comfort my people,
       says your God.
² Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
       and proclaim to her
       that her hard service has been completed,
       that her sin has been paid for,
       that she has received from the LORD's hand
       double for all her sins.
³ A voice of one calling:
       "In the desert prepare
       the way for the LORD ;
       make straight in the wilderness
       a highway for our God.
⁴ Every valley shall be raised up,
       every mountain and hill made low;
       the rough ground shall become level,
       the rugged places a plain.
⁵ And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
       and all mankind together will see it.
       For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
⁶ A voice says, "Cry out."
       And I said, "What shall I cry?"
       "All men are like grass,
       and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.
⁷ The grass withers and the flowers fall,
       because the breath of the LORD blows on them.
       Surely the people are grass.
⁸ The grass withers and the flowers fall,
       but the word of our God stands forever."

I’ve been thinking about this post for about a week, but I never really knew exactly how to write it or what to say. I still don’t, but this is my feeble attempt to honor and remember sweet Alden. My last post was also about Alden…asking you guys to pray. Well, last Sunday, December 13th, the Lord called her home after an incredibly valiant fight against Leukemia.

I only got the opportunity to spend two days with Alden, but I first heard of her in the summer of 2008. I was working at T bar M and one of Alden’s friends was in my cabin. During our morning bible study, my camper asked us to pray for her friend who was recently diagnosed with Leukemia. We prayed…infact, all week we prayed. My camper wore a pink and green “Praying for Alden---Isaiah 40:8” bracelet in support of her dear friend and a consistent reminder to lift her up in prayer to the Father.

Fast forward to a couple of months ago….the Lord had our paths cross, and the pink and green bracelet is how I made the connection! As I spent time with Alden and her mom, I was encouraged in my faith and challenged by theirs. Not many 13 year old girls can have the joy Alden had while facing such a battle. I saw Jesus in her, and I’m certain others she came in contact with did as well. After our paths crossed, I began following her caringbridge closely and praying for her consistently. She was never far from my thoughts and prayers as I now wore my very own “Praying for Alden” bracelet. It began my reminder, not only to pray, but also to trust in the only ONE who can truly heal. I never knew if the Lord would heal Alden here on earth or if her healing would be in heaven, but I trusted in His faithful Word that He is in control and has each of our days numbered. I was so sad to learn last Sunday that Alden went to be with Jesus. Thirteen year olds aren’t supposed to be concerned with chemotherapy…central lines….what pain killers will actually help the constant pain…IV drips…hospital stays. They are supposed to be thinking about boys…and texting…and friends… It just didn’t seem right that she was having to suffer.

I’m thankful that Sunday night was House Church. As we sang the words “Come praise the Lord with me, all who have been set free. We will adore the King of Glory. Let the world hear the sound of sinners once lost, now found. Crown Him with many crowns, the King of Glory!”, I wept, but the Lord did something amazing in my heart. The sadness I felt throughout the day was replaced by rejoicing. For the first time, Alden was truly set free from the weakness…the pain…the central line…the IV drips…the LEUKEMIA! She was set free…she was praising the Lord with me. The cool thing was that she was doing this all in the presence of her Healer, her Savior, her Lord! She was crowning Him with many crowns because He WAS, IS, and ALWAYS WILL BE the King of Glory.

Alden’s life had another impact on me as well. For a while, I felt the Lord leading me in the direction of nursing in pediatric oncology. Through Alden’s journey, her faith, and the faith of her family during this trial, the Lord continued to confirm this calling in my life. On the other hand, through knowing Alden, I began to question the Lord because I got so involved in her story. I wept when I read the pages of her caringbridge about her pain and suffering…I prayed for her and her family….I questioned the Lord, “Lord, am I really cut out for this??” Through Alden’s life, He gave me a resounding, “YES!!!” Not by my own might or power, but through the strength and grace that He ultimately gives to walk through life and death with children and their families.

So I will continue to wear my pink and green “Praying for Alden” bracelet as a reminder to pray for her family, as a testament to the Lord’s faithfulness to heal, and as a confirmation that if the Lord calls me to work with pediatric oncology patients, HE will give me the grace and the strength to walk this difficulty journey with them.

The verse at the beginning of this post is one of Alden’s life verses. This sweet girl not only KNEW the Lord, but she loved Him not only with her words but with her life…

Pray for Alden

2009-12-01T23:20:00.001-06:00

I wanted to ask you guys to pray for a sweet girl named Alden. Head on over and check out her caringbridge site. This is one of the bravest girls I know, and she is fighting a tough battle with Leukemia. She captured my heart from the moment I met her, and my heart is breaking to hear of how much she is struggling right now. She and her family are appreciative of anyone willing to lift her up in prayer to the only ONE who heals. This family’s faith is in the Lord, and they know that He is in control….but they are pleading for the Lord to spare Alden’s life. Please pray!

College Station + SEE-ster + Friends = FUN!

2009-11-22T22:19:00.001-06:00

Let’s just say my weekend in College Station didn’t turn out as I expected it. I ended up having a “SEE-ster weekend” that I thoroughly enjoyed. I love my sister….(it’s a good thing because in less than a month we will be exploring NYC together!)

Not only did I get to see Jenny, but I also ran into several good friends while I was in College Station. I love running into people unexpectedly! These are the beautiful faces I got to see this weekend…

CHRISTI

I love this girl! Infact, pretty soon she gets a post of her own! She’s my best friend, and she’s getting married in December. You can imagine my surprise Saturday night when Jenny and I were sitting at Chickfila and I got a text from Christi. She was studying in Bryan…I didn’t even know she was in town! Jenny and I were in a little bit of a time crunch to catch a movie, but I had to go see Christi. We sat and talked at Starbucks for about 20 minutes. It was short but super sweet time together. Since we don’t live close to each other anymore, I forget just how much I miss her until we get back together. I truly love this girl, and she is such a blessing to me!

EMILY & HANNAH

While waiting in the ticket line to purchase “The Blind Side” tickets, I here someone behind me say, “Is that Katie?” I turn around, and it is these two beautiful girls along with their friend and Emily’s boyfriend. We talked for a second and realized we were both going to the same movie/same time. Wonderful! We sat together, Hannah and I got to catch up on life before the movie began, and all was well with the world! :D We ended up making plans to go to church with them in the morning followed by an incredible lunch at “THE Chinese place”…..that’s not it’s real name (I don’t even remember what it’s called though). It’s my FAVORITE Chinese food place in College Station…I introduced Hannah to it, and it quickly became a favorite by all. Two sweet girls who love Jesus with everything in them. It’s one of my favorite things about both of them.

LINDSAY

(I totally just took this picture off of her facebook!)

Anyway…Lindsay and I met my junior year/her freshman year at A&M. I co-led a bible study for freshman, and I was blessed to have her in my group. She’s beautiful inside and out, and she brings joy to everyone around her. While I was at Starbucks talking to Christi, Lindsay walked in. I hadn’t seen Lindsay in probably 3 years. It brought tears to my eyes to get to see her. I can’t believe she is now a SENIOR in college!! It makes me feel EXTREMELY old!

There’s just a little snapshot of my weekend. I’m so thankful for friends and for the “unexpected sightings” that always happen in College Station. Thank you Jesus for friends and for see-sters! They are all blessings to me.

I’m EXCITED….

2009-11-20T12:58:00.001-06:00

….for an Aggieland weekend with some amazing girls! These amazing girls to be exact! Jessie is coming to Aggieland too, but she isn’t riding with us. :( Baylor plays A&M this weekend in Aggieland, and what better time to take our Baylor-lovin’ friend, Julie (and her sister Diane!) to get a taste of AGGIELAND.

Call us losers if you must, but we are staying ALL weekend just so us Aggies can hit all of our favorite Aggieland restaurants we don’t have in San Antonio. We are also going to the came, hitting up the tent sales (YAY for $5 A&M t-shirts!), showing the others around campus, hanging out, oh ya….and eating some more! What a great weekend is ahead!

Jeremiah 1:4-10

2009-11-20T12:42:00.001-06:00

“Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.’ Then I said, ‘Alas, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak because I am a youth.’ But the Lord said to me, ‘Do not say, “I am a youth,” because everywhere I send you, you shall go, and all that I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you.’ declares the Lord. Then the Lord stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me, ‘Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. SEE, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”
Jeremiah 1:4-10

Occasionally the Lord will put a specific scripture on my heart for weeks at a time. Usually it happens that I’m not certain of the significance of the scripture at that time in my life, but God is preparing me for something down the road. This passage in Jeremiah has been on my heart for a few weeks now. I’m anxious to see how He is going to use this one! :D

Life After Nursing School

2009-11-13T21:57:00.001-06:00

I’m currently praying about what life is going to look like for me after May. Seeing how the past year and a half of nursing school has flown by quickly, I’m expecting my final semester of nursing school to be the same. The job search will begin for me in January, and I am actually really excited about it. There is ONE particular job at ONE particular hospital here in San Antonio that I would LOVE to have. Being a new graduate RN, I’m not sure if I will be able to get it though, but you better believe that won’t stop me from applying for it. :D

In addition to finding a nursing position, I also have an incredible (or so it seems at this point) opportunity for the summer that popped in my email inbox this week. It’s a perfect fit with what I feel like the Lord is calling me to do…it fits a passion of mine perfectly…and yes, it involves CHINA! The problem is it being during the summer…THIS summer in particular. The summer that is PRIME TIME for me to be looking for and beginning my nursing career.

This is where you, my friend, come in! Would you pray along with me? The desire of my heart is to follow the Lord wherever He leads me. If that is working in a hospital in San Antonio…I’ll go! If that is going to China…I’ll go! Would you pray I would be sensitive to the direction the Lord is leading? Would you pray that I would have the courage to run through the doors He opens and praise Him for the ones He closes knowing that He is completely in control?

Let’s just be honest, though…I REALLY want to go to China. :D

Where to Begin…

2009-10-28T11:43:00.001-05:00

Pediatrics….

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! Well, clinicals, that is. I’m at Methodist Children’s Hospital for my pediatric rotation. This week I was in pediatric oncology, and I am CONVINCED this is where I want to work. I’ve said for a while that I would like to work in oncology, but I never had any experience there. I decided to have my “observation” day on this unit, and I was not disappointed.

Having clinicals on two consecutive days usually means you get to see the same patients. I had two of the most awesome girls as patients. One girl, 9 years old, had the biggest smile and the biggest personality of anyone I have ever met. Each time I walked in her room, she wanted to know how long I was staying for that shift and when I was coming back. We played a lot of Deal or No Deal…laughed…talked...and had an all-around fun time. She was SO proud of her hair growing back, and so I asked her what color it was before. She said, “It was JUST LIKE YOURS!” It was a small connection between the two of us, but a sweet one none-the-less.

My other patient, a 13 year old girl, was also absolutely incredible. Meeting her was one of those “God” moments…something only He can orchestrate, but I am oh-so-glad He did. I’d love to share the story, but I’m not sure that’s ok on my blog. Basically, one of my T bar M campers knew this sweet girl, and we prayed for her ALL WEEK last summer at camp. It was neat to be able to share with this sweet girl and her mom that I had prayed for her and “knew” her before. I felt like I should start singing, “It’s a small world after all…it’s a small world after all…” I can’t tell you how much I love moments like that. :D

Class, on the other hand, is a different story. I feel like I can vent because this is MY blog, so here I go…I can’t stand it when people feel the need to cheat!!! Last week, we were lectured because somehow a test got out and a few people in our class decided it was okay to use it to “study”. AHHH!! INTEGRITY, people!!! Does it not mean anything??? I know for me, personally, my integrity is extremely important to me, and I get really mad when it’s called into question over something I didn’t do. I don’t care if it’s my personal integrity…or a “class integrity”. Our class has already been in trouble once for cheating in 1st semester, and I feel like we had to work really hard to earn trust back to the instructors of future semesters. Once again…it’s ruined. No, I didn’t do it, but simply because I am in the class where it occurred, I have to deal with the ramifications. Not only me…but the majority of the others in my class.

I NEED CHRISTMAS BREAK!!!!

In other news….

I’M GOING TO NEW YORK OVER CHRISTMAS BREAK!!

My sister and I are going to spend a few days before Christmas in NYC!! I am SO SO SO excited. It is definitely needed after the semester I have had.

2009-10-27T13:04:00.001-05:00

Life is crazy right now...I'll be back with an update post soon! :D

Fightin’ Texas Aggie Football

2009-10-04T20:31:00.000-05:00

There is nothing better on Saturday in the fall than a Fightin’ Texas Aggie Football game. I know, I know…the game yesterday wasn’t the best showing of my Ags, but nonetheless, it is such a fun experience. As a student at A&M, I rarely missed a game. I stood…yelled…and stayed till the VERY end. No way I would be called a “two percenter”.

One of the perks of being a student is getting a sports pass (thanks DAD!). Each week, you give the nice lady at the ticket counter your sports pass, and she hands you a ticket which allows you to stand (squished like sardines) and sweat more than you ever thought possible while yelling (no cheering!), waving your 12th man towel, and enjoying the atmosphere of Kyle Field. NOTHING better! :D

There’s just a couple of pics of Aggie football throughout my years as a student. I LOVED it…if you couldn’t already tell.

Since I graduated in 2007, I haven’t made it back to Aggieland for a football game….that is until last weekend!! My mom drove from Lufkin with some friends from church, and I drove in from San Antonio. We all went to the game on Saturday evening…..1st deck….45 yard line…right behind the band! I have my see-ster to thank for those tickets! :D As always, it was so great to be back in Aggieland….standing (squished like sardines) and sweating more than I ever thought possible while yelling (no cheering!), waving my 12th man towel (except I forgot it, ahem), and enjoying the atmosphere of Kyle Field. For some reason I didn’t take many pics this weekend, but here is one I got of my mom, my see-ster, and me! I love it…and I love them! :D

Hadassah "Haddie"

2009-09-29T22:43:00.004-05:00

As I type this post, I have the cutest little helper sitting in my lap. Her name is Hadassah, but I'm calling her "Haddie". She is teeny-tiny and absolutely adorable! I may be a little biased, but I'll let you decide for yourself.

This little bundle of energy is about 6 weeks old (we think). She was abandoned, and so I'm not exactly sure when she was born, but she's a little tiny thing. I've had lots of kittens this age in my lifetime, but Haddie is by far the smallest kitten I've ever had.

I'm learning lots of things about Haddie in the 3 days since I brought her home.

She LOVES attention. Actually she DEMANDS it!
I'm convinced that she thinks her feather toy is an actual bird. She is so proud of herself when she "catches" it. She won't let it go and will growl if you try to take it away from her.
There isn't any "people food" I've had that she won't eat, and she would much rather eat my food than cat food.
She's a shoulder kitty and likes to sleep on her back.
Someone forgot to tell her she's "fun-sized"....she has NO fear!!
Can cats have ADHD??? Because I'm pretty sure Haddie does.
She has an uncanny ability to delete things off of the computer. I'm learning to save often when she is around.

OB is coming to an end...

2009-09-29T22:34:00.005-05:00

Today was my last day in OB clinicals. Surprisingly, I was sad to see this clinical experience come to an end. For the first time, I truly enjoyed my time in the hospital AND I feel like I learned so much! Not only was the clinical itself amazing, but I could not have asked for a better clinical group and instructor.

I could totally see myself working in OB....mostly, I just want to work in the Nursery. There is nothing better than holding newborn babies and realizing that just hours before, they were in their mama's belly. Such a miracle!!

I have my evaluation tomorrow and one last test on Thursday. Starting next week I get Pediatrics! I'm a little anxious to see if I enjoy it as much as I did OB, I sure hope so!

Why China? Here's My Answer!

2009-09-06T21:05:00.001-05:00

I'm posting this video on here mostly for my own sake. It's not very well done because I put it together really quickly. I did this as a way for me to remember some of my sweet students.

This weekend I was FINALLY (after 3 years!) able to get some software to transfer my video from China 2006 to my computer. I've spend a majority of this weekend on a trip down memory lane with all of the videos. Slowly but surely they are being uploaded to my computer...so I'll have better ones to show (hopefully!) soon. :D I just never know how much time I have to devote to it with school going on.

Since high school, it's been my desire to go to China and tell them all about Father. Until 2006, China was an idea...a dream....a prayer. Now China has a face (or several faces) to me...its the faces of these students...Willan... Doctor... Emy... Chung Chung... Susie.... Why Y... Apple.... Candy... Yellow... Lily... Lucy... Susan...and many more. It's personal now!! Each one of them has a story, and I'm asking that they become a part of my Father's big story. These are some of my dearest friends, and I want them to know Hope and Peace.

So even though this isn't the most high-quality video, I wanted to give you a glimpse of what China looks like to me. These kids are the "WHY" behind the question I often get, but never know exactly how to answer, "Why China?"

2009-09-06T21:04:00.001-05:00

Tears of the Saints

2009-09-04T18:05:00.001-05:00

"The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed" -- Hudson Taylor

I saw this video the other day and wanted to share it on my blog. It reminded me, once again, of just how many people in our world don't know the saving grace of Jesus. Watch it, and let the Lord speak to you through it...just like He did to me. :D

2009-09-04T18:03:00.001-05:00

Frustration

2009-09-02T22:10:00.000-05:00

Having clinicals two days in a row means that the possibility of getting to see the same patient is highly likely. Yesterday I helped take care of a young, teenage mom who was about to go in for a c-section. When I walked in her room, she had a pretty flat affect....not showing any outward signs of excitement about the new little miracle about to come into her life. Sitting in the room was also the soon-to-be grandma. She made the comment, "Well, I already take care of 3 grandkids, what's a 4th?" Once again, no excitement....no joy...no anticipation...."just another mouth to feed" kind of comment. Yesterday I let that encounter with the family not phase me in the least because I figured the mom was nervous...or scared...about what was to come. After all, she is a young teenage mom.

I was assigned to this same patient today. Except this time when I saw her, she had a BEAUTIFUL baby girl in her room with her. I was so excited for her....she showed no emotion. Once again, I made excuses for her...you know, things like "it's just early in the morning" and "she's just tired". But this is the way it was all shift. The mom didn't want to hold the baby...feed the baby...nothing.

Infact, I went into her room one time because the baby kept crying and the mom was completely engrossed in Hannah Montana. She was so "into" the show that she was ignoring her crying baby and wouldn't have a conversation with me. SERIOUSLY?!?!?! Hannah Montana?!?! This is one of the MANY ways to tell if someone is TOO young to have a baby!!!

The rest of the day was more of the same. Each time I went into her room, I tried to encourage her to hold the baby. If she did hold the baby, she would just put the baby in her arm and continue watching TV. She didn't talk to her or even look at her....she wouldn't call her by her name.

It was heartbreaking and frustrating....especially for this precious baby girl. She came into the world yesterday as "just another mouth to feed"...no one really excited about a little miracle being brought into the world. I prayed for her all day today....that she would know the love of her Heavenly Father. This baby is loved more than she will ever know, and I pray that one day she comes to know the One who loves her so much.

Clinical Uniform Dilemma

2009-08-31T21:52:00.000-05:00

I'm a Texas Aggie...no doubt about it! I love everything about the 5 years (only 4 IN school...the last one was just because I didn't want to leave) I spent in College Station...the traditions...Kyle Field...Blue Baker...etc. If you cut me, I WILL bleed MAROON! So you can imagine how hard it was for me to come to a "University of Texas" (t.u.) school here in San Antonio.

Day 1 of first semester, they handed me a burnt orange tshirt to wear to class. I pretended not to understand that I was actually supposed to WEAR the tshirt, hid it under my arm, and tried to walk into class. BUSTED...they told me I needed to wear the burnt orange, hideous tshirt to class. They must not care to much about my allergy to ALL THINGS burnt orange. After a little grumbling under my breath, I obliged. When class was over, I took the tshirt off and put it in a drawer...yet to see it since then.

For my first two semesters of nursing school, the administration went with a very traditional white uniform for our clinicals in the hospital. We looked like marshmallows....wearing ALL white from head to toe. No one liked our uniforms, but I figured there was no use to complain. Obviously someone (or several someones) decided to complain about our uniforms, and the buzz throughout Semester 2 was that there would be a uniform change over the summer. I was excited, but I obviously wasn't considering the options!

They DID change the uniforms. So now we no longer walk around looking like marshmallows (YAY!), but now we will look like pumpkins (BOO!!!). Burnt orange top (REALLY?!?!) and black bottoms. They didn't think to ask about my allergy to wearing burnt orange....I'm pretty sure that's important for them to know. Who knows, I might just fall over and die from wearing the awful color! :D

Anywho...I decided to do something about it. My thought...I'll wear a maroon Aggie tshirt under the burnt orange one. That idea was shot down SUPER FAST when they said only white could be worn underneath...DRATS. So I got to thinking again...I'll make some white Aggie tanktops to go under the burnt orange top. So that's was my project for the day! Allergic reaction...err....crisis averted!!

God. Rocked. My. World.

2009-08-24T22:49:00.000-05:00

There is no denying that I absolutely love the first day of school. I'm almost certain that I always have! I love our family tradition of waking up extra early and going out for the "first day of school breakfast"; I love getting to use my brand new school supplies (which still makes me giddy even at 24 years old); I love getting to see friends again; I love the clean slate of NO previous grades determining how much/when I study for exams. Today, like all other first days, was great, but God really rocked my world and left me yearning for more of this semester.

You see, this is the semester I've been looking forward to since I started nursing school...

First semester wasn't bad...basic nursing care, pharmacology, nursing process, overcoming my fear of touching patients and invading their space, etc.

Second semester was the worst school semester (by far!) I've EVER had in my life. Which left me longing for....

Third semester! This is when we actually get our hands on the babies and kiddos. Yes! What I want to do with my life...FINALLY! Our third semester is divided into two blocks. For me, I have OB during 1st block, and starting in October, I will have Pediatrics for my 2nd block.

So back to today....first day...third semester...

We began OB by learning about the newborn transition during the first few hours/days of their life. What an amazing transformation takes place!! Did you know that before the baby is born, he/she doesn't use the lungs and liver for the purpose God created it for outside the womb?? The mom takes care of that. Because of this little detail, God created different shunts in the baby's circulatory system so that the blood can be diverted away from those organs (for the most part). When the baby takes it's first breath and lets out it's first cries, those shunts (are supposed to) close, and the baby's circulation now performs "normal" (for lack of a better word) circulation.

Then you have ways that babies attach & bond to the mom...

Then there is the way babies have really interesting reflexes...

Then there is the way they keep themselves warm since they don't "shiver"...

The list could go on and on....

Today I was reminded that I serve an amazingly creative, beautiful, thoughtful God who pays attention to the most intricate details of his children. None of this was an accident....it was God's perfect design.

As I sat through this lecture in amazement and awe of this, He gently reminded me that He is the one who knits babies together in their mother's womb and plans and numbers their days....I am no exception.

So in the midst of trying to figure out what I'm supposed to do when I finish nursing school, He said, "Rest. Trust. I have YOU in the palm of My hand." The same God who moves the blood where it needs to go in our bodies knows the plans He has for me, Katie! The same amazingly creative, beautiful, thoughtful God who pays attention to the most intricate details of his children really rocked my world today.

Josh. Britney. Annika.

2009-08-23T16:09:00.000-05:00

I've been so blessed over the past several months by Josh, Britney, and Annika. They started coming to House Church when Annika was only a few months old and have become dear friends to me. Yesterday they moved away from San Antonio, and I'm not too sure how I feel about it. :D Of course I am happy for the opportunities ahead of them and that they are walking out their lives in obedience to the Lord, but I am surely going to miss them.

I loaned my camera to them a while back, and I have had fun with all the pictures they took of Annika on it. Annika, your Auntie Katie/Waffle Fries/Chicken loves you a lot!

Sweet Annika with Auntie Katie!
(I swiped this pic from Facebook...why the quality isn't great!)

This smile...with those dimples! Killer...simply melts my heart EVERY time!

Annika was totally digging the Pickle Juice Popsicle we gave her while packing up their apartment!

Love you guys so much!! Come back and visit...SOON!

***Britney- So sorry for swiping the family pics from my camera and posting them without asking you. I hope it's ok! :D ***

Skyping with Apple

2009-08-22T16:35:00.000-05:00

I've told Hannah and Katie stories about Apple from the time I got back from China in 2006. It's really cute because Apple now knows who they are and asks about them. I thought it would be fun to Skype with Apple while the girls were at my house so that they could actually see and talk to her. So we did...and it was fun! We didn't talk too long because the Apple's internet connection was pretty bad, but it was still good to see her and hear how she is doing.

Big Plans For The Night!

2009-08-16T21:47:00.000-05:00

HANNIE a.k.a. Hannah-belle IS SPENDING THE NIGHT!!

I love slumber parties! :D

The Chinese Emergency Room

2009-08-13T16:02:00.000-05:00

Ok...so this is the first time I have participated in Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop, but I am going to give it a try. When I saw the prompt about the ER, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to write about my experience.

The prompt I chose: Your trip to the ER...spill it. (inspired by Stephanie from This Blessed Life).

I must preface this story by saying that I am one of the most clumsy people you will ever meet. Usually these mishaps result in broken bones of some sort (I think I'm up to 13 if I remember correctly), but I hadn't been to the ER for one until the summer of 2007.

Let me set this up a little bit for you...It's the middle of July in Nanning, Guangxi, PRC...yes, that's right..a Chinese ER experience. I'd been at the school in China where I would be teaching English for the remainder of the summer less than 24 hours when the incident occured. It was raining...I slipped on the stairs...fell...and then landed on my arm. OUCH! My forearm immediately swelled because of the way I landed on the stairs, but the catch is...that ISN'T where I broke it. I broke my elbow...

Now to the actual ER visit. My team leader, a teacher from the school (serving as our translator), and I all load up in a taxi and head to the hospital. Once we arrive and walk inside, culture shock IMMEDIATELY takes over. I look to my right and there is a small child (about 2.5 years old) with an IV in her scalp SCREAMING in her dad's arms. I look to my left and there are (no lie!) about 50 people on IV drips in the waiting room. I really wish I had my taken my camera so that I could have some proof of this. Straight ahead there is a bench where I am informed to sit and wait my turn. Overwhelmed by everything else going on, I obey ask no questions about it!

Oh...the best of the story is yet to come.

After waiting a surprisingly short amount of time, some hospital worker (nurse...tech...I'm not sure. It was someone dressed in all white) grabs me (literally!) from the bench and takes me to a desk at the front of the ER. She hands me a card (all written in Mandarin, may I add) and asks me to fill it out. My Mandarin skills are limited, but I was able to figure out they wanted me to write my FULL name (which is somewhat lengthy) in a space about like this._____ Really?!?! I politely tell my translator that I don't think my name will fit in the space. He started talking to the people at the desk (I'm assuming it's about the fact that my name won't fit in the space, but what do I know?). After their little convo, our translator says with a hint of shock/surprise in his voise, "You don't have a Chinese name?" To which I WANTED to reply, "Do I LOOK like I have a Chinese name?!?!?!" Apparently realizing that I am American and we don't generally have our names written in Chinese characters, (although I wouldn't mind! :D), he proceeds to write something in that little space intended for my name. What our translator didn't know is that I'm not COMPLETELY illiterate when it comes to Mandarin, and I recognized what he wrote for my name. 外国人。。。"wai guo ren" (in pin yin)....translated "FOREIGNER" in English. I didn't let on that I knew what he wrote, but it struck me as funny. The rest of my visit to the ER, I wasn't known as Katie, but "wai guo ren"....foreigner. In their defense, the description fit perfectly, and no one would be confused of who they were talking to...or about.

While I filled out the information card, the nurse told me they needed to take my temperature. To my surprise (to this day I ask myself why I am surprised at ANYTHING that happens in China) they take a thermometer out from a guys arm, shake it a bit, and shove it under mine. Disgusting...although I could think of much worse scenarios.

Promptly after taking my temperature, they usher me into the doctor's office. He takes a good look at the swelling in my forearm and sends me up to x-ray. X-rays...something familiar. After all, having 13 broken bones makes for having an abundance of xrays taken throughout my short life. The Xray Technician sat me down in a chair, threw my broken arm (literally!) on the table, and walks out of the room.

"Excuse me, Mr. X-Ray Tech...ummm...did you forget the lead apron for my lap?!?! I would like to have babies someday." It was to no avail. He was gone... My X-rays were taken... No protective lead apron... a standard radation precaution that we take for granted in the good ole U.S. of A.

The xrays came back (may I remind you they are of my forearm, NOT my elbow, which was actually broken) and they sent me back in to see the doctor. He pulled on my arm (literally!) for a few minutes with tears running down my face because of the excruciating pain he was putting me through.

Doctor's diagnosis....not broken. WHAT?!?

Doctor's prescription...a spray (yes, a spray!) to put on my arm a few times a day.

So we left the Chinese ER...in serious pain...and frustrated that nothing was accomplished during the 3 hour ER visit except a fun story and great memories.

Although that is the end of my ER extravaganza, I feel like I need to fill you in on the rest of the story....

I called my dad who is an Orthopaedic Physician's Assistant and sent him my xrays via telephone. I told him the story of what happened, where it was hurting/swelling, etc, and the conclusion was "yes, you broke your elbow!" The ER doctor ordered that my forearm...not my elbow...be xrayed. The doc (in America) looked everything over and agreed that, indeed, I had fractured my radial head (elbow). They then overnighted some materials to splint my arm for the rest of my stay in China. Talk about a long distance consult!

That's my ER story!

Me with one of my students...I wasn't going to let a broken arm keep me away from having the TIME OF MY LIFE with these kids in China!

***I feel like I should put in this little bit of information in here for those of you who don't know me. I LOVE LOVE LOVE China. Everything about China! Infact, I want to spend my life working with special needs orphans in this country that I love so very much. In no way am I making fun of their healthcare or medicine. This story turned out to be one of my very favorite memories from being in China. That's the reason why I wanted to share it with you!***

Change.

2009-08-11T23:26:00.000-05:00

Change. It's a word that overwhelms me more than any other. If it's an expected change, I usually make it through okay, but unexpected changes throw me for a loop.

Moving to San Antonio. an expected change. I thought about it. I planned for it. I prayed about it and truly felt a peace in my heart about the move. There was plenty of time for me to prepare myself for leaving the life I'd established in College Station for 5 years and transition into a new stage of life. When the time came to say goodbye to Aggieland, I was ready. Grateful for my time in Aggieland, but ready for a brand new chapter of life.

2 years for nursing school instead of 1.5 years. an unexpected change. Throughout the process of applying to nursing school, I was led to believe that I was in the accelerated program which would finish in December 2009 instead of May 2010. The first day of class, I realized (for the first of many times to come in nursing school) that I was led to believe something that wasn't true. I had mentally prepared myself for 1.5 years of student loans....1.5 years to receive my BSN...1.5 years until I would start a "real" job. In a matter of minutes, I had to wrap my mind around an extra semester. For some, that may not be so difficult...for me, the planner...it threw me for a loop.

As I sit here, 5 days shy of living in San Antonio for one year, I realize just how much change has taken place in this time.

I'm starting to use the word "home" to describe San Antonio
I have an entirely new group of friends I hang out with regularly
I've gone from loving BIG churches to being incredibly happy in House Church
I use one tube of toothpaste instead of two
I don't have to walk on the left side of people anymore
I can occasionally leave my bed unmade for the day without completely freaking out
My eating habits are much different from this time last year
Driving 30-45 minutes now seems like a fairly "quick trip" across town

Oh and those are just a few of the changes I've seen. Some of those changes may be trivial, but many of them are part of a much bigger change I've seen in my life this year. The Lord IS CHANGING me. He has turned my little world upside down this year....at times left me feeling broken, but I see evidences in my life of Him molding me more into the image of His Son. I'm so grateful for that change. Unexpected? Somewhat, but something I for which I've been praying. Did it throw me for a loop? At times it did, but He is teaching me to relinquish control. By giving Him control, I'm starting to praise Him for the change He is making in my heart and life.

Philippians 1:6
"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."

Thankful Thursday!

2009-08-06T22:16:00.000-05:00

This is going to be short and sweet (with no pictures...sorry!), but I wanted to post. I'm so thankful today for some good quality sister time. Jenny came to visit from College Station on Tuesday, and we have had tons of fun. Yesterday we went to Schlitterbahn...today we went swimming and to Sea World...tomorrow after I work we are going to Fredericksburg to see my grandparents. Am I exhausted? Yes. Is it worth it? Most definitely.

What are you thankful for today?

Difficult Day in L&D

2009-08-04T18:37:00.000-05:00

Working in Labor and Delivery is a job that can take you from one extreme of emotions to the other within a matter of minutes. Earlier this summer, for example, I witnessed a sweet mother lose her baby at 20 weeks. In the same shift, I watched a sweet baby being born. Needless to say, that was a slightly emotional day.

Today was one of the days where I saw a lot of heartache and tears. One young mother came in for an ultrasound to find her baby (14 weeks) had no heartbeat. Another middle-aged woman received news that a tumor she's had for a long period of time has some new manifestations that are seriously going to hinder her life. Both of these women were brought to tears, and all that I could do was watch and pray for them at a distance. Oh how I wanted to do more for them, but everything I could think of felt so inadequate. I'm so thankful that the Lord can meet them where they are in their specific situations. I was reminded today of this scripture,

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18

Lord, be close to these ladies today. May your nearness to them bring peace and comfort that no one else can give.

When Texas Came To Portland....(Part 3)

2009-08-02T15:50:00.000-05:00

Sunday (my final day in Portland) started off with sleeping in. For me that was until 6:45, but Brynn and Trina woke up around 8ish. Brynn, being the amazing hostess she is, fixed breakfast for us. have I mentioned how much I love this girl?!?! After breakfast I realized that I had 30 minutes, yes 30 MINUTES, to get ready for church. Eventhough I had been awake for a few hours at this point, I did NOTHING to remotely begin getting ready for the day. So we rushed and got ready for church. We went to church, and then came back to Brynn's house to have lunch and load my stuff in the car. I wanted to meet Brynn's family, and so we went to watch her brother play in a baseball tournament. This is where the day gets a little bit hectic....

Brynn and I had been joking about "missing my flight" so that I could stay longer. Leading up to my trip, we tried to get a later flight (the next day) back to San Antonio so that I could spend more time in Portland. Well, from the ballpark, we were going straight to the airport. I think that we figured out just how long we could stay before heading to the airport to make my flight. That time came and we got in Brynn's car at the ballpark. Surprised that I hadn't gotten any phonecalls that afternoon, I looked in my purse to check my phone. I LEFT IT AT BRYNN'S HOUSE!!! Here we are with JUST ENOUGH time to make it to the airport, and now we have to detour to Brynn's to get my phone...can't travel without it. by the way....she didn't live close ANDand she was almost on empty! At this point all I could do was laugh...I really was just kidding about missing my flight! I NEEDED to get on that plane! We make it to the airport at 4:45 and my flight leaves at 5:15. I check in...no problem. Check my bags...no problem. Run to security.....PROBLEM. The line was FOR-E-VER long and moving really slow. I FINALLY get to the front of the security line (a little bit after 5) and they check my carry-on. I was thinking, what could I POSSIBLY have in there that they would be interested in?!?! The guy working OBVIOUSLY didn't realize how big of a hurry I was in and took his precious time checking my bag. I realized that I put a bottle of cranberry juice in the front pocket of my backpack on my flight to Portland and forgot it was there. I told him, and the guy asked, "Would you like to step back through and drink your juice?" I said, "That's ok." To which he replied, "Are you sure? I'm going to have to throw it away if you don't drink it? It's ok if you drink it and then go back through security." With a smile plastered on my face trying to be as nice as possible, I told him, "You don't understand. I don't want my juice. I just want my bag...I'm about to miss my flight!" So he finally handed my bag to me and took off in a dead sprint to my gate. I get there...still have to get a seat assignment...and I am cutting it close. I finally board the plane...sit down in my seat...and breathe. I made it....barely! Almost as soon as I sat down and got situated we were off. I seriously didn't mean to cut it that close!

The rest of the trip was uneventful and I made it back to San Antonio at 1:30 am! My wonderful roommate and friends picked me up from the airport...we went to IHOP...and then had a slumber party. All of that means that I didn't get to sleep until after 4:30 am! So much fun though!

Thank you so much for being an incredible hostess, Brynn! I am so thankful for the friendship that we have. Come see me in Texas!!!! But don't you worry, the second annual "When Texas Came to Portland..." will happen next summer! Love and miss you. ~Texas

When Texas Came To Portland... (Part 2)

2009-07-21T22:07:00.000-05:00

Day 2 of my Portland adventure began early. We (Brynn, Trina, and I) woke up and went to Dutch Bros. again! I loved the second time just as much as my first Dutch experience. From there we drove to Portland's Saturday Market and met up with Brynn and Trina's friend, Liisa. Saturday Market is where several local people set up booths of things they have created. They have everything from purses to clothing to paintings to flower arrangements...you name it, and you can probably find it at Saturday Market. Such a fun place to visit. I ended up purchasing a super cute messenger bag and a wrap around skirt. I fell in love with both of them immediately. The four of us also got Henna tattoos. Brynn and I got "Wo Ai Ni" which is "I love you" in Chinese...Trina got the chinese character for "joy" on her foot which is perfect because she is the picture of Joy!...and Liisa got a design on her ankle/foot.

Following our trip to Saturday Market, the four of us loaded up in the car and drove about an hour and a half to Cannon Beach on the Oregon coast. It was an overcast day, but it turned out to be an experience I will NEVER forget (but I'll get back to that in a minute). The first stop at the beach was Mo's. They are known for the clam chowder, and so I had to try it. I must sasy, it was my first EVER taste of clam chowder, and it was pretty tasty.

As we were eating our lunch, we spent a good portion of time "people-watching". We all noticed these two guys in matching white, long-sleeve button up shirts with blue jeans setting up a keyboard along the beach. This immediately peaked our interest. It didn't take us long to figure out that these guys were shooting a music video....priceless, amazing entertainment over a nice bowl of clam chowder on an overcast, chilly summer day at an Oregon beach. We finished our meal and went for a walk along the beach. Liisa decided to ask these guys what they were doing and they told us about how they finished recording in the studio a few days earlier and were shooting their music video. They said they still needed one part of the music video and asked if anyone would be interested being part of it. Ok...many of you know me and know that my immediate response was, "No! ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!" But according to the other girls, I was "dressed for the part" in my white sundress/coverup with a cardigan. So....you guessed it, I was recruited for a music video...COMPLETELY OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE!! Brynn went first. I still attempted to back out of it, but the girls insisted I do it. I guess that's why I need friends like that in my life...to make me step outside of my comfort zone a little bit. So I found myself, walking "hand in hand" through the water and then breaking up with him...all within a matter of minutes. Brynn gave him her email address, and I'm hoping we will see this video when it's all said and done. I make NO promises of posting it on here, but I will consider it. I will never forget that day...so funny and a memory that I will treasure with these incredible, godly girls.

We concluded our beach trip with a walk through the little town. I got some saltwater taffy (YUM!). Our trip back to Portland was filled with sounds of four girls who absolutely love "Wicked" belting out the entire soundtrack!

Brynn invited some friends over Saturday night to play games and eat smores. There was another Katie there that evening; so I was given the nickname "Tex-Mex". We played frisbee...Signs...Moffia...Spoons...ate smores....and met a bunch of incredible people. After most people left, a few of us played Hand and Foot for a little while. Trina spent Saturday night at Brynn's house, and the three of us had a slumber party. Of all that we did the entire weekend, my favorite part was spending time with Brynn, Trina, Jess, and Candi! Because of that, the slumber party was so much fun. The THREE of us just got to hang out, be silly, dance, catch up on life, and just simply enjoy each others company.

End of full day #2 of the "When Texas Came to Portland..." weekend.

When Texas Came To Portland... (Part 1)

2009-07-21T19:38:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday, I boarded a plane to Portland, Oregon to spend the weekend with some friends I met in China in 2006. I can't tell you how much I'd been looking forward to this weekend, not only to see beautiful Portland but to FINALLY get to see Brynn, Trina, Jess, and Candi after almost THREE years.

Before I tell you about my trip, I have to tell you about these amazing friends I went to visit. The friendship we have is completely a God thing. Rewind to July 2006....on my flight with my team of 8 people heading to Yining, Xinjiang, PRC, the school where we were to teach called and backed out of the program. So when we land in China, my team has no place to go! The organization I went with scrambled to make other arrangments for us, and in the end, we were partnered with another team headed to Nanning, Guangxi. I thought, "this could be REALLY awesome or REALLY bad!" Thankfully, it was one of the most life-changing summers of my life to date. The Lord moved mightily in the hearts of some of our students that summer. You may remember the story of Apple who is now a believer and one of my dear friends. The Lord also blessed me with some incredible friendships of people on the team we were partnered with....this is where my friends from Portland come into the picture. Almost instantly, I felt as though Brynn, Trina, and I were kindred spirits. I loved their company and it felt as though I had known them forever. We laughed together...prayed together...explored China together...lived life together for five weeks. Jess was the team leader for the other team, and he picked on me about my conservative, Texas lovin', "southern belle" ways. I loved it! A couple of weeks into our trip Jess' wife, Candi, came to visit us in China, and just like the rest of the Portlanders, she was awesome too! Looking back to the circumstances that led me to Nanning that summer, God's hand was in all of it, and I am so thankful! I love these precious people/blessings.

Thursday night after two delayed flights and a lengthy layover in Dallas, I arrived in Portland...FINALLY!!! Brynn picked me up at the airport and we went back to her house. Both of us were pretty exhausted from the day, but we ended up staying up WAY too late talking and drinking sweet tea (that she learned how to make just for me). Little did I know how literally EVERY MOMENT of my weekend in Portland was packed with things to do.

Friday started bright and early with a little bit of Dutch Bro. coffee on the way to work. I LOVED the coffee....and I'm not a coffee drinker at all. Then it was off to Warner Pacific College where Brynn is an admissions counselor. Mid morning, I went and met up with Jess, Candi, and little Ella. Little Ella will always be the way I will know "how long" I've known Jess and Candi because Candi found out she was pregnant RIGHT before coming to see us in China. The four of us drove around Portland and they took me to Voodoo Donuts. It was crazy! Definitely culture shock for this Texas girl. I mean, seriously, who has a donut in the shape of a voodoo doll complete with a pretzel stick to poke the doll?!? C-R-A-Z-Y!!!!

Jess and Candi took me to meet back up with Brynn at lunch. Brynn and I then went and picked up Chinese food and met Trina for a picnic. Eating Chinese with them brought back so many memories from China. We did have a slight mishap with the food though. They put our order in plastic containers and the food was so hot it melted throught the plastic. Whoops! So when we opened it, the food kinda went everywhere and we had to be innovative with how to eat it. Trina came to the rescue and got us bowls and napkins.

Brynn and I said goodbye to Trina and then we took off to do some sight seeing. We drove up to the Gorge and visited several beautiful places. Our first stop was Multnomah Falls. We then drove up the Historic (beautiful) Hwy and stopped at Crown Point and Larch Mountain. We took TONS of pictures while we were up there. I can't describe to you the beauty of the mountains. We serve an amazingly beautiful and creative God. I love that I was able to sit and just be in awe of HIS vast creation which reminded me how BIG He is, yet at the same time to be reminded of how intimately He knows me. How can He be so immense, but at the same way know and care of every small detail?!? What an AWESOME God we serve!

The night didn't end there....Brynn and I went back to her house, changed clothes and met up with one of her friends for dinner at the Montage. It was a neat place to eat. The food was really good, but the leftovers were what made the experience! They package your leftovers in the shape of different animals made out of aluminum foil. Mine was a swan, Brynn's was a snail. :D

We then went downtown and walked up to Portland City Grille to get a view of the Portland skyline. It was beautiful...I'm such a sucker for city lights...I love them. We then went to a place called McFadden's for an evening of dancing. So much fun!!!

Ok guys...that's just the end of day 1. More to come on the rest of the weekend when I have a chance to get the posts up. Hopefully it will be soon. I'm only going to post a few pictures, but I am planning on putting together a slideshow of some more pictures. When that is finished, I'll post it on here as well! I know that was long, but thanks for bearing with me. I want to have everything that we did written down so that I can look back and remember it all.

Life is Good!

2009-04-13T21:25:00.000-05:00

This post may (ok, it will be) scattered, but hang with me as there has been A LOT going on since I last posted in February. When the Lord placed the phrase "wherever He leads, I'll go!" as a prayer on my heart several months ago, I had no idea that He meant even here....right now! Slowly but surely, I'm learning to trust what the Lord with each little detail.

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This semester of nursing school has definitely NOT been an enjoyable one. I can't remember a time when I have disliked school as much as I have since January. It has been full of psych clinicals....Saturday at 6:30 am clinicals....lots of papers....even more busy work....ridiculous school policies...lack of help from faculty. You know, all things that can make the life of a nursing student pretty difficult. I do have to say that through it all, I have the best clinical group! I just love each and every one of them. I'm so thankful for the relationships that have been formed and the ways I have seen the Lord working inspite of the unfavorable circumstances.

Aren't we a good looking group?!?

You would trust us to be your nurses, right?!?

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I have been looking forward to the summer (not just to be finished with 2nd semester) because I thought I would beparticipating in a medical mission trip to Mexico. It was a trip where I would be able to sharpen my skills and gain confidence in my abilities as a nurse. Friday I received an email from my instructor saying the trip was cancelled due to the violence going on in Mexico. I was disappointed to say the least. If you know me well, you know I love to have things planned, and this definitely messed with my summer plans.

The awesome thing is that even though there is disappointment, there is even more of a peace about my summer. I trust that whatever happens this summer was already ordained by the Lord before time began....eventhough I am surprised, God isn't! I'm trusting HIM! Once again, if you know me well, you know that is a HUGE accomplishment. The need for control has LESS control over me! hehe

That being said...

I'll be living in San Antonio for the summer, and I am super excited about that. 小Katie....I AM GOING TO GA CAMP THIS SUMMER! Other than a week of GA camp, I will be working in Labor & Delivery as a PCA (patient care assistant). PCA is a program set up at University Hospital for nursing students to gain more experience/confidence in their skils. Wait a second....isn't that exactly what I wanted from Mexico?!?! God provides! The nurses seem to be really good to work with, and I will be able to work as much or as little as I am able. I'm excited!

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If you go to my sweet friend Cindy's blog, you can see a little story that has been awesome to be a part of the past couple of weeks. (skip to the last part about an Iraqi conversation) Then after you read that, read this one to see another part of the story. Oh, it's a good one! :D

I took "Lillie" to the store today to buy groceries. Well, I THOUGHT we were going to buy groceries, but really she just wanted to go shopping. While shopping, I attemped to teach her three year old son some English (because I found out today the only thing he REALLY says in English is "H-E-B"!). Through some role playing and translating by Lillie, her son learned "thank you". It was the sweetest thing to see him finally get it. His entire countenance changed and began smiling from ear to ear with a sense of pride and accomplishment in his beautiful brown eyes! For the next 15 minutes, he would say "thank you", and I would reply, "you're welcome"! He would laugh and smile even bigger. It was such a simple sweet reminder to me that even the youngest child wants to be heard and understood. What a difference one little phrase can make!

I point you to that blog and tell you that story to say....maybe this is my "Wherever He leads..." moment right now. There has never been a time in my life where I have been surrounded by so many people from different nations at one time. It truly brings a personal meaning to, "ask and I'll give the nations to you." He means it...they are right here! Within about a 5 mile radius of where I live, there are many nations represented with MANY needs. So each day I ask, "Lord, how can I be a part of what you are doing today?" The answer may be as simple as "take Lillie to the store". I pray my response will be, "I'll go...wherever you lead."

Life is good...even when it's difficult....because I serve a God who is REALLY GOOD!

I'll Stop Procrastinating...Later!

2009-02-19T16:07:00.001-06:00

You would think that since I have a Chronic Test in 17 hours and have logged in a total of oh.....3 hours study time, I would be studying....WRONG! I decided to procrastinate even longer and post (just a couple) pictures from my birthday on Monday.

Six of the nursing school girls went to dinner on the River Walk on Monday night and then back to the apartment for dessert. Fun times! I love these girls so much. :)

We ALL should have been doing this....

...but instead, we did THIS! Much more fun!

Joan (my roomie!), me, and Julie

Ok...enough of that. I really should get back to reading about Diabetes and Circulation. Don't be too jealous. Only the evening of studying and ONE test in the morning separate me from my THREE DAY WEEKEND! What will I ever do with all of that free time?!?!

First Day of Psych Clinical

2009-01-28T20:07:00.000-06:00

As the title says, today was the FIRST day of our Psych/Mental Health clinical. And let me just say...if today was any indication of the rest of the semester, it is going to be INTERESTING to say the least.

While we were touring one of the four units we will be rotating through, we went into the day room. Several patients were sitting around playing Scrabble, and out of the blue one guy said, "I'll be the first to volunteer for any physicals." We all just laughed it off in an "of course-you-would-say-something-like-that" kinda way and went on about our business. Our group walked out of the day room and stood in the hallway to continue the tour, and that same guy walked out of the day room "headed down to his room". Well, conveniently as he walked by he touched/tried to grab my rear! I was TOTALLY caught off guard and jumped. When I turned around, several of the girls were laughing and I am quite positive my face was COMPLETELY red. Seriously....was that REALLY neccessary?!?! I think not.

I have a feeling that won't be the last of stories like that. On another note...I love our clinical group. I'm pretty pumped about hanging out with them and getting to know them this semester!

Xin Nian Kaui Le!

2009-01-26T22:18:00.002-06:00

Today is Chinese New Year AND it is the year of the OX. I'm pretty pumped about it because I was born in the year of the Ox. While I'm not EXACTLY sure what that means for me, one of my sweet friends in China told me I was supposed to be wearing red underwear. Is that just on New Year? or for the ENTIRE year? Who knows?!? It's supposed to bring me luck and good fortune.

Holidays, both Chinese and American, are always a fun time for me to reconnect with my students from the summers I taught there. We exchange pictures and traditions as well practice my very limited Mandarin skills and their INCREDIBLE English skills. I've asked all of them to send pictures of their celebration...if I get enough response from them, I will make a post about it.

This New Year I thought a lot about my students and friends in China. My heart began to ache not knowing if/when I will get to see them again. Some of them know the Lord...many of them don't. I pray for them and hope that one day they will know HIM. I decided to post my slideshow/video I made of Camp China 2007 for a couple of reasons: 1- so I would have it on this blog and 2-some people have asked to see it. So here it is!

XIN NIAN KUAI LE!

*that's Mandarin pin yin for Happy New Year!

2009-01-26T22:18:00.001-06:00

New Blog...New Start!

2009-01-24T19:20:00.000-06:00

You found me!

I started this new blog in hopes of posting more often. It was kinda weird to keep posting on China or Bust because my posts had NOTHING to do with China. China has played a huge role in my life, and I know in my heart that I will return at some point. But for now, there are no plans for that in the near future.

I figured that a more fitting title would be "Wherever He leads...I'll go!" I want to live my life in a way follows my Jesus wherever He leads me. Right now...it's nursing school in San Antonio. When I graduate...who knows!! Right now I am content knowing I am right where the Lord has led me. :)

Oh yes, and a big thank you to Jenn for the pointers on how to fix up my blog!