During the last five months of wrapping up my schooling at Bethel, I had the joy of travelling and experiencing so much! The first and biggest trip was to the Philippines. It was the most amazing, most memorable, and most life changing missions trip I've ever been a part of as evidenced by my previous blog postings about my experiences there. I actually haven't finished blogging about all that I experienced during that trip...but to tell you the truth, no amount of writing could capture everything I encountered there.
My dear friends Rachael Masten and LeeAnn Reynolds visited me in the spring and while we were together, we enjoyed the magnificence of Burney Falls located only about an hour away from where I was living in California.
My best friend since I was six year old, Claire, and her husband, John Roth came to visit me as well. During their visit we were able to take trip to the west coast to enjoy views of the Pacific Ocean and the grand Redwood Forest. We enjoyed a seven mile walk in the forest and stood in awe of God's creation.
Before my year in Cali was over, I made sure to visit some of the "must see" local tourist spots including San Francisco, Yosemite, and Napa Valley with one of my best friends I met at Bethel, Honey Storlie.
In fact, Honey and two other amazing young women, Beena Benny, and Sarah Wind, are solidified in my heart as life long friends and ministry partners. These women are a huge gift from God from this past year. I would not have known them had I not taken my exciting adventure out west. We stay connected to this day supporting each other in prayer and with wisdom for any given situation that arises. I like to call us the Fantastic Four!
My nine months in Cali wrapped up with my graduation and knighting at Bethel. What special moments those last days held. I have journals full of notes from the school year in which I'm sure to glean from in years to come. I have friends around the globe and experiences that can never be traded or taken away from me. In fact, I gained a rich inheritance from many mothers and fathers of the faith at Bethel. It was truly a John 10:10 year - living the abundant life!
The last week I was in Redding, I had a farewell dinner with a few of my friends while watching the sun set at a local vineyard. The food was delicious, the company was delightful, and the setting was beyond beautiful! The lovely lady in the photo with me is Sharon - she's the owner of the house I lived in last year.
After driving across the U.S. back home to Indiana, I was welcomed by beautiful friends and family and a place to live during my job search (thank you, Brad and Gail for opening up your lovely home!). The move back to Indiana and to Bloomington specifically, was a dream come true in of itself. Claire and I have dreamed of living in the same city as adults ever since we were little girls. Aside from that, I'm now only two hours away from my parents - I haven't been that close to them since I left home to go to college! While I certainly miss my friends in Fort Wayne as well as California, I'm so happy to be living the dream here.
When I took the risk to leave my job in Fort Wayne in 2011, I felt strongly that God had promised He had a specific place for me to work in Bloomington after my adventure in California. However, I had no idea I would have five months of waiting before that promise would be fulfilled. I find it funny that the number five is associated with grace and it was exactly five months that God gave me grace to wait for my new job. During those five months I played (as indicated in the photo above - floating in Lake Monroe with the Pontius and Roth families), I reflected, I rested, I exercised my faith muscle, I reconnected with friends and family (as indicated by the photo booth picture taken at my cousins wedding below), I learned to receive from others at a whole new level, I continued to cultivate my creativity through writing and painting, and I looked for a job, of course.
I was finally offered a job with Cook Medical and even on the first day of work, I knew I was right where I was supposed to be. That day was marked with a handful of blessings and confirmations - things that were out of the ordinary for me and a sign that God fulfills His promises and is faithful!
While the learning curve is very large, the job is a great fit for me, and my co-workers are amazing! They've been so patient and helpful during my season of learning the ropes. There's room to grow at Cook, many opportunities to continue to learn as well as opportunities to contribute to not only the community here in Bloomington but to people worldwide! I'm so thankful. Cook's mission statement is also one I support whole-heartedly:
"Cook is dedicated to bold leadership in pioneering medical solutions to enhance patient care worldwide."
I'm also honored to work at a company that instills and lives out these values:
Patients: Maintain a deep concern for patient safety and well-being.
Quality: Provide the highest quality medical products.
Customers: Treat customers with respect and serve them to the best of our ability.
Knowledge: Solve diverse medical problems while maintaining a willingness to listen, learn, innovate and educate.
Integrity: Respect our company by giving our best effort, loyalty, honesty and accountability.
Employee Involvement: Acknowledge the contribution of our fellow employees.
Corporate Citizenship: Serve as a corporate role model for the betterment of society by being a sensitive employer and contributor to the communities where we reside, and an example of the highest integrity in business dealings.
Environment: Minimize our corporate impact on the environment and act intentionally to preserve and improve our surroundings for future generations.
From what I've observed so far, Cook lives up to these values and vision. I'm beyond thankful to be a part of this outstanding team!
So there it is - a snapshot of 2012 - a year I will always remember and treasure in my heart. Here's to a New Year filled with joy, peace, love, unending hope, fulfilled promises, and fun surprises - welcome, 2013!
