Signpost #5: Fighting for Hearts

Meeting and interacting with the women of PNG is what tugged at my heart the most while volunteering on the YWAM Medical Ship.   This signpost is what has lingered around the longest inside of me, even now nearly 3 months after being back in the US.  This should come as no surprise because as I look back on the last ten years, one of my most favorite jobs has been what I have begun to call "fighting for women's hearts." It started almost 10 years ago when I stood up and made the announcement about the first sorority recruitment worship gathering.  It continued as I met with college ladies in Madison.

In PNG, the women I met were solid and grounded and strong.  At first, they may be somewhat shy.  They are moms, and they are hard workers.  They typically don't finish their education due to these duties.  They are loving.  And like all of us - they long for connection.  It seemed like once you got an in - you were golden.  Sometimes getting an "in" was a little tricky as communication was often a barrier, but I tried to push through the communication barriers.  Sometimes this came in the form of being overly expressive in my facial expressions. During one class I caught a lady performing a squat mimicking not only the squat I was doing but the same facial expression I was making as well.  So funny.  

I came to PNG wanting to serve but quickly found that simply just being there was enough.   Despite my best attempts at delivering the best therapeutic exercises I could come up with, I know these fell short of meeting everyone's musculoskeletal needs.  One day I was feeling discouraged about how little I had to give these people.  At that time I was sitting by a group of women and one of the ladies brought over a palm leaf and made a basket in about 2 minutes.  She then gave it to me.  I was floored.  At that moment I realized, as most people do on these type of service trips, that I am being given so much more than I can give.  My perspective opened to the thought that just being there may just be enough.  I am the one who continues to think I can do more or what I bring is not good enough.  These ladies are unaware of the MRI machines and rehab equipment that is out there.  At that point a large wave of freedom came to my serving and my intention shifted.  I began to try to communicate with every gesture just how much value these women have.  The payment I received came in smiles and hugs, and I have never felt so rich.

Most likely the women and men that I worked with are still dealing with some of their aches and pains, but hopefully me and my team brought hope and life to these people in only a way that their prayers dreamed of...  And I pray those virtues continue to endure and be nurtured in PNG.

This post concludes my collection of signposts from my travels and service in the Oceania Region.   It took longer than I thought it would to record these moments, but I hope these signposts will continue to be woven into my life and point me to the other way of living that I learned.

Monday Moves: Prone Mountain

We are continuing the Monday Move series on posture.  Check out last week's post on the Brugger Exercise, as all the posture exercises together will play different parts on transforming your posture.  This week it is all about changing our orientation to the floor to improve our posture.  So often when I was a kid and I heard my mother say, "stand up straight," I (with an eyeroll) stuck my chest out and pulled my shoulders back.  This "better posture" may have lasted for about 1 minute and then I would return to my normal slouch.  In yoga class, you often hear the teacher say "pull your shoulders back" while standing in Mountain pose and once again this correction typically lasts for a only a few minutes.

Prone Mountain exercise was created by Scott Anderson at Alignment Yoga.  He found that moving to the floor could be beneficial in learning how to stand.  So this exercise begins with your belly on the floor.  Your hands are flat on the floor on either side of your lower ribs. Now bring your chest bone (aka sternum) and flesh of the chest firmly against the floor.  In doing so, most people will find that their nose and chin also are pressed firmly against the floor in this position due to the forward position of the head.  Simultaneously as you press the chest toward the floor lift the nose and chin about an inch off the  floor.  Keep the head parallel to the floor and stretching the crown of the head towards the front of the room.  The toes stretch backwards.  Your bottom muscles relax.  You are grounded to the floor through your hands, sternum and pubic bone.  Take deep breaths, fully and naturally committing to the exhale.  You can start out by holding this position for 5 breaths and move towards holding this position for several minutes.  Even though this may seem like an incredibly simple exercise, students report that this pose can be one of the most transforming on their posture.  What are you waiting for...get on your belly!

  

Monday Moves: Back in action

No, I have not forgotten about Monday Moves.  I did take a brief hiatus as lately my life has been in a state of constant movement.  Since November 14th, I have moved from Madison, Wisconsin, started a new job, visited South Georgia and Chattanooga, and continued to settle in (as much as possible) to a new schedule and job setting.  Life is good.  God provided a short-term job and even though it may be making me feel slightly crazy at times...it is a good thing.  It has been fun to be back in the traditional athletic training setting.  I do believe that everything is preparing you for the next thing...you just never quite know what the next thing is.  The athletic training room has been the perfect spot to practice this belief as there is a lot of preparations for the next thing going on constantly.  It seems like a place where you continually "hurry up to wait."  There is also a lot of movement going on and that is what the body is made for - so, I'm sorry for my neglect of Monday Moves  these past few weeks.  But we are back and for the next few weeks we will be hitting movements that are action packed for the posture.

The first weekend of November I attended a CEU course that focused on "Assessment and Treatment of Muscle Imbalance" using the Janda Approach.  It was a quick introduction to the teachings of the late Professor Vladimir Janda, MD who was a pioneer in treating muscle imbalance and chronic musculoskeletal pain.  This workshop was definitely an information overload weekend for me.  I am still trying to understand and put into practice some of the principles from this workshop.  One thing that resonated with me was assessment of the posture and how it contributes to our movement patterns.

Living in this day and age so much of our function is performed in front of our body.  Whether it is typing on the computer, fixing a meal or dribbling a basketball, our focus is placed in front of the body.

Today's exercise incorporates movements that reverse this habitual posture.   Start with wrapping a long theraband around your wrist.  Then from this computer sitting posture, extend your fingers and wrist.   Rotate your forearms upward as though you are holding a soup bowl.  Begin to lengthen the distance in between your hands by extending your elbows and arms.  Then repeat.

Check out this video with a demonstration of this Brugger Exercise.

It would be great to add this exercise into your daily life by keeping a theraband at your desk or in your living room.  And since extension movement are stimulating to the nervous system try this exercise in the afternoon instead of reaching for a caffeine jolt. 

Grateful.

Thanksgivings can sometimes run together.  But ever since I spent a couple Thanksgivings at places other than South Georgia, the traditions of our family's Thanksgiving have seemed to become more cherished.  Thanksgiving has always been a time when we load up on amazing food.  This year we moved our location to Buck Road instead of East Lee Street so that we could break in Morning Glory, the new cabin that has just been finished on the Pruitt Place Farm.  At this new venue, some of our old traditions hung around and snuck out of the corner and into those new walls. 

There is something stable and grounding about family traditions.  Noel Piper says in her book about traditions that"Only God can bequeath God to our children. But he uses means. He uses God-centered traditions and Bible-saturated family patterns and grace-laden heirlooms."  Maybe a tradition gives a glimpse of God's unchanging character.  Or maybe it's not even the tradition but the people you share the tradition with.  And maybe you didn't even start the tradition out with the intent of being a tradition but over time it turned into one and you look back and know that Grace had a lot to do with stringing those moments together. 


Thankfully, the tradition of a team-effort to deliver amazing food hung around for this Thanksgiving.  Despite the obstacles of new appliances and forgotten ingredients, it all came together for a great meal and as usual no one went hungry.  It is fun for me to see my Mom shine in the kitchen.  She totally serves there without even knowing it.  Everyone jumps in to do their part, but she has a way of taking the lead in the kitchen at Thanksgiving.  It can be a tough job, but someone has to do it...and Mom you do it so well.  

I'm glad that games also hung around at Morning Glory.  The first game I really remember playing with my family was Pig at Hilton Head.  Typically, a new game rises to the top each year...but Pig is one of the classics.  This year it was the Name Game.  We even had Granny laughing pretty hard.  Love it.

Finally, a tradition that stuck at Morning Glory is porch sitting.  Everyone I shared Thanksgiving with has pieces of their life that aren't perfect.  Maybe right now those pieces aren't being told the way they would have picked to tell it.  Those pieces that are still in the works seem to not be so suffocating sitting on the porch.  The porch is a safe place where you don't have to talk about those pieces of life that are still in the process of being redeemed or you can talk about them.  It is a place to laugh.  To laugh at yourself and of course to laugh at Uncle Tommy.  That is a given.

These are simple traditions.  But sharing them together makes them special.  Looking back on them makes them special and makes me grateful.  Sometimes when you are living them it is tricky because we are still learning to love the people we say we love.  But hopefully we are getting better at it.  It seems like sometimes we take steps backwards and then take giant leaps forward.  I am thankful that we can have traditions that make life seem right even when it is not completely right.  Hopefully, our small, simple traditions will continue to point our gaze to the Ultimate Tradition Maker and to His unchanging love and faithfulness.

Monday Moves: There is no place like the finish line

I got to cheer on my friend Bronwen last weekend as she ran her second1/2 marathon.  She did a great job and tore 20 minutes off her last time, claiming a new personal record.  Great job, B.!

That being said, I'm going to wind down this series of Monday Moves dedicated to the female long distance runner.  Next week, we will start a whole new series of Monday Moves!  But before we move on, I wanted to stress the importance of cross training.  Our bodies are only meant for so much pounding, so once you've met that goal or finished your race, it is a great idea to change up your exercise routine.  You don't even have to wait till the end of your training to add in some cross training. Runners can choose from a wide variety of cross training options - weight training, swimming, cycling, and yoga are all good options.

If you step into any yoga class you will most likely be asked to perform the asana (or pose) Downward Facing Dog. This pose is great for decompressing the spine and opening the shoulders.  It can also be a helpful pose for stretching the hamstrings, but this benefit is further down the list and there are other asanas that can target those hamstring muscles in a more beneficial way.  Now let's get going.

Start out on your hands and knees.  Widen your hands so that both pinkies touch the outside edge of your mat.  On the next exhale, lift your knees away from the floor.  Feel free to keep your knees bent and your heels lifted off the floor.  Begin to shift your attention to the bones that you sit on when you are sitting in the criss-cross apple sauce position.  We call these sit bones in yoga.  They're anatomy name is actually the ischial tuberosities.  So think about lifting these sit bones up to the ceiling and back to the wall behind you.  If you have tighter hamstrings, you  can keep your knees bent.  Remember, we are not as concerned here about stretching the hamstrings.  We are more concerned about lengthening your spine in this mildly inverted position.

Your grounding comes from your the palm of each hand.  You can even think of your palms like a suction cups or plungers, pushing the earth away from your palms.  Lengthen through the arm pits, keeping the shoulder blades firm on your back.  Continue to keep your abdominals firm.  Take 3 to 5 breaths here.

These are some of the basic instructions for Downward Facing Dog.  I'm sure there will be more Monday Moves dedicated to this one if the future.  There are so many more aspects of this asana that  we can uncover.

Signpost #4: The bare essentials

So many of my clinics in PNG took place under a tree.  I loved this way of life.  The bare essentials that I took with me to my work day were my yoga mat and the physio bag.  The physio bag had a couple therabands, patient registration sheets, a pen (on a good day) and the exercise handout for back and knee pain.  It's not that I am against technology.  Electronic medical record systems are wonderful.  With these digital records, all you have to do is type the patient's first and last name into the box on your monitor and WALAH - there is the record of every clinic visit, x-ray and procedure that the patient has ever had.  It makes the history taking process so easy.  However, I have found that it can be challenging to deliver patient-centered care with a computer right in front of my face.  Sometimes the tools that help me work more efficiently distract me from doing what I  deep down want to do the most.

My fourth signpost from PNG is to remember my bare essentials.  The memory of working under a tree reminds me of this signpost.  I think it is helpful to have seasons in your life where you return to, ponder, and reevaluate the bare essentials of your profession, your life, and your values.  No, I don't think these seasons have to take place on the other side of the world.  But I do think you have to be intentional about setting these times aside.  It is so easy to get distracted.

On my flight to Australia, I was reminded core beliefs when I was reading a chapter in Clayton King's book " Amazing Encounters with God (thanks for this gift, Aunt Laura). The chapter was entitled "Believing Your Beliefs." Basically, it gave a story about a time when it was truly visible that Clayton and his friend were believing and living out their beliefs.  This story got me thinking.  What are my core beliefs?  Am I living those out?  What am I all about?  And what am I not all about?  Shauna Niequist devotes a chapter in her book Bittersweet to the things she doesn't do. She quotes a friend that said:

 "it’s not hard to decide what you want your life to be about. 

What’s hard, she said, is figuring out what you’re willing to give up in order to do the things you really care about."

I like to refer to myself as overly optimistic.  This is one of those great traits that I can use as a strength and a weakness on a job interview.  Yes, it is great to see the cup as half-full but literally thinking I can do it all leads me to overcommitting myself, fueling up on caffeine and running late.  Throughout my time in PNG, I got to sit on the side of the ship or on some rock overlooking the water and remember what my core beliefs are. Those things that I want to be all about or feel called to be all about.  I started making my list of things I do and things I don't do.  As I looked back over my journal today, I was reminded just how much I don't like thinking about things I don't do.  In my journal that list is still blank. I must have gotten distracted.  I don't usually like to be the one that shuts the door.  If it is open and I don't walk through it that's ok, but I just don't want to close it.  I'm still figuring out why I am wired this way and which way I am supposed to grow.  But I do know that we only have so much time and energy.  Deep down, I don't want to waste any time or any energy.  But I do.  So that's when I return to my bare essentials.  I grab those things I need to hold on to most for this journey.  Those things that will help me know God more and love people better.  We have made so many things that will help us live more efficiently through life.  But are those things distracting me from my bare essentials.  And what am I willing to give up so that I live out my core beliefs in a more illuminated way?

I've still got some work to do on this one.  However, the picture of working under a tree will remind me of how beautiful working with just the bare essentials can be.

What helps you to be reminded of the bare essentials in your life?

How do you remind yourself to live more on those essentials rather than the things that distract us from those essentials?

I Want To Live

I was SOOOOO pumped when I saw on Facebook today that YWAM Townsville just released the 2012 video.  The video reviews the work that has been done in Papua New Guinea over the last 3 years.  I could not wait to post it.  Check out the YWAM website if this clip leaves you hungry for more knowledge about the YWAM Medical Ships.

Signpost #3: The right spot at the right time

I am still recording my signposts that I hope will point me towards "another way of living."  There will be a total of five signposts which are an accumulation of lessons that I learned in Australia and Papua New Guinea this summer.   It has been such a treat to have time to reflect over my experience on the YWAM Medical Ship and time abroad. I hope to not just tuck away these moments and lessons.  I want to have signposts that tell me to "Stop and remember" because now that I am back I have seen how easy it is to get comfortable and to forget.

I can't really wrap up my third signpost into one moment.  It was a string of moments that let me know I was in the right spot at the right time.  Even though I was roaming around Queensland and sailing on uncharted waters of the Bamu River, it seemed like the path was paved for me.  Life can't be filled with these "right spot at the right time" moments because then we would not get to activate the faith muscle near as strenuously.  Skeletal muscles grow when they push harder resistance.  The faith muscle works in a similar way.

I ran across this Psalm before I left Madison.  I remember it caused me to breathe a sigh of relief.  It says, "The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever" (Ps. 138:8).  For some reason I can put extra pressure on myself to fulfill my purpose.  I'm not sure if the Psalmist was at one of those moments where he felt like he was in the right spot or not.   Since earlier in this chapter he reminded himself that God has preserved his life and saved him (vs. 7), I am thinking that he might be starting to doubt God and God's timing.  I really appreciate the way the Psalm ends with the plea - "do not abandon the works of your hands" (vs. 8b) because that prayer is what I feel like saying most often.  But I usually just say or think "God, help."  I think the writer's prayer is much more poetic.   In this Psalms, the writer gives us a good game plan that we can use when we might be tempted to doubt.  He reminds himself what God has done for him, claims the promise he has, and then prays for grace in his uncertainty.

In The Next Generation Leader, Andy Stanley speaks about uncertainty.  He says, "Generally speaking, you are probably never going to be more than 80 percent certain.  Waiting for greater certainty may cause you to miss an opportunity."  I typically toss and turn over the next step and want to have one hundred percent certainty.  Mark Batterson sums it up nicely in his book In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, "There is no such thing as risk-free faith." Getting on the ship  did involve a calculated risk, but I am so thankful I got up the courage to jump off the boat.

As they say, hindsight is 20/20.  God's providence and timing does usually make more sense through the lenses of hindsight as well.  So as I face the uncertainty of the next step, I am so thankful that I can look back on my last season and know that God had me at the right spot at the right time.  He is more than able to fulfill His purpose for me.  Whew.

"Twenty years from now you will be more

 disappointed by the things you didn't do than

by the ones you did do.   So throw off the bowlines.

Sail away from the safe harbor.

Catch the trade winds in your sails.

Explore.  Dream.  Discover."

Mark Twain

Monday Moves: Bridge Exercise

We have had a total of 4 Monday Moves dedicated to the female long distance runner in honor of my friends putting in their mileage for their upcoming half-marathons.  Just a reminder:  these exercises will be great to add into anyone's exercise routine...so don't stop reading if you don't find yourself in this demographic or activity.

We are continuing our focus this week on the core and gluteus with the Bridge Exercise.  This is a common rehab, yoga and pilates exercise.  It is great for activating the your abdominal muscles as well as your gluteus maximus and hamstring muscles.  Activation of the abdominal muscles starts while you are laying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground about should width apart. Push your low back against the floor to initiate the rectus abdominis (your six pack).  Keep this six-pack muscle tight as you lift your hips off the floor.  Feel the straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Push your feet into the ground, as you take several breaths with your hips lifted.

Since it has been around the corner once or twice, there are some common errors that occur when performing this exercise.  First, take cause to not overarch your low back.  Starting with your ab muscles firing by pressing your low back into the ground is helpful in preventing this error.  While your hips are lifted think about knitting your lower ribs into your belly to keep the abdominals engaged.  Also, visualize your low back and back of your lungs expanding while your hips are lifted.  This visualization will help prevent this most common error of hyperextending your low back as you lift your hips.

I like to make this into an endurance exercise by holding the hips lifted position.  Start by holding the position for 3 to 5 breaths.  Repeat 5 to 10 times.  As you get stronger you can hold this position for longer - 5 to 10 breaths.  Also, there are many modifications that you can add on to this exercise for a greater challenge.  Next week we might just discuss the Bridge Exercise further.

Monday Move: Abs of steel

I know.  I know.  I know. Ab exercises are the last thing you want to do especially after a long run or at the beginning of your day.  However, one function of abdominal muscles while running is to stabilize the pelvis while you run; therefore, weak abdominal muscles can lead to a less stable pelvis which could lead to injury further down the chain (i.e. hip and knee pain).  In this Runner's World article, Daniel Cipriani, Ph. D., assistant professor of exercise and science at San Diego State University discussed some great abdominal exercises that runners can add to their abdominal routine.  Dr. Cipriani claims abdominal strength will "better your performance."  I would argue that we are still working on confirming the current hypothetical and theoretical nature of the relationship between strong abdominal muscles and better performance.  This correlation study found that there is a link between abdominal strength and performance but further studies need to be performed to further define this relationship.  Even though the performance link is still being confirmed, there are countless other reasons to include abdominal exercises in your exercise program, especially if you are a female long distance runner.  And since one of my main goals for the day is working on my resume (which I have not started on yet), we will have to go over these countless reasons another day.

I wanted to highlight one of Dr. Cipriani's recommended abdominal exercises today.  The bicycle crunch great for building abdo strength because it not only activates the rectus abdominus (to get a picture of this muscle think of the best six pack you've ever seen) but also the external and internal obliques (to get a picture of these muscles think of a beauty pageant sash as these muscles run at an angle at the sides of your abdomen).

You've seen this one done before and probably is done everyday at your local YMCA.  But here is a review according to Runner's World:

Bicycle Crunch: Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and hands on the sides of your head. Contract your abdominal muscles as you bring your knees up to a 45-degree angle. Straighten and bend your knees as you alternate crossing and touching right elbow to left knee, then left elbow to right knee. Do two sets of 10 to 12 repetitions for each leg.

I'm not promising six-pack abs or 30 seconds of your personal best half-marathon time.  But increasing your abdominal strength can help you prevent other running injuries and therefore - keep you running...so don't skip out on this piece of the running puzzle.

Signpost #2: Made for community

I went to the Oceania Region on a solo mission, but I found community every where I explored.  When I met a fellow wwoofer that was using her wwoofing experience to blog about "community" this inspired me to keep a special eye open to the different types of communities I found.  Whether I was at Kanjini Co-op or on the medical ship or at a random hostel on the Sunshine Coast, people were living in community.

I found that having a common vision is the foundation of a solid community and motivates the community during tough times.  Since Shiralee and Svargo, the founders of the Kanjini Cooperative, were in the process of developing and growing their cooperative living community, I decided to ask Shiralee what she thought community was.  She explained community involved coming together with a common vision.  The Kanjini community vision focused on sustainability (see Sustainability post from July 14th). The sustainable community that was being developed at Kanjini definitely inspired me, but my ever-growing definition of community got rocked when I heard Ken, the director of YWAM Townsville, speak at their family meeting.  He explained that the goal of this community is not just community for community sake but the vision of this place was to know God and to make Him known.  During this family meeting, the YWAM Medical Ship was experiencing a defining moment as they were about to launch their first outreach into the Western Province of PNG.  Their vision was propelling their community towards new places and meant pushing through obstacles that they encountered along the way.

While I talked with some of the ladies that were on staff with YWAM and living on base, they spoke about the benefits of living in a community.  They expressed the support that comes with community being a huge benefit.  Yesterday I heard Bob Goff speak and he painted an excellent picture of this type of support that we are called to give each other in the local church.  He explained that when his pastor found out his 8 year-old son was diagnosed with leukemia - the church did not just pray for him and lay hands on him, but literally lifted him up by crowd surfing him as they prayed for him.  Community living definitely requires lifting one another up and "bearing each others burdens."

While on the medical ship, I was submurged into community living.  This time spent living with 50 other people sharing meals and tasks and (when I was really lucky) french presses and chocolate reminded me why I am made for community.  Community living forces me to grow.  At one point I said, "Ship life is like camp life" and those campy memories are definitely what shine in my memory.  Having a common vision that you are working towards and having a group of people that can help lift each other up during times of need is definitely a huge aspect of community.  Those warm fuzzy aspects of community are what I love about community, but it is not always those attributes about community that cause me to grow.  Community living in my life can be a microenvironment that illuminates my real, deep junk.  You can't really fake it when you are living around people who see you all the time - in the good and bad moments.  And since I don't want to fake it but sometimes I do fake it - I need an environment that helps transform my old patterns and tendencies to fake it.  When I was honest with myself during those quiet moments on the ship, I saw that I still want to return to a baby mindset that believes life revolves around me while Christ's example was all about self-forgetfulness.  In "The Hiding Place" Corrie ten Boone found community even in prison.  And while living in this community, she not only found a further depth of her sin but also a freedom in telling the truth about herself.  I really appreciated this story that Corrie shared because I think it exposed a huge aspect of community that can be left out of community living as it doesn't always bring an immediate warm, fuzzy feeling.  Corrie found that when she told the truth about herself to her community, "a real joy returned to my worship."  Community can provide a place where we can confess to one another our weaknesses and take off our masks.  In my past, this has always made me uncomfortable but it has always caused growth.  So even though I love going off on adventures and need space for a simple life, I also need community to help me grow.

Monday Moves: The Foam Roller

As you recall from the last Monday Move post, I'm dedicating these next few movement moments to the female distance runner.  However, these exercises could definitely be beneficial for anyone.  One of my favorite tools is the foam roller.  It is a handy device that helps perform soft tissue release. Here is a video that will help you get started.

Signposts

On Thursday, I put our yard sale sign in our front yard.  It was definitely a homemade sign.  One side I used neon green poster paper and on the other side white.  Since I posted each poster paper on each side of our "Keep Christ in Christmas" front yard sign, some red also poked through on the corners.  Our markers kept running out of ink - some of them probably dated back to the 90s -  so I had to use multiple colors. Yep, it was a pretty ghetto sign.  But it got the job done.  It caused enough attention to distract people from their daily commute to announce to them about the yard sale.  Even though we had an advertisement in the Dawson News, the sign was a reminder.

Signposts make people remember something important. In Gift of the Sea, Anne Morrow Lindbergh recorded her "signposts toward another way of living."  Her personal beach retreat gave her time to "become more aware of" a sense of values that she wanted to incorporate into her life when she returned to her hometown in Connecticut.  I have already noticed how easy it is to slip back into your same old busy routine.  After a summer like mine, that's the last thing I want to do.  So I thought it might be helpful for me to post some signposts of my own.

Signpost #1:  The simple life requires space.  One of my favorite parts of serving on the YWAM Medical Ship was the quiet time on the ship.  Living on a ship with 50 other people can be somewhat cramped.  While I loved meeting people from all over the world and hearing there stories, my introverted side desired time away from everyone as well.  The best time to find a nook or crannie away from everyone was typically in the morning.  This space in the morning to be alone with God as the sun came up over the natural PNG scenery was unbeatable.  No, I never heard an audible voice from God during that time.  Yes, my mind often had to be reined back to the real world and away from my daydreaming.  But as I look back over my time on the ship, I know I will always cherish those still beginnings to the day.

Monday Moves: Boring but effective

I am back in Georgia and still working on my conclusions from my 10 week trip to the South Pacific.  I really did not want to leave (I am sure this is a common feeling) and had some wavering about changing my return flight.  It was pretty hard to get on the plane, but I felt that at this time it would be best to come home.

Being back in South Georgia has been great.  I am working on the first ever Martin yard sale.  Also,   some opportunities have opened up for me to share about what I learned during my time volunteering with YWAM Medical Ships.  These opportunities will force me to continue to process and reflect on my time in what I feel was another world.  So stay tuned for my closing remarks about PNG and Australia!

I'm excited about continuing to post "Monday Moves."   As I have been catching up with friends, I have learned that two of my close friends are training for a Fall half-marathon.  Yes, some people pay money to run 12.1 miles.  I'm super proud of Bronwen and Kelly - so these next few Monday moves will be dedicated to the female long distance runner.

Today's exercise is boring but effective.  It reminds me of Jane Fonda and cheesy aerobic outfits.  It is so simple that we tend to want to skip right over it.  Yes, it is the ever simple and traditional side-lying hip abduction exercise.  Go grab your 80's sweatband and let's get started!

I'm getting the feeling that you will need a few more reasons to add this exercise into your routine.  First of all, this exercise activates the ever so pesky gluteus medius muscle which function to stabilize the pelvis (aka - saddle bag muscle).  Also, so much of our life - and all of our long distance running - is performed in the sagittal plane (I like to imagine a soldier marching to get a good image of sagittal plane movement).  Muscles in the frontal plane can be forgotten as we just don't do snow angels and other frontal plane motions enough.  The stronger you can make these hip muscles the less chance you have for injury and pain further down the chain (yes, even that pain in the front of your knee).  Finally, who doesn't want a firmer hip and booty?

For all of those that need a little more scientific convincing, this study in the Journal of Athletic Training found that side-lying hip abduction activated the glut medius more than any other exercise.  And since weak glut medius muscle is associated with anterior knee pain and other common overuse lower extremity injuries, what better reason to add this simple yet boring exercise back into your life? Jane would be so proud.

Now that you're motivated, let's assume the position.  Lying on your left side with your chin tucked so that your head is in a neutral position, raise your right leg to create just one bottom half of the snow angel.  Initiate this movement with the outside of your right heel.  Keep your left hip and core firmly grounded with your belly facing the side wall.  A way to add resistance to this exercise is to strap and ankle weight to your right foot.  Complete 3 sets of 10 to 15 adding repetitions as you increase your strength.

Here is a YouTube link to that does a great job describing this exercise.

Made from mud

We are leaving the Bamu River and heading to the mouth of the Fly River for our last two days of outreach on September 5th and 6th.  I am sad to leave the Bamu (sounds like Ba -moo). The skipper and first mate have met new situations and challenges all along this unique river. The most exciting situation has been the tidal bore. This nautical experience happens when the outgoing current meets the incoming current and creates a large wave or multiple waves. This event causes much excitement amongst the sailors and did rock the boat a bit. Another fun fact about the Bamu River is that it is approximately 1 to 2 km wide but has no sea charts. Therefore, the captain has had to do Zodiac runs to scout the water and determine the depth of the water all along the river before the ship moves further down the river.  Another challenge is that the depth of the water changes with the tide.  In one village, we were able to walk half way back to the boat at the end of our clinic day as at low tide the river emptied out completely in front of the village. Also, a myriad of uncharted channels flow out, through and into this isolated river. 

The scenery all along the river is this amazingly wild tropical bush. Every now and then there is an area with multiple coconut trees that tower over the tropical bush and this typically indicates a village. These villages that are scattered  throughout the Lower Bamu region are muddy.  How have I not mentioned this yet?  The flooding that occurs regularly in the Lower Bamu prevents grass and gardening and creates a lot of mud. Ankle deep mud is normal and occasionally you get the chin deep or knee deep variety. No,  this dirt is way different from the hard red Georgia clay.  Going to the village for a clinic day involves (my favorite) a zodiac ride from the ship and then getting your feet in some mud or at least crossing over mud on a slippery log bridge. I have only had one flat out fall in the mud thus far, and I am learning the technique , some say art, of gripping the mud in my toes as I walk to prevent falling. I have come to love walking in the mud before I start a clinic day. It shouts to me the reality that we are all made from dust and mud.

Happy/Sad Village Moments

My last trip into a Western Province village on Wednesday was definitely memorable. We were anchored at the mouth of the Fly River on Wednesday and Thursday. Our clinics were at the health station in Teipopo. I hustled through my morning activities of cleaning and restocking the mess hall, chopping veggies for cole slaw and making hamburger patties so I could get to the village for the afternoon.  Once I got to the village, there were approximately 10 men waiting for a class on back health. We had class beside a coconut tree and stayed in this location even though we had to endure a few sprinkles of rain.  It was a fun group and one of the participants was a teacher in the village.  Philemon, the teacher, started off pretty skeptical but by the end he was engaged and asking questions. I was bummed because we had not rallied enough women for another class when we got a radio call from the ship about a need in another village.  Apparently in the next village down,  a man had been confined to his house for the last 5 weeks due to paralysis of his right side. It sounded like a stroke to our team leader who had gone to the village for an assessment earlier that day.   If it was a stroke, there was not much our doctor could give him for treatment.  So me and Bec (another member of the team with a background in primary health) loaded into the Zodiac with our new friend Philemon who would translate if needed. Andy and Vernon drove us down the river. I must confess riding in the zodiacs is one of my favorite parts. It was a bumpy ride as we were going against the current for most of the way.  I had a huge smile on my face which I did not think could get any bigger until I saw an eagle!!!! Yes, that is right we were close enough that I was able to see the golden beak. We then saw 3 more soaring in the sky.  All in all a pretty fantastic zodiac ride. We made it to tthe village whhose name I will not even try to spell.   The chairman of the villlage took us to Don's house. We climbed the 5 bamboo ladder steps to enter the 3 room home.  Don sat on the pallet floor. He drooled and was unable to speak properly due to the paralysis of the right side of his face. As we communicated with the his family, we learned that 5 weeks ago, he had gone to the outdoor bathroom and later was found unconscious. His entire right side was limp and atrophied.  I did my best to obtain a history and complete as thorough of an assessment as I could. 
We spent about an hour with Don and his family.  They were saving up money to buy fuel for a dingy ride to Daru which would be the closest hospital.  At this point, we were the first healthcare workers Don had seen since his stroke.   I tried to communicate with Don and his family what a stroke is and what the prognosis is.  I encouraged them to perfom daily passive mobilization of his joints.  We also reviewed some pointers with his wife about the moving Don.  By far, the best thing I was able to do for Don was pray with him.  We left him on the pallet floor by the open fire. Unsure what would happen to his situation.

Since the zodiac left with a few dental patents we knew we still had some time. There were a ton of kids playing hand ball right outside Don's house so I joined in the fun.  Oh, these kids were so happy.  I soon met Keli who stole my heart with her sweet and smile. After handball we have played duck duck goose and then sang songs.  It was so sweet to share this moment wih these kids. I could not get over how happy they were and how easy it was to entertain them. 

Monday Movements

I do typically write these posts on Monday, but I am obviously not always posting them on Monday. Just recently I found that I could write and save emails and blogs even when not online. This option has been super helpful especially when I am trying to spend as little time and bandwidth as possible when I do get to go online. I wanted to post about another exercise that has been helpful in my teaching here in PNG. This exercise was created by Mr. Pilates and I learned it from AlignmentYoga.  Towel Stretch is an active stretch that can be beneficial for strengthening the area between the shoulder blades and stretching the areas in the shoulder and upper back that are prone to getting trigger points.
To perform Towel Stretch, you will need a strap or towel. Standing with feet shoulder width apart and elbows straight, grip the towel with both hands also at about the distance of your shoulders. The arc of movement will be from your  thighs up to the sky. Throughout the entire arc continue to pull on the strap. Starting on the inhale, raise your arms from your thighs up to your shoulder height  On the exhale while continuing to pull on the rope, raise your arms to the sky. As you inhale, lower the arms back down to your shoulder height. Then on the exhale, lower the arms back to the thighs. Remember to keep your elbows straight and a firm pull on the rope or towel for the entire arc of motion.  Repeat this cycle 5 to 10 times.
I know a picture speaks better than words so I am going to try to get some pictures loaded. But I am sure you can google Pilates Towel Stretch. Above is a picture of me teaching a class to what ended up being a large crowd at the health station in Emeti.

What's for dinner?

This is the most frequently asked question on the ship. The cook and I have whipped up some pretty great meals if I say so myself...everything from the curry chicken to Shepherd 's pie. In the tight cooking quarters, you definitely have to watch out for hot pans...those hot pans have seemed to be attracted to me lately.  One of my favorite meals thus far has been cooking a Sunday morning pancake breakfast for the dads on board...the first Sunday in September is Father's day in Australia, NZ and PNG...maybe even everywhere other than the US. I am thinking we might have changed this date as Labor Day dominates the first weekend in September in the US. Regardless, having a second Father's Day gave me time to reflect on my Dad and his amazing blueberry and walnut pancake syrup. For a second, I could even taste it...then the boat started to rock and the pan started to smoke, and I had to pull my mind out of South GA and back to the South Pacific.  But it encouraged me so much in that moment knowing I have a Dad that is proud of me. So I buttoned up my overcoat and finished those pancakes for the 14 dads that we had on board. I was told they were pretty good, but I know where to get the best pancakes of all time. Anyone else have any favorite meals with their dad, as we celebrate the second Father's Day of the year?

Monday Movement Moments

<p>My plan is to start blogging on Mondays about some sort of movement topic. In PNG, I have seen a ton of folks with chronic low back pain. I have never claimed back pain to be my specialty, but this simple little stretch can be helpful for some chronic low back pain conditions. The supine leg stretch involves lying on your back.  Take a rope or any type of strap, perhaps even a belt, place the mid-portion around the ball of the foot. Grab the sides of the rope with both hands keeping your shoulders and head relaxed on the floor. Lift the leg off the ground. Be sure to keep the elevated knee straight and the other leg flat on the ground. As the elevated leg comes farther away from the floor, you will begin to experience a stretch along the entire course of the hamstring muscle at the back of your thigh.  The goal would be to get the elevated leg approximately 90 degrees off the floor while keeping the knee straight and the other leg grounded.  All bodies are different so some may experience no challenge with your leg at a 90 degree position and may continue to pull the leg closer to the chest while others may struggle.  Find your challenge and hold at this position for 8 to10 breaths.  Repeat on the opposite leg.
This stretch has been an easy one to teach here in PNG. Due to the origin of the hamstrings on the pelvis, simply stretching these muscles can be beneficial in relieving some forms of low back pain. This stretch is also calming and can help increase hamstring flexibilty if practiced regularly. Enjoy!

Ship shape

I am back on the Bamu River in the Western Province of PNG. We have just completed 1 week of outreach. It has been super busy. My role has changed. I have moved into the cook assistant role as they already had a physio signed up for this outreach and they really needed someone to help out with all things galley (nautical language for kitchen) and mess hall. It has been a whole new world of cleaning up after and cooking for 50 people everyday. But i have loved getting to know the crew and staff better. In the galley, we try our best to keep all these bellies happy. Which means breakfast,  lunch, dinner AND morning and afternoon tea. The teas usually mean some starchy baked food. We only get one fresh fruit a day, which is definitely what i miss the most besides ice cream and real coffee.  Getting everything in ship shape has been busy but i have still made it to 3 different villages and teach a couple back and knee health classes.  Today was a huge highlight because i was back in a village that we worked in a couple weeks ago.  It was great seeing familiar faces.

Seasons off Stilllness

These last six days in Port Moresby have been sweet and full.   I have had this peace and joy down deep in me that has kept me full on the insides as we have been running around the ship preparing for outreach 6.  It's kindof like when you see the water at sunrise, and it looks like glass because it is so still and peaceful.  I have definitely not been riding this feeling constantly over the last 5 weeks in PNG. The waters have been shaken at times. But since the decision has been made to stay on board still waters at my subterranean levels have been present and steady.  By God's grace I hope to keep steady here as we prepare to leave the harbor.  PNG is known for being the land of the unexpected, so like anywhere else there are many ways that the water can lose its glassy appearance.  Other boats, the change of the tide and wind have all caused the water around the Pacific Link to rock even while docked.   Now is the time for setting sail,  and i have been super thankful for these last few days of being in the harbor. I am hoping and expecting God to do a new work in the Western Province. I will try to keep you posted as much as possible.

Moments of Transformation

Our primary health care team got the opportunity to serve at the Emeti Health Station for 2 days on Outreach 5. The first day a lot of people were being referred to me for their chronic knee and back pain. Knee and back pain are not only common problems in the US. They are also very common here as the villagers' lives depend on manual labor - building their houses, collecting firewood, making sago (still trying to get more info to explain this lengthy process). From day one here in PNG, even in Port Moresby, chronic back and knee pain has been the primary complaint I have treated. Due to the particularly large number of patients in this village, I started small group classes reviewing back and knee health.  This set-up worked really well as working in the small groups helped with communication. The one in the group who knew English the best would naturally translate to the group. Also, seeing other villagers participate encouraged participation within the entire group. We taught 4 small group class and one large group class. Overall, these classes created a lot of laughter and each villager walked away having learned something new. They also got a handy sheet filled with pictures of some the exercises we went over. Towards the end of the second day in Emeti, I had already taught 3 classes and was really tired as I was battling my second bout of stomach issues. An older man was sent to me for his back pain. After I examined him, I began to teach him the exercises. However, he quickly stopped me and eagerly explained that another villager taught him the exercises. He had already practiced his exercises last night and this morning. This news encouraged my heart because just for a moment I caught a glimpse of renewal coming to PNG. In order for there to be long term transformation, locals will need to take part in the process of teaching other locals. This moment was so sweet.  It totally made the  weeks of teaching lifting ergonomics, stretches and abdominal exercises totally worth the it.

Frisbee and PNG

http://instagr.am/p/OQ10x3S7n8/

All Aboard

I’ve been on the YWAM Medical Ship for 11 days now.  Ship life is quite cozy which helps the “getting to know your neighbor” process.  The ship sleeps 50 people in various nooks and crannies.  Virtually every bench, counter and bunk room doubles as a handy storage area.  There is a mess hall and lounge on the main level.  The upper level has the aft deck and medical clinic.  My team, the primary health care team, holds land based clinics, and the dentists use the medical clinic on board.  At times the ship does feel very small.  During last week’s outreach in the capitol city, Port Moresby, we not only had a full ship but also multiple other DTS students (disciple ship training schools)helping us in the clinic.  They were in town from Kona, Hawaii and Swtizerland (Last week we had 14 nations represented and this week we have 11). The total meals served  by the cooking staff last week was over 2000 - which is amazing given the size of the ship’s kitchen. Despite the small space, I have found a couple cubbies that give me not only a quiet space but also great views of the sunrise and sunset.   I usually take advantage of one of those quiet spots each day.  Overall, a ship’s life is suiting me well and bringing back childhood memories of weekend getaways on Encore, our family’s sailboat.

Speaking of sailboats, we do “set sail” around 12 AM Saturday morning (so probably around 10 AM Friday for all you on Eastern Standard time).  They are predicting that it will take 24 - 28 hours to get to the Bamu Area (on the PNG map, look for the Eastern mouth of the Fly River) of the Western Province.  Our ship apparently does not travel at rapid speeds.  Not much activity is planned while we are sailing.  From the sounds of it, seasickness is more the normal for most passenger’s while sailing - so I will be grabbing my bucket, praying for calm winds and waters, and trying to stare at the horizon as much as possible (see GBR post).

Last week, we had 1 day in a nearby village and 4 days in Port Moresby clinics.  On Monday, we loaded up a large flatbed truck - my total count was 29 in the back - and headed to the village as clinics were closed due to the public holiday - Day of Rememberance.  The village clinic was pretty small so I set up my shop under a shady tree.  It was my ideal set-up: great breeze and sunshine.  I worked one on one with 15 villagers that day - mostly treating low back pain and knee pain with various stretching and strengthening exercises.  I felt like I had plenty of time and space to connect with each patient which was definitely a blessing.  None of the patients or healthcare workers have worked with an athletic trainer before.  Education has been a big chunk of each of my consults and trainings.  Education has included anatomy, education about the benefit of the prescribed exercise and how each patient can add these exercises to their daily routine.  My days in the clinics looked fairly similar to my first day at the village - everyday I did get to lead an exercise class or two with exercises focusing on benefiting back and knee pain.  I also got to teach the healthcare workers at the clinics a session on back and knee anatomy/treatment. 

The clinics were super busy, and we provided 962 medical services this week.  I worked one on one with 60 patients.  God provided in so many ways.  Every clinic was filled with moms and babies.  I have never seen so many kids and babies - everywhere.  These kids made me miss Hannah and Charles so much.   Walking through the clinic waiting areas, it is so easy to see that musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction is the least of their worries.  But I am super thankful that I get to play my small part in helping people have a higher quality of life.

I’m so glad I got to take advantage of my clinic leader’s computer and iphone to post today.  I am really, looking forward to our next outreach which starts tonight with the sail and glad I got to touch base with y’all before I go internet free for 2 ½ more weeks.  We will have 2 weeks of clinic in the Western Province and then head back.   Hope that all is well with you.  Holding all of you in my heart.  Send an e-mail to mkmart@gmail.com if you think about it...I would love to hear what you are up to.  Check out www.ywamships.org for updates...also look at Kim Cooper’s blog from last week’s outreach in the Townsville Bulletin.

Moment of the week:  Hard to pick just one...but one of the top ones was teaching moms in the community how to take care of their backs.  One Mom with six kids came up to me after one of my classes and was so thankful.  She had never heard about belly strength contributing to a healthy strong back. 

Movement of the week:  Dead bug - for abdominal strengthening and four-point leg extension.  More to come on those exercises when I have more timeJ

Quote of the week:  “Many small people in many small places doing many small things can alter the face of the world.”

Unplugged

I will be without wifi for the next few weeks. So most likely no blogging while I am in PNG. After August 19th, I should be able to give further accounts of my experiences down here.

Magnetic Island

Today I took a break away from base life and ventured over on the ferry to Magnetic Island. It was a fantastic getaway. Everyone at the base has been great but not knowing anyone can be draining, so the introverted part of me was ready to break away from the pack for a bit. Especially due to the fact that I won't be able to break away from the pack in PNG. The buddy system will definitely be enforced there. Magnetic Island, Maggie Island, is 8 K from Townsville so this makes for a quick ferry ride. The great thing about Maggie Island is that there are all these tucked away bays and a ton of walking trails. So all I needed was my map, hiking shoes and a book. I plopped down on a rock every now and then to read some. It was definitely one of those no schedule days. One of the walking trails included passing through what remains of a WWII fort. The fort made me think of both my granddaddys. The sun then came out as a I discovered the different bays. I did not swim although you can swim all year long here. I ended the day at a lorikeet feeding which was really entertaining as at one point the lorikeets were not only on my hands and arms but also on my head!

The GBR

I took advantage of my location and went on a day trip to the Great Barrier Reef on Sunday. When I registered the guy told me (after I paid my money, of course) that there was a wind warning advisory out for Sunday. I told him that I was a little nervous about getting seasick (yes, I will be living on a boat for the next month). The only advice he gave me was to stare into the horizon if I started to feel the least bit of seasickness come on. So with those words of wisdom I jumped on board Passions of Paradise ready to go explore the South Pacific.
It was about an hour and a half boat ride out to the first reef location. On the way out I decided that I would try the intro scuba dive course, too.  So I listened to the spill and got a little anxious but firgured I would try it for 10 minutes (the first 10 minutes were free) and then go from there. With the intro dive, the ratio was 2 divers for every instructor.  After battling the waves snorkeling for the first 30 minutes, I was ready to go underwater.  My instructor was a scruffy, Australian with long hair who looked more like a surfer than a diver to me, but I was ok with that. I got fitted with the goggles and tank and tried my best not to fall. I jumped in and as I grabbed on to the rope where my instructor was, the first thing he said was "you look terrified." I was pretty terrified at that point. Could I really trust this regulator to breathe for me underwater??? We then reviewed our drills then the 10 free minutes were up, and it came time decide if I was going to leave the rope.   Some of my initial fears were lessened as we went through the drills, so I decided to go a little deeper. Me and the other diver linked arms with our instructor and went under. Two things struck me during this first dive. One is that the kids' books which show all the crazy colors for the underwater creatures are actually not making it up. There really are that many colors painted on the surface of this huge mass of water. Not only were the coral and the sponges crazy neon colors of purples and green but the fish were, too. The second thing that surprised me was just how slow everything seemed to be under the sea - time itself seemed to move at a slower speed. Needless to say, I was pretty blown away on this first dive and if it wasn't for my ears doing all sorts of crazy popping, I could have stayed down there all day.
We got out and had a nice lunch. I met a cute 8 year old boy who gave me a hard time about how much I was eating. The other guy to the left of me was pretty amazed at all the colors that were down there at the bottom of the ocean, as well.  It was surprising, but should I be surprised by God's art work and attention to detail even at the depths of the sea?
Well, I got one more dive in that afternoon. Sit down, Mom, because we did see a shark . But  he did not seem to care too much about us.  He just kept swimming.
On the way back to shore the wind and waves were kicking and that got the boat to rocking which made some motion sickness come on, but I looked continually at the horizon for about 45 minutes which did seem to keep things under control for the most part. Thankfully, I did not need a brown bag. T
It was a great trip to the reef.  I was glad I stayed an extra day in Cairns.

Sustainability

For the last week I have been living and working at the Kanjini Co-op.  When I decided to take some time away from the daily grind, one thing I really wanted to do was explore gardening further as learning to grow some of my own veggies is appealing to me (maybe all those years of shucking corn as a kid had something to do with this).  So when the Papua New Guinea trip came together, I quickly planned to set aside some time for WWOOFing.  I became a member and got my wwoofing book and started looking for a farm or garden, a place to put my hands in the soil.  Well, I quickly became a little overwhelmed as there are about 2000 wwoofing hosts in Australia.  The book does divide these options according to location and type of work.  In the Cairns area, the Kanjini Co-op stuck out to me as its posting included working in a veggie garden and the ability to borrow their bicycle.  The co-op and I sent a sent a few e-mails back and forth.  When they offered to pick me up at the airport, it seemed like everything was set: I would work 5 hours a day for a place to cover my head and some food to fill my belly.

Shiralee, my hostess for the week, picked me up at the airport. Plans quickly changed that first night, as Svargo - the other co-op director - was ill.  Before I knew it, I was being dropped off at a hostel.  Well, things worked out as they usually do.  I got over 12 hours of sleep that first night in the hostel and then got to look around Cairns and enjoy a flat white coffee at a local shop the next morning.  I sat for a bit slowly sipping my coffee and reading Clayton King's book about discovering God in the daily experiences of our life.  It was nice to have that morning of quietness, and I felt like I was reminded that God is totally in control of this trip. Despite my best attempts at planning, He still knows what is best for me.

Well, Shiralee held up her end of the bargain and picked me up at 11 AM the next day.  We drove "up the mountain" to Koah which is located in the Tablelands, a tropical area filled with rolling hills.  The Tablelands are approximately 700 meters above sea level which gives this area a perfect climate, nearly all year (for all you Wisconsinites - it's winter here and the temperature has not gotten below 60 degrees).  As we drove west for 45 minutes to the co-op, I asked Shiralee - a shiny, lady in her mid-fifties born and bred in Southern Australia - about the vision of the co-op.  She gave me a long spill and painted a beautiful vision of what their vision is for the next 10 to 15 years, as this co-op is just getting started.  To sum it up in one word - they hope, plan and dream of being a place that is sustainable. Now a days, the word "sustainability" is thrown around quite a bit.  However, I wasn't quite sure if I really knew what it meant.  So I probed further in the car ride, but once I got to Kanjini, I really didn't have to ask much more about sustainability because I felt like I walked right into the definition in that 11 acre space.

The co-op currently has 4 different "buildings".  Shiralee's bedroom is located at the top of the hill in an old caravan.  The large shed enclosed Svargo's bedroom on one side, the didgeridoo business in the middle (which should be a whole other blog post) and a guest room on the other side.  At the bottom of the hill was an octagonal area open on all sides with one side leading into the kitchen.  Since the living room and kitchen were open to the tropical dry lands, there was plenty of opportunity to see the wandering spider, ant and yes, even the friendly millie (Australian slang for mouse).  Finially, there was another bedroom and living area in another building just a few feet away from the kitchen. 

Jess was the other wwoofer.  She had just finished up a study abroad program in Australia and New Zealand.  And of all places is the world, she is from Florida - a University of Florida student to be exact (it's OK, she is really not into football, so we did not have to get into any heated debates over our beloved football teams). It was great having her companionship to not only share the work and chores, but also good discussions and laughter.  I am so thankful our paths crossed.  Our work at the co-op included everything from transplanting coconut trees to making additional raised beds and harvesting ginger and turmeric.  My favorite job was making the raised bed and harvesting the ginger and turmeric.  My least favorite job involved revising a raised bed which basically required moving a whole lot of dirt so that we could fix the wall and then moving a whole lot of dirt back.  It was good to perform some of those non-glamorous jobs - it reminded me how so much of life is made up of doing non-glamorous chores and duties.

Staying at the co-op this week got me thinking about sustainability.  Shiralee and Svargo inspired me a great deal.  Their electricity is powered solely through solar power.  Their drinking water is rain water that they collect during the rainy season.  They not only have a recycle bin but also a compost bin and a worm farm bin in addition to their rubbish bin.  They limit they're driving into the city to 2 to 3 times a week.  Yep, they are pretty passionate about their sustainable practices.  We didn't agree on everything, but none the less, I left this week wondering how I can add more sustainable living into my lifestyle.  In this environment, it did not look like people were giving up stuff in order to live this sustainable life.  In fact, there no shortage of laughter, singing and good food.  The meals usually included garden fresh veggies and tropical fruit. In addition to picking up some great gardening tips from Shiralee who was practically born in the garden, Jess and I took home some good recipes.

At this point, I relate living a sustainable lifestyle to being a good steward.  I looked up "stewardship" this week in my Bible concordance, and it took me to the parable of the talents in Matthew 25.  We are each given a certain amount of resources.  Growing up in the West, I have been given a lot of resources.  Am I wasting those resources, burying them, or multiplying them?  Resources can be any thing from fossil fuels to finances to time.  I don't think we are all called to the co-op lifestyle.  But living in this type of lifestyle for one week has inspired me to be a better steward.  I am definitely thankful for this first week of exploring and getting my hands dirty in some Ozzie soil.  I feel like I have already learned so much that I could even come home today and be totally satisfied.  But, on second thought, maybe I'll just go to the Great Barrier Reef tomorrow instead.

Made it to Cairns

After leaving Madison around 5:30 PM on July 4th, I arrived in Cairns at 12:15 pm on July 6th (I am about 14 hours ahead of East coast time...I think).  The most interesting part of the flight was flying into LA around 9:30 pm.  During the twenty or so minute descent, there were fireworks going off all along the way.  Fireworks are definitely more spectacular seen from the ground but what made this show so spectacular is that we got to see ALL the fireworks going off in the LA area.  And it seemed like there were literally fireworks going off on every corner.  So that was a nice 4th of July surprise.  The 13 hour flight from LA to Brisbane was not too bad.  I got some sleep and got some food to keep my stomach from growling.  I chatted it up with a guy originally from France going to a coral reef conference.

I think the theme for this trip will already need to be flexibility, as my initial plans have already been changed somewhat.  The host family I am staying with for the first week picked me up at the airport and then dropped me off at a hostel for the first night instead of taking me to the farm!  The plan is that I will go with them today back to their house.  There is another wwoofer (willing worker on organic farms) already there who is from Florida.  Thankfully, I got a great night sleep at the hostel and some sweet time walking around Cairns this morning.  From the first glances, Cairns seems to be pretty much like any beach town.  I got to have some good coffee this morning and there God reminded me that He is in control of this trip.  So I continue to be excited about what He has in store. 

I did not get a chance to send out an e-mail with prayer requests prior to leaving.  So here are the things I am currently trusting God with and would love to have you praying for this as well:

1) Explore:  Open eyes and open ears to see and explore all the ways God is working in this place and in my heart and the hearts of those around me.  May he use conversations and circumstances to broaden my perspective and focus on Him.

2)  Respond:  That I would be able to respond to the needs and circumstances that come up in a way that shines for Him.

3)  Expect:  That I would be enabled to step into each situation with an expectancy that God is on the move and He wants to use me.

4)  Serve:  That He would use me to serve these people. May He help me take care of the people's musculoskeletal concerns and may by taking care of their body give me a chance to care for their spirit as well.

Thanks for reading.  I am not sure if I will be able to send updates while I am at the farm.  But I should be able to check e-mail, so please send me updates if you get a chance.  I would love to hear from you!  Keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers.