My weeks have been busy. It took 5 1/2 weeks to get my computer up and running, and it is wonderful to have my own computer that can connect to the internet and has all of my contacts and old emails on it. (My computer needed two trips to the Toshiba depot (5 weeks) and an hour of Bill's TLC for the internet to connect.) In my weeks back I have visited family and churches in Texas, Arkansas and Iowa (NW & SE corners of the state). (Sorry that I missed some of you along the journey...I left before catching my breath and didn't get any extra visiting done.)
I am getting to stay with my brother Bill's family in Huxley. So for the next two months this is where I get to call home. When I am at home I work on physical therapy for my back, presentation materials, odds and ends left from Ethiopia, and getting ready to take a new position in Seattle.
I am thrilled when I am "home" in the weekend so I can attend Cornerstone's celebration services and my small group. (The church I attended during vet school.) It is sure fun to be here and experience family life and have a daily dose of Audrey, Ben & Luke's (niece & nephews) love. Bill and Mindy are a little concerned that I may blog about the real adventures behind the Ward walls. Perhaps I'll save that for another post. If you want to hear Mindy's perspective of my life check out her blog here.
This week I will be going to Seattle to Christian Veterinary Mission's home office. I will be there for a week of job orientation and housing search. Starting July 1st I will be starting a new position, the Short Term Missions Coordinator. I have been communicating with them about this change for several months and so I am happy to see it come about. Even though I will still be in the States and closer to home I will still be on support.
Oh yeah, culture shock...each time coming home there is always something that hits me a little funny. This time I was overwhelmed by...dog food. Yep, the day after coming in from the airport Mia was totally out of food so I went to the small little Dollar General store in Huxley. They had so many choices of dog food--a whole aisle full of them. In Ethiopia Bambi's is the only store that carries dog food. It is overpriced but you still stock up because they may not have it the next time.
Oh, and I am thrilled with the washing machine! My last month in Ethiopia I had to use a washing machine that required you to physically fill and drain the tub each time and then move the laundry to the spin tub and hang it on the line. And since the water and electricity were randomly going off, you hoped for a day with both electricity and water when you had time for laundry. I am not complaining because dealing with the odd hours was better than doing it by hand. I remember one day literally thanking God because the sun was shining and both the electricity and water were working. What a perfect laundry day! Now in the states everyday is a perfect laundry day and I can wash and dry at will with little more than the touch of a button!
For those of you who want to know Where in the World is Denise, here is my presentation schedule so far:
April 26-May 3ish--Seattle. CVM job orientation and housing search.
May 9--Presentation at Yarmouth, IA (First Baptist Church)
May 30--Presentation at Tecumseh, NE (First Baptist Church)
June 6--Presentation at Danville, IA (Harmony Bible Church)
June 13--Presentation at LeMars, IA (LeMars Bible Church)
July 1--Start new role at CVM office in Seattle
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