Snow, Snow, Snow!!!

Whew! A view from my window after the 12/26 East coast blizzard blew through Albany. We got over 10 inches of snow, and other parts of New York up to 24 inches! CRAZY! Apparently, Albany rarely gets more than a few inches of snow a year, and news reports state this is one of the largest snowfalls in the past 4 years! We all REALLY know, however, that they just needed a Minnesotan to move to town. ;) It feels just like home now! Good thing I brought the snow with me. :)

Life has been steadily getting more settled for me here in Albany. In fact, today I went out shopping on my day off and, for the first time, drove EVERYWHERE without using my GPS! I was SO excited!!!! It's nice to feel like I know a little bit of the city, am getting the feel for the Northeast culture, and also settling into work. I've been working about a week or so on my own now, and it has been getting SO much better. I definitely am getting used to the flow more, settling into the norms and standards there, and overall feeling like a "good" nurse again. :) I'm getting back into starting IV's (got 2 difficult one x2-3 attempts the other day, and the other 3 on attempt #1 for all my fellow nursing friends!) and doing assessments and nursing skills work, which has been fantastic. I really missed it in many ways. I miss Minnesota nursing, however and hope to be back there working someday soon. :)

The loneliness has subsided quite a bit, as well, for multiple reasons. One, just getting to know my co-workers and feeling a sense of belonging with them, and working more hours overall (at least 5 days a week) has helped the time pass a bit quicker. In addition, I have been able to do some visiting of nearby friends. :) Laura Coles, a friend of mine from Mercy Ships (the one who actually got me into travel nursing) is travel nursing in Northern Massachusetts. She and I both had Christmas day off and were away from our families, so we decided to spend the holiday together! Yaaayyy! I, in turn, had the privilege of driving through the beautiful Berkshire Mountains Christmas day.



The breathtaking sight from the cold, crystal covered top of the Berkshires. As I was standing at the top, my nose felt numb and I thought to myself, "this feels just like home". :) I WISH Minnesota had these kind of mountains, though. :) That and the ocean too.... hmmmm... ;) We'll have to work on that. ;)


Above, Laura and I on our Christmas day walk at Natural Bridge State Park- an old marble quarry site. I saw my very first marble waterfall(pictured below). It was very much like a walk through Narnia. :)



I'm back to work tomorrow, glad to be busy again, but enjoying the day off as well to do some relaxing. I'll keep you all posted again soon. Much love!

Albany-1 Week In

So, it's been a week since I first arrived in Albany. In many ways it feels like I've been here for years, and in others, it seems like I just arrived and unpacked.

It's funny how out ideas of things or ideals are so often not the reality we experience. Perhaps its from watching too much Disney or Hollywood movies, or even being too much of an optimist by nature. Whatever the case may be, I have found myself here; the place where the "rubber meets the road". My excitement and anticipation of this move to Albany has all but since been worn away to reveal the stark, challenge of reality.

We often assume many things about ourselves- what we think we are, how we see ourselves, but its often in the light of the best possible circumstances. For instance, when we see ourselves as confident, outgoing individuals, usually it is in places we are familiar, or with people we know. When you shake all of that up- you can see an entirely different side of yourself than what you imagined.

Maybe all of this is mumbo-jumbo to you, and I apologize if it is, but I share it because it is something that is deeply on my heart at this moment. While God has been SO faithful to provide me with SO much- this job with guaranteed hours, a reliable car, safety in traveling, a place to stay and food to eat, I have struggled to keep my chin up. I never realized how much of a people person I was, how much I needed others around me until now- as I'm living alone in a strange city, without friends or anyone to experience it with me. It's honestly all I can do right now to fight discouragement and loneliness. I am so thankful for my family and friends and those who continue to pray for me and encourage me to continue to offer myself up to the Lord, to see this season as one which the Lord has prepared and has a PURPOSE in. I know the Lord has great things to teach me in this season, and, praise His name, He even spoke to me of the loneliness of this season over a year ago to begin preparing my heart. I guess now I only have the choice to follow and obey or sit and despair. Thank you so much for the many of you who are praying for me and encouraging me. I am nothing, apart from Christ, and see more of that as I come face-to-face with myself in the midst of these challenges.

On a note of progress, I finished 2 days of orientation to the Medical-Surgical floor of the community hospital in Troy, and had a great time learning from all the friendly staff members there. The floor is much like one big family, and it was really neat to see their teamwork and know that I get to step into an already well-oiled team! :) I was quite overwhelmed with the amount of things to orient to in only 2 days, so thankfully I get to have one more day of orientation before I'm on my own next week. Ahhh!!! I'm so nervous, but I know God will see me through. They use a type of nursing called "team nursing" where, instead of having 3 or 4 patients you are solely responsible for, you have a group of 8 patients to a group of an RN, LPN, and CNA. An effective system, but one which I'm hurridly grasping at to learn.

I just wanted to put up a couple of pictures of my family before I left home just because I realized that I didn't put a post up about my new niece, Abigail Susanne, who was born October 24th. So.. here's a couple of pics to brighten up this post. :)


Abigail Susanne Helweg, born October 24, 2010 weighing 6lb 3oz, 18 1/2 in.


Her first smile captured on film by yours truly! Auntie Anna gets double points for capturing both Bekah AND Abigail's first smiles on film! :)


Isaac and I... the cool ones, OBVIOUSLY. ;)


My all-time favorite- me and my "mini-me", my 2nd niece, Rebekah. It's CRAZY how much she resembles me not only now, but also looking back at my baby pictures. Crazy, crazy! I personally love it, ha ha! But I'm sure the one ginger (red-head) looks a bit odd in the brunette family. ;)


Finally, a picture of my small group Bible study at our Thanksgiving meal! I LOVE and miss each and every person from there SO much! ... there are just no words. :)

About time for a post update!

My new "home away from home".




Hanging out with those crazy Bennor's! :)


Our family picture this Christmas season! :)

Hi everyone! So sorry I haven't kept up on my blog... for a while nothing changed, and then, all of a sudden, everything started changing!

My last post was on November 3... since then, I continued applying for every job I could through my travel nursing company-still with NO results; no phone calls, no interviews, NOTHING. I continued praying and wondering what on earth God was up to... didn't He know how much I needed money to be able to go to Sierra Leone? Why was I still living at home with my parents and without a job?

Well, with the encouragement of a friend and feeling I had given my first travel company enough of a chance to find me a job, I applied with a new travel company- Medical Staffing Network (MSN)-the InteliStaff branch. I applied with that company, going through that entire process once again, and was moving towards working per diem for hospitals in the Twin Cities from now until I left for Mercy Ships Feb. 17th. There was one contract job that I put my name in for in Albany, NY when I first applied, but I didn't expect to hear from them, and actually forgot about it during the hustle and bustle of starting up in the Twin Cities.

I knew the last possible day I could have time to be hired to finish out an 8 week contract position would be Wednesday, Dec. 8. So, what does God do? Shock the socks off of me and throw my plans back into my face! On Tuesday, Dec. 7th, I got a call from the nurse manager at the hospital in Albany asking for an interview. After about 15-20 minutes, she offered me the job and asked, "When can you start?" WHAT??!!!??!! I was SHOCKED! "As soon as possible" I answered. The 2 days following were a whirlwind of phone calls, emails, signing and scanning documents, and finding out about my housing arrangements when I got to Albany.

Thursday night, after a Christmas celebration with the family, I packed my car, and Friday morning I left at 5:30am for Grand Rapids, MI (my half-way goal) where I got to stay with the Bennor's. After that 15 hour driving day, I only had 11 hours left to go on Saturday and arrived at my extended-stay hotel in Albany at 11pm. I have a couple of pics of the room- it's perfect. Small, but has everything I need- compliments of MSN (as part of a contract. NICE, I know!). Whew! So I've just been finding my way around Albany, stocking up the cupboards and settling in, waiting for my first day of orientation tomorrow (Wednesday). I'm so excited to be working again!

Thank you SO much to all of you who have been praying for me these past few months.. it has been a very challenging time for me learning faith, trust and patience to a degree I never imagined. I'll keep up better now in the days and weeks to come, so stay tuned! :)

Elections ponderings...

As I waited in line at the polls yesterday to cast my vote, my mind began to wander back to the last election that I had been through. Only, that election hadn't been one of quiet voters booths, patient (or impatient) lines of people awaiting their turn to cast their vote. Instead, it was a presidential election of the developing country of Togo March, 2010. While I never made my way to the voting booths in Lome', Togo, the bit of election "excitement" was far from the hyped-up anticipation we find here in America. At the end of March, and the weeks leading up to and following the election day, there was dangerous tension in the air. While the Togolese people had the "right" to vote for the next president, the possibility of corruption amid the election process was heavy on the minds of the Togolese. This expressed itself through occasional riots in the city and strict curfew for us Mercy Ships volunteers for the 3 weeks surrounding the election. Thankfully, little fighting and few deaths occurred in the city of Lome' by the time the elections were done, but just as was suspected by the people, the previous president had been "re-elected" in.
So as I stood in line, waiting for my turn to fully color in all of the little ovals on my voting sheet, I thought of how thankful we should be as a country to have justice and accountability within our government system. No... our government is not perfect by any means, and corruption most assuredly exists within our systems, but the fact that it is built upon being answerable to its people is pretty incredible. As we live a move through another election year, we don't have to worry that our voices will be construed to meet another people's desires or agenda. But then the question remains... how will we responsibly exercise our right and ability to vote? That question lies with us.

A poem for the season...

My heart poem in this season that I came across as I was going through some old folders of mine. Was dear to my heart then, and is ever dearer even now.

Wait

"Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried:
Quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied.
I plead and I wept for a clue to my fate,
And the Master so gently said,
'Child you must wait.'

'Wait? You say, wait!' my indignant reply.
'Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is Your hand shortened? Or have You not heard?
By faith, I have asked and am claiming Your Word.

My future and all to which I can relate
hangs in the balance, and YOU tell me to WAIT?
I'm needing a "Yes", a go-ahead sign,
or even a "No" to which I can resign.

And Lord, You promised that if we believe
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry:
'I'm weary of asking I need a reply!'

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
As my Master replied once again, "You must wait."
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut
And grumbled to God, 'So, I'm waiting... for what?'

He seemed, then, to kneel
And His eyes wept with mine,
And he tenderly said,
'I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens, and darken the sun,
I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run.

All you seek, I could give,
And pleased you would be.
You would have what you want-
But you wouldn't know Me.

You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint;
You'd not know the power I give to the faint;

You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair;
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there;
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me;
When darkness and silence were all you could see.

You'd never experience that fullness of love
As the peace of My Spirit descends like a dove:
You'd know that I give and I save for a start,
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.

The glow of My comfort lat into the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight,
The depth that's beyond getting just what you asked
Of an infinite God, who makes what you have last.

You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that, 'My grace is sufficient for thee.'
Yes, your dreams for your loved one overnight would come true

But, Oh, the Loss! If I lost what I'm doing in you!

So, be silent, My child, and in time your will see
That the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.
And though oft' may My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still 'Wait'."

-Author Unknown-

It's Official! Heading back with Mercy Ships to Sierra Leone, 2011!!!

The official acceptance letter from Mercy Ships has finally arrived! :) Hooray! Will be serving back on board the Africa Mercy for 6 months next February-August. I can't wait!
While it seems that Feb is a long way off, I know that it will be creep up QUICKLY and be here before I know it!
Still no word yet on a job. I keep applying and applying, but haven't received any phone calls for an interview. The feedback I get and what I hear from my friend Laura, who has traveled with this travel nurse agency before, is that it takes a while to get your first assignment. It took her a couple of months to get her first assignment, so I guess I'm right on track compared to other first-time travelers. It still doesn't help in the discouragement department, however. I never thought I'd feel unwanted as a registered nurse in America, but I guess the travel world is a bit unlike regular employment opportunities for nurses- a bit more competitive. So, I keep waiting... learning trust and reliance upon the Lord and having to walk out belief that his plans are not my own.
I've been able to seen and hang with my family, though, and have enjoyed that immensly! Here are some pics of Bemidji quality time:

Went on a "field trip" with my sister Laura and my two nieces to watch how honey is harvested and processed.

Golden retriever puppies and a visit from Grandpa and Aunt Noreen. Went to Itasca State Park on a beautiful October day!



Made time to go up the firetower at Itasca and see the Fall colors as well!

No news is... patience in waiting for God's timing.

It is true. I am STILL in the season of waiting... waiting for a job, waiting to find out when and where I will be moving, waiting to sell one of my cars... lots and lots of waiting. While I generally categorize myself as a flexible person able to "go with the flow" quite easily, even I am wearing thin in this waiting game... you can only "go with the flow" when you have at least one "flow" going... I have none of the above, so in Bemidji I stay. :)

Don't get me wrong, it has been WONDERFUL to be at home and spend more time connecting with old friends, teachers, and family. In fact, because I have stayed I was able to attend a friend's wedding and fully enjoy the Minnesota Autumn (my favorite season) which I didn't think I would be able to do. My parents are so wonderful and generous to let me keep staying with them with my boxes and piles of stuff here and there throughout there house as I unpack boxes, organize, and re-pack to prepare for whenever I get my travel assignment.

However, I will be honest and say that I didn't want my life to slow down to this extent, because now in this time of rest and recooperation a lot of post-Africa and post-Harriman lodge processing has been coming forward in my mind and heart. Faces, situations, emotions, tears... a lot has been pushing its way out of the little cubbies where I've kept pushing them as I've hurried here and there after coming home in May from Togo only to fly out to NY for the summer. They peek their little heads into the light and wait to be recognized and fully looked at as I desperately glance behind me, hoping they will just disappear or find their way back to the dark corners. (I don' t try and avoid things at all, do I?) :)

Questions like:

1) What are you suppose to be doing with your life?

2) What do you want? More importantly, what does God want?

3) Are you living, actively remembering what you saw and what God taught you in Togo?

4) Are you living purposefully each day, obedient to God no matter what the situation?

5) Where is your joy? Where is your thanksgiving?

6) What does it look like to live in community when your community is so rapidly changing?

7) Will I ever feel at home again?
All of these questions and more flood my mind, asking for answers and bringing me before God in prayer.

One of the phenomena that I didn't quite expect coming home, is that I feel like I'm not home. I see the familiar faces, familiar places, things and people that hold years of memories and love, and yet it's different. I feel like something is missing. When I was in Togo, I felt like my family and friends and my Bemidji community was not there, so it was not home. I went to Harriman Lodge and now neither my Bemidji family or my Mercy Ships family was there, so it never quite felt like home. Now, I am physically "home", but my heart keeps wandering to Togo, Ghana, New York, the UK, so many other places... so many people; missing.
I am left wondering if I will ever feel at home again.

II Corinthians 5:1 puts it well;

"Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands."

As I remember my dear friend Erin once telling me, when you go and invest your heart in places and journey through life with people in those places, there is no place in which you feel like you are whole, because there is no place, apart from the promise of heaven, that we can be in all of those places with all of those people at the same time. You are just always left longing; longing to feel whole again. I never thought I would be in a place where I could so deeply relate to those words, but at this moment, I find myself staring intently into the eyes of that reality. Oh, how sweet heaven will be.

On the upside, please enjoy these couple of pictures from my time in MN! :) I have loved being so close to my little nieces and my family. :) PG Tips anyone? :)

Climbing the Itasca State Park Fire Tower with my Aunt Catherine

Spending the day with my Grandpa, mom, and Aunt Noreen at Itasca State Park :)

Coffee dates galore! One with my dear friend Kathryn, in the pic above. :)

A Season of Waiting...

Here I am, in the interim of seasons, looking behind at the memories and relationships from one season, looking ahead to the many unknown experiences and relationships to come. Yet, here I stand, in the perfect “no man’s land” center of the two revolving seasons.
I recently finished my summer with AHRC in East Jewett, New York at Harriman Lodge. Our last day of camp was September 1, followed by massive cleaning efforts and a staff celebration banquet that night. As we all sat around tables in the dining hall, smiles, hugs, and laughter all around, I remember sitting back looking at all the familiar faces thinking “I have fallen so in love with this place and all of these people. It is going to be so hard to leave tomorrow.”
God is so amazing. You see the irony of my statement was that I was never suppose to be at Harriman Lodge this summer- I was supposed to be at Harriman’s sister camp, Camp Anne with my friend Sarah Couch. Ending up at Harriman was a “mistake”. Really, the only mistake was me ever doubting God’s plan for my summer.
After a wonderful night just hanging out and celebrating the summer, that next morning I felt my heart tearing as I had to say goodbye to so many people I had come to LOVE. As I had said to my friend, Martin that morning, the friendships you develop at Harriman Lodge are different than friendships you would develop at home. At Harriman, you spend 24/7 with these people for 3 months straight! If you counted up the hours spent with these people, I have a feeling it would surpass the number of hours most of us spend with our “good” friends in an entire year! While this type of “community living” builds those types of friendships, it also creates much tension and frustration. The good along with the ugly like the rest of life.
So after many tearful goodbyes and prolonged hugs, I said goodbye to Harriman Lodge, wondering if I would ever return. Sarah and I left from there to go to Albany where I caught a rental car and drove up to visit my friend Laura Coles, another friend from the Africa Mercy, through the Adirondacks to Potsdam, NY. BEAUTIFUL drive (see pics). We climbed Mt. Azure, enjoyed the sunset from the top (off of a firetower located on top), and spent the night at a Young Life camp in Saranac Lake area. I drove back to Albany from there and flew home September 4th.
I came home for a joyful reunion with my family, and am currently at home with my parents, waiting for a travel nursing assignment through my new employer, American Traveler. I could end up anywhere across the nation for a job, and continue putting my name in for positions, awaiting a call back for a phone interview with hospitals I apply for. Nothing yet, but learning to trust and have Faith in God through this period of waiting. Just like I said above, He knew what he was doing with Harriman Lodge- how much more so for a job for me this fall. Praise His holy name. He is and will be enough.

See the Story of Abel, one of my Children from the Africa Mercy!!

Hey Everyone! Just today, I saw a new Mercy Ships video all about Abel, one of my sweet, sweet boys from the Africa Mercy! Check out his 5 min story of amazing transformation! I wept with joy in seeing him home again!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjIyOotniNs

A few more steps along the New York path...

Hello everyone!
Wow... it has already been 2 weeks since I've last written. Things keep flowing and moving here at Harriman Lodge on what we call "camp time". It is where the days run together with activities, events, and daily schedules until you don't know what day it is or what's going on in the outside world. The only thing that keeps me reminded of the normal world is writing the date on all my nursing charting each day. Even then, we are very much in our own little world here at Harriman Lodge.

I have LOVED camp nursing here for MR adults and have been impacted so deeply by so many specific campers. I wish I could share photos of the many faces and stories I've had the privilege of being a part of this summer, but we're not allowed to post photos of campers on the internet. Some of my favorite guests have been CP adults, verbal and non-verbal who, through communication boards and books of pictures, communicated "I love you" and "I will miss you" to me on the last days of camp. I even got the chance to visit some of them in their residential home.

I was in the City (NYC) with Sarah, and walked off the subway into the Bronx to find the residential home. As we made our way into the apartment where 4 residents lived, I knocked on the door and called out... "hello!?" All of a sudden I heard "Aarrrggghhh! Ahhh! Ahh!" and banging coming from the bathroom. "Angelo is in the bathroom" the residential staff member said with a smile, "but I think he heard you." Angelo was one of the residents who weaved his way into my heart with his bright personality, sounds of excitement, and many minutes spent with his communication board, figuring out what he was trying to say. His quirky little smile and laughter will always be nestled in my heart along with hundreds more. :) It was a huge blessing to be able to see his, and his friend Sidney's excitement as we visited with them in their home.

In the meanwhile, we had an "intercession"- a break in between sessions of camp last week. During the intercession, I made one final trip into the City to spend time with friends there and help out with a day camp Metro Ministries put on in one of the more difficult neighborhoods in Brooklyn. I got to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, eat authentic Brooklyn-style pizza and then spend the day with inner-city kids at the day camp themed... "Back 2 Africa!" I got to sit in the health center with one of my Africa friends, Sarah listening to African music and taking care of minor cuts and scrapes of sweet inner-city kids. How much better can it get? :) My friend Rey got to jump in all the way and help out as a counselor for the day while Sarah and I held down the fort in the infirmary. It was an amazing day.

Things are now finishing up for the summer here at Harriman Lodge. We have 1 week left before the end of the camp season, and I am left wondering where the time has gone. I will spend a couple days after camp visiting Laura Coles, another nurse friend from the ship who I will be travel nursing with this fall, before flying back to good old MN on Sept. 4th.

Hopefully between now and then I'll have an official position with American Traveler (my new employer-a nursing travel agency) starting the middle to end of September somewhere (thinking it may end up being Texas). So, yes! God is so good.. I feel the perpetual need to rely on him to meet my needs and plan my course before me. As I was getting anxious about so many of the details ahead of me I still don't know, he spoke to my heart and reminded me of Peter, when he walked out on the sea to meet Jesus in the middle of a storm... all he needed was to put his eyes on Jesus, and he walked.
So much ahead of me is still unknown, yet it is known to Him, and for that I am full of peace.

Breathtaking Niagara

A week and a half ago, during "intercession" (the 2-3 days we have off between sessions of camp at Harriman), I was blessed to be a part of a road trip adventure with other counselors and staff from Harriman Lodge; destination... Niagara Falls!!! Being the only American on the journey, and also being the only one 25 or older, I was automatically designated as one of the drivers. :) I got to drive a new Chevy Impala the 800 miles or so we went during that trip, hopping on and off the New York Interstate, paying tolls, and finding campsites and destinations along the way. Some of the most memorable moments were:

1) Standing in front of a fish hatchery (which took explaining to the Brits who had never heard of such a thing) and reading a ridiculous monument in Rome, New York documenting the first cheese factory in the U.S.

2) All of the side road we took to make it to cities such as Liverpool, Rome, Warsaw, and Sheffield just so the Brits and Pols could feel at home. :)

3) Camping. Never have I been so thankful for my family camping background, and especially my dad who took us all out wilderness camping. Many/most of the 14 people on our trip had never been camping before, so when the rains came and fire needed to be started, I soon found myself one of the camp organizers! :) My favorite part was cutting and peeling roasting sticks, gathering the hot dogs and marshmallows for s'mores, and one of the girls looking at it saying "I'm suppose to cook my food on THIS?". It was AWESOME! :) I laughed so hard. Needless to say, everyone LOVED the s'mores and campfire food and we had an AMAZING camping experience despite heavy rains and waking up in pools of water one morning. :)

However, apart from all the amazing music, car time, conversations, food, and experiences, I have to say that standing at the foot of Niagara Falls was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. To hear the rush of thousands of tons of water crashing into the river, feel the spray of thick mist that covered the bottom of the waterfall, and be able to yell and hardly be heard... all I could to was sing...

"Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder consider all the worlds thy hands have made.
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder. Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Then sings my soul, my savior God to Thee. How great Thou art, how great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, my savior God to Thee. How great Thou art. How great Thou art."

And then, as I stood there at the bottom of the falls singing, all I could think of was the verse In Luke 19 where Jesus said "Even the stones will cry out" if man ceases to cry out in praise to Him. As I thought of all the people who walk through life nonchalantly thinking about God, neglecting to praise Him, the roar of this enormous waterfall was most certainly creation crying out in lack of that praise. And how amazing for me to be able to join in, in a simple chorus of "How Great Thou Art." Wow.

I am SO thankful for this season of life in New York. I couldn't imagine a better place for me to be right now. It wasn't what I initially thought or wanted. I miss my Minnesota friends and family terribly, but honestly, there is no place I would rather be because I know and believe without a shadow of a doubt that this is where God desires me to be right now. Love and hugs to you all!

A Time for Every Season

A couple of days ago, I was reading from one of my devotionals, "Come Away My Beloved" by Frances J. Roberts, and it was so impactful to me at this very point in my life, I wanted to share it with all of you. I touched my heart, as only He can with the perfect timing of its words, and may it also speak to you through whatever journey you are currently going through.

"Come Away, My Beloved

'Come out from among them
and be separate, says the Lord.'
2 Corinthians 6:17

My beloved, you do not need to make your path, for I go before you. Yes, I will engineer circumstances on your behalf. I am your husband; I will protect you, care for you, and make full
provision for you.

I know your need, and I am concerned for you; for your peace, for your health, for your strength. I cannot use a tired body, and you need to take time to renew your energies, both spiritual and physical. I am the God of battle, but I am also the One who said, 'Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength" (Isaiah 40:31). I will teach you, as I taught Moses on the back side of the desert, and as I taught Paul in Arabia. In the same way, I will teach you, and it will be a constructive period, not in any sense wasted time. Like the summer course to the schoolteacher, it is vital to you in order to become fully qualified for your ministry.

There is no virtue in activity in and of itself-- nor in inactivity. I minister to you in solitude that you may minister Me to others as a spontaneous overflow of our communion. Never labor to serve, nor force opportunities. Set your heart to be at peace and to sit at My feet. Learn to be ready but not to be anxious. Learn to say "no" to human demands and to say "yes" to the call of the Spirit. These may sometimes be at variance. Do not be distressed by the misunderstanding of people. Let Me take care of them Myself. They too must learn this same important lesson, and you can help them by setting the example; but if you try to please them by answering every demand, you will both fall into the same snare.

I am a jealous God, and i am always at peace with Myself. I would have you also to be at peace with my Spirit within you. As you give Me My rightful place and do not allow others to intrude, you wil be at peace with Me. Be very serious in this. I am not speaking to you lightly. I was never more earnest in any message I have brought to you. Do not fail Me. I have brought you this message at various times in the past. It was never more urgent than now.

For people are experiencing a new awakening, and they are searching for My Truth more than ever. I must speak through My prophets; and if they are not set apart for Me, how can I instruct them? Yes, I will nourish you by the brook as I nourished Elijah; and I will speak to you out of the bush as I spoke to Moses and reveal My glory on the hillside as I did to the shepherds.

Come away, My beloved; be like the doe on the mountains; and we will go down together to the gardens."

A light in the dark...

"No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light." ~Luke 8:16~

Yesterday marked my 3 week anniversary at Harriman. I have found that in the last three weeks I've slowly melded into the "family" here at camp. I'm pleased to say that, as I happliy told one of the counselors, that Harrimian Lodge staff have been in my dreams; a sure indication that I've fully integrated into the culture here.

As I've been here these past 3 weeks, getting to know people, the in's and out's of Harriman, and how I fit in, I was struck by the above verse during time with the Lord. I've never found myself in an environment before where my foundation of solid, Jesus-loving friends were not present and where I was left wondering if I was the only Christian. I've been blessed to get to know John, the director's wife, Christine as well as one of the admin staff who are also striving to live out what it means to be a light on a stand.

I have grown to LOVE the staff here...British invasion and all. :) And while I've spend 5-6 days a week working in the health center, I've been able to do some fun things as well, like spend some time with my dear friend Sarah Couch helping out at Camp Anne, the sister camp of Harriman Lodge. Sarah was one of my best friends while I was on the Africa Mercy in Togo, West Africa, and is the reason I came here to New York in the first place.

We took the opportunity, one afternoon during a day off together, to to something that tested my personal fears... climbing on a ropes course!

Sarah planned out afternoon out, not knowing I'm deathly afriad of heights, and as we drove in... I'll admit it.. my face grew white. However, I was determined to allow the activity to help me get over my fear of heights, and so my surprise and amazement.. it did just that! By the end, I was climbing, balancing, and zip lining throught the courses. Check out the pics. :)

Praying for God's heart to be revealed here at Harriman Lodge this summer.

~Anna~

Harriman Lodge

Hello! I just wanted to share a few more pictures of my surroundings at Harriman Lodge. :) Cheers!
~Anna~

Arrival in New York!

Greetings from the Catskill Mountains of central New York! I arrived in East Jewette at Harriman Lodge on Thursday, July 1, 2010. The past week at home in Bemidji was a mind-numbing whirlwind of goodbye’s and packing up of a wonderful season of life. My room in the Pinkhouse laid bare on Wednesday, as my roommates and family helped me pack up the very last of my things for storage over the summer. While it was nice to be able to say “goodbye ‘till September”, I knew it would be a more permanent goodbye to Bemidji; at least for the next season of life.

So, to honor those who have meant so much to me over the years; here’s to you:
To my wonderful parents who have supported me and loved me more than I can say or deserve (which includes storing my roomful of boxes in their basement ) , to my brother, sister, nieces, and brother-in-law who is by the way my hero in this process of packing being my “man” to help haul all of my furniture and boxes in his pick up, I LOVE YOU and THANK YOU. To my roomies, Natalie, Miriam, and Ashley, thanks for so many wonderful years and memories at the Pinkhouse… I will truly treasure each one as long as I live. To all of my dear Bemidji friends, my amazing church family, and any and everyone to whom I never had the chance to say goodbye; I love you and am so thankful to the Lord for his goodness is giving me you.

In this new journey at Harriman Lodge (a camp for mentally/developmentally delayed adults) in central New York state, I am working as a camp nurse caring for the 75 “guests” we have here each week along with 6 or so other nurses. I found out about Harriman Lodge through my friend, Sarah Couch, who I met on Mercy Ships this past spring. The application process and how I ended up leaving Bemidji July 1 is a testimony to the grace of God! Oh my gosh! It was CRAZY! Looking back, it has only been 5 weeks since I came back from Togo, West Africa, and I am yet off again! So hard to believe. But I have been settling in here nicely.  The staff here are GREAT, a lot of fun and so great working with all of our guests. The camp is situated in the middle of the Catskill Mountains, and the view here is unbelievable. What a place to live at and work at every day! I already have some favorite to be along the lake.

My nursing work is, as I described to Sarah, Nursing Home meets Camp. She couldn’t agree more! It’s a lot of medication administration, first aid treatments, and minor crisis management. The campers or guests, as they are called here, are amazing! My favorite time of day is evenings when they have a dance party! I can’t tell you when I’ve had so much fun dancing or watching people dance as I have here! Wow. Their joy, innocence, and simplicity humble me, and even after 3 days, I have come to love them and learn from so many of them. I will be working about 6 days a week here, alternating day and evening shifts. Woo-hoo for working full time!  The staff here is about 75% British which will make my British inflection with my American English even worse by the end of the summer! Most all of the cabin counselors come from other countries, while the nurses are American.

Ways to pray: the one thing that I have found difficult jumping into this new situation has been not having a close spiritual connection with anyone here. I know the Lord wants me here and has some intentional purposes for me here among the staff and campers, but not having a close, seeking-Jesus friend here has been difficult. I don’t think I’ve ever been in this environment before, and so I want to be faithful to the Lord first and foremost and serve and obey Him with what He wants here. So, prayer for strength to have courage in Him and continue to seek him with passion. And for more of a heart to listen and obey. May we all grow to desire more of him.

Welcome to my blog!

With the unknown road ahead, and unforseen adventures with the Lord up and coming,
I wanted to create a place where you would be able to come and journey with me through this new season of my life.
Feel free to leave comments, thoughts, or prayer requests.
My heart is to continue to follow Christ, and to one day, be called and found faithful to Him.

"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance,
obeyed and went,
even though he did not know where he was going." ~Hebrews 11:8