Curled up and cozy

Here I am, computer in hand curled up in a blanket, sipping tea and grooveshark serenading me with all the songs I love. Sigh, only two more weeks till Christmas break and my concentration has taken a turn for the worse. My 'to do' list continues to grow, and my resolve continues to fade just a little bit.... sigh. I can make it I know I can! One more semester down, three more to go!

In the scheme of things that is not really so much time at all, but when you're in the middle of it, it seems like an eternity.

This afternoon I have a campus ministry meeting then meeting heather for our weekly bdubs night complimented by a bit of shopping and 'Grey's Anatomy'. It's tomorrow I'm dreading. Class and Work. Ah to be as free as a bird!

"Looking to the things that are ahead, forgetting the things which lie behind, I press towards the mark....."

Off to be productive!
<3 Me

Ecuador

Shots shots shots! Even on my day off I somehow ended up at St. James Hospital. But today that's okay with me! I just got back from the travel clinic there getting my yellow fever and hep. A shots (So glad I'm set for 10 years! ow!). Other than the slight prick of the needle it's been an exciting day. I ended up doing a bit of shopping and planning for my Ecuador trip in January and I'm getting more than a little pumped! I still can't believe I'm going and the details are just falling into place like butter.

On Monday I had a meeting with those from Trinity's nursing class who are going on the trip and we talked with Olive Fleming-Liefeld, whose husband Peter Fleming was killed  in 1956 (along with four other missionaries including Jim Elliot) from the end of the Acua (now known as the Waodoni) indian's spears. She's an amazing women with an amazing story. It's hard to imagine having to be that brave and strong, "but God gives us all grace  according to the measure of the gift of Christ..." (eph. 4:7).

I have in my hand now Elisabeth Elliot's book 'Through Gates of Splendor' and I can't wait to start the read. Only one month now till my trip!


I'll keep you updated!!!



















If you want to help in any way we're gathering health supplies to hand out while we are there by donation. If you're interested in buying some things ( like travel size toothbrushes, toothpaste, bandaids, ect.) let me know! Everything is needed.






Love love and more love!
Rachel

ok, (yeah i know I start out 95% of my post the same way...) so here I am once again overwhelmed by the amount of  things I have to do and the amount of time that I have to do them in. I have clinicals tomorrow which require me to finish my care map and drug cards and head to the hospital with in the next 1/2 hour to find out my pt for tomorrow. *sigh* I always freak out on Tuesdays. Next week I'm going to have everything done ahead of time! Oh wait! next week is thanksgiving! oh the joys oh the joys! CAN'T FREAKING WAIT!

My stress level lately has topped my previous high score. Whenever my stomach hurts I'm afraid it's an ulcer. i need to start slowing down and planning things better! I used to think blogging was just a waste of time, then I realized how glad I'm going to be to have it later down the road when I want to remember all these fun little tid bids about my life that I can't remember.

Ok... so now the really exciting news.. I'm going to Ecuador! i know, I can't believe it either! and to top it off, I'm going to the same Indian tribe that Jim Elliot was killed by and Elizabeth Elliot was a missionary to after her husband died! I watch end of the spear just a bit again and I bawled like a baby! oh my word, it's amazing and so powerful the story of these men's lives. It's unbelievable that these things happen. I thought of my Aunt Barb and her being kidnapped in Guatemala and tears just ran down my face because for some reason giving it all for Christ never seemed more real. Can i do that? Will I do that? Do I care enough that people are going to hell that I would risk my life to go and show them somthing greater? I thought about how we raise money for missions trips and spend thousands on plan tickets and costs to go to other countries,  are we being wise stewards of what is being entrusted to us! It's not a game, it's not for social reasons that we go on these trips it's not for fun, there's a serious call. If you decided to go, then you had better be ready to sacrifice, be ready to give it all.  Don't waste the money that others have sacrificed to help send you on these trips. Make it worth it.

That is all.

don't wanna miss out

I just finished reading an old acquaintance's blog and was admiring how well written, full of feeling and inspiring it was. There was only a few posts in the entire blog but it left me with the feeling of  "wow, I want my life to be like that".

There are times when I'm so inspired and full of life and energy, and there are times when I feel tiered for no apparent reason. That's how I've felt the last few weeks. Then, in moments like this I remember what makes me excited and happy and what brings me down. How I love to make people smile and give them a reason to be happy that day. I think about how much I love Jesus and how I love experiencing His love 'cause when I'm not totally and completely surrounded by these things, i feel depressed, sad, tiered, and lonely.

So now, I'm looking outside and it's absolutely gorgeous! So i'm going to go outside to experience some life. It's everywhere, all around me, and i don't want to miss out.

Road Trip!!

     Saturday! Yes, that it the day that it is today. As my first day off since since the school year started back up again I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to start blogging again. It's been a crazy summer filled with so much fun and excitement! I can't believe that it's officially over.

ROAD TRIP! 

the summer ended with a fabulous road trip to canada to surprise a friend.! it was totally lat minute and SO much fun! Some friends from Indianapolis showed up with like 12 hours notice ( go them!). We went to Annette house for the night and recruited her to go on with us to Peterborough!

On the way we met a famous Brazilian/Canadian blue grass musician! he let me hold his guitar!

Then we headed up to Vir and Jon's 

Surprise!!! We're here!

Birthday boy! 

So yeah, after the party... we just hanged

And spent the night at jon and vir's 

We had breakfast at the one and only Tim Horton's

We may or may not have been really tiered because we really didn't sleep and our necks and backs hurt (see previous picture)

And then we went home

because we were really tiered

Nothing to say really....

Well, I mean that isn't necessarily true. I always have things to say. Whether they are worth saying is a different thing entirely.

I'm currently sitting here at PASS answering phone calls, talking with the other receptionist and googling books. I'm a little reading starved. Last year at this time my mom suggested that I read a book a week. I thought it was a great goal and it lasted for almost two months! ( 8 books, encase your bad at math) I thought that was pretty good. but that was like a year ago. And when I'm in school I'm so weighed down by things I have to read that I rarely read for pleasure.

So maybe I'll head to the library later today, who knows. I started Whuthering Heights a couple weeks ago but didn't finish it before it was due. It must be good if it's Margret's favorite book from "The Proposal" right? Pathetic I know. That just shows you how cultured I am. Not very.

I am inspired easily though, and I have some great readers as friends. I'm doing a book study too, with some girl friends every other Monday night. So that gets me reading at least a chapter a week. I try and switch off from Non-fiction and fiction. Balance is good. I need more balance. My balance is really bad.

Well... I'm off to conquer whatever it is that needs conquering today!

And... She's Back!

Ok, so life has been insane! Thus, I have not blogged. Besides the fact that I got sick of blogging, and that I no longer stare at a computer screen 8 hours a day like I do during the school year.

I had such good intentions. *sigh*

I'm tiered though now and I have to get up early for work. So.... I guess this really isn't a post either. Don't know why I bothered.

Stay tuned... I may start blogging again... sometime.

Hasta!