I have secretly wanted to start a blog for quite some time but haven't had anything I thought was 'blog worthy.' Not that I'm saying I do now but it is a new year and when better to start a blog, right? So I have officially entered the world of bloggers, not so anonymously (hopefully I will never have to belong to BA- Blogger's Anonymous).
You may be asking, "Why 'Livin' the Dream'?" It's quite simple really, I like all of you have dreams. When people ask me how my day is going, I often respond with, "Livin' the Dream." Admittedly, it is quite often a bit sarcastic but I always think to myself, "What is my dream?!" I still have NO idea in the world the dream is but it is my plan to take each day as a part of my bigger dream and live life in a way that brings me and God joy. So there you have it.
One of my bigger dreams right now is to finish my degree, take (and own) the NCLEX, and become Casey Gaul RN, BSN. Doesn't that look exciting?! I am about a year and a half from the BSN part of that and a month or two added to that for the RN part. Some days it is hard to believe it is so far away but other days I cling to every moment I have here at MMU and thank God for everything He places in front of me here.
So that's my bigger dream which ties into my current medium sized dream, The Philippines! I, along with two other students from MMU and other students from around the world will be spending two months in Davao. I was accepted to the program earlier this week and am so excited, nervous, and over joyed to make this journey. While there I will be participating in a clinic as missionaries, learn about the Filipino culture, and I'm sure learn more about myself than I could ever imagine.
The map below gives you a bit of an idea of where I will be over the summer. Davao is best seen on the left hand image in the bottom right corner. It is a part of the Mindanao island.
I will be in the Philippines serving as a missionary for the summer. I will be there June 1-July 31st. My immediate travel companions are Kelsey Bishop and Tilly Schmidt. We are in the same class here at MMU and all took OB together. Flights and exact details are still being finalized (We will fly into Manila and then down to Davao for sure but the part before that is still fuzzy). My first step to take is passport! (Anyone have any tips to get a good photo?) I also sent my e-mail of confirmation/intent to the school today, deposit to be sent later this month.
So to the dream part of this: I am definitely dreaming of learning about the Filipino medical system (I'm sure it's much different than ours), the style of midwiffery used there, and making connections with my patients and housemates.
Admittedly I have been distracted by thoughts of my trip ALL WEEK and realized something pretty miraculous while I was working on Wednesday: All of the women whom we will assist with their deliveries this summer are already pregnant! How amazing is that?1 These little people are already growing, developing, and getting ready to make their debut in this world! They are safe in their mom's tummies now and hopefully getting the proper care as they grow that they need. Please join me in praying for them, and all pregnant women:
Lord,
Thank you for the gift of life!
I pray that you give comfort, love, and a guiding hand
to all mothers everywhere.
Lord, we see everyday the love that mothers
have for their babies and the bond they share while pregnant.
Thank you for choosing these women to show us
your great works and the
miracle that is life!
Lord, I pray for healthy pregnancies and healthy babies,
that the mothers experience your love in them during this time
I pray also that you are with them through any
difficulties and trials they may have during and after their pregnancies.
In your name we pray,
Amen!
Dreaming big and sending love,
Casey
