Change of plans...

Well, there has been a change of plans in my Africa trip. I will still be going to Malawi for a little over two weeks to help in some off-site clinics, the hospital itself, and putting on a VBS program for the kids. But after that part of the trip, I will be traveling to Rwanda with my program director to perform a hospital assessment and attend some board meetings with the President of AHI (Adventist Health International). Hello international business! The rest of my trip will be sponsored by my school (thank you Public Health), and will add an extra 12 days to my stay in Africa. I am so excited for all the doors that keep opening for me. God is good!

I'm still fundraising for Malawi... Only $1,600 more to go! If you are able to donate - that is awesome. A small donation has a huge impact. Thanks!

Allie's Fundraising Site

No Time to say Hello, Goodbye!

No time to say hello, goodbye! I'm late! I'm late! I'm late!

I feel like the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland right now. I'm thinking about all that I have to get done in the next two months...

At work: planning a day of revival for employees and staying on top of the blog. Also, I think I'm going to start volunteering with the pet therapists to get a little clinical exposure and hang out with some sweet doggies.

For school: write a marketing summary for a dental clinic in Yucaipa, write a marketing business plan for a frozen yogurt place in Redlands, present on the pros and cons of assisted suicide, work on some other group project for epidemiology, and write an 11-page paper and present on my practicum experience so far.

For life: get back to running since I have a race coming up at the end of the month, house hunting for a place to move into by the end of May, and continue fundraising for my mission trip that's in June.

So much to do and so little time. I wish I were Alice instead of the White Rabbit. Then I could day dream and sing with the flowers and play croquet with hedgehogs and flamingos.

#wishfulthinking

Errand is a weird word

Errand is a terribly silly word. I had to look up its origins before I wrote anymore... Apparently it was used in the old english language to mean a business message.

Well, I thought that was interesting. Anyways, I ran errands today - a lot of errands. I just thought I would boast as to how much I completed (this is all after work, by the way).

1. Took my new suit jacket (that ended up being a size too large) to the post office with the return label so that I could exchange it for a smaller size. CHECK!

2. While I was at the post office I picked up stamps and envelopes so that I can mail my mission trip donation letters. CHECK!

3. Went to Yogurtlicious, not for a delicious treat, but for school. I left my contact information for the manager so that my group can do a marketing business plan for them. CHECK!

4. Drove to Downtown Redlands to shop for TOMS ballet flats, but they didn't have the print I wanted. However, I was relieved when I saw that the price tag was a little out of my price range these days. CHECK!

5. Found the Aveda Salon (because I am NEVER going back to the one in Riverside or Napa - EVER). CHECK!

6. Deposited a check I just received (yay!) so that it can gain some interest until I have to apply it to my school account. CHECK!

7. Went to Jamba Juice so that I could receive my necessary intake of fruit for the day. CHECK!

8. Went to Target to buy index cards for class, photo paper to print off some pictures for my new office, and some dark chocolate covered almonds (#semihealthy?) also for my new office. CHECK!

9. Stopped in Payless to see if they had subsitute ballet flats instead of the TOMS. NEGATIVE.

*However, I did meet a nice lady that shared my dilemma of shopping for small feet (#solesisters?). CHECK!

10. Went to Sephora to buy unfortunately necessary makeup... but it didn't cost as much as I thought it would (#frugal). CHECK!

11. Ran at the Drayson Center track. The sad part is that it was only 2 miles; however, I would like to add that I was dodging 4 to 15-year-olds playing soccer/battling a strained muscle in my leg because I didn't stretch properly (like daddy said to) after my big run on Sunday. Check?

12. Bought plane tickets to Phoenix. Check!

13. Finally, in bed before 11pm. Check!

G'night world!

March 0-2

I came up with the brilliant idea of launching a blog for this program I'm directing at work, and I can't even update my own blog. So far I'm 0-2 on the blog front.

On the other hand, I have been putting my creative writing skills to the test with a book that my office publishes once a year. The stories are quite inspirational, and yes, sometimes they make you want to cry. I've interviewed a man that was once homeless for nearly two decades, a dog trainer that uses her labrador in pet therapy, and many many other interesting characters. Overall, its been a really neat experience and I'm really excited about my first "publishing" (yes, my name will be in the credits as a Writer). Who knew that this business internship would lead me back to my freshman year pursuit of an English degree!

Spring Quarter officially commenced this afternoon with Epidemiology 505. I have a feeling that this course will only awaken my sleeping hypochondria. I guess I better stock up on my hand santizer supply. However, I fear I might have bigger fish to fry in that my Epi (that's how the cool kids abbreviate Epidemiology) professor seems to be speaking English, but I really can't understand a word he says. I spent a whole two hours (1) literally hanging on every word he said and (2) turning to my friend and asking what in the world he said. Then when I ask my friend what he said, I've lost a good two sentences; thus, the cycle continues.

The other courses I'm taking are not really that interesting, so I won't even bother mentioning them.

TTFN

The Warm Heart

mis·sion·ar·y

   [mish-uh-ner-ee]

3.

a person who is sent on a mission.

I've always wondered what it would be like to be a missionary, to be sent on a mission for God. I'd give up my friends, my family, my phone, my time - all to serve others. But there were always hesitations. I can't take a year off from school. I need to finish in four years so I don't have excruciatingly large loans to pay off in the future. Or, I just don't have the money right now to do something like this.

Well, I am tired of making excuses - I am going to Africa! Sadly, I won't be able to go for a year or six months, but I do get to be there for a solid two and a half weeks. I am so excited that this opportunity came up. I would read the e-mails announcing the trip through the student missions office at Loma Linda and kept the idea in the back of my mind. Finally, I prayed about it, asking God to impress on me what to do. Suddenly, "Africa" was being mentioned in random conversations I had with people, even sermons! I knew this was His sign - I had to go.

So, I'll be joining 15 other students as we travel to...

Malawi is on the eastern side of the continent, sandwiched between Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique. We'll be staying at Malamulo, the Adventist Hospital there. I might get the chance to help in some clinics, teach health education, and help with VBS for the kids. It really doesn't matter what I do, though. I am just so ecstatic to get the chance to go on a mission for God.

Only 3 months, 2 weeks, and 6 days to go...

PossAbilities Challenge

I come from a family of athletes. My dad, a professor of Exercise Science, is all about sports. My younger brother is the same, and my mom has always been a runner. Me - not so much. But, I've decided to change all that and start running. I've been putting in 30 minutes of cardio a day for almost 3 weeks now. This is my longest work-out streak ever! As great as daily exercise is, I decided to take it a step further and set a goal for myself. So, I signed up to do a 5K here at Loma Linda called PossAbilities Challenge. PossAbilities is a really awesome community outreach program for individuals with disabilities.

Here's a really inspiring video about PossAbilities:

As a participant in the race, I get the opportunity to raise money for PossAbilities. My goal is to raise $50. I can't wait to run my very first race, April 29.

For those that are interested, here's my personal web page for PossAbilities:

http://www.active.com/donate/possabilitiestri/alliee55

Love Never Fails

You know when you hear a song that speaks to your soul? It's as if the artist knows exactly what you need to hear right then. In the sermon I heard this Sabbath the speaker told a story about a mission project in Africa. The group had brought over a thousand American Standard bolts and had left the matching nuts back in the States. They had a slim chance of finding the standard nuts they needed to complete the building project, but they looked anyways. An old man at the local hardware store thought they were so foolish for thinking they would have Standard nuts and bolts for sale in a place where the English metric system was used, but he looked anyways. Sure enough, on top of the boxes of supplies was a large box of 1,000 standard nuts. Exactly what they needed! He received the box 60 years ago when a man from the United States had come to Africa and was working on a project of his own. He only needed the bolts and left the nuts with the owner. God solved their problem 60 years ago. That's why we can never doubt if God is in control. He is and He was in control long before the problem even happened.

Here's the song that I needed to hear today, by Brandon Heath.

Love Never Fails

Love is not proud

Love does not boast

Love after all
Matters the most

Love does not run
Love does not hide
Love does not keep
Locked inside

Love is the river that flows through
Love never fails you

Love will sustain
Love will provide
Love will not cease
At the end of time

Love will protect
Love always hopes
Love still believes
When you don’t

Love is the arms that are holding you
Love never fails you

When my heart won’t make a sound
When I can’t turn back around
When the sky is falling down
Nothing is greater than this
Greater than this

Love is right here
Love is alive
Love is the way
The truth the life

Love is the river that flows through
Love is the arms that are holding you
Love is the place you will fly to
Love never fails you