So my time is quickly coming to a close here. I have 12 days left.

In some ways I feel like I have been here forever and in others I feel like I have just gotten here.
God has been sooooo good to me. Everything has been over and abundantly what I have expected. I cannot believe all I have been able to do!

I have been working in the clinic almost everyday and finally have all my observes and charts done so hopefully when I work night shift I will be able to assist. I am not sure how many I will have to have but I believe I will need 10 before I can catch. So... who knows, maybe I will get to catch a baby before I go home. That would be AMAZING (and totally unexpected)!

Maria and I have finally found the fabric needed to have my favorite pair of culottes copied and maybe today we will find a tailor. We were also hoping to eat dinner at Cup and Lowercase, a wonderful brick fired pizza place. I think it tops even J &J's at home! My favorite pizza so far has been the Arugula and Gorgonzola Cheese Pizza. It does look kinda funny when it comes with these big arugula leaves on it but it is oh, so good!

Fun ways to travel!

Check out the link... about the only transportation I haven't tried yet!http://www.bing.com/travel/content/search?q=Philippines%3a+Jeepney&cid=msn1098655&gt1=41000

Photos!

My camera decided to work so here are some photos of the Philippines

Count down...

While here the clinic was having a contest to see who could guess the time of birth for the 15,000 baby here. There was a prize for both the mother of the baby and the closest guesser.

Last night I had the honor of actually being on shift when she was born! I had gotten to help with baby number 14,999 and was taking vitals in the post partum room when I heard yelling, Bethany Stewart and I ran to the birth room and saw the new baby placed on her mommy's tummy! 9:07pm 10-26-09 (Filippino time). The parents didn't even know of the contest and were very surprised and excited. They even named the baby Mercy Joy! How sweet.
Krystina, Mercy's Director, actually guessed the closest time of 9:00pm! She gave her prize to the parents as well.

So that, along with a lot of new thing I have learned , was the highlight of my week!

Goooooo Summer!

Summer won 1st place in Fiddle at the Delaware Fiddlers Convention!
I am sooooo happy for her!
She is doing such a wonderful job.
She doesn't even have her own violin right now, she is using a borrowed one.

Good-Bye Photos

Photos from the Airport:









You all have been so wonderful to me! You all are amazing! I love you all.

I'm still here.

Yes, I am still here. I just haven't had much new happen except that I did get to observe 2 births and some postpartum checks. I also learned how to measure fundal height, find baby's postion and count fetal heart tones today during prenatal checks.

Other than that it has been pretty quiet, just working and studying.
So if I don't update much it's just because I am doing a lot of the same over and over and over until I get it. :-)
Oh and my camera card has decided not to let me take the pictures off of it so no picture posts until I get that worked out. *sigh*

So....

I worked my first shift yesterday, 6am-2pm. It was rather slow.
I work tomorrow from 2pm-10pm.
As a side note I'm not really working. I am following/observing and if I can do anything such as charting and making beds (haven't done that yet but they said I would be doing quite a few of them!) then I will do that.

I rode the longest zipline in Asia yesterday afternoon and today we went snorkeling at the Coral Reef and The Wall. Coral Reef is exactly what it sounds like, a coral reef. :-) But it is beautiful! The corals are amazing. The Wall is a coral reef that just drops from about 6-7 ft to about 20ft...so neat! I wished I had a camera.

Speaking of cameras... I am having issues getting the pictures off my camera so .... pictures will hopefully come later.

Thank You All!

My Mom asked me to write and say thank you to everyone who has called and e-mailed! She has been so blessed by the love and encouragement you all have given her. If she doesn't get to call or e-mail back please understand that there just isn't enough time in the day. But she loves and appreciates it.

And I thank you for all the love and encouragement and prayers you have given me. I am overwhelmed. Thank you!

Filipino "Yes"

Taken from my orientation papers:
"Filipino 'yes' may mean "maybe, I don't know, if you say so, if it will please you, I hope I have said it enthusiastically enough for you to understand I really mean no!"

And it is so true.

1st Shift

I start observing tomorrow morning at 6am (6pm Eastern Time). That will be my first shift... morning. Around 6-8 hours. Then I have off on Sun. since everyone is going on a boat trip to go snorkeling. Some of the girls' families are here so they wanted to do something special... looks like I came at the right time! :-)

Then I observe on the 19th swing shift, 21st prenatal, 22nd and 23rd swing shift, 24th day shift, 26th something-I-can't-remember, 27th day shift, and 29th swing. I know that was probably rather boring but... that's my first 2 weeks schedule.

We did go out tonight to the park and had Durian, Mangosteen and some other fruit that wasn't all that great. Durian is... wow, really different. They say it grows on you the more you eat it. I'm not so sure of that. It was like an egg custard... I don't even know how to describe it. It isn't too bad if you gulp coke after taking a bite. I really like the mangosteen.. it's like a lemon crossed with an orange... or something. It's a little tangy.

Well, I had better go to bed... have to get up early.

Destination

Here I am.

Davao City, Philippines

Half-way across the World. Can't believe I am really here. This is my first day here. I arrived last night (15th) and had a good-night sleep. My body is still adjusting to the time change and humidity... there is no A/C in the buildings. God knows my weakness! The girls have been wonderful and I am excited, though nervous. I am sharing a room with 4 other girls.
Today I will get to tour Mercy Maternity and work on /get my schedule. The night I arrived I found out they had just had a taxi delivery... yes, a delivery in a taxi!

I know I will be busy so I am enjoying this slow morning.

Now Boarding...

Airport good-byes are hard. Actually any good-byes are hard for me. I didn't even turn around to wave good-bye as I walked away. I couldn't.
So here I am waiting for my third flight, from Seoul, Korea to Manila, Philippines. From there I have one more 2 hour flight to Davao.
The Lord has been so merciful to me during these flights... on the longest flight He gave me a window seat so I could actually sleep!

This trip has given me so much to think about.
On the 13th, before I left, I was trying to get some errands done. Of course I was in a rush and normally errands don't make me very joyful (though I am learning to count it all joy). I walked into the post office and there was about 10 people in line ahead of me. I stood there and thought "I won't be able to stand in the Berlin post office for a month". Then the line didn't seem so long, and it even seemed to move quicker. I guess all I am trying to say is this trip has made me very grateful for the people and things around me. I hadn't noticed in awhile how beautiful it has been around our house or how much I really do need all the people He has surrounded me with. I have been overwhelmed with the love and thoughtfulness everyone has shown me. I feel so unworthy and inadequate. Thank you all for your love!
-Monika

Leaving

So here I am trying to fit the last few things in my suitcase while trying to stay under the weight limit.

My plane leaves Dulles at 7:03pm.

In the meantime I am also getting ready for FiberFest! and a friends wedding I am supposed to play in. These last few days are going to be busy.... er, busier than I already am. :-)

My friends had a going-away dinner for me on Tues. We had so much fun! I have such wonderful friends and family! Everyone has been too good to me. My family has blessed and encouraged me sooo much. It is going to be hard to not cry at the Airport.
"Parting is such sweet sorrow, until we meet again on the morrow (or next month)" -Shakespeare

Our new hobby :-)

Pictures of the Fiddlers Convention