Note that we are not Beyonce and Jay Z. Instead we are blurry people. On my birthday.
Someone else VERY precious had a birthday and her name is Nicole too. Yup. Baby Nicole is 4. FOUR. I can't believe it. When I calculate my time here, I only need to think about how old she is and realize I have been here FOUR years. Her birth day is still one of my greatest moments in the DR and I look forward to watching her celebrate many more of them. She doesn't exactly understand that we have the same name and just yells "AMERICANA!" when she sees me. She sits on my lap and cuddles and hugs and again, there IS the promise of an overnight stay when she feels ready to be away from her mama for a evening.
It's been a crazy busy winter. Aside from getting married and honeymooning and being a newlywed, winter is my busiest surgical and medical time. We've had 7 surgical teams since January 7 and have had groups here 10 out of the last 11 weeks. It's been fabulous, it's been frantic, it's been fiery, and God has been faithful. When I remarked to Monchy about how tired I was feeling, he reminded me that last year I cried a lot and told him that I couldn't do this.... and he casually stated how much better this year has been. Much less crying. Much less tears. He's right. Although I continue to have some anxiety over the clinic and our patients, I have learned to trust much more. I feel more trust in our Dominican staff and our American incoming teams, in my own personal SRI team, and in delegation. The greatest thing lately is that I don't fold scrubs anymore. I have turned over folding scrubs to two of our fabulous interpreters and they do a far better job than I ever did. For some reason, it makes my Fridays about ten million times better than before. And- I feel like I can enjoy work and our patients more when they come in because there is a wonderful back up system behind me. And seriously, who wouldn't love to squeeze some of the cuties below when they show up for surgery? I think the suit jackets just take the cake.
Aside from surgery, my friend Cathy Case was here for 10 days helping in PACU and also teaching a CPR class for the Public High School Nursing students. It's always so inspiring to watch the students get so excited about CPR, practice on the mannequins and answer Cathy's questions. It is evident that the CPR classes over the last 2 years have made a tremendous difference in the teaching here. The students can answer questions now that they were not able to answer several years ago, a testament to the updated information they are being given by their instructors.
In February Monchy and I had some friends come to visit us in San Juan. Mark and Margy Cottrell were here with their 3 sons. In 1996 I was on my first mission trip to the DR with Margy when we first met Mark. We worked on a construction project in San Pedro de Macorix (on the east side of the island). Mark had made many connections in the DR and through the years he and Margy developed deep relationships with many Dominicans, including a woman named Maria, their "Dominican grandmother". Although Mark and Margy had never been to San Juan, we all had quite a surprise when we learned that Pastor Enol (our Solid Rock pastor) had worked closely with Mark in the 90s in San Pedro. It was a fun reunion to watch and even better, when we learned that Mark's "Dominican grandmother" had moved to San Juan. She had moved in with her daughter and grandson, who just happens to be Nefthali, one of my dearest friends here. Small world, we kept saying through a few shed tears. Watching Mark reunite with Maria again was beautiful, reminding me of God's purpose in my life here. Who would have known that I was in Maria's house in San Pedro nearly 20 years ago......and that I would be tight buds with her grandson in San Juan today? That Margy and I would exchange looks over a Dominican street nearly 2o years later with both of our husbands in tow? That Pastor Enol and I were laying blocks together building a school in 1996 and now taking care of people in the barrios in San Juan just this week? Crazy small world? Maybe...but I see God's hand over all this...demonstrating how He prepares us for things to come. And how it runs together in His plan.
Monchy at the new clinic site with the Cottrell boys, Sam, Isaiah and Eli.
The Cottrells with their Dominican grandmother Maria
Beautiful reunions
Connections. A new year of life. Another birthday. A husband and a castle. The old coming together with the new. One of our chickens had 2 peeps so we feel as though new life has come into our backyard as well. :) Easter is coming, my favorite day of the year. Resurrection. Celebrating life again. I feel in the midst of it all.
Thanks for the love and the prayers. May the God of surprises and reunions and Dominican grandmothers take your breath away today with His Unfailing Faithfulness.
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