Wow, it has been a really long time since I wrote anything here--life is so full and busy sometimes, and it is so hard to try to put into words what God is working and doing here and in my heart. I am really enjoying my second year, the new responsibilities, and the new things to be learned. Since coming back, I have been thinking a lot about what it means to be a witness of the gospel. I think that last year I was often so overwhelmed by the needs of people that I spent my time and energy trying to meet those needs, and always found that I was not enough. There are a lot of scriptures that exhort us to meet physical needs, but when we get to the end of ourselves, people still have needs and problems, and they still need Jesus more than anything else. I have been praying that the Lord would teach me what it means to walk in joy and to be the light in darkness that draws these people to Himself, even when I don't know enough of their language to explain His love to them.

Through the hard times, God is so faithful to us here. I have learned to catch two babies in one shift without feeling like I am going to pass out from exhaustion, and I am now stitching up tears and putting in IVs with at least a lot more confidence than before =) The other night, I had a birth where the mother pushed her baby's head most of the way out while standing up on the bed and leaning most of her weight on my shoulders while I squatted in front of her. How fun is that?

I would appreciate prayer as I ask God to show me how to share Him with the people here and as I learn to find my joy and satisfaction in Jesus only, wherever I am and whatever He requires of me.