There are days when you wake up with the weight of the world on your chest, and days when you wake up with a weight of glory: today I woke up with the later. It is not that I did not have things to worry about, or unending tasks to complete, it was just one of those days where the problems just didn't matter as much. I do not want to give a skewed view on my character- I definitely fight my battles with the spirit of worry, today was just great because God stepped in the ring and did the fighting and concurring for me.
Today was a perfect example of how my internship at World Relief is stretching me in very calculated areas. I am around visionaries often and see certain leaders and even people I am disciplining come up with all of these awesome ideas and creative goals. I tend to think if myself, as my boyfriend puts it, an efficient "second in command". I am great with following directions and completing tasks, but not so good at just initiating what needs to happen step by step. However, despite my lack of ability, I seem to always be put in the position of leading things I am under-qualified for. Today Word Relief had 8 amazing nurse interns come in to serve WR and work with 4 different refugee families who are in the greatest position of applicable medical need.
On paper the idea is fabulous. These nurses want to go into the homes of their family and asses what the needs are. They then want to take these needs and find ways to implement either treatments, or educational factors that would help prevent illness. This type of project is something I have been working on for the last 5 years of college so naturally I loved the idea and see it as very useful. The thing is, these are families from such different backgrounds from us. It is difficult to just walk into someone's life and show them the "right" way to do things, tell them to change things they have been doing their whole life, and have them use things they have no experience with. Even if we did place all of these barriers aside, the biggest obstacle is the complete lack of communication. As I am typing this out I am just astounded at how easy it is to doubt our Father, and how easy it is for God to breeze past those doubts and work in the miraculous. Jesus can take anything we offer and create the most immaculate tapestry just because it is in His nature to do so! Anyway, after some teamwork, my preceptor and I devised a plan and just went into action. I had to take the initiative at some point in WR and step out of my comfort zone into an area of expertise that I have preexisting insecurities in. I took the reigns, made a route of the four different homes we would be visiting and lead the stream of 9 cars to each apartment complex.
On the arrival of the first home, Ling-ling, I called the interpreter hotline. Voice shaking and clumsily tripping over numbers and names I was able to get my first interpreter on the line and introduce the team of nurses to Ling-ling and some of her 6 children. I know from experience that her youngest takes oral iron medication and she could use some health education on preventing mold and mildew that has already begun permeating the apartment. I know I say that I love every client I work with, but Ling-ling really does have such a gentle and sweet spirit and I am so blessed to know there will be two lovely nurses trying to help her. The second home was Peter Nay's home where I am at often. This was the first time I have ever used and interpreter to communicate with his wife, Paw Wah. I have been teaching her, coming into her home, going with her to medical appointments, playing with her children for over two months, and today was the first time I was actually able to tell her how much I love and appreciate her and she was able to thank me. I think we had a little moment lol. I introduced the nurses she would be working with, put the dates on her calender as the bugs scurried out from underneath and scooped up her youngest boy to shower with kisses. We then walked to another household went through the same process. This family has a young daughter with a hip issue that is not responding the multiple procedures and surgeries done to it. The final home was a woman who is 8 months pregnant and has a toddler with a leg traction. She is so pretty and sweet. I am glad I had her last because by the time I got to her I had mastered how to use the interpreters, how to introduce the nurses and explain what they would be doing! Every single one of the clients were so receptive and appreciative! It was so awesome to just see how God carried us through the whole thing- I just cannot believe how awesome everyone's attitudes were!
The absolute highlight of my day was most definitely my trip back to Peter Nay and Paw Wah's home! Yes, the English lessons with the family of 6 and two additional Burmese children was a blast and was full of laughter and excitement, but what really delighted me was my "kitchen creepin'". The art of "kitchen creepin'" is when one enters into a home and casually greets everyone, and then breezes into their kitchen to inspect the use of soap, the condition of the "clean" dishes, the storing of perishable food, and the proper or improper use of their refrigerator or freezer. I do this in a couth manner by reviewing specific vocabulary words like "plate, spoon, cup, sink, fridge" and so on. Today I literally jumped in excitement when I saw the dish soap I bought for them was almost out AND THE TUPPERWARE I GOT THEM WERE ALL IN USE IN THE FRIDGE! This is quite an accomplishment if I may say so myself. I actually took a picture just for keepsake because I am so incandescently proud of this family and the steps they have taken! Not only was the house in great condition, but I got to see Paw Wah read her first word "Hat"!!! I was so impressed by their reading skills and vocab, I did not even realize that I spent over 2.5 hours with the Peter Nay, Paw Wha and the six kids!
As Peter was teaching me Karen (their language from Burma) words and Paw Nay was laughing at my pronunciation I realized that I really did feel like a part of their home. It takes time to really feel comfortable with strangers in general, but being in their home and not speaking a word of each others language can be really straining. I did feel that stain at first, but now all I feel is a pure sense of joy and acceptance, especially since Peter and I have been able to have minor conversations. Recently he walked past me reading my Bible and said "Teacha- Bible?" and I said "Yes- Jesus" he then said "Teacha- (touched his heart)- Jesus" "Yes Peter!" I replied and a smile rapidly spread across his face "Good- Teacha- Good" and walked away.
Today was a perfect example of how my internship at World Relief is stretching me in very calculated areas. I am around visionaries often and see certain leaders and even people I am disciplining come up with all of these awesome ideas and creative goals. I tend to think if myself, as my boyfriend puts it, an efficient "second in command". I am great with following directions and completing tasks, but not so good at just initiating what needs to happen step by step. However, despite my lack of ability, I seem to always be put in the position of leading things I am under-qualified for. Today Word Relief had 8 amazing nurse interns come in to serve WR and work with 4 different refugee families who are in the greatest position of applicable medical need.
On paper the idea is fabulous. These nurses want to go into the homes of their family and asses what the needs are. They then want to take these needs and find ways to implement either treatments, or educational factors that would help prevent illness. This type of project is something I have been working on for the last 5 years of college so naturally I loved the idea and see it as very useful. The thing is, these are families from such different backgrounds from us. It is difficult to just walk into someone's life and show them the "right" way to do things, tell them to change things they have been doing their whole life, and have them use things they have no experience with. Even if we did place all of these barriers aside, the biggest obstacle is the complete lack of communication. As I am typing this out I am just astounded at how easy it is to doubt our Father, and how easy it is for God to breeze past those doubts and work in the miraculous. Jesus can take anything we offer and create the most immaculate tapestry just because it is in His nature to do so! Anyway, after some teamwork, my preceptor and I devised a plan and just went into action. I had to take the initiative at some point in WR and step out of my comfort zone into an area of expertise that I have preexisting insecurities in. I took the reigns, made a route of the four different homes we would be visiting and lead the stream of 9 cars to each apartment complex.
On the arrival of the first home, Ling-ling, I called the interpreter hotline. Voice shaking and clumsily tripping over numbers and names I was able to get my first interpreter on the line and introduce the team of nurses to Ling-ling and some of her 6 children. I know from experience that her youngest takes oral iron medication and she could use some health education on preventing mold and mildew that has already begun permeating the apartment. I know I say that I love every client I work with, but Ling-ling really does have such a gentle and sweet spirit and I am so blessed to know there will be two lovely nurses trying to help her. The second home was Peter Nay's home where I am at often. This was the first time I have ever used and interpreter to communicate with his wife, Paw Wah. I have been teaching her, coming into her home, going with her to medical appointments, playing with her children for over two months, and today was the first time I was actually able to tell her how much I love and appreciate her and she was able to thank me. I think we had a little moment lol. I introduced the nurses she would be working with, put the dates on her calender as the bugs scurried out from underneath and scooped up her youngest boy to shower with kisses. We then walked to another household went through the same process. This family has a young daughter with a hip issue that is not responding the multiple procedures and surgeries done to it. The final home was a woman who is 8 months pregnant and has a toddler with a leg traction. She is so pretty and sweet. I am glad I had her last because by the time I got to her I had mastered how to use the interpreters, how to introduce the nurses and explain what they would be doing! Every single one of the clients were so receptive and appreciative! It was so awesome to just see how God carried us through the whole thing- I just cannot believe how awesome everyone's attitudes were!
Before this adventure my incredible preceptor decided we should watch a documentary called "God Grew Tired of Us". I am so glad she suggested that, because I think it really did prepare and soften the hearts of the nursing students, well, it softened mine at least. In this documentary, we watched how over 20,000 "Lost Boys" of southern Sudan walked thousands of miles into refugee camps, and then their journey to America. I would really suggest looking up this video on Youtube or Amazon because it really is a gripping yet realistic depiction of how challenging coming to America is. I think most of us are under the impression that the refugees all come from horrible, poor countries, struggle though a refugee camp, then arrive in America and all of the problems melt away and they have a happy ending. When in reality, there are refugees who really loved their home and would love to return if they could and even though they are grateful of being in America, they have a whole new category of challenges they must combat. What really hurt me was the question that one of the men was mauling over as he reflected on all of the people he buried when he was just 13 years old..."Did God grow tired of us"? I so badly wanted to jump through that television screen and scream "No! He did not! I know it feels like that sometimes, I know life is hard sometimes and I know you feel isolated but God could never grow tired of you! He calls you 'son' and 'is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom'".
The absolute highlight of my day was most definitely my trip back to Peter Nay and Paw Wah's home! Yes, the English lessons with the family of 6 and two additional Burmese children was a blast and was full of laughter and excitement, but what really delighted me was my "kitchen creepin'". The art of "kitchen creepin'" is when one enters into a home and casually greets everyone, and then breezes into their kitchen to inspect the use of soap, the condition of the "clean" dishes, the storing of perishable food, and the proper or improper use of their refrigerator or freezer. I do this in a couth manner by reviewing specific vocabulary words like "plate, spoon, cup, sink, fridge" and so on. Today I literally jumped in excitement when I saw the dish soap I bought for them was almost out AND THE TUPPERWARE I GOT THEM WERE ALL IN USE IN THE FRIDGE! This is quite an accomplishment if I may say so myself. I actually took a picture just for keepsake because I am so incandescently proud of this family and the steps they have taken! Not only was the house in great condition, but I got to see Paw Wah read her first word "Hat"!!! I was so impressed by their reading skills and vocab, I did not even realize that I spent over 2.5 hours with the Peter Nay, Paw Wha and the six kids! As Peter was teaching me Karen (their language from Burma) words and Paw Nay was laughing at my pronunciation I realized that I really did feel like a part of their home. It takes time to really feel comfortable with strangers in general, but being in their home and not speaking a word of each others language can be really straining. I did feel that stain at first, but now all I feel is a pure sense of joy and acceptance, especially since Peter and I have been able to have minor conversations. Recently he walked past me reading my Bible and said "Teacha- Bible?" and I said "Yes- Jesus" he then said "Teacha- (touched his heart)- Jesus" "Yes Peter!" I replied and a smile rapidly spread across his face "Good- Teacha- Good" and walked away.
My day ended with taking a 19 year old boy from Sudan to a local grocery store to help him apply to be a "bagger". Of course I was invited inside and instantly given a drink. Almost as soon as I sat down in his home his mother came out talking to me in Arabic and his little sister pulled out her comb and started brushing and combing my hair. I just thought as I stumbled through my broken Egyptian phrases..."I really do have the best internship ever".
Yep, you really do have the best internship, ever! You are one of the best interns, ever, also! Such a delight to see the love of God in your posts!
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