Be Thankful!

I trust that everyone had a great Thanksgiving with friends and family, and you all are not wearing yourself out buying gifts for everyone! After spending a year and a half working in a third world country, God has really shown me what's important, and what's not. (He is still telling me) As most of you know, I have been stateside since September finishing up wedding plans. The practice that I worked at before I became a missionary, hired me to work in their lab while I have been home. It's been a great time of catching up with old friends and patients....and keeps my medical skills honed. Right after Thanksgiving, I started to take a poll. Every time a patient came in, I asked them how their Thanksgiving went...and that would just about always open up a conversation on the subject of Christmas...or as one of my patients said..."the curse word." When I hear people say that...it always makes me so sad. And before to long they are telling me about all the money they spend that they don't really have, buying the gifts that family will either take back or end up in a yard sale, and the stress of keeping up with the Jones'. I looked at one patient and said to her, "Well, it's no wonder that the Christmas season still has the highest suicide rate of the year!" A lot of people out there have lost the meaning of what Christmas really is. Society as a whole is so focused on the "Me" attitude. My family stopped buying presents for each other a long time ago. I come from a big family. We never seemed to have enough money. I remember my parents struggling to buy us all Christmas presents. I think that as a parent, it's something you just want to do for your kids. So as a family, we all received something practical..new socks, underwear...and if we had extra, we bought for someone in need. That experience has molded me as an adult. I don't expect presents at Christmas time ( Don't get me wrong , I like them fine, and if you give me one, I'll except it!) and I don't buy gifts for family and friends in general...I buy for those who need. (My youngest sister has twin baby girls 7 weeks old and a 2 year old) It takes a lot of stress off at Christmas time and allows me to concentrate on the real reason we celebrate with family and friends every year. I concentrate on God's love and the salvation that He brought to us by sending his Son here. I think about the Hope that it has brought to my life and to the lives of millions of people. I think about our brothers and sisters in the D.R. and in Haiti. I think about how hard their life is....and how would they make it day to day without the saving grace and hope of Jesus. I pray that your Christmas season this year is a joyful occasion of friends, family, and the giving of yourself!


When I look at this picture, I get so homesick. This is where I love to be. There are times when it is not the most comfortable place. And I am not talking about material comforts either. I am talking about me and the state of my heart. Giving of yourself is not always easy. It is in our nature to be selfish. To allow God control of our lives, to shape and mold us, to let Him shine His ultra bright light into the deepest corners of our hearts, and illuminate the dust and cobwebs hurts. I have asked Him several times, when is He going to be done? God tells me when I have learned my lessons. I continue on. I learn to be flexible, to be shaped and molded....sometimes even kicked in the pants. By God and others....to get me to the place where I conquer my fears and I learn! I lean to be thankful on so many levels. Thankful for arms and hands....that I can love on His children and bandage their hurts, thankful for a tongue so that I can learn the language and can communicate that love to them, thankful for the clothes on my back to protect me from the harsh sun and for the shoes on my feet. Thankful that I am from a nation where I have the freedom to worship, and that on any day of the week, I can exercise that privilege.




Please be in prayer for our brothers and sisters in the Santiago area. They had torrential rains from Hurricane Olga that passed their way. People were stranded on their roof tops to avoid being washed away by the floods. Houses, crops, and lives were lost.

Please continue to pray for G.O. Ministries. For our leadership teams, for safe travels, and that God would continue to bless and grow His ministry for the Kingdom!




I hope that you all have a wonderful time this Christmas season with your loved ones! As you all know, Eric and I have our big day December 29th! We are excited about joining our lives together. I will continue in my role as the Medical Team Facilitator, and Eric will continue to come over to the D.R. to assist the ministry and facilitate when he can. Please pray for an increase in my financial budget. I am going to be raising more support over the next year so that I can do even more medical ministry in the Dominican Republic.