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.

It's been 3 years....

Well, almost 3 years since I've blogged. Yikes. Where did the time go? Regardless, it has been fun looking back over some of my most recent posts :) I have been inspired to start a new page on my life as a blogger. What's inspired me you ask? Primarily, my most recent blog inspiration has come from the 31 day challenge that is sweeping the blogging world. People all over are blogging every day during the 31 days of October on a self-selected subject. Whether it's planning wedding (check out marisa's blog) or courage (annie's blog) or yoga...bloggers have committed to 31 days of discussion/mastery/exploration of the subject. Also, returning to blogging has been on my list of 29 things to do during my 29th year...and since I only have 3 more months in my twenties...I better get started!
I know my past has been filled with hot and cold moments of blogging! I love it and then I totally avoid, ignore and neglect it. But I know that one of God's whispers to me during this year has been to give my entire attention to what God is doing in this present moment and I feel that blogging will be another avenue to rest on, contemplate over, start the conversation on what God's revealing to me each day of the journey.
It's funny because I do feel like I'm picking up where I left off, as it is currently the Fall season. Madison in the Fall is definitely one of my favorite times. Today I got the chance to bike ride home from work as we have had a stretch of unseasonably warm days. And I was reminded of why I love Fall. The strong winds twirling the brightly covered leaves around is definitely among the top reasons. Seeing kids jump in leaf piles is right up there, too! Then there's pumpkins and mums and warm days and cool nights and dreaming of Fall gatherings with pumpkin carvings and convos over fire pits, just to name a few more. But today riding home from a day's work on my bike riding into the sunset and into the weekend, I just had one of those "everything is going to be ok" moments. So thank-you for riding on bikes during the Fall.

Keeping it going

These past few days went quick...here's a quick recap of my "thanksgiving" for the past few days.
11/4/08: Even if you're not very political (like myself), it is still pretty exciting to see the enthusiasm surrounded by our new president elect. We live in a great country...definitely something to give thanks for.
11/5/08: CAM girls first bonding moment when they decided to go to the upcoming dance together.
11/6/08: Hot yoga, Romans 8, Old Chicago with friends
11/7/08: great Friday morning clinic, The River Food pantry www.theriver-madison.org
11/8/08: A great spinning class, good TAWG, and Bluegrass and a beer
11/9/08: Sweet time with my roommate while I taught her how to make lasagna, taking Heejung with me to church, Blackhawk, PinkHat Ladies Life Group

Thanksgiving: Day Three

I'm really thankful for dinner tonight with a close friend in Madison. It was really nice and an answered prayer to have someone be interested in my story (as selfish as that sounds). I just feel that lately I have running around constantly trying to reach out to others. It was nice to experience that in return. I'm thankful that through Christ, I had the courage to be real and take down my mask, which usually allows me to be content in "my sins and stupidities" as C.S. Lewis puts it.

Thanksgiving: Day Two

Today I'm thankful for being able to sleep in. I teach spinning at 8:00 AM on Saturdays and every other day of the week, I'm at work no later than 8:00 AM. So all week I have been looking forward to Sunday morning...especially since we got an extra hour.

Also, today at church we sang this old hymn which was really powerful. Apparently, the first two verses were written by Frederick Lehman and, according to our pastor, the third verse is based on a Jewish poem. This third verse was not added until it was found sketched in the wall of an insane asylum. Here is a website for a more detailed history of the song. http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/l/o/loveofgo.htm

The love of God is greater farThan tongue or pen can ever tell;It goes beyond the highest star,And reaches to the lowest hell;The guilty pair, bowed down with care,God gave His Son to win;His erring child He reconciled,And pardoned from his sin.
Refrain
O love of God, how rich and pure!How measureless and strong!It shall forevermore endureThe saints’ and angels’ song.
When years of time shall pass away,And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,When men, who here refuse to pray,On rocks and hills and mountains call,God’s love so sure, shall still endure,All measureless and strong;Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—The saints’ and angels’ song.
Refrain
Could we with ink the ocean fill,And were the skies of parchment made,Were every stalk on earth a quill,And every man a scribe by trade,To write the love of God above,Would drain the ocean dry.Nor could the scroll contain the whole,Though stretched from sky to sky.
Refrain