What better way to wake up than to look out the window and see 2 inches of white fluffy snow covering everything as if a baker had taken a huge bag of confectioner's sugar and poured it over the earth, coating everything in a white powder? The visually appealing condensation soon melted away like my hopes of doing well on my test melted to the consistency of a microwaved Marshmallow Peep.
My discouragement and fried brain were soon lightened with an encouraging CMDA meeting and some free Chik-Fil-A. Our speaker today was a Med-Peds doc who had spent almost a decade at a missionary hospital in Ecuador. The faces of all the indigents receiving healthcare coupled with the incredible mountainous landscapes and wildlife of the region evoked memories of Guatemala. I keep telling myself-"6 more years; only 6 more years." Seeing the need in such places and knowing that countless others wait hopefully for someone to bring them the "good news" and meet their spiritual and physical needs as well only furthers the urge.
I cannot understand how we who live in a land so "blessed" feel so compelled to believe that our "good Christian duty" is merely to be a "good example," a "light for others," and to believe that the price that was paid for our lives permits us to disconnect ourselves from the call of the Great Commission. It's my prayer that the word of God penetrates down to our very marrow (Heb 4:12) until we cannot help but feel the calling to unleash ourselves from our complacent attitudes and bring hope the hopeless.
Two more days of tests and my mind is in another world (or at least another continent)
2.28.2005
2.27.2005
All I Need to Know...
...is that, "The heart is a pump," and "blood goes round and round."
"The lungs are a bellows" and "air goes in and out."
When the body deviates from these two principles then it's a bad thing.
I think I got it (plus about 300+ pages of notes to accompany these two ideas).
Maybe I'm ready for tomorrow's test and the next day's and the next day's...
"The lungs are a bellows" and "air goes in and out."
When the body deviates from these two principles then it's a bad thing.
I think I got it (plus about 300+ pages of notes to accompany these two ideas).
Maybe I'm ready for tomorrow's test and the next day's and the next day's...
2.19.2005
What do you Think?
After months/years of relying on the generosity of friends, and since this is probably something I'm going to be participating in for the rest of my life (assuming my upcoming MRI on my back gives me the green light), I've decided that I should probably invest in my own outdoor equipment. In doing so, I'd like to purchase the best quality for the price items that fit within a med school budget (used is ok). So...here's where audience participation (that means YOU) comes into this blog.
What brands/items are your favorites to use on your outdoor excursions?
What brands/items are your favorites to use on your outdoor excursions?
2.13.2005
Echame
This weekend was a much-needed respite from the monotonous life of studying. I spent a day in Knoxville to hang out with old friends and pretend that I was a carefree undergrad. Like Paul to the Philippians is how I feel toward the Ktown crew and there's just something about communicating in person that trumps the efficiency of electronic devices. It was refreshing to see everyone again and to talk about something besides cardiac output and the lymphoid cells of the spleen.
Of course no trip to Knoxville is complete without a visit to Moes (even though we have its rival Barberitos here in Johnson City) and a random trip to Wally World. Those completed, a few of us decided to splurge and go see "Hitch". I recommend it despite the few words here and there; it's an admirable attempt to explain the innate differences that define men and women and the interplay that follows as a result.
Back in JC, tonight's Spanish service went rather well despite my feeble attempts at simultaneous translation. Amado and Erlinda and co. are coming back Sunday morning and were overjoyed to be able to worship with fellow Christians again. Afterwards, Josh and Chara and I visited with the family where my poor translation turned Josh's statement of "I like to play checkers" into "I like a game of ladies." It's going to be a rough two weeks as I try to find study time while engaging in this new ministry. Sometimes I feel like the Bible verse about being poured out like a drink offering, but I suppose that's what we're here for, for God to pour out every drop of our talents such that we realize our strength comes from Him and not ourselves. For those of you reading this, I hope you're all doing well. Don't expect me to be lurking on your blogs too much in the coming weeks, my head will be buried in the books until Spring Break. Take care and may God bless you to be a blessing to someone else!
Of course no trip to Knoxville is complete without a visit to Moes (even though we have its rival Barberitos here in Johnson City) and a random trip to Wally World. Those completed, a few of us decided to splurge and go see "Hitch". I recommend it despite the few words here and there; it's an admirable attempt to explain the innate differences that define men and women and the interplay that follows as a result.
Back in JC, tonight's Spanish service went rather well despite my feeble attempts at simultaneous translation. Amado and Erlinda and co. are coming back Sunday morning and were overjoyed to be able to worship with fellow Christians again. Afterwards, Josh and Chara and I visited with the family where my poor translation turned Josh's statement of "I like to play checkers" into "I like a game of ladies." It's going to be a rough two weeks as I try to find study time while engaging in this new ministry. Sometimes I feel like the Bible verse about being poured out like a drink offering, but I suppose that's what we're here for, for God to pour out every drop of our talents such that we realize our strength comes from Him and not ourselves. For those of you reading this, I hope you're all doing well. Don't expect me to be lurking on your blogs too much in the coming weeks, my head will be buried in the books until Spring Break. Take care and may God bless you to be a blessing to someone else!
2.09.2005
Visiting Family
Exhausted and "emocionada" would be two words to aptly describe me right now. We had another meeting with Amado and his family tonight. It was an hour and a half of my attempts at Spanish translation and of hearing about how awesome a God we serve. Amado recounted us about how he came to know Christ, about how our brothers in Christ visited him for over a year before he even decided to pick up his Bible to see what it contained, about how he would stay up hours into the night with only the light of a small burning pile of twigs searching the scriptures for truth, and how great a desire he has to share such hope and good news with other Hispanics in the area.
How often have I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning, intently searching God's word? How many times have I been so eager to share that which God has given me that I would pursue those who are lost even if a year later they were still unresponsive? How many opportunities from answered prayers have I missed because I was searching out "my answer" and not where God was actually working? How many times are we content with just "being a good example" and not actually fulfilling our part of the great commission?
I'm happy to say that the first (and hopefully not last) meeting of the Central hispanic church will be this Sunday night at 6pm after spending a weekend with those of you in Ktown. Isn't God awesome?
I'll leave you with a translated verse from one of my new favorite Spanish Christian songs:
No soy religioso solo amo al Señor
Todo lo que hago es darle el corazon
No soy religioso solo amo al Señor
Vivo para amarle y ser testigo de su amor.
Les quiero mucho! Cuidate!!
How often have I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning, intently searching God's word? How many times have I been so eager to share that which God has given me that I would pursue those who are lost even if a year later they were still unresponsive? How many opportunities from answered prayers have I missed because I was searching out "my answer" and not where God was actually working? How many times are we content with just "being a good example" and not actually fulfilling our part of the great commission?
I'm happy to say that the first (and hopefully not last) meeting of the Central hispanic church will be this Sunday night at 6pm after spending a weekend with those of you in Ktown. Isn't God awesome?
I'll leave you with a translated verse from one of my new favorite Spanish Christian songs:
No soy religioso solo amo al Señor
Todo lo que hago es darle el corazon
No soy religioso solo amo al Señor
Vivo para amarle y ser testigo de su amor.
Les quiero mucho! Cuidate!!
2.06.2005
An Answered Prayer
I was going to write about how my favorite burrito company in Knoxville, Moes, now has competition here in Johnson City, but after what happened tonight, that seems like a very trivial issue.
I suppose I should start from the beginning (well maybe not the very beginning). The other day my classmate, who knows alot of the Hispanics in the area, told me that he had met a couple from Guatemala who was looking for a Church of Christ. I remember that night as I went to bed praying for that couple and praying that somehow that we could find each other.
I usually don't go to church on Sunday nights because it seems that our tests always fall on Mondays. However, since I don't have any tests for a few weeks, I decided that I'd go tonight even though the big game was on TV. Our preacher had preached this morning about multiculturalism, and I had plans of emailing him to see if Central had thought about starting a Hispanic congregation. In a way he beat me to the point. After services tonight were over, our preacher stood up and asked if there was anyone who spoke Spanish. I felt all eyes (at least all my college friends) turn toward me. I went up to him afterwards and told him that I did. He proceeded to tell me that he'd received an email from TX saying that there was a couple here in Johnson City that was looking for a Church of Christ. We looked at the email and I noted that the address was in the apartment complex where I just started volunteering as a mentor with a Hispanic afterschool program. The complex is less than a mile from my house. I called the man, Amado Velasquez, and asked if we could come visit. He agreed, and the preacher and I went to his apartment. To make a long story short, Amado and his family had been members of the church in Guatemala. They had moved to the States and quit going to church. When they moved to Johnson City about a year ago, he felt the urge to rededicate his life. He asked around, but everyone told him that there wasn't a Church of Christ.
As I prepared to move to Johnson City, not quite a year ago, I remember praying to God to let me find ways to use my Spanish, especially in bringing others to Christ and helping them grow closer to God. You see where this is going? Tonight I was an answer to Amado's prayer and my own. It made me realize that God doesn't always answer our prayers right away, and He goes through great lengths to seek out the 1 wandering sheep (Amado told me he felt like that sheep) though He already has 99 others.
I ask for your prayers for Amado and his family, that the church here can help him and maybe even start a Hispanic congregation, and that somehow I will be able to juggle this and my med school studies, the least on my mind at the moment. Before we left the small, crowded apartment, Amado, eyes bright and a smile from ear-to-ear etched on his face, told us how thankful he was that God had sent us and for such a loving Christian family. Indeed, I'm thankful too to be a part such a family that knows no race, geographical, or language barrier and to serve a God who loves us so much that he'd bring a wandering Guatemalan brother and a seeking Gringa sister together. Sendas Dios hara!
I suppose I should start from the beginning (well maybe not the very beginning). The other day my classmate, who knows alot of the Hispanics in the area, told me that he had met a couple from Guatemala who was looking for a Church of Christ. I remember that night as I went to bed praying for that couple and praying that somehow that we could find each other.
I usually don't go to church on Sunday nights because it seems that our tests always fall on Mondays. However, since I don't have any tests for a few weeks, I decided that I'd go tonight even though the big game was on TV. Our preacher had preached this morning about multiculturalism, and I had plans of emailing him to see if Central had thought about starting a Hispanic congregation. In a way he beat me to the point. After services tonight were over, our preacher stood up and asked if there was anyone who spoke Spanish. I felt all eyes (at least all my college friends) turn toward me. I went up to him afterwards and told him that I did. He proceeded to tell me that he'd received an email from TX saying that there was a couple here in Johnson City that was looking for a Church of Christ. We looked at the email and I noted that the address was in the apartment complex where I just started volunteering as a mentor with a Hispanic afterschool program. The complex is less than a mile from my house. I called the man, Amado Velasquez, and asked if we could come visit. He agreed, and the preacher and I went to his apartment. To make a long story short, Amado and his family had been members of the church in Guatemala. They had moved to the States and quit going to church. When they moved to Johnson City about a year ago, he felt the urge to rededicate his life. He asked around, but everyone told him that there wasn't a Church of Christ.
As I prepared to move to Johnson City, not quite a year ago, I remember praying to God to let me find ways to use my Spanish, especially in bringing others to Christ and helping them grow closer to God. You see where this is going? Tonight I was an answer to Amado's prayer and my own. It made me realize that God doesn't always answer our prayers right away, and He goes through great lengths to seek out the 1 wandering sheep (Amado told me he felt like that sheep) though He already has 99 others.
I ask for your prayers for Amado and his family, that the church here can help him and maybe even start a Hispanic congregation, and that somehow I will be able to juggle this and my med school studies, the least on my mind at the moment. Before we left the small, crowded apartment, Amado, eyes bright and a smile from ear-to-ear etched on his face, told us how thankful he was that God had sent us and for such a loving Christian family. Indeed, I'm thankful too to be a part such a family that knows no race, geographical, or language barrier and to serve a God who loves us so much that he'd bring a wandering Guatemalan brother and a seeking Gringa sister together. Sendas Dios hara!
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