The Best Laid Plans

Six months, six months, the thought of six months without direction terrified me more than the thought of seven more intense years of school. I'm from good German stock. My grandmother Omi, moved in with my

mother at 82 to help her take care of me -- as an infant. I laughed at her as a child, who would choose to work so hard all the time. Now I go home for Christmas and wear out a saw taking down limbs for my parents. Work? I can do work. But wait?

Waiting is harder.

So it is with surprise that I find myself at the end of two months of waiting and a bit nostalgic for it. December was for my parents and January was for my friends. After eleven academic semesters (most people graduate in eight) I can finally sign my name: Alyssa Anderson BS.

So what do you do with a BS in Biology and six months to kill? Pretty much what you do with a BA in English.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4GwrEuULwY&feature=related

From the musical: Avenue Q

What do you do with a B.A. in English,

What is my life going to be?

Four years of college and plenty of knowledge,

Have earned me this useless degree.

I can't pay the bills yet,

'Cause I have no skills yet,

The world is a big scary place.

But somehow I can't shake,

The feeling I might make,

A difference,

To the human race.

Oh yea, I'm also qualified to teach other people to take the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test). Aside from that, pretty much all a BS does is qualify you to be a lab tech (read: automatic test-tube cleaner) and get an advanced degree. And there is that guy I know who shots the birds that land on the runway at Hartsfield Jackson International and tests them for bird flu, but I don't really think I'd like that. And guns scare me.

So as I faced down the prospect of six months as a waitress (better than the test tubes, believe me) I was presented with a glorious opportunity. Paul Emery's official title is "Missions Outfitter;" this former missionary kid spends his days planning for people to go on short and long term mission trips. http://www.gracefl.org/pray-for-paul-haiti-relief-team. Though I have never been a member of Grace Church, my parents moved recently, they introduced me to Paul and he immediately introduced me to the Sabados.

This married couple is a pair of missionary doctors who work with two other couples of missionary doctors in the Dominican Republic: Quisquea La Bella. I'm not quite sure of the exact number yet, but I hear that at least one of these doctors is also a pastor. What intrigues me most about this core group of doctors is that they have been there for the last 20 years. It is a sad truth that short term medical missions are big business in South America. Some groups do some real good, but many it seems, exist to assuage guilt and pad resumes. After spending the last two years in a free clinic in Athens Georgia that provides an excellent level of care, follow up services, and access to any specialist necessary, I found that such flight-by-night clinics left a sour taste in my mouth. Many of my friends do not even realize that I have been to Panama. So as I thought about medical missions, still my close to my heart after my extremely positive experiences at Mercy, I was very selective. Finding a group like Corazon del Siervo that is run by doctors who live in country permanently and even went to medical school there was a breath of fresh air. Corazon del Siervo http://www.corazondelsiervo.org is their organization and out of that heart they have agreed to take me on as intern/nurse/nanny or whatever else is needed for the next five months.

What impresses me most about this family is their total dependence on the Lord. I (of course) was ready to be there for the whole 6 months before I start medical school but my parents are (wisely I expect) a bit more reserved. So as we're talking with Francisco Sabado on the international phone Mom wants to make sure that I don't overstay my welcome or get in the way. Out of respect for her more than agreement I ask Francisco if they have space for me. His response? "Of course or God wouldn't bring you." What's more its taken me 4 emails to finally get even a mention of money from them. But that clearly is not what this family is about. Here's a copy of my last email from them:

If you could bring camel bag water backpacks for each of my kids. Luke wants blue, Isaac wants red and a pink one for Annika. If they have a few front pockets for granola bars or snacks, etc. that would be great. I will pay for them. I think they have them in the sporting goods at Walmart, but if not the sporting good store will have them. (If you dont know what they are, ask Paul). Thanks so much.

Of course these will not be the questionable ones from Walmart; I've seen them leak myself, and they will be a gift. I had a great time picking them out on Amazon yesterday -- though pink is surprisingly impossible to find. We had to compromise with sky blue. But these will be nice day packs that'll hold a lunch and sweater in addition to the water bladder. I'm also planning on getting a few carabeans for the daisy chains so the kids can lash stuff down, and I want to hide a few granola bars in the packs for them to find.

I've also been crashing cramming my medical spanish again. It's been a semester and my Spanish feels so rough! Thankfully there are some awesome free podcasts; I really like "Medical Spanish Podcast" (original eh?) its put out by an internal medicine doc, Molly Martin, who really knows her stuff. Yesterday I was working on patient histories: family info, nationality, alcohol and tobacco usage etc.

And of course Juanes is running in the background of all this while I write and do last minute packing. Tonight I teach my last Princeton class, meet up with friends for dinner and tomorrow its off to Florida for the week I promised my folks before leaving. I'm already so stir crazy! I can't wait to get there!