Praises and Prayer Requests

Hi Everyone!

I thought I'd share some personal praises and prayer requests I've got right now...

Praises (some of these are going to sound really lame or non-significant, but for a girl away from home, they are huge and show me that God really does care for the little things!):

• the weather is no where near as bad as I've expected. I've been able to cope and adjust to it pretty well. :-D
• the birth center has Skype so I've been able to chat with my family once every day
• I've attended several births in the past two weeks and have been thrown in the thick of it!
• I got to feel a baby head born into my hands, something I've always imagined about and it was as wonderful as I've always imagined :-D
• the other interns and I get along really well. In fact, Karissa, who I share a room with, and I have found we have a LOT in common which is really good (large, conservative families, deaf siblings, messy rooms [LOL], doulas and midwifery apprentices back in our respective homes, first births we've attended being within a month of each other's, etc)
• someone from home might be flying home with me from Chicago to RDU and bringing me a jacket for when I land in the dead of winter :-D (even if it doesn't ultimately work out, it's fun and encouraging to think about)
• this is going to sound unimportant, but it was a huge blessing hearing several Gettys songs at church today. It made me feel at home and that God is really watching out for me. :-D
• God has put encouraging people on line, via Facebook, to chat with right when I most need it even if it sometimes means He prompts them to wake up and go check Facebook at 4am their time...  *wink, wink, Mrs. Fuller* :-D
• that there is American food available whenever I "need" it. :-D For instance, today I was really needing something "from home" so I had McDonald's pancakes for breakfast (which someone actually paid for for me, thank You, Lord!) and Pizza Hut for lunch... *sigh* those foods have never tasted so good!
• that the midwives are incredibly gracious and willing to teach
• Ate Grace gave me my first continuity yesterday who seems VERY friendly and sweet. She's due September 25, so chances are, she'll fulfill the requirements, even if I don't end up going that route. (For the NARM certification, each prospective midwife needs 4 continuities. A continuity is when you do four prenatals and are the primary at the woman's birth.)
• I'm sure there's much more, but I can't think of any at the moment. :-D

Prayer Requests:

• that I'd finish getting over jet-lag
• that God would ease my homesickness. It really hurts at times.
• that I'd figure out the language quickly. I feel like I can't connect with anyone really well because they speak a totally different language that I have no concept of.
• that I would learn midwifery skills quickly so I can start actually helping the midwives
• that I won't end up having any problems with finances. Several things have ended up costing more than I expected
• that I will remember to stand tall these next five months even though I'm so much taller than everyone. It's really easy for me to slouch, especially around short people, but I don't want to hurt my posture or my back...
• that I won't waste my downtime, which seems to be plentiful...way more plentiful than I was expecting, or hoping.
• that the births will pick up. The midwives say the birth center has been unusually quiet these past two weeks...I don't want to have come all this way for just a few births... 
• that I will be content with my circumstances. I never realized how good I had it in America until I came out here. For instance, it's a luxury to be able to throw your used toilet paper in the toilet instead of the trash can out here...and also, I'm pining for paper towels that don't shred all over you when you dry your hands...and have I mentioned that it would be nice if the laundry actually dried?
• my plans for the future (as in, past November...) have been "shaken" which is *very* annoying for me, since I'm like my mom in that I *need* to "know" my plans. And now I'm not so sure about what I'll be doing next year for midwifery training. Please pray specifically that God will show me His plan for my future *soon*, since I have two very different options I'm considering at the moment. Actually, maybe you can pray that God will give me patience as He unfurls His will for my life...But I don't want to develop patience, because that means He'll try it in order to grow it...Humph! Life can be so hard at times. :-D

Alright, I think that's about it at the moment. :-D

Thanks everyone for praying for me! God always answers prayers, even if they're not how we expected/wanted, but it's always for our good. :-D

And, as usual, more pictures!

the ceiling of the church I attended today. I thought it was pretty neat. :-D 

some of the scarves, shawls, and hats that the midwives made and are now selling at the market

amazing hand-made jewelry. If you see any pieces you like, you can ask me to check out the price for you and bring some home for you. I also hope to get some as gifts. I especially liked the rings in the bottom right corner, they were 250PHP, about 5USD

I think these would make some pretty awesome gifts also. Especially since they're 4 for 100PHP (about 2USD)!

...the second time in my life I have ever felt short... :-D The first time was when I passed a 6"8 guy in the grocery store a few years ago

this was a hojicha frappuchino I bought at Starbucks today with earl gray jelly. You can only get it in the Philippines....these people put jello in the oddest things. I'm not normally bothered by texture, but I would shudder and gag whenever I'd slurp jello up the straw and then swallow it. Needless to say, the drink went into the trash can only half gone... But it was fun trying something really weird. :-D