A Providential Break

So, Spring Break has been over for almost a week, but I'm still full of stories to tell.

The beginning of the break was the annual SMC Mega Tour; this year we headed to Chicago with a bus of 36 members (and 11 of them male!). Being on the presidential side of tour instead of the member side, or even "fun officer" side is a much different experience. It involves weeks and months of wondering if everything is going to come together and if the money is actually going to be there like your hypothetical budget says it will and so much more. And yet the worrying is always for naught, because God always provides. Some highlights from the trip:

• Pacific Garden Mission: getting to hear the testimonies and participate in the joyful, soulful worship of people who have been pulled from the depths by our amazing God.
• Going to the church where Jodee Lewis (of The Spares- I love them!) leads worship!
• Worshiping and fellowshipping with members of Polish Evangelical Fellowship. God truly crosses any boundaries, including cultural, and unites us all as one family in Christ! The love these people shared with us was beautiful and so encouraging, and I feel so blessed to have been able to also encourage them. Jak się masz! Dobry! Dziękuję!
• Getting to sing for various school children, who thought we were super stars!
• After rocking out various assembly lines, getting to play mafia... in Chicago
  
• Getting to eat homemade pizza cooked by Sister Emma, and mingling with some beautiful, sweet poor elderly, and then encouraging them through song.
• Meeting Sister Erin, from New Zealand!
• Getting to hang out at the zoo all afternoon and seeing the amazing, crazy wonder of God's creation. Especially getting to bond with the monkeys and apes. I feel like we understand each other.
• Walking the Magnificent Mile in BEAUTIFUL weather- high 40s-low 50s, blue, sunny skies
• And of course, all the fellowship with choir people- talent show, encourager bags, just generally being with each other. I love choir!

It's amazing how much and how well God provided on the trip. Two weeks out, we had no idea where we were going to sing on Sunday, and the two options we had been hoping on fell through. But then God led us to two places, and one particularly awesome opportunity- the Polish Fellowship. They kept asking us "how did you find us?" The only answer I have is that God led us to them. Praise the Lord!

Also, the first weather predictions had it being cold and stormy the entire time we were there, especially Tuesday. Luckily, God moved the storms through faster and Monday and Tuesday we were blessed with wonderful, glorious weather!

And then there were some unexpected surprises, like having to make a run to an emergency health care center to get one of the choir members a prescription for antibiotics and other drugs she severely needed. And yet, God worked out the timing so well, and all necessary changes were made with complete smoothness. Or another choir member having a tachycardic episode on the ride home- a little scary, but providential that I was there to provide reassurance and to also be able to call and get advice from more seasoned professionals when an hour or more in, things were still being funky. I have definitely learned over the past couple of weeks how I will never be "off duty" as a nurse- but it kind of excites me. I love being able to help people, and I feel so blessed to have extra knowledge to be able to help in medical situations, and am looking forward to growing in competence over the years. My one main goal after graduation? Growing and learning as a nurse- I want to be an excellent nurse, who has grace and expertise in my craft and skill. I know it's a long road and I have so much to learn, but I'm excited to learn and grow!


I had been dreading the rest of spring break, because I knew I was going to go home and my parents were going to leave less than 24 hours later to visit my brother in France. 4 days at home alone aren't exactly what I consider an ideal vacation. But, actually, it was amazingly wonderful, and I was never bored to tears. There was a wonderful balance of rest and recuperation, plus reconnecting with people I love. I caught up on TV shows, had a nice lunch with my sister, got to spend time with my cousins, had dinner and a movie with my grandparents, helped my family out by working at the Kaleidoscope Shop, and had lunch and time to reconnect with my favorite set of pseudo-parents-Ms. Sherri and Mr. Marshall.


And now here I am, less than 50 days from graduation, only 5 assignments left for class, most of which will be finished by next week, hopefully... and wondering what in the world my April is going to look like, with my Clinical Preceptorship starting and I have to figure out how I'm going to work 3 12-hour shifts a week, but also still stay semi in touch with the rest of my life... It's going to be an interesting last month and a half of school, but exciting, too. I'm just afraid I'm going to turn around and it will be over...