Here's to the Upcoming Holiday

Aren't they cute?


May your day be spent in quiet appreciation of those you love like these two adorable creatures.
As for me, I'll be spending the day listening to sappy music and learning how not to be such a heartbreaker.
Happy VDay!

A New Turn in the Road

Promethazine, atropine, meclizine, everywhere a "zine, zine." That's what spending a lovely day inside studying drugs will do to you.

So I've been thinking about this whole blogging thing lately, and what I've come to realize that I've deviated from my original intent for creating this blog. It was originally intended as a means as a replacement to the emails I used to send out to keep in touch while I was away learning to become a doctor. However, those who I used to write aren't really those who now read, and some wonderful meetings with old friends over the past few months made me realize that the lines of communication were never meant to be solely sustained through broadband and blogging.
In a nutshell, this blog is no longer for the purpose of learning what's going on in my life. Don't worry faithful blog readers; I'll still write when I have time about whatever may be on my mind or heart. It's in the best interest of all of us that this occur. I don't have to worry about finding time to keep you updated nor finding time to read your many blogs (that's what phones, emails, personal visits, etc are for). With that having been said, I leave you with some fond memories of the past year:



Speaking of roads...along I-40 right past Amarillo you can find numerous old Caddies buried in the dirt. Don't ask me why. Sain showed Cammie and I this roadside attraction when we stopped to visit him. Apparently there's not much else to do in Texas (just kidding Sain!). On our way out the following morning, we decided to leave our own signature on this Western Town attraction...I wonder if it's still there...


What can I say? It's the Grand Canyon, representative of a memorable 3 day camping trip. If you've never been on a roadtrip you should definitely consider doing so.


I think this is one of my favorite pictures taken while abroad. I can't thank God enough for having the opportunity to experience another culture, to"feel the pulse of the persecuted church," and to be among Christians who truly know what "family" means. Just a few dollars spent on a Pinata, candy, and some string, but it resulted in a priceless look of joy on this little girl's face. I'm constantly amazed at how God can take what little we have to offer and turn it into something great.


An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure-teaching the best way of preventing disease-handwashing. While I was in Guatemala, a preacher gave a sermon about how we consider the book of Acts to be completed yet we each have our own chapter to contribute if we believe God and the wonderful message of the "Good News." I'd like to think that this class was only a tiny part of my chapter, and I look forward to see what the following pages contain.


In all my experiences abroad, I seem to find myself on a random roadtrip. This was a stop at Castillo San Felipe near Rio Dulce before the infamous Shigella incident. Don't worry, the cannon wasn't loaded.


The CSC guys (and girls); where would I be without them? No semester is complete without a visit to Knoxville or some stop nearby. An October hike to Hen Wallow Falls led to Brad and Eric and giving their impersonation of "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" while Justin did the "Smiling Hungry Bear." Good times. Good hikes.


One of the blessings of Johnson City: Mrs. Chara Watson. Not only did she make this cool scarf and hat for me for Christmas, she was kind enough to come stay with me at JCMC when they decided that Barium shakes would be a great thing for me to try while I was waiting for my IV to finish. I seriously don't know what I'd do without my Christian family.


Hanlin was this the 4th or 5th Pancake Pantry Reunion? A holdover from our life together at Governor's School way back in the day, Lauren, Hanlin, and I always make time to have breakfast at this famous sweet spot in Nashville. Unfortunately, the closest we got to seeing a country music star was this rather large guitar.


A beautiful wedding for a beautiful couple, Nancy and Manuel. They were the ones that invited me to come spend a memorable three weeks in Guatemala this past summer, and it was an honor to attend their wedding. It's rare to meet people with a passion for seeking and saving the lost and even rarer to meet a couple whose primary purpose in life is spurred by this passion. I know God will be using them in great ways in the coming years.

So there you have it. Michele Gourley 2005 in condensed annotated and illustrated form. Per usual, I leave you with another one of my favorite quotes:


"Health is based on happiness-from hugging and clowning around to finding joy in family and friends, satisfaction in work, and ecstasy in nature and the arts." -Patch Adams

Reason #57...

...why Quillen is the greatest kept secret in medical schools: all-expense paid trips to conferences in cool places like San Diego. Unfortunately, the trip started off a little rough, though I should have expected that for the following reasons:
1. It was Friday the 13th
2.I was attending a medical missions conference (see example)
3. I was flying Delta (which bears the moniker "Don't Ever Leave the Airport")

Bad weather caused us to miss our flight from Atlanta to San Diego. There was another flight leaving later, but it was overbooked. Our trusted travel guru classmate Ryan tried to use his "Medallion" status to pull some strings and called hotels.com to arrange accomadations for the night, but it was to no avail. There were no more flights out and no available rooms in Atlanta. We were going to just have to spend the night in the Atlanta airport.


Looking way too happy for preparing for a stay in our "comfy" beds

We scavenged the airport for a good place to sleep and found some non-armrest chairs in the international terminal. It actually wouldn't have been too bad except for the wonderful pre-set recording that woke us up every 20 minutes or so to remind us to keep an eye on our luggage at all times and to not accept baggage from strangers. Bleary-eyed and showerless we caught the next flight out at 8:30 and arrived in sunny San Diego around the middle of the morning.

Though we missed the first half of the conference, the rest of the day and Sunday were great. It was my first non-Christian medical missions conference, but it was still worthwhile. I learned, and find it amusingly ironic, that many of these people sacrifice months and years of their lives and money spending time learning the culture and language of the people whom they serve, tirelessly giving of their talents to help better the lives of others. On the other hand, many Christians don't learn the language and culture and throw away thousands of dollars and one week of their time to help better the lives of others and call it "sacrifice." Just something to think about but I'm not tackling such an issue here. Needless to say, it was a very informative weekend and it was nice to see that others share in the vision to provide healthcare to those who need it the most: the impoverished, the oppressed, the ones who don't have the fortune to live in this country.

Of course, no trip to San Diego is complete without a trip to the San Diego Zoo. The super-cool, soon-to-be-famous Matt (not Lee) Brown left his famous movie friends in LA to hang out with me, and we went to the zoo with my classmate Elizabeth. It was a good thing that he did come see me, or else the Zoo might be minus one panda. I really wanted to take the little brother of this guy home with me. Why can't Pandas be as numerous as dogs?


Can I take him home with me?

This is a picture of us sitting on almost an exact replica of myself. How thoughtful of the Zoo people to create such a stunning likeness of yours truly! (just kidding)

Matt and I atop a hungry hippo!


Looks like someone's lawn ornaments got loose!

Elizabeth and I explored some more of San Diego Sunday night and Monday morning before flying back to the South and our "exciting" lives as medical students. In short, the moral of the story is always take advantage of opportunities to travel to places you've never been, take time to visit old friends, don't fly on Friday the 13th, and always be prepared for the unexpected!!!

"As the traveler who has once been from home is wiser than he who has never left his own doorstep, so a knowledge of one other culture should sharpen our ability to scrutinize more steadily, to appreciate more lovingly, our own." -Margaret Mead

Leave of Absence

The administrator of this blog regrets to inform its readers that there will be no additional postings until further notice due to deviation from the blog's original intent and an upcoming series of tests and hectic travel schedule in the coming months.

Any comments, questions, or concerns may be addressed to the blog administrator via email, phone, or in person. Thank you for your time and attention.

I've Been Tagged

I've had writer's block the past few days and haven't been online much to update, but Critter just broke me of that by tagging me with the following: I'm supposed to write down 5 weird habits that I have and then tag 5 more people to do the same. Not to ruin the giving nature of the Christmas spirit I suppose I should try to fulfill Critter's wishes :o)

Let's see if this med. school nerd has any weird habits...hmm...

1. When I'm really stressed or in deep thought while studying, I like to play with my hair. I guess I think that toying with what comes out of my scalp might help me insert information into what lies under it.
2. I'm a self-professed car singer (when driving solo). I'm sure this has garnered many odd looks from other drivers, especially if the CD is one of my Spanish pop/rock ones.
3. I can't stand to have silverware touch the table at a restaurant. Spend 3 years of your life studying microbes, watch the busboys, and you'll understand.
4. Sometimes I do random Google searches when I can't sleep. Just pick two random words or phrases and see what comes up. You should try it sometime.
5. I have to eat my pancakes in the condition of syrupy-sogginess . I guess you could say I like pancakes with my syrup :o)

There you have it. 5 random facts about your med. school nerd friend that you probably never wanted to know. After much thought, I'm tagging those on my "Random Reads" list (which should probably be updated since it isn't so random anymore) Chara, Dave, Kent, Justin (since there are no rules about tag-backs), and Dan. Sorry guys!

I hope you are all enjoying the wonderful holiday season, and look for a more relevant update sometime in the near future...

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year?

It's so nice to be back at home. It's so nice to sleep in and not feel guilty for missing Dr.Brown's pathology class. It's so nice to have an "extra week" of break (thanks to friends' weddings). It's so nice to have a time to relax and enjoy the company of friends and family. It's so nice to be back in a church that's truly understanding and doesn't try to gloss over the realities of life.
The following was presented as part of a lesson last Sunday night, acknowledging that this time of year isn't necessarily wonderful, especially for those who have lost loved ones, gone through divorce, suffered the estrangement of close relative, lost their health or their job, etc.. Let's try and remember those people, and there are more of them out there than you might think, and show some extra kindess and compassion toward them this holiday season.

I hope you are enjoying the break, and if you're in the mid-TN area the next few weeks, stop by and say hello!

Beatitudes for Those who Comfort
by: Jackie Deems

Blessed are those who do not use tears to measure the true feelings of the bereaved.
Blessed are those who do not always have a quick "comforting" answer.
Blessed are those who do not make judgments on the bereaved's closeness to God by their reaction to the loss of their loved one.
Blessed are those who hear with their hearts and not with their minds.
Blessed are those who allow the bereaved enough time to heal.
Blessed are those who admit their uncomfortableness and put it aside to help the bereaved.
Blessed are those who do not give unwanted advice.
Blessed are those who continue to call, visit and reach out when the crowd has dwindled and the wounded are left standing alone.
Blessed are those who know the worth of each person as a unique individual and do not pretend that they can be replaced or forgotten.
Blessed are those who realize the fragility of bereavement and handle it with an understanding shoulder and a loving heart.

Another Milestone

Me Entiende? The Changing Communication Paradigm in Healthcare



This picture represents the culmination of a year's worth of rural health interdisciplinary research and the collaborative efforts of medical, public health, and nursing students. We didn't save the world, but at least the Tri-Cities area is aware of the need to promote cultural competency in a healthcare setting and provide adequate interpretation services for those with Limited English Proficiency (Title VI of 1964 and Executive Order 13166 of 2000). Who ever would have thought that I would get credit hours for eating Mexican food and speaking Spanish? (ok so it was a little more than that). The "joys" of being in Rural Track!

Anyways, Cow and Coffee's Mochaccino and gourmet brownie are currently taking effect in my system so it's back to studying while I still have the motivation. Chocolate and coffee: what can I say? It's finals week. One week until break!

Russian Christmas Music

There's nothing like studying neuropathology pictures while listening to Russian Christmas Music. I have to say, it's one of my favorite Christmas selections, perhaps because it stands apart from the conglomeration of naively happy jingles that ceasingly play on the local radio station. Perhaps I like it because of the incredible, substantial chime part (how many musical works have a "substantial" chime part) or the melancholy English horn solo (how many of you readers even know what an English horn is?) which should not be attempted on a standard oboe, speaking from experience.
That’s one of the things I miss most about pursuing a career in medicine: music. It was a hard decision to make my freshman year in college when I chose between a career in music or a career in medicine. The bottom line came down to the fact that a missionary doctor seemed to be in higher demand than a missionary percussionist or oboist (though I did get to use my musical talents once in Chichicastenango, Guatemala—my audience was not impressed). I hope I made the right choice. Some people need their coffee and cigarettes, others their weekly happy hours, and still others their music. It’s no surprise that when I arrived home after my exam, tired and in a very “Grinchy/Bah-humbug” mood, that I pulled off the cover of my marimba. I picked up those four wooden, yarn-covered sticks for the first time in weeks, and soon all the previous days’ stresses floated away in the form of diminished chords, arpeggios, and the strange permutations typical to modern marimba music.
Back to Russian Christmas Music…I suppose the fact that it’s one of my favorite Christmas songs also represents the fact that my favorite things about Christmas don’t align with those of the mass public. Though I enjoy the shopping and the festivities, I don’t await Santa wide-eyed and expectant like I did as a child. Even though some may consider me a “poor medical student,” I currently have more wealth and assets at my disposal than ninety percent of the world will ever have in their lifetime. No, it’s not about the gifts anymore; it’s about the people. One of my favorite things about Christmas is the opportunity to see old friends and family. It’s the one time of year when everyone takes time from their busy schedules to return to that place which they call “home.”
So that’s my post-test ramble. Grab yourself a copy of a holiday CD with Russian Christmas Music. Better yet, support your local musicians by attending an upcoming concert. I hope you’re finding yourself enjoying the “Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and maybe I’ll see you over the break!

A Re-Post

I can't believe it's been almost a year since I ended the first semester of the beginning of the rest of my life. I can't believe it's been over a year since I began this crazy wonderous journey of exploration of the human body. I still don't understand it. I don't think I ever will. If anything, I've just learned to accept and appreciate that which our Creator has given us. The following is a re-post from last December:

Two Lives (an ode to Frank)

by Andrew J. Lipman

Sometimes we wanted to know your name, but we gave you one.
I guess that means that you almost had two identities, really two lives:
One with your family, the other with your students.
Many will want to speak about your tremendous gift--and it is.
Others will want to extol the virtues of studying the human body.
I want to share with you some of my transgressions.
I would be lying if I said I always came to class...
Lying if I said at all times I kept you covered to protect your dignity...
Remiss if I did not mention that you made me nervous sometimes,
especially at the beginning of our relationship...
Did I sometimes fail to respect you as much as I should have? yes...
Was I ever angry with you? yes... Sometimes you hid things from me.
My teachers call that missing points on tests.
I call it not paying attention to you.
But, despite these transgressions, you won.
You did what you set out to do when you gave me your body.
William Carlos Williams said that
"in surgery, man sees what God never meant him to see."
His point is that very few of us have such a privilege.
I think it's the same with anatomy. Now, I can't go back.
I will always know what a human heart looks like. It's almost reflexive:
someone says an anatomic term and I can close my eyes and see it
--in fact, I see yours.
But I guess I'm most amazed by your total trust in strangers.
There are so few examples of this trust to guide us anymore.
I think it would be presumptuous to think you trusted me, personally, because I could have been anyone.
Instead, you gave completely of yourself to all,
in hopes of teaching us a lesson about trust.
You have set a precedent with me.
I've had my first intense relationship with a patient.
And that was you.


It's been a rough weekend and promises to be an even rougher week. I suppose I shouldn't complain; I have too much for which to be thankful. I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving weekend, and I look forward to reading about your experiences...after my Path exam next Monday. Until then--it's "All You Ever Wanted to Know About What's Wrong with Your Mind and Then Some" for me. Hasta lunes!

Fun Things to Do With Food

In honor of the annual holiday of gluttony...I mean Thanksgiving...here's some fun easy recipes to impress your friends and family. They all have a common theme. Props go out to girls' night post-exam potlucks and Kraft's seasonal Food and Family magazine for inspiration. Buen provecho and bon apetit!

Stuffing Balls
1lb ground pork
1 6 oz package stuffing mix
3/4 cup cranberry sauce
1 egg
1/4 c melted butter

Preheat oven to 325. Brown meat and drain. Combine with stuffing mix. Sitr in cranberry sauce, egg and 1 c. water. Shape mixture into 16 balls and brush with melted butter Bake 20 minutes.

November Compote
3 small, sweet apples peeled and chopped into small pieces
1 c. cranberries chopped (be careful--they squish!!)
1/2 c. raisins
1 tbsp. flour
1/4 c. brown sugar packed
1/2 c. apple juice

Preheat oven to 375. Grease 1.5 quart baking dish. In a bowl combine cranberries, apples, and raisins. Add flour and sugar and mix well. Place in baking dish and add apple juice. Cover and bake for 35 minutes, stirring once. Serve as a side, over ham, or eat the leftovers with yogurt for a yummy breakfast treat!

"Save a Turkey Eat a Chicken" Recipe
6 chicken breasts
1 8oz can of cranberry sauce
1/4 c. corn syrup
2 tbsps lemon juice
2 tsbps melted butter
1/2 tsp dried rosemary

Either heat grill or preheat oven to 350. Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste. make sauce by combing remaining ingredients. Grill chicken pieces for 25-40 minutes, adding sauce during last 15 minutes of cooking or cook chicken in the oven, basting with sauce during the last 15-20 minutes.

The author takes no responsibility for the quality of possible future cooking attempts by her readers nor for cooking-related accidents. Happy Cooking!

Feliz Dia del Chompipe!

Or in other words...Happy Turkey Day!! (almost)

I've been thinking alot about the upcoming holiday: of all the memories of Grandma's famous sweet potato casserole, my aunt's "pink salad," making "pilgrim" and "indian" hats, and of drawing turkeys using the outline of your hand in elementary school. All this thinking has caused me to reflect back upon this past year and of all the things for which I have to be thankful. In our rat-race 24/7 society, we often find ourselves complaining of what we don't have and neglect spending time to consider that which we do have. At the risk of sounding sappy and trite, I bestow upon you the honor of reading my "Things for Which I'm Thankful" list (in typical Michele stream-of-consciousness order)

1. For two of the most wonderful parents in the world who didn't always give me what I wanted but gave me what I needed, who taught me what was important in life, and who have always supported me.
2. For the opportunity to study such a masterfully-designed, wonderfully-created being: the human body.
3. For all the opportunities I've had and experienced as a result of #2.
4. For modalities of expression: art, music, literature, photography, dance, laughter, tears, language, nature, and for the ability to appreciate these.
5. For autumn leaves on the VA campus and "10 minute break" walks with classmates
6. For 3 awesome study partners who make Micro fun with their crazy skits and "interpretive dances" of Spirochetes, macrophage responses to my favorite Guatemalan guest Shigella, etc.. (you'd have to be a med school nerd to understand)
7. For girls' nights and "try a new recipe" potlucks
8. For my sisters in Christ who always help me in dessert decisions (order both and split them) and for much more.
9. For my "Lois" (Louise), big brothers and sisters, and all the rest of my church family here
10. For having the opportunity to travel abroad and realize that though we may be from different backgrounds, speak different languages, and come from different cultures, we are all one in Christ.
11. For the people in #10 who have been such a blessing to me through their example, and for opening their hearts, homes, and lives to me.
12. To all those in other countries telling of the wonderful news of Christ
13. For having 66 books and countless verses to read of God's unending love and compassion for us.
14. For being able to meet with my classmates twice a month to pray
15. For the opportunity to reach out to the Hispanic community
16. For email and instant messenger (Someone once told me that God created the internet for missionaries. I don't know if that's true or not but it sure makes communication easier)
17. For quiet moments
18. For holidays free from studying
19. For trials and struggles that bring us to our knees and put things back into perspective
20. For friends and family and the blessed realization that "no man is an island"
21. For fuzzy kitties and snuffly, velvet-nosed horses
22. For "creamy nutmeg" scented candles
23. For waking up to see an unexpected dusting of white on the ground
24. For tulips and spring flowers and for changing seasons
25. For not having to watch my favorite football team lose to Vandy today :^P

That's all for now. Stay tuned for "Quick and Easy Thanksgiving Recipes to Impress Your Friends and Family" aka "some fun things to do with food." Speaking of...if anyone has any great dessert recipes, they would certainly be appreciated. I just found out that the powers-that-be of Thanksgiving dinner have assigned me to making dessert. Slice and bake cookies anyone?

Sometimes Ignorance is Bliss

I thought I'd share a humorous anecdote that happened to me this week. :o)

The amount of knowledge I've accumulated over the past semester alone, not to mention the past year and a half, is astounding. My fellow classmates and I have literally assimilated hundreds of pages of medical facts into the small confines of our brains. Unfortunately, this massive among of knowledge combined with my creative imagination can lead to some interesting situations.

Sunday morning I was rushing around the apartment trying to get ready for church when I noticed a small puddle of orange-colored liquid resting on my countertop. Running late, I didn't worry too much about it and headed out the door, telling myself that I would clean it up when I returned that evening from studying and church. The day passed ,and I forgot all about the small orange puddle. That night as I was looking through the cabinet to see what I could make to take for Monday's lunch, I noticed the puddle had increased in size. My gaze centered on the cabinet above the orange goo. Drops. Big drops of orange liquid were hanging from the bottom of the cabinet. I quickly opened the door and beheld the site of two large cans of Mandarin oranges, damaged, and dripping orange liquid. Any normal person would have thought, I guess I should probably throw those cans away since they're spoiled. Being the nerd that I am and having spent half the afternoon studying Micro, my first thought was, Clostridium botulinum, the most potent neurotoxin and frequent contaminant of spoiled cans of food. Our professors had mentioned that we should avoid bulging cans because they probably contained the toxin of this harmful bacteria. However, no one had ever mentioned what to do if the bulging cans sprung a leak, potentially contaminating your entire kitchen with Clostridium botulinum. I immediately threw the cans in a bag which was subsequently placed in the dumpster outside. But what to do with the gooey, orange mess that had spread all over the cabinet shelf and on to the counter below? And what about the other cans in my cabinet that now sat in a puddle of orange goo? I could just envision the following day's headline in the local paper: "Medical student remains in serious condition after ingesting foodstuffs that had been accidently contaminated with C. botulinum." I had to do something.
Being the resourceful person that I am, I decided to look in the phone book. After some thought and realizing it probably wasn't necessary to call the fire department nor the FBI, I decided to call Poison Control. I knew I hadn't been poisoned, but there was a potential poison sitting in my kitchen so that should count, right? The poison control center didn't know what to do with my strange request. They had a plethora of information regarding those who had ingested C. botulinum toxin; however, they were helpless in recommending clean up procedures for a possible C. botulinum spill. They kindly referred me to the CDC's hotline. Feeling somewhat sheepish for calling the CDC since I wasn't reporting an outbreak of Ebola or bird-flu, I dialed the number. Of course, the CDC didn't know what to do with my request either so they referred me to their "information specialist" ie the person who can hopefully Google the request while in the meantime keeping the caller pacified. Our conversation went something like this:

"Hi, I have a somewhat odd question. I think I had a C. botulinum spill in my kitchen and I'm wondering what I need to do to clean it up."

"Ok, give me just a minute."

(Pause)

"So you said it was on your countertop? Do you know what botulism is and how it's spread?"

Do I know what botulism is and how it's spread? Are you kidding me? Of course I know what it is. It's only the result of being infected with the most potent neurotoxin known to man and only causes flaccid paralysis leading to death. - I thought. "Yes, I know what botulism is. That's why I am a little concerned."

(More holding)

"Ummm....Well, I'm sorry. I can't really help you. Maybe you could just put some Windex on it or something."

Not satisfied with her answer, I decided to do my own Googling which led me to the conclusion that bleach would probably be a good means to disinfect the toxic sludge on my countertop and shelves. After submersing the goo in full-strength bleach for a quarter of an hour, I was convinced that I had probably killed any Gram-positive critters filled with toxin.

The next day, wanting to assure myself that all was well, I asked one of my Micro professors about what one should do should one of those "bulging cans" bulge too far and leak its contents everywhere. She promptly and nonchalantly replied, "Ah...it's no big deal. Just pour some bleach on the stuff. Bleach kills everything."

So my Sunday night crisis actually turned out to be not that big of a deal. Sometimes it's better not to know all the details, but I suppose "all's well that ends well" as the old saying goes. At least I correctly answered all questions about C. botulinum on my Micro test today.

Quick Update

The site for www.abrahamsdream.com has been launched. Go read about Abraham, his dream, and what you can do to help this faithful, young man achieve his dream. Meanwhile, keep praying for all those out there trying to spread the light in this dark world.

"In our lifetime, wouldn't it be sad if we spent more time washing dishes or swatting flies or mowing the yard or watching television than praying for world missions?" -Dave Davidson

Favorite Quotes

(in no particular order)

"Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends." -Maya Angelou

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." -Mohandas Gandhi

"But nothing is more estimable than a physician who, having studied nature from his youth, knows the properties of the human body, the diseases which assail it, the remedies which will benefit it, exercises his art with caution, and pays equal attention to the rich and the poor." -Voltaire

"Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent." -Victor Hugo

"When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen." -Ernest Hemingway

"Understanding, and action proceeding from understanding and guided by it, is one weapon against the world's bombardment, the one medicine, the one instrument by which liberty, health, and joy may be shaped . . . in the individual, and in the race." -James Agee

"I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in." -George Washington Carver

"I have but one passion: It is He, it is He alone. The world is the field and the field is the world; and henceforth that country shall be my home where I can be most used in winning souls for Christ." -Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf

Abraham's Story

There are times when you meet someone and their life story inspires you in such a way that you have to share it with all that you know. Last night at the Towlan's monthly missions chat was one of those times:

It was a normal day for six year old Abraham who was out on the plains of Sudan with the other villagers tending cattle. Unfortunately, this would not be just an ordinary day; the civil war reached Abraham's village that day and Abraham and his fellow cattle tenders, 4-13years of age, began to run. Shoeless and shirtless they ran, and ran, and ran. They spent months living in the jungle, drinking liquid mud to quench their thirst and eating leaves to satisfy their hunger. More joined their numbers and some died along the way from starvation and exhaustion. Finally, 20,000 in number, the boys reached Ethiopia, hoping to find a place of refuge and freedom. The boys were divided up into groups of 1,000 and rationed food: 4 bowls each of corn and sorghum...per camp. If you were lucky you might get 5 kernels of corn per day.
Faced with a hopeless situation, nine year old Abraham acknowledged the grim reality that his death was imminent. Yet, all hope was not lost. It was during this time through the life-giving words of a sixteen-year old evangelist that he would discover bread that would never leave him hungry. During these times when he had nothing to eat he would cling to hope-filled verses, verses that gave him comfort and renewed strength. His situation improved and the next three years Abraham and the "Lost Boys" learned English by writing with sticks on the dirt floor at school. It was their first time ever to attend school. However, a political change sent the boys fleeing at gunpoint to Kenya and another long journey on foot. At one point, the boys reached a wide river. Abraham didn't know how to swim. Once again he faced his own mortality and told his best friend, "I must stay here. I can't swim." His friend replied, "Abraham, you can't give up. Remember your faith. Remember how God has taken care of you and that He will continue to do so. Take hold of my shoulder and kick your legs." With the sound of gunfire all around, Abraham took hold of his friend's shoulder and the two crossed the river to the shores of safety. Now around 16,000 in number, many dead due to gunfire, starvation, or drowning, Abraham and the fellow boys spent the next years of their lives in Kenya. Abraham finished primary school and high school. In 2001 he came to the United States. He is currently in college with the goal of becoming a doctor, a neurologist or cardiologist he told us, and returning to Sudan.
Abraham ended by telling us this: "Our God is an amazing God. He looks after His children and keeps them safe. Don't ever forget those comforting words He's given us. And don't forget to tell others. People have a lot of questions when they're dying and they need to have those questions answered before their die. I want to be a doctor so I can answer their questions and impact other's lives by telling them what God has done for me."

You can find out more about Abraham and the Lost Boys of Sudan at www.Abrahamsdream.com (the site is scheduled to be launched within the next week).

May we never confuse inconvenience with sacrifice or suffering, unfulfilled desires with hunger, or a good example as fulfilling our command to "Go and tell all the world" and share those wonderful, comforting words of a God who looks after everyone of His children, from silly, spoiled medical students to shirtless, shoeless boys in Sudan.

Treats

There's nothing like satisfying a hungry gastric container with delightful sugar-coated, carcinogen-containing delicacies from Quillen's First Annual Halloweenie Roast. It sure beats the typical brown-bag sandwich lunch that most of my comrades and I consume during the lunchtime hour.

The past few weeks have been a series of small "treats" for me as I've been wearing out I-81 and I-40 to see those dear to me in the form of pleasant hikes through the Smokies and HTI's semi-annual board meeting in Nashville. I will not be disappointed in the least when in heaven, I don't have to make such exhausting solitary drives to see everyone because we will all be in one place. I am truly grateful for those of you who took time out of your schedules so that I could spend time with you.

If you never have taken the opportunity to drive I-40 during autumn, you must put it on your "10 Things to Do Before I Die" list. The brilliance of the foilage is simply astounding. There's something about being outside that's good for the insides of man. I think if every family in the United States was required to spend one day outside in nature (real nature-not the pseudonature our city government creates in the form of baseball diamonds and glaring stadium lights), I think that the incidence of crime and violence would dramatically decrease. To observe such intricate design and beauty puts everything back into perspective and gives one time to reflect upon their purpose in being here amidst the grand scheme of life.

As the morning devotional Saturday, we were asked to reflect upon Luke 10:1-12 and select a word from the passage that caught our attention. I have been blessed with the opportunity the past few months to take a deeper look at Luke and the life of Christ through Beth Moore's study. The more I study about our Savior the more I am awe of him. I don't think people are turned away from being a Christian by Christ; rather, they are turned away by Christians bearing his name but not understanding what it means to live under that name. How could you not devote your life to someone who had unending compassion for the poor, the sick, the impoverished; deep wisdom to confront the intellectually elite and spiritually empty, unmeasured strength to stand in the face of great opposition, and unfathomable patience to bear with the infedelity of the faithful? How can anyone's life not have more than just a shallow relationship with such a person?

My word from the passage was "intended." We are never sent out somewhere where God hasn't already planned to go. I just ask your prayers as I consider this palette of seemingly unending opportunities presented before me and that he leads me where he intends to go and that we never hold such busy schedules that we fail to set aside time to meditate on the beauty of the life of Christ.


"A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul." -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I Gave in to the Quizzes

You are Proverbs.

Which book of the Bible are you?

Five Favorite Scents...

...from this past week that will never be marketed as candles.

Isn't it amazing how a smell can evoke a memory? The whiff of an odoriferous substance like bubble gum, the kind that came in the square package with the baseball player on the front, can instantly transport you back 20 years to your childhood and standing in line at the toy store. Or another example--freshly sharpened number two pencils and crayons and you're back in the classroom for your first day of school. The following are five of my favorite scents (in no particular order) from this past week:

1. Horse and Leather
I can't tell you how great it was to be "back in the saddle" again. I hadn't ridden since my wreck over two years ago, and I'd forgotten how wonderful it feels to be astride an animal twice your size barreling down (ok so maybe it was more like ambling down) a grassy field like you're the next messenger for the Pony Express. Thank goodness for classmates whose in-laws own horses near my parents' home :o)

2. Dried Leaves and Haybales
I love the first signs of autumn: the smell of freshly fallen leaves, pumpkins, hayrides, and hot apple cider. No fall break is complete without a trip to the Walden's Pumpkin Farm and the purchase of a few soon-to-be Jack-O-Lanterns. Anyone have any carving or recipe suggestions?

3. Corn Dogs and Funnel Cakes
Cammie and I decided to take another road trip. No, we didn't make it all the way to Vegas this time, just to the Webb School Art and Craft Fair in Bell Buckle, Tennessee. There's nothing like wandering around streets filled with the handiwork of local artisans. I wanted to give 3 adorable snowmen/women good homes but my med. school budget wouldn't allow it. Did I ever mention how cute snowmen can be?

4. Homemade Biscuits and Mashed Potatoes
What a wonderful feeling it is to come home to freshly-cooked meal, especially when you don't have to cook it. Spending time in the Emergency Department this past week has made me appreciate how blessed I am to have parents like mine. I think a large part of who we become depends upon our upbringing and the love and support our parents show us.

5. Unwashed-purchased Clothes
Have you ever noticed how all clothes seem to have a particular smell to them after purchasing them? I'm convinced that all department stores/clothing carriers secretly manufacture and use a fabric spray called "New Clothing Smell." With all this talk about the big "P" word going around school, I decided it was time to purchase some garments that better fit the definition of the big "P" word. Needless to say, I am currently banned from going to the mall or any distributor or seller of textiles and/or related materials.

The past week has been a nice respite from the daily grind of medical school. Unfortunately, the aforementioned scents will soon be replaced by the stale coffee and copy paper aroma of Stanton Gerber Hall. Only two more months until the next break!

Coming to a Hospital Near You

After a juggling of schedule away from doing a preceptorship at Vanderbilt due to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, I'm back at Smyrna's hospital. I'm in the emergency department all week, and so far it's been a blast. Nothing like spending a day with crushed appendages, myocardial infarctions, MVAs, mentally-unstable patients, and lots of blood (ok maybe not lots of blood). No, it's nothing like the hit show ER, but it's definitely exciting.

I'd write more, but medical students have no time, and this week is no different. I just ask for your prayers for the flood victims in Guatemala (why does it seem like those who have the least are prone to lose the most?) and for myself. Wednesday night is the unveiling of years of God's preparation of me, unbeknownst most of the time, as I present my future plans to the missions committee at church.

I hope you all are doing well, and I apologize for my lack of blog reading. I just don't have time. Drop me a line or a phone call and let me know you're still alive. If you're in Ktown next Monday I invite you to dine with me at the noontime hour. Cheers!!

I'm Back

Seeing how you've missed me by the massive amount of email, phone calls, and hand-written letters I've received, I assure you that once again my presence graces the blogging world. After spending the past week in a midst of sniffles, sneezes, studies, sleepless nights, and stressful exams, I can finally say that fall break has arrived.
Look for more posts to come when I can muster up a more coherent thought other than "H. influenzae is a fastidious pleomorphic Gram negative rod that that is characterized by satellite colonies grown in the presence of S. aureus and factors X and V."

2 Year Anniversary of the confirmation to embark upon this crazy journey and 35% completion of such=time for a well-deserved nap.

In Honor of...

...Completely blowing my Path test out of its disease-infested waters, I bequeath to my readers the honor of another stream of consciousness post.

The other day before lunch as I was ascending the stairs to take my lunch at our habitual spot, a picnic table outside Stanton Gerber, out of the corner of my eye I saw a man running down the hall, dressed in surgery-colored scrubs and wearing a white coat. It was none other than our own Dr.E, the renowned MD/JD who amused us with his lectures in Physical Exam last year by showing us pictures of his favorite vacation spots and telling us, "Now when you make just as much money as I do, you can go have some fun at these places too." A smirk briefly crossed my face as I assessed the somewhat humorous situation though I suppose we all have those times in our lives when we have to shirk our professional appearances and just let life happen.
Speaking of lunch, you never know what turn the conversation may take. For example, the other day myself and the other three girls (we'll call them L, C, and J for simplicity's sake) were admiring the beautiful day and talking among ourselves and trying to get J to give us some of her heavenly Snickers cake. Somewhere between this admiration and attempt to beg, we all almost simultaneously came to the conclusion that we must have been absolutely batty all of those years when all we could think about was our long-held goals of being physicians. It's actually a ridiculous career if you think about it. We pay tens of thousands of dollars for years to study like mad, lose sleep, read our friends' blogs (ok so maybe we don't read our friends' blogs), dig in dead bodies, and prepare stains of pathologic agents. It's a profession that has an incredibly poor track record; I mean if you had a batting average for each physician in terms of successful diagnoses and cures, they'd immediately throw us all into Little League, maybe even T-ball league, or maybe they just wouldn't even let us play because our record is so awful.
But never fear, your crazy med school nerd's friend, L, came up with a wonderful solution. Somehow, something I said was misheard and "I have to go to an appointment this afternoon," turned into "I have to go to McDonalds soon." This statement in itself if quite amusing since the author of this blog abhors the Golden Arches and would rather go on a forty day diet of raw tuna fish than set foot in such a hovel. After a few more convolutions of our random banter, L decided that I should quit medical school and become Ronald McDonald's female counterpart. I know the publicity and money from commercials would be an incentive, but I had to explain to L that I just don't think that's my type of employment. I mean I know the red poofy hair and big red shoes are quite attractive but c'mon. I'd always have to have a smile plastered on my face. There has to be something wrong with a girl who constantly smiles.
After seeing that L's business venture was plummeting to the abyss of failure it was decided that we are all going to pursue more normal careers like teaching Spanish, being a missionary, or the old standby-a street musician. Then I could have a normal life, right?

In the meantime, this med school nerd has a lot to learn about neurology and microbiology in the next week.

Doesn't it give you great comfort that your future physicians engage in such meaningful discussions? The life of a medical student-you never know what to expect!

Anywhere with Jesus

Aren't they adorable?

Dimas Miguel and Georgina Lopez

Managua, Nicaragua, September 2005

my "roommates" in Honduras in 2003 and

the children of my "second set of parents"

Do to increasing pressure from faithful blog readers, the management of this blog has decided to uphold their commitment to providing an update regarding the recent medical missions seminar. The management apologizes for any incovenience experienced over the past two weeks and attributes all delays in blogging to trying to cram everything there is to know about heart, lung, and kidney pathology into the small confines of a cranium before 8am Monday.

That being stated, on to the missions report...

Wow. Even though I haven't been able to go on a college retreat since...well...I was in college, this was definitely a retreat for me. It was so refreshing and encouraging to realize that there are still people out there who know what true Christianity is all about- that it's not about being part of an intellectually elite, somewhat PC, somewhat humanitarian group. Rather it's about being so in awe of what a wonderful Savior we have that one dedicates their whole life to bringing such good news to all those they come in contact with- the good news of a Savior who longs to gather us under his sheltering wings like a hen with her chicks. Or perhaps a Savior who can take away the detrimental thirst for alcohol and replace it with something that will never leave one thirsty. Or of a Savior who instead of waving a wand and saying the magic word, tirelessly attends to all those who need healing.
I had the opportunity to eat lunch with a couple who wouldn't limit God and his ability to help the country of Malawi, to watch an optometrist use his talents to allow others the opportunity to open their eyes to the Bible, to watch the 4 day journey up a river to bring hope to the forgotten of Nicaragua, and to hear story upon story of how people of all backgrounds and talents are thinking big ie not limiting God and thinking small ie not forgetting the individual person and purpose to bring the message of God's love to every corner of the world.
It has definitely caused this week to be one of conviction, convicted in God's calling for me, convicted in knowing more about this wonderful Savior who cared enough to seek out a little Michele some years ago, convicted to pray for all those he is still seeking, and convicted in the desire to prepare myself and seek out God's future plan for me. I only hope that I will allow him to use me in such a way as he has used those I saw this weekend.
Below are some links to some of the wonderful ways God is working throughout the world. Take a few minutes and check them out, pray for the work, and let missions change your life and the lives of others!

The Malawi Project
Health Talents International
Healing Hands
Glasses for Missions
Predisan
Partners in Progress
International Health Care Foundation

Mision Para Cristo (I don't have a link for this one)

So there you have it. The management regretfully informs its faithful clientele that future posts will be few and far between due to three assessments of the management's knowledge of pathology, neurobiology, and microbiology over the next two weeks. Should any one of the subscribers need to contact the management within that time period, phone calls and emails are very effective means of doing so. Que Dios les bendiga!

At Your Service

To all of you who have been waiting in eager suspense, here it is:

I thought about writing about the portly officer who stalked my neighbor and I last Friday on the trail (or was it us stalking him?) but they say write about what you know, and since I don’t know much about portly police officers nor my neighbor, I thought I’d write about something I do know or at least about something of which I have a feeble inkling of its definition. No, I won’t make you suffer through the paper I wrote for Honors Service Learning, though if you ever happen to be within the confines of UT-Knoxville and have three extra hours available in your schedule, I highly recommend taking the class. Nor will I steal your time by posting my senior honors thesis upon the narrow-margined blog space. What I’m actually writing about is the events of this past weekend when four fearless first year students and I attempted to serve the Hispanic community at Scott’s Farm.
As an attempt to help the first year students accrue their ten hours of “Service Learning” credit for a useless class under the broad heading of “Behavioral Science,” I had arranged for them to work with the migrant clinic at Scott’s Farm, held every Sunday afternoon. After consulting with the directors as to how we could assist with the clinic, we decided to script and perform a series of skits to illustrate basic health and hygiene principles. Unbeknownst to me, not only does the class of 2009 have a plethora of students with a basic knowledge of Spanish, but it also contains many aspiring actors as well. When the time came for us to arrive at Scott’s we were well-prepared with our crazy props for protective clothing against pesticides, our glitter and soap for demonstrating “germenes” and handwashing, and a unrivaled cohort of medical actors destined for UniVision’s spin-off of ER. Everything was ready for a successful day of educating the migrant workers. Except…no one thought to ask the migrant workers what they really wanted to hear.
After setting up our props and commencing our soon-to-be award-winning performance, we began to notice that our stellar act was not so well-received. The workers fixed their eyes on us in meaningless gaze as we “educated” them about the importance of preventing pesticide exposure and washing one’s hands to prevent disease. As we went from dormitory to dormitory, the response was the same. Once, our pesticide skit garnered a few half-hearted applauses from a worker as his friend simultaneously saluted us with his half-empty beer can. In almost all aspects, it was a dismal failure.
Yet, some would consider our “service” as a great benefit to the community. We often confuse the term “service” with the term “doing a good deed.” We confuse the idea of helping someone with the feeling of being appreciated for what we have done. Those who go out into the world, enthusiastic in their desire to help but directionless and unaware of the actual need, are dangerous in their unguided efforts, sometimes causing more harm than benefit to those in need of service. Had someone actually taken the time to ask what the concerns of the workers were, they might have listened more intently to our performance. Maybe they would have told us what they really wanted to learn was how to stay hopeful and motivated in a situation where the only entertainment comes from disc of technology or metal cans of beverage. Maybe if we had taken the time to get to know a few of the workers beforehand, we wouldn’t have appeared as a barrage of arrogant “gringos” coming in to teach “those people” a thing or two about the quotidian events of their lives.
On the other hand, as we were driving back to campus, I realized that our efforts were not totally unsuccessful. The medical students learned something. Their eyes were opened to something they might not have even considered existent within Washington County. I heard many of the mention how they were inspired to consider the idea of studying abroad over the summer so that they could better communicate with those whom they served. That’s one of the fascinating aspects of service. Though you come to serve and teach others, those being served teach you about yourself and through your service you discover characteristics and talents that you didn’t even know you possessed. Service is not just about doing a “good deed” or practicing “random acts of kindness;” rather, it is about living a lifestyle of looking inward at oneself only to see what can be given outwardly to meet the needs of the one being served. I leave you with a few quotes from Robert Cole’s The Call of Service. I couldn’t have said it better myself:

“I think part of doing community service is this—to be stopped in your tracks sometimes because you’ve seen so much you ordinarily wouldn’t, and you take time out and try to look at that big picture you don’t even want to see.”

“We serve, and they serve us by coming here—giving us a chance to serve, and so offering a service to us.”

“You can learn a lot when you do this kind of work…but you can also learn about yourself, your own psychology and politics and values…and so while you’re doing, you’re learning, and when you go back to school, to college, when you resume learning, you can do so differently because of the doing…what you learn out there then becomes a part of you, and it gives some new assumptions or attitudes to you…”

“Maybe we spend so much time trying to be of help to them, we end up not thinking of the consequences—what we come to mean to them…They are our fellow human beings, and if we are to call ourselves Christians, they are the people Jesus would have us think about and try to be with.”

These Birks Aren't Made for Walking

V-O-L-S!!!

I should know that a trip to Knoxville is never without a random outdoor adventure. However, having been gone from my former alma mater for months, I neglected to pack appropriate footwear. Anyone who believes hippies hiked all over California, and wherever else hippies live, in Birkenstocks is sadly mistaken. I personally think they are the ones who invented Chaco's. They just hid the design for abut 20-30 years until they realized the massive profit that could be made from selling these second soles to college yuppies. That being said, I wasn't wearing my Chaco's when the proposition was made that we should go burn all those calories from Pelancho's by a jaunt up the side of House Mountain.
Nor did anyone mention that this excursion would include a near-death slip (due to improper footwear) down a hundred foot cliff (ok maybe it was more like a twenty foot slope) or bouldering practice. Despite the slight mishaps and some girl's inflamed feet, it was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
There's just something about seeing people and spending time with them that trumps any amount of emails, IM's, or phone calls. There's just something about sitting around and sharing life with your brothers and sisters in Christ, knowing that we're all in this struggle together. There are those places that occupy a special place in our hearts, not due to the geographic features or amenities; rather, due to the memories they contain of the friendships made and shared within their boundaries. I can't wait until the day when all those special places will become one, heaven, and we will have eternity to "catch up" and renew old acquaintances. To all my K-town peeps, it was great to see you again. Thanks for all the talks, laughs, meals, and adventures we shared the past few days. Your med school nerd friend is going back into the vault, but you'd better save the weekend of October 7-9th for another appointment with the great outdoors. I assure you that I'll bring the proper footwear.

"I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see." -John Burroughs

HodgePodge

Since I don't have any adventurous stories to tell like Mer and Justin's survival of Tennessee's white water and the river guy or Kent's leap out of a flying machine several thousand feet in the air, I thought today's post would just be a collection of stream-of-consciousness ramblings.

1. How to Save Money on Gas
In case you haven't noticed, the price of food for our beloved four-wheeled (or six-wheeled if your an East TN country bumpkin or two-wheeled if you're my old motorcycle-riding oboe teacher) vehicles has increased to an unheard of amount. In fact, I think I could go on a date (not that I have a date but that's irrelevant to this conversation) and eat at a nice restaurant, maybe even two dates but not at the same time, for less than it would cost to fill up my car. The situation being as it is, I propose that we all bike to class. It's really not that far and it makes for some great exercise. As an added benefit, once you arrive at class you don't have to worry about the creepy pathologist-wannabe student sitting next to you; you've already worked up a sweat with a stench that would even scare away the neighbor's dog.
Since you're already on your bike, you don't have to worry about mounting your bike rack on your beloved 4, 6, or 2 wheeled vehicle or spending money on fuel that you were going to spend on your date to go exercise. You could just ride your bike straight from school to the trails. Fortunately, the powers at be at ETSU or maybe just the Baptist Student Union had the foresight to realize this efficient means of exercise and installed a set of lovely trails right behind the BSU and down the street from school. Problem solved.

2. Books
When my parents were in town the other day, it was decided that all my reading material was inadequately stored in the few meager shelves and boxes I had in my possession. So after a few hours shopping and some hard labor, we erected a bookcase in my living room. In honor of this momentous occasion I thought I'd share a few of my favorite (but not all of my favorite) reads.
The Cat in the Hat: You can't go wrong with such a children's classic. They tried to make a sequel to it, but the second is never as good as the first.
Old College Notes: Admit it You saved every set of notes from every class you took in college (I didn't). If you read through at least one lecture a night you'll never forget what you learned and you'll be able to impress all your friends with the significance of dates such as 1066 and 1492.
The Diary of Maria Carolina de Jesus: With a name this long, it must be worth reading.
Let us Now Praise Famous Men: A book I had to read for class that I actually liked.
The Call of Service: Yet another book I actually liked that was mandatory reading.
Emma: No I actually haven't read this one in its entirety. I just think it looks cool to have it sitting on my shelf.
The Color Atlas of Human Anatomy: For those of you who are illiterate. It also is a great means to scare away unwanted house guests.

3. New Spanish Words I've Learned
Taking a medical Spanish class and being around Hispanics has offered me the opportunity to expand my vocabulary.
Yeyuno
Raite
Carsit
Microweiv
Omoplato
Manzo
Puchaca
Perone

To sound really cool, you should approach a random Spanish-speaking person and say to them. "Disculpe, parece que se me perdieron todo los perones y omoplatos. Usted puede hacerme el favor de buscarlos?"

And that's the way the cookie crumbles. Happy Wednesday to all and to all a good night!

Public Service Announcement

This is just a friendly Public Service Announcement to let you know that...

The 16th Annual Medical Missions Seminar is less than a month away!!

Who's going to be there? Everyone (including you right?)
Lots of great organizations will be represented including:

Health Talents International
Predisan
Mision Para Cristo
The Malawi Project
International Health Care Foundation
and more!

It's a great experience to learn more about medical missions and what you can do to get involved (even if you're not a "medical" person). Such an event would cost several dollars but we're offering it to you at a special price: FREE.
So.....
If you have nothing better to do September 16-18th or any one of those days (weddings, studying for tests, or walking your dog do not count as "better things to do"), come make the short trip to Johnson City, Tennessee.

This has been a friendly service announcement from your over-studied, under-slept medical student friend :o)

Prayer Request

If you guys would, please keep my dad in your prayers. After returning to Smyrna from visiting me this weekend, my dad had to be taken to the ER due to high fever, headache, malaise, etc.. They performed a series of tests on him and gave him some medicine, but they were unable to determine the cause of his illness. He has continued to suffer from headache and fever, and if his condition doesn't improve within the next few hours, they are readmitting him to the hospital for further evaluation and treatment.
I'd appreciate your prayers. Thank you.

Exodus 15:26

Que Locura!

What a crazy week it has been!!!

I guess I should start from the beginning: Saturday.
Some of us from Central decided to drive up to Damascus (Virginia) to bike part of the Creeper Trail. I was hesitant about going seeing as how I had my first Immunology exam coming up, but the ride was a welcome stress relief and a nice serendipitous moment in the form of encountering some friends from Ktown on the trail. Just as it's hard to tell what lies around the next bend of the Creeper Trail, it's hard to tell what the next bend in life holds. Little did I know that 8 hours of my planned study day would be spent in the JCMC ER. Thanks to the nice bug I caught in Guatemala, I became dehydrated. A trip next door to the hospital, several tests, a liter of saline solution, and 8 hours and I don't want to know how many dollars later, they concluded that the only conclusion they could make was that my intestines are healing.
Thanks to the wonderful faculty at Quillen, I was able to take my test a little later than expected, and everything's going well now (except for a "slight" bruise on my arm that looks like someone slugged me with a hammer :o) and a stomach that still hasn't forgiven me). Asi es la vida.
School is going well so far, and I ask for your prayers for all the exciting work that is happening here in Johnson City. Classes are difficult but quite interesting. I am constantly amazed at the structure and design with which God crafted us, and I refuse to believe the foolish statement that one of my neuroanatomy teachers stated,"Though this points to intelligent design, don't let them fool you into believing that stuff." Though I may not like studying, every day I have to praise God for his care, craftsmanship, and the wonderful blessing it is to have the opportunity to study such a creation as man.
I have been just as amazed as I have watched His word come to life with the new Hispanic ministry at church. It is wonderful to see the zeal of the new Hispanic preacher and to watch people hear the "buenas nuevas" for the first time. The Hispanic women's Bible study should be starting in a few weeks and I'm excited to see God at work in those women's lives. It's a blessing to use such a blessing as another language to minister to others and to know that God's love and Word surpass any perceived barriers of language and culture.
It's time to go learn some more gyri and sulci of our noggins. Have a great week and God bless!!

A Day Off

I should be in Rogersville right now with my Rural Track colleagues. Instead, I'm "enjoying" the benefits of a day off. It seems that I brought back more than the cool shirt and tapestry I bought in Chichi from Guatemala. According to the doctor's visit yesterday, it appears that some little "critters" (not you Mer) have decided that my gut is a lovely place to build a starter home. The results won't be in for another week; in the meantime, it's back to taking lovely medicine and being a gracious host to my guests. Oh well. I suppose if I want to be a missionary it's necessary to learn to cope with all aspects of being a missionary, including the unpleasant ones.
On the bright side, God's allowing the missionary experience to continue here in the States. God's blessed me with the opportunity to start a women's Bible study for the Spanish-speaking women of the community. It's an exciting yet somewhat nerve-racking opportunity considering I've never led a study entirely in Spanish. After speaking to some of the women who have been coming to church and realizing that they have no idea what it means to be a daughter of God and haven't even heard of passages such as Proverbs 31, I can't get it out of my head how much these women need to know about how valuable they are and what it means to be God's precious daughter. I ask for your prayers for this opportunity and study.
It's time to hit the books again. I'm only a week and a half into school and already behind in my studies. It's definitely going to be an exciting and busy semester!

Cooking with Michele

I don't think the title of this post would work well as a TV show. I've discovered the past few days that I'm definitely no Martha Stewart. The other day I had the bright idea of buying lots of fresh vegetables, healthy food, staples, etc.. cooking them, and freezing them. This way I would have great-tasting, inexpensive, healthy food to eat when I didn't have time to cook and I wouldn't have to spend money eating junk from some fried-food place.
With my bright idea in mind and money in my wallet I set off to the grocery store and to the local produce market to purchase ingredients. I bought fresh herbs, onions, vegetables in a myriad of colors and shapes, organic pasta, milk, and fruit pops (not for cooking-I'm just addicted to them.) The cooking went fine at first: a dish of squash, zucchini, and peppers, honey glazed carrots, strawberry wheat muffins, and lime cilantro chicken. I was beginning to feel confident in my cooking abilities....until this morning.
If you ever decide to make homemade spaghetti sauce-don't do it. Don't give in to the pressure of having your very own signature sauce anytime you want it. Cough up the extra three dollars and buy a jar of your favorite brand at the store. I had all the ingredients this morning: Grainger Co. tomatoes, Vidalia onions, fresh garlic, and basil. What I didn't realize is the amount of time it would take to create such a delectable pasta topping. I can see why homemakers consider themselves self-employed. After two and a half hours and lots of unnecessary labor, my sauce was done, except I forgot to take the seeds out of the tomatoes. The recipe never said to do so, and spaghetti sauce is never advertised as "seedless" so the thought never occurred to me to remove the seeds. Sitting in my freezer are two containers of "seeded" spaghetti sauce. If you ever have the urge to try some of my soon-to-be-famous-never-to-be-made-again spaghetti sauce, feel free to visit me. I might just let you eat it with some organic pasta!

Jon, in the midst of my cooking I found the perfect salsa recipe you were looking for:

1 Friday or Saturday night
1 drive to Asheville, NC
1 pair of dancing shoes (preferably with heels)
2-4 friends (the more the better)
1 restaurant with dance floor
1 good salsa instructor
A touch of rhythm
Other people who know how to dance

Mix well and watch for two or three hours. Enjoy. Repeat every two weeks or month as necessary.

Blessed

Blessed.
Not exactly the word that would readily come to mind to describe the first day of medical school, but I can think of no other word that aptly describes my sentiments at this present moment.

Blessed because God guided me into the career where I can best serve Him and perform a job that I love.
Blessed because I have such a rare opportunity to attempt to understand the inner workings of God's greatest creation.
Blessed because I am part of a loving church family both at home and away.
Blessed because of an answered prayer in the form of the new Hispanic minister at Central and an opportunity to continue working in bringing "el evangelio" to new ears even here in the United States.
Blessed to have such a wonderful Savior who reached out to the lost sheep like myself.

It's going to be a blessed year, a year of hard work and long hours, but a joyful year.

On the Road Again

Tomorrow I hit road again-this time to drive to Johnson City for school. It has been a crazy and wonderful summer, but it's time to get back to work. Kinda weird to think that less than a week ago I was in some mountain village where the majority of the people couldn't read, and in less than a week I'll be in a classroom full of well-read intellectuals.
I heard a great piece of advice the other day: Though the harvest may be full and white and the workers few, you can't harvest with a dull sickle. My sickle needs sharpening which means I will be focusing most of my energy in the ministry of the study of medicine, working with the new Hispanic ministry at Central, and wherever else God leads me. As a result, my blog posting and subsequent blog reading will greatly diminish (not that I'm sure that more than 1-2 of you actually read this.) My phone is always available (don't worry about my minutes) and I do return emails on a more regular basis so feel free to contact me "sin pena."

I hope you all have a great rest of the summer and think about your friend hitting the books this week :o) !

"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:19

Saludos desde Smyrna

3 weeks, 3 months or 3 years. I still don't think I would have been ready to leave such a beautiful people and the work God is doing there, but all good things must come to an end and there's a time and a place for everything.
The following is something I wanted to post a few weeks ago but between being sick and being in the middle of nowhere, I never posted it. I'll be writing a missions report about my trip so just let me know if you want a copy.

The Body of Christ
I think anatomy was one of the hardest classes I've taken but the one that strengthened my faith the most. It seems odd to think that working with a cadaver for a semester has anything to do with spiritual growth, yet through such study I understand how the body works. I've seen how each and every part is connected together and works with every other part to sustain life. Just as we are all different on the outside, we are all different on the inside as well. Every body has its abnormality, its imperfection, yet the body learns to cope and adapt to those eccentricities. There are thousands of different parts of our body: nerves, tissues, vessels, muscles, etc. yet each one has a special place and function. Each part of the body communicates to keep everything running. When there is a weakness in the system-an infection-the immune system sends out special cells and the whole body works to help restore the damaged part-often at the expense of other parts.
And so it should be with the body of Christ. We all have our flaws, our weaknesses, and our different roles and talents that we've been given. At the same time, we each have those abnormalites and functions for a specific God-designed purpose that is meant to be communicated throughout the body so that the body of Christ might be built up and strengthened. Unfortunately, I think oftentimes our communication is blocked by fear of going past the skin-deep "How are you?" and seeing the infection or damage among certain parts of the body. Just as our own body sacrifices for one part when damaged, so we should also supprt our weaker members in love so that the whole body might be strengthened.

It has been a wonderful three weeks of sharing in the body of Christ through supporting, encouraging, healing, teaching, and loving all of its imperfect and wonderfully-made members!!!

"The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts: and though its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." -I Corinthians 12:12,27

How to Lose 5 Pounds...

..in 5 Days!!!

No I haven't disappeared. I just got attacked by amebic dysentery and Shigellosis all at once last Monday and am just getting over it. I was so excited when I got to eat breakfast this morning without the fear I'd regret it later. Its definitely not an experience I want to repeat and I don't recommend driving to Tikal while sick (but if you do there's a good doctor in Rio Dulce). I guess God is just getting me over any fear of being sick abroad and teaching me to perservere through any situation.
Its been an amazing experience the past few weeks and I know I will dearly miss all the friends I had and the I made here. It's been such a wonderful experience to be a part of God's work, sharing Christ, not religion, with those who need Him most, truly enjoying the presence of my brothers and sisters in Christ and the common love of God.
Since Friday I've been with Health Talents and a group of 50 working in the villages around ChiChicastenango. The poverty here is astounding but the people are so precious and pure, true sheep in need of a shepard. What a blessing it has been to spend three weeks serving our Lord in Guatemala.

A Letter from Guatemala

Hola!

It´s been a week since I last wrote and so much has happened since then. I've written and rewritten this trying to capture the wonder and marvel of what God has done, but I simply can´t put it all into a few paragraphs so I'll try to do what I can.

What an awesome God we serve!

The past few days were spent in La Union, Zacapa, one of the poorest departments in an already poor country. How do I begin to describe the incredible love and compassion of God that I have witnessed during the past few days? How do I describe seeing a man with leprosy and thinking about the compassion Christ must have had to reach out and touch this hideous disease and the person suffering from it? How do I describe the love of my friends and brothers and La Union and the hospitality they showed me? How do I describe the wonderful feeling it is to work with people who give 110% to serving the Lord and whose only desire is to be the vessels through which God works to save his people?
Monday Raul, Eybi (the preacher and his wife,) and I woke early and went to the community of Tasharte. For those of you have been to such places as Montaña Izopo and Montaña de la Flor in Honduras, Tasharte is very similar. Since the doctor who was with us Saturday and Sunday had to work Monday, he had already left. Wanting to help the people in some way even though I couldn´t give them medicine, I decided to give them something that would last longer than anything received from a doctor´s visit: education. With Eybi´s help, I taught a class about handwashing and how to make a simple drink that will keep their children from dying of dehydration. I´m a firm believer that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and that educating and empowering people does more than any handout could. To make a long story short, the rest of the day was spent in a devotional, handing out food and clothing, and breaking piñatas with the children.
To look at it, it wasn´t much: an elementary lesson in health, some candy in a couple of piñatas and a few pieces of worn clothing. Yet to these people, it meant so much. It was if it were Christmas and they had just opened the best present in the world. It was all I could do not to cry as I saw the look on the faces of our brothers and sisters in Christ. All I could do was offer a million thanks to God and his infinite love and compassion he has for ¨the least of these¨¨and of all the things that He put into place to allow this wonderful event to occur.
Tomorrow I leave for another campaign, 1-2 days of evangelism and 2 days of clinic. I can´t wait. I think I'm beginning to have an inkling of how truly great and immeasurable is the love God has for us.

Por la causa de la cruz,
Michele

¨Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits
who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion.¨ -Psalms 103:2-4

Greetings desde Guatemala

Good afternoon from Guatemala!
I am currently sitting in one of the infamous internet cafes trying to figure out the keyboard.
I arrived here yesterday without problems and have enjoyed every moment since. I cannot express to you what a joy it is to be here and to spend time with such wonderful Christian brothers and sisters such as Nancy and Manuel, two special friends whose great faith and willingness to allow God to use them is such an encouragement to me. It is such a blessing God has given us to have "family" in all parts of the world and to know that though we may be different in our language, culture, or location, we are all united in Christ.
Yesterday Nancy and I attended a women´s Bible study where the topic was the plagues of Egypt and how we each have our own plagues in our life. It reminded me of my own plagues that exist in my life, and how we are, myself included, so concerned about our physical bodies but seem to forget the "plagues" inside each of us.
It is interesting how we´re "religious" when it comes to things to keep our physical body healthy, spending money and time at the gym or on the latest diet, yet we are undisciplined in our spiritual training. Why is it that we don´t hesitate to ask for prayers for someone dying of an infection; however, if that same person were dying from whatever sin is infecting them, we would be so hesitant to petition prayer?
The next few weeks I will see many people suffering from illness as we hold campaigns in Jutiapa and La Union, Guatemala. I ask for your prayers that God not only opens our eyes to the physical needs of the people we encounter, but also that He shows us their spiritual needs as well and gives us strength to overcome any barrier of language, culture, or fear that may keep us from ministering to God´s precious children.
It´s going to be a busy but wonderful three weeks!!!

"Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows." -Isaiah 53:4

Pictures!

Cammie and I somewhere in the Grand Canyon.


Sunset at Hopi Point.


That's all for now. Disfrutenlas!

Just a Song...

..I've been listening to a lot lately.

I could travel over oceans, cross the deserts, climb the mountains
Just to share Your story, bring You glory, and win souls for You.
I could sing like an angel, songs so humble and so thankful
Full of drama and emotion, so the world would know Your truth.
I could give away my money and my clothes and my food
To restore those people who are poor, and lost, and down-and-out.
I could succeed at all these things,
Find favor with peasants and kings,
But if I do not love, I am nothing.

I could live a flawless life,
Never cheat or steal or lie,
And always speak so kindly, smile warmly, and go about doing good.
I could dedicate myself to do what everyone else wants me to-
Listen to them, compliment them, say the things I should.
I could show up every Sunday, lead the choir and Bible study
And they all might come to know me as a leader and a friend.
Oh, I could achieve success on Earth, but success cannot define my worth
And all these actions, all these words, will not matter in the end-

Songs will fade to silence,
Stories, they will cease.
The dust will settle, covering all my selfless deeds.
So as I strive to serve You,
Won't you make it clear to me,
That if I do not love, I am nothing.

And if I cannot live my life loving my brother,
Then how can I love the One who lived His life for me?

Sent to Earth from Heaven,
Humble Servant, Holy King,
Come to share a story, get no glory, and save my searching soul,
You knew that I'd deny You, crucify You, but nothing could stop You
from living for me, dying for me,
so that I would know-

That songs will fade to silence,
Stories they will cease,
The dust will settle covering all my selfless deeds.
But Your life here has made it clear enough for me to see
That if I do not love, I am nothing.

-Ginny Owens