(Long) Overdue Update.

Oh my! It's been far too long. Life gets busy and look what happens...you forget you even set up a blog :)

Well, friends (family? assorted readers?), life has been pretty busy! Everything is wonderful. As you probably know, I've been back on American soil for quite a while now. I'm not sure exactly where I left off, but I know I was still in Khulna, Bangladesh. I believe since I last wrote I had opportunities to run some clinics in the brothels of Mongla. I saw primarily young children, and made a number of house calls for women with "gyn" sort of complaints (fun :-P). i also designed a curriculum and taught a large group of local women who wanted to be trained as midwives. At our NGO headquarters we invited a number of women and had a pretty good turnout! Being able to train these women (thanks to my wonderful translator) was a highlight for me. Really increased my interest/passion for maternal-child public health improvement. After Bangladesh I traveled to Romania for a short while, and also got the chance to spend one day/night in Istanbul, Turkey (i must say, i did a superb job of finding myself a fabulous hotel!) and an unexpected glamorous excursion to Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. I had time to do lots of sightseeing, shopping, eating out, and even went bowling and saw Spiderman 3 in a fabulously fancy cinema. I figured my way around the public transportation system and just got to soak in some sights in one of the world's greatest up-and-coming cities. While it's wonderful to be home and settled in, I do miss the adventurous lifestyle. I don't always enjoy traveling as a single woman in the Middle East/Muslim World alone (ha), but i can say without a shadow of a doubt that the positives have outweighed the negatives, exponentially.

I wish I could sit here at my desk and dictate this fabulous dissertation on all that I have seen and learned over the last few months. I simply don't believe whatever I come up with could really do it justice. I have never been more humbled. I have met the most extraordinary people, and have had the honor of living and working with them. I have experienced love beyond measure. I have learned what it means to love as Christ did, and I have come to a deeper understanding of the breadth of His love not only for me, but for every soul on Earth. I have seen death, i have seen life. I have seen despair, and i have seen hope. I have held the dying, and comforted the sick. I have seen healing, and experienced great recoveries. I have taught and imparted wisdom and knowledge; and I have been taught in return the greatest of life lessons. I have witnessed the impact one person can have if they possess a willing heart. I have been broken, i have been made stronger. I have never felt more weak and alone, and i have never felt closer to the heart of God. Never did I cry more tears, and never was my heart more full of joy. To my surprise, I discovered I was not as compassionate as i once thought, and was stretched and humbled in that area far beyond what I expected. I made friends that have become my family (my Egyptian brother Moody is coming to New York in November - I am soooo excited!!!!), and I have learned what it means to become a part of other cultures. I've walked inside the great Pyramids of Giza, I've climbed the trail Moses walked to the top of Mt. Sinai, I've walked among ancient ruins in eastern Europe, I've worked in a brothel with prostitutes (not as a prostitute, obviously!), I've survived a cyclone(!) by myself, I've been part of traditional Bengali festivals, I've seen the marvels of modern architecture in Dubai, I've spent Christmas with precious orphans and widows, I've stood along the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, and the Bay of Bengal, I've admired the great mosques of Istanbul, and I've eating fresh fish straight from the docks in Alexandria. What a life changing experience. What an honor. What a beautiful and intricate world God has created. His hand is on everything. It's incredible. I promise.

The greatest honor has been the challenge and commission to bring hope, joy, and love to those who may have never experienced it before. To be with the destitute, the dying, the lost, the broken. To sit in slums and brothels and orphanages and embrace other children of God. To be a light in areas of darkness. As much as I'd like to think I have helped others experience the love of the Father, I feel at times that I am the one that received the most change. The greater blessings.

Where does all this leave me now? Feet firmly planted on Long Island, New York. I am currently working as an RN in the neonatology department of a nearby hospital. It's actually a perinatal service, which hosts the NICU, post-partum, well-baby nursery, antepartum, gynecology, and labor and delivery patients. It's an all-encompassing unit, so it's good to learn all the different areas. I love it. I never thought I could enjoy something so much and actually get PAID for it! I'm also working per-diem at a private Gastroenterology practice. Not the most glamorous of fields, but surprisingly interesting. Wonderful doctors to learn from. To round out the "working" part of my life, I'm still tutoring high school math and science, and babysitting for the same wonderful family i have been with for the past four years.

Next month I start classes again! I'll be taking Neurobiology, Immunology and Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS, and Psychopharmacology of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, via Harvard University. I didn't feel like now was the time to leave NY (will there ever be one? who knows!), but I was fortunate enough (thanks to state of the art technology!) to be able to do the courses through an excellent distance option. I'm part of the "on campus" class, and have all the same exams and deadlines and whatnot, I just get to watch/participate in lectures from home. I'm super excited. I'm considering taking International Political Economy, but I'm not sure I want to try to balance a full-time job and a full course load just yet. I'm also working on an exciting project involving writing grants and raising funds to open up a home for unwed mothers on Long Island. I've connected with a phenomenal woman who has a heart for these girls and the dream is just growing deeper in my heart! She is a tremendous blessing. And finally I'm teaching the "Friends" class again at church as part of the Missionettes program. I'm taking the 6th graders - a wonderful group of girls! Looking forward to some good times :) Oh, oh, oh! Also looking forward to working with one of my greatest mentors and supporting/working as part of the team of the new "Point Community Church" in Westbury! So, needless to say, lots of exciting things to keep me on my toes.

What's also exciting to me (and will probably cause most of you to roll your eyes...) is that I've started to handle all of my own finances. I was fortunate enough to have parents that financially supported me all through high school and 6 years of college - but now I've taken on my credit cards, phone bills, school tuition (!!!), spending money, soon-to-be-accrued new car expenses, and other various bills/expenses. It's so enlightening (i don't know if that's the exact word I'm looking for...) to finally feel like somewhat of a grown up! Yahoo!

Just taking each day at a time, but looking ahead to the strong possibility of completing post-baccalaureate requirements by next year and continuing on to medical school. I've been back and forth with wanting to be an ob/gyn and a pediatric cardiologist. However, the more i see, read, learn, observe and research, I am liking the idea of being a Family Practice Physician. Extensive scope of practice, better suited for maintaining a normal family life, etc... But that's really thinking too much ahead. Just a dream I thought I'd let you in on ;)

Alright, I believe your eyes must be drooping from reading all of this by now. My sincere thanks if you've actually read the entire thing! :) Time turn my attention back to the Yankee game, waiting for my man A-Rod to hit his 500th homerun! :) Woo hoooo.

Love and Blessings,
Nicole <3

Here are some pictures from Bangladesh. Hopefully I'll remember to post again soon and then I'll include some Romania snapshots. But for now, enjoy! <3

well hello from Romania! :)

I arrived here Saturday morning after a long journey through Bangladesh, Dubai, and Turkey. I'll write more about the work here in Bucharest (and beyond) in the next entry, but for now i'll catch you up on the past couple of weeks in Bangladesh and hopefully post some pictures now that i have a decent connection!

It was a great last week in Khulna. I had spent some time writing up a training course for the ladies that work at my center. It was an all day seminar on antenatal care. I presented it to them on Sunday, and they really learned a lot and found the information really useful. I was glad because I was really nervous about taking what I know and was trained with in New York City and making it applicable and relevant to people with barely any training with practically no medical supplies in the village. But anyway, the following Thursday they invited about 40 local "midwives" from the surrounding villages and i taught the seminar to them as well. I was able to have a translator (yesss!!) and after looking through lots of stuff i found some decent anatomical posters and models so it ended up being a really great day. Made me think about some day being a professor.. :)

On Monday of that same week I was invited to go visit the government hospital. It was by far the saddest sight i have seen in quite a while. Possibly ever. I suppose you could liken it to a war hospital.I was taken to the pediatric ward and there was one room with 35 beds lined up against both walls. There were children sleeping and laying in the hallway on dirty blankets, even before you got into the main room. One mother was holding her 2 day old baby whose infected umbillical cord was going to (in my estimation) end his life within the very near future. There was no electricity, no fans, no escape from the 110 degree weather outside. There was no running water, there were no doctors or nurses in sight. Each bed had a child and about 5 or 6 family members also piled on the same bed resting on linens that looked like they hadn't been cleaned in years. In between each bed were straw mats where other children were laying. Underneath each bed were the peels of fruits and the shells of nuts that the families and children were eating. Flies swarmed around. Death was everywhere, and no one was doing anything to stop it. I visited with each child and their family. I got to pray with most (they were actually asking for it!). And i also got to sit with the families and look over their ultrasound results or lab reports (which were in english) and help them understand what was wrong. The medical doctors just hand them papers, they don't have much interaction - i think possibly it's because it's a very poor population that they are considered "not worthy" of such time. I had this terrible anger in me about the conditions that these children were being "cared for" in. I was not allowed to video or take any pictures, so the only memory i'll have of this place is in my heart and mind. But it was so eye-opening that i made another decision then and there to once again find out whatever it is that i can do with what i have to make some sort of difference.

On Tuesday I travelled to the brothels and ran a clinic for the children there. The previous day i had purchased a lot of medical supplies and instruments, along with a lot of different medications and we packed it all up and took the rickshaw-"bus"-boatride into the jungles. I love those children - they are so sweet. The clinic went well, it attracted lots of people from the area. After i saw the child, another lady from the center would pray for them and the family.

I've also been meeting some new people...mostly Bangladeshi, but i did meet an American family that had me over for dinner the night before i left for Turkey. It was great to have a normal english-speaking conversation :) The rains are starting to pick up now, and the weather is pretty much unbearable.

i read the book "Life of Pi" on the airplane. I enjoyed it. Found it kind of interesting. Check it out :)

well i guess that's it. I should get back to work here.

<3 Nicole

today i visited a public school in the slum area here. originally it had just been a site for our immunization project; but about an hour after i arrived, the principal/headmaster came and asked me if i would like to see the school. (we had been working in a small room sort of detached from the actual school itself). So he brought me into each classroom and presented me to the class and i told them i was a health researcher for the government who wanted to ask them some questions. I always find myself being put on the spot to "say something" i was totally unprepared for, haha! But basically the principal led me around and gave me this whole speech about how bad the conditions are and showing me how these children have to live and the limited (very limited) resources they had to try and educate them with. He had them ask me health questions, and i in turn asked them some questions about their health and hygiene. I went through the whole school and go to speak to every class - it was a really great experience and i got to hear first hand from the people what their living experience has been like and what they feel their countries health needs are. I also visited a group that was being trained for the "Red Cresent" which is the "Red Cross", but cross has been replaced by cresent since this is a muslim nation. So i talked with those girls as well. Then the principal took me into his office and started asking me all these really deep questions, haha. I was trying so hard to answer them as honestly and professionally as i could - but he was asking me what i was going to do about there being no clean water in Bangladesh! I tried to explain to him how water can be purified in little amounts (through boiling, iodine tablets, etc...) but then i tried to explain how a whole irrigation/water purification process takes time, permits/laws, funding, etc... And he was like "so what can you do for us to have those things?". And he kept asking me if i was going to take all this information home to my government to get help for them. Seriously, my heart was literally breaking right there. He just kept flooding me with "what can you do?" "what can your country do?" "you will come back and help us?" "who will help us?" "do you see the poverty of our children? they are sick and dying from the water, what can you do??" and oh man i wanted to run out of there because i felt like i was given a needle and thread and then asked to build a skyscraper with it. After i left all i could think about was who is going to help these people? When i was in the office, they sent in some students in to sing and dance and perform for me - they were so beautiful! And to think that most of them will never have the opportunity to persue anything past 10th grade. After i visited each room they must of had recess or something because they all came down and i was bombarded by what seemed like hundreds of kids asking for my autograph. My autograph! I wanted to laugh and be like "i promise you i'm really not special. nor am i exciting by any means. you should probably save your paper". But the teachers were coming up to me and saying how happy i was that i came to help them and to help their country. It was really overwhelming. But it gave me like a "righteous anger" or whatever that's called to make it my business to come home and figure out just what i need to do to get involved in international child health laws. I feel like how can i just go home to my comforts and my perfect life and forget what they asked of me? I can't make things perfect but given the resources i have i think the least i can do is give it my best shot. No?

Well i better go. i will use the rest of this afternoon to prepare for a training session i will be having for the women here on sunday. they'll be learning about proper prenatal care so they can better serve the village people here. should be interesting - it's always a challenge getting things interpreted.

I hope this entry finds all of you at home doing well. I miss you guys and think of you all daily!

The days here are quickly passing...hard to believe i am finishing my third week here!
This past Saturday was the World Health Organization Day, so I got to attend a rally for it here in Bangladesh, along with workers from a number of NGO's and GO's (Non-Government Organizations; Government Organizations) in the country, including USAID. The following day was National Polio Immunization Day, and i travelled around visiting a number of immunization sites, and helped vaccinate the local children. Spent the rest of the week going out into the slum areas doing "field work", which pretty much entailed going to every home and making sure the children had been vaccinated, and giving the medicine to those who hadn't.
We did celebrate Easter here at the center, but since the country is Muslim, it wasn't much of a holiday. The ladies here did a wonderful job of making me feel really special on my birthday! They had a cake for me, sang songs, gave me a new sari, and our pastor and his wife cooked a wonderfully yummy dinner for me :)
Other than that i've been working trying to shadow the current spoken english teacher at our "student friendship center" that i will be replacing. I am kind of scared to teach English, i've never done anything like that before (and i'm awful at grammar!).
We also have been making weekly visits to the brothel areas of the country. Which entails first getting a rickshaw to take us to the bus, then a 2 1/2 hour bus ride, then a 45 minute row boat to the jungles where they have all the brothels. We spent about 2 hours talking to the ladies, and then spent the rest of the day with the children that live there. It's such a devistating situation. Seeing girls so young being forced into that lifestyle. No one to fight for them. No one to defend them, rescue them... It is heartbreaking. If you haven't seen the documentary "Born into Brothels", i highly recommend it. It's extremely eye-opening. Although the documentary takes place in Calcutta (which i hope to visit soon...), the scenerios are still the same here.
This week I started writing up an initiative to design a health screening program for the kids in the slum areas of the "wards" of the country that have been given to us by UNICEF. So far i've designed physical assessment forms for newborns, and one for children. The results of the assessments/screenings will serve as a research base to identify what kind of programs we can develop here to really meet the needs of the surrounding community. The goal is to screen 500-1,000 kids. Now i'm just working on getting the forms translated into Bangali and working on getting all the instruments/supplies that i need. So that's something to keep me busy, and a project i can really design from the ground up, which is exciting.
Despite having work to keep me busy, i still struggle a lot with feelings of homesickness. The climate here is really uncomfortable, and living alone with no one around you who speaks english, and having nothing to do, nowhere to go, no one to talk to, and (usually) no electricity...it can be really trying. I woke up a few nights ago to find myself in the middle of a cyclone. Talk about your worst fears being realized! Monsoon season is coming, which i'm not all that excited about. But there is a time and season for everything...and i know that for now i'm here. Not sure about a return date to the states. I'll be going to Romania in 2 weeks, so that will be a nice break.
Hope all is well back home, and that you all had a great Easter/Spring Break.
Love and Blessings,
Nicole

Well, my first week in Bangladesh has come to an end. I'm sorry this update isn't sooner in getting to you, but between the sporatic electricity and the touch-and-go dial up connection, it has been a bit of a challenge.

This week has had it's share of ups and downs as I try to adjust to an unprecedented amount of culture shock. Life here in a Bengali village is much different than I had originally imagined. Juggling a new language, a new culture, a new set of unfamiliar places/faces, a seemingly infinite language barrier, a new climate (it is *insanely* hot), and barely having and native English speakers around me (or people in my age range!) has been a lot get acclamated to in such a short time period. Two weeks ago I had New York City at my disposal and today I find myself reading and writing letters by candlelight, sleeping under a mosquito net, and at times having only a paper fan to combat the oppressive heat and humidity. While it is easy for me to get caught up in the "woe is me" mentality, just simply observing my surroundings as i live and work totally shakes me and shoots down my selfishness and changes my heart entirely.

Never have my eyes witnessed such poverty and need. Never have i been so overwhelmed by the multitudes plagued with sickness, sadness, hopelessness, poverty and injustice. A great deal of the time i keep asking God a neverending stream of "why??"s. Why is that these people have nothing? Why is there so much suffering here? Why does it seem like all the world has turned a deaf ear to it's brothers and sisters crying out? Why is there no chance for education and prosperity here? Why do men and women still have to live and work like imprisioned slaves? Why can't the cycle of poverty and disease be broken here?

Unfortunately, our culture and society tends to shield us from the "other" way of living, and we are programmed to live our lives subconsciously assuming that it is normal, and the standard all around. I am as guilty as the next person. When I am home, I do not lend all that much consideration to the fact that I am extremely priviledged and blessed. I feel like it is owed me, in some way. *Of course* i have electricity, nice clothing, a new car, a host of electronic devices and trinkets, a top notch education, the world at my fingertips. *Of course* i have credit cards. *Of course* my house has more space than I actually need. *Of course*I have adequate medical care. There isn't anything I need that I lack. There no boundary to what I can become if i put the effort forth. I never have to worry about going hungry. I know my home will not cave in when it rains, and that my city will not be swept away in a moderate flood. I know my children will be provided for. Why was I dealt this lot instead of the lot I see here among these people? What could I have done to earn it? Nothing. So, Lord, why do I live this one way and not the other? What must I do? What must WE do? All too often we do nothing. We don't even realize that something as insignificant as 10 dollars a month could provide food, clothing, shelter and medical care to an entire family for week? Why are we so ignorant to the need of our brothers and sisters? Why do we selfishly hoard all of our riches and comforts so tightly - as if we did something to deserve them!

So, i implore you to search your hearts this week as I have found myself doing. What have I been given, and -more importantly-, why? Surely my very existance can't be only to glorify, prosper and reward myself. Especially those of us who call ourselves Christians and claim to be an extension of the love and character of Christ. We greatfully with open arms embrace the blessings and favor a life given to Christ grants us. We gladly claim the verses that promise us all the good things, the granting of the desires of our hearts, etc... But what about in 1 John where we read "Whoever claimss to live in Him must walk as Jesus did" ? How then, did our Savior live? He loved the unloved; he sat with the poor, the sick and the outcasted. He defended the defenseless. He brought justice to those who could not fight for themselves. He comforted those who mourn. He bestowed gifts on the "least" and "undeserving". He gave Himself - the Ultimate Sacrifice - and yet here we are, blessed beyond measure and we have to sit for hours debating whether we can give $10 a month, or sponsor a needy child, or give a dollar to the homeless man, or donate food/clothes to our local pantry, or go on a short term missions trip, or shovel our elderly neighboors snow, or work pro-bono, or fast a meal to intercede for the lost. We are so "inconvenienced" by it all. Someone else will do it, we say. It's not my "calling". Don't we realize this attitude breaks the heart of God?

Don't get me wrong, I am in no means laying a guilt trp for us. We are a blessed people. But how often we take it for granted. How often we hoard it all and become so inwardly focused. The need is great even in our own backyard. If each of us really truly excercised the love, compassion, kindness and mercy that we are called to exemplify, imagine the change and impact we would see in our world!

We were each given different gifts, blessing, passions, etc.. We each have different careers, visions, and dreams. I am daily starting to search my heart and asking God to show me and teach me how to walk as He did. To see my career and my life as not some great quest for personal gain and fame, but that my life would reach others and that I would a good steward of all that He has given me and entrusted me with. I challenge you all to do the same.

I do not want to be idle anymore. In the light of eternity, all of my treasures on Earth are worthless compared to the life i find when I am overflowing with the love and character of Christ.

I hope to be able to update you again soon about work I am doing here. Lots to say! Please continue to keep the people of Bangladesh in your prayers, and also myself, as I continue to pray for all of you at home.

Love,
Nicole

Hello everyone!



How are you all? It's been a while! Just wanted to send out a little update :-)

Right now i'm in Dubai (United Arab Emirates) and then headed to Bangladesh for the next few months! I'm really excited for the opportunities that are before me and the honor to have a hand in some of the incredible things going on in this area of the world. Here is a short summary of what my assignment is so you can keep these women in your thoughts/prayers if you'd like :-)



Our programs are:
1) a mother-child care program where we feed and give nutrition training to expecting moms and also underweight, sick or at risk newborns and their mothers for six months. We have a doctor who volunteers one day a week to see these mothers and babies. It will be so great to have you because you can also help in these examinations and do your own examinations and consultations other than the once a week we have been limited to. There is lots of field work in canvassing the poor slums to find these at risk mothers and children and do follow-up.
2) Immunization program - we have been given two wards of Khulna city by the government and are responsible to provide various immunizations on a schedule. This also entails a lot of field work, especially in the govt sponsored emphasis. For example, right now, there is a big push by the govt to adminster polio oral vaccine to every child in Bangladesh, as they have had some new cases and there is concern to battle this potential outbreak before it gets out of hand. So we are responsible to do that in the wards we are responsible for. Part of the field work is also in health education in these slums.
3) We regularly train community based midwives to cut down on infant and mother mortality rates. We have regular times of training midwives and developing trainers in the south, north and east of Bangladesh.
4) We sponsor mobile medical clinics by visiting medical professionals in rural areas and slums.
5) We have a ministry in a large brothel near Khulna. Right now there are good news clubs for the children of the ladies, and also some of the moms attend weekly. We are developing relationship and trust with the ladies and are planning to open a rescue home for 5-8 girls to get them out of the brothel and educate and train them, saving them from what would otherwise be a cycle of bondage. This ministry is developing and it could be that your coming would be a time we could advance farther in doing more in this ministry.
6) Micro-credit loan and income generation program. There have been some new restrictions placed on this type of project by the government and we are waiting to see if we will be able to navigate the new rules or not. This program is only for women.

So as you can see, we minister to and help mainly women. We would love to see an on site birthing center started. We are currently trying to raise money for equipment.




Sounds pretty exciting, right? I am happy to help! Thank you so much for all of you that have been so wonderful in every way. For all your encouraging words, your financial support, your prayers, your friendships, and your emails/letters (keep them coming!!). I will miss all of you and look foward to continued correspondance with you all!



Now that things are back up to speed, i'll be updating on here and hopefully posting pictures periodically on my picture website (http://community.webshots.com/user/ldynicole9). There are a ton of pictures on there from my time in Egypt if you're interested. Keep checking back! :-)



If anyone is interested in sending "snail mail" (which i would *love!* ::hint hint!::) you can send it to:

Shalom AG Center
12 Rupsha Strand Road
Chanmari, Khulna
BANGLADESH

Love and Blessings,
Nicole :-)

So much to say, so little time!
I will write again once i'm settled back home.
It's been a thrilling last week here.
Clinic, sunday school, library, pyramids twice, dinners, friends (who have become my new family <3), shopping, markets, packing, museums, etc...
It's so hard to believe that tomorrow night i'll be flying out of this wonderful country that i've come to love and heading to....Turkey! then London. Then to my beloved NYC and all those i've been missing :)
Please pray that some things fall into place. In the three short weeks i have at home i've got lots to do and lots has to get ironed out. My board exam for school, a trip to DC for a few days to get a visa, 5 days in Orlando with my bestest friend, family things, trying to see people, shopping, repacking, new immunizations, etc...
Once i get myself all settled in i'll write some sort of reflection about my time here. Right now i'm just in the middle of cleaning, packing up, and praying a million prayers that i don't get socked with this 500 dollar fee i'm anticipating with my extra bag and a "heavy" charge on atleast two of them. Hmm. I bought about 25 books while i was here. Perhaps that did me in ;)
But anyway...i'll leave you a link with a bunch of new pictures. I'd post some but the uploading process takes time that i don't have at the moment.
http://community.webshots.com/user/ldynicole9


It has truly been the experience of a lifetime here. God blesses us in ways we least expect. The people i have met and the places i have been have impacted me in ways i can't even describe. I have aquired a new family. I have experienced a culture and a people that have changed my outlook on a great many things. I have seen God in ways I have never seen Him before. I have discovered that some of His plans for me were not quite the plans I had, yet as they unfold my heart is overjoyed at what is now before me.

The adventure has only just begun :)

Signing off from Egypt,

Nicole <3

Sometimes...there are no words to describe the beauty and the majesty of God. These are pictures from Mount Sinai. Yes, we climbed it. We rode camels 2/3's of the way up in the pitch black and i just stared in awe at the scene around me. At the sky that was glowing with a display of stars unlike anything i have ever seen before. I looked around at the majestic mountain all around and tried to truly take it all in. Understand what had occured in this very place so long ago. The path that Moses took, the trek the Israelities made. The very steps they once took out of Egypt, i was taking today. We began the trek at 2:30am, and for atleast 2 hours i just sat on my camel (not gonna lie...i was a little nervous to be on a camel all alone that was climbing up a mountain in the pitch black darkness of night, but hey maybe i'm braver than i thought!) and the tears just seemed to keep flowing. It was so real. God is so real. I dont know any other way to describe it. I wished i had pictures or video to capture the journey up at night, but i realized i'd much rather just have it in my heart. Me and God had some serious talks...discussed some big things...i needed peace, guidance, wisdom...and i think he needed me to be in a place where i could just sit and listen. It was the most amazing night of my life.

We did end up climbing up on foot for the last 2 hours or so. Originally we were told it would be about 800 steps. Well, by steps they meant loose jagged rocks, and by loose jagged rocks they really just meant the mountain. And of course i was ill prepared with my cheap 10 dollar "oh-i'm-just-going-to-leave-these-in-egypt" sneakers that were not exactly great for climbing. And taking into consideration that i haven't worked out in about 23 years and have zero mountain climbing experience, Mount Sinai in the dark was a bit of a challenge ;) But it was fun, despite the occasional embarassing slip or tumble! My 9 layers made for good padding ;) We made it up to the very top to watch the sunrise. Talk about amazing!!! Just sitting admiring the most breathtaking scenery ever. I felt like nothing could ever compare. By the morning we were pretty tired and thought it would be nice to take camels back down, despite warnings that it wouldn't be a great idea. What could be so bad? Well my friends, i would soon find out! While the ride up was not terribly uncomfortable (just a little nerve-wracking wondering how this camel just wouldn't wander off the cliff since no one was guiding it and there wasn't a light in sight!), the ride down was incrediblyyyyy the opposite of anything remotely resembling comfort. Not to mention my camel got away and was a bit of a speedster...so i learned really quickly had to control the camel on my own. The Beduoin man who owned the camel made zero effort to chase after us. He just laughed as i got further and further away! And of course demanded a tip at the end (ohhh, egyptians!!). But me and Thundercat (my camel) had a good time. I took some pretty funny video footage of myself trying to navigate my downhill journey on Sinai. Over all, an awesome experience. I would recommend it to a friend ;)

and for all my history/Bible buffs...we took a hike into one of the valleys (where we spent the night with a beduoin family who played music for us, gave us tea, etc... totally cool experience!) the day before the climb up Sinai. Along the way we say the rock which is believed to be the rock that the water came out of when Moses struck it. There are 12 fissures in it, said to be for the 12 tribes of Israel. Also, we saw what is thought to be the burning bush. The bush was uprooted a very long time ago, and replanted in a nearby area, but inside of the holy room of the St. Katherine's monastery on the mountain, where we had stayed. So that was very very cool to see. We stood by the Red Sea, and i imagined what it must have been like to experience the power of God part such a mighty body of water.

Just in general, our trip to Sinai was an amazing experience. It far outdid the African Safari :)

I'm heading to New York in less than a week! I don't know whether i am really happy or really sad! I suppose i can be a mixture of both. I am nervous that i wont fit everything into the three(ish) weeks i have at home. I am also nervous a little about having to adjust to another brand new culture. Bangladesh will be a completely different experience. And it will be longer. And it will be more taxing physically (monsoons, heat, etc...) and i'll be the only American/foreigner working there. So it will probably a season of "lonliness" or "solitude", which isn't necessarily a bad thing... I'll be living in a compound on the church grounds. But I am welcoming the experience with open arms. When I start feeling weak, small, and overwhelmed at the task i have undertaken...i just think about what a blessing it is to be able to do such work. And what an honor and priviledge it is. It is so humbling to feel like God has the confidence in me to let me do it. Sometimes I want to ask Him what on earth He was thinking. But lately I have been learning that life is a wonderful gift, and every day is an opportunity to do all that you can to honor God, to better the world around you, to enrich your life, to feed your soul, to take in the beauty of the people and places around you, to learn something new, to make someone smile, to bring light where there is darkness....


enjoy the Sinai pictures(and other assorted pictures....Orphanage Day, pictures from the office, Sunday School, scenery, etc...). Keep your eyes peeled for the Pyramids and the Sphinx. Those will be on the next post :)

ps- Everyone is welcome to come over my house next tuesday night. I'd love to see you :)