Nurse/ Africa

It's been forever... It's been forever since I have blogged. I guess I'm pretty lazy or there is just not a lot of interesting things to say.

Nurse

I'm working night shift in the PEDS ICU at Methodist. Work keeps me busy when I'm there; it's been a good experience. But I'm not enjoying working the night shift. It throws off my sleeping soooo much! I am learning so much and really appreciate this great learning experience. I think it has and will continue to help me as a nurse.

Africa

So Africa has not left my heart or mind. It's with me all the time. Half the time I get in the car to drive I think, "Why am I not taking other people with me... or picking other up?!" I should have a full car.

Upcoming adventures!

I'm going back to Africa! In 38 days I fly to Africa for almost one month! Most of April I will be in Africa - exploring many different things. I will be visiting my friends in Zambia and also exploring working with a new organization Umoya Zambia. http://www.umoyatrust.co.uk/

Check out there website. They are based out of England and also do ministry in Zambia. This is a pretty small organization that is still just getting off the ground, but have great ideas for ministry and serving the poor and orphans. Please pray for clear direction, wisdom, and understanding as I will also be investing in/ praying over a specific relationship.

These are exciting days! I just wish the next 38 day work fly by even quicker!

Please continue to be in prayer for me and that I would be able to hear the calling of the Lord over the mess of this world.

Be Blessed,

alysse

Randomness

Randomness.

So it's winter in Namibia when it's summer in the U.S.A.

I left the "cold" season of Namibia and now starting the "cold" season of America.

Kinda strange to have two winters in a year.

Everyone keeps asking me if I have had some culture shock...

YES! I do at times... but moreover I really evaluate and look at

life in a whole new lens.

My new job... it's going well and I like it thus far... lots of classes these days

... not a lot of new super difficult patients on my unit (at least yet) so we will see.

Working with awake patients and families is a bit different then before, but I like the interactions I am able to have at work with them.

I have decided I really like laundry esp. when I have a drier too. I can not complain about laundry again.

Moving... I've moved about 8 times since August of 2010! I'm a professional.

Beds.... along with moving I have no clue how many different people's beds I have slept in those 8 different moves.

So here are my current stats.

1. Live in Indianapolis.

2. Work at Methodist Hospital in the PEDS Comprehensiveness Care Unit

3. Live with Jenna, Charissa, and Lauran in Broad Ripple. (yeah stay in the spare room or as they fondly call the spare um... it's the size of a large closet or a baby room).

Where I have been in the World! A link to all my travels!

Midst - deep thoughts on life

Dear Friends and Family,

I wrote this a while back as I reflected on my time in Africa. It is not your “typical” “missionary” “report” with a call to “go to all the Nations”, but it is a collection of thoughts and insights, I have struggled with and am continuing to struggle with as I try to live a life of a follower of Jesus. I have incorporated several quotes from Henri J. Nouwen’s book The Wounded Healer through many of my thoughts.

I do not even know where to begin as I reflect on my last month, more or less the last ten months in Africa. I have opened myself up to so much. I have had so much joy, yet so much pain. Triumphs and struggles have gone hand in hand with new friendships and broken relationships. I have loved. I have lost. I have learned. I have overcome. I am a broken and wounded vessel who has been used, and yet still gave my heart to truly being with others. I have felt more deeply then ever felt before; it has been exceptionally rewarding. Opening yourself up to feeling deep, to loving hard, and to learning comes with much potential risk and also the potential for much reward. “On the other hand it also is becoming obvious that those who avoid the painful encounter with the unseen are doomed to live a supercilious, boring and superficial life.” (pg. 37) I have allowed myself to experience the painful encounters and relate all too well with this quote: “It is a painful fact indeed to realize how poorly prepared most Christian leaders prove to be when they are invited to be spiritual leaders in the true sense.” (pg 37) Yet while there has been much pain and I do not feel I have always proven myself as a even good spiritual leader, I must not, I can not ignore my/our basic task of leading other people out of a state of confusion into a state of hope and love in Christ. This is essentially our basic call. Thus I/we must take the courage be an explorer of new territories or new lands where pain and hurt lie but hope can prevail. I have been an explorer on an exploration for the last ten months.

As an explorer I / we are called to be in the midst of people while showing compassion, grace, love.

“The compassionate man stands in the midst of his people but does not get caught in the conformist forces of the peer group, because through his compassion he is able to avoid the distance of pity as well as the exclusiveness of sympathy. Compassion is born when we discover in the center of our own existence not only that God is God and man is man, but also that our neighbor is really our fellow man. Through compassion it is possible to recognize that the craving for love that men feel resided also in our own hearts, that the cruelty that the world knows all to well is also rooted in our own impulses. Through compassion we also sense our hope for forgiveness in our friends’ eyes and our hatred in their bitter mouths. ” (pg 41)

Through this type of compassion we bring ourselves to the level of others because we realize that we are all just the same. We are all human with the capability to have bitter mouths and cynical spirits. Yet we (I), whom are followers of Christ, are also given the ability, the power, and the hope to truly relating to others through solidarity, grace, compassion, and love. This solidarity, grace, compassion, and love will open ourselves up to the world of hurt, pain, and suffering; but we, through Christ, can rise to redemption, healing, and health as wounded fighters! As Christians, we are not asked to nervously go around trying to put people on the “right track”.

"For we are redeemed once and for all. The Christian leader is called to help others affirm this great news, and to make visible in the daily events the fact that behind the dirty curtain of our painful symptoms there is a something great to be seen: the face of Him in whose image we are shaped.” (pg 44)

As we break this cycle (of living behind the dirty curtain and living in our pain and hurt and suffering), we are able to see new and creative avenues of life. All of a sudden, we have the hope and ability to dream! And we, as mere humans, desiring to be used as vessels of the Lord’s great redemption and love, PRAY, PRAY that we will be able to give others clarification in the midst of confusion, compassion to see the wide world of humanity, and the ability to be creative as we live and work in this broken soon to be redeemed world.

Let us pray.

Link to Namibia Photo Book

Hey Friends.

Here is a link to the Snapfish photo book I made of my time in Namibia!

Enjoy.

alysse

http://www5.snapfish.com/snapfish/projectshareewelcome/l=3502334027/p=918201316561387866/g=6805490027/cobrandOid=1000/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/otsc=SYE/otsi=SPBKlink/

Life goes on...

First, I must apologize for not blogging since I have returned to the U.S. I’ve been lazy and I would like to say I will continue to blog, but I’m doubtful.

Current life.

I returned to the U.S.A. on August 4^th! Since flying into Indianapolis I have been in Michigan the majority of my time including bit of time to the Upper Peninsula. Outside of spending time in the Michigan, I have also visited family in North Carolina and my friend Jennifer Allen (and family) in Georgia. In between those travels, I have also spent some time in Indianapolis, Indiana; enough time to get a job in a PEDS Intensive Care Unit (Riley at Methodist). I will start is next Monday (September 26, 2011).

Namibia.

As my time in Namibia came to a close I was blessed to realize my impact on others was essentially relational. I trust that from working at Rundu State Hospital, to living in a village, to simply interacting with others that many of the friendships and relationships I made showed others a different way to view and relate not only with God but also our relationship with this world. There is no great way to measure ones effect on another when is comes to simple relationships, but I pray it was and will continue to be profound.

Travel in Africa.

The last month in Africa was a lot of travel! Praise the Lord for safety and overall great transportation. I am grateful that this time could be spent in Lusaka with the Zebells (helping build a school), Livingstone (Victoria Falls) relaxing, and in Cape Town visiting a close University friend and her husband.

(For almost a month in a row a lost one nights sleep each week due to travel!!!)

Words cannot express how thankful I am for you to have been involved in this journey and exploration, I have been on over this last year. I would love sit down with you over a cup of coffee and share with you more. Please do not hesitant to contact me.

In Christ’s Love,

Alysse Cuthbert

alysse.cuthbert@gmail.com

Zambia

So for the last few weeks I have had the honor of being in Zambia.
I have found the people to be very warm and welcoming!

It has been encouraging to worship with a solid Church in Lusaka. I even sung with the worship team on Sunday... I'm glad they did not try to give me a microphone (and that they sing so loud that they probably did not even hear me!!! ) Last Saturday we spent the entire day at church. After youth meeting in the morning we had a meal and then crashed a wedding. I was very curious to what an African wedding may look like... it really was extremely similar to an American wedding... I think I really need to go to a traditional African wedding! Later that afternoon we sang for several hours... it was very encouraging.

We have been helping to encourage the building of a school in a village just outside Lusaka. The progress has been outstanding! The walls are almost done and the roof is to go on next week! Today we gave out the some of the T-shirts that Mrs. Zebell collected in the Dowagaic area. It went pretty well! I have also enjoyed many encouraging conversations with my parents, the Zebells, and a few Zambians.

One more notable thing... we went on a short Safari to Kafue National Park. It is huge park! Within five minutes of getting to our campsite we were told a Leopard was near... this is why the monkeys were chirping sooo very loud (they sounded like birds!) Just a few minutes later I saw a glimpse of that Leopard! It was not thought of the Leopard being close by (they tend to be shy animals) that kept me up that night... It was the sound of hippos or that I cold while still sharing a single bed next to Laura (we had many blankets). Sadly though I have yet to see a Lion in the wild.

Not sure if I will update again before I return to the U.S... My flight leaves Capetown Aug. 4th.

Cheers from Zambia!