On the Road (Runway??) Again

Hello All

The team and I left Colombo about 4 hours ago and we landed safely in Singapore. We are all already exhasted and we have a long journey ahead of us. We fly once again to Hong Kong, San Francisco, and then to Seattle. We shoul arrive around 2:30 or 3 PM on Thursday...which is weird because here in Singapore it is Thursday morning already. It is going to be a looong day-literally.

We had such wonderful last days at Samudra Sri. We had lots of time to play with the kids and it was so hard to say goodbye today :( There were many tears shed by us and the kids!

I wanted to once again say thank you for the prayers and thoughts as I traveled this past month. We were kept safe and healthy and I truly felt God work though each of us. I can't wait to see everyone and tell you all about it in person!


Laura

Trip to Kandy

We were able to do a little bit of traveling this weekend to a place called Kandy. This is probably the most historical city in Sri Lanka. It is where the kings of the country used to live. It is also considered the "Mecca" of Thera Vata Buddhism. There is a huge temple in the center of the city called the Temple of the Tooth. Supposedly they found a tooth belonging to Buddha and it is kept in the temple. (Janet Salmon told us that most people actually think the tooth is a canine tooth).

Anyways...We arrived at our hotel on Friday in the early evening. We were are pretty tired so most of us just hung around in the pool, ordered our favorite drinks (lime and soda), and relaxed. I know, I know, truly suffering for Jesus eh?

On Saturday we got up pretty early and shopped in Kandy for a bit. It was a little overwhelming since I don't really like shopping to begin with and this was extreme shopping. There are many open markets where people basically scream at you to buy stuff. There are also little stores along the streets. Bartering is a must, but I am absolutely horrible at it so I am pretty sure I got severely ripped off a couple times. Oh well. We also visited a tea factory. Sri Lanka is absolutely CRAZY about tea. It stems from the British rule of the country. They have tea time about every 3 minutes (or at least thats what it feels like). So we got to see how they make tea and such.

Yesterday we had a mini church service before leaving the hotel and then drove about 2 hours to a place called Sigariya. There is a huge rock there that you can climb and there is a city of ruins on the tops. We split into two groups abd half climbed the rock and the other half got to ride elephants!! Though I desperately wanted to do both I opted to ride an elephant, which I think was a very fine choice. They took us on an elephant safari through the jungle and we even went into the water for a while. It was a blast.

Now we are home at Samudra Sri once again. I can't wait to see the kids when they come home from school. I missed them. We leave on Wednesday evening and I am ready to come home, but I am also dreading having to say goodbye.

I can't wait to see all of you!

Prayer Requests

Hello all...

I don't have much news to share. We have had a couple of wonderfully restful days here laying on the beach and playing with the kids. We leave for Kandy tomorrow morning and we return Sunday afternoon.

I just wanted to list a few prayer requests regarding Sri Lanka

*One of the most troubling things I have learned since I have been here is about a law that is making its way through Parliament. It would make conversion to Christianity illegal and pastors found preaching in Christian churches would be at risk for imprisonment. It has not been passed yet, but be in prayer that is stays that way.

*Continued prayer for the war up north. The bombing the other night was kind of a wake up call that the war is not over, though many claim it is.

*Prayer for each of the kids here at Samudra and Kalapuwa Sri.

*Continued safety for the team and the people here in Sri Lanka

*Travel safety for our return home next Thursday.

Thank you so much!

Life has pretty much gotten back to normal after a little bit of a dramatic turn of events last Friday. We as a team were very worried that we were going to have to return home early, however we had a loooonnnggg discussion with the powers that be and we all agreed that we feel safe and that we would be quite disappointed to have to leave now. Thanks so much for all the prayers!

On Saturday we got to put on a health fair for the kids in the community here in Pamanugama. There were over 150 kids and we discussed topics such as basic first aid, dental hygiene, hand washing, controlling anger, ect. After the health fair one of the guys on the team decided it would be funny to start a water war...and it was. After about an hour we were all completely soaked-even most of the kids.

On Sunday we did physical assessments all morning. We did hearing, vision, blood pressure, vital signs, and a head to toe assessment. It was hard work, but so much fun. These kids have never gotten such a thorough exam. They were all a little surprised when we would ask them how many times a day they went poop and pee ;) After the health fair we had a nice service over at the boys orphanage. We got the chance to pray over the kids and bless them. It was so cute when the little girls would run from person to person so that they could be prayed for by everyone.

Today we went to a town called Chilaw and did another mini health fair for the kids there. Most of them had never seen white people so they were a little shocked to see us there. I still can't get over how well behaved kids are here...for the most part. We are officially done with clinical work so now we basically get to hang out for about 10 days. Most of us are going to help out with odd jobs around the orphanages.

I never imagined getting so connected with the kids here. They are absolutely precious to me. I have one little girl (about 4 yo) who calls me "her aunty" and gets mad when the other kids try to hold my hand or talk to me. We have a great time talking and doing crafts with the older girls. I am going to have a VERY hard time leaving my new friends :)

I hope you all are doing well!

Update

I don't know how much Sri Lanka is in the news in the USA, but I just wanted to let you all know that Colombo was attacked last night. We are staying about 15 miles outside of Colombo, but our hosts were in Colombo at the time. We are all safe so I just wanted to let you know that in case anything was said on the news ect. We are all praying and our hosts are discussing what our plans for the future are. None of us want to leave, but we understand that we need to do what is best.

I look at this as a taste of what these people go through on a day to day basis. Please continue to be in prayer for safety and wisdom regarding what to do about his situation.

Thanks!!

One more thing...

I forgot to tell you...I think Jeffrey has posted photos on his blog if you haven't seen them. The link is in one of the posts below.

Ayubowan from Samudra Sri

So we are finally done at Lady Ridgeway Hospital. We had a wrap up ceremony yesterday and we all presented something we learned over the past 2 weeks and all the tutors we were working with shared a little something about each of the students. It was a great experience, but we are all happy to be free from the reign of Miss Gertie :) We had the day off today which we are using to prepare for a health fair that we are having for the kids at the orphanages tomorrow. It should be fun! We are doing health assessments and teaching ect.

On Monday and Tuesday we get to take day trips to different schools to do more assessments and teaching. On Wednesday we will pretty much be done with the work part of this trip and the vacation begins again! It has def. paid off to work super hard at the beginning. We will be traveling to Kandy and taking a 4 day holiday there starting on Thursday. We are all hoping to get to ride an elephant.

We have become great friends with the kids we are staying with. I even have several of their names down. I am going to be so sad when we have to leave them. I am already talking with the founders of the orphanage (Janet and Adam Salmon) to organize a trip back! They are two of the most amazing people I have ever met and I can't imagine not ever coming back. I thought this trip would solidify in my mind that I was not cut out for missions, but instead it has lit a fire in my heart for serving God in different places all over the world!

My mom keeps reminding me about how many people have been praying for this trip and I can't say thank you enough. As a team we have been healthy physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I couldn't have asked for better people to take this journey with me. Even after a 10 hour day we still love to be around each other! So thank you so much for thinking of me and praying for me.

I'll talk to you soon! (especially now that we have faster internet...)

Laura

More Stuff

We worked at the Children’s hospital all last week which has been very interesting. We don’t do a whole lot…basically because the nurses here don’t do as much as nurses in America. But it has been an amazing experience nonetheless.

On Saturday we got to spend some time with the kids here at Samudra Sri. They flock to us when we go outside and they talk a mile a minute. It’s too bad we usually have no idea what they are saying. They absolutely love to have their picture taken and then once you do they either beg to see it or grab the camera and start taking their own pictures. It is too funny.

Yesterday we went to church again. Last week they asked us to prepare a special song for the offering so two other girls and I whipped up a song and sang it acapella. The song was Take my Life. It has such powerful words and it really was an honor to sing for them. They joked about us leading worship next week…At least I think they were joking. You never know with the people here.

After church we were able to go to this beautiful hotel and have lunch and swim in the pool. I would never leave if that is what we got to do everyday. It was a blast.

Today we spent another day at the hospital. We came home and now most of us are on the roof shooting crows (I took a quick break to write this ha ha)

I miss you all and can’t wait to tell you more!

Time Marches On

Oh my, it has been a busy couple of days. We were able to hang out with some of the older girls from the orphanage a couple of nights ago. We spent hours trying to learn more words in Sinhala. We drew pictures with them and then they asked us if we knew how to dance! The only dance we knew was the electric slide so that’s what we did and they even joined in eventually. They also tried to teach us their national anthem which is much longer than ours so we aren’t quite there yet. They have a term of endearment for older girls which is “Aunty” So everywhere we go in the orphanage we hear “Hello Aunty!” It is precious. I am still getting used to being stared at EVERYWHERE we go. It is kind of a game for us now. If someone stares we smile and wave. It has been hilarious to see the reactions. Even the big guys in the army with guns can’t help but smile and wave to the weird foreigners.

We had our first days at Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital this week. It has been so interesting getting to see how different medical care is here. We have seen everything from rice cooker burns to gun shot victims from the war. Nursing is very different here. They don’t do as much as nurses in America, so we get some funny looks when we pull out our stethoscopes or ask to see an X-Ray. We’ll be there until Thursday of next week

Every morning before we go to the hospital we have to stop at a nursing school in Colombo and check in with the ministry of health. The minister is this women who everyone calls “The Madame” She is so respected that everyone stands when she walks into a room and even bows to her. What she says, goes. Of course we informal Americans usually call her “Miss Gertie” Anyway…Miss Gertie insisted that we look at one of the new nursing schools in Sri Lanka so the day before yesterday we all had to get up at 3 am, drive 7 hours, and tour a nursing school and a hospital in Hambantota. Most of the nursing students had never even seen white people so they were beyond honored that we had come. They had this huge tea reception for us and even put on a show with dancing, skits, and singing. I felt like a queen! It was quite a long day however as we didn’t get home until after midnight. I think we’ll all be glad when we don’t have to listen to Miss Gerie anymore. (4 days!)

All in all this has been an amazing trip so far. I have had a few minor health issues, but nothing major and it isn’t hindering my spirit. I miss home, but I am so thankful that I have had the opportunity to come here

Work and Play

It has been quite the adventure the last couple of days. We are all adjusting to the Sri Lankan culture and having fun doing so!

We spent yesterday relaxing, playing with the kids, and meeting with the founder and director of the orphanage. We even got to go down to the beach and watch the fisherman catch fish and sell them. No matter where we go we have someone from the orphanage with us at all times. It takes some getting used to. It feels like we have a body guard!

Today we had tours of the hospitals we will be working at for the next 10 days. Two were Women’s hospitals and one was a children’s hospital. First however we had to meet with the ministry of health and have an inauguration ceremony with the school of nursing in Colombo. They have this big pillar they light at important ceremonies and my instructor asked me to light one of the candles representing the other students. I felt pretty honored :) It was amazing to tour all of the hospitals. It is so different, yet even half way around the world we do many things the same. Each hospital had its own neo-natal intensive care unit and I absolutely cannot wait to work there. Tomorrow I’ll be working in the burn unit at Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital, which my instructor said can be quite difficult. The doctors and nurses here believe that bad things that happen are a result of sin in a previous life-even if the victim is a child. As a result pain medication is limited. Burns can be some of the most painful injuries, and it absolutely breaks my heart to think that these innocent little children are in pain. Nevertheless, it is exciting to be working in hospitals so far from what is familiar.

On a little side note, I thought I would share a little bit more about the civil war that is happening in north eastern Sri Lanka. We learned yesterday that this has been going on for quite some time as a result of the animosity between the Sinhalese people and the Tamil people. We also learned that there is a ban in this country for any type of media relating to the war and therefore most of what is said in the newspapers and on the news here is completely false. We have learned however, that the fighting is contained to an area of about 152 square miles. Please continue to be in prayer for this country and the war that everyone wants to see end.

Thanks! (or as we say in Sri Lanka Istuti!) for your prayers and I can’t wait to share more as the month progresses and when I return home.

The Adventure Begins!

It has been a busy two days for sure. We arrived at Samudra Sri, the orphanage we are staying at, around 4 yesterday. As soon as we pulled in, all the kids were waiting on the front steps singing songs for us- one in English and one in Sinhal. As soon as they were done singing 11 of the smallest kids ran up and gave each of us a big red flower, grabbed our hands, and led us to the back patio area. We had such a wonderful time playing with the kids. They loved to practice their English out on us and we tried our best to learn a few basic Sinhalese words (not an easy language at all!) We had a BBQ with the leaders of the orphanage. Fresh tuna, prawns, chicken, and so much more!

This morning we woke up relatively early and got ready for church. They sang familiar songs in English and the pastor preached entirely in English as well. It was so amazing to see people who live half way around the world worship the same God that we do. They have such a passionate spirit and their joy was contagious. After church we were able to drive around a bit and see some of the damage that the 2004 tsunami had on this area of Sri Lanka. It has been over 4 years and there is still so much devastation. Many of the kids who live at the orphanage are there because their parents were killed by the tsunami. The others are orphans of the civil was that is raging in the north eastern part of the country. As we were driving around I was praying for these people and the unrest of the country and God just gave my soul peace. I kept thinking of the word “restoration.” This country needs to be restored with the power of God and I have faith that this will happen.

We were able to do a little sight seeing/shopping in Colombo and then we found out that today is actually the day of the Parahara-a huge Buddhist parade through the entire downtown area. Our hosts thought it would be a good cultural experience to watch the parade and it definitely was! Since we were foreigners, we were given the “seats of honor” which were basically padded chairs on a platform. The parade was so vibrant and colorful! There were drums, horns, elephants dressed in sparkly outfits, dancing- like a scene out of a movie. It made me sad to think though that these people were celebrating a false god -praying to a god who would never answer them back.I didn’t know what else to do so I prayed, we all prayed that these lost people would come to know the true God.

We have orientation tomorrow and start at Lady Ridgeway on Tuesday…I guess the vacation’s over!

Talk to you soon!

We Made It!

For those who haven't heard, we arrived in Sri Lanka at about 10:30 PM yesterday. We spent the night at the Goldie Sands Hotel and now we are just hanging out at the hotel until about 2 when we will head to the orphanage. It is beautiful here and we are staying right on the Indian Ocean so there is a nice breeze blowing as I sit here typing. We all were commenting about how "difficult" it is to stay in a hotel right by the ocean and eat fresh fruit and juice for breakfast. We aren't really roughing it yet :) Nothing too exciting has happened yet, except for a little spill on the stairs going up to our hotel room...Most of you won't be too surprised at me falling on stairs ;) Another team member also has a blog that he would love to share. It has pictures and such from Hong Kong and such if you want to check it out:

http://nursinginseattle.blogspot.com

I'll check back again soon!

Hello from Singapore!

We have a quick layover in Singapore and they happened to have free internet, but I only have 15 minutes so excuse any typos, mistakes, ect. We have had a very good trip so far! All our flights have been on time and smooth, and I even managed to get about 6 or 7 hours of sleep on the way to Hong Kong. We had a blast hanging out in Hong Kong for a few hours. We just did a little sight seeing and then had an amazing lunch at a dim sum restaurant. Our contact ordered all the food so I really didn't know what I was eating, but I think that is really a good thing for me. The more I know the better the chances I won't try it...Needless to say after lunch I was told some of the things he ordered included shark fin and squid! I am not really sure if I ate them or not, but its probably better I don't know :) We just have one last qucik flight to Colombo and then we finally get to sleep in a real bed! I cannot wait. I already broke down and paid 15 dollars for a shower in Hong Kong and let me tell you it was money well spent. That's all for now I guess. Thanks for the prayers! Talk to you soon

Leaving today

I leave for the airport in about 3 hours or so. They have been telling us over and over again that one of the most important things to remember is flexibility and we had our first test yesterday when they told us our flight itinerary had changed. Everything got worked out. We fly to San Fransisco first and have a 3 hour layover before we leave for a 15 hour flight to Hong Kong. We have the opportunity to hang out in Hong Kong for a bit during the 9 hour layover there. We'll be shopping a little bit in the city and eating an authentic dim sum lunch! Then we'll hop on our last flight to Colombo by way of Singapore (this is about a 9 hour flight). All in all we'll be in the air for 26 hours and we'll be arriving in Colombo at about 11 pm on Friday (9:30 am west coast time).

We haven't even left yet and I am already overwhelmed by response to this trip that people have shown. I am so thankful for the prayers- I am sure my mom is too! :) She has been telling me how many people have been asking about this trip and I feel honored to share my experiences. Please feel free to e-mail me while I am gone. I am not sure how much I will be able to respond, but I will do my best :) suess.laura@gmail.com

Thanks again for all the encouragement!

Oh... My amazing grandpraents drove up from Salem, OR to attend our send off party yesterday. Thanks to them for taking the time to drive up and for my last American dinner for 4 weeks!

One last thing before I leave...

I used to laugh at my brother for "blogging his feelings." I mean, a computer can't show empathy or help you solve a problem, but I think he was on to something! Now whenever I have an incredible experience my first thought is "Oh my goodness I need to blog about this!" With that being said...

We had a special prayer time during chapel for all the traveling nursing students leaving on Wednesday. I was grateful for the prayer, but I had no idea how powerful the spirit of God would be felt during this time. Hundreds of students gathered around us and prayed for safe travel, protection while there, and most importantly that we would effectively spread the love of Christ to the people we came into contact with. I have honestly never felt the way I did today. I just had a sense that God is going to do amazing things through all three teams. I am so thankful for this opportunity and I can hardly wait to leave on Wednesday!

After our prayer time, a friend of mine led us in worship. One of the songs we sang has become a new favorite so I decided to post the lyrics.

Our God Saves
Paul Baloche

In the name of the Father
In the name of the Son
In the name of the Spirit
Lord we've come

We're gathered together
To lift up Your name
To call on our Savior
To fall on Your grace

Hear the joyful sound of our offering
As your saints bow down, as your people sing
We will rise with You, lifted on Your wings
And the world will see that

Our God saves, our God saves
There is hope in Your name

Mourning turns to songs of praise
Our God saves, our God saves, yeah

This is and will continue to be an encouragement to me.

Talk to you soon!

Leaving in less than a week!

This blog has been created for those of you who asked me to keep you updated on my trip to Sri Lanka. Thank you so much for your support, encouragement, and interest in this. I am so excited to take part in this incredible trip! I can't wait to see the ways God is going to work in and through the team that is going. I have already seen God work in mighty ways and this is only the beginning. I will do my best to keep this page updated as often as possible, but our access to internet isn't quite as convinient there as it is here in Seattle!

Thanks again for taking the time to pray for my team and I as we travel to Colombo. If you are interested, I have links to the various places we are staying/working posted below!

The school/orphanage we will be staying at:

http://www.asianaeducationdevelopment.org/orphanages.html

Information about Lady Ridgeway, the children's hospital we will be working at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Ridgeway_Hospital_for_Children

Talk to you again soon!

Laura