A Glimpse of Bulembu!

As I searched threw photos from our awesome experience in Bulembu it was hard to pick just a few photos to share. The whole experience was incredibly meaningful! I (Carolyn) spent my mornings in the baby home with children ages 6months-18months. In the baby home were approx 10 Aunties. Aunties are swazi-women who are appointed to care for the orphaned children. As the children grow up the are eventually placed in a home with one Auntie for 6 children. Alot of the most meaningful photographs to us are those with the children. I absolutely love the photo of Darren flipping the boy upside down, this was after church and these children swarmed Darren just for the love and attention they craved. So these are just a few of the many pictures of our trip to Swaziland... there will be more to come!

Vibrant with excitement...

Sometimes days go by and it seems like life becomes rather mundane. Then one day there are numerous events that can be vibrant with excitement. Today was that day, a day I will probably never forget. Last night my dad informed me that during our visit he was going to make an appointment with this herbalist in Edmonton. He gave me the address the night before the appointment and asked if I knew how to drive to this location. I said, "Oh sure I know where that is... its downtown." So the conversation continued and he explained that tomorrow he was going to get a 'reading.' I explained to my dad that this clinic was in a shady part of town and that this guy could be a psychic and if he knew if this guy had any naturopathic physician credentials. He explained to me and mom that because he wasn't getting any answers from the 'regular' physicians that he would like to give this guy a try. This guy was simply going to look at the blood vessels in his eye and tell him a diagnosis and prescribe some herbal remedies. So I drove with my parents down to this acupuncture/herbalist clinic close to downtown. As you walked up to the door there was 2 homeless persons sitting on the bench outside. And as you walked through the doors you could smell rice and tea. It was somewhat of a makeshift clinic with two rooms for appointments and a waiting room with 5-6 chairs, there was a kareoke machine playing in the waiting room. So my dad went in for the appointment with this herbalist physician. And while he was waiting to see the massuse who was supposed to "heal him." He chatted with us a while about the benefits of Chinese medicine and how there is positive and negative energy and when they are imbalanced there is problems including pain. After a few minutes my dad was called into this appointment with the massuse. So this herbalist doctor sat and talked with mom & I the whole time about psychic and how god revealed him different death destinies of 2 of his family members years in advance. The whole time mom & I are exchanging looks saying "I can't believe we are in a herbalist clinic in Edmonton listening to this weird psychic dude." He asked us to give him numbers so that he could read our minds, I refused. Mom finally gave him 3 numbers after he insisted several times. He told mom the numbers add up to 4 so that means your going on vacation soon. And mom was not going to give him any indicators that she was leaving to visit grandma in a week, so she kept her mouth shut the whole time. And he asked her several times and there was no way mom was telling him. The whole time this conversation was rather awkward, but we did tell him we didn't believe in psychics but that we did believe in God. Then he began to share with us how being psychic is a dangerous thing and how he doesn't want to be psychic. Anyways that was my interesting adventure for the day.

I just realized that it has been several months since I have posted anything on my blog. The picture above is on the day of my hard earned nursing graduation. I love this picture cause we both look so happy! Nursing is a profession that is perceived as kind and caring but a few days ago at the nursing home to my surprise my job became that of a"bouncer." Another nurse and I were responsible for breaking up fight between two elderly gentlemen with dementia. So my journeys as a nurse begins.

Scripture to ponder

Matthew 5:14-16
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all that are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven."

Luke 18: 18-27
A ruler questioned Jesus, saying "Good teacher, what shall we do to inherit eternal life? "And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments ' Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour you father and mother.'" And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth" When Jesus heard this, He said to him, "One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come follow me." But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. And Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. They who heard it said, "Then who can be saved?" But he said, "The things that are impossible with people are possible with God."

God is so good to me!

Thankfulness... definitely a WORD of the day ( as word bird would say it on Sesame Street) or week. The Lord has been impressing on my heart this very word. It is my heart's desire to become a woman of thankfulness... there is so very much to be thankful for. Number one is my relationship with Jesus Christ.

Let me encourage you with some scripture from Colossians.
Colossians 2: 6-7
"Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, so walk in him, having been firmly established in your faith just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude."

Colossians 3:16
"Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God."

After reading these scriptures it just makes me realize that Christ allows us to be overflowing with gratitude. Gratitude brings forth joy. Some of the things that I am grateful for are my husband, nursing education, clothes, many friends, family, joy, God's word, my sponsored child, etc, etc. God is so good to me!

The sick need a physician... the Great Physician

These past few weeks have been relatively busy with at least 8hr days and sometimes 10 or more. I am doing my surgery clinical right now and Darren is doing snow removal. So when you walk into our cozy 1 bedroom basement suite it reflects that of the movie home alone... laundry unfolded... dishes waiting to be washed... unsorted scrap paper... unvaccumed floors... ETC, ETC. And frankly I don't really care right now... we'll deal with that as needed. And well for supper some nights we have Cheerios. I am definitely looking forward to being finished this clinical, after this one its only two more to go until THE END.
Even in the busy times there is teaching to be learned especially spiritual teaching. Nursing has really opened up my eyes to see the character of God as a healer. There are so many portions of scripture where our Lord is described as the great physician. As I look at the patients with cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, pneumonia, fractured bones, etc, etc I really see God's love for them and his desire to heal these people physically but more importantly spiritually. We live in a world with so many people who are sick and are in need of the great physician. Hopefully the people I work with, the patients and other people I encounter will witness the power of Christ in me. My goal in life is to draw people to our great physician.

Can you believe it...

... I have been married nearly six months (on Jan 26 it will be six months). Its been such a joy! Its funny as time flies by you realize the things that characterize me as me and Darren as Darren. For example just recently Darren has discovered that I love smoothies even in the middle of winter... go figure... And I have recently discovered that Darren talks in his sleep in foreign languages. I recently received a keyboard for Christmas and I was playing one of the songs that I learnt as a child "Oh be careful little eyes what you see..." and as I was playing Darren started singing "If your happy and you know it clap your hands..." Its funny too as Darren walks in the door after work greets me with a kiss and then starts singing "Sweet Carolyn..." but he only remembers the one line. These are the things that surprise us as we grow in relationship with one another. Surprise, Surprise and that's what makes me love Darren more and more.