Countdowns

25 days friends! But who's counting ;)
In a very short while I get to jump on a plane home to see family and friends, drink coffee, meet my niece, celebrate a wedding, wear scarves, eat the food I've been missing, etc (these are not listed in order of importance). I'm sad to leave my home here for two months, but am certainly grateful for the blessing of a break.

Since booking my flights home for the summer, there has been this unwritten list of "big things" that were happening before I came home. It included things like how many assignments were left, going to Davao, going to Sta Ana, visitors coming up from Davao, and last but certainly not least, Edolbina (my fellow first year and dear friend) having her baby. Well, that last one has happened!! On April 29th, in the wee hours of the morning, I had the immense privilege of helping to welcome baby Ariel to the world. The story is Edol's to share, but I will say that I am so thankful to have been a small part of this moment in her life. I am thrilled for her and Andrew and their new addition. So thrilled, in fact, that I must share a picture.

Ari - 2 days old

With home being on the mind, there are a couple prayer requests to include:

• I plan to be in the Soo for about one month (June 16th - July 15th), and then in St. Catharine's for the couple weeks following, before I head back. Some travel plans may be changing and while I was supposed to have a vehicle for those weeks, that may no longer be possible. While I understand that it is a lot to ask, I also know that it never hurts to ask as God is a God of details and this is one he can take care of! :) If you are able to help out in this, or know of someone who may be able to, please let me know! And in the meantime, can you please pray with me that these details would work out?

• Finances for the next semester. As I talked about in my last blog, I am needing to raise $8,000 for the next portion of my time here (Aug 1-Feb 1). This amount goes towards my clinic fees, as well as a very small amount for living expenses. My clinic fees go directly towards ensuring that Abundant (the clinic I work, live, and train at) can continue to provide exceptional midwifery care to the women of Tabuk and surrounding villages. For more information, click here. Every $ counts. When broken down, my goal could be reached if just 200 people donated $40! Would you consider being one of those people?

• As time goes on and financial deadlines come up again, doubt creeps into my mind more than I'd like to admit. I have absolutely no reason to doubt that God will provide everything, as he has time and time again. I have no reason to doubt his faithfulness. Yet, there are days when I look at what needs to happen and feel completely overwhelmed. So, I'm asking for your prayer in that. Please pray that doubt would not be a factor, that there would be complete assurance in his provision, and that I would feel encouraged instead of overwhelmed.

• Pray for the midwives here at Abundant. I am going to miss these amazing women while I am home! My first year here would not have been the positive experience it has been if it were not for every one of them. They have blessed my life so much! They are each incredibly skilled midwives, they have such patience with teaching, and they graciously welcome new people into their home quite often. They are also just a blast to hang out with! Please pray for continued blessing over each of their lives : )

Thank you for your prayers, your support, and for taking the time to read this. It means a lot!

Much love,
A

Adventures, Fundraising, and Faithfulness

I'm sitting here with a blank mind, staring at my computer screen thinking "where on earth do I start?". I guess this should be my lesson to not leave so many weeks between blog posts : ) The past 6 weeks have flown by, as per usual. March brought the excitement of the birth of my beautiful niece Charlotte, a twin birth(so amazing!), a trip to the beach with the whole gang, one of our staff midwives giving birth to her first baby, and our longest assignment yet! April hasn't slowed down much either as we have been busy with fellow classmates from Davao visiting. After spending time in Davao, it's really exciting to have girls come up here too and get an idea for how we live. We may all be learning the same things, but our day to day lives are very different.

Maybe pictures will be a better representation of the past 6 weeks...

Aisling and I thoroughly enjoying the beach! (Thanks to Ashley for sending the best sun hat to me! xox!)

 

Everyone at the beach!





My continuity patient with her newborn son. (Sadly, I was away in Bugnay when she delivered)

One of my two Easter babies, little Valerie. She is wrapped in one of many blankets
that came in a wonderful box from Canada this week.

The twins, Irish and Iliza, their parents, and some of the Abundant midwives.

The beautiful girls on the night they were born. Both so healthy!



It appears we have a new mascot! A little goat was waiting for Edol, Rebekah, and I on our nightly walk.

While two of the Davao students were here, Danielle and Tori, I had the opportunity to take a couple days away with them and head up to the clinic in Bugnay. I hadn't been back to Bugnay since the first time in September, and I was thrilled to go! While we were there, we spent a day driving/riding motors/hiking to a more remote village called Loccong, to do outreach (devotion, pre-natals, and health teaching). The trek there didn't go quite as planned, but it turned out to be even more fun in my opinion. The girls from here kept talking to me about our options to get to Loccong in the week leading up to the trip. It was (1)Drive a bit, hike the rest of the way, hike back, or (2)Drive a bit, take motors, hike back. Obviously one option stood out to me more. The motors. The motors would be way too scary, I was told. Perfect. Loved that option even more. Unfortunately, option 1 was chosen. Sunday morning came, and we began our drive up to Butbut Proper, the village from which we would hike to Loccong. About 10 minutes from Butbut Proper, we hit a snag. They were doing construction on the road and had decided to lay concrete... right in the middle! This left us with one viable option (one option was walk...), wait for motors to come pick us up. Needless to say, I was thrilled!! Let me tell you, the girls were right when they said it was scary. If you have seen the series Long Way Around or Long Way Down, try to picture the off-road conditions that Charlie and Ewan always complain about. It was worse. And on a huge incline. And with a sheer cliff on one side for a good chunk of the ride. But gosh, it was awesome! It's moments like those where I stop and think "Is this really my life?!". I feel immensely blessed to be able to experience little adventures like that, while on the way to visit pregnant moms and love on them. It's a life richer than I could have imagined.
Here are a couple pictures from that weekend:

Waiting for motors to come and pick us up

Demonstrating positions for delivery - such as Hands and Knees

Tori, myself, and Danielle with some of the mothers in Loccong

The beautiful rice terraces hiking home :)

Quick break on our hike!

We made it... such a fun day!

When I think back to this time last year, it's amazing to me that I was just starting to fundraise and plan for the excitement ahead. And exciting it has been. It's crazy that I get to come home soon for a break, and then come back in my second year! The home stretch. It is also crazy to me that it's time to start fundraising again for the year ahead. I can't lie - this part is hard. It's so challenging. You think that it would get easier, and maybe it does, but I haven't experienced that yet. However, through the challenges, I have grown and learned lessons (well, I try to learn them anyways, but sometimes it takes a couple tries!). Important lessons about God's faithfulness. About how I can trust him completely. About how he brings things to completion. About how his plan is so very good - so much better than I can plan myself. I'm sure life would be easier if I just learned all these things the first time around, but what can I say - I'm human. I know that while the number may seem great and the task too much to bear at times, He has conquered it all already.
With that being said, this is where I am at:

• Many of you probably do not know yet that I will actually be here until sometime in October of 2015. While I was supposed to be finished in early August, some things were switched around with our class such as getting an extra month off in the summer, which means that we are needing to stay until a little bit later. Due to this, my budget has increased slightly. Very slightly.
• For the next portion of my time here (Aug to Feb), I am needing to raise $8,000. This amount includes all of my clinic fees, as well as a small amount for living expenses. These fees are due on August 1st.
• Raising this money, while still challenging at times, has taken on a whole new life to me than last year. Last year I could only imagine how far this money would go. This year, I can see it with my own eyes. It has been absolutely amazing to be here, working with these women day in and day out, and seeing the benefit of supporting this clinic. It truly makes such a difference. My clinic fees go directly to ensuring that Abundant can continue to provide women with highly necessary maternity care, in a faith and care centered environment. I have always thought that midwifery was such a practical way to be the hands and feet of Christ, but over the past year, the truth of that has really been brought to life. And I am so thankful.
• When I fundraise, I'm not just asking you to believe in and support the journey that God has me on, but I'm asking you to support the ministry of midwifery that I have the privilege to be a part of. My true hope is that you will look beyond me, and see the babies and mothers that we serve here at Abundant. It's about them. Not me.
• If you want to read up more on the work being done here, check out www.gthemidwife.com

How can you help?

• One-time donations, monthly donations, bi-monthly donations - really whatever suits you!
• Every $ goes far. Feel like donating $30 a month for 14 months? We can set that up!
• If monthly isn't your thing, your one-time donation of $5-$500 (or whatever works for you!) is so welcomed.
• Pray. Prayer is key. Pray with me that these finances will be provided so that I can continue my work here. Pray that we will continue to see growth and blessing over the clinic. Pray for our patients.
• Have questions or suggestions? Please contact me! I would be so happy to chat with you!

Thank you for supporting me in everything thus far. It's quite awesome to look back on all the things that have been provided in the past year that have allowed me to actually be here! I was able to raise enough for my entire first year, and then also received such generous support when some pretty large financial issues (needing a new computer and the visa process being much more than originally planned) came up. God is so good and I have no doubt that provision will continue!

Thanks for reading, friends! See you in Canada soon!!

Much love,
A

'What are you called?' vs. 'What is your calling?'

Hi Friends!

I can't believe it is March 12 already! Yikes. It's actually a little scary how fast time is flying by. Won't be long now before I am on a plane home for a nice break this summer.

The past couple weeks have been busy, full, and refreshing! Edolbina, my classmate up here, and I were finally able to make the trek to Davao to hang out with the rest of our class for just over a week. This was our first time being together as a complete class, and first time I have been reunited with the girls who were able to go to the Oregon orientation before flying here.
Can I just brag a bit?
My class is stellar. Seriously. These women blow me away. Everyone is unique and beautiful in their own way, and they all manage to complement each others strengths and weaknesses with such unity. It was such a joy to be around them. I don't say it lightly when I say that I am immensely blessed to be learning and growing alongside them not only as a midwife, but as a woman.
Here is a couple pictures of our time together:

Baby shower for Edolbina

Edol and I survived IV insertions... and we still love each other!

We all passed IV class thanks to our amazing teacher, Joy!

The whole class. Some of the best women I know :)

 

 

 

As much as I loved our time in Davao, I was very excited to be back at home in Tabuk. I had missed the girls here (especially their roaring laughter while watching Showtime), our patients, my bed, and the fresh "mountain" air.

 

 

Some thoughts:

I've been thinking a bit these days about identity. The topic came up a couple times while chatting with girls in my class as well. Identity is a tricky thing. I've always thought so anyway. My life here is very much focused around midwifery. Obviously. Which I love. Midwifery can be an all consuming thing. There can be (and if we are completely honest, IS) a heck of a lot of pressure to eat, sleep, and breathe all things pregnancy, birth, and baby. Sometimes it's pressure from peers, sometimes it's pressure we place on ourselves. I have come to the place a couple times where I felt that pressure was overwhelming. There is a strange sense of guilt felt when maybe you actually don't want to read another book about birth, or you don't hear angels singing (cut me some slack. I'm allowed to exaggerate a bit!) when you palpate a 36 week belly and the baby kicks you (which is so cool), or maybe, just maybe, you get sick of so many birth blogs on your facebook page and go on a deleting rampage. I started to wonder where that guilt came from and after some prayer, thinking, and some great conversations with friends, this is where I have landed:

 

I am Alex first. And a midwife second. I cannot eat-sleep-breathe midwifery, because when I do, I loose sight of who I actually am, why I want to be a midwife, and why I love it. Do I feel like this is my calling? Well, yes. I believe without a doubt that God has brought me to this place and that he is the one who placed this skill on my heart and cultivated my passion for it. But, if I loose sight of what God calls me (my true identity), then I miss the fullness of the "calling". Does that make sense even with the somewhat cliché terminology?

Midwifery is about a whole lot more than the knowledge of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. It's about being with people. Building relationships. Being a trustworthy, reliable person. It's about being relatable. It's about humility. It's about selflessness. It's about embracing differences. It's about strength.

What I have come to is that - I am not able to be the midwife that I want to be if I loose sight of who I am outside of midwifery. If I am not first a person who women can trust, then I can't build relationships. If I am not about to humble myself, then I will not be respected. If I am not able to be selfless, well, then I'd get more sleep ;)! If I'm not able to embrace differences, then that cuts me a way from pretty much everyone. This could go on, but I'm guessing you get it.

Don't allow yourself to be so consumed by your "calling", that you forget what YOU are actually called.

 

I'll finish with that. It's just my thoughts, my challenges, and my opinion. Take from it what you wish :)

 

Please continue to pray for the work being done here at the clinic. It is such an honour to be a part of things here and to see the real impact this clinic has on the lives of our sweet pregnant women around Tabuk!

 

Much love,

A

 

 

 

 



 

Living Simply...

Hi Friends,

Again I find myself writing this much later than I would have hoped. I'd love to be one of those people who could write something every two or three weeks at least, but with the amount of writing that I do for my studies here, my brain can't always find useful or exciting things to say when it comes to blogging. Words often fail the experience of this place.

Today we celebrated Kalinga Day! Well, it's officially tomorrow, but today we were able to see a parade and the playing of 1000 gongs. It was amazing. Made me fall in love with Kalinga even more. Different tribes from all over the province of Kalinga came together today to celebrate unity and reconciliation. This celebration involved tribal dancing and the playing of the gongs. It was cool to see each tribe pass in the parade, each looking similar with their dress in beautiful Kalinga colors and fabrics, and also similar in their playing of the gongs and dancing; yet, there was still something that set each tribe apart. After the parade, everyone assembled at the Capital (it's like a huge dirt arena). They had a ceremony, sang some songs, then had all the gong players come into the center of the arena. As ALL the gongs played together, they moved the formation to say Kalinga Shines. To finish things off, they lit a torch in the middle of the area to signify unity of the tribes. It was awesome to watch (and it was almost consolation for not being able to watch any of the Olympics)!



Dancers and Gong Players

 

 



Walking with what felt like all of Tabuk up to the Capital... 

Something that has been on my heart in the past couple months has been the idea of living simply... what does that mean, and how does it look? The fact that I should write about it was solidified today when a lady sat down beside me at the Kalinga ceremony. After comparing our skin colors and asking if we could trade, she asked me all the other usual questions... "How long are you here for?" "Did you marry here?" "How old are you?" and, most importantly "Do you like Kalinga?" My response to that is always an enthusiastic "Yes! I love it!", because I really do. This place is amazing and I'm thankful to be here. She responded to me with beautiful words "We live a simple life here, but we are very happy".

It is a simple life here. It's true. But the longer I am here, the more I realize that that is the best possible life I could choose for myself. Don't get me wrong though, I don't believe that living simply is measured by material possessions or lack there of, but rather, the importance that is placed on those possessions vs. other, more lasting things. From what I have come to see here, people don't define their lives based on what they are lacking, but instead what they are RICH in. They are rich in family, rich in friendships, rich in quality time, rich in sharing their lives. The kids of our neighborhood are not always whining and complaining for a new toy, instead they recognize that they have two flip flops and many flip flops between them and their friends, and thus, a game is born! Would a new toy be welcomed, of course! But it is not the focus. This isn't a want vs. need discussion as I am sure if we are all honest with ourselves, we understand where that line is drawn (even though we rarely draw it), but more a question of what is important to you? For the kids, playing with their friends is MUCH more important than the prospect of a new toy. For me, living the life that God has placed in front of me fully is much more important than the financial or material security that I find when I am home (as appealing as a splurge at JoeFresh may be!). Financial security is not wrong, it's actually quite valuable (which is something I can say with a LOT of experience to back it), but has it become your main priority? Material possessions are not bad, but what drives you to them? I'm not trying to drastically change the way you think as I don't believe that is my place. But in sharing what is on my heart, I hope that it provokes thought. I hope that when I do come back to Canada, that I will be able to say "I live a simple life here, but I am very happy".
(Take a read of Matthew 6:19-21... it's a great reminder).

I'll leave you with a little update on Birth Sponsorships :) January was a wonderful, productive month, made even better by the response to birth sponsorships. I'm thrilled to say that 17 births of my goal of 26 were sponsored. How great is that. It is so fun to be able to send little footprints across the ocean to those who have sponsored, and from what I hear, it is also fun for them to be received. Thank you for continually being a part of the things happening here at Abundant. It is such a blessing. If at any point you would like to sponsor a birth, it is always welcomed. The cost is $80-100 CDN and, as said before, I will send you footprints and a little story about the birth you sponsored. When you donate, please specify "birth sponsorship" in the PayPal message.

As always, fundraising is an ongoing thing in my life for the next year and a half still. It is not my favorite part of this journey. In fact, it's my least favorite. However, it is absolutely amazing to see God provide in some crazy ways. I have no doubt that that will continue as time goes on. If at any point, you feel that you would like to donate to my time here and the things happening at Abundant, it will always be welcomed with immense gratitude. Please feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions at all regarding specifics.

Much love to you!
A

OH! How could I forget.. such exciting news. I booked my trip home for the summer! Thankful for God's provision of a great flight. Can't wait to see everyone and a bit of a Canadian summer!!

Happy New Year!!

I seem to be a tad late in writing this New Year blog. Really I'm just working on Filipino time, which quite conveniently is very similar to Pagnucco time.

It's hard to believe the holidays are over already! I am savoring the last couple days of assignment free life here. It's been grand. Our New Year celebration at the clinic was one of my favorites ever. We had an easy meal, enjoyed each other's company, and watched some fantastic fireworks from the rooftop. I'm talking fantastic. It was such a relaxing night... truly a perfect way to ring in the New Year. The only not perfect part was that the fireworks seemed to never end. Even the next day there were still firecrackers going off everywhere. They like to celebrate here :)

I love the excitement that a New Year brings. And the reflection on the year past. Whether it's been a hard year or a wonderful year, there are always things that you can find to be thankful for. Looking back over 2013 is a bit crazy for me. I think of where I was this time last year, and I honestly could not have guessed that I would be sitting here on my bunk in the Philippines writing this. I dreamt for it, prayed about it, and hoped for it... but it still came as such a surprise. I am often surprised, or amazed really, that I get to be HERE! I'm going to avoid saying it's a dream come true because, well, it's massively cheesy ;) But it is a huge answer to prayer. God placed this on my heart quite a few years ago and I'm so glad 2013 was the year it came to fruition.

2014 brings freshness, new excitement, and new challenges. There are SO many things to look forward too, and so many things to accomplish. I am eager to see this year unfold, but certainly not wanting it to fly by too quickly.

This year also brings my 26th birthday. In 16 days to be exact. I'm not a huge birthday person. I never really have been. I like quiet celebrations with people I love... and maybe some cheesecake. My un-interest in birthdays has never been because I feared getting older. I figured that was a silly fear to have since I can't change it anyway. That silly fear hit me like a ton of bricks this year. I know, I know. 26 is not a big deal! I'm not examining my face for wrinkles, or worrying about the grey hair that I seem to be finding more frequently. The problem is... 26 is not a big deal. Up until now there have been pretty fun, significant birthdays. 18 is great cause you're an adult (HA!), 19 you can enjoy some wine, 20 gets you out of the teens, 21 brings enjoyment of wine in the US, 22, 23, and 24 are somehow equally exciting and pass by SO quickly, and then comes 25! 25 is a great year! But then the next big birthday is 30...

The early twenties are filled with excitement, pain, lessons, and adventures. I learned so much about myself in that time. A lot of it I wish I could have learned the easy way (is there an easy way?), but I would not trade the hard parts for anything. I want the next 5 years to be equally significant. So, with that being said, lets start with 26!
As you all know, there are costs to me being here, and costs to running a clinic such as this. The majority of my costs go directly towards ensuring that we can provide exceptional maternity care to the women who come through our doors, as well as the surrounding villages. It is a huge blessing to be able to see the generous support of you, my friends and family, put to work here in Tabuk.
Each prenatal done, baby born, and post-partum visit is made possible by the support of so many people around the world. When costs are broken down, it is averaged that each birth costs approximately $80-$100CDN.
So here is my proposal... 26 births for my 26th birthday.
It is not a present to me, of course, but a way to continue to be a part of the work I am doing here. Should you choose to sponsor a birth, I will send you footprints of the baby as well as a little write up about the birth and how the family is doing. Why not start your new year off contributing to bringing a new life into the world? :)
It is an amazing thing to be a part of birth, in whatever capacity that may be. When compared to North America, the cost is miniscule, but the gift is GREAT!

Please consider partnering with me in this and helping reach the goal of 26 sponsorships before January 31! It is super easy to do. Just click the donate button to the right of this post to sponsor through PayPal. In the 'message' box with PayPal, please write Birth Sponsor. Should you prefer other methods, please e-mail me at pagnucco.alexandra@gmail.com. If you have any questions at all, please just pop me a message. I'd be happy to chat!

Happy New Year friends!
I pray you will all see blessings, provision, and joy in this year ahead.

Much love,
A

Prayer Requests:
- healthy mom's and babies!
- health and normalcy for a patient of mine who stole my heart from her first prenatal! She has a history of stillbirth and is very nervous about this pregnancy. Your prayers are so appreciated.
- provision of 26 birth sponsorships!

Happy Mom, adorable baby, and thrilled midwife :)

Baby Lebron

Christmas morning at the clinic with Andrew and Edol

 

 


Aisling, Madra, and I celebrating New Years!

 

 

Christmas Eve with the gang, including Aisling's friends from Tacloban.
(Aisling, Dave and Dagmara, Deborah, Andrew, and Edol)

Merry Christmas!!

Can you believe it's Christmas?! I can't. Time has flown and it boggles my mind.

Part of the reason it snuck (sneaked?) up so quickly is because, to me, it doesn't feel like Christmas. I miss the snow, the cold, the bundling up, the scarves (of course), the traditions, and the family and friends. The feeling of the season is hard to catch when it's always +20, sunny, and there are palm trees everywhere. Regardless, we have had plenty of fun enjoying a different kind of Christmas. Different is good! It's hard sometimes. But if you just embrace it for what it is, it will surprise you in a wonderful way :)

My Christmas Eve started off quite eventful with.... drumroll.... laundry! Fun eh? Better then doing it tomorrow though. After that, I decided to take advantage of the nice weather by going for a quick run. It was a great way to start the day.
When Aisling was volunteering in Tacloban after the typhoon, she met a couple who are staying there to help for the foreseeable future and convinced them to pop up to Tabuk to spend Christmas with us. It's fun to have two more Americano's around. We spent the afternoon strolling the market for the ingredients to make some tasty food and then went back to Georgia's house (who is in Canada for the holidays) to prepare and devour. And that we did. After dinner we came back to the clinic bearing cookies, cake, eggnog, and fudge to enjoy with the girls here.
Tomorrow will bring more fun time with friends, more wonderful food, and a new and different experience. And while I will miss home, I will be completely thankful for it.

I want to take some time in this blog to thank everyone who has supported me over this past year. I am blown away when I look back and see all the things God provided so that I could be here. Thank you for being so generous in your giving. For believing in where God has called me to in this time. For praying for me and supporting me while I am here. I can never come up with adequate words to express how grateful I really am. I would not be able to be here without your help! Not a day goes by that I don't thank God for all the people he has put in my life who would give so freely and wholeheartedly to see this work accomplished and these women being cared for. Thank you!!!

I pray that you all have a wonderful Christmas. I pray you enjoy time with the people you love, that you see God's blessings in this season, and that you get to enjoy some of your favorite foods ;)

Much love to you all!!!

Merry Christmas!
A

p.s. We are planning on putting together a video tour of the clinic and area in the next couple weeks so that you all can get a better idea of what it is like here, the work we do, why it's worth supporting, AND how great it is ;)
It you have anything specific that you would like to see or know, please let me know so we can include it!

Happily Present

Hellooo!

At long last, I have turned on the Christmas tunes (Celine Dion to be exact.. don't judge) and settled down with some coffee to write this post. I'm imagining it's snowing outside. Ah, my happy place!

November seems to have flown by and left me in the dust. It was a month that left this country in devastation after the typhoon hit the central islands. We still see daily reports of progress on the news and it never becomes easier to watch. My friend and fellow midwife-to-be (in her second year of studies), Aisling, left two weeks ago to help on a medical team. She comes back in a couple days but has kept us posted with some pretty crazy stories. She says that although the devastation is heartbreaking, there is such a spirit of hope present. It's amazing how, in the midst of these horrible circumstances, hope prevails.

Last month was super busy for the clinic and there were lots of cute babies born! This month is gearing up to be a busy one as well with over 50 women due. Please keep these mom's in your prayers as they prepare to bring a new life into their families. Pray for health of both the mom and the baby, and a smooth delivery.

I'm well into my 4th month here and still loving it. It's not always wonderful. There are hard days. There are homesick days. But those happen anywhere, and a new day always comes. We are learning so much, so quickly. I often feel as though the more I learn, the less I know. Can anyone relate? There is SO much to learn. I often look at the midwives who supervise me and think "Will I ever get to that place?". It seems like it is so far off. And it is, really, but I know I will get there in time.

I find myself to be a bit of a dreamer lately(or always?). A dreamer with a slight dose of pessimism. I dream a lot about what the future will hold. Where this life will take me. What God has in store. I dream about and look forward to going home in the summer and seeing my friends and family. I can't wait to hold my new niece or nephew. To meet the babies my friends have given birth to over the past year. To stand with a best friend as she marries the man of her dreams. There is SO much to look forward too. However, God has been challenging me a lot lately about what it means to be present. To dream for the right now.
Something I'm sure we can all relate to is that life goes by so quickly. Often though, I wonder if that has to do with how much we wish away. I don't want to wish, or dream, away the moments here. I know that I am called to be here in this time and I don't want to take that for granted. Another day comes before we know it, but how much more fully could we live our lives if we took the time to focus on what God has for us today. To wake up in anticipation of what the next few hours hold, not the next few years. To be present and to focus on the women he has put me with to show his love too.
That has been my challenge this past month... and let me tell you, I'm not good at it yet. But I am trying. All I know is that while dreaming isn't bad, God has each of us in the place we are at for a reason. Live in that reason. Learn the lessons put in front of you. They prepare you for what's to come. Commit to where you are... before you know it, it will be where you were.

Anyhoo, it's about time to continue tackling my current assignment and maybe move onto the nsync Christmas album (I know I know... you are all judging my music choices right now. At least I know my dear sisters would be loving this right along with me). I'll leave you with some prayer requests...

1. For the upcoming Christmas party with the patients from the past year. That there would be a good turn-out and that we would all have a great time celebrating Christmas with the wonderful women who give us reason to be here doing what we do.
2. Continued prayer for the victims of the Typhoon. (Check out the Red Cross Philippines if you are interested in donating).
3. Wisdom, patience, and trust as I begin to fund raise again in the new year.

You are never far from my mind, friends. Thanks for reading!

Much love,
Al

Had the complete privilege of helping this little guy come into the world.

He had is three week check yesterday and he has somehow gotten even cuter!!