The Good-Byes Start

Everything is happening so fast these days, packing to move, finishing grad school classes, saying good-byes, and preparing for Guatemala. On thursday I realized that I was just overbooking myself when I drove from Indiana to Chicago and stopped by Pacific Garden Mission to visit friends and say good-byes, then I was headed to a 3:15pm dental appointment at 3:15pm. Needless to say, I missed my appointment, but thankfully they let me reschedule for this week!!!
Below: Photo with previous co-worker on PGM's roof top garden. They weren't growing anything in this section, but other parts had tomatos!




Sunday I had planned to spend the afternoon with the famous Nottingham Girls. It was nice to get together with them one more time and to celebrate the friendships that we have! Afterwards Lynnette offered to help me pack - and of course I said yes!!! She was a huge help to at least get me started, so now I have a living room full of boxes that are filled and have started on other parts of the house!



Monday was my last day as an employee of Lawndale Christian Health Center. Below is a photo of the ladies at the registration desk that I pass by every morning. Without fail they always have a smile and a sweet word to say!!!




I didn't get many photos because it was a busy day, but I did get one with these wonderful MA's that I've been working with all year. I will have one more chance to get together with many coworkers next week. It's been hard to say all my goodbyes because there are so many employees (over 300) and 3 clinic sites. Often I don't get to see people on a regular basis. I've really felt blessed to work at this clinic and to have the opportunity to work with so many amazing people over this last year!!!

Update on Guatemala . . .

This is a photo of Guatemala City, Guatemala - the capital of Guatemala. Can you believe that in just 3 weeks or so I'll be heading back to this beautiful country? It's been a year now since I was last there - and what a year it has been!!! As I think back over this past year I'm not sure how God pulled me through each day and how I could be so blessed to be at the point that I'm currently at. It's been a year of change (which isnt' stopping anytime soon!), growth, and lots and lots of homework!!!
The hugest answer to prayer came the other day when I heard from the mission board that all the money that I needed for the cost of the trip had been donated . . . wow, that was an overwhelming blessing to have been supported financially by dear friends and family!
Another exciting thing that happened was the chance to present my trip to the Hispanic Congregation at my church. I've been going to the spanish services this past year and on and off for the year or so before that. I was so nervous about the presentation since I had to do it in spanish, but it went better that I expected - and people said that they could understood me! I met some more Guatemalans - and they were so excited to see photos of their country!
I don't let myself stop to think too much about Guatemala these days because it's hard to stop thinking about it once I start!!! I'm excited for the things that God has in store for me during my time there this summer. It will be completely different than any other time that I've ever been in Guatemala. I still don't know a lot of details . . . I do know that I'll be doing medical work and staying with a host family. I will be spending more time in the capital city which will be good because I think it's time that I get to know new places in Guatemala!
However, before I leave I have to finish up my two summer classes which means continued weekly readings and assignments along with finishing up a group project and paper for one class as well as a 15 page paper for the other class. Along with that I'm working a couple more days between now and the time I leave. I have to pack, go to the dentist, and get things prepared for fall classes which will start 4 days after I return in August. I will also be working on saying good-byes - I will stop by Pacific Garden Mission to see my past
co-workers again as well as make a very quick trip to Wisconsin to visit a college friend I haven't seen in years. There are a few things that I would like to do around Chicago before I leave, but it's looking like i'm running out of time, guess I'll just have to save those things for when I come back to visit!!!

There is a wedding around Indianapolis the weekend before I leave so I'll probably go to that since I would like to stop by the campus because it could potentially save me lots of money to check into used books (one class alone is requiring 9 books) that are available on campus instead of buying all brand new ones.
I've had a hard time making commitment and decisions these last few weeks (months?), maybe this helps you understand why. I feel like there are so many things swimming around in my head and finally in these last few days I'm starting to feel like things are getting planned and finalized.
I've been working so hard on my class work, but now that it's getting close to the trip I'm finding it harder and harder to keep focused!

Movie Shoot

So, one night I met some friends for dinner near Children's Memorial Hospital (that's where I use to work!!!). Afterwards I was driving down Fullerton and at the intersection of Fullerton/Lincoln/Halsted there was extra crazy traffic and confusion and Lincoln was blocked off. My friend told me it was because they were filming for the Dillinger movie with Johnny Depp. I remembered coming upon an internet article that talked about the filming of this movie on Lincoln Ave. and how they had changed many of the store fronts and store windows to reflect the time period of the movie. I had thought it was interesting when I read the article, but now even more interested since it was right near where I use to work - I knew that block well! The other interesting thing about the filming of the movie was that part of it was also filmed at the old Court House in Crown Point, IN - that's about 10 min. from where I grew up. I dropped my friend off at the Red Line and then I was debating on whether or not to try and get a closer look at the action and what they had done on the street. I turned onto Sheffield still wondering if it was worth the time since I have to constantly consider the fact that homework always is waiting for me! As I was driving I passed by a horse and buggy taxi thing, definately not one that is usually around Chicago . . . my curiosity got the best of me and I found a place to park and walked down to the block. As I was walking this is what I see . . . there was a huge line of these old cars! This was as close as I could get from this end, so no fun store fronts here.

I walked around to the other end of the block - this being closest to the hospital, and it looked so neat! The cobblestone in the middle of the road is for the trolley - just a rubber sheet of cobblestone that got rolled out! The stores all had new signs and awnings hanging over the existing ones. Johnny wasn't here at the time, but it was fun to see actors arriving in period dress and the drivers of the cars as well!

These first two pictures were actually taken with my phone. Remeber, I wasn't planning on being here so I didn't have my camera. Although I was quite impressed with my camera phone! But what I really wanted was to see these storefronts that they re-did for the movie. There was no way anybody could get close enough while the filming was going on. So, I decided that a quick trip down the next day would be worthwhile! And that's what I did! I actually met a friend working at Children's for lunch while she was on her lunch break then took some photos on the block where they were filming the night before. They weren't filming that next day, although there were crew people everywhere - it actually looked like they might have been starting to take down some signs and stuff.

This is a complete false front. If you look closely at the second story windows you can see brick through them =)

This is right outside the CVS . . . perfect for a pharmacy! Some of the others were hat stores, bakeries, clothing stores and a barber shop . . .

And of course the movie theater . . . I heard it's a big part of the story - so you might see this if you see the movie!
And then as I was leaving I saw this taxi . . . definitely not the going rate for a taxi in Chicago!

What would have been ideal is to get a photo of the storefronts with the old cars and people in time period dress, however that was impossible . . . guess i'll just have to wait and see the movie to have it all put together! Regardless it was a lot of fun to stumble upon this. Actually the night of the filming it was fun to wander around - people were so friendly and chatty since everybody was just standing around waiting for something - maybe to see johnny??? There were families, people with their dogs, people just walking by who stopped by and had to find out what was going on.

Homework by candle light!!!

So, lately pretty much i've been doing homework in almost every spare moment. Last week was great as I got to spend some time with family and help mom pack and get her off to Africa. But, I was so behind on homework by the time I dropped her off saturday at the airport that I had to make up for lost time. Then, of course Sunday was my birthday - 30 years old, can you believe it? Well, it was a great day(more photos to come), but needless to say I didn't get much homework done! Then Monday I had to work, and Tuesday assignments, group project, reading, and work on research paper still needed to be done and were due that day. I ended up getting permission to finish up one project the next day. So I was working hard all day to get everything done, still one more posting to get online before the 11pm deadline, and would you believe that around 9:30p the lights go off. No storm, just off goes the electricity. So, I figured if it was because of an accident or some other rare cause and it would take awhile to come back on. I make my rounds through the house lighting candles, and normally would love the excuse to go to bed early, but not that night! I still had to finish reading some articles and summarize them. So, I continue reading by candle light until the lights came back on around 11pm or 12am, I don't remember. My assignment was a few hours late since I couldn't get online without electricity, but the professor had mercy and there was no penalty =) So, with tuesdays due date past I have a whole new set of deadlines for this next tuesday . . . and much work to be done on the group project, and well, the 15 page research paper - let's just say I better get started soon!!!

Indianapolis and My favorite Guatemalan bebé!!!

I had a chance to go down to Indianapolis a couple weekends ago to talk with the professor helping me get organized and ready to start my Community Health Nursing Masters Program. It was great to talk with her and get some more details about the program and know what I need to start doing now to prepare for classes this fall. On the other hand it was bitter sweet thinking about moving down there because that means I'll be moving out of Chicago. I know it's time, but I will miss my dear friends that are hear and it will be hard to say goodbye! I also realize how bad I am at saying goodbyes, so I need to start preparing now so that I can get a chance to see everybody at least one more time before I leave!!! Thankfully Indianapolis isn't so far away and my mom lives fairly close to Chicago, so I'm sure that I'll back . . .it just won't be the same. While it seems like there are a million and one details to figure out between now and August things seem to be falling into place one by one, so it's fun to see little things coming together!

Besides meeting with the professor I got to spend time with my brother and sister-in-law and two dear friends that live there. It will be fun to live in the same city as family . . . although not sure if my brother is thinking the same thing =)



My one friend Maranatha and her husband Travis have recently brought home their new adopted baby from Guatemala! He has to be the most handsome Guatemalan bebé I have ever seen!!! (seen in photo)
I also got to go to the zoo with my friend Holly and her two boys. It's fun to know that they all will be down there when I move and that I'll be able to see then more often.


So, ready or not . . . Indianapolis, here I come!!!

peace

to me, this is a peaceful scene. the water, the beautiful fall colors, some rollling hills (even though in indiana) . . . it's like automatic feelings of peace come over me when i'm in places like this.

but the most amazing thing is that i don't have to be in a particular situation or setting to be at peace, because the Prince of Peace is my God and Saviour, and He is the only one who can bring perfect peace! so if i choose to trust Him and let Him be in control then i can be at peace even though in the midst of . . .


looking towards the city from the clinic where i work

. . . a view of the city from the hancock building

living in Chicago where just driving to work every day brings new challenges wondering if people are going to run one of the 30-some stop lights or stops signs I go through twice a day, wondering if i'll hit a pedestrian that darts out in front of my car, or be hit by a car trying to turn out onto the street and then working in a crazy busy clinic where the work never seems to get done and the needs and challenges that our patients face are greater than I can ever even imagine. Then add in grad school, preparing for a missions trip, making decisions about a move out of Chicago, new job, new living situation, thinking about goodbyes to good friends, packing . . . all these things swirl around in my head constantly. I wonder if I'm doing the right thing and making the right decisions. Once I've made a decision I wonder if I made the right one or if I should go back and change something (which I've done occasionally!). But I sit here and wonder if I've really let God be the one to give me peace. Life will always be busy and hectic, situations and circumstances will change, but the craziness will never go away . . . the only thing that will never change is my need to follow Jesus step by step trusting Him completely along the way and allowing His Peace to permeate everything that I do.

one of those days . . .

so, have you ever had one of those days . . . one of those days that starts out great and ends horribly??? it's like crying over spilled milk . . . except it's coffee. there's no reason for it . . . but somehow such insignificant things can have such a great impact. i guess i could be all philosophical and say that the events of life, big or small, can only impact us as strongly as we allow them to. and i totally agree, and yet at the same time here i am at the end of a day that started out to be a wonderful day and ended as a terrible day and what really happened that was so terrible? if i told you, you'd think that i was just being silly and that i have no excuse for having a bad day. the spilled coffee did have something to do with it . . . but there was so much more. i sure hope that somebody else has ever felt like this before. well, i guess the greatest thing is that tomorrow is a new day - another chance to have a great day . . . or as someone i know says, "make it a great day". ya, guess it really is my choice after all . . .