Faith Without Borders

Hello friends and family,             We have successfully completed the second month and the first module (there are four modules total)! The days are getting longer and longer here and I feel that summer will be here before we know it. This past month has been interesting as we all have finished settling in and are finding how we all fit as we do life with each other.  If any of you have ever lived in community then you may know some of the joys and, dare I say it, sorrows that this type of living can bring. However it’s always worth it if we can help build up more considerate and community minded people in this world.             As well as enjoying my staff duties I have also started an online course to become certified to teach English as a second language (shout out to the donor who made that happen). I have been enjoying the course so far and I’m excited to see ...

Hello dear friends and family,             The first month is complete only five more to go! So far the students have a full three weeks under their belts and are settling in well. We have nine students, from all over America and one local. They range in age from 20’s to 50’s. As their staff it is very exciting to see them be exposed to new knowledge, not only in midwifery but in global issues affecting women, children and families all over the world. They are currently learning how to use midwifery as a form of community development here in the USA as well as overseas. I’m excited to see how the rest of the program will go, and to help them along in this journey.             I myself have been settling back into my community and church family here. It has been a good time of reconnecting with old friends and making new connections. Our school leader had surgery right befor...

Hello dear friends and family,             Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Wow time has really flown by. I have enjoyed my time in Washington doing life again with my mom, dad and grandma. It has been a sweet time to revisit one of my childhood homes and realize just how far I have come over the years. It’s also been a time to allow me to dream about the future and seek God in the direction he is leading me (I only wish I knew what the future looked like!).             I was able to get a seasonal job with one of the nation’s biggest parcel delivery companies. It was an experience to say the least but it kept me busy and away from sitting behind a computer screen. It also helped me see the effects of consumerism first hand but that’s a thought for another day! I’ve already returned to Alaska. I’ll be in town till the 7 th and then I will be driving down to Homer. Homer...

Hello dear friends and family,             I am sorry I have not written this sooner. As some of you may have guessed or have heard I have completed the educational portion of my midwifery training on November 19 th !! So many of you have been asking “what’s next”?  First off I want to clarify that I am not yet a midwife I still have much training to do and a big exam before that happens. And we are still waiting on the state of Alaska to hear if we can do an apprenticeship in Alaska or not, we will hopefully hear by the end of this year or the beginning of the next. I am currently in Washington state until the end of the year visiting my family and working a seasonal job. I am planning on returning to Alaska by January 1 st .             For the past couple months I have been praying about what is next for me, should I do an apprenticeship right away? What type of mid...

Hello dear friends and family,             So I have some interesting news and I need the help of all my prayer warriors. The world of midwifery is very political, and the rules of how one becomes a midwife and how midwifery schools run is constantly changing on a national and state level. Alaska was pretty open to midwifery until June 1, 2016 when they changed some rules and regulations. Our school has come under fire due to a person in the midwifery community spreading some misunderstanding about us. As a result none of the students nor I can acquire an apprenticeship in Alaska. Our program is working on getting a certification and if we are granted it then we will receive state approval and thus can get apprenticeships in the state of Alaska.             I have five weeks left of this program. On November 19 I will be driving back to the Anchorage area. As we come to a c...

Hello dear friends and family,             I’m over half way done with my training here in Homer, AK! Every week I am learning more and more about birth and pregnancy, as well as God’s faithfulness. As some of you already know I am always looking forward to the mission field. Sometimes God leads me in ways that I do not understand; for example leading me to midwifery! It seems like an uphill battle most of the time but God is right there next to me helping me climb that hill.             I have connected with an amazing little church here in Homer, well its actually across the bay. There is a church boat that comes and picks us up and takes us all to church. This summer we have been having sermons on the Holy Spirit and I have found them to be very challenging and timely, just what I need.             Some of you have...

Hello dear friends and family,             First off I would like to apologize that I have not sent this out sooner! Things have been very busy for me here in Homer, Alaska as I climb the very steep learning curve in the world of midwifery. So some of you have been asking what a “normal” day looks like in training. Well from almost every Monday to Friday we have class. Each week is a different topic and we do three homework assignments with a quiz for each week. We also have been learning very useful clinical skills, for example taking blood pressures, pulse, blood draws and even how to administer shots properly. I’m finding that I was very unaware of all that birth entails and that I will constantly be learning more and more even after these next five months are over.             These past couple weeks however have been honestly pretty difficult for me. I live in a small ...