Home Sweet Home!

They're home for Christmas break!

These are my best buds from high school! After a long

semester, I cannot wait to spend time with them!

To play Cranium, take naps, have a drink and laugh until we cry.

Tis' the Season girls...it's time to be together!

Sing to him...

Sing praises to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.
psalm 105:2

I will praise you, O Lord, with all of my heart;
I will tell of all your wonders!
psalm 9:1



I was sitting here this evening...trying to study for finals, complete a paper and listen to a lecture online. However, the Lord was calling me to my knees (and I mean literally down on my knees). To worship Him, to praise Him, to sing songs to Him. And to share with you His wonderful acts and mighty wonders!!

Isn't this girl a beauty?
A true wonder and work from God's own hand?
When I look at her, I see a carefree smile.
When I talk to her I hear a hope in her voice.
Then I am reminded of her once frail and battered body.
I am reminded of her bald head.
Still...just as beautiful.
The same smile, the same voice, the same heart within.
Cancer.
Why does that word feel like a knife stabbing me in the chest?
Ever since I have known Katie she has been battling cancer.
While miles now separate us,
we are somehow always in tune with one another.
She sent me a text message this evening that read: "I got good test results. My tumors are shrinking."
I could not help but to stop everything I was doing to join in and rejoice with her this evening by giving praise to the One who deserves it!
Nevermind every treatment, every appointment, every poke, every prod.
Our wonderful and faithful God has shown himself this evening.
Now my friends, believe me, this is no small feat.
Our God deserves all the glory, all the honor and all the praise.
I love you Katie!

Who's counting? I AM!!!!

39 more days and I'll be on a plane to Haiti!!!


I cannot wait to feel each little warm embrace!

I cannot wait to sit down and take a bite of rice and beans out of each bowl!

I cannot wait to see how they've grown since August!

I cannot wait to hear the giggles and laughs!

And I cannot wait to love on these precious children!

Broken

I highly recommend listening to this song by Jill Paquette:

I wanted to taste life, I ran out on my own and found no place to hide
So come and catch me, so unsure of myself and if choices are free
Then why aren't they mine anymore, my sin goes before me closing doors
And the day to day has me torn between right and wrong
Where do I belong

A broken and contrite heart oh Lord You will receive
A broken and contrite heart oh Lord You will receive
I go down, I fall at Your feet asking for You to save me
Only to save me
A broken and contrite heart oh Lord You will receive

Surely I've failed You
I've failed to go beyond grace and seek after truth
Not wanting Your mercy
Try to purchase a pardon--my deeds my currency

A broken and contrite heart oh Lord You will receive
A broken and contrite heart oh Lord You will receive
I go down, I fall at Your feet asking for You to save me
Only to save me
A broken and contrite heart oh Lord You will receive

Creole Made Easy-Premye Leson

So, I have to put a plug in for my previous post. I'm still amazed I was able to get pictures of Wilson the turkey. Check it out below this post...

We'll Be Speaking Creole in No Time...

Megan is not so sure about showing off her Creole skills in front of the camera!

chajman an "the load"

sitwon "lime, lemon"

AND NOW FOR THE SHOW:

WHY DID THE TURKEY CROSS THE ROAD?

The leaves are changing color around here and it is beautiful. Just around the corner from my subdivision is a wooded area where I have seen many little creatures come from (squirrel, deer, etc). I have heard before there is a turkey that lives in the woods, but I had never seen him...until today that is. It was a nice little reminder that Thanksgiving is quickly approaching. He's lucky he's not a dead turkey!!

So I was driving down Petersburg Road and found traffic backed up about a half mile. When I came upon the scene, this is what I found. (Luckily I had my camera!!) Truckers were out of their vehicles trying to lure the turkey back into the woods, but he was content...smack-dab in the middle of the road. I'm glad I didn't have to be anywhere at the time. What an excuse that would be, "I'm sorry boss, there was a turkey crossing the road."

The Faces of Nata

Chalk...the new body paint

I was looking through my pictures from the August trip and came across a couple to post. (Adding to You-You's pictures of the kids playing with chalk..)

Haiti, Evansville create family bonds...

What a delight to see this in the paper this morning:

Haiti, Evansville create family bonds
Nine Evansville-area families plan to adopt Haitian orphans
By Susan Orr (Contact)
Thursday, October 25, 2007

When Angela and Shawn Collins of Evansville traveled to Angel House orphanage in Haiti last year, their intent was to visit the children and volunteer there.

The couple wanted children but had put the idea aside after experiencing the pain of several miscarriages.

But, Angela Collins said, God had a different plan. While at Angel House, she found herself drawn to two children. She told her husband, who said he also felt a connection with them.

After praying about it and talking to the children, they decided to begin the adoption process for Steven and Belle, both 9.

"I never thought I'd go to an orphanage and decide to adopt two 9 year olds. ... I have no idea how to explain it. It was God," she said.

(Coincidentally, a few months after that Haiti visit, Angela learned she was pregnant. The Collinses' daughter, Madelyn, was born in July.)

The Collinses are among nine Evansville-area families who are in the process of adopting a total of 17 Angel House children, ages infant to 9. Located in Port-au-Prince, Angel House cares for children who have been abandoned, orphaned or brought in by parents too poor to care for them.

If the adoptions proceed on schedule, the first of the children will arrive by Christmas, with all of them here by Christmas 2008.

The Angel House adoption network has grown through word-of-mouth.

Michelle Cundiff of Evansville, a friend of Angela Collins, is missions leader for Three Angels Children's Relief, the agency that runs the orphanage, a Christian school and a medical clinic. She and her husband, Jeremy, are in the process of adopting three children.

"It is unusual for so many families to be adopting from the same orphanage, especially since Haiti isn't necessarily a hot spot to adopt from," Cundiff wrote in an e-mail interview. "We attribute this to God."

Another family, Kathy and Randy Koenig of Newburgh, is working to adopt three children: Shakira, 5, Samara, 3, and Caleb, 5 months old. Those children will join Phoebe, 4, whom the Koenigs adopted as an infant in North Carolina.

The Koenigs attend Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer, and the church will host a benefit concert Friday at 7 p.m. to help raise money for the family's adoption expenses.

The Koenigs heard about Angel House through church friends who are adopting two children from there.

Kathy Koenig's connection with the children began online. She was looking at the orphanage's Web site and saw Samara's photo. The little girl had the same birthday as Phoebe, the same gap-toothed grin and the same love of dance and music.

Randy noticed the similarities, too.

"We just knew we were meant to adopt Samara," Kathy said.

In months to come, the couple decided to adopt the two other children.

The couple traveled to Haiti in July to visit the children and meet their biological mothers.

For Kathy, the experience was emotional. For Randy, it was a confirmation they were doing God's will.

"I knew that these children needed me," Randy said.

The Koenigs estimate all three adoptions should be complete between December and February. In the meantime, they're preparing for the new arrivals.

Photographs of the children hang on the walls, and the Koenigs regularly send family pictures to Angel House. The Koenigs are learning to speak some Creole, and they are collecting Haitian recipes.

As the families wait, they have gotten to know each other.

Cundiff hosts a weekly mothers' prayer gathering, and the families plan to stay in touch.

"We feel extremely blessed that the children will be able to continue the friendships they have formed in the orphanage," Cundiff wrote.






DENNY SIMMONS / Courier & Press
Phoebe Koenig, 4, right, does her best to comfort Eva Brown, 3, sitting in her mother, Theresa Brown's lap. Eva was having a tough time during their Sunday school music class at Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer in Evansville. Theresa Brown and her husband Don are one of the sets of parents who will be adopting a child from Haiti in the near future. Eva's country of birth is China.

DENNY SIMMONS / Courier & Press
The current Koenig family of Newburgh, Phoebe, 4, Randy and Kathy, get together for a worship service after their Sunday school classes at Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer recently. The family will soon double with the addition of Shakira, 5, Samara, 3, and Caleb, 5 months.

The Big Day...more to come!

Laugh, Cry, Pray

A nurse told me today, "I tell families three things: First of all, I'm going to laugh with them. Second, I'm going to cry with them. And then I'm going to pray with them. And if they don't like that, I'm going to do it behind their back."

I was able to experience all three with the wonderful husband of one of my patients. Her health started to deteriorate Saturday afternoon. She began seizing and became unresponsive and no one was really sure why. She was taken to the Neuro ICU where they finally decided she is experiencing kidney failure from too many medications. She was still unresponsive today when I stopped down in the ICU.

I laughed with her family many times last week while she was a patient on my floor.
I cried with her husband today while he swaddled me, as if I was the one that needed to be comforted. And we prayed...
There is nothing quite like connecting through prayer. The Lord was present in that room!! He is Jehovah Rapha (the God that heals).

Oh, My Grandma!

A Tribute to my Grandma Kate:
She is 87 (or as she would tell you, 29).
Year after year, she continues to turn 29...I don't know how she does it?!
She is beautiful, young at heart, and a strong woman.
She was a wonderful wife.
She is a colon cancer survivor.
She is a fighter and a worrier.
She uses black electrical tape to fix everything.
She can speak some Croatian.
She never learned how to drive.
She saves her coins for her grandchildren.
She sleeps on the couch.
She loves lunch dates.
She reads more books than anyone I know.
This woman is funny, I'm tellin' ya. My mom was discussing with her
what she wore recently to a nice event. (sometimes her fashion
is..well..not up to date). My grandma responded to my mom by saying,
"Oh honey, I was dressed to kill."
I am so blessed to have a wonderful and funny grandma that has
been so active in my life.
Thanks Grandma for all you do!

Suffering for His Glory

I walked into a patient's room tonight and could not figure out where the horrible smell was coming from. I had not received report from the nurse yet, but I saw the patient was receiving dialysis. I figured he was just admitted for kidney failure. Wow, was I in for a shock...

I lifted the sheets off of his legs to find a bloody, oozy mess. Gangrene. For anyone that has ever had to smell gangrene, you know the smell I am referring to. It is one smell you will never forget. I have never tried so hard to hold back vomit in my life. What a poor old man. Unable to walk, obviously in pain, yet still resisting the option of amputation. Later during the evening I helped the nurse change his dressing.

We went to pull the dressing off without knowing how much of his flesh was gone. As we pulled away the bandages, we realized the gauze was packed deep into his big toe(the toe itself was missing) and into the back side of his calf. There were flesh and tissue just hanging from his leg and his other toes were not going to last much longer. What do you do if his toe falls off while you are packing his wound? Just toss it in the biohazardous waste? Why would someone want to live like this? The constant stinch radiating from his leg has to be enough to make him sick.

I left the room in total disgust, but more so replaying the question in my head, "Why does my mighty and faithful God allow people to experience such anguish?" (Oh, if you could have seen the hurt in this man's eyes).

I had this dicussion with one of my patients last week. She was admitted for an infection in her hip (which had been replaced multiple times). To make sure the infection healed, they removed her hip completely. She layed in her bed all day long...in severe pain, uncomfortable, and in a similar situation as the man above. Yet she made the choice day in and day out to pray and praise her God. She made the decision to trust that somehow the Lord was using her in this situation to further His kingdom. She was learning to find joy in the midst of her trials and bring glory to His Name no matter what circumstances she was to endure. Most people would tend to think she was in a "dark" place, but actually she was a light to those living in the dark around her.
That is our sole purpose on this earth, to bring glory and honor to the Father. As tough as it may be, sometimes we are chosen to suffer for His kingdom. And those whom are chosen will be rewarded by sharing in his glory.

Romans 4:20
Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God.

Romans 8:17-18
Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

2 Corinthians 4:7-18
7But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. 12So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. 13It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken."[b]With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, 14because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. 15All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. 16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

You said...

Ask and I'll give the nations to you,
O Lord, it's the cry of my heart.
Distant shores and the islands will see
Your Light as it rises on us.

You said, ask and you will receive whatever you need.
You said, pray and I'll hear from heaven and I'll heal your land.
You said, Your glory will fill the earth, like water the seas.
You said, lift up your eyes. The harvest is here, the Kingdom is near!!

Adventures of a PCA

"Patient Care Associate," that is my label. I have now been working at Deaconess Hospital for about a month. I am proud to say my title includes: taking vital signs, wiping butts, giving baths, turning patients, draining ostomy tubes and hemovacs, testing glucose, inserting catheters, discontinuing IV's, charting patient information, administering postmortem care and other random tasks.

While many of you are probably grossed out already, I am intrigued by my job each and every day. There is never an uneventful day on OMCC (Orthomedical Care Center.) We see it all...we receive patients from all floors due to the fact that we are the largest floor at the hospital. Most of our patients are 50 or older; however, we see the occasional younger patient from an automobile/motorcycle/atv accident. When I applied for the job, I did not want to work with the elderly. Through my experience thus far, I have gained a whole new respect for them and have discovered they are some of the most interesting people I will probably ever meet.

One lady's life has truly impacted me. She was so cute...92 years old and on complete bedrest. She was receiving oxygen and her lungs were filling up with fluid quickly. The doctor informed her family she was not going to make it much longer. Her husband of 70 years (he is 88) spent a whole day by her side, holding her hand. After her family left for what would be the last time, I spent some time in her room. I bathed her, cleaned her mouth, changed her sheets and put lotion on her frail body. She could not speak to me or give me any direction of how she wanted to be cared for, but I could see it in her eyes. I could sense her contentment. I talked to her, ran my fingers through her hair, and silently prayed. I eagerly waited until my next shift to see the woman I had previously connected with, only to find a new patient was occupying her room. She died that same evening I had spent time with her. Thank you Lord for being the Ultimate Comforter!

The one thing I love most about my job is that I am able to share the love of Christ with my patients and coworkers. I get the opportunity every day to impact someone else's life with my attitude. I can be different. I can rejoice in the day that God has given me and go to work with a smile on my face. I have received the assignment from Christ to be His hands to these patients, and I feel honored to meet their needs day in and day out.

Psalm 90:14,17

Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,

that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us;

Establish the work of our hands for us-

yes, establish the work of our hands.

I pray my patients see Christ through me in everything I do. I pray the touch of my hand and the sound of my voice gives them a glimpse of Christ's comfort and love. I pray His joy, compassion, and gentle spirit are seen in me. Lord, I know you are standing with me beside each bed as I care for these patients. Help me to understand the pain of my patients and provide accurate care. I will willingly serve you all of my days!!

Everyone Needs a Buddy

Evansville's Buddy Walk

September 29,2007

9:00a.m.-12:00p.m.

4-H Center

http://www.smileondownsyndrome.org

These are my buddies. The darling red-head is my cousin Emma.

The handsome young man is my friend, Pierre. I met him while I was in Haiti.

The Buddy Walk is associated with the group S.M.I.L.E. on Down Syndrome.

It is wonderful opportunity to reach out to the community and love on some of God's children. Get a group together and head out to the 4-H for FUN, FOOD, EXERCISE

AND LOTS OF HUGS!

Please help support these children and their families.

For more information, see the website above.

The registration form is available along with other information.

3 Years of Pure Joy

This is Dennis Christopher.

Also known as: DC, Mr. Silly, Moley

He is the most amazing and loving child I have ever met.

What a blessing this little boy has been in my life!!

God granted me with the gift of taking care of Dennis for three years.

Because of my school schedule,

I had to leave him in someone else's care.

He has what is called pachygyria,

lissencephaly (meaning: smooth brain).

It is a congenital malformation of the cerebral hemisphere.

Pachygyria is typically associated with

seizures disorders and severe developmental delays.

I will never forget:

The way he always stuck his tongue out at me. His curly hair.

Taking naps together.

When we were sick and stayed home from school together.

His wonderful dad. The sound he made when he was happy.

Dennis's special: Ravioli and pudding Fridays.

Our trip to Holiday World. His cute little feet.

Leaving work with food on my clothes and in my hair...everyday.

Dennis and I did everything together.

His favorite activity is swimming

(aside from riding in the car with the windows down).

He loved to laugh when I pulled him around in the pool.

He loves being pushed in his stroller on walks. We went to the movies, to the zoo, to parks, and had picnics outside on a blanket.

Even though his learning capacity is equivalent to a 6-12 month old,

Dennis is just like any other child.

He loves to be talked to, to be held, and to eat chocolate pudding.

He was the keeper of my secrets (hopefully still is).

He smiled at the sound of my voice.

His hugs warmed my heart.

The way he slipped his arm behind me when I sat next to him.

The touch of his hand was reassuring.

I love him like he is my own.

My heart aches to be with this little boy.

I long to care for him, serve him, and hold him with Christ's hands.

Give me faith Lord.

The faith to believe that you are meeting

the needs of Your beloved child.

My Sister Emmy

This is my little sister Emily. Most people would tend to disagree that we are sisters because we do not have the same parents; however, we are sisters. Emily is my mini-me. We laugh together, cry together, pray together, and just love being together. We had a discussion on the way home from lunch yesterday and decided very rarely, if ever do we get tired of one another. We shared a room for 15 wonderful months and not a night went by that I did not pray her for before falling asleep. She has a love for Jesus and it radiates from her every where she goes...in her smile, in her hug, in her nonstop laughter. She has a heart for serving the Lord. She accompanied me to work many days to care for Dennis, and after a few times she could have cared for him herself if it weren't for the fact that he is twice her size. She has wisdom and knowledge that exceeds that of an average eight year-old. She prays for her family, friends and neighbors that have not been saved. She has a way of tickling me and can make me giggle like no one else can. She loves to snuggle, desires one on one time and likes to hold hands (all things I love!) Emily, I love you darling. You are the best little sis. I still pray for you every night (Chesapeake reminds me to).