Week One: New Orleans!

    As you already know Sally ended up hitting the coast of Alabama so I dodged my first hurricane. My heart goes out to a state that I called home for four years and to those affected by the storm. People I know and love were affected so I would please ask you to send up a quick prayer for them. 

     I am titling this Week One because technically it’s my first week on the job so you (and I) can keep up with how much longer I will be down here for. My contract is 8 weeks long but I am hopeful to extend for an extra two. I guess it’s just in God’s hands now.  I also found that I hate writing in the past tense and I find myself falling into the past participle so I may change it up to the present. It will be more like a diary entry at the end of the day than a culmination at the end of the week. 

    Monday night: Yes, you heard all about the day but after I posted it I got a knock on the door from one of the daughters in the house. She brought me dinner because it was late and the winds were getting worse. This was what I missed about the South, the way the people would welcome you with open arms and food. I also got to skype into Taco Night so my week started off wonderfully.

    Tuesday: Hurricane Sally is slowly moving to the west so she will not be hitting where I’m at. On my morning walk I could feel the gusts from the upcoming storm. I was just watching and waiting for the green skies that Nebraska tornadoes usually come with but I guess that doesn’t happen much here.  I also found a little gecko friend that I thought was a leaf blowing in the wind. After that I was constantly aware of the “leafs” I saw blowing across the sidewalk. God showed me that even the little things I sometimes just blow off as something else are actually blessings in disguise. 

    Wednesday: It’s my first day at the hospital! It’s a day full of charting and computers and orientation but it means I made it! I started my day off with mass at St Ann’s Catholic Church. As I was praying some lady came up behind me and whispered that I had a sticker on my pants. I was mortified because the scrubs were new and there was a “M” sticker on the back of my pants. I could see God and my grandpa just having a kick out of it. I also realized that I was the only young one there. This made me think about how these older adults knew and prioritized what was important in life. I fall with the young crowd that doesn’t always appreciate what a gift the Mass is for us. I have my God moments every day, but I don’t take the time to physically receive Him into my life and heart like I should. The church is only a few minutes away so I’m going to make it more of a priority in my life to meet God at His house because He meets me where I am, every day.  Mass is obviously the highlight of every day, but especially today because from 7:30am- 5:00pm I was sitting in front of a computer. I hope you know that it took me a lot of will power to put that into normal people time, not military or nurses time. 

    Thursday: Another day started with mass, but this time I went to St. Edwards. I checked myself a few times so I did not end up going with any stickers on my new scrubs. After another day of orientation and computers I decided to cross off one of the places on my New Orleans bucket list, Overland Park. I went on a run, on one of the trails that cut through a more forested area. Every step I took I was in awe of the beauty that was around me. My personal favorite were the trees with Spanish moss. This scenery sure beat the computer screen that was my focal point for the majority of my day. No matter what advances we make in technology, it will never beat the beauty or the wonder of Creation.

    Friday: It’s my first shift at the hospital! Today and Saturday I will have a buddy to show me what I need to do and then Monday I will be on my own. When I got onto the unit I was lost so I started talking to one of the older nurses that looked like he knew what would be going on. He told me were to go but like in good Southern fashion, he also asked my my life story and proceeded to tell me his. My favorite part of this 5 min interaction was when he said “The South will rise again!”. I immediately felt the anxiety of my first day slip away. That was one thing one of my college friends always said to me. He also would make me say it, otherwise I would get shot with an airsoft gun. The day wasn’t too crazy for being an ICU so I really got to take time to figure out the charting system. I also figured out I don’t like Cerner (the charting system). It’s not as bad as paper charting but it’s not my favorite either. 

    Saturday: It is my second buddy shift and so Monday I will be on my own. Again, another normal day in ICU so nothing to write home about. After I went to a party with my friend Charles. At one point he went to go have a smoke and had the audacity to say to the people that we were by us “She’s kinda scared of people so please just talk to her for a bit. I promise she’s not that bad.”. I can see my mother rolling her eyes right now but it is true. When I meet new people I am terrified. I just don’t let anyone know. Anyways they laughed and proceeded to let me join their conversation. I really appreciate those people more than they know, because they made me, a stranger, feel like part of their crowd. 

    Sunday: Another day started with God at mass. I really need to make it a habit, because I always feel empowered and motivated to take on the world when I leave. Today’s mass was for those that go out and teach the faith. It doesn’t just pertain to literal teachers, but parents and then you and I as well. This year I have been immensely blessed with the leaps and bounds I have made in learning about my faith and I just want to share it with everyone. When I talk about my God moments or my revelations through prayer, I am not trying to toot my own horn, rather I am tooting God’s horn. I feel His love and He then calls me to share it with everyone else. I have an ongoing conversation about the Eucharist with one of my friends and it truly has made me a better Catholic. As I teach the Catholic faith to others, I know that God is using me for a purpose that I will never be able to comprehend. I could literally talk about the little lessons I learn each day from God forever but I will leave it at here for now.  After mass I ended up driving over Lake Pontchatrain on the Causeway. It is actually the longest bridge over a body of water. Earlier in the week I planned to spend my Sunday outside and not even the rain was going to stop me so I went and bought a rain jacket and jumped on a trail in Fontainebleu State park. I tried to take a few pictures but obviously a camera can never truly capture the beauty that is Creation. I think God made it that way. It forces us to appreciate it in the now because even though we may have a picture for the memory, it is nothing like the real thing. On the end part of the trail two wild pigs ran out across the path in front of me. After I had a heart attack I had to call my mom and tell her. As some of you know, pigs are my favorite animal, so seeing them in the wild was like a dream for me. Again, it’s the little blessings (and the big ones) each day, that make me fall more in love with God and the life He has called me to live. 

      

    Well that is all for this week! I cannot wait to see what God has in store for me these coming weeks. Also shout out to my little cousin Bernardette, who is celebrating her birthday today! She has been one of God’s big blessings in my life and I wouldn’t be the same without her. 

Agape!

    Elizabeth