If you still check this blog, I'm really sorry (again) that I don't update it. If you don't already know, I returned home to the US on August 30th. Well, technically it was the 31st before I hugged my family for the first time in a long time because I got stuck at the San Francisco airport overnight. Anyway...
Right now I'm in the thick of finishing up a few classes at Birthingway. I should be done in June, and possibly taking my boards in August. SCARY!!! I'm apprenticing at Andaluz Waterbirth Center in Tualitin, Oregon. I've been doing tons of prentals and should be going to some births in December. It's really, really exciting to be working at the clinic. On the other hand, I really miss the Philippines. Think I might go back and visit sometime! So, anyway, that's all that's going on.
If you've been leaving comments for me asking about Mercy, please leave your email address so I can write back!!! I'd be happy to chat with ya!
Much love to all.
P.S. To be honest, I don't have a very satisfying Rosalie Pt. 2. I went to the hospital, but she had checked herself and her baby out of the hospital against medical advice. I'm praying her baby lived, but I don't know for sure how it all turned out. God knows though, so when you think of her please pray.
Friday, December 01, 2006
Monday, July 17, 2006
Rosalie's Story Pt. 1
Well, for some reason my post from the eighth of July is just now showing up. Not sure why... Sorry about that! Anyway, onward...
Life in the Philippines has become something normal, and I'm feeling less and less like I'm visiting in a foreign country. Davao has become my home, those I encounter through Mercy, my family. Well, my Filipino family anyway... The Filipinos live such simple lives, getting by with little of nothing, and yet they are rich on so many other levels. They work hard, often starting their day as the sun rises. I don't know that I truly realized that until a few days ago.
I was really sick the end of last week through Monday of this week. I won't go into any details, but suffice it to say I was in bed for four straight days. Most of those nights were long, as I was unable to sleep due to fever. I watched the sun come up, and since I had quarantined myself to a bedroom at the other end of the house, I was privy to noises that I don't normally hear down in my bedroom.
Like the steady, coarse sweep of a broom, back and forth across a floor that is perpetually dirty. And the snorting of pigs that are kept in a pen in close proximity to our building. And water filling a bucket for laundry. As I lay there, I couldn't help but think when these people who are sweeping the floor, feeding the pigs, and doing the laundry are sick they don't have the luxury of laying in bed for days to get better. They work until they drop, and then I see them hooked up to an I.V. in the overcrowded emergency room at Davao Medical Center. They work so hard for little of nothing.
This brings me to the sad story of my continuity, Rosalie. I picked up Rose's chart a couple of months ago, called her name and showed her back to the area I would do her prenatal in. I believe it was her very first prenatal at Mercy, and so I flipped over her chart to read her information. My heart sunk as I read "wala" in many of the spaces for husband, job, money, phone. (As I write this, it occurs to me that I may have mentioned her in a previous post.) This meant that she had none. No husband, no job, no money, no phone. She needed Mercy in more ways than one.
As I looked into her dull, haunted eyes I saw deep pain and distrust. She knew very little English, and at the time I knew barely any Visaya, but that didn't matter. Her need for someone to care about her transcended our language barrier. The Lord whispered of His love for her in my heart, and so I told him I was willing if he wanted to use this broken vessel to minister to Rose. I put my name on her chart, and made plans to see her in a month.
Since that time, I've seen Rose for 2-3 prenatals. The most recent visit was a couple of weeks ago, and we made a break through that I hadn't anticipated. For the first time, I saw a smile light up Rose's face and eyes as I made eye contact with her. During her prenatal, she opened up, asked questions, and whispered in quiet agreement as I brought her before the Lord in prayer. My heart swelled with so much love for her, I didn't hardly know what to do. I couldn't imagine how much more God's heart swelled with love for her! It was amazing! I was really looking forward to her next visit in August.
I must get ready for work, so I'll have to conclude Rose's story tomorrow. Sorry to leave ya hangin!
Life in the Philippines has become something normal, and I'm feeling less and less like I'm visiting in a foreign country. Davao has become my home, those I encounter through Mercy, my family. Well, my Filipino family anyway... The Filipinos live such simple lives, getting by with little of nothing, and yet they are rich on so many other levels. They work hard, often starting their day as the sun rises. I don't know that I truly realized that until a few days ago.
I was really sick the end of last week through Monday of this week. I won't go into any details, but suffice it to say I was in bed for four straight days. Most of those nights were long, as I was unable to sleep due to fever. I watched the sun come up, and since I had quarantined myself to a bedroom at the other end of the house, I was privy to noises that I don't normally hear down in my bedroom.
Like the steady, coarse sweep of a broom, back and forth across a floor that is perpetually dirty. And the snorting of pigs that are kept in a pen in close proximity to our building. And water filling a bucket for laundry. As I lay there, I couldn't help but think when these people who are sweeping the floor, feeding the pigs, and doing the laundry are sick they don't have the luxury of laying in bed for days to get better. They work until they drop, and then I see them hooked up to an I.V. in the overcrowded emergency room at Davao Medical Center. They work so hard for little of nothing.
This brings me to the sad story of my continuity, Rosalie. I picked up Rose's chart a couple of months ago, called her name and showed her back to the area I would do her prenatal in. I believe it was her very first prenatal at Mercy, and so I flipped over her chart to read her information. My heart sunk as I read "wala" in many of the spaces for husband, job, money, phone. (As I write this, it occurs to me that I may have mentioned her in a previous post.) This meant that she had none. No husband, no job, no money, no phone. She needed Mercy in more ways than one.
As I looked into her dull, haunted eyes I saw deep pain and distrust. She knew very little English, and at the time I knew barely any Visaya, but that didn't matter. Her need for someone to care about her transcended our language barrier. The Lord whispered of His love for her in my heart, and so I told him I was willing if he wanted to use this broken vessel to minister to Rose. I put my name on her chart, and made plans to see her in a month.
Since that time, I've seen Rose for 2-3 prenatals. The most recent visit was a couple of weeks ago, and we made a break through that I hadn't anticipated. For the first time, I saw a smile light up Rose's face and eyes as I made eye contact with her. During her prenatal, she opened up, asked questions, and whispered in quiet agreement as I brought her before the Lord in prayer. My heart swelled with so much love for her, I didn't hardly know what to do. I couldn't imagine how much more God's heart swelled with love for her! It was amazing! I was really looking forward to her next visit in August.
I must get ready for work, so I'll have to conclude Rose's story tomorrow. Sorry to leave ya hangin!
Saturday, July 08, 2006
To everyone who faithfully checks for updates on my blog, please accept my humblest of humble apologies. I have not been diligent about keeping you up-to-date, and for that I apologize. Well, it's really late here (1:23am) and I should be sleeping, but put together a slideshow of some of the babies I have caught since I got here. This only represents a handful, as I have now caught 28 babies. Things are going really well, and I'm soaking up great experiences! I'll post more later. For now, enjoy...
Friday, May 19, 2006
The Long-awaited update...
from the far-side of the planet. I'd like to say how sorry I am that it has taken so long for me to put an update on here.
I'm sitting at home, and it's very quiet around here as only Ate Christina and I are here. Christina is our housekeeper who comes twice a week for a few hours to do light cleaning. For those of you who might think we are lazy in the house, and need someone to come in and clean up after us, stop it. Right now. Let me explain. In the house we have teams, and each team rotates to a new responsibility on Monday. One team will cook dinner and do all the grocery shopping for the week, another team will sweep/mop inside as well as dust/take garbage out everyday, while yet another team cleans the bathrooms, and finally the last team sweeps/mops our large patio. These responsibilities are carried out just before dinner time everyday, so our house actually stays quite clean. It's very common to have a housekeeper or helper here in the Philippines. Ate (an expression of respect for women) Christina is a blessing to us, coming in to do miscellaneous things around the house.
It's been really super-duper hot lately during the day, with thunder-lightening storms a regular occurance in the evenings. The lightening is quite spectacular, almost unlike anything I've ever seen before in my life (that's saying a lot coming from a girl who grew up in Colorado). I realized the other day that taking cold showers has seemed especially excruciating lately. At first, it was really cold for a few seconds, but then you got used to it. Now, it's nearly excruciating through the entire shower. I've come to the conclusion that it's because my body has adjusted to the heat, so anything and everything cold seems colder than when I lived in a colder climate. Strange, huh!
Okay, on to more important things. I caught my 10th baby early this morning, at 2:36am. It was by far the longest, hardest labor any of my patients have had. She pushed for nearly 1hr and 51 minutes, and to say that I wasn't sending prayers heavenward would be a gross understatement. I think I've caught more baby boys than baby girls, which is not uncommon here. I'm really enjoying working in the birth room, labor watching/supporting, catching babies, learning from the other midwives, and catching some zzzz's here and there when I can. I'm starting to feel more comfortable with my skills and abilities, while still keeping in mind that I'm still very early in my learning. Midwifery is a "think outside the box" type of profession (for lack of a better term), as each mama that walks through our doors is so unique. I'm challenged daily by this concept daily, learning to not make any presumptions about how I think a labor will go or how long she will push, etc. When the Lord prompts you to pray for me, add a prayer for the women and families that we serve. Pray for their salvation, safety, protection, and wisdom in caring for their little ones.
Well, my bed is calling me once again for a nap. My little eyes didn't close until 5:40am, so I'm pretty much exhausted. The girls will be home soon! I will share more later! I love and miss you all more than you can know. Thank you so much for your prayers!
I'm sitting at home, and it's very quiet around here as only Ate Christina and I are here. Christina is our housekeeper who comes twice a week for a few hours to do light cleaning. For those of you who might think we are lazy in the house, and need someone to come in and clean up after us, stop it. Right now. Let me explain. In the house we have teams, and each team rotates to a new responsibility on Monday. One team will cook dinner and do all the grocery shopping for the week, another team will sweep/mop inside as well as dust/take garbage out everyday, while yet another team cleans the bathrooms, and finally the last team sweeps/mops our large patio. These responsibilities are carried out just before dinner time everyday, so our house actually stays quite clean. It's very common to have a housekeeper or helper here in the Philippines. Ate (an expression of respect for women) Christina is a blessing to us, coming in to do miscellaneous things around the house.
It's been really super-duper hot lately during the day, with thunder-lightening storms a regular occurance in the evenings. The lightening is quite spectacular, almost unlike anything I've ever seen before in my life (that's saying a lot coming from a girl who grew up in Colorado). I realized the other day that taking cold showers has seemed especially excruciating lately. At first, it was really cold for a few seconds, but then you got used to it. Now, it's nearly excruciating through the entire shower. I've come to the conclusion that it's because my body has adjusted to the heat, so anything and everything cold seems colder than when I lived in a colder climate. Strange, huh!
Okay, on to more important things. I caught my 10th baby early this morning, at 2:36am. It was by far the longest, hardest labor any of my patients have had. She pushed for nearly 1hr and 51 minutes, and to say that I wasn't sending prayers heavenward would be a gross understatement. I think I've caught more baby boys than baby girls, which is not uncommon here. I'm really enjoying working in the birth room, labor watching/supporting, catching babies, learning from the other midwives, and catching some zzzz's here and there when I can. I'm starting to feel more comfortable with my skills and abilities, while still keeping in mind that I'm still very early in my learning. Midwifery is a "think outside the box" type of profession (for lack of a better term), as each mama that walks through our doors is so unique. I'm challenged daily by this concept daily, learning to not make any presumptions about how I think a labor will go or how long she will push, etc. When the Lord prompts you to pray for me, add a prayer for the women and families that we serve. Pray for their salvation, safety, protection, and wisdom in caring for their little ones.
Well, my bed is calling me once again for a nap. My little eyes didn't close until 5:40am, so I'm pretty much exhausted. The girls will be home soon! I will share more later! I love and miss you all more than you can know. Thank you so much for your prayers!
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
It's really interesting...
... I have days here when I can't possibly imagine being here another 8 months. On those particular days (by the way, yesterday was really the first I've had so far), I long for the slow pace of my life back home, a life that I once thought was completely hectic and crazy. And in it's own way, it was completely hectic and crazy, but predictable. I think more than anything I long for...familiarity....in the face of a loved one, in a place I've been to hundred's of times. I now realize I took for granted being smack dab in the middle of the city and then only having to drive 10 minutes to escape to the slow, steady pace of the country-side.
That was yesterday though. Today, I love being here because I think for the first time I realized in my heart something so completely right in front of my face, I can't believe I missed it. My Creator, the One most familiar to me and with me, didn't stay behind in my life back home. He really does exist here in the Philippines, and I can see him everywhere I go... in the hungry eyes of the little girl begging for money on the sidewalk of Agdao Market, in the beacon of light shining from Mercy Maternity Center. I hear Him too... in the song of the Filipina midwives, passionately worshipping God at the top of their lungs, in the quiet murmur of "Yes, Lord" from a malnourished buntis (pregnant woman) as I pray for her husband to get work everyday, so she can eat enough to nourish the baby growing inside of her. He is here, in this overcrowded, polluted city. He brings comfort, peace and joy, in the midst of sorrow, pain, and suffering. And through these people, He reminds me of why I'm really here. Not for my own comfort and security, but so that He might use this broken vessel to pour out His mercy, love and grace on those who haven't experienced Him. That's why what we do here counts, as Matt said at care group tonight.
I had great prenatals today. I was pretty much on my own, and I'm starting to feel more competent in my skills and abilities. I'm really trying to learn Visayan, as the language barrier frustrates me more than anything in the whole world. I even used some of the new Visayan phrases I taught myself during my prenatals. Oh, and Jenn told me I'll be doing one of the health teachings next month. I'm not sure if it will be fetal development, nutrition, labor/birth, postpartum, or breastfeeding, but I'm pretty much really nervous about it. There will be a Visayan translator working along-side me to translate what I'm saying from English to Visayan. I'll keep you posted on how that turns out...
Tomorrow I work day shift at the birth center, so I should be getting to bed soon. So far, I've observed 4 births, and I'm hoping to see more tomorrow. Okay, I'm off to bed. Love you all!!!
Love,
Briana
That was yesterday though. Today, I love being here because I think for the first time I realized in my heart something so completely right in front of my face, I can't believe I missed it. My Creator, the One most familiar to me and with me, didn't stay behind in my life back home. He really does exist here in the Philippines, and I can see him everywhere I go... in the hungry eyes of the little girl begging for money on the sidewalk of Agdao Market, in the beacon of light shining from Mercy Maternity Center. I hear Him too... in the song of the Filipina midwives, passionately worshipping God at the top of their lungs, in the quiet murmur of "Yes, Lord" from a malnourished buntis (pregnant woman) as I pray for her husband to get work everyday, so she can eat enough to nourish the baby growing inside of her. He is here, in this overcrowded, polluted city. He brings comfort, peace and joy, in the midst of sorrow, pain, and suffering. And through these people, He reminds me of why I'm really here. Not for my own comfort and security, but so that He might use this broken vessel to pour out His mercy, love and grace on those who haven't experienced Him. That's why what we do here counts, as Matt said at care group tonight.
I had great prenatals today. I was pretty much on my own, and I'm starting to feel more competent in my skills and abilities. I'm really trying to learn Visayan, as the language barrier frustrates me more than anything in the whole world. I even used some of the new Visayan phrases I taught myself during my prenatals. Oh, and Jenn told me I'll be doing one of the health teachings next month. I'm not sure if it will be fetal development, nutrition, labor/birth, postpartum, or breastfeeding, but I'm pretty much really nervous about it. There will be a Visayan translator working along-side me to translate what I'm saying from English to Visayan. I'll keep you posted on how that turns out...
Tomorrow I work day shift at the birth center, so I should be getting to bed soon. So far, I've observed 4 births, and I'm hoping to see more tomorrow. Okay, I'm off to bed. Love you all!!!
Love,
Briana
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Another lengthy post... So sorry!!!
Okay, I need to bring you up to date. I can't believe I've been here for more than a week. I've seen and done so much, so I have a lot to tell you! I'm feeling a lot more comfortable getting around the city now, via taxi, tricie or motorbike. I'm always with someone who knows where we're going, so that helps for sure.
I didn't actually go anywhere today because I have a pretty bad sunburn. Shame on me for waiting too long to put sunscreen on when Heather and I went swimming at the Marco Polo Hotel. The entire experience was so worth the pain of a sunburn though. Marco Polo is a five star hotel, and we only had to pay 150 pesos (equal to $3 US) to swim. The water was cool, but so comfortable on a hot day! I think we're going to go once a week!!!
I worked Prenatal Clinic on Tuesday, and loved every minute of it. The language barrier is a challenge, but you work around it the best you can. We (the midwives) arrive at the clinic around 7:45am for devotions and prayer. Then we sing worship songs with the mamas and pray with them for about 15-20 minutes. While the midwives go set up the prenatal room, one team of midwives (we rotate) gives a health teaching to the women. Then we get started on a stack of charts (anywhere from 40-70 women), calling the mamas back one by one. I'm looking forward to starting continuities (clients I will do every prenatal with, and be at their birth), so I can establish a relationship with the mamas I see. For right now, we just see whoever comes through our door. I have to admit my favorite part of prenatals isn't checking fetal heart tones or palpating a pregnant belly to see what position the baby is in. It's when we pray over the mama and her baby, for protection, health, safety, their future, and that they would draw close to their creator. I can't even describe to you how powerful and moving it is to be apart of this ministry.
I had my first 12-hour day shift on Wednesday. I honestly didn't know what to expect, so I went with an open mind and heart, ready to learn!!! I guess the clinic has been pretty slow lately, only averaging around 1 birth per shift, which is highly unusual. So, you can imagine my excitement at getting to see three births on my very first shift!!! They were all beautiful births, beautiful mamas, and beautiful babies. I was so honored to have been there for these momentous occasions. I'm not doing a whole lot yet, but I did check fetal heart tones, take a blood pressure, take a temperature, and rode along in our clinic ambulance to transport and client with lack of progress and border-line hypertension. My first trip to Davao Medical Center was the most eye-opening experience of my life. I can't even describe it to you because it defies words. The conditions are pretty bad and there are people everywhere. I'm still in shock...
I had my first 12-hour night shift on Friday night starting at 7:45pm. We got there and things were completely crazy. The day shift had to call in extra help because three mama's decided they needed to push at the same time. By the time we started, things were pretty under control, but it was super intense! Our only baby of the night was born at 8:25pm, again another beautiful birth. I got to check fetal heart tones again, and realized that I am starting to feel more comfortable with the flow of how the midwives do things here. We actually ended up sleeping until 6:30am, when our next laboring mama came in. She didn't have her baby by the time we left at 7:45am, but that's okay.
I'm working a lot this week! Monday and Tuesday I have prenatal clinic, Wednesday day shift, Thursday night shift, Friday off, Saturday day shift, and Sunday night shift. There's a good possibility that I'll start assisting in the next couple of weeks, so I'm pretty excited about that.
I still really can't believe I'm here in Davao doing what I've been dreaming of doing for so long. I really love it, and am enjoying getting to know my housemates!!! They've made me feel so welcome, and so we I've decided they will be my Davao family away from home. I miss you all terribly and love you more than I can express. Thank you for your continued prayer support. I promise to keep this blog fairly up-to-date, and would love to hear from you. I also promise to return your emails, although you may not hear from me right away. I only get to be on the internet at home, since we don't have wireless at work! Much love to ya from the other side of the world!
Love,
Briana
I didn't actually go anywhere today because I have a pretty bad sunburn. Shame on me for waiting too long to put sunscreen on when Heather and I went swimming at the Marco Polo Hotel. The entire experience was so worth the pain of a sunburn though. Marco Polo is a five star hotel, and we only had to pay 150 pesos (equal to $3 US) to swim. The water was cool, but so comfortable on a hot day! I think we're going to go once a week!!!
I worked Prenatal Clinic on Tuesday, and loved every minute of it. The language barrier is a challenge, but you work around it the best you can. We (the midwives) arrive at the clinic around 7:45am for devotions and prayer. Then we sing worship songs with the mamas and pray with them for about 15-20 minutes. While the midwives go set up the prenatal room, one team of midwives (we rotate) gives a health teaching to the women. Then we get started on a stack of charts (anywhere from 40-70 women), calling the mamas back one by one. I'm looking forward to starting continuities (clients I will do every prenatal with, and be at their birth), so I can establish a relationship with the mamas I see. For right now, we just see whoever comes through our door. I have to admit my favorite part of prenatals isn't checking fetal heart tones or palpating a pregnant belly to see what position the baby is in. It's when we pray over the mama and her baby, for protection, health, safety, their future, and that they would draw close to their creator. I can't even describe to you how powerful and moving it is to be apart of this ministry.
I had my first 12-hour day shift on Wednesday. I honestly didn't know what to expect, so I went with an open mind and heart, ready to learn!!! I guess the clinic has been pretty slow lately, only averaging around 1 birth per shift, which is highly unusual. So, you can imagine my excitement at getting to see three births on my very first shift!!! They were all beautiful births, beautiful mamas, and beautiful babies. I was so honored to have been there for these momentous occasions. I'm not doing a whole lot yet, but I did check fetal heart tones, take a blood pressure, take a temperature, and rode along in our clinic ambulance to transport and client with lack of progress and border-line hypertension. My first trip to Davao Medical Center was the most eye-opening experience of my life. I can't even describe it to you because it defies words. The conditions are pretty bad and there are people everywhere. I'm still in shock...
I had my first 12-hour night shift on Friday night starting at 7:45pm. We got there and things were completely crazy. The day shift had to call in extra help because three mama's decided they needed to push at the same time. By the time we started, things were pretty under control, but it was super intense! Our only baby of the night was born at 8:25pm, again another beautiful birth. I got to check fetal heart tones again, and realized that I am starting to feel more comfortable with the flow of how the midwives do things here. We actually ended up sleeping until 6:30am, when our next laboring mama came in. She didn't have her baby by the time we left at 7:45am, but that's okay.
I'm working a lot this week! Monday and Tuesday I have prenatal clinic, Wednesday day shift, Thursday night shift, Friday off, Saturday day shift, and Sunday night shift. There's a good possibility that I'll start assisting in the next couple of weeks, so I'm pretty excited about that.
I still really can't believe I'm here in Davao doing what I've been dreaming of doing for so long. I really love it, and am enjoying getting to know my housemates!!! They've made me feel so welcome, and so we I've decided they will be my Davao family away from home. I miss you all terribly and love you more than I can express. Thank you for your continued prayer support. I promise to keep this blog fairly up-to-date, and would love to hear from you. I also promise to return your emails, although you may not hear from me right away. I only get to be on the internet at home, since we don't have wireless at work! Much love to ya from the other side of the world!
Love,
Briana
Pics of the house
The door leading into our room. Carmen & Amy are my roommates :)
A view into our bedroom from the door. Carmen
is in the left corner of this pic.
Guess I never thought I would ever again in my life have
the opportunity to sleep on a bunk bed. Apparently
I was wrong. I'm on the top bunk, and Amy is on
the bottom bunk.
The view to the right out of our bedroom windows.
The lights from the apartments across the way
are very bright at night, but they don't really
bother me any more.
A view somewhat to the right out of our bedroom windows.
The trees kinda block the view!!!
Our lovely, miniscule bathroom sink. Notice there is only
a knob for the COLD WATER!!! Yeah, it's the same for
the shower. Cold showers are the norm, but
WHOA that took some getting used to.
Welcome to our kitchen! All I have to say is:
The ants go marching two,
by two, hurrah, hurrah...
This is our living room! I don't have anything
to add :)
Welcome to our patio! This is a great place for
just hanging out or doing laundry!!
And this is our lovely washing machine. I don't even
know how to describe it! Wow! The spinner is my
favorite part because I would only have to dry my
clothes for 10 minutes if I only had a dryer.
This is our lovely shoe garage!!! When you have
13 girls living under one roof, you get one
enormous pile of shoes.
Monday, April 03, 2006
Pics of my travels Eastward...
I think I took this picture around 4:30am over the East China Sea.I've never seen a more beautiful sunrise. It was like the sun
was hitching a ride with us.
Getting ready to shoot the sun ahead of us.(By the way, we were 38,000 miles up in the air,
so that is not the sea that you see:)
Another view of the Philippine Islands. My
excitement was really building at this point.
Or maybe it was just the adrenaline helping me
along after a restless night.
Kinda hard to see, I know, but if you squint your left
eye and turn your head 5 degrees to the right,
you make out the land masses.
Please read me...
Thought I would write a little more about my experience in a new country. I found out today that Davao has a population of 1.4 million people, the largest city in the world. To say that there are people everywhere would be an understatement. Public transportation in the form of jeepnies, motorbikes, and tricies (sp?) is the way you get around. It costs about 5 pesos one way to get around from place to place, unless you decide to walk. I've gotten to walk to a few differnt places, but mostly have gotten around on the tricies. My life here is so completely different than anything I've ever experienced before, and I actually kind of like not having a car to just jump in whenever I want to go somewhere.
I don't even know how to describe my surroundings. The Filipinos are very friendly here, always referring to us as "Ma'am", which sounds more like Mum. Many earn their income through offering one form of transportation or another, or they have a stand in the market, or they may work in a store or the mall. I'm not sure what the average income is here, but you can be sure it doesn't even compare to the income we are used to in the US.
I went to All Nations Christian Fellowship yesterday with four other girls for Sunday morning worship. The entire service was so good, and I truly felt the Lord's presence there. The worship is very contemporary, and we sang very current songs. The pastor Jan Drayer was also very good, and I really enjoyed his sermon. I can't tell you how blessed I was when they had the children 12 and under stand up and prayed over them before they were dismissed for their various classes. It really made me miss my kids!!!
After church, a group of us went to the mall for lunch. I had a bowl of Teriyaki chicken and iced tea for about 70 pesos, I think. That's less than $2 US, if you can believe it. I couldn't! Continued under April 7 post!!!
I don't even know how to describe my surroundings. The Filipinos are very friendly here, always referring to us as "Ma'am", which sounds more like Mum. Many earn their income through offering one form of transportation or another, or they have a stand in the market, or they may work in a store or the mall. I'm not sure what the average income is here, but you can be sure it doesn't even compare to the income we are used to in the US.
I went to All Nations Christian Fellowship yesterday with four other girls for Sunday morning worship. The entire service was so good, and I truly felt the Lord's presence there. The worship is very contemporary, and we sang very current songs. The pastor Jan Drayer was also very good, and I really enjoyed his sermon. I can't tell you how blessed I was when they had the children 12 and under stand up and prayed over them before they were dismissed for their various classes. It really made me miss my kids!!!
After church, a group of us went to the mall for lunch. I had a bowl of Teriyaki chicken and iced tea for about 70 pesos, I think. That's less than $2 US, if you can believe it. I couldn't! Continued under April 7 post!!!
Sunday, April 02, 2006
The Looowww Down
Well, by now you probably know I made it safely to my destination, Davao City, Mindanao, Philippines on Friday afternoon. I thought I would summarize my trip, so you know how it went! (NOTE: Summarize is a figurative term, so you might have to break for an intermission every so often! I also apologize for the grammatical errors contained in this here post!) So, here goes:
I spent most of Wednesday, packing and getting ready to go. Beth and Blake made me breakfast in the morning, and the three of us enjoyed spending one of our last meals together. Beth was a huge help with packing, as there were times when I felt at a loss of where to start. It's overwhelming to try to pack when you're going to be gone for nearly 9 months, and you have a weight limit of 50lbs eaceh on the two pieces of luggage you can check.
We got to spend time as a family in the afternoon, in sort of a disjointed way. Packing was the priority, since we had to leave the house no later than 5pm. I said my final goodbye to Chloe, and we were off. Had to make a stop at Costco on the way to the airport, but we made it to the airport with just enough time to get checked in, grab a bite to eat at Wendy's, take a few pictures, and say goodbye. As excited as I was about this opportunity, walking away from my beloved family was one of the most emotional things I've ever had to do. I'm not ashamed to say I'm 25 and I miss my mommy! :) I miss the rest of my fam too!!! Anyway, I'm hoping the security guards didn't think I was blowing kisses at them!!!
Waited about 15-20 minutes at the gate before I boarded the plane bound for LAX. Very uneventful flight, and I think we may have even landed a little ahead of schedule. Anyway, got off the plane, and I decided probably the smartest thing was to follow everyone else. Looking, looking, looking, but not seeing any sign of where you have to go to check in for an international flight. So, I asked, and was directed to the Tom Bradley International Terminal. This was the biggest, most confusing airport terminal I've ever seen. I finally found where I had to get in line to check in for my China Airlines flight, along with about 100 other passengers. Unfortunately, I was at the back of the line, so had a long wait ahead of me. Good thing I had 2hrs before my flight was scheduled to leave.
Well, while I was standing in line, an airport employee was walking along the line asking if any of us were bound for Manila. Well, I was, so he pulled me out of the line (figuratively, not literally), and took me up to the counter. The customer service lady told me the flight was overbooked, so they were looking for passengers who would be willing to fly on a Malaysia Airlines flight that would get into Taipei only 10 minutes later than the China Airlines flight. Initially I said no, but then she told me I would end up in the middle of the middle section for the 14hr flight. That got my attention, so I said yes.
An agent took me to the Malaysia Airlines counter, so they could get me checked in. This is where I would encounter my first two potential travel hiccups. The agent asked to see my return tickets. When you travel to the Philippines, you are only allowed to stay 21 days, but my return ticket is for October (even though I'm not coming home until December). The airlines can get fined if they don't enforce this, so there was a chance I would have to book a flight home within those 21 days and then cancel it once I was through checking in. So, I was praying my little heart out that somehow the Lord would intervene, and He did. The agent looked at it, said okay, and handed it back to me. Relief! Then, they weren't sure if China Airlines would be able to get my bags transferred to the Malaysia plane in time. Fast forward>>> as we were getting ready to board, I went up to the counter and was told they'd gotten my bags. Relief again!!! Went through security, found my gate, and had about 30 minutes before we boarded.
The planes weren't that nice, plus it was pretty cramped, but I had the window seat and there was an open seat between me and the other lady. I didn't sleep that well, only dozing between meals than seemed to be brought out as soon as they'd picked up the trays from the previous meal. I watched the sun chase us over the East China Sea, and praised in my heart our Creator who clearly has a knack for creating beautiful things. As we landed in Taipei at about 6am local time, I realized this was the first time my feet had ever touched foreign soil!!! Exciting to say the least.
One of the advantages to being willing to switch flights (besides the fact I didn't have to wait in line after-all) was that the China airlines agent checked me in for my Taipei to Manila flight. So, when I landed in Taipei I only had to find a restroom and gate A9. Boarded the plane, took off for a short hop south (1hr and 45 minutes) to Manila!
As most of you know, I was really nervous about my transition in Manila. So, I'd been praying that the Lord would guide my steps and show me where to go. I got off the plane, and saw a lady holding a sign. Now, I usually don't pay much attention to those signs because it's usually a company rep. picking up a business client. However, seeing my name at the bottom of her poster kind of caught my attention. I walked up to her and told her my name is Briana, and she proceeded to tell me I needed to go to the Transfer desk. So, I followed the signs that said Transfer Desk, until I came to the, yep, you guessed it, Transfer Desk. She told me I need to go through Immigration and then pick up my luggage at the baggage claim area. I asked her where to pick up a taxi to the domestic airport, and she pointed it out to me. Talk about having your steps directed. God had given me exactly what I had asked for. Again, relief and a greatful heart.
My next hiccup came when I overheard the Customs Agent ask the girl two people ahead of me how long she would be staying. Panic!!! Again, praying my little heart out for the Lord to intervene. He did!!! She never asked me! God is so good to me.
Found a free cart for my enormous duffel bag and suitcase, and walked up to the carousel. As I walked up, my red duffel bag is winding it's way right to me, with my suitcase not far behind. Loaded up the cart and wrestled it out to where you get a taxi coupon. Got a taxi, and off we went to the domestic airport. It only cost 150 pesos, which is equal to $3 U.S. Dropped off at the curb, and a nice airport employee loaded up my bags, and pushed my cart up to the door. Went into the terminal, checked in... again, a hiccup. My bags are 20 kilos over the weight limit, so I had to go pay (can't recall how much, I was delirious at this point) before I could get my boarding pass.
Found my gate and we are supposed to board at 12:30pm, but at 12:50pm a lady announced that our plane is late and won't get into Manila until 1pm and we won't be departing until 2pm. I went into the restroom to wash my face, so you can imagine my surprise to have a male attendant hand me paper towels. Things are VERY different over here!!!
So, I'm waiting for the plane to get to the gate, and you can imagine my surprise when the lady announces boarding for my flight to Davao. Where are all the people and the plane??? Final hiccup! I found an agent and asked her about the boarding call. She made a call and wouldn't you know, we are supposed to be boarding at S2 now instead of S8. Somehow I missed that tidbit o' information. By now they're making the final boarding call, so I'm rushing down the concourse thinking wouldn't that just be the cats pajamas if I miss my final flight. I didn't miss it though, much to my relief. I had a window seat, so was able to take some really cool pics from the plane.
Landed in Davao, found a cart and my luggage, made my way outside, spotted Jenn (one of my preceptors) and Krysten (a new student I've been corresponding with for awhile.) Sigh, I MADE IT!!! Get in the clinic's ambulance (not like the kind we have at home), and off we head for my new home for the next 9 months. GOOD GRIEF!!! I just got here, and already my life is flashing before my eyes! There are no rules of the road here. You pass when you want, honk when someone's in your way, and keep going when you come to an intersection. It was a shock for sure, but now I'm kinda used to it.
Okay, that's enough for now. I fairly wrote a novel, and for that I apologize! Being brief has never been one of my strengths. I will write more later about what life's been like since I moved here. I love and miss you all!!!
I spent most of Wednesday, packing and getting ready to go. Beth and Blake made me breakfast in the morning, and the three of us enjoyed spending one of our last meals together. Beth was a huge help with packing, as there were times when I felt at a loss of where to start. It's overwhelming to try to pack when you're going to be gone for nearly 9 months, and you have a weight limit of 50lbs eaceh on the two pieces of luggage you can check.
We got to spend time as a family in the afternoon, in sort of a disjointed way. Packing was the priority, since we had to leave the house no later than 5pm. I said my final goodbye to Chloe, and we were off. Had to make a stop at Costco on the way to the airport, but we made it to the airport with just enough time to get checked in, grab a bite to eat at Wendy's, take a few pictures, and say goodbye. As excited as I was about this opportunity, walking away from my beloved family was one of the most emotional things I've ever had to do. I'm not ashamed to say I'm 25 and I miss my mommy! :) I miss the rest of my fam too!!! Anyway, I'm hoping the security guards didn't think I was blowing kisses at them!!!
Waited about 15-20 minutes at the gate before I boarded the plane bound for LAX. Very uneventful flight, and I think we may have even landed a little ahead of schedule. Anyway, got off the plane, and I decided probably the smartest thing was to follow everyone else. Looking, looking, looking, but not seeing any sign of where you have to go to check in for an international flight. So, I asked, and was directed to the Tom Bradley International Terminal. This was the biggest, most confusing airport terminal I've ever seen. I finally found where I had to get in line to check in for my China Airlines flight, along with about 100 other passengers. Unfortunately, I was at the back of the line, so had a long wait ahead of me. Good thing I had 2hrs before my flight was scheduled to leave.
Well, while I was standing in line, an airport employee was walking along the line asking if any of us were bound for Manila. Well, I was, so he pulled me out of the line (figuratively, not literally), and took me up to the counter. The customer service lady told me the flight was overbooked, so they were looking for passengers who would be willing to fly on a Malaysia Airlines flight that would get into Taipei only 10 minutes later than the China Airlines flight. Initially I said no, but then she told me I would end up in the middle of the middle section for the 14hr flight. That got my attention, so I said yes.
An agent took me to the Malaysia Airlines counter, so they could get me checked in. This is where I would encounter my first two potential travel hiccups. The agent asked to see my return tickets. When you travel to the Philippines, you are only allowed to stay 21 days, but my return ticket is for October (even though I'm not coming home until December). The airlines can get fined if they don't enforce this, so there was a chance I would have to book a flight home within those 21 days and then cancel it once I was through checking in. So, I was praying my little heart out that somehow the Lord would intervene, and He did. The agent looked at it, said okay, and handed it back to me. Relief! Then, they weren't sure if China Airlines would be able to get my bags transferred to the Malaysia plane in time. Fast forward>>> as we were getting ready to board, I went up to the counter and was told they'd gotten my bags. Relief again!!! Went through security, found my gate, and had about 30 minutes before we boarded.
The planes weren't that nice, plus it was pretty cramped, but I had the window seat and there was an open seat between me and the other lady. I didn't sleep that well, only dozing between meals than seemed to be brought out as soon as they'd picked up the trays from the previous meal. I watched the sun chase us over the East China Sea, and praised in my heart our Creator who clearly has a knack for creating beautiful things. As we landed in Taipei at about 6am local time, I realized this was the first time my feet had ever touched foreign soil!!! Exciting to say the least.
One of the advantages to being willing to switch flights (besides the fact I didn't have to wait in line after-all) was that the China airlines agent checked me in for my Taipei to Manila flight. So, when I landed in Taipei I only had to find a restroom and gate A9. Boarded the plane, took off for a short hop south (1hr and 45 minutes) to Manila!
As most of you know, I was really nervous about my transition in Manila. So, I'd been praying that the Lord would guide my steps and show me where to go. I got off the plane, and saw a lady holding a sign. Now, I usually don't pay much attention to those signs because it's usually a company rep. picking up a business client. However, seeing my name at the bottom of her poster kind of caught my attention. I walked up to her and told her my name is Briana, and she proceeded to tell me I needed to go to the Transfer desk. So, I followed the signs that said Transfer Desk, until I came to the, yep, you guessed it, Transfer Desk. She told me I need to go through Immigration and then pick up my luggage at the baggage claim area. I asked her where to pick up a taxi to the domestic airport, and she pointed it out to me. Talk about having your steps directed. God had given me exactly what I had asked for. Again, relief and a greatful heart.
My next hiccup came when I overheard the Customs Agent ask the girl two people ahead of me how long she would be staying. Panic!!! Again, praying my little heart out for the Lord to intervene. He did!!! She never asked me! God is so good to me.
Found a free cart for my enormous duffel bag and suitcase, and walked up to the carousel. As I walked up, my red duffel bag is winding it's way right to me, with my suitcase not far behind. Loaded up the cart and wrestled it out to where you get a taxi coupon. Got a taxi, and off we went to the domestic airport. It only cost 150 pesos, which is equal to $3 U.S. Dropped off at the curb, and a nice airport employee loaded up my bags, and pushed my cart up to the door. Went into the terminal, checked in... again, a hiccup. My bags are 20 kilos over the weight limit, so I had to go pay (can't recall how much, I was delirious at this point) before I could get my boarding pass.
Found my gate and we are supposed to board at 12:30pm, but at 12:50pm a lady announced that our plane is late and won't get into Manila until 1pm and we won't be departing until 2pm. I went into the restroom to wash my face, so you can imagine my surprise to have a male attendant hand me paper towels. Things are VERY different over here!!!
So, I'm waiting for the plane to get to the gate, and you can imagine my surprise when the lady announces boarding for my flight to Davao. Where are all the people and the plane??? Final hiccup! I found an agent and asked her about the boarding call. She made a call and wouldn't you know, we are supposed to be boarding at S2 now instead of S8. Somehow I missed that tidbit o' information. By now they're making the final boarding call, so I'm rushing down the concourse thinking wouldn't that just be the cats pajamas if I miss my final flight. I didn't miss it though, much to my relief. I had a window seat, so was able to take some really cool pics from the plane.
Landed in Davao, found a cart and my luggage, made my way outside, spotted Jenn (one of my preceptors) and Krysten (a new student I've been corresponding with for awhile.) Sigh, I MADE IT!!! Get in the clinic's ambulance (not like the kind we have at home), and off we head for my new home for the next 9 months. GOOD GRIEF!!! I just got here, and already my life is flashing before my eyes! There are no rules of the road here. You pass when you want, honk when someone's in your way, and keep going when you come to an intersection. It was a shock for sure, but now I'm kinda used to it.
Okay, that's enough for now. I fairly wrote a novel, and for that I apologize! Being brief has never been one of my strengths. I will write more later about what life's been like since I moved here. I love and miss you all!!!
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Mini-Reunion at Adam & Alicia's
So, last weekend some of the old gang got together at Adam & Alicia's house for a mini-reunion! We had a lot of fun and made some new memories. I can't believe how much my girls (Ivy, Autumn, and Cora) have grown up. The day Cora was born, God called me to be a midwife. We're coming up on four years since that happened. The reunion also gave me a chance to say goodbye to those I won't see again before I leave!
Blake tryin' his hardest to keep his balance.
Initiation! Brace yourself, David!
That's my Ivy-girl smilin' big for her Auntie Briana.
Hehe! Blake, Whit & Melissa! I don't even know what to say about the look on Blake's face!
Blake, Melissa & Whitaker. Looks like a serious conversation.
David and Cameron (hiding behind the guitar)!
Blake, that is not your heartbeat you hear!
Cameron! Looking very smug!
Blake tryin' his hardest to keep his balance.
Initiation! Brace yourself, David! 
Looks like Whitaker is laughing, as Bryan delivers a moving speech.
Jamie's trying to do a pushup with Cora & Autumn sitting on her back!
That's my Ivy-girl smilin' big for her Auntie Briana.
Hehe! Blake, Whit & Melissa! I don't even know what to say about the look on Blake's face!
Blake, Melissa & Whitaker. Looks like a serious conversation.
David and Cameron (hiding behind the guitar)!
Blake, that is not your heartbeat you hear!
Melissa!!! Yea!
Cameron! Looking very smug!
Thursday, March 02, 2006
T-minus 4 weeks...
Well, today marks 4 weeks until I leave, exactly. I'm having mixed emotions for sure. I'm exhausted from staying up too late, stressed because I'm trying to get all of my homeowork finished and turned in by next Tuesday (even though most of it isn't due until the following Tuesday), and overwhelmed with realizing how much I'm going to miss everyone at home.
More later...
More later...
Monday, February 20, 2006
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
7 Weeks
After much prompting from family, friends and fellow midwifery students to start a blog, I finally did it. I'll make a big effort to keep it updated, so you can know what's going on in my life. I'll be posting pictures and keeping you current with everything that's going on in Davao.
I can't believe I'm leaving in only 7 weeks! How is that possible? I really, truly cannot express to you how excited I am to be leaving for Davao City, Philippines! Amazing!!! I'm going to be apprenticing at Mercy Maternity Center from the end of March until the middle of December! I'm so blessed to be able to go on this adventure of a lifetime! Okay, I need to go to bed! More later!
Oh, here's a cute picture of the little scoot, Chloe! Isn't she about the cutest Chihuahua you've ever seen?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)