Praying that the road is long

Turns out that for me the road to mission is a little bit longer than I expected it to be. I am back in Maine and facing a new set of challenges, still trying to figure out how to go overseas on mission. After praying and reflecting, speaking with the program directors and my fellow mission candidates, talking to friends, and learning to trust intuition I decided to leave Maryknoll (with their open invitation to return next year. I had such a wonderful experience that it was difficult to say goodbye, but it brought me peace to do so. 

Wednesday Night Lindsay, Minh and I had signed up to cook dinner, and that was the evening that I also announced to the group. We had set up dinner in the downstairs classroom and put out candles with fruit, cheese and crackers to start, and then soup and creps for the main course. Sister Genie brought her guitar and we sang some farewell songs. I am going to miss our sing alongs! Then Erica brought down some music and we danced. After sitting in class all day it is good to move around and get our blood flowing!

The next day, Thursday, 11 went to class while I packed up my room. Thursday was the most difficult day because as I packed I mourned what I knew I was saying goodbye to and wrestled with thoughts, second guessing the peace that I had felt the day before. But I felt so blessed too. That was the first snow! The unanticipated change in weather was as brisk and surprising as the change in the direction my life is taking. It was also the feast day of St. Teresa of Avila, my confirmation Saint. As I have to some people upon my return, a part of me wishes that I was there but the whole of me knows that I am being led in a different way, that I couldn't hope plan out myself.

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:18-19 Praise God!

There is no one thing that made the decision but certainly the change in financial arrangements was a factor. Yet as I was discerning I recalled the way that I felt called to Guatemala, and that while I did not initially know how I was going to pay for it a scholarship came in the day of my birthday that made the trip possible. That, to me, was a blessing from God.

I know that where there is a will there is a way, and that if this mission organization and timing was right that obstacles would be possible to overcome. Yet, in the discerning process there was more that I was struggling with than just money.

I did not want fear to be a factor in my decision making. I have  always liked what Ralph Waldo Emerson said about the thing that you most fear is the thing which you Must do, and I like challenging myself, pushing myself beyond my comfort zone. As we met with SHARE a non profit that does work in El Salvador one of the Representatives mentioned that the murder rate in El Salvador (smaller than Maine) is 16 per day. That there are gang problems, violence against women, domestic violence, and many other huge issues. While I am sane enough to be intimidated by those factors, God gives out hearts faithful enough to remember the witness of many missioners before me, before Maryknoll even who faced such challenges and while suffered emotionally, physically, and were spiritually challenged more than they could have possibly anticipated- I am the kind of person who is crazy enough to believe that prayer, combined with community can endure such overwhelming challenges. That healing is possible (and almost always necessary in mission).

Also, I originally was seeking to learn another language and placement in El Salvador would limit me to Spanish for three years. I feel that with my young brain I want to take advantage of learning as much as I can now. I had originally accepted the placement, but in August we received notice that it was not for sure (and it was only within the past two weeks that we found out if our regions were remaining open).

So why am I back? I wanted to go right away but persistently I felt "Not yet, not yet". While I am a driven person and want to follow through I could not ignore what I knew in my heart but didn't (and admit don't) quite understand... couldn't articulate. I don't think of this time as arriving home. Yes, I am back but I am not home. I am on mission in Maine will not be home in my heart until I am on overseas mission. For me in ways this uncertainty of where I am going or what I am doing next is the biggest challenge. I am someone who is always active, and wants to accomplish things. In coming to Maine I think I am entering a more contemplative period of discernment and desire to really enter in to Faith.

Friday morning I took a train out of Croton to Grand Central, took a subway to chinatown than took the Fung Wah bus to Boston. I took another bus to Boston where Robert, my friend Manju's husband picked me up. I spent a few days with them and their three month old. Manju and I studied for her anatomy and physiology class and at night I started to teach  her some salsa steps. In the kitchen she gave me more Nepali cooking tips. On Monday Robert went to work in Portland and dropped me off at USM where my brother Joe picked me up. I got home around 9:50 in the morning and it just so happened that my Dad's 10am patient (my father is an optometrist and sees patients in the house) was Norm, who is a professed Dominican layperson active in our Church. I had had some conversations with him as I was planning for mission. Since he had to wait around the office for a half hour after getting his eyes dilated I took advantage to talk to him. His wife is hosting a Saturday retreat to help people discern what their gifts are to give to God, so I am planning on attending that!

I spent the morning studying my EMT book because I am looking to get a job or volunteer on an ambulance. I have a job at Starbucks again- but its the one in Brunswick.  A friend is going to lend me a bike so I can get to and from work but I hope that it is only temporary. I am seeking out other mission organizations and keeping in contact with Maryknoll praying and discerning where God wants me to serve. 

I also tuned and took out my "barbie guitar" at home last night. I started strumming, and received a text message from Elba my former room mate from Puerto Rico who had helped teach me guitar while I was there. We had kept in contact through the internet but I hadn't talked to her in probably a year. That was providential to me. I will also take this time to work on music, and study language tapes from the library. I want to learn so much!!! 

I feel SO blessed for the time that I spent at Bethany. It was like a month long retreat. What I got out of it was patience, and the faith to hold myself back from leaping until its time. I am enjoying the beautiful fall leaves, and accepting that they each drop in turn to leave the tree bare. Bare but still with the promise of spring. I don't know what this winter will bring, but I am praying the the road is long, full of adventure, full of knowledge.

WASHINGTON DC WEEK!

What a wonderful week!! We stayed in Takoma Park at the residence of the Society of African Missioners (SMA... it is originally a french mission group and have houses all over the world training lay missioners and religious). Since there are 13 in our group and 7 in theirs four people from our group went to stay at the Franciscan lay mission building a couple metro stops away. We all shared meals together though - very cozy, and slept on mattresses on the floor in the basement, living room, and upstairs. There is also a chapel in the building and Father Dan lives in the house. They pray the liturgy of the hours every morning and night together (at 7 am in the morning) and celebrate mass every night, though they altered the schedule to accommodate our very busy days. The first day was a retreat at the BEAUTIFUL Franciscan monastery along with the Camboni lay missioners, African Lay missioners, and franciscan lay missioners. Father Mike, a franciscan, led the day and it was perfect because it was the day after Francis's feast day. He talked about his work in Bolivia, as well as Francis's life story. At lunch we ate outside in the garden area in the warm sun as we enjoyed the architecture and depiction of our Lady of Lourdes. The weather for the week was PERFECT- it got to be above 80 on Thursday! The next day we spent as a workshop where a speaker representing act!onaid spoke about human rights programs, the challenges and issues with the current economic policies, and the work that their group does. A former lay missioner also gave a presentation, and then representatives from the offices of the Bolivian ambassador and Tanzanian ambassador came to speak about their countries issues, perception of americans and missioners, and problems that they would like missioners to address. During our break we walked down to the Washington monument as the capitol is right across the street from the Methodist building where we met. From left to right: Me, Lindsay (who will serve in Cambodia), Brian (of the African Mission Society, SMA) and Jackie (also SMA)Behind us in the picture you can see some tents. They are actually many houses being built for a solar decathlon where 20 colleges and universities  (INCLUDING the University of Puerto Rico! GO GALLOS!) competed to build energy friendly houses powered only by solar. The winner was judged by architects and designers judging the marketability, design appeal, scientists testing the water flow and engineering, lighting design, and several other areas.

Back at the house Steve cooked us a delicious meal and we played board games and Sister Genie played her guitar and taught me a couple new songs. 

The next day we went to the Maryknoll Office of Global Concerns (MOGC) which is located on the campus of Catholic University right across the street from the beautiful Basilica and National Shrine. We met with them the following day, and they brought in several NGOs doing work in the regions where we were serving. It is inspiring to see all the good that all these organizations do, to know that it is a team effort in the field and at home. 

The following day I met with the aids in congresswomen's Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins offices as well as my local representative Chellie Pingree to introduce myself, talk about where I will be going and what I will be doing. 

Some people headed home Friday night but I decided to stay the weekend. Saturday I spent the day with Tom who will be serving with the Society of African Missioners, and Cindy and John a maryknoll married couple from Kansas who are in my class and will be headed to Kenya. They are retired teachers, and their eldest daughter Katrina has been working in Nigeria for the past couple years as an unofficial missioner. We spent the morning at the Holocaust museum. It is very powerful the way the museum is set up. They also have displays and lots of information about the more recent officially recognized genocide in Rwanda, Bosnia, and Sudan. 

I split from the group to visit and have lunch with my Uncle Joe and see some of the sights in the area. Afterwards I met back up to go to mass at the Basilica. Right after mass a Boys choir was performing in the Crypt below and we went to listen to the free concert. They were amazing. There were probably 40 in their group, ages 6 to 60. Some songs just the younger boys would perform, and some just the men.

The next morning at breakfast we said goodbye to Father Dan and all the SMAs and were on our way back on the Chinatown bus. We arrived home just in time to grab dinner at the Italian Fest bazaar in town this week and enjoy the music and festivities. After a long week I need to go to sleep so I can be up for morning prayer tomorrow!

Buenas Noches y Dios te bendiga!

We arrived safely back at Maryknoll. Below you can see a picture of Lindsay and I as we stand on the balcony attached to the library of the father's and brother's building.

Non-Violence and MK Legends

This past week we had a three day work shop on Non-Violent communication. The workshop was run by three lovely ladies. They are all retired and sweet grandmotherly types, but all have a quick sense of humor. They usually run this workshop in prisons or in juvenile detention centers, so for them it was an interesting experience as well. Later in the week we discussed "Mission Ecclesiology with Rev. John Walsh, who has done a presentation for every class of Mary knoll lay mission candidates for the past 35 years. There must be a misprint in all of his books because they say that he entered this world in 1913. I admire how strong the minds are of all the sisters brothers and priests that I have met despite all the struggles and challenges they have faced over the years. 

Last night we pressed apples, and so I had hot apple cider with breakfast this morning. I am finishing packing because we are headed off to DC early tomorrow morning. We will be back the following Sunday and so I will tell about the adventures of the week at that time.

Korean Lunch & a busy week

Last week the Fathers and Brothers invited us to a Korean lunch. What we didn't know is that we would also get a Korean language lesson and alphabet history, and would be led in song by all the former missioners. Below are some singing a song they taught us. It was wonderful to see how full of energy and good humor they were!

The sisters also sang in Korean and a few of them were dressed in traditional Korean clothes.

This was my favorite outfit. The mask was often used by poorer lower class people to mock the wealthy and powerful in their community.

Below is pictured our delicious meal:

Now of course we don't spend all of our time enjoying delicious food, music and dance with the fathers and brothers but have had very provocative workshops on a number of topics. Last week we had a session on the history of Maryknoll, on Racism, and once a week we have scripture study with a franciscan brother. Today and for the next two days we will have workshops on non-violence. The three women running our retreat usually run their retreats in prisons or with teens who have had problems with violence- so it is even a new experience for them. In many of the workshops we have discussions and activities that give us the chance to internalize the bigger questions and really examine our own life experiences, choices, and challenges. It is difficult to communicate how meaningful (and at 

times exhausting) this can be. I am so thankful for the opportunity to delve deeper into my own identity, privileges, and presumptions even if it is challenging and at times emotional. I feel a deeper strength and empowered by this self awareness that the workshops help bring out.

Our scripture study class does not require a lot of reading, but last class we delve in to the details, history, and background of the culture of the two very short passages that we examined. One was from Jeremiah and one from Luke, and both are usually read during advent. I have never taken a scripture study class before- and in college while in one class we read a couple books from the bible it was from a completely secular perspective. I truly feel it is a privilege to share in this experience, and can't wait for the next class, which is not until mid October. We will be going to Washington DC next week and so I am excited for that adventure as well. Minh and I decided to stick with seeking cultural experiences and went to a Filipino mass at St. Annes this past Sunday. It was the first time I attended mass in a language I didn't understand. The priest sometimes switched in to english- and so I feel like the mass was about 3/5 filipino and 2/5 english. The music was beautiful. Two of the sisters in our class are filipina so I will have to ask them to teach me some songs!This is the sunset over the Hudson river not too far from where I am staying. God bless and I hope the sunsets are lovely wherever you are!

I know what esperanza means!

I know what esperanza means! Hope yes. But as we were talking in class today Cecelia one of the Lay missioners who is originally from Chile, was talking about how the word comes from the word esperar or to wait. To wait for God. Right now some regions will be closing and so a few of the lay missioners placements may change. We don't know when we will find out so we must esperar con esperanza. They sent us all notification in August that because of financial reasons Maryknoll will be focusing on fewer regions (one or two in Latin America, one or two in Africa, and one or two in Asia as opposed to the current fourteen regions- some of which contain multiple countries.) 

pictures

I just made a shutterfly site to post my pictures. I think you can actually order prints from the site. I haven't gotten a chance to upload a lot but am getting started.

http://renatheresa.shutterfly.com/

Gardening

Today was a beautiful day. Minh, another lay missioner, and I went for a walk this morning and then we had a lunch bbq with the Maryknoll affiliates. This groups is made up of former lay missioners, family and friends of former and current missioners, and anyone interested in being involved in Maryknoll from the states. It was really great to chat with them. One of the affiliates had visited El Salvador for two weeks last year and so we talked about the nutrition and gang prevention programs they have there as well as the clinic run by the sisters. Afterwards one of the affiliates took us over to a vegetable garden on the fathers property which is grown to be given to food pantrys and midnight runs. 

We weeded around the beets and leeks for a couple of hours and then walked back to Bethany- checking for ticks upon our return. We went to spanish mass at St. Annes. The pews were packed full-it did not feel like I was in the U.S.  In the Church there was a statue of Jesus (same pictured below) that the people called Afterwards there was a band playing outside and people gathered.

The next day a group of four of us decided to go to a nearby park for a walk and to enjoy the beautiful afternoon and sunset. We came upon the same group and the same statue that was in the church was under a tent in the park. A procession of girls brought gifts and you could smell the incense in the air.
There was a lot of dancing and music. Below you can see one of the bands that played. The flad says Banda Reina del Cisne. Cisne is a town in Ecuador. I asked someone and they explained to me that this was a celebration that was traditional in this particular town in Ecuador, and now the large population in Croton brought the celebration here.
This picture was taken after about half the crowd had already dispersed, so you can see it was a big event!

There is one girl with a blue banner (on the left side of the picture.) she was the winner of a kind of contest, and there is one girl from each age group that won the same kind of banner. It was a beautiful celebration and I felt fortunate that we came upon it like we did (especially having attended mass with them the evening before.)

Settling Settling Settling

I am excited to sleep tonight so won't write too much- but I want to document now because I know it is only going to get  more crazy in the future. This morning we listened to the rest of the stories of the lay missioners and sisters, each story more unique than the next. They are stories from the Philippines to California, from Illinois to Connecticut to Florida. Of lives, deaths, moments of meaning, and moments of deep questions of faith. We finished the morning and spent the afternoon talking about vaccinations, as well as signs and symptoms of diseases that are not issues in the U.S. like typhoid, yellow fever, malaria, polio etc.

After we walked over to the sisters main building. There are currently about 400 in residence there some coming and going and the retired ones who mostly stay there. We saw their library as well as chatted. One of the sisters, Virginia, was 97 and encouraged me to play sodoku because she plays it daily. She was a tremendous story teller! She had the best sense of humor and delivered punch lines straight faced, and did not miss an opportunity. She did not look a day over 70 and was so warm and welcoming to all of us. Between the hugs exchanged after our biographical stories today and at the sisters I have a years quota covered:-) The sisters told the story of the history of Maryknoll, and spoke fondly of the founder Mother Mary Joseph, a big woman in every way. In a quote I have posted below she expresses how highly she values a good sense of humor:

"I would have her distinguished by Christ-like charity, a limpid simplicity of soul, heroic generosity, selflessness, unswerving loyalty, prudent zeal, an orderly mind, gracious courtesy, an adaptable disposition, solid piety, and the saving grace of a sense of humor."

I found that was SO true of all the beautiful women I met today. We shared dinner in their beautiful dining hall. The women that I sat with had served in South and Central America in a time when the roads had not yet been paved. Before email, which revolutionized the mission experience, and before telephone service and electricity in the areas they were serving. They faced extreme hardship and witnessed a great deal of suffering, especially the women who served in El Slavador during the war when Maryknoll sisters Maura Clark, Ita Ford, and Dorothy Kazel as well as Maryknoll lay missiner Jean Donovan were murdered. They not only had to identify the bodies but face the realities of countless other injustices, and many more murders of religious and peasants. 

On the walk back from the sisters we saw four deer sitting under the trees behind Bethany. I appreciate the peace here. It is also such a blessing to be able to be focused completely on preparing for mission. It is a luxory that travel abroad, peace corps or other organizations don't have. I will be traveling to El Salvador with Nan (Nancy) and Erika. Nan has such a huge heart and has traveled around the states. She is passionate and always keeps the group animated and is motherly to everyone. She has recently been a high school youth group leader but in the past has owned a record store which was a hang out spot for teens, and worked for radio and broadcasting companies. She has never traveled to Latin America and doesn't speak spanish (yet:-) Erika is a year older than I am and worked in the Dominican Republic for a year with sisters doing service work, studied abroad in El Salvador and has even had typhoid before. We have different experiences but will hopefully be an amazing team (along with the sisters, brothers, and lay missioners in El Salvador already:-)

I am anxiously awaiting news from my sister and brother-in-law and my to be nephew! 

Have a good night <3

 

MaryAMAZINGknoll week one

Wow. I can't believe that I have only been here a few days. Everyone feels like family already. The 8 other lay missioners have such diverse backgrounds and life experiences and we all share a passion for life and service that it feels like Bethany really is overflowing with joy and peace! Bethany is the residence hall, contains a chapel, the administrations offices and classrooms where we spend our time. There are also three maryknoll sisters who just took their vows this past August in training with us who are also preparing for overseas placement. That makes a group of 12 of us:-)

I am so excited for all that we will be doing in these upcoming weeks, and am looking forward to a week long trip to Washington DC the first full week of October! I have already musically participated in Mass here at Bethany and have visited the Congregation (maryknoll sisters) and Society (Fathers and brothers) buildings which are a pleasant walk away. There are apple trees around the property so we will be picking them and using the press in the kitchen to make cider in the fall. From our classroom windows we can sometimes see deer wandering across the property. We have to be EXTREMELY careful though- because there is a very high level of lyme disease in the area (and while beautiful the deer don't help!) We all check for ticks anytime we are outside. I am eager to take pictures of the area to post because it is so nice around here, but that is for another day!

Camp Raya del sol aka Campsunshine!

Volunteers at Camp sunshine always wear a yellow shirt, but everyone wears a smile, like Karely demonstrates below:-)

I spent the week volunteering in the tot lot during spanish speaking week of an oncology session. So all the kids either were sick or had a brother or sister who was sick and currently under treatment. Many came from New York or New Jersey but families flew in from Florida and throughout the country.

Throughout the week our method of travel was a the red wagon campsunshine taxi. In the taxis we brought the kids to the waterfront of Sebago lake, to the big kid playground, and across the wish pond. We pulled them to the Garden where they watered plants and spotted tomatoes and grapes growing. 

There is always a lot of singing and dancing every night at campsunshine, with a performer juggler coming the first night and the lead councilors clapping and dancing to a campsunshine classic "Gimmie your heart". The second night everyone dresses up in their favorite costume and kids and parents are welcomed to the stage to perform in the talent show. 

These are some of the beautiful smiling faces that lead all the volunteers to return year after year, all the donors to give as much as they do to keep the camp running year round.



 Sunny the bear, Chippy the chipmunk and Lupy the bear helped us keep the kids entertained.

On the last night the Celebration show gives each age group the chance to go up on stage and perform. Below you see the girls are all ready to show the audience their hokey pokey skills;-)

I almost didn't make it to camp since my car broke down, but I am so blessed to have wonderful sisters, and an awesome brother-in-law. Diana woke up early to give me a ride to camp, Ben picked me up sunday to bring me back to Freeport for my Parents 30th anniversary, and Nina took me back to camp afterwards. Nina also drove me all the way back to Topsham at the end of the session. Not all of the kids who come to camp sunshine will have their brothers or sisters around, unfortunately. One of the most inspiring things is that many families whose child has passed on or has been cured will come back to volunteer in gratitude and also so they can witness the magic of campsunshine again.

Rescue on Skookumchuck trail and other adventures

Before anything I have to give credit to Brad and Julie of the WEMT and WFR classes for letting me use their pictures in my blog. The makeup used is quite convincing and helps put you in the mindset of fixing injured patients. In the wilderness it is more often than not the case that leaves and dirt and in this case sticks are in the patients wounds, another factor that must be considered in treatment. 

Last Friday we had our first big wilderness test... in the pouring rain. After getting geared up with packs rain coats and rain pants I arrived on the scene of the person I had to rescue. I threw at tarp over them, gave them food and drink after completing a Rapid Trauma Assessment (RTA) to make sure their head and spine was okay I built a splint for their damaged ankle with my sleeping mat and extra clothing. It was fun, but the challenge of the rain was to not get the inside of the splint wet, and to keep the patient dry. My patient decided he wanted to be  very "irritable" and tried to give me attitude as I fixed his splint up. Another factor to make the simulation all the more realistic.
We try to have fun on the weekends in the outdoors, and as you can see we have a bunch of wilderness enthusiast characters in our class.

 Yesterday another student Harry and I went to do our clinical at Memorial Hospital. I have already completed one clinical at North Conway Ambulance. However, we did not receive any emergency calls so I just chatted with the EMTs, watched a movie, and then went to visit the fire station which is also right near the train station. We stayed at the first aid station because they were having a special "Thomas the Train" event so lots of kids were around. It was very anticlimactic, especially since I was very nervous before I went, afraid I would see a car wreak, a death, cardiac event, or some other traumatic or medical emergency.

In the hospital I watched a little four year old get staples in his head where he banged it going down a slide, a man getting interviewed for kidney problems, and a 16 year old get abrasions cleaned out after he wiped out on his bicycle. The most interesting case was one gentleman who came in with what he was afraid was a dislocated patella (knee cap). However he had a small fracture. He decided to operate. So Harry and I got changed into scrubs, put on lead covering (to protect us from the x-rays that they took throughout the surgery). We got to watch from right in the OR as they put two straight pieces of metal to hold the bits on, and a figure 8 wire in to his knee cap. It was crazy to watch someone get cut open and poked and prodded then sewn back up! We stayed an extra half hour so we could watch the full procedure. It was amazing! My interest in the medical field has grown from all that I am seeing and learning!!

This is a picture of my roommate getting her arm splinted up during a simulation.

After getting home and settling to bed at around 11:45 following my memorial hospital clinical I heard out "RESCUERS" being called down the hall way of the dorm. Bill, the teacher, was waking us all up because a girl was stuck on Skookumchuck trail with a knee injury (remind me to never mess up my knee!) Some rescuers had already arrived with a stretcher and had been working since midnight to get her down. After driving to and hiking the muddy rocky trail with headlamps we came upon the "fish cops" at 4:30 am. It took until about 6:45 to load her into the ambulance. Luckily the girl was only about 110 pounds, but it was still a challenge  to carry her. This is a picture from practice we did in class- 

We switched off having 6 people carry at a time. There were 10 people from SOLO (including myself, the only female of the group). My hands are a bit achy after gripping the liter for all that time. The trail we traversed was much rougher than the well groomed flat trail we practiced on in class. After getting home I went to 8:30 mass at beautiful "Our Lady of the Mountains" church and get home and slept until 4. 

"Its all fun and games until someone looses a pulse"

EMT camp is awesome. We had "respira-palusa" last week where half the class (20 guys and 4 ladies) was a station where they would have a dummy (adult, child or infant) and say something like "I walked out of the room for like a second and my little brother was playing with one of his toys and tried to stick it in a socket" or "This man was complaining of chest pain... I don't know him" or they would pretend they were choking and still conscious... and then passed out after a minute or so as we tried to dislodge whatever they were choking on, or we would come upon a scene where there was just someone lying there... or rolling around on the groud complaining of pain and based on the symptoms they told us were present as we felt pulses, listened to breathing, and did quick physical exams we had to figure out what was wrong and act out what our role should be.

Classes are LONG! (8-12 1-4:30 and 5:30-7) but I could not ask for a better teacher. Bill was one of the SOLO wilderness medicine schools first, and so knows how to teach (with all the voices) for hours on end. He is still and EMT in Maine and NH and has seen *well almost* every type of trauma, medical problem, or wilderness scenereo in the book.

 We also received our complete medical handbag kits. They have everything from acebandages to stethescopes and sphygmonometers. We practiced listening to eachothers lungs and taking blood pressures. I am honestly having so much fun studying my text book. While some parts can be tedious the human body is AWESOME! I love learning about the details we just passed over in highschool.

Like I said there are only three other girls beside myself, and we all range in age from seventeen to sixty something (One of the boys was actually in a Model United Nations Committee I chaird... small world). One of my room mates is from Washington DC, and the other from Florida. People have come from Kansas, South Carolina, California, France, and Iceland and other places and everyone has awesome life and travel stories. While we come from all walks of life we have fun together and get along very well. (THIS POST I WROTE EARLIER than the date that it says it was published but I didn't get a chance to publish earlier than this).

Miss Maine 2009

So when I first told my friends and family that I was competing in the Miss Maine America Pageant they were surprised and asked... but wait, aren't you going to El Salvador??? However, I am passionate and full of energy. I run in a million directions at once and somehow all those directions lead me to Papa Dios. Saturday night I won fourth runner up at the Miss Maine Pageant so not only will I be going to El Salvador but I will be using the scholarship money I won to take a combined EMT and wilderness first aid course at this place called SOLO in North Conway, New Hampshire. I am excited because without the scholarship money I would have just been able to afford the basic week long wilderness first aid course but now I can take a month long and really be fully prepared to help in El Salvador as much as possible. Not to mention the week of the competition was fun in its self. 

The first day we visited the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital in Portland and played with the adorable kids and their siblings. One girl reminded me of my niece Ava and we had a great time playing trains... or crashing trains together and then laughing hysterically.

The next day we drove up to the veterans hospital, Togus. While Miss Maine 2009 Adrienne Watkinson played her violin, or "fiddle" the veterans enjoyed the music. At one point she was playing for one gentleman in his room and another patient came wheeling in.  Before we knew it he had jumped up out of his wheel chair and was dancing and clapping with us. I was afraid he would fall, but Hank was good. He told us that he had just come from a session of physical therapy  and was full of energy. Then Miss Pine Point Marissa started singing "My Funny Valaentine" to him. He then began to serenade us too. They made me smile with my heart <3

As a fundraiser for the Children's Miracle Network (Miss America's National Platform) before the competition I sang at the Highlands and it brought me the same kind of joy. I am starting to look for songs in Spanish that I can bring with me to El Salvador to sing down there. 

The one downside of the week is that I lost my rosary ring :-(  

I wear it all the time and I have lost it before, but found it- I hope that I can find it again soon!

It was an amazing week and the new Miss Maine 2009 Susie Stauble is someone I admire, and i hope that everyone watches her go for the crown at Miss America in January!

God Bless! 

LA PLUMA

http://www.thedoorpost.com/freedom/lapluma

ONLINE VOTING – HOW IT WORKS

To put it simple: Sign up, watch five (5) films, vote in seven (7) categories.

-You'll have to join “join” the Doorpost Film Project website by creating a free account at www.thedoorpost.com It's SUPER EASY! 

-Click on the "sign up" button on the top right corner of our films webpage here:
http://www.thedoorpost.com/freedom/lapluma
This was made by some friends of mine in Guatemala. Please take the time to watch and vote!!

This is a message from Greg and Danny
"-When you're ready to vote, click the “Vote” button and you will be directed to the “Voting Queue” where you will be required to watch four (4) additional films. YOU HAVE TO WATCH FIVE FILMS IN ORDER TO VOTE FOR ANY OF THEM. 

-You'll then place a vote in seven (7) categories for each film, and be required to write a unique comment for each film. It doesn't have to be wordy, just a thought... "great acting", "loved the location", etc.

-You are required to vote on all 5 films. If you do not complete the voting process on all of the 5 films, none of your votes for that block will be counted.

I know it seems like a lot, but it's not a difficult process. Please take a couple minutes to watch our film and four others. We can't do this alone. WE NEED YOUR HELP."

MARY KNOLL

I HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED!!!!! I got the official phone call today at 12:45 in the afternoon!!! And they are sending the official letter in the mail! I'll be going to orientation in September, and then shipping out to my assignment in January!!!!

PRAYERS!!!! <3

Fe

"Yes, you! You who think your sins are too great, your faults too many,

Your talents too few and your words too weak,

You, who feel so small compared to the enormous task at hand, 

You who doubt your faith is strong enough to stand against the powers

and temptations of the present age.

Let your faith in me overcome the doubts in you"

Maryknoll

So I am staying at the Lay missioners house here in Ossining N.Y. My travels were fine, and I met another girl on my way up on the train who was headed to an interview in Syracuse for a position as a physician's assistant. My trip was great, a couple delays when a train engine wasn't functioning properly and we had to move to another, and there was a little ice and snow on the way. There is one other candidate here with me interviewing now (they have interviews from the summer right up until april) she is from Michigan and is the mother of six children. Her youngest recently turned 18, and she has one grandchild. She is hoping to be placed in a Spanish speaking country if chosen.

SO while I did have my heart set on Brazil it seems that won't be a possibility if I chose to go through Maryknoll, as the only options this year are Kenya, East Timor, Cambodia, and El Salvador. I feel like I have had a lot of little "no"s lately that have been preparing me to accept that things don't always go as I want them, but it doesn't mean it wouldn't be a blessing to serve in any one of those places. I am still excited about the interview process and am so glad I have come this far. I am still doing research about the countries but think that I would want to be placed in either East Timor or Cambodia because I really do want to learn another language. I think my first choice would actually be East Timor. While only 5-25% of the population actually use it Portuguese is one of the official languages in East Timor. I do have one friend in Cambodia right now working for the peace corps, and I have a friend headed to Indonesia this upcoming Monday who will be teaching english and visiting her family there for six months (her mother speaks indonesian and maybe I might be able to get a few lessons:-). I am excited by all the possibilities. I love to travel, and do plan to see the world, so I figure I should take big leaps while my brain is still young and apt for learning and adjusting to new circumstances. I loved Island life in the west indies, so maybe I'll get to visit the east indies:-)