From Dartmouth to Boston

Today I went with some bhutanese friends of mine up to the Dartmouth Medical Clinic for a presurgery appointment. My friend Rekha broke her arm when she was little and was never able to get it treated. She still has pain from it, and her arm is not fully functional. So now that she is in America she has decided to go through the process of re-breaking her arm, hoping that it will finally heal normal. It humbles me to know that I live in a place where healthcare is so accessible to me, and there are places in the world where that is not true. While we sat in the doctors office her husband Bhim told me about the lack of healthcare in the refugee camps in Nepal where they lived for 15 years. When the camp was first started there was a medical tent you could go to that was staffed with healthcare professionals from all over the world. But as the camp became more permanent, a system was formed with the local hospitals to care for the refugees medical needs, and the medical tent was shut down.  The camp was only able to pay for a certain about per person, and therefor many refugees died due to lack of treatment for curable health issues.

Traveling to Dartmouth, being over an hour form my house, gave us a lot of time to talk in the car. There is so much history, culture, and religion that is completely foreign to me, and so I ask a lot of questions. Bhim was a teacher in the camp so he is very good about answering my questions and filling in for the questions I have not formed in my mind yet. He told me stories today about being chased, caught, and beaten by Bhutanese police. He told me about going to a party and finding out his young relatives were working as prostitutes. He told me about the injustices happening to his relatives still in Bhutan today, living without the freedom of religion, public education, jobs, and even clothing.  Before 9 months ago I didn’t even know that a place called Bhutan existed, and that in Bhutan there is a monarchy lead by an unjust king who stands for “one nation, one language, one religion, one dress”.

After my trip I had to drive down to Boston to pick up a piece of furniture to go in my new apartment.  I am glad I had this time to reflect on my afternoon with Bhim and Rekha, and to pray about where God is leading me. Medical Missions has been a big interest in mine ever since I decided to leave Cincinnati (read previous blog). This summer I am getting the opportunity to travel to Rwanda with a medical team from my church.  We are not sure what exactly we will be doing yet, but I am sure God is planning something big. I am hoping to get confirmation on whether or not Medical Missions could be a big part of my future after I finish nursing school. The idea of maybe working in a Medical tent in a refugee camp somewhere in the world totally excites me. But at the same time knowing that there is a need, and will be a need for that makes me really sad. It also makes me think about genocides, and the fact that one is happening right now, and that before to long, another one will come along. The idea of that makes me wish that it would all just end tonight. That we could all  just leave this sin behind and go to heaven. And who knows when that will happen. So my mission until that happens is to serve God. And the best way to do that is to serve his people, however he wishes me to do so. “I’ll go anywhere, I’ll do anything, at any cost, for You my King” Burn For You -Steve Fee

It is also good to know that through these trials there are victories. Big things like people selling their house and moving in order to be closer to the Bhutanese we serve, to holding a sleeping 6 year old girl whose teacher is impressed with how much effort she puts into learning english.

A full life

I could die tonight and be perfectly happy.

side note, writing is not one of my passions in life, but sometimes my head is so full i feel the need to blog. so this is my attempt at putting words to the ideas, dreams, and experiences buzzing in between my ears.

Today was a day of all days.  I probably say that once a week, but today I mean it. Really what happens is my days build on each other. so last week when i thought i had the best of 2009 it was true, and then today happened which seems even better, and probably  next week i will say it again. I do have lows though in between, don’t believe for a minute that I have it all together and am always content with life. people make me happy. and God gives me joy. but sometimes when I am alone, surprise, I feel lonely.

back to the good stuff… here is how my day went

I bought a cd on itunes by Jenny and Tyler. they have quickly become a new favorite.

I packed up the birthday frosted sugar cookies for my friends and headed to UNH, ipod in hand.

Met Jamie, a friend since 4th grade, and had a great catch up conversation at the Breaking Grounds coffee shop, sharing a pumpkin spice muffin with pumpkin spice coffee…  got to love fall flavors!

Then I got to spend time with my friends Suzie and Emily. Talking about our faith and future while walking around campus on a sunny day.

I had dinner with one of my second mothers, annette sundberg, and a new friend of ours, Rachel. She moved to manchester with her family last year from, of all places, Rwanda. Rachel is 20 and we have become fast friends. After dinner Rachel and I went to our first small group meeting of the semester. We have a great group. we have guys an girls that have never been in small group, most of whom are brand new to MCC and just moved to manchester. At the end of the night Rachel said she was going to cry she was so happy. I told her i felt the same way.

and when I got home from all of that, my little sister told me that she, along with her friends, had visited four of the new bhutanese families in manchester that I work with.

people loving people. people loving God. how could i ask for more in a day?

Beautiful Hearts

I was at Cincinnati Christian University for one short year. But during that short year I made long-lasting friendships. Two of whom graduated this year. I flew back out to CCU from NH to celebrate them. Jessica was my RA while at CCU. Her and I love to discuss books, sermons, relationships, and have dance parties in her car. We laugh a lot while we are together. She will be staying at CCU to get her masters in counseling. My friend Mandy was my next door neighbor while at CCU. She was one of the first  people I met. It didn’t take long at all before Mandy and I came ‘together’. We studied together, dreamed together, worshiped together, prayed together, had spanish bible studies together, tutored together, played together, and napped together   One night, around 3am, while Mandy and I were together, we both decided to completely change our future. 

Mandy is now preparing herself to go to Venezuela to be a part of InnerChange and training leaders to reach one of the many unreached people groups located there. 

As I flew out to CCU I started writing a note to Mandy and to God, this is what I wrote

 

Dear Mandy, 

   You are about to step into a new phase of your life, and I am so excited for you! I am confident that God is leading your path and allowing you to make an eternal difference in people’s lives, like you have in mine, I am excited for all the people that will get the chance to meet you; they have no idea whats coming! The way God loves people through you is a beautiful thing. he has given you a specific personality along with a unique style and outlook on life that is allowing you to minister to people the way He planned for you to do so long ago. I hope that maybe someday we can work together, but if not, I will always be praying for you, just as I am at this very moment. This is my prayer:

“Dear God, thank you for creating Amanda Kimes, thank you for bringing her into my life. Thank you for loving her with such abundance. Dear Jesus, thank you for forgiving Mandy through her mistakes and moments of selfishness, Than you for sacrificing yourself to save her. Continue to show her how to be more like you. Dear Holy Spirit, Thank you for living inside Mandy in such a way that others can’t help but notice. Continue to lead her, guide her, and confirm her as she chooses love as her weapon. Thank you for bringing her a gift that allows her to minister in a uniquely Mandy way. I love you God, and I love Mandy. Help us persevere through the troubles of this world, until the day we can all be in heaven together.  Amen”

easter/The day that true love died.

I have colored the eggs. Eaten the chocolate. Read the story. Went to church. And watched the Passion. 

And now I am ready for Jesus to come back. 

There is such much evil in the world. Stories of unthinkable atrocities don’t even phase me anymore. I am disgusted daily by all that surrounds me. But then I see something good. Something pure. Something lovely. and my heart expands. 

I want to be with Jesus right now, and not see anymore hurting people. But until the day he comes back to earth or takes me to heaven I am committed to pushing back the darkness. I choose love as my weapon. and I will fight with all the energy, passion, strength, and mind-power that I can muster. I have huge dreams and goals to change the world. this is my plan: first I will wake up each morning and get myself out of bed. second I will eat a nutritious breakfast, because it is the most important meal of the day. Third I will get up the courage to enter the battle field, which most days is known as work. This is a particularly hard step for me and most of the time I would like to crawl back into bed. In order to gain enough courage I usually have to pray and sing my motivator songs the whole 25 minutes it takes me to drive in. Step 4, take a deep breath. Step 5, put my weapons on. and lastly love. Love everyone and anyone that comes into my path. Love fiercely. Love deeply. Love strong. 

that is my plan. and somedays I don’t have the courage. The challenge seems to big. I am only one person. But love will win in the end. actually love has already won. Jesus made the final sacrifice. It was the day that true love died. and now that Jesus is alive the battle is basically already over. We are just waiting for the trumpets to sound. and I will pray everyday that today is that day. I will sing Hallelujah, Holy, Holy, Holy! And on that day every knee will bow. and on that day their will be no more fighting. no more corruption. no more illness. and on that day, there will be a party like no one has seen before!