The Armor of God

Isaiah 52:7: How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!"

Before I head off on to further adventures. I want to reflect on a few adventures I've had in the past few years.

In the summer of 2007, I had the chance to be a camp counselor at Mt. Cross in Northern California. I packed my bags in early June after returning from Airborne school and headed off to the redwoods. Mt. Cross is an unlikely camp. It is situated off a California highway on the mountains of Santa Cruz. It was a time to share my love of Christ with kids and meet other "kids" my age who shared that love.

In the permanent shade of redwoods I spent a summer making light through friendship. I met four incredible co-counselors who touched my life forever: Kara, Mary, Kate, and Stephanie. Every week was a new adventure of how to teach kids about the reality of being a Christian in this world and putting on "the full armor of God."

The best part was, we weren't secluded from the outside world at all. Each week it seemed like as counselors we were faced with challenges of the world. We had kids with real issues who needed love. On the weekends, we got to explore northern California in all its glory and reach out to the "natives".

I will always look back on this special time of my life with a sigh of longing to go back to it and thankfulness in my heart for the chance to experience it. I am forever thankful for the chance to meet such interesting people from all over the U.S. and experience Northern California nature.

This summer restored a spirit in me through living at the camp, loving on kids, and letters I received from a special friend. My spirit had been broken earlier in college. This camp adventure was one of renewal of spirit and learning how great the love of God can be in friendship.

My Story

So, some may wonder (or if you are reading this you may already know) how exactly I got to this spot. I think it is good to connect the life dots and give a little recap to help you understand how I ended up in Germany. I guess I will give a "mini" life story. Growing up, I wanted to be a dermatologist. I don't know why, but I think I have always had a fascination for the human body. The skin is your only organ that you can see.

This dream changed when I was 15 and was hit by a car. Ow! I had to be hospitalized at a children's hospital called Cardinal Glennon. That made me want to be a nurse because the doctors were jerks and the nurses were wonderful.

I then decided I wanted to go to Truman State University junior year of high school. I visited it with my bestie, Nicole Suit, and loved it! They had a nursing program, which I felt that I could easily be apart. The thing about nursing, however, was that for some reason graduating college and becoming a nurse somewhere didn't feel like enough. I wanted more adventure. Being a military nurse sounded like the perfect answer. I started looking at ROTC programs and since I decided on Truman, I looked at their ROTC program. My parents put an end to my looking once it actually started to become "serious" and they wanted me to start signing papers. I always kept this option in the back of my head when I started school.

When I drove back to college with my dad my freshman year from Christmas break I told him I still wanted to become an Army nurse and I was going to start the process of contracting. He gave me his blessing. ROTC gave me some pretty neat experiences that I never would have done before. I felt so silly "playing Army," but there never was a time that I didn't walk away saying, "Wow, that was kinda fun." I loved the Army nurses I met and the motivation they had in their job. I looked forward to being apart of this "camaraderie." I got the chance after my sophomore year in 2007 to go to Army Airborne school. There I met people from all walks of the military: air force, marines, navy, and army. I met privates, NCOs, and officers. I met incredible girl cadets going through the same journey as me who I still keep in touch with to this day. Airborne school was my "baptism of fire" into the military. I had never been criticised so harshly or judged so quickly before, but in the end I left with a confidence in myself. I could do this military thing.

My summer in 2008 took me to Ft. Lewis, WA for my "big" Army ROTC camp LDAC. I really don't know what to say about it except that it was LDAC. I continued to meet great people who were extremely motivated in their job. My summer nursing internship at Madigan Army medical center was fun. I decided that I should be stationed there.

Well, things didn't go as planned and I ended up getting my first station pick that I never dreamed of getting: Germany. I have always wanted to see as much as I can see. I was thrilled at the chance of experiencing new places, people, and culture. I fell in love with experiencing new cultures after visiting the Philippines with my nursing program in 2008.

Right now, I wait in my home of St. Charles, MO until it is time for me to leave to San Antonio, Texas for training. I am thankful to God for my loving, supportive family and all of the other INCREDIBLE people he has put in my life. I say in all seriousness that God has put THE BEST people in my life.

I am currently working at an Alzheimer's/dementia unit. I love the geriatric population as much as my rugrat preschoolers who I worked with at Kirksville Childhood Development Center in Kirksville, MO. They still have so much love to give even though they lost their minds! I am learning how to love and care as a nurse. Sometimes in life, it is a blessing to be stationary for awhile and learn how to be patient until God brings the next phase of your life. I am learning that in more ways than one. My elderly have taught me how fast life goes and in the end it is about the love you bring to others lives. An in the VERY end it is about the treasures you have stored in your heavenly home and not on earth.