Back in California

My Crazy Schedule
So I've been back in southern CA for around a month now. And of course my life is back to it's usual craziness. =) I'm back in school at UCLA. I must confess I wasn't overly enthusiastic about returning to the grind. However I've been pleasantly surprised to find that this quarter is not the killer that my last one was. I'm spending three days a week doing my internship. Having incredible mentors is making a huge difference. It's great to have the foundational classes completed so I can start really applying what I have learned. Tuesdays and Thursdays I'm in Loma Linda at a women's health clinic with a terrific Nurse Practitioner. Fridays I work with an experienced physician in a Family Practice. Wed is my day on campus in west LA. I have class from 8AM until 7PM. Last week I learned how to suture. I'm having fun practicing the various stitches on a pig's foot. As you can see school eats up quite a bit of my time. That leaves Mondays for me to work my 12hr shift in the ER.

Back in Church
For the first time since graduating from nursing school I don't work weekends. I've always been in a position where I was required to work every other weekend. When I left for Kenya this summer I had to quit my job and give up my benefits. I'm now working as an "intermittent employee" which is per-diem for those of you in the nursing world. This basically means I'm working the same job as before minus the benefits. But that also means I am no longer subject to the weekend rule. It has been so refreshing to have the freedom to attend church every week. I've even been able to get involved in a Sunday school class on missions and a small group. We are reading "The PAPA Prayer" by Larry Crabb in my small group. It's an interesting look at what a healthy prayer life should look like.

Back to Kenya
Everyone is asking me "when are you going back to Kenya?" Approximately one year from this month I will be moving to Kenya as a full-time medical missionary. I'll graduate in June and spend the summer preparing to head out to the field. This means I'll start the support raising process sometime around January. Keep me in your prayers as support raising has never been easy or fun for me. Although the big move will be happening next fall I may be making a short trip before then. There is a possibility that I will be spending my Christmas break back in Kipkaren. I'll keep you posted!