Thursday, February 28, 2008

Missions--Medicine, Machinery, and Mangos


On Saturday morning, my husband and I and another couple are leaving for Haiti for a 2 week missions trip. The men will be involved in working on radio equipment, transmitters, etc. I will be working in the hospital there. There will be a surgeon from Michigan there for the first week we are there, so they will be busy. I will be helping with pre-op, starting IV's etc. The second week I will do some teaching for some of the nurses. Judy, the other lady going with us, will be doing some sewing--curtains and chair cushions for the engineer and his wife. Then we both will be helping with the children's work--getting supplies ready for VBS, etc.

I have a mixture of emotions. I am excited to be going and be involved again with the people of Haiti. I was a missionary there many years ago. I am also nervous, as I'm not sure my IV skills are adequate, and I'll be teaching through an interpreter. I am really looking forward to it however. We should have a little time for swimming and relaxing.

We would appreciate your prayers as we go. We are hoping to be an encouragement to the staff and people there, as well as complete the projects we will work on.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Medicine For The Soul

I had decided that I wanted to add a quotation of some kind to the header on my blog. So I did a search on quotations about books. I had absolutely no idea that there were SO many quotations about books and reading! It took me quite some time to decide which one I wanted to add to my header. So I decided I would share some of the others on this blog.

The title for this blog is an inscription over the door of the library at Thebes. I think many times reading is definitely medicine for my soul.

A good book should leave you..slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading it.

My test of a good novel is dreading to read the last chapter

You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a littl as if you have lost a good friend.

I just finished reading another really good book by one of my favorite authors. It's really true that you kind of dread coming to the end. Fortunately, she will be coming out with one more book in this series.

Some of the quotes were a little more philosophical and gave me some food for thought:

Books are the bees which carry the quickening pollen from one mind to another.

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.

Just a few more that seemed to ring true for me:

Just the knowledge that a good book is awaiting one at the end of a long day makes that day happier.

The pleasure of all reading is doubled when one lives with another who shares the same books

(I lived for 3 months with a very good friend, while recouperating from a surgery; we both loved to read and often read and discussed the same books.)

So, to anyone who hasn't already discovered the wonderful world or reading, give it a try. I think you'll like it.