My prayer for today and everyday

Dear Jesus,

Sometimes I'm afraid of letting you take complete control of my life.  Show me how to be a "yes" kind of girl like Mary was.  Please use me to bring others to you today and every day.

Amen.

Ecuador Day 8

August 20, 2011

 

We woke up early to eat breakfast, went to the market for about an hour, then we were off to spend some time in the Andes Mountains. It was today, my last day in Ecuador that gave me that warm fuzzy feeling all over again.  It gave me hope for the world we live in.  It was pure, the love that I was feeling.  It was Godly. Throughout this entire trip I could see nothing that was not God. I felt so deeply, terribly happy.  I keep thinking to myself over and over… whatever this feeling is – this is exactly what I have been praying for.

As I walked in silence along the path I thought about all of the people who helped me get here and I wondered to myself – how will I ever thank them enough?  This is what I come up with…

“In the end, though, maybe we must all give up trying to pay back the people in this world who sustain our lives.  In the end, maybe it’s wiser to surrender before the miraculous scope of human generosity and to just keep saying thank you, forever and sincerely, for as long as we have voices.” – Eat, Pray, Love

So, for all of those who have helped me along the way – the best way I can say thank you is to pay it forward and to live my life loving and serving others.  I pray that God blesses you abundantly.  Because of your generosity, my life has been forever changed.  I could never have done this without all of you, and most importantly without our Heavenly Father.  In Christ, through Mary.  Love, Celie

P.S. Enjoy the pictures of this beautiful earth He created!

Shopping at the market. I'm one of the goofballs in the background waving :)

Celie, Molly, Emily, Jessica, Jess

Celie with llamas!

Beauty.

Allison & Celie

OT girls

Action shot!

Sad to leave the Andes Mountains

Ecuador Day 7

August 19, 2011

These last couple of days in Ecuador were an extremely necessary part of our trip.  I was awake for about two and a half days straight, but it was worth every single second of it.  Yesterday (Friday) morning we woke up earlier than normal for our last breakfast at Tangara.  Our tour bus picked us up and we were off on our last adventure.  Our tour guide, Elsie, gave us a brief history of some of the places we were passing in Guayquil.  After that we crossed the river into Duran.  This is a much more run down part of Ecuador.  A lot of our patients come from this area, so we asked for our bus driver to take a route through the city so we could get an idea of how they live each day.  It put things in perspective for a lot of us.  

Duran

We saw women on the streets doing laundry, as well as on the roofs of houses.  We also passed a cemetery, which is much different than the ones we have in the US.  The ones here have the plots built on top of each other or often on the sides of hills.  The poorer people get buried toward the top and often their plots get washed out due to the rainfall.  This specific cemetery we passed was the one where Sr. Annie buys plots for the residents at the Damien House so they can have a proper burial.  (Did I mention Sr. Annie is amazing? She advocates so much for the residents and she loves them so much. It is so inspiring to be around her.)

            The rest of our adventure in Ecuador involves a trip to the Highlands – Cuenca to be exact.  There is only one way to get there from here.  The road is very long and winds through the mountains.  It takes 4-5 hours to get there, but the scenery is unreal so that makes up for it!  There are all sorts of fruit markets on the side of the road on the way up.  We made a stop right before entering the National Park.  This is when the real mountainous views become clear.

Me - Right before heading into the National Park!

First clear view of the mountains.

            I was literally speechless for most of the ride.  I have no idea what heaven looks like, but for a while I felt like I was there.  Our world is so beautiful.  Our God created this for us and I am grateful.  There was a period of time where I could not take my eyes away from it and I completely forgot about taking pictures.  Thankfully, everyone else was snapping them (even though they don’t begin to do the scenery justice). 

            Once we made it into the city of Cuenca, I was once again in awe.  It is a completely different world up here.  We got to our hotel, had the best meal I have eaten in a very long time, and then were off for a bus tour of the city.  

My first glimpse of the city!

A woman on the street selling fresh fruit.

            First stop – Panama Hat Factory.  This was awesome.  We got to see where they made and dyed the hats.  We also got to see them actually pressing the hats into their shapes.  Of course, we all had to try on and buy hats there too.  Next, we went to the top of this hill where we got a view of the entire city.  You could see for miles and miles.  I was in awe.  Luckily, we were able to visit a lot of these places during our walking tour that afternoon.  

          

Beautiful view of the city.  The three domes are the domes on the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

            After our bus tour we were dropped off went to San Sebastian Plaza.  Of course, I was extremely excited for this. Saint Sebastian was my Confirmation saint.  The Church de San Sebastian was extremely beautiful. It caught my attention and I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it.  We continued our walking tour throughout the beautiful city and saw many churches along the way.  The pictures don’t even begin to do my experience justice…

Church de San Sebastian

Church de San Sebastian

Allison, Celie & Jess - San Sebastian Plaza


Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception



Rosary in the window :)

Mercy Me - I Would Die For You

And I know that I can find You here'
Cause You promised me
You'll always be there
Times like these, it's hard to see
But somehow I have a peace, You're near
And I pray that You will use my life
In whatever way Your name is glorified
Even if surrendering
Means leaving everything behind

My life has never been this clear
Now I know the reason why I'm here
You never know why You're alive
Until you know what you would die for
I would die for You

And I know I don't have much to give
But I promise You I will give You all there is
Can I possibly do less
When through Your own death I live?

No greater love is found
Than of those who lay their own lives down
As sure as I live and breathe
Now I know what it means to be free

Ecuador Day 6

August 18, 2011

Today was a bittersweet day.  It was our last day of treatment and the last day we would spend with the Damien House residents.  There were a lot of smiles and a lot of tears.

I only got to see a few patients today, because I was helping Liz with our gifts that we gave to the residents at the end of the day.  In one of our treatment sessions, Jess (Ackermann) and I made some inserts for a man’s shoe.  We also gave him a new pair of shoes, which he was so grateful for.

Celie & Jess

So happy with his new shoe inserts!

The project for the Damien House residents took most of the time I had left before lunch.  I got to pick out a picture that had been taken sometime throughout the week to give to each of the residents.  I’m so happy that Liz put me in charge of this… there were so many things we did this week and it was great to look back on.  There were a few residents we did not have pictures of, so I got a few of the other girls together and we got some pictures with them.  We did such a great job of capturing some of the most beautiful moments of this experience.  I knew this would be a great gift for the residents, because they really don’t have any pictures up in their rooms.  However, I did not know how much they would love it until we had a chance to give the gifts to them.

This afternoon, the residents had a party for us.  We got to sit up front as the guests of honor, and Sr. Annie gave each of the residents a chance to say a few words to our group.  As they finished saying what they had to say, we presented them with their picture and they had gifts for us as well.  These residents are such beautiful souls.  They spoke of how thankful they were that God had sent us there and how much they would miss us.  At the end, we also had a chance to get up and say something to them.  We were all very emotional throughout the entire thing.  

Me with Panchita

At the end of it all, Abel got up to say a few words as well.  He was one of our translators… and he was only 14 years old!  I think this is what pushed most of us into tears.  He said how thankful he was to have the opportunity to translate for us, and that we had helped him so much this week with his English.  The school system in Ecuador is so silly to me (as it is in many other places in the world).  However, I feel like Abel is really beating the system.  The “rich” kids get to go to school in the morning, and the “poor” kids go to school in the afternoon.  If someone is doing a very good job of learning the English language, they can take a series of tests and may end up getting a scholarship to go to school in the morning.  As Abel told of us how we had opened many doors for him, he began to get very emotional.  We all realized at this point just how much he appreciated the week we had just spent with him. After this was all over we made our rounds, gave our hugs and said our goodbyes. 

Abel & myself

Celie, Jonathon (our other translator) and Allison

Ecuador Day 5

August 17, 2011

Today was a really fun day, with a hodge podge of things going on around the clinic. We saw the regular handful of patients – some wonderful ones I might add.  I am going to have to say our treatment session with Panchita was pretty high up on my list of favorites.  She is this cute little old lady who I would have loved to bring home with me!  We did a few assessments to see how her coordination was and also constructed a new pair of shoes for her.  She was such a sweet woman and was so patient with us as we tried to work without a translator for much of our treatment session with her.

Panchita & Sr. Annie

My treatment group with Panchita.

After our treatment sessions a few of us went around to see some of the residents and to make sure we had a picture with each one of them.  I was really happy to be a part of this group, because there were still some of the residents that I hadn’t gotten a chance to be around much.  The man who made my hammock was sitting outside of his room and he wanted a picture with me.  He is such a cute little man and even though we cannot communicate through words due to the language barrier, his smile and body language say more to me than I ever would have expected. 

Alcides - the man who made my hammock!

Carlos, Celie, Robyn, Rachel

Tonight we walked up Santa Ana Hill as the sun was going down.  The walk up was yet again beautiful.  There are about four hundred steps winding through all of these shops, restaurants, etc.  At the very top there was a lighthouse and a church.  The view of the city at nighttime was unreal.  We all walked up to the top of the lighthouse to get a better view and of course to take some pictures of the scenery. 

The whole group at the bottom of Santa Ana Hill

Jessica & myself

Getting closer to the top!

Jessica, Amy, Celie & Allison

Tonight’s walk was a good one.  It was another chance for me to step back and take a look at the entirety of the moment I am in.  It is so simple – I am so lucky and blessed to be here with all of these people.

"My eyes are small but they have seen the beauty of enormous things,
which leads me to believe there's light enough to see that
You make everything glorious."
 - David Crowder Band

We Are Catholic.

50 Rules for Dad’s of Daughters

50 Rules for Dad’s of Daughters - A break from my Ecuador Journal!

1. Love her mom. Treat her mother with respect, honor, and a big heaping spoonful of public displays of affection. When she grows up, the odds are good she’ll fall in love with and marry someone who treats her much like you treated her mother. Good or bad, that’s just the way it is. I’d prefer good.

Dad's Ordination - April 2010

2. Always be there. Quality time doesn’t happen without quantity time. Hang out together for no other reason than just to be in each other’s presence. Be genuinely interested in the things that interest her. She needs her dad to be involved in her life at every stage. Don’t just sit idly by while she adds years to her life… add life to her years. (My Dad was always supportive of everything I did. He came to as many of my softball & basketball games and track meets, banquets, proms, etc as I can remember growing up. I was very lucky to always have him in the stands cheering for me.  Him and my mother were my biggest fans)

3. Save the day. She’ll grow up looking for a hero. It might as well be you. She’ll need you to come through for her over and over again throughout her life. Rise to the occasion. Red cape and blue tights optional.

4. Savor every moment you have together. Today she’s crawling around the house in diapers, tomorrow you’re handing her the keys to the car, and before you know it, you’re walking her down the aisle. Some day soon, hanging out with her old man won’t be the bees knees anymore. Life happens pretty fast. You better cherish it while you can. (Sidenote… I still love hanging out with my Pops!)

5. Pray for her. Regularly. Passionately. Continually.

Dad's Ordination - April 2010

6. Buy her a glove and teach her to throw a baseball. Make her proud to throw like a girl… a girl with a wicked slider.

7. She will fight with her mother. Choose sides wisely.

8. Go ahead. Buy her those pearls. (I’d rather have the cowboy boots… which I got every single Christmas when I was little. And, I’m hoping to get again this Christmas. One of my favorite childhood memories and something I looked forward to every single year!)

9. Of course you look silly playing peek-a-boo. You should play anyway.

10. Enjoy the wonder of bath time.

11. There will come a day when she asks for a puppy. Don’t over think it. At least one time in her life, just say, “Yes.” (My Pops not only brought a puppy home for me, he brought  home a goat and a pony for me! Best Dad ever?! I think so. I didn’t even have to ask for the goat and the pony!)

12. It’s never too early to start teaching her about money. She will still probably suck you dry as a teenager… and on her wedding day.

13. Make pancakes in the shape of her age for breakfast on her birthday. In a pinch, donuts with pink sprinkles and a candle will suffice.

14. Buy her a pair of Chucks as soon as she starts walking. She won’t always want to wear matching shoes with her old man. (Chuck’s boots?! Yes please!)

15. Dance with her. Start when she’s a little girl or even when she’s a baby. Don’t wait ‘til her wedding day. (Everyone knows my Pops is the dancing king at any wedding reception we go to. I would never pass up a chance to dance with him!)

Mandy's Wedding - July 2009

16. Take her fishing. She will probably squirm more than the worm on your hook. That’s OK.

17. Learn to say no. She may pitch a fit today, but someday you’ll both be glad you stuck to your guns.

18. Tell her she’s beautiful. Say it over and over again. Someday an animated movie or “beauty” magazine will try to convince her otherwise.

19. Teach her to change a flat. A tire without air need not be a major panic inducing event in her life. She’ll still call you crying the first time it happens. (True story…I’ve stood by many times when my Pops changed my oil or fixed something on my Jeep. I still freaked out when it broke down on me and yes, I called him crying.)

20. Take her camping. Immerse her in the great outdoors. Watch her eyes fill with wonder the first time she sees the beauty of wide open spaces. Leave the iPod at home.

21. Let her hold the wheel. She will always remember when daddy let her drive. (My Dad let me drive the old black truck and the tractor as soon as I was old enough to see over the wheel. Who else was going to drive while the boys were bucking bales in the hayfield?)

22. She’s as smart as any boy. Make sure she knows that. (My Pops has always supported me 100% in my decisions throughout my education - both undergrad and graduate. My parents definitely taught me I could do anything I wanted to do if I worked for it!)

September  2009

23. When she learns to give kisses, she will want to plant them all over your face. Encourage this practice.

24. Knowing how to eat sunflower seeds correctly will not help her get into a good college. Teach her anyway.

25. Letting her ride on your shoulders is pure magic. Do it now while you have a strong back and she’s still tiny.

26. It is in her nature to make music. It’s up to you to introduce her to the joy of socks on a wooden floor.

27. If there’s a splash park near your home, take her there often. She will be drawn to the water like a duck to a puddle.

28. She will eagerly await your return home from work in the evenings. Don’t be late.

29. If her mom enrolls her in swim lessons, make sure you get in the pool too. Don’t be intimidated if there are no other dads there. It’s their loss.

30. Never miss her birthday. In ten years she won’t remember the present you gave her. She will remember if you weren’t there.

31. Teach her to roller skate. Watch her confidence soar.

32. Let her roll around in the grass. It’s good for her soul. It’s not bad for yours either.

33. Take her swimsuit shopping. Don’t be afraid to veto some of her choices, but resist the urge to buy her full-body beach pajamas.

34. Somewhere between the time she turns three and her sixth birthday, the odds are good that she will ask you to marry her. Let her down gently. (I wonder if I ever did this? I was a major tomboy at this stage.)

35. She’ll probably want to crawl in bed with you after a nightmare. This is a good thing.

36. Few things in life are more comforting to a crying little girl than her father’s hand. Never forget this.

37. Introduce her to the swings at your local park. She’ll squeal for you to push her higher and faster. Her definition of “higher and faster” is probably not the same as yours. Keep that in mind.

38. When she’s a bit older, your definition of higher and faster will be a lot closer to hers. When that day comes, go ahead… give it all you’ve got.

39. Holding her upside down by the legs while she giggles and screams uncontrollably is great for your biceps. WARNING: She has no concept of muscle fatigue.

40. She might ask you to buy her a pony on her birthday. Unless you live on a farm, do not buy her a pony on her birthday. It’s OK to rent one though. (Well, I guess I can't remember if I asked or not… but my Dad did buy me a pony for my birthday. I think I was 11 or 12. It’s okay though, because we raised horses. Sunshine, you were a great pony! And Thanks Dad for making my dreams come true!)

Early morning horse ride - Summer 2011

41. Take it easy on the presents for her birthday and Christmas. Instead, give her the gift of experiences you can share together. (This statement couldn’t be more true, and I was fortunate enough to experience it.)

42. Let her know she can always come home. No matter what.

43. Remember, just like a butterfly, she too will spread her wings and fly some day. Enjoy her caterpillar years.

44. Write her a handwritten letter every year on her birthday. Give them to her when she goes off to college, becomes a mother herself, or when you think she needs them most. (My parents still write long letters in my birthday cards every year. I love this and hope this never changes.)

45. Learn to trust her. Gradually give her more freedom as she gets older. She will rise to the expectations you set for her.

46. When in doubt, trust your heart. She already does.

Easter - 2011

47. When your teenage daughter is upset, learning when to engage and when to back off will add years to YOUR life. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

48. Ice cream covers over a multitude of sins. Know her favorite flavor.

49. This day is coming soon. There’s nothing you can do to be ready for it. The sooner you accept this fact, the easier it will be.

50. Today she’s walking down the driveway to get on the school bus. Tomorrow she’s going off to college. Don’t blink.

By: Michael Mitchell