Week in Review: January 10- January 16, 2010

Happy Day, it is Saturday. I'm glad this week is over. The week started off wonderfully! But somehow as the week continued, my energy was zapped out of me. So I'm glad I can now recover!

Here is a recap of highlights from this past week:

SUNDAY: Sunday was mainly filled with Church. I attended sacrament meeting in another ward, I am in our stake relief society presidency and this Sunday was ward conference which means we were invited to attend another ward. That ward's meetings are at the same time as my ward's meetings, so I didn't go to my ward. While it is fun to go attend another ward and see those who live elsewhere in the stake, I do feel a little sad as I miss my own ward. I do wish I knew the sisters in other wards better. For instance, there was one young sister who appears to be undergoing treatment for cancer, I would like to know her story and I hope and pray she will be ok.

I left that ward  20 minutes early. I was a bit conflicted about the reason for leaving early, as the reason was to get back to my ward building in order to catch a carpool to another stake to attend the inaugural meeting of a new singles ward in our area, the Potomac Ward. While that ward is for singles who live in the Mt. Vernon Stake, they have graciously invited those from other stakes to be visitors to their meetings and activities. What an awesome ward! Wonderful talks! I have never been at the "first meeting" of another ward, and it was an exciting to be there.

Then I went to our stake singles FHE. It started one hour after the other ward ended, and in between we had to drive from Mt. Vernon down to Woodbridge. I had planned to bring food to eat en route or get home to get something, as I knew time would be short. Well by now it was nearly 7PM and I was so hungry that I was actually slightly heaving. (too much info, I know!) In the morning, I had been running late as I woke up late) so I had not eaten breakfast. All I had drank that day had been my junk-filled soda. Gratefully, the sister who hosted the FHE made me a bagel! And in the future, if I plan to visit the other ward after my own ward, I will definitely be more prepared and bring snacks.

The FHE message was good, our hostess shared some of her thoughts from the Potomac meeting. We also worked on some plans to jumpstart our stake singles program. And I loved that our stake presidency member over singles and his wife joined us. Their presence at our meeting made me feel they cared. A good thing!

MONDAY: The family who home teaches me invited me to their home for dinner and to attend their Family Home Evening. My home teachers wife shared a great lesson about forgiveness and the importance of not holding grudges. At one point to illustrate this, she invited her children to perform 10 jumping jacks while wearing a backback containing heavy books. She showed how holding grudges makes things in life harder, much like trying to do tasks while wearing such a heavy bag. I didn't try this activity that night, but I appreciated the messsage and the warm welcome.

TUESDAY:  After work, I went to a job fair planning meeting for our stake. We are working with some other churches in the area to organzine a community job fair that will be held in the spring.  I know many are out of work and I hope this job fair will be helpful to people in that situation. My assignment from this meeting was to help find someone to create a poster/flyer for this.

WEDNESDAY: Yeah, the sister who we had in mind agreed to create the flyer/poster for the job fair! I've often dreaded asking people to do things, and it makes me happy when people agree to do things.

Then in the evening I went to Enrichment.

The theme was based on "my favorite things" and sisters took turns telling or sharing about something they love.

A highlight of work (NOT!) was a compliment of being told I was "assertive" and someone else said I used "amazing restraint" in a frustrating work situation.  I can't share details here but I am grateful for supportive coworkers!

THURSDAY: I hated the front page of Thursday's Washington Post. The picture on the front page was deeply touching, of a mud-covered child in the midst of the earthquake in Haiti.

Another emotion I recall from Thursday is being saddened by a statement one of my patients said to me. I've worked hard to encourage and care for this person and to do my best to assist this individual. Yet in amoment of tired and being overwhelmed, this patient told me that she felt I'm "not treating her like a human being". Despite this person's age-induced physical and cognitive limitations, it is just frustrating as I've made good effort to accommodate this person, so those cutting comments kind of hurt. I've got to learn to let things like that just roll of my mind and heart. But as that person also said this in front of their family member, even more so it makes me look like an uncaring person.

One other good thing about Thursday is that after work, I went to the Bombay Cafe, a yummy $5 buffet of delicious Indian food. For the first time in going there, they were so busy that I actually had to wait for a seat! When I got a seat it was next to the door...shiver!

FRIDAY: Please can I just say that being old and having disabilities is NOT a license for rudeness. Today I witnessed a gentleman  yell "shutup" to his daughter several times. The family members of our patients endure a lot to support their loved ones, so it is sad when the older individual snaps at their well-meaning younger family members.

Mid-day I left work for awhile to bring my car into get repaired. ( a couple weeks ago my neighbor accidentally bumped into my car, thus I need to get the bumper fixed). So for the next couple days I get a rental car, a black Hyundi. Fun!

It is touching to read of the good  people are doing to help those in Haiti. Even more than yesterday, I hated today's  front page picture of the Washington Post.. today's picture depicted a girl who had died on her knees in the rubble.

A highlight from today was receiving a letter from my brother Justin, who is serving in southern California. He wrote to thank me for a gift card I'd given him and his companion to use at Subway. My brother humbly wrote that he and his companion were able to give the remaining balance of the card to a homeless man. Justin said he saw the homeless man buy a sandwich and then share half of it with his friend. It made me happy to see the growth in my brother and to see that he is growing into such a wonderful young man.

Oh and one more highlight! This is something I've been eagerly awaiting to do:

after work,  I sent in preliminary registration for next years Guatamala SHe trip!

I hope get to go. So much interest is anticipated, and this year they won't be able to accommodate as many participant- volunteers as last time, so I worry that there is a chance I won't be selected. I put a second choice for the Bolivia trip. But I hope I can go to Guatamala, I just feel I need to go and want to go there again.

I can't even describe how profoundly last years trip impacted my heart, mind and soul. It was an amazing adventure for me.

The people of the Polochic are kind and loving and happy, the type of person I want to be.

SATURDAY:  Anyone who has read this far must be super bored!!!  I slept in Saturday then went on some errands.

I returned a couple items to Kohl's. Then I went to CiCi's (pizza buffet)- a family from church was there and it was nice to see them! I appreciated that the sister gave me a hug. And it was fun to watch her little girl due a dance of joy when she won a prize in one of kid games.

Then to Wal- Mart: one of the couples from another faith that is helping organize the job fair is collecting supplies to send to Haiti, so I was able to drop a few small things off to them.

After that I drove up to MD to the local LDS bookstore. I wanted to get a missionary CD for Justin. Going to that bookstore is always dangerous event for me- that store contains so many wonderful books and things that I would like to have!

Then on the way home I stopped and got some ice-cream from McD's while I browsed through the book I had gotten for myself. ( I had to replace a book that I had lent out that was not returned)

When I got home I did a little (and that means VERY LITTLE) cleaning. I squandered some time on Facebook . I also read several great General Conference talks.

Finally, the week was over! And that is a glimpse into this past week!

Here's looking forward to a new week!