World Missions Adventures

I didn't expect to take such a long hiatus from social media (and other types of media as well) when I returned to begin work at the hospital in Caluquembe, Angola in January. It just sort of happened. I wanted to be intentional about building relationships with my colleagues at the hospital and learning my way around the campus, the language, and the culture so I'd feel more comfortable in my new home. I just checked back in today and...oh no! Kobe died! How sad! I knew that there was a new Coronavirus...but I didn't know that the whole world is having an anxiety attack over it. Elections in the US...I pray for my country every single day. That's all I'll say about that. I'd like to crawl back into my little bubble now! After 2 months I must say...nope, I'm not yet fluent in Portuguese, there's a TON of stuff I have yet to learn about the culture, and some days the hospital can still be as confusing as it was when I first arrived. One phrase I've ...

Priscilla had come over to check on me and the story of the injuries sustained by her house-worker and house-worker's child when their pressure-cooker exploded only served to make  me more grateful than I already was. I'm so grateful that I had house guests that evening - Rikka and Teija, friends from another organization who were visiting Caluquembe for only one night. I've thought of them as my angels because they cared for me so very well. About 30 minutes prior to Priscilla's visit, I'd taken off the lid to the pressure cooker (because I didn't know what I was doing, obviously) and was met with loads of steam that burnt my left arm followed by most of the boiling water roiling over the edges of the pot and cascading down the front of my legs and onto my feet. Rikka and Teija jumped into action before I'd even moved away from the stove and stripped off my pants, socks, and shoes. The first words out of my mouth were, "that actually wasn't rea...

For reasons I can't begin to explain, I've been stuck reading Day 329 from the One Year Bible for more than one week now. It is so compelling to me and has been resonating with my heart. Based on my reading, here are my prayer requests as I prepare to return to Caluquembe Missions Hospital: 1 - That I will continue to learn the language and customs of the people  in Caluquembe, Angola (National language - Portuguese; local language - Umbuundu) 2 - That God will give me wisdom and humility and tact when dealing with national leaders regarding local customs in and out of the hospital 3 - That God will grant me the courage to act in faith. 4 - That God will surround me with local friends who know Him and who will pray with me and for me. 5 - That God will give me supernatural wisdom and grace to successfully accomplish impossible tasks  for His glory 6 - That the missionaries and hospital administration team will embody the characteristics of the body of Christ as listed ...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!  I'm home for Christmas for another week and wanted to take this time to personally thank all of you who have been supportive in one way or another of my amazing journey with God.  First, your prayers have carried me through a few difficult times, frustrating times, fun times, and times of transition  over  and  over   again.  Thank you! Thank you! Thank you ! Second, some of you have made it a point to connect with me whenever possible through Facebook, phone calls, texts, emails, letters, etc.  I wouldn't have listed this as such a high priority previously, but my time away from home has underscored just how important it is to remain in contact with friends and loved ones as much as possible. Just hearing from you helped me to make it through more lonely times than I care to remember.  Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Third, many of you have offered financial support...

Anyone who’s spent considerable time with me has probably noticed that I really like children. A lot. They generally get my undivided attention until I remind myself to also address the adults present. Lol! It takes effort to pull away from them. I hope it doesn't seem weird. For me, it’s a part of an ongoing learning exercise (don’t worry, if I’ve babysat or spent time with your children, I promise I didn’t turn them into guinea pigs while you were out of earshot!) ...but I do observe them. Closely. I’m curious. What is it about them that made Jesus call for them? Why is it that we will never enter the kingdom of heaven unless we become like a little child? What characteristics do our adorable, rambunctious, naive little children have that I seem to have lost along the way? ...and how can I get them back? Over the past few days I’ve interacted with two little boys who gave me a glimpse of what it means to be a child. In both cases, they had needs. What ...