Culture and one of my greatest follies

So as you know, I took a YWAM DTS through YWAM Urban Ministries Winnipeg.

During that time I got to learn so very much about culture, how to be in another culture, how to love other cultures, pretty much it was a great learning time for me regarding many things, but definitely one of them being culture.

This past week in one of my classes, we were able to spend a considerable time talking about culture in nursing.

All I can say is WOW! I had a huge wake up call! Like, did you know that when someone from Chinese culture, when they are ill, don't like to drink cold drinks?

Before I left for Winnipeg, I had a patient who was chinese. He consistently refused cold drinks and he refused to eat any food, relying instead on tube feeds to get his sustinance .

At the time, I worried so much about him, where was he going to go after his rehab was over? Was he going to starve to death? GUH! And I pretty much loved him so much! He was a joy most of the time!

I now know he hated "Canadian" food, he never wanted cold water, and I was being completely insensitive towards his culture.  I am glad that my life continues and I can keep growing and learning each day.

Anyways, what I have been growing to realize more and more, is how sensitive I need to be to other people. Even people who are of the same ancestry as myself, there is always difference.

I just wanted to share with you a little of how I am growing and changing.

Let's Forgive

My very good friend Jamie posted this link on his twitter account. I usually follow the links he sends my way, or posts up, and this time I am so very glad I did.  I am still feeling so emotional after viewing this, it stirred so much in my heart, past wounds, past hurts, and the forgiveness I have been able to see come to fruition because of Jesus in my life.

A short little back history with me is my Father has made some choices in his life that didn't coincide with having a family, choices that were completely selfish.  He chose to pursue an addiction and the life that comes with those choices.

For such a long time I had a hard time dealing with this, I wasn't sure what to do, I was torn between being a good daughter, being loyal, finding out where I fit in, and how I felt about everything.

Even still I still struggle with my feelings and where I will be going from this moment (its all about this moment and choosing to glide into the next).  I love my Father, and I do forgive him. I still cry though at this video because I know that pain, that complete love, and I know the sweetest embrace of my Saviour without whom I would be lost.

He helps me love, forgive, walk through painful things and know I am not alone.  I am so in love!

Today I give thanks for not only what I mention, but for my friend who posted the link, the person who made the video, for it all! I love you all!

Tickling The Funny Bone

So as some of you know, I am taking Psychiatric Nursing through Grant MacEwan University! Hooray! It is such an awesome blessing to be there and partaking in the program. This is an update to let you know how that is going as well as to share something I came across while researching for a project for one of my classes.

I was able to keep my position on my unit (yeah, pretty much the BEST unit EVER!), and finding a balance between the two has been challenging, but so worth it. My marks are great and work is so good too! AMAZING!

Yep, thats about all for that update! Any other specifics you are curious about I am so willing to either get together and chat (everyone needs study breaks!) or just send me an email!

So recently I have been researching quite a bit for a variety of things, I wrote a paper on HIV and sex workers, I fancy I did rather well!  And researching for other various projects and assignments.

For one of my classes, we got to sign our names into groups, picking which presentation we wished to take part in.  I kind of hummed and hawed for a couple of minutes and decided I wanted to be in the "Humour in Nursing" group! I thought it was a great fit, and truly the people I am partnered with are excellent and hilarious as well!

While researching, I came across this short documentary, which not only moved me but is pushing me on and on to go further in and further up (anyone know that quote?) I am so inspired to continue this path that God has placed me on, and I am overwhelmed with joy at the prospect. 

I feel that this short doc (8mins) is well worth the time, and it is about one of the best funny men ever, Dr. Patch Adams, and his team of clowns travelling around the world healing and loving. Such amazing people.

This is really not funny, but seeing how the children and the parents react to the clowny clowns is awesome.

Please take the time to check the clip out, as well as please check out the Gesundheit Institute which does some really amazing work, providing a free hospital for all in need in Virginia, USA.

And they continue to grow and improve working globally, working to create hospitals and care centres.

Yeah . . . . . . . . . . . AWESOME!

Linked In - Human Trafficking

My friend Phil Cunningham, who was a teacher on my DTS, spoke about justice during his week there. 

He is a man who continues to stay focused on justice issues, and he is truly amazing! I closely follow his links because they are almost always things that are close to my heart and what affects me as a human being, and as a follower of Christ.

He recently posted on facebook a link to someone's blog.  I have heard of Mark Scandrette, but I haven't followed him before.  I will be now!

He tells first about the woman at the well (and trust me we have ALL been the woman at the well in one point in our lives). He tells about his recent experiences with sex trade workers and human trafficking and how they are not only related but completely interconnected.

Jesus came to the woman at the well and He comes to each and every one of us.

It is easy to forget that the women who are working the streets, or the massage parlors, or brothels are beloved to Christ, it is easy to place those women in a separate category and push them away into the margins, forgetting about them and walking away. 

So please go and read his post, it doesn't take long to read, but it is so emotional and so real and so true to my own heart.

Tales From School

So I just wanted to post a quick little funny bit that happened in school today.

We were all sitting in anatomy class, and our professor Dr. Paul is up at the front of the room speaking about the placenta and asking if it is a part of the woman or from the baby. 

So he says, "please give to me," he is east indian so pretend it with the accent, "give to me raised hands who is a mother here".  So the Moms start raising their hands and he starts counting. 

Down at the front of class there was Danielle, she is a young gorgeous single girl, and she absent mindedly raises her hand. For a moment we were all in shock! WHAT!? You have a baby?

Dr. Paul looks at her and says, "WHAT!? You have a child!?" The exact utterances of the whole class. She looks around and says, "WHAT! Oh! No! I don't, whay are we raising our hands!?"

Funny yes, but then I got into my bright little brain that I wanted to make her something funny because of her blunder.

I decided to craft a lovely card made of lined loose leaf ripped haphazardly from my binder. 

On the cover was her name all pretty and colourful.  Inside it said, Congratulations on your child!  I signed it and asked my seat mate if she would like to sign it. She did and passed it along, soon the whole class was chuckling because they were signing it and passing it.

Before I knew it, someone else had gotten credit for it, but it was hilarious when I gave it to her and her face was shocked! It was so worth it! PRICELESS!

She thanked me, and said yeah sorry I didn't mean to LIE about having a child, I just wasn't sure how everyone would take it! Being made up and all!

The End

School! The Taker of Time, The Builder of The Mind!

So as my faithful followers know I started the Psychiatric nursing program in Ponoka! Hooray!
I remember when I applied I asked God to let me go to school so I could advance myself, and because I felt that where I was sitting was not taking me anywhere else.

I know I need to find a good balance between studying and taking free time, whilst trying to not feel guilty about not studying (true story).

My first week was a little overwhelming for me, and for some other students in my class, there were endless lists of readings, and dates for tests, and projects and papers, I started to wonder if this was the right choice for me.

And then, I ran into someone who has taken this program, and she asked me how I was going to do it all, working studying going to school, and I said I don't know, I really started to feel doubtful about my ability to finish the week let alone being able to finish the whole 3 years (technically 2.5 but they call it 3).

I was awestruck, I didn't know how to rspond, this woman is a Christian (the same one in fact who warned me about going to YWAM Urban Ministries in Winnipeg) I don't know why I would be fooled into listening to her a second time. I know it was not her intent to make me doubt myself, she was just stating her concern, but I felt it, oh boy, did I ever.

By the time I got home however I started to get mad, mad at her, mad at school and mad at myself! I was indignant that I would let someone else speak that fear into me, and mad at school because I do believe that hitting the students hard is a tactic for "weeding out" potentially weak students, and mad at me for actually listening and believing that I was too small, too weak, not smart enough and all that jazz.

Fear not though my dear friends, this made me want more than anything to succeed, I wanted to be able to prove people wrong, including myself, and prove others right, including myself!

So, I have been diligently working at spending time working on studies, and spending time relaxing.

As I am going to be learning about drugs, and the risks involved, and the potential for potential harm, I felt the picture below was a great illustration.

Shocking Truths

My very good friend Jamie posted on his blog today, a series of videos. It was an experiment to see how far people will react to authority....

It made me think about how often in my lifeI have just given in because I thought someone knew better than me on a subject and ignored my heart and my thoughts.....

As Jamie says " I know I am too often guilty of taking the easy out."

But he also conitnues to say,  "Being like Christ is the path of most resistance. It is the lifestyle requires more of us than any other."

I am taking heed of these videos, and what they mean to me personally. I would really recommend everyone to take the time to view them.