His Eye is On the Sparrow

My due date is fast approaching! And although yesterday's OB visit was just the 38-week mark, I left the clinic without a return appointment. Apparently, my cervix has been busy preparing for the arrival of this baby...and is just about ready! For those of you who like the medical details, the cervical exam showed 90% effacement and 3-4cm dilation. Yikes! I hope Mike gets here before the baby does! What a relief and a blessing it is to know that those training in Kansas get to have the 4-day weekend for Labor Day and that I get to give Mike a real live hug this Friday night. :D

All the busyness of transitioning and settling into a new home environment has helped this first month pass fairly quickly, but it's hard not to have moments of doubt and anxiety when thinking about how we're going to survive this separation... or more specifically, how I'm going to survive being a single parent of a toddler and a newborn.

A couple weeks ago, God seemed to speak to me and my worries when someone at church sang the song "His Eye is on the Sparrow," which tells of the hope and peace that comes from knowing of His protection and provision. First of all, this is a song that I've enjoyed hearing Mike sing in the past, and one of the Bible texts that inspired its composition comes from a passage (Matthew 6:25-34) that he and I had used to encourage each other through medical school and residency. Second is how the word "sparrow" is translated in Tagalog -- the main Filipino dialect and the language in which the singer at church performed the second half of the song:

sparrow (English) = maya (Tagalog)

Just before Mike left for deployment, we had decided to name our baby girl Maya. I liked the sound of the name but was having a hard time finding a significant meaning/origin of the name. So when I heard the Tagalog portion of this song, I became teary-eyed. I began to think of our soon-to-arrive daughter and her long-to-be-absent father... and all the concerns I had, especially for their relationship or possible lack thereof. The song reassured me that Maya will be loved and cared for by her earthly father and her Heavenly Father. And that no matter where Mike is, God will be watching over her and providing her every need.

Here's a simple and sweet rendition of the original song:

Look at the birds of the air,

that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns,

and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not worth much more than they?

Matthew 6:26

Harana

We had the privilege of hosting a harana last Wednesday night in my parents' home. Traditionally, a harana is a serenade performed as a means of courting. However, the term has come to describe any form of music presented with a gift-giving spirit in the setting of a private residence. Alongside fellow church members, relatives, co-workers, and neighbors, we spent the evening enjoying the harmonious blend of ~20 young voices turn our living room into a concert hall! And this musical magic was pulled off by the "Ambassadors", an internationally acclaimed choral ensemble from the Adventist University of the Philippines. They are about 1 month into their 3-month U.S. tour having visited the San Diego and L.A. areas and stopping in Bakersfield for the week before moving on to Fresno, Visalia, Michigan, New Jersey, and New York.


Warming up for the harana


Warai-Warai -- a Tagalog song about a Visayan community known for their "tough chicks"; featuring Carmi Flores




Sabbath performance at Hillcrest SDA Church


During each of these stops, the members of the choir have been hosted by families who have opened up their homes to provide meals and a cozy place to sleep. Carmi Flores & Redeem Ebora are the 2 lovely young ladies who have been staying with us. You might think this would be a bit untimely with us trying to get stuff ready for a new baby, but Carmi and Redeem have actually been quite helpful in keeping Maxwell entertained throughout the day. It's almost as if we inherited instant babysitters! And in between performances, it's been fun to share ordinary (and extraordinary) life with such pleasant company... see the slideshow for some Kodak moments!

On the homefront

Being back in California has definitely softened the blow of being without Mike, especially through the closeness of family and the convenience of having simple luxuries... like Target and Jamba Juice!

Unfortunately, after living in the sheltered world of military healthcare, I am now discovering the woes of health insurance in the civilian world. Between referral authorizations and separate lab test bills, it's no wonder some people avoid dealing with their health and doctors altogether!

On a brighter note, this relocation allowed Max and me to attend my cousin's wedding in Las Vegas where I was able to reconnect with several relatives... What's funny is that the last time I saw most of them, I was pregnant with Max! (I may be making a new reputation for myself!) And since Vegas is "on the way" to Utah, Max was able to hang out with cousin Josiah throughout the wedding weekend--woohoo!

Through The Sand

Yesterday, Mike left for his deployment. I had to part ways with my best friend and confidant to let him fulfill a duty that I have yet to fully comprehend. The proverbial "fork in the road," however, doesn't seem to fit this situation. Because, although we have to be separated physically, we are still undergoing this trial together... as the one that man and woman become when we commit to the sacred union of marriage. And that in itself helps to lift the cloud of alone-ness.

To stay true to the unique experiences that he will be undergoing apart from me and Max, though, Mike will be sharing his side of deployment life at his own blog: Through the Sand. I know I'll be following his every post!



I also praise God for the family whose presence I was immersed in during Mike's departure and throughout that day. The joy of seeing loved ones whom I have been separated from during our year in Guam was a timely blessing that effectively dissipated any feelings of loneliness.

Not Goodbye But See You Later

Being in the military can be bittersweet...often times more bitter than sweet! Gemma can attest to the many times that I often complain and whine about how the "system" is broken, and how it affects the care of my patients. One of the joys of being a family physician is the continuity of care that I can deliver to my patients which leads to a more trusting physician-patient relationship. Military deployments are often the biggest threat to that relationship as physicians are being called to the Middle East for 6 months or longer. In my case, I have been called to serve in Afghanistan for 12 months and will be leaving for 3 months of training this August (actually, in few days). The details of my assignment are a bit hazy at this point, but every time I watch CNN I get a little more nervous. This calling has been a bit of a shock for my family, but the Lord has enabled us to find strength in this time of great trial and uncertainty.

Before we arrived on Guam I could feel the Lord calling our family to this little island in the middle of the Pacific. I wasn't sure what was in store for us, but I prayed that the Lord would use us in a mighty way. He has truly blessed us with "more than we can ever ask or imagine" (Ephesians 3:20) The opportunity for medical ministry, youth ministry, music ministry, and even radio ministry has unleashed a sense of discipleship that can only be attributed to the changing power of Christ. Thank you, Lord, for Your work in us.

"And we know that all things work together

for good to them that love God,

to them who are called according to His purpose."

Romans 8:28

Being in Guam for 1 year has allowed me to care for people who are truly deserving of the highest standards of medical care...our active duty, active duty dependents, retirees, and veterans who have sacrificed much for the good of our country. Thank you for allowing me the privilege of being your health care provider.

"Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least these,

my brethren, ye have done it unto Me."

Matthew 25:40

Me and Sid working together at the SDA clinic

To my fellow Christian brothers and sisters who have embraced my family from the first day we arrived on island, I thank you. To the radio crew at Joy92 and listeners of Total Health Live, thank you for allowing me the unique opportunity to spread our health message on the air...I will be back!

To the Guam SDA Clinic, thank you for the sacrifice and zeal that you have demonstrated towards the people of Guam, and for the opportunities that you have given to us for medical ministry.

To the precious youth and young adults who have allowed themselves to be teachable and open to the power of Scripture...may we all remain faithful to the finishing of the work. And may that work begin in all of us!

Our final Sabbath potluck on Guam... until next time!

An army of youth!

"The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few.

Pray ye, therefore, the Lord of the harvest,

that He will send forth labourers into His harvest."

Matthew 9:37, 38