A Reflection for Mammy

Yesterday, at my grandma's memorial service, I had to opportunity share a few  words about my sweet Mammy. For those of you who didn't know her, this is just a brief glimpse of the incredible woman that she was...

I wanted to first thank you all for coming today to share in our sorrow, but also to share in our joy as we celebrate the life of my grandma. There are many ways that those of you gathered here this morning may have known her, but I am among the lucky 10 who had the privilege of knowing her as a grandma. Our sweet Mammy, whose name was coined by my cousin Kevin, loved each of us so well. It is no small thing to be a grandchild of Kay Billman. We learned a lot from our Mammy.

I am among the lucky 10 who had the privilege of knowing her as a grandma. Our sweet Mammy, whose name was coined by my cousin Kevin, loved each of us so well. It is no small thing to be a grandchild of Kay Billman. We learned a lot from our Mammy.

She taught us to “Stay committed”

Mammy was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother for all of her life. She shaped and molded the character of three incredible adults and then went on to help do the same for her 10 grandchildren. I learned so much from watching the way that she cared for all of us. She made each visit with her special whether it was at her “Powell Rd” house, in Boca Grande, or at our beloved Quarry Island. She always made sure that Jack got his special heath bar birthday cake, that Ryan had his “chewies,” and that Patrick had lemon drops waiting for him at Quarry. I will always remember the way that she would let Betsy, Katie, and I sneak into her room early in the morning to have breakfast-in-bed with her and Papa, 3 tiny bodies tucked in between the covers munching on biscotti. Because of mammy, we each know what it looks like to truly care for a family.  

She taught us to “Never stop learning”

Mammy had a thirst for knowledge that I deeply admire and aspire to. Even after retirement, she just couldn’t sit still. She always had her mind or hands involved in a project like gardening an entire island’s worth of flowers at Quarry, sometimes enlisting the help of Molly and Emily. The image of her with a cup of coffee in one hand and a crossword puzzle in the other will forever be etched in my brain. Mam was always encouraging us to talk about what we were learning at school. Owen reminded us about how she would stay up late with him trying to figure out math problems. Even when he said he knew the answer, she always pressed him to do it one more time. That was Mammy, always encouraging us to work harder and learn more.

She taught us to “Be courageous”

In 1 Timothy 6:12, we are told to “fight the good fight,” and fight she did. Through her illness, Mammy surely demonstrated to us that she was a tenacious fighter. She went through such pain, and yet, each time one of us walked through the door, she would smile that sweet smile we will all remember so well. We are so honored to have witnessed such strength. Mammy can now say along with the author of 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.”

Maya Angelou described Mammy’s life well saying, “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” We are thankful to have been loved by a woman who lived her life this way. Thank you, Mammy; you’ve taught us well.

Los Días Finales en Querétaro

Just a few weeks ago, we were meeting our families for the first time and it's already time to say goodbye! As I say on almost every post, but this has been the greatest experience. The amount of knowledge I've gained and the fun I've had was well worth the expense of making the trip. 

Our last two days have been pretty busy as always. On Monday, we had traditional medicine day during which we were able to learn about the use of traditional medicine in Mexico as well as make some of our very own remedies! Nancy, who has been with us during our whole time in Querétaro, is an expert and explained all of the various forms of alternative remedies that Mexican people use. After her presentation, Nancy brought us into UAQ's special kitchen that is used to prepare the remedies. With our "recetas" recipes in hand, we prepared cough syrup using honey, eucalyptus, a flower called bugambelia, cinnamon, garlic, and purple onion. Afterward, we each chose to prepare one more thing from a list of tincture for nerves, tincture for weight loss, and magic cream. Nicole and I decided to make tincture for nerves because as nursing students we are bound to need a few doses for our exams in the coming semesters. 

After cleaning up our giant mess in the kitchen, a few of us from the group headed into town to shop. I made a few purchases, and then Sarah and I came back to do a little homework and get ready for our dinner with the group/families. The group dinner was a blast! It has been so fun to see our host sisters, Pili and Carol, interact with the other girls in our group. They love all of the attention (especially little Carol). The food was yummy, but the company was even better. It was so fun to see everyone interacting with their families. 

Today has been good so far. Our morning began with a meeting about the Cultural Heritage class Katie, Hannah, and I have been taking during our time in Querétaro. We met Jonathan at Express Arte, officially our favorite spot to do homework in el centro, and talked about the things we have learned and our opinions about some of the readings. Any conversation over a cafe americano is a good one in my book. After the meeting, we gave Jonathan a "recorrido" (tour) of the city, mostly just some important aspects we have learned about during the time here. I shopped around afterwards for a couple of last minute things and am preparing to pack up my stuff in a little bit. Leaving feels bittersweet; I am definitely ready to see my family and boyfriend, but will miss our Mexican family. Pili keeps saying that she is going to come home to Michigan with us, but will come home in the winter because it's too cold. What a smart girl ;) 

My next post will likely be from the good 'ole US of A! Hasta luego! 

A recap of the weekend!

Here I am, just two short days away from leaving! It's hard to believe that we've been here for so long; time really flew by. We really lived up our last weekend in Mexico, first by visiting San Joaquín, a city about 3 hours away from downtown Querétaro. Mary had secured us a GIANT coach bus to enjoy the trip complete with TVs, so we definitely had a comfortable trip. Naturally, we made a pit stop along the way for Italian Coffee Company, which certainly brightened up my morning! When we arrived to San Joaquín, our first stop was at Grutas Los Herreras. At first it looked like we were just at a campground, but as we ventured further, we were able to see the entrance to the caves! 

Once we had spent awhile in the caves, learning about the different images in the stalagmites and stalagtites that visitors have found over the years, we made our way to a restaurant for lunch. I enjoyed some yummy enchiladas verdes con pollo. After lunch, we had planned to go to see a waterfall about 30 minutes away. Unfortunately, there was a downside to the giant, comfortable bus; it couldn't make all of the twists and turns in the mountains. So we had to resort to plan B...riding in the back of trucks!! It was a beautiful drive through the mountains!

Once we got there, we quickly learned that the waterfall was a bit of a hike away. We were thankful to have filled up our bellies before making the trek. I really enjoy hiking, as I mentioned before, so I had a great time! The waterfall wasn't huge, but it was definitely pretty and the water was refreshing. Nicole, Heather, Hannah, and I made the trip back up together, enjoying that "good workout" feeling once we finally got to the top. Let's just say that the bus ride back was very quiet, as we all slept after a long, fun-filled day. 

We continued our fun-filled weekend on Sunday with a trip with our family to a waterpark in Tequis, about an hour away. There were a few waterslides, a kiddie pool, a wave pool, and a couple of other normal pools. Sarah and I were able to catch some rays (which we are kinda feeling today) and enjoy playing with the girls! After our fun at the waterpark, Sarah and I were dropped off in the centro to work on some homework at a coffee shop for awhile. 

El Hospital General

Hola! So sorry for my silence the past few days, we've been busy bees over here between clinicals, homework, and life with the families. It's hard to believe that our time here in Querétaro is already drawing to a close. I just came back from my very last day in a Mexican hospital, which was definitely bittersweet. The experiences we have had at the facilities here have been phenomenal, and I feel so thankful for all of the patients I've seen and all of the skills I've been able to practice.

We spent both Thursday and Friday at El Hospital General, a public facility that is used for patients without insurance. It is a busy, busy place in many of the units. When we arrived, the head of nursing at the hospital split us up and directed us to different floors. On Thursday, I spent my time on the Internal Medicine floor with a nurse named Conchita, who was an excellent teacher. We had two patients, one that was recovering from brain surgery and another with dementia. Throughout the shift, I was able to pass TONS of meds (mostly IV push) and also take a lot of vital signs. Conchita also let me do quite a bit of the documentation, which was great since that is what I am doing my final presentation on. What I enjoyed most about my time on the floor with Conchita was talking to the patients and their families. In most of the hospitals in Mexico, the family plays a significant role in patient care. For example, they are often responsible for repositioning and bathing the patient because the nurse has so many patients he or she does not have time to do it. For this reason, there is almost always a family member in a patient's room, leaving plenty of opportunities to talk with them. I had a long conversation with the father of the patient who had brain surgery, telling him about where I was from and how my experience in Mexico had been. For a short while that I was on the unit, our patient with dementia was lucid and I was able to talk to her a bit as well. All in all, I enjoyed my first day at El Hospital General.

Today I switched to a different unit, this time Trauma, which was basically a floor for people who had injured their limbs. I administered TONS of pain medicine and was able to spend some time talking to the families/patients. This floor was a bit slower, since the patients were less critical, but it was interesting to see how another unit operates. About an hour before we had to leave, Conchita, my nurse from yesterday, came to get me to take a few photos for a project she was working on related to patient care. As a way of saying thanks, she gave me a jar of all natural lotion that can be used for many different ailments. I was so touched by this gesture of kindness and am so thankful to have met this sweet lady during our time at El Hospital General.

I'm not quite sure what the rest of the day has in store, but I'll have an update after our journey to another "pueblo" San Joaquín!

Casually Witnessing the Miracle of Life on a Tuesday

Today I got to witness the miracle of life...SEVEN times! 

We awoke this morning and headed to UAQ per the usual bus route (Sarah and I have now become pros). After a much needed cup of coffee, we hopped on the bus and drove to Hospital Especialidades del Niño y la Mujer for our second day of clinical experience. Since we switched from the areas we were in yesterday, I was able to spend my time today in Labor & Delivery, which was quite an experience for someone who has never witnessed birth before! The unit is set up such that you can witness basically every stage of the birthing process--from the beginning of labor all the way to postpartum. The women in active labor are concentrated in three major areas with the beds lined up one next to the other. When I woman is about ready to deliver, she will be moved to a different room without any other patients inside. However, if the baby comes too quickly or there is not enough of these single rooms available, she will deliver in the room amongst the other women. Although I clearly have never personally experienced birth in a Mexican hospital, I would imagine there is a sense of silent camaraderie amongst the women giving birth in this unit at a given time. None of the women really spoke to one another (and who could blame them while experiencing the pains of labor), yet I imagine that they could sympathize very deeply with one another as they brought life into the world together. 

Throughout the course of our five hours on the unit, I witnessed 3 C-sections and 4 vaginal births. At first, I was not sure how I would react. Would I feel a little queasy or dizzy, or handle it just fine? Thankfully, as a I watched the first birth, an uncomplicated C-section, no sudden urge to faint hit me, or my fellow students :) In fact on the contrary, I was in awe of the well-choreographed performance of the doctors and nurses, as they cut open the woman's belly and within minutes brought a beautiful baby up to his or her mom to receive a "besito" (little kiss). In addition to the actual C-section, we were able to watch as the medical student checked the baby's vitals, reflexes, and measurements. Later in the day, I watched two more C-sections, one of which was emergent. I had been with the mother roughly 15 minutes before the C-section, listening to the baby's heart with something called a trumpet, when it became clear to the doctors that something was not right. As it turned out, there was meconium inside the uterus and a C-section was necessary. Although it was a less than ideal circumstance, it was interesting for us to be able to see how this problem is handled. When the baby was delivered, we watched as the doctor suctioned to the baby to make sure any of the meconium she may have ingested was removed. 

The ease with which the doctors on the unit delivered the babies was also characteristic of the vaginal births we saw. One minute a woman was laboring beside the other women and the next she was wheeled to the other room where she pushed until the baby came. While the woman pushed, we repeatedly heard "mi hija," a term of endearment in Spanish to help encourage the mothers that their perfect miracle was coming after just a bit more pain. Of the 4 vaginal births we saw, two had time to be wheeled into the separate room while two women delivered in the shared room.

I would like to tell you all that today was all a joyful celebration of new life, but unfortunately the world we live in is flawed and the good mixes in with the bad every day. After seeing about 4 births, we also watched a spontaneous abortion, which is another way to describe a miscarriage. I was reminded today that those working in a Labor & Delivery unit will not only witness the miracle of new life, but also the sorrow of a lost life. 

Part of our purpose for being in Mexico, as I'm sure you've seen before on our blog, is to identify differences and similarities in the healthcare system/hospitals in the US and in Mexico. For me, today was a lot more about similarities than it was about differences. Yes, the unit is set up differently with women next to women during active labor rather than women with their families in separate rooms. Yes, the doctors and nurses may document differently or use different kinds of sterilization equipment. However, the experiences of labor I witnessed today were the same experiences of labor I would have witnessed in the US. I would have seen the same sights of fetal monitors and a flurry of activity; the same smells of different bodily fluids, and the same sounds of women crying out in pain and of doctors/nurses spurring her on to continue pushing. Granted the amount of patients in Labor & Delivery today afforded me the opportunity to witness many more births than most 19 year old have seen, the things I witnessed were similar to the things I would have witnessed in the US.

The universality of labor was a reminder for me today that people of different backgrounds and cultures are more alike than we often stop to consider. My very first post on this site two weeks ago focused on how I was feeling like the "other," but with my experiences today I saw how the "other" doesn't really exist in a lot of ways. We all experience much of the same joy and pain, love and loss. And the most important thing? We are all the treasured children of a great, great God, which is truly the only thing that matters. 

Sittin' in a cafe

I'm sitting in a cafe, reflecting on my time here thus far, and am struck by how blessed I am to be here--to be experiencing another culture, to be growing in knowledge both of nursing and of Spanish, and to be strengthening bonds with my fellow nursing students, as well as my host family. A lot has been crammed into the last two weeks, and I only hope that my brain is processing quickly enough to remember all of the experiences I've had here in Querétaro. Like today for example....

Today we enjoyed a relaxed morning--a good workout, breakfast, and plenty of laughter. We then headed out in our Sunday best to mass, where sweet Pili sang in the choir and our host parents actively took part in the service. I think it's so fun to see how people worship in different countries, and today was no exception. From mass, we drove to a "pueblito" (small town) called San Vicente. Here they sell things like purses, belts, and shoes made from the skins of cows in the area. We had a great time shopping around with the family and successfully purchased a couple of things :) After San Vicente, we stopped at our host family's grandma's house for a delicious lunch. It was fun to meet more of the family and to enjoy more authentic Mexican cuisine. Sarah and I got dropped off after lunch at the cafe in which I know sit, enjoying more of life in Mexico :)

Hasta mañana!

Medíca Tec 100 and San Miguel de Allende

Another day at Tec 100 

The last two days in Querétaro have been great! On Friday, we spent our second day at the private hospital Medíca Tec that I spoke about in my last post. In order to allow us to see different aspects of the hospital, we rotated to different units than we had been in on Thursday. I was in hemodynamics (which is basically a cath lab) as well as the emergency room. Although there weren't any patients having procedures done in the cath lab, the x-ray tech was kind enough to take the time to explain things to me. He showed me all of the equipment, how it was operated, and explained all of the steps of particular procedures. After his explanations, I was even able to view video footage from previous procedures. Since there was nothing to do in hemodynamics after his explanations, I floated on over to the emergency room to observe, as well as help the nurses if need be. Unfortunately, there weren't many patients in the ER and not much left for the nurses to do, so I was not able to perform any skills other than put some compression socks on a patient and administer some meds via IV. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get to practice much; however, it was a bit of a blessing in disguise because I was able to talk extensively with the nurses about things specific to my project (more on that in another post). 

All in all, I enjoyed my experience both days at Medíca Tec 100. Because our class is focused on comparing health care in the US with health care in Mexico, it was very important for us to see a broad spectrum of hospitals in the area. Our visit to Medíca Tec 100 allowed us to see an example of a private hospital in Mexico, such that we can now compare it to the public hospitals here too. 

San Miguel de Allende 

We just returned from a fantastic visit to another Mexican city, San Miguel de Allende, another place full of rich history, beautiful architecture, and fascinating culture. As we walked up to our first stop in the city, my heart about skipped a beat from pure joy...we found a STARBUCKS, a satisfying taste of home! Any trip that starts with Starbucks is a good one in my book! After coffee, we walked through the city a bit until we found the place for trolley tours of the city. Since not everyone in our group understands Spanish well, we tried to find a tour in English and were successful! The guide gave a bilingual tour throughout the city, pointing out things like the homes of Spanish nobility and famous singers, old churches and monasteries, and a beautiful park that had been recently restored. I think the whole group really enjoyed the tour and learning about another piece of Mexico's rich history. After the tour, we grabbed some lunch at a delicious restaurant called Borgenvillia and then did a bit of shopping before heading home to be with our families. 

Day 9: Medica Tech 100

It's a beautiful thing to experience life in a different country. Learning new things every day, being immersed in a new culture, and forming relationships with new people. Although I would be lying if I said I wasn't a bit homesick, I am really enjoying my time here. 

Yesterday was a much needed free day. I was able to get a workout in, as well as spend a bit of time with my host sisters, Pili and Carol. I embarked to the city solo on the bus in the late morning and met up with some of my fellow group members at the cutest cafe. We spent most of the day there working on homework, but I was happy as a clam with my café americano continuo (essentially an entire pot of coffee all to myself) and am thankful to have gotten a bit ahead on my work. When we had done homework until we couldn't do it anymore, we walked around the city for a bit of shopping. Upon our return home, we received a happy surprise...tamales for dinner! It was a wonderful way to end the day!

Today, Sarah and I woke up early to burn off some of our tamales with a workout, after which we headed to UAQ to meet the group. We walked from UAQ to the principal private hospital in Querétaro called Medica Tech 100 (or "Tec Cien" en español). After receiving a tour, we divided up and went to different units. Katie and I were assigned to Cirugía (surgery). The nurses and doctors on the floor were so accommodating, willing to explain anything and everything  to us. We saw all 5 of the surgical suites, as well as the recovery area and sterilization rooms. The facilities were beautiful! As luck would have it, there was a surgery going on while we were on the unit. Katie and I scrubbed up in our booties, scrub hats, and masks to observe a surgery. It was really interesting for me to be able to compare the sterile technique we had learned in skills class in actual medical practice! Overall, the experience in Tec 100 was a good one! We are headed back there tomorrow, where I will be rotating between the ER and hematology for most of the morning. 

Days 6 & 7: Las Clínicas

This week began our first experiences working in Mexican health care facilities! Coming into the trip, I was under the impression that we would potentially have the opportunity to practice some nursing skills--insert an IV here and there, take a lot of vital signs. I was definitely wrong! We have been thrown in with full force to practicing nursing skills as though we were in an actual clinical, not a shadowing experience. As someone who likes to plan and prepare, I was at first a little uneasy about doing skills like IVs without having a chance to glance at my book or review my notes; however, I have learned the past two days that hands-on learning is very helpful and in many ways better than the alternative.

On both days, we arrived at the clinic in Santa Barbara first, around 9 am by the time the van made its way through the traffic. The first day we received a tour of the facilities and then were divided up and sent to different departments. Santa Barbara is basically a mini-hospital, complete with two rooms for surgery. I hung out with the nurse in surgery César on the first day in Santa Barbara. Although there was only one patient in recovery from cosmetic eye surgery, I was able to learn a lot about the equipment and procedures in the surgery center. As an added bonus, César let me practice inserting IVs on him! Now that's what I call hands on experience! Unfortunately, I was not able to observe any surgeries, and did not witness much else on the first day at Santa Barbara. On the second day at this clinic, I worked in the ER and inserted my first IV into an actual patient! The high from inserting an IV on the first try is like none other. This was definitely the highlight of my undergraduate career so far! As the morning passed in the ER, we received a few more patients and were able to further practice our nursing skills. We did everything from helping a doctor clean a very deep abscess and administering medication to taking vitals and starting/removing more IVs. 

We then went to the clinic in Santa Rosa. This was located in a more rural area and was much, much smaller than the other clinic. We received a tour of the facility upon arriving and learned a lot of valuable information about the clinic's services. Many of the patients who come are there for specialty consultations or dentistry, although one of the nurses explained that they do see a fair amount of emergencies related to gang violence that is common in the area. Not many patients showed up to Santa Rosa while we were there in the afternoon, so we decided to be productive with our time. Since not everyone had been able to insert an IV on an actual person, we decided to be patients ourselves and insert IVs into one another. Because I have really good veins and don't mind needle pokes, I was a patient for a few members of our group. They all did awesome! I guess when in Mexico...insert IVs into your friends! Our second day in Santa Rosa was a bit uneventful. I observed a few dental procedures and was also able to watch a doctor clean out a man's road rash from a motorcycle accident. 

Here's looking forward to more clinical work! 

Day 6: A Day in Colón

We just arrived back to our house after spending the day in a city called Colón, where there was an annual walk and mass to honor the virgin Mary. Our family is catholic, as are 80% of Mexicans in Querétaro, and I would estimate that about 1,000 people attended today.


Now, when I say walk, you might be thinking that it was maybe a mile or two, but not so much. The walk from where the bus driver dropped us off to the Basilica de Colón was 6 miles. We walked and walked with praise songs and shouts ringing in the air until we arrived at the Basilica. Upon arriving, we grabbed some lunch in a market. Two words people: Mexican gorditas. These were nothing like the cheesy gordita crunches you might see at Taco Bell and are currently running a close second with tamales as my favorite traditional Mexican food.

Mass came after our gorditas, and there was plenty of time for the food to settle because mass lasted about 2 and 1/2 hours. Today's big lesson? Patience. If you know me well, you might remember that being patient is not one of my strong suits. Life in Mexico is definitely challenging that character flaw. Time here is used a lot more loosely than we use it in the US. I feel like in the US we are always on the move, and don't take much time to just sit and be. Although I think its great that the pace of life in Mexico is slower, it is still taking some adjusting. Today's 11 hour "viaje" to Colón definitely forced me to practice patience, and for that, I am grateful because it is a lesson I desperately need to learn.

I also need to give a big shout out to my amazing momma! She is actually in Mexico right now, but is too far away to stop by for a visit. I just want to say, Mom, that I am so blessed to have been raised by such a godly woman. Your love and compassion for others is so evident in every conversation you have. You have taught me so much through the years and have been there as a confidant during every life change. Thank you for your unwavering support in anything I have chosen to pursue. I hope you feel so loved today, even though our family is not all in the same place!

Outside of La Basilica de Colón 

 Gordita in all its glory! 

 Inside La Basilica 

  Inside La Basilica 

 Inside La Basilica 

Day 5: A Big, Big God

Today I learned that God is BIG.

I learned that I am small, and to be loved by a God who created such astonishing beauty is an immense gift of grace. In La Peña de Bernal, Mexico, God gently prodded at my heart, reminding me of this undeserved gift of love.

This morning, we hopped on a bus from UAQ and made about an 1 hour trek to a city outside of Querétaro called Bernal, where the world's third largest rock is located. We slathered ourselves in sunscreen, put on our touristy tennies, and began our climb up the rock. First of all, let me just say that I love, love, love to hike, so today for me was awesome! In fact, I wish we could have climbed higher and farther!! Upon arriving at the highest point we were allowed, we stopped to take "un montón de fotos" and admire God's beautiful creation. The pictures below do not do the sights we saw any justice. The view from the top of la Peña de Bernal was amazing!

After our "rock climbing adventure," we had lunch together at a restaurant in town and then spent about an hour or so shopping. When we were done in Bernal, we drove about 20 minutes away to a Mexican vineyard and received a tour, as well as a bit of wine tasting. 

Our marathon of fun continued this evening with a trip downtown to a local festival of music and dance. Essentially, it was a performance of dancers and musicians from Mexico, Venezuela, Honduras, and Argentina. Man, could these people move! I think I enjoy watching things like dance performances because I have not an ounce of rhythm, nor the skills to dance something as simple as the macarena. All in all today was a great day, filled with laughs and adventure. 

 After the festival 

Hanging out with Pili, our host sister :) 

Bloggin' from Querétaro, Mexico

I've decided to resurrect the good 'ole blog in honor of a new adventure...spending the rest of the month in Mexico!! I am currently living it up in Querétaro, Mexico, with a group of nursing students (and one physical therapy student) from Hope. Our purpose in being here is two-fold: to learn about Mexican culture through living with host families in the greater Querétaro area and to compare the health care system in Mexico to our own system in the US through visiting various area hospitals (we'll even get a bit of clinical nursing practice). 

We arrived here on Tuesday afternoon, and regrettably, I have not blogged about our first three days here, so I'll give you a quick rundown of the past couple of days. 

Day 1: Arrival in QRO/Meeting the families
After arriving in Mexico, we made our way to UAQ (the university here), but not before stopping for our first taste of authentic Mexican cuisine--elotes, which are essentially grilled corn on the cob. We had them with mayonnaise and parmesan cheese. It was an "interesting" flavor, but we definitely enjoyed our first cultural experience! 

El grupo con elotes :) 

After stopping for our "snack," we made it to the university and met Nancy, our "tour guide" for the duration of the stay, as well as all of the host families. Our family is incredible! They are hospitable to the utmost degree, hardly letting us lift a finger to move our luggage or clean our dishes. They have two daughters, 11 and 4, which I feel is going to really enrich our experience here. There is something much less intimidating about talking to a child in Spanish than an adult. What is more, the girls are so sweet, helpful, and very fun to be around. After we made it back to the family's home, we had a delicious lunch and then played with the girls for awhile. Hugo (the dad) and the two girls took us on a walking tour of some of the part of their neighborhood including a look at the famous aqueducts and a scenic park. 

I am definitely feeling fully immersed in the culture. First of all, no one in the family speaks English apart from the words: dog, cat, and hot dog. Although I have been studying Spanish for a long while now, it has definitely been an adjustment in communicating with the family. I feel that as the day went on, I became more comfortable in my ability to communicate with them, and truly feel that this trip will be an invaluable experience in developing my skills as both a Spanish speaker and a nursing student.

Day 2: Tour of Hospital General de QRO 
On Wednesday, we were given a tour of the El Hospital General, which is one of the hospitals we will be working in next week. After our tour, we went home to our suburb of Querétaro, Hercúles, to spend the rest of the day relaxing and spending time with our family. The evening included a visit to Pili, the 11 year old's, choir practice at church. 

Here we are in all of our white-scrubbed glory! 

 Day 3: Tour of UAQ
Our third day here was spent taking a tour of the university. We had a lovely tour guide Nancy, who is in her final year of nursing school here. After the tour, we had lunch in downtown Querétaro with the group. Thursday's major victory? Catching the public transportation bus and making it home all by ourselves! We're feeling more and more like locals every day! 

Group pic outside of the nursing school 

Day 4: Tour of downtown historic Querétaro 

Last but not least, today, el día de los madres (Mother's Day) in Mexico! We spent today taking 3 hour walking tour of the city's historic district. I won't bore you with all of the details, but suffice it to say that we had a wonderful time learning about various aspects of Mexican culture and history. Our fabulous tour guide Norma made the tour very enjoyable! After the tour, we had a delicious lunch and then headed back to spend the rest of the day at home...unfortunately to catch up on our homework from the past couple of days. I guess it can't be all play and no work ;) 

Here are some pics from today: 

 Outside of one of the many churches downtown 

 Inside what used to be a Jesuit monastery 

 Norma the tour guide 

 View of the city from the highest point in the downtown 

Hope you enjoy a look at our adventures in Mexico! Stay tuned! 

Redemption.

Brokenness is the child abandoned by his family. It's the 12 year old girl who was raped by her father, only to be later separated from her sisters because of the child she conceived by him. It's the sickeningly hungry bellies of children, which are growling right now across the world. It lives in the place where children are herded along from home to home because no one has turned up to be a family for them. Brokenness is here, a pervading force, no matter how much we try to avoid it or pretend it isn't there.

I will be the first to say that not knowing, a blissful ignorance of sorts, is easier. It's easier to not remember the quiet stare of a wounded child, or to not know about the cruel injustice a 12 year old faced at the hands of her father. It would hurt less to have never met the girl who has a likely chance of falling into the 85% of orphans from a certain country who turn to prostitution because no one placed a priority on their education. Yes, it would be easier, but as a Christian I was never promised easy...and, what's more, I have greater news of victory against the darkness.

There is a power still greater than the brokenness.

Our redemption through Jesus.

He came to right the wrongs and settle the score, to reclaim the hearts of men trapped by the pain and evil of this fallen world. He came to fix, to heal, to redeem. It cost him his life, but it costs us nothing.
First, he redeems us from a deep, dark pit: then we are offered an extraordinary opportunity as daughters and sons of God.

We can become part of the redemption. God uses us as tools to bring His restorative plan to fruition. By His power, lives are restored.

Sometimes, people ask me why I go on these trips. "There are orphans here, you know," they say. "Why do you have to go so far away?" My answer: God's restorative work is not limited by geographical boundaries. It extends across the whole realm of His creation, and the Bible says to go out into all of the nations and preach the gospel (Matthew 28:19). It says to care for the orphans and widows in their distress, not care for the orphans and widows only where you live (James 1:27). Why does it have to be here or there? The redeeming power of Jesus is both here and there, and I've been called to be part of it in both places.

I've recently returned from Costa Rica, and yet again, God has proven to me the vast expanse of His love and power. I heard heartbreaking stories, made personal because I actually met the children to whom these stories belonged. Despite the pain I saw, I saw God's presence still greater.

Tomorrow is THE day!!

The day has finally come...Costa Rica, here we come! Tomorrow, our team will meet up in Houston and begin to make our way to Puerto Limón, Costa Rica, to visit two orphanages in the area.

Your prayers for our team are greatly appreciated! Some specifics...

• No travel glitches: that we would all make our connecting flight in Houston and arrive safely in San Jose tomorrow night, then also make it safely to Puerto Limón, the next day. 
• Good health for all of our team members
• Open and willing hearts to be used in whatever ways God presents 
• Boldness in sharing our faiths with everyone we meet, whether that be the orphans, tías at the homes, even our waiters/waitresses at dinner 
• Willingness to be changed by God through this experience 

So if you think of our team during this coming week, lift up a little prayer for us and for the people we will be with. I believe that prayer is the most vital tool we have as Christians, and I know that fervent prayers on your part will really make a difference. 

I will most likely not be able to blog while we're in country, but if the opportunity presents itself, I will update you all! Check here or on my Facebook page :) 

Hasta luego, mis amigos. Dios te bendiga 

Praise

I ponder in a moment of unbridled beauty found in the benevolent blessing of our Father God...

We rest and are thankful, deep to the core, because of the blessed reassurance that our lives, each moment to the next, have been handcrafted and uniquely shaped according to the will of God. Not a moment has been left out; each relationship formed, circumstance encountered, and situation presented are woven together in a tapestry of immeasurable worth.

Praise be to this Father, this Master Weaver, for by His plan we, the most futile of instruments, can make His glory known.

How can it be that this Almighty One has reached down and invested in such lowly creatures, that He has redeemed this broken creation from the pit, that beautiful restoration and power has been offered to us? For this unprecedented grace, we are joyful beyond words.

Praise be to this Father, this Redeemer, for without Him, we are nothing.

Today is a day for rejoicing, a day for loud praise, and tears of joy, for we have been granted life and life abundant. The power that conquered death on the cross rests in the very depths of our souls. By this power, we are blessed to bring glory to God.

Praise be to this Father, this Giver of Life, for by Him, we have purpose.

Spring Hill Family Camp 2012

This past memorial day weekend, the Billman family + our two "honorary Billmans" AJ and Nate headed up to one of my favorite places on the whole planet: Spring Hill. 

It's a trip we look forward to every year, not only because we get to spend some quality family time together, but also because we get to hang out with all of our favorite Michigan peeps! Although we had one day of rather yucky weather, the long awaited trip didn't disappoint. 

We enjoyed TONS of yummy food, good conversation, and some good 'ole camp activities. 

 Here we all are! 7 families wit 41 kids!!