Jumbled

This has been quite an interesting 2 months of my life. I am astounded by the things I have experienced thus far, the things God has been teaching me and the way He has taken care of me. My last couple weeks in Illinois were a whirlwind-I took the MCAT (thanks for your prayers, still waiting for scores! AHHHH), had to decide what to cram into 2 boxes and a suitcase to sustain my material life for the next year, (ok let's be real, until I come home during Christmas), and visited, celebrated, and said see you to some really amazing friends, who I can actually call my family (Bethesda and the three sisters). These few weeks made me realize I am missing little pieces of my heart, but some really special people and places are guarding those pieces.

All that being said, a chapter of my life has ended, and a new one has begun. I have been blown away by my JVC experience so far. Orientation week was in Indiana, at a retreat center in the middle of the woods- with literally (and I mean LITERALLY) no contact with the outside world- it was great. I did some trail running, contra dancing (look it up, and then try it, seriously), had lots of quiet time, lots of time praying and listening with God, reading my bible, and really learning about people. For those of you who don't know, the Jesuit Volunteer Corps is based on Ignatian Spirituality (it's a type of Catholic teaching). I learned more about the Jesuits, what they stand for (really awesome people, read up on them if you get a chance, and hang out with them), different ways of praying, listening, and got the chance to see the world from others' perspectives.

We discussed in depth the four values we as Jesuit Volunteers will try to grow in and embody this year, and hopefully carry with us into our lives. They are: spirituality, community, simple living, and social justice. My housemates and I are SO excited to grow together in these four values. Just for a little preview- We've so far had plenty of community bonding time, learning (quite in depth might I add) about each others lives at orientation, the eight and a half hour car ride to Kansas City, the flu (yup), cleaning the swamp house together (yup- just like it sounds), visiting each others work sites together before our first day, and being welcomed into this wonderful city by some amazing people who have astounded us with their generosity, hospitality, and love. We've already been given a key to the Jesuit Residence at Rockhurst University, where we have also been invited to brunch every Sunday (and oh my gosh the food is AMAZING, just like the company). Oh by the way parents, grandparents, etc, you can rest assured I am safe, our house is right across the street from Rockhurst University, where campus security patrols daily and nightly.

Some things we're excited about for simple living- we've decided to try to make as much food as possible from scratch (which so far has only been bread, but we've been here less than a week), not use paper products like towels, napkins, plates, etc (but we ARE using toilet paper, just so that's clear), we're obviously trying not to spend money on eating out, new clothes, etc, and later I'll put up pictures of our house and that will explain everything else related to simple living ;)

There is one more thing to touch on before I end this post (even though there is still so much more to tell, but I'll let everyone catch up on this before I write a novel) and that is my job. I am overjoyed by what I have the opportunity to do and the organization I have the privilege to be part of. For those of you who don't know, I am a patient assistant and behavioral health case manager at a free health clinic (KC Free). This organization is amazing. They serve the individuals in society who otherwise might fall through the cracks and not receive health care- that is, those with no insurance, those who have been refused insurance coverage, etc. They focus on the whole person, not just their health issues but any socioeconomic barriers people might encounter that could also affect their health. This place is in line with my views on health care to a T- or should I say mine is in line with theirs. They have health care services in general medicine, HIV prevention, primary care, behavioral health, and dentistry. They are the largest free health clinic in the country, with a full-time staff of 105, plus over 1,200 volunteers. Today was my first day, and I was just on top of the world. For the first part of my day I assess patients before they see the doctor (usually a volunteer doctor or resident from KU). I took their blood pressures, pulse, patient histories, urine tests, blood glucose, and that was just my first day.
There will be much more to come, and believe it or not I have only skimmed the surface of these past few weeks. I apologize this is all kind of thrown on the page in a jumble, but that is literally what I feel like right now- and my community and I are anxiously awaiting some much needed structure and routine (which still won't be much) that the next few weeks will finally fall into. Until next time!
Rejoice,
Heidi