change is in the air!!! (and it's not just my hair!! Ha! Ha!)

Hello Dear Family and Friends!

 

Ok, so this still isn't the December email, but this one is a bit more exciting to me...  I wanted to share with you all the developments that I have had recently at work.  One of the questions posed recently after Rob attended an AIM leadership meeting was "what are you passionate about?"  I took a long time to think this over and decided that exactly what I am doing in the hospital isn't it...  What I am passionate about is nursing and education.  I would love for others to be passionate about caring for others and trying hard to be the best they can be. 

 

Though I feel that I have been able to model this over the last year and a half that I have been working (along with Sarah's help while she was here), I began to feel like it was time to have a bigger hand in helping to teach the students.  I talked this over with Rob and a little bit with Mick, and we all decided that it would be a good idea for me to approach the hospital management and the nursing college to see how my current role could change. 

 

Before I could approach them though, they approached me with a new position.  Though I have a few apprehensions about it, I have accepted it!  The new position is doing in-service training.  This way, not only will I be able to impact the students, but I also get to work with all the nurses in the whole hospital!  I am so excited about this opportunity!  :-)  It was announced today at our first nursing meeting of the year, and I will apparently be starting my new post starting in February! (The Matron hadn't told me when I would be starting until today)

 

Now before you ask, of course I have seriously considered the implications of not doing any direct patient care.  That's why I told the Matron that it was part of my condition of accepting the post that I would stay working in the ward at least 1 day a week.  I still haven't figured out how many hours I will be working on that one day, but I thought it was only fair to my colleagues not to abandon them, or my clinical skills.  I also thought it was important for the students to see me practicing what I teach.  The theory/practice gap is huge here, and I feel that I give myself credibility if they see me working in the ward. 

 

I am very glad to be able to have this change and to see how God is working through me while I am here.  Your prayers as I seek to lead others humbly would be greatly appreciated!

 

I love you all!

k

 

p.s. I haven't heard any update on my step-mom, but would appreciate your continued prayers for her and my dad

 

p.p.s. a few of you have asked when my actual birthday is, it's February 19th...  :-)  Thanks to everyone who have RSVPd to my birthday request! 

oh the horror... and a related invitation

Dear Family and Friends,

 

I know that I should be writing you an email all about how my December was.  After all, January is half over...  I have one started, I just haven't gotten that far on it.  So why, you ask, am I abandoning that one to write to you today?  Because of the horrific event that happened to me yesterday.  I just have to share.  I know you will be tempted to laugh, but I don't think it's very funny... 

 

Yesterday during lunch, while washing my hands, I happened to glance into the mirror.  That is when my eyes did spy something shining back at me.  Does anyone want to guess what I found upon closer inspection?  That's right... my first gray hair!  AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! I wanted to laugh and cry all at the same time!!  As I am not yet thirty this was quite a shock to me!  So now I am trying to figure out if it is old age, being a nurse, or living in Africa that has given me gray hair!  (I am leaning towards the last two in case you're wondering... ha! ha!)

 

Speaking of getting old, I do have a big birthday coming up in about a month.  I can't believe I am turning the big THREE-OH!!!  Ekes!  Usually when someone turns 30, it is a big celebration.  However, I am not around for you to party with, so I have come up with a plan for how we can all celebrate it together!  I want all of you to go out to dinner on the night of my birthday! (Those of you from church involved in KBC can choose another night since it falls on a Tuesday.)  I also want you to order the birthday cake and enjoy every bite of it for me!  Now, I know that you're wondering how I am going to know if you did it or not... Well, I want you all to take a picture of yourselves with the cake and then mail me the picture!  :-)  Doesn't that sound like a great way to celebrate my birthday?  Now, if you're wondering where you should go, I leave that completely up to you.  I like all different types of food, so surprise me by picking your favorite!  (ordering pizza [pepperoni and mushroom is my favorite] and renting a movie is also totally cool.  Basically I just want you guys to have an excuse to get together and enjoy some time with family and friends, just like you would if I was there!!) 

 

I hope this finds you all doing well! (and I promise to work more on that December email some more over the next few days!)

 

I love you all!

kimmie

update on my stepmom

I got this from my sister.  Please continue to pray for healing for Robin and good health for my dad as he spends a lot of his time going back and forth from work to the hospital.  I don't know what they plan to find by doing either the scope or the surgery.  Val was also telling me that even though they took out the gallbladder, sometimes there can still be sludge in that area of the liver that can cause problems.  Please pray for wisdom for the doctors.

Hey Foof... talked to Dad last night... Robin has c.diff (a really bad bacterial infection) up to the middle of her small intestines now... she's on another antibiotic. after a couple days, they plan to do a colonoscopy, then depending on the results of that, they may (or may not) do exploratory surgery.

love you all.

k

 

colleague from Georgia

Greetings my dear family and friends,

 

I just got an email from one of my friends back at Kennestone Hospital where I worked for 5 years before I came to Africa.  She let me know that another of my colleagues there, Brent, found his 2 1/2 yr old son dead in bed (I think on Christmas morning).  He had been sick with the flu for a few days, but the autopsy found that he had a burst thoracic (in the chest) aneurysm.  Please be in prayer for Brent and his wife during this time.  His wife was still pregnant when I left Kennestone and I remember the excitement Brent had about being a father.  The death of a child is never easy, and I can only imagine that this time of year makes it even harder.  Thank you in advance for your prayers.

love,

kimmie