So what now?...

Hello friends and family,

The more time I spend away from here the uglier New Jersey seems every time I get home. The sky is grey and dull more often than not this time of year, and this winter weather is far too cold for me. But in spite of these things, the longer I'm away the more amazing I realize these people are each time I return home. And that's something that scenery and weather can't touch. Looks like I'm going to hang around home for awhile. A couple months at least.

Still hoping to enter into medical missions/charity work long term starting next year...Don't think I've ever felt so certain about any future plans in my twenty five years. The pastor and his wife from my family's church, Bob and Julie, have been so kind to offer to help me discerning these plans. I am blown away by their enthusiasm - they seem just as excited as I do!

My goals for this year are to somehow give back locally, to work & replenish my depleted savings account, to spend time with my incredible family and friends and maybe do some more traveling within the US. Will keep you posted as all of these plans unravel.

The past two weeks I've been working on becoming registered with a local nursing agency. The last of these details was complete on Friday afternoon, and they will now place me in a temporary position at a local hospital for a few months. So it's like travel nursing, minus the travel part. I guess that makes me a freelancer. That word sounds really grown up...And considering that I didn't even know what it meant until last year I'm surprised they're letting me do it. :) I hope to be working by the beginning of February.

In the meantime, I had a couple plane ticket vouchers that were about to expire. I think most of you would agree that it would be a crying shame to let such a thing happen... So, this morning I flew to West Palm Beach, Florida to stay with my dear friend Becky. Becky asked me to be in her wedding this June, and I've met her fiancee a total of two times, so I think it's about time I stop in for a while. And anyway, the beaches down there aren't so bad. ;) Thursday I will leave West Palm for Phoenix, Arizona, where I will also be visiting with friends and my old roommates for about a week. That Sunday, the 27th, I will be presenting my Africa experience at two churches in Phoenix: in the morning to my friend Ashley's 3rd to 8th grade Sunday school class, and in the evening to the church I attended last Spring when I was living in Phoenix on a travel assignment. [Insert shoutout to the the friends who provided me with the airline vouchers in the first place and made this trip possible here:]

My DVD presentation of Africa is now complete. [Insert shout out to Ben Canales, the master of DVD creation here:] Although I've done some speaking engagements a few times recently, this will be my first time sharing my comprehensive Africa experience. It should be the first of a few, as I hope to share at Hope Chapel, Elevate, Circle of Hope and maybe a few other churches in the next few months.

If you are someone who prays, can I ask you to pray for me as I begin to formally share Africa with America? My six months was such a multi-faceted experience that I sometimes don't know where to begin when explaining it. & I the idea of public speaking makes me squirm a little. But bringing all of this home is a very important part of the process...It must be done. So yeah, if you could just pray for my presentation, that God would give me the words to share with people the things that He is doing and allowed me to be a part of in Africa, that would be amazing. Other things I'm praying about are direction for next year and this year, too. I am not sure whether to sell my car right away or wait until just before I'm leaving...Either plan has its own set of potential risks and benefits. So, in summary, the things I need prayer for are presenting my trip, direction in future planning and also for selling my car.

Please continue to let me know of any way that I can be praying for you.

Sooooo, friends/family in Jersey/PA, I'll see you again in a couple of weeks. Friends in Arizona, I'll be around this Thursday to Wednesday-ish, and I hope to see each of you.



Much Love,

Lindsay