Back in Arizona

I returned to Arizona last weekend, for anyone who trying to stay up with me. Praise God the day after I got back to Phoenix I go a job! Really its a near miracle to hear after the way things have been since January. So, I have made a lot of my friends and family happy that I will be here until December. On the other hand it postpones my trip back to Switzerland another couple months. Which is hard for me to accept, but God knows!

Sonora

I arrived last Thursday to Sonora, California. Located in Northern California, about 1 hour west of Yosemite and 2 hours east of San Francisco. I guess you could say it is pretty central, known as one of the oldest towns in California and being in the gold rush area. I was never much for the golden grass of central Cali, but mixed with the rolling hills it is beautiful landscape, similar to Napa (not as many vineyards though).
I started working as a travel nurse at Sonora Regional Medical Center this past week, for the next 5 weeks. It is a small community hospital, so not as overwhelming as it could be.
On my days off I have been checking out my surroundings, went to a live theater showing of Sherlock Holmes, coffee at the local cafe and wandering around the Farmers Market. It is a charming town with an old western flair.
I didn't quite escape the Arizona summer heat, but was granted a reprieve. It has been in the low 100s here. Although, I wouldn't mind hanging out in Arizona for the summer...I miss my family and friends.
This leads me into my prayer points:
-focusing on my communication with others and sharing with them my mission with the Women & Children's Advocacy Centre.
-the strength and health to work hard while I am here working 4- 12 hour night shifts a week.

Here It Goes Again!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv5zWaTEVkI

This is my theme song for this posting the OK Go song! The first thought that entered my mind when I was thinking I need to be committed to blogging.
In case you were wondering I am not in Switzerland right now. I was wanting to leave in April, but October will be the new time. This all depends on my raising the financial support money I need and of course God! So, right now I leave this Thursday for Sonora, California for a quick 5 week Travel Nurse contract. This is such a blessing since I will be able to earn some money and then return to Arizona and continue with sharing with my network here about the mission work I will be doing with the Women & Children's Advocacy Centre. Wish me luck...at least I will be out of the Arizona inferno at its worst!!
So, please stayed plugged into the blog and I will keep you updated.
love,
Melissa :)

You, Me, and the Women & Childrens' Advocacy Centre

Greetings,

Within a matter of a few weeks I will be boarding on a plane to Burtigny Switzerland for a 3 year commitment as the newest member at the Women & Childrens' Advocacy Centre. As I prepare to embark on a journey that God has commissioned me to, I want to invite my family, friends and fellow believers in Christ to partner with me in this ministry. I would first like to briefly share with you how I arrived to this point, the work I am undertaking as a nurse and how I believe you play an important role in this mission.

In the Fall of 2006 I was in a transitional place in my life and God was starting to lead me into some uncharted territory. It was at this time, as I sought His guidance for me to be engaged in sustainable global community health development missions; that I also found peace and a comforting family at a refining time in my life. I was soon after called to Switzerland, where I took a class with Youth With A Mission and unbeknowst to me soon, an answer to where God had been directing me over the past year. I spent the majority of 2008 in Switzerland, as I returned in the Autumn for an internship with the World Health Organization.

It was during this time that God revealed to me the fusion of my passion and the vision of the Women & Children's Advocacy Centre. God had been revealing to me how my giftings, my passion for the weak and needy throughout the nations and how to utilize my nursing skills together for His glory. Out of my own curiousity I sat down with the Director, as we shared for hours we discovered that we were what the other had been searching for! I began to volunteer the next several weeks, surveying the needs of various global mission organizations that serve women & children in at risk populations including; trafficking, poverty, disease prevention and justice issues. In analyzing how these needs were being met, why certain needs were not being met, who was meeting these needs and how can these ministries be effective in meeting their communities needs with a long-term interdependent outcome. It was with this mindset that I was inclined to be involved and the same in which the Centre operates from. The Women & Children's Advocay Centre serves people by bridging any gaps of resources, training and information.

As I will be returning in April to begin as the Community Health Development RN, I will be addressing those issues related to health care needs (sanitation, hygiene, maternal/child health, nutrition); through research, collaborating resources, and equipping community health workers in developing these areas. This will require my participation as a field liason to go to these nations to assess and serve the communities. Translating into a tangible effort, I will first be going to Mali, Africa. A community had opened a nutrition clinic, that had failed to remain to open due to a lack of trained, knowledgeble health care workers. I will be looking at ways to serve this community to re-open this much needed clinic with a trained staff, equipped with relevant resources.

I am seeking your support in this mission. I believe that God has called me to the Women & Childrens' Advocacy Centre and that there is a calling over His body of believers to be engaged in the nations; serving and defending the weak, poor and oppressed. I would like to invite you to share with me in this ministry. Specifically, this would mean:

• Prayer/Encouragement support: This is a battlefield to enter into the nations. I need regular committed prayer and for those called to stand in intercession, willing to pray for me and this ministry. Also, to serve to communicate any word of God (encouragement, etc) that God may be speaking through them. This is a partnership and one cannot stand alone in this ministry.

• Financial support: The monthly support I will need is $2,277. One time donations are helpful as well. Any opportunity to share this need, along with others sharing about the mission and needs for me to be able to do this ministry financially would be helpful.

• Accountability: It is important to have the support of the church to ask the tough questions in my productivity, in the work I am doing. Any opportunity to share with the church and be commissioned by the church in this mission is important to carry this burden and for this to be a shared partnership as a ministry that is dependent on all the parts of the body of Christ be utilized for His purpose and glory!

Morning dread!

Why is it that mornings are just so easy for some and others it is not a problem. I thought maybe it could be categorized into a diagnosis "morning phobia" or "morning dread". Nope, no such thing. And why is it that the people that just 'love mornings sooo much' ;) always get stuck waking up the earliest! (i.e. I have to do breakfast prep every morning here). Alright new day...new day. Its 10 o'clock and I have every intention of going to bed early at night, but I find myself almost a renewed energy that I have been looking for all day! hmmmm, 2 minutes to go before bedtime....what can I do...... Night everyone!

Brave New World

So, this a new step for me...I think I can, I think I can. The thought and complexity of computer/internet programs overwhelms me to a degree, but I am venturing out. Hopefully this will be a good way for everyone who wants to keep up with me, to check in every once in a while! I am working on the pics thing, but not sure I can post them on this. We will see.