Monday, September 27, 2010

I don't know if there is anything better to do... if you have to be up all night!!!

Holding baby Carljohn while his mother was in the CR.
Maria, Carljohn and I, Maria is another 1st year with me, but was an intern at mercy last summer, and came back in March and is now back to be apart of newlife!

footprints!


weight, 6 lbs 15 oz, 3150 g

Little girl!






This little girl I got to hold quite a while until we got her mother all settle in for the night in postpartum.




Sunday, September 26, 2010

Almost at 2 months!!!




Guess what? I am almost a week away from hitting the 2 month mark! That is kinda scary, but its been such an amazing journey.
I seen 7 births, done prenatals, done some charting, helped with newborn exams, did a three week check-up by myself (a very busy day shift!).
I've learned so much and its only the begining. Last week I took my first trip outside of Agdao/Obero area on a motorcyle with Ashton another 1st year to SM one of the larger malls in the city. I got a small burn on my leg, the driver thought I was already off the bike and he tried to take off, so I brushed my leg and got a decent size burn.
Last week I couldn't sleep, I woke up around 8 and made a milo bananna smoothie and then went off and had coffee with another students. Not a very smart idea because I had night shift. so around noon I couldn't sleep, I decided that I would walk to victoria and get my hair cut! So instead of sleeping I went and got my hair cut. I did finally get to sleep for 4-5 hours!
Within the last week I also tagged along with a transport to DMC the local gov hospital in Davao. I still haven't heard any news about the baby we had to transport. I assume that he is better because I was invited to go along Friday to go see him. However I've been sick the last four days, so I'll have to ask next time I'm at the clinic.
Tuesday night I started feeling sick during night shift. I ended up sitting on the couch for the last hour of shift because I was to dizzy to help out. So I spent Wed morning in the air con room, trying to sleep. So I spent all day Wed either in the air con room or on my bed (18 hours of sleep), except for an hour language class and I tried to relax on the balcony when I was awake. I had a slight fever but by thurs morning it was gone. Since thursday I've had random cramps and nausea off and on. It seems to fading away, so that is a good thing. Yesterday I finally got to work on my assignment for a couple hours, and walk to Mc'ds.
This morning I woke up craving to go to church, but because my stomach was up upset I felt that I needed to stay home. So today was my day of rest, around 3 Ashton and I decided to go to Gmall and buy some food for the month (lemon ginger tea,fruit juices,couple cans of sprite- just in case I am not over my sickness). We didn't get back until after 6. We ended up walking though the mall and trying on cloths.
I spent a little more then I was expecting, but it was what i needed. Next month I get to go on the Ise Verde outreach which is every other thursday. Since it is a muslim area I was told to wear long skirt and 3/4 or long sleeve shirt, if you had one. I have one shirt that fits that catergory, and I don't have any long skirts. I wasn't really looking for cloths today, and I really wasn't sure if I could even find my size, but I DID! Two skirts, and then I came across random surplus store and it had american clothes, ( americian sizes is the word I should use) so I decided to walk in and I didn't find anything, however while Ashton was in another store I decided to go though the front sales bin and I found old navy (or so it says old navy, not sure it really is) plain t-shirts and long-sleeve shirts, the really thin ones in my size!!! So I tried a couple on and looked at the sales price they were about $3-4 american, then I found another sign - old navy long sleeve shirts 2 for 99 pesos- which is about $1 a shirt. So I got 4 long sleeve shirt and two t-shirts for about $6. So the sales price of 2 for 99 included the t-shirts as well.
I love adventures like that!
Then I got home and watched a movie, the stoning of soyra m. Its a true story about a french journalist in Iran and the story of the stoning of a young women named Soyra. It was really hard movie to watch because of the truth behind it, by the end I was crying.
Its almost midnight I need to get some sleep, I have class at 2 and 3:30, then night shift, and I need to get up early and get some work done.

A Random update

So.. I've decided to finally update everyone on my life here in Davao....

Things I've come to love....

  • Mercy- the clinic- the staff, my classmates
  • Seeing babies come into the world!
  • Prenatals....devotions, health teachings, and a time to serve and be teachable
  • quiet peaceful night shifts
  • Air con sleeping room after night shift... an amazing blessing! After night shift I get curly up with my blanket and sleep with my warm sweats and a t-shirt.
  • The balcony, a place of rest and a place to really focus and study
  • Riding motorcyles to coffee shops
  • coffee house study times (amazing coffee and air con -always makes my day, plus I get a lot- most of the time)
  • taking pictures of random things
  • rain and watching the storms come in from the balcony
  • SKYPE!
  • My bed the Top bunk- I know kinda weird, but I fan right above my bed, and I have my pictures up, its just my home away from home.
  • random shopping trips to Gmall and Victoria
  • random ice cream sundaes at Mc'ds... its like 50 cents... plus its a 15 min walk, so its amazing fellowship, a hot carmel or hot fudge sundae, and a nice little walk especially in the evening
  • riding the trices motorcyles with little add on carts... plus you can see how many people you squeeze onto one... I've seen 8.
  • the sunrise... this only happens when I have day shift, but its amazing just to sit up on the balcony (up on the railing) and read my bible and listen to music
  • community life... dinners m-f, cooking together, amazing fellowship and prayer
  • riding the jeepneys around town, its always fun trying to tell the driver I want off HERE!
  • Friday night joint dinners with the green house plus group devotions.
  • Davao in general

Sunday, September 12, 2010

A new Creation!

[The Ministry of Reconciliation]


[11 ] Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. [12 ] We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. [13 ] For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. [14 ] For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; [15 ] and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.



[16 ] From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. [17 ] Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. [18 ] All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; [19 ] that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. [20 ] Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. [21 ] For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.



(2 Corinthians 5:11-21 ESV)




Sunday, September 5, 2010

The Word of Life

So its 1 in the morning here in Davao. Its been raining since about 3 yesterday afternoon and has been do so off and on. so its actually a bit cold. However I am finding that I enjoy every moment in which I can be in long pant and not be dripping in sweat. Especially when I'm in the birthroom!

Yes i am in the birthroom! Night Shift. I should probably be sleeping or doing homework, but I'm not. : ) Actually I've been listening to 1 john online and eating KFC (we can get KFC ,Pizzia Hut, McDonalds delivered (how awesome is that!), however we couldn't get the phone to work, so Ashton and I made a quick run to Gmall to KFC before they closed).


Pete and Nita Bergman got me a study Bible for my birthday last year and I just found out that I got free access to an online ESV Bible. Its amazing, I now have an account and I can get onto it with any computer that I can get internet access on. So I decided to take my computer to the clinic and use it.

I also have access to diffrent devotional as well from the same site, plus it also has a notes page. So its been fun trying to figure out how everything works. Its been nice to highlight diffrent passages in diffrent colors and be able to keep notes as I read. I've been reading though psalm 119 all summer and so today I got to go though and highlight and really sort though my thoughts on certain passages.

One of my goals is to memorize 1 john, and haven't made much progress. So I'm going to start working on it again. (during quiet shifts, listening online while doing homework.)

I'll update later... it might not be a quiet shift afterall....

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Oh Lord, I ask for the Nations



You said by Hillsong United

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 sea
You said, Lift up your eyes
The harvest is here, the kingdom is near

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

You said Your glory will fill the earth
Like water the sea
You said, Lift up your eyes
The harvest is here, the kingdom is near

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

O Lord, I ask for the nations



2 Corinthians 2:14-18 (New International Version)

14But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. 15For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? 17Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God. Add Image




Friday, September 3, 2010

Sweetly Broken

Today the 1st and 2nd years got to go to Outland Adventure and spend the day on the rope course and work through a few team building challenges.

While I was there I did something to my knees and ankles.

I've had problems with my knees and ankle for a long time and never really said anything. I'm coming to find out I really messed them up when I was anorexic in my early teen years. I worked out so much with little to no food and messed up my knees and ankles because they were still growing and my body wasn't made for 3 mile runs plus 2 sports a day on maybe 800 calories on a good day.... Praise the Lord I came to know Christ and I got my life turned around!I ended up quiting sports during high school because it was a hinderance with my walk with Jesus. For when I was younger it was the one thing in which I could control and I would pust myself over the top. It was something in which I could control and push myself in even though it wasn't healthy. I ended up having to surrender that all to him. Slowly i've been able to do a few things, a couple hikes, swim, v-ball.

Since going to Niger I've had little or no problems. Today was the first time in almost two years where I found myself almost in tears because i couldn't do something because if I kept moving my knee would hurt and if I kept still I could hear my knee just crumble and become stiff. Plus my ankles were really puffy and I couldn't keep stable. Last fall I started to get back into doing some type of activity and it seemed fine. Since being here in Davao I've played volleyball and Ultimate Frissbee on Sundays a couple times a month (they play every sunday; I was going 2x month which was my limit because I don't want to over do it). It was great my two sport which I enjoy a lot!

However now I'm not sure what to do. I am going to look into PT and just get some rest.

Thanks for your prayers!!


When we got home we got to have a time of worship and this song ever since I've heard had really touched me. I heard it back at TWU in 2007 and its a song that really speaks to me. Sweetly Broken by Jermy riddle!

Sweetly Broken

To the cross, I look, and to the cross, I cling
Of it's suffering, I do drink, of its work, I do sing
On it, my Savior, both bruised and crushed
Showed that God is love and God is just

At the cross, You beckon me
You draw me gently to my knees
And I am lost for words, so lost in love
I'm sweetly broken, wholly surrendered
Yeah, yeah, oh Lord

What a priceless gift, undeserved life
Have I been given through Christ crucified
You've called me out of death
You've called me into life
And I was under Your wrath
Now, through the cross, I'm reconciled

Ooh, and at the cross, You beckon me
You draw me gently to my knees
And I am lost for words, so lost in love
I'm sweetly broken, wholly surrendered

At the cross, You beckon me
You draw me gently to my knees
And I am lost for words, so lost in love
I'm sweetly broken, wholly surrendered

And in awe of the cross, I must confess
How wondrous Your redeeming love
And how great is Your faithfulness


God has been teaching me a lot about honesty and how to really surrender everything. Step by Step, daily seeking him. So again I'm surrendering again the desire to go.to the gym, hiking, play v-ball or ultimate and just rest in his presence and see where things go.... knowing that He is the one that sustains!

How wonderous is your redeeming love and how great is his faithfulness!! I can't help put sing to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

I sing of his works that He has done and praise him because I know that He is good.

mi wala sembe- I am weak.... but I can do all things though Christ who gives me strength!

Heidi

Thursday, September 2, 2010

pictures







He is a couple pictures from my last shift. I finally got to see a birth here at Mercy. She came in around 1:45pm and she had a baby girl at 6:08pm.






Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Night Shift and Fredric the rubber Ducky!




I had my 2nd birthroom shift last night! We didn't have any births or labors. It was a very quiet night. I still haven't seen a birth happen here at mercy. During my first shift I had langauge class and a lady gave birth while I was in class. However I know that it will come soon!

My next shift is swing shift on Thursday.


Let me introduce Fredic! He is a little rubber Ducky that I got way from Virginia and Victoria in 2007. I took up to TWU with me but forgot him sadly when I went to Niger. So he is my travel buddy! On my facebook I have an album in which I will post picture of Fredric at diffrent places around Davao!

I spent most of my night reading though Psalms, Luke and Romans last night. It was a quiet shift and so I spent the night just before the Lord in his word. It was great just to be able to relax and just reflect on what has happened in the last few weeks. It was a huge blessing! Thank you Jesus!



I've been having a hard time adjusting to the noisy and busy lifestyle he in Davao. Coming from a very small town I really took the quietness for granted and its really hard to find even an hour of quiet time here. So for me the quiet shift was really refreshing!

prayer requests

I have an assignment due Friday 17th. Prayers that I can manage my time with shifts and class. That I could get it done early.

This Friday as a class/group- We are going to Outland Adventure for the day. Pleast pray for protection in travel and while we are going though the ropes course and team building activities.


Please continue to pray that I will find a church here in Davao


Please continue to lift up the clinic and the staff here at Mercy Maternity!

my schedule
mon/thurs language class
wed- class
Thursday swing shift
Sunday night shift