Spring
is coming! In Skagit County the snow
geese and swans are heading north and the tulips are on their way. It always seems, as the seasons change, I’m
eager and excited for the next to arrive.
As much as I love all the cozy aspects of winter like hot chai lattes,
fragrances of cinnamon and cloves, holiday baking, and sitting in front of the
fire, all the emerging daffodils and tulips, warm weather, and budding trees
have me longing to get out into the garden and get started on barn/farm
projects. Any special projects you are
looking forward to starting this spring?
This
spring and summer will also bring many trips and training opportunities related
to my move to South Africa. Over the
last two months I’ve had several opportunities to speak including Christian
Veterinary Mission (CVM) meetings at the Western Veterinary Conference and a
middle school assembly/chapel at Northshore Christian Academy in Mukilteo. You can probably imagine I was a bit nervous
before the talk I gave at Northshore, since middle schoolers are a new
demographic for me, but the kids were great and seemed to enjoy the talk I gave
on different ways to think about poverty.
This
month, I’m attending a Health, Agriculture,
Culture, and Community conference put on by ECHO. Their mission is “to reduce hunger and
improve lives through agricultural training and resources” and my attendance at
this conference is sponsored by MedSend (the organization who will pay my student
loan payments while I’m in Africa). Then,
shortly after I get back from ECHO I’ll be heading down to South Africa for 2
weeks with a team of vet students from Purdue on a short term mission
trip. A week after we return I’m off to
a Training of Trainers course put on
by CVM and then there is one more conference (Orientation for Medical Missions: Preparing the Medical Missionary)
to attend in August to finish off my crazy spring and summer.
Please
pray that the Lord would watch over me through all these trips and keep me
energized and open to learning new things.
If
you happen to be in the Fort Myers, FL area April 27-May 2 or near Abingdon, VA
during Aug 14-17 it would be great to get together while I’m in town. Please let me know if you will be around then
and would like to meet up!
