Medical Missions Training

Two-weeks in the beautiful rolling hills of North Carolina + medical missions/tropical diseases training = Missionary Medical Intensive (MMI) class at Equip, Intl. I had the opportunity to take this class last month, and it was amazing! Definitely intense...which is probably why 'intensive' is in the name of the class:) My future AfricaHope medical teammates (Angie & Elizabeth) came as well, so we had those 2 weeks (plus a 12-hour road trip each way!) to get to know each other better & discuss our upcoming ministry. I can gladly say we're now even more excited than we were before! And definitely feel more prepared for the adventures that are about to ensue!

The cabin Tillie & I shared


We only had electricity 1-hour each night! Otherwise it was gas lamps & heaters


Tillie & Sheila practicing with the otoscope

Open wide Samantha! :)

Blood pressure time...


Dr. Mary (the author of the book MMI is taught from, Village Medical Manual, flew in from Ethiopia with Nurse Sophie to teach our class with the newly released 6th edition!





We all had 40-50 case studies to complete by the end of the class


What a great visual...Dr. Mary drew on Shola to outline his organs!





Math/dosage calculations...can't avoid them








Dr. Mary's prize possessions...glass syringes!






John & I working on NG tubes (aka feeding tubes)


And that's how it's done...





We learned to make feeding tubes out of IV tubing








Delivery teaching kits

Dr. Mary teaching us finger blocks...












Mmmm...cow tongue...Shelly & Cameron looks thrilled


Suture time...


Kimby & I suturing




Shoulder dislocation? We'll pop you back into place!


AfricaHope medical team!!! - Angie, me, & Elizabeth (plus John, who's going to AfricaHope for a month this summer & Crystal, a friend from ECHO)









Dr. Mary demonstrating teeth blocks













There were 18 of us...half medical, half non-medical


Afternoon in Black Mountain (Angie, me, Elizabeth, & John)

Dinner in Asheville (me, Angie, Elizabeth, & Amy)

Opa!!!

Over a year ago, my sister (Lora), cousin (Rachel), & I decided we wanted to go on an adventure before I moved to Kenya for 3 years. We picked Greece! We started dreaming, planning, &...saving. As the year went by, my brother-in-law (Erik), another cousin (Sean), & Rachel's boyfriend (Bill) decided they wanted to come, too. And I can't blame them. We departed on our adventure March 11, 2010...only 3 short days after I moved from Nashville (perhaps not the best idea in the world, but it sure was distracting!). We saw many ancient treasures of this world & masterpieces of nature that God created. It was a blessing to get this time with my family before another adventure begins...Kenya!!! Here are some of my favorites...

Fun at the Parthenon!

Santorini - Sean, Rachel, Bill, me, Lora, & Erik


Huge cannon balls in Rhodes!

View of Athens from the Acropolis


Large, random columns everywhere!

Fresh octopus!



Unfinished temple on Naxos


Bike adventure on Naxos

Sisters, sisters:)

Colossus of Naxos? :)


Beautiful Santorini

Erik & Lora exploring the ancient city



Amazing Santorini!!!



Cousins!!! Sean, me, Lora, & Rachel

Now that's a large container of Kalamata olives!


Street of the Knights, Rhodes

Aegean Sea







Fresh olives at the market!








Probably...








Athens subway

Meteora monasteries



Meteora, Greece





Exploring in Meteora

Just in time for the monastery to close:(





View of the Acropolis from our hotel in Athens!


Typical sight at our Greek mealsTemple of Zeus...what's left








Cathedral in Athens


Sean & I hiking in Naxos

Night ferry coming into Santorini







Sunset from Oia, Santorini

One of the coolest pictures. Go Erik!