g life.

New Bling, New Blog

2010-09-27T16:55:00.000-07:00

Genesis 3

2010-05-12T22:45:00.000-07:00

Yet again, I need to share what my friend Sharon is up to...this woman is using her gifts to change the world! Check it out..."Free Fall."

City Girls and Char Beck

2009-10-29T15:19:00.001-07:00

This week, my good friend Charlie Beck did a photo shoot for my roommates. It was a total blast. If you want to see more of his work, check out his website. He and another friend, Daniel Skiffington, are headed to Africa on November 1st with the Mocha Club to document on film the lives and experiences of the people they encounter. You can follow their trip on twitter.

John Justus

2009-03-31T02:08:00.000-07:00

My cup overfloweth in the auntie department! Here's my adorable new nephew, John Justus. He's a sweet little dude and I am so grateful that he and Libby are both healthy. I feel so fortunate to be his Tia!

Greenlake Christmas

2008-12-15T22:06:00.000-08:00

I am blessed to live in a neighborhood with a lake, walkable coffee, walkable shopping, and good friends within the walls of my house! Here's a few photos of the past few days, we've been having a blast with this fluffy cold stuff called SNOW!

Christmas Green...

2008-12-11T22:23:00.000-08:00

I heard a convicting sermon from Imago Dei church in Portland a few years ago and this video sums it up pretty well. My main squeeze, Jackson, also discusses the issue in one of his latest columns. Are we willing to give up ipods and dvds, gift cards and new clothes? Or has the spirit of consumerism become greater than the spirit of true giving?

$450 Billion = Amount Americans spend on Christmas every year
$10 Billion = Clean Water for the World

I hope that makes you squirm.

November 4th

2008-11-04T17:08:00.000-08:00

See you at the polls! If you want to no what my 1 1/2 year old niece thinks, check this out.

A Thousand Questions

2008-09-04T16:19:00.000-07:00

As promised, here's the video Sharon helped put together. Powerful.

Virtuous Woman

2008-08-09T11:58:00.000-07:00

Watch out world, here comes Sharon Irving. She is talented in communicating the gospel through the art of singing, spoken word, and now acting. She stars in Willow Creek's new film, "A Thousand Questions." To purchase, check out Willow Creek's website. I will have a copy soon if you want to come watch it. The song posted is from the days of worship leading at North Park. If you listen long enough, you will here her spit.

Call and Response: Human Trafficking

2008-07-23T23:48:00.000-07:00

Hey abolitionists, watch for this documentary coming to your city this fall. For more information and ideas on how to contribute to the end of slavery, check out Call and Response.

Jane Margaret

2008-06-23T22:12:00.000-07:00

Last Monday, June 16th, we welcomed another member of the Simon/Myers clan into the world. We coaxed the doctor into letting me watch the delivery and let me tell you, it was a privledge to witness Carly and John meet their little girl for the first time. Here are some shots of Jane's first day.

With Great-Grandma Margaret, her namesake

Cousin Evan & Aunt Libby

2008-06-09T21:25:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the blog hiatus. Life as a Marvel Comic Superhero is a lot of work (who knew? Apparently it survived a whopping 4 issues).

I'm done with my training on the Mother/Baby unit and officially switch to night shift in 2 weeks. My brain and heart are on growth overload! They say at the 6 month mark new nurses get back their sense of humor, so hopefully there's light at the end of this tunnel! However, right around my 6 month mark I'll start my training up on Labor and Delivery...so I may need some extra grace.

I have a 4 day break and the privilege of spending time with my amazing grandparents who celebrated their 56th anniversary this weekend (WHAT? Such a blessing).

Updates coming soon.

Have You Seen Me?

2008-03-28T10:35:00.000-07:00

Help us find Chester! He's our mascot at Street Youth Ministries.

Prosperity Gospel

2008-02-27T17:31:00.000-08:00

This is a little heavy compared to my typical light-hearted blogs, but such an important message. Thanks for droppin' knowledge, Piper.

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Jesus

Thanks for sharing this with me, Drew.

Pictures

2008-02-26T13:36:00.000-08:00

So, I'm trying to get better about the whole picture sharing thing. I made a website with most of my pictures from the past 8 months or so, and I will do my best to keep it up to date. Click here to check it out!

Happy Birthday, Willie J!

2008-02-01T19:54:00.000-08:00

February 1st, 2007:

February 1st, 2008:

First birthdays have been the happening thing around here. And I'm so glad to be home and able to celebrate life's little joys! I'm so blessed to have, well, pretty much the coolest nephew in the world. Love you Will!

We have some work to do...

2008-01-28T14:40:00.000-08:00

Here's a map I came across. Check out the Joshua Project if you're inspired. Matthew 10:16-23

Happy Birthday, Evan Ainsley!

2008-01-16T23:17:00.000-08:00

On January 3rd, Evan had her first birthday. It's so amazing to me how a little squirt can bring so much joy to so many people in so little time. What did we do without you?? I love you, Evan! Click here for a video my brother made of the littlest Myers.

I got the job!

2008-01-02T09:56:00.001-08:00

I'm having kind of a rough time adjusting to life back in the US, but the transition will be a little easier with some purpose in my near future! I will be joining the dawg pound as I start out my nursing career at UW Med Center on their maternal/newborn/labor & delivery unit. It is really my dream job, even though it's going to be a huge learning curve at first. But I believe this is where God wants me right now. Oh, and if anyone needs a roommate, hollaatchagirl!

Back in the U-S-A

2007-12-27T17:02:00.001-08:00

After 2 weeks backpacking in Peru with my dad, I am back in Seattle. I was greeted by my hard drive crashing, losing all of my photos, documents, music, etc. Luckily I had the pictures from our trek on my camera, here are a few! Thanks for all your prayers and support :-) Merry Christmas!

Mi ultima semana...

2007-11-28T18:13:00.000-08:00

Well, I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's my last week in Bolivia. It has been a little nuts with political unrest...we were confined to our house in Santa Cruz today because there is a 6-province wide strike. On Sunday, we went to a soccer game and it was crazy...we played the team from La Paz, and there's a lot of racial and social tension between the 2 provinces. Let's just say we booked it home afterwards! I got some good pictures but my computer is taking forever to upload right now. We celebrated thanksgiving right this weekened prepared by mom and dad (charlotte and derek) and me. I have to say, it was quite scrumptious, turkey, stuffing, & all. I did miss Aunt Mary's cranberry sauce, though! Tomorrow is volunteer training day for my public health project and I'm a little nervous...there have been quite a few road blocks...figuratively & literally...but I'm trusting that God's gonna work it out. I can't believe it's almost December...we had temp.'s in the 90s this week...ugh. I'm actually looking forward to real winter!

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-20T11:37:00.000-08:00

Really missing my family, especially this time of year...I wish I could be there with you! I'm back in Bolivia safely and I have to say, I'm especially glad to be from the land of the free after a week in a communist country, but it was a very eye opening experience! I'll be at the clinic on Thanksgiving day so I won't be able to call :-( Love you guys! Here I am in country gooding jr, a little bit nervous to be holding the flag!

Bichos

2007-11-17T12:15:00.000-08:00

Last week, we did a test run for the deworming/nutrition/hygiene project that will hopefully be in full force starting in February. International public health is no joke: lack of reliable transportation, communication, resources, differences in cultural practices, etc. But having the opportunity to interact with these kids & knowing how much better their lives could be without these parasites makes it more than worth it. "Worms" affect over 2 billion people worldwide. They contribute to vitamin and nutrient deficiency, decreased cognitive function, and increased risk for getting other diseases. They affect people in poverty stricken areas and haven't gotten enough attention to make needed changes. I feel BLESSED to be in a position to bring education on prevention and treatment to these people in hard to reach places.

We did the Monster Mash

2007-11-06T05:05:00.000-08:00

To celebrate a pointless yet enjoyable American holiday, we had a party at our house last weekend. We had no problem finding costumes - there's a strip of stores that are ALL costume and party stores. But surprisingly, no trick or treaters. I wonder who's wearing all those costumes (besides us). Some of the highlights: Mike the giant penguin, Popeye & Olive Oil (aka Derek & Charlotte). I decided to go the home-made route and dressed up as Mrs. Homer J. Here are a few fotitos! Oh, last night I woke my roommates up because I was sleeptalking in Spanish...WHAT?

Survival Skills

2007-11-05T11:24:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I'm on a blogging binge. Our internet is going fast, so I want to make sure to take advantage of it.

Halloween night:
11:30pm We were driving back to the clinic after a rousing game of volleyball when we noticed the ride, although normally bumpy, was especially bumpy. We got out to check the wheel, and sure enough, it was completely demolished.
12:00pm We can't find one of the parts to the car jack.
12:10pm Guinda (one of the clinic nurses) and I go to look for help. It's pitch dark, and we are serrenaded by sounds of insects, birds, and who knows what else for a couple miles.
Meanwhile, Ethan & Rich work their magic with no flashlight to put the spare tire on.
12:30pm Guinda and I arrive at pastor's house and wake him up for help. Just as we head out to leave, Ethan and Rich pull up. They did it!

Alex Trebek - Revisited

2007-11-05T10:53:00.000-08:00

I've been informed that although a picture was posted, I didn't explain my encounter with Alex Trebek on my blog. People have asked, "Who's that guy your with?" and "Is that your dad?" Obviously not Jeopardy fans, I will recount our meeting to clarify. I was sitting in Lima, Peru waiting for my flight to Santa Cruz. After 2 days of travel and very little sleep, I needed some fuel for my fire. Just as I started to doze off, a strapping older man caught my attention...could it be? Weeknights at 7pm have been spent with him for decades. And there he was, sitting just across the room from me. As I thought of a witty way to approach him, all I could mutter out was "ARE YOU ALEX TREBEK?" Classy. I talked to him and his wife Jeannie about my trip to Bolivia for a few minutes and documented it in photo. I think I even said the ultimate star struck phrase, "I'm a huge fan." So there you have it.

!Que la Muerda!

2007-11-04T19:51:00.000-08:00

I have so much to catch up on my blog! I have not been very good about this. I'm going to go back to my birthday (over a month ago). There's this tradition where the birthday girl/boy takes a bite out of the cake after blowing out the candles. Everyone chants "Que la muerda" (take a bite) and the birthday person goes in for a dangerous bite...dangerous because someone sneaks up behind them to push their face in the cake.I had the pleasure of doing this several times, as my colleagues found it amusing to take every opportunity to sing happy birthday once they discovered that it makes me blush. Charlotte finally took the bday torch a few weeks after me! Here's a couple pictures of us going for the plunge.

2007-10-19T15:19:00.000-07:00

Every week, along with seeing patients in the clinic, we visit different pueblos surrounding Palacios. Last week, we saw over 300 patients and it was a good week to be busy because there was an amazing infectious disease doctor, a renal doctor, and a general medicine doctor with us. It's cool because I'm starting to recognize patients that we've treated and starting to build relationships them. This week we saw patients with scarlet fever, leishmaniasis, chagas, fungal infections, staph infections, and lots of parasites. Oh, and how could I forget...today we saw a lady with more than 100 larvae living in her ear. I'll show you pictures when I get home but will spare those who'd rather not see :-) It's crazy how much we take health care for granted in the US. We just got back from the clinic and I'm pretty tired, but God is good. Holla.

Let it Rain

2007-10-14T09:20:00.000-07:00

It is a Seattle day in Bolivia and it´s so refreshing. At the end of winter, everyone burns their fields to cultivate the land. And it has been so smokey. Not to mention all the rainforest that is being burned by land hungry, not nice people. The government is taking away land from people unless they do something with it, which has triggered the destruction of miles and miles of Selva (rainforest). Humberto Parra (namesake of the clinic) burned down rainforest and on his death bed, sold the land for dirt cheap to Dr. Hou to build the clinic as an act of redemption. Now his own family is continuing to illegally burn down more rainforest around the clinic to plant sugar cane. Anyway, now that the rain has come people aren´t burning anymore. I hope they stop for good. Maybe I should strap myself to a tree.

2007-09-23T15:34:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm nearing the end of my first week in Bolivia. And I have to say, after camping for a month in Kenya, I'm feeling quite spoiled. We spend weekends, Mondays, and Tuesdays at the house in Santa Cruz and the rest of the week at the clinic in Palacios. I am in the process of getting my public health project underway, I will be bringing "bicho" medications (for worms and other parasites) and vitamin A supplements to schools along with flip flops for the children. It turns out that if these children get 2 doses of vitamin A per year, the mortality rate decreases by 30%. Pretty amazing. To keep the program going, I will need to do some research and data collection to get it approved for funding. I'll also be teaching the teachers at the schools about hygeine and nutrition to decrease the rates of future "bichos" and encourage them to take the project over themselves. It is amazing to be working with all of these doctors. They are some of the smartest people I've ever met and I learn more and more every day. Oh, and I found out that I passed my boards the day I left! Thanks for the prayers :-)

Caregivers of Karabach

2007-09-16T17:10:00.001-07:00

Here's a little video that explains where I was and what I was doing in Kenya. Hope you enjoy it :-)

Jambo Sana!

2007-08-24T10:43:00.001-07:00

Maasai Mara

Mom with baby Melissa

St. John's Clinic

As a kid, it was always my dream to go to Africa. I had all the countries memorized on GeoSafari (I think Kenya was #17), interpretive dances to every song from The Lion King, and dozens of books on African culture. I had to pinch myself when we landed in Nairobi as I pictured myself on the globe. God taught me more than I could have ever imagined about His servant's heart and His love for the forgotten. It was humbling to be a granule of salt in the shaker seasoning the community of Kodera. Thank you for your prayers; know that God is doing great things.

Melissa and Gretchen to Africa

2007-07-30T10:04:00.000-07:00

We leave for Kenya tomorrow at 8am! I will try to update on behalf of my mom and I if I have the opportunity! Thank you for your prayers :-)

Itinerary:
To Africa:
July 31st
8:40am Seattle to Detroit
7:10pm Detroit to Amsterdam
August 1st
10:15am Amsterdam to Nairobi
August 2nd
8:00am Nairobi to Kisii (3-4 hr drive from Kisii to Kodera)

To Seattle:
August 22nd
6:30pm Kisii to Nairobi
10:15pm Nairobi to Amsterdam
August 23rd
1:05pm Amsterdam to Seattle (arrive in Seattle at 2:10pm)

Things we need prayer for:
Safe Travel - it will take us 3 days to get to Kodera, including a night in Nairobi. Also, some NW airline pilots are on strike - so pray that the pilot of our flight will not cancel! Also that our luggage (supplies) will arrive with us.

Protection - on our bodies, minds, and souls. Healing & protection on the bodies, minds and souls on those we will care for.

Relationships - that barriers will be broken down. That we will be able to set aside our expectations and judgements and allow God to continue His work through us in Africa. That we will have unity with our team.

Brokenness - that we will allow God to reconstruct our ways of thinking. That God will be a part of every encounter.

Strength - that we will not grow tired or weary. That the knowledge we need to care and teach will come easily.

Peace - that the village of Kodera, nation of Kenya, and continent of Africa will find rest, joy, and salvation in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

2007-05-18T22:36:00.000-07:00

So here I am. A college grad, a grown woman, a nurse...
I know that this "shifting" time of life is not easy. I know I am in a place where it would be easy to regress and avoid dealing with God's call on my life. But I have come too far for too long to turn back. So here I go, trusting and believing that my steps are ordered.
I'm new at blogging, but want to be able to communicate with ya'll while I'm gone...so bear with me as I figure this out!