Oh My Aching Feet

So far week 1 as a waitress has been crazy, especially since this is the opening weekend of the restaurant. By the time this weekend is finished (Th-Sun) I may be over 40 hours. All of my "guests" have been great, but I knew eventually the chips would fall and I'd get one of those tables everyone tells me about when they mention the short duration of their waitressing career.

It was a large party and wouldn't you know that I forgot the salads. Ok, so every OTHER salad is prepared automatically in the back, but if someone orders THIS ONE SALAD I have to fill out a special ticket. Being its only my first week into my waitressing career I messed up and they are late. But seriously...the ONE SALAD...can't we fix that in the computer?

Then the grill messed up the order and someone took it out lacking an entire meal. This means I have to fill out a special ticket so a manager will take it to the table and try to overcome the mistake. And then we need so many little things...not one but two different salad dressings for the itty bity salad...it goes on

They were sweet and boy did I try to put on my best face but I wanted to cry and run. We had a new trainer helping me and she said, "don't worry the table will turn over soon". You'd think she told me I had gotten a full scholarship...yes it was true...in less than 30 minutes I could bank on the fact that I would get a brand new set and could start fresh.

I think I'll go put up my feet. Tomorrow there will be a "new table" in the journey of life.

Backtracking: Mom's Visit

Its been a few weeks since mom left, but I finally have the photos in my computer. There are quite a few pics we SHOULD have taken
....both mom and I sleeping on the floor of my efficiency
...friday night dinner with everyone crowded in my place for taco salad
...the parking lots of the museums we visited which should have tipped us off that they might not be so exciting. =0))

We went to a lot of museums and "attractions". I took mom to some local bbq places and an excellent Mexican place with amazing enchiladas. She also got to see how well I can find free meals and spread them out throughout the week to stretch the groceries. =0)) On Sunday not only did we have the monthly church potluck, but then Marc & Amy hosted the "we built a porch" party.

Mom got to visit my church and I'm glad she enjoyed it. I took her over to school to meet my instructors and various faculty. They put in a good word for me. (and now dad knows that I really do go to school)

Looking at the various windmills used in West Texas. You can see downtown in the background.

A motor-less glider from WWII...imagine landing while on those benches...ouch. The park near my house. Yes, that's Texas!
Looking for prairie dogs at the local prairie dog park...yep the picture captures the swell of excitement of standing in that field squinting to see them.
So she got to meet my crazy friends and see a little bit of my life. My first visitor!!!

My One Reader

This is a post in honor of my one faithful reader...thanks for sticking with me through the slow times. =0))

Corporate Dancing

I have recently been hired by a nation-wide restaurant chain as a server. Our 10 day training sessions all begin with beat-pumping music and the requirement we stand, clap, and smile. Those of us who dare are encouraged to move with the appropriate hand motions to such favorites as "YMCA", "Grease Lightning", and other dance favorites. As these are the national trainers I have to believe this is part of the corporate emphasis on building unity and fun. (all while required to wear a starched shirt?)

I had to laugh when I think about our crazy dance parties in the birth center in Asia. After (or during) a busy shift we'd run to the living room and make the most of lip synching and really bad dance moves for stress relief. Liza & Sarah could be living large had they known to market this strategy to national corporations. We obviously missed our calling...(that and making instructional videos)

Good Article

I've just been introduced to some of Mark Driscoll's thoughts and found the Resurgence Movement site where he blogs. Apparently he claims to use some Emergent practices, but is a self-claiming Bible-thumping Fundamentalist. (sounds kind of cool to me...btw Mars Hill Church founded by Driscoll and Mars Hill Bible Church with Rob Bell are two different things).

While on that site I found this blog entry by Anthony Bradley entitled Orphans vs. American Dream. I've always thought about adoption if I were married and this article makes is so plain that we as Christians could easily get orphans out of foster care. In his opening paragraph the author states that there are approximately 115,000 orphaned kids in foster care waiting for adoption. A recent survey found there are 224 million so-called Christians in America. The Bible is clear that pure religion includes caring for orphans and widows. (James 1:27) So isn't it reasonable that even if everyone can't adopt many could and fix this problem and save kids?!?

Its easy for me as a single to point fingers, but the article still challenged me where I am now. As I look at the title again I'm reminded that the "dream" and great nursing sign on bonuses and a nice house aren't where its at. Life is so much more. Where am I investing now? Having a limited budget while going to school might be a pain at times, but it is freeing me up in the future and I won't face huge credit card bills or student loans.

I guess this is a good time to announce that I'm hoping to move into a mission house with my friends in one of the worst, crime-ridden streets here. We have a small complex with 4 apartments and hope to build relationships and be the hands and feet of Jesus in that area. Local churches have been working there and "plowing the ground" so to speak. Andrea used to live in this area and I look forward to being her roommate (hopefully). Please keep everyone in your prayers. I'm not sure how much I'll actually be there between school, clinicals, and work but I'm willing. I'm sure we'll meet plenty of fatherless kids and find something better than the ever illusive "American Dream"

Backtracking Part 1: The Wedding

Fun With FASFA

After banging my head on my computer to finish up FASFA stuff I am reminded I have a lot for which to be grateful. In the past week I've gotten a new job and received a scholarship which will help pay for this semester. Mom came and we had a nice visit. My computer cord should come in the mail tomorrow and I'll post pics!

Everything Is Bigger In Texas

I apologize to all my Northern friends, but TX really showed you up in the fireworks dept. As we sat outside the city limits you could see huge displays across the plains. Ben & his friends were coordinating lighting rows of these huge fire crackers. I have not seen something that big in someone's backyard.

Hot Holidays

Normally I am out of the country on the 4th of July so it always seems odd when I am here and see flags everywhere. I would like to mention that today is Filippino-American Friendship day and if you are missing my crazy stories please see my friend Georgia's website The highlight of my holiday was going to the filippino store down the road and getting a phone card so I could call her.

I'm trying to enjoy the extra time I have now and not get too anxious about the job situation. This is the dream right...single girl...free time...summer?!?! Jesus and I have had some good talks in my hammock and I really am grateful for the peace and tranquility. (School starts in a month) Went to see Transformers today and it was a bit cornier than expected, but brought back some dusty 80's memories.

I took pictures at the wedding this weekend but unfortunately believe I may have left my USB cable in Mexico, so I will have to wait to post them. Stay tuned.

Back "Home"

I arrived back to my apartment on Tuesday night. Friday night we were up all night with a young first time mom who had some difficulty. Here is an email and update I sent out to some people in my last days...

Well the storybook missionary update might have been different, but I trust God will still be glorified in this birth. We transported her late this morning to the nearest hospital with capabilities to perform a cesarean. This hospital is about 2 1/2 hours away through windy
roads. The "ambulance" is a pickup the metal shell over the top. Shelly (my midwife friend) was vomiting almost the whole way there due to motion sickeness. I thought it was horrible and I was not the one in end stages of labor.

As I lay on the other stretcher next to the mom exhausted and nauseas I was just reminded of the realities of midwifery in the 3rd world. In this culture this girl (not even 18) would have been out in the forest by herself for days with this hard constant labor. All through the night her mom and sister got to minister to her. This Christian family was breaking through huge cultural taboos of touch and speaking kind
words.

She was loved and valued throughout the night and I pray that continues to minister to her. Sure we'd have liked a nice calm midwife birth...but this is reality and women need midwives who can get them to more skilled medical care when necessary.

You can still pray for her now. We were not allowed back in the labor area and we have no cell reception here so we'll just wait and see. I'm going on 36 hours awake and glad for a long ride to the border tomorrow.

My trip was definitely different than I expected. The first birth occurred about 24 hours after I left. I had three great weeks of God working on my heart and letting it break again for the women around the world in these little villages who have no skilled care in labor. I was reminded again how hard it is to pioneer a new work and this is going to be a long process with this people group to gain trust.

It was very hard to leave (even thought my view of missions has changed and is not so glorious as I once imagined). I wanted to stay and help, but know the last thing God lead me to do was go to nursing school. So, I'm there and leave the rest in his hands.

Ways to Get Kicked Out of the Mission...

We have officially welcomed rainy season. Today the hail had to be about 1cm in diameter and the rains poured down hard. The flash flood created a raging river and we entertained ourselves by watching cars try to cross. While its nice and cool this does make the ground harder to navigate (especially in flip flops and ankle length skirts)

Tonight I was helping Shelly care for the directors 90-something year old mother. Part of this included pushing her wheelchair from their house to the hospital. Thanks to the mud and rocks this became an unusually violent ride. At one point we hit this hole and I feared grandma was going to fly out.

Great...way to go Melissa! I'm sure the best way to keep your welcome is to propel the directors elderly mother into the mud! Thankfully all was well and I assured grandma we'd make it in one piece. (which we did)

Visit to the Hanger

The ministry here has a hanger a few miles away. We went out there to pick up some cement and get a little tour.
The amazing scenic view from the outhouse.

Trip to the "Big City"

The birthroom floor is under renovation so I went with Edwin and Betsy to the "big city" about 90 minutes away. (the swaybacks were enough to push me to the verge of loosing my stomach contents). Once there our mission was to buy food for a construction team coming next week. While waiting for Edwin we pulled out my camera. At the end we had fabulous bbq chicken. ymmmmmm

Mayonnaise...what missions trip is complete without it?
The collection of "snow cap lard" available

Adventures in Oatmeal

This morning as I was getting ready Evelyn (6) asked me if I could make oatmeal for breakfast...mentioning her mom said for her to ask me. I like to think of myself as a good cook, but tend to avoid oatmeal like the plague. The reality is I don't know how to make it on the stove.

Evelyn assured me she could tell me how. She told me to put milk in the pan, put in the oatmeal and cook it. (Sure...how hard can it be?) I found a bag of Mexican oatmeal in the cabinet that didn't have clear instructions, but did have the ratio of milk to oatmeal. Unfortunately it gave 2 different ratios one for "cereal" and one for some word in Spanish I don't know. Hopefully we didn't want whatever that was.

So, I put in the ingredients and lit the stove. At one point I turned away and the lid to the pot was just about to blow off and oatmeal slime was running all over the stove. One girl yelled, "ITS EXPLODING!!!" The verdict from Evelyn was it was yummy. I think it tasted like hot elmers glue with sugar.Yeah, its a slow day...gotta keep up with the little adventures.

Teaching in the Next Villiage

Yesterday afternoon we headed to another village. Dr. B got us there in record time though we were a bit green around the gills if you know what I mean. Apparently this was a "mild" ride, but my tail bone got hit a few times in the back of the jeep.

The terrain was beautiful. Apparently we're at about 7500 feet and this village was in the 5000'sShelly's midwife class was held in a school house...thus the various objects left on the small desks.