Coming Home to the Motherland

Singapore is so cool! I didn't really think that it would be, cause really I don't know tons about it. But it's this crazy urban city transplanted in the middle of a jungle. We did this awesome hike through the wilderness that's a national park in the middle of the city. Part of it is a suspension bridge that goes through the canopy of the trees and you can see the green lush trees stretch out forever on either side. Oh and there's monkeys - like big ones just hanging out on the bridge and some of them weren't that friendly, hah. It was hot and humid but I loved it all. I've decided I'm really good with just dealing with the heat and it honestly doesn't bother me. The city is wicked high end and the buildings are way cool and kind of remind me of Dubai a bit. There was way more I wanted to see and do and that just added to my sadness of having to come home.
I cannot even start to try and put into words how I feel about this project. I am so grateful and so incredibly blessed to be able to be a part of it. I don't think I can describe how it has changed me and how much I have gained. I feel almost selfish because I think I've gotten way more out than I feel like I've put in. I am so humbled. With the material things I have been blessed with especially. I've been humbled too as I've watched and been privaleged to be friends with and work with amazing people who have made me want to do and be better in so many different ways. I have loved serving the people. I can honestly say that I have loved everyone that I helped and worked with. I was just happy being able to give of my time and skills to be giving them the help and medical care they needed and wouldn't have been even close to without this project. I know that's because Heavenly Father let me see and gave to me some of the love He has for them and worked through me to make their individual life better. The other medical people I worked with are phenominal. They are my close and forever friends. I feel so blessed to have them in my life and to be able to learn so much from them.
I wish I could stay longer! It's weird to be home too. Everything I've done today seems so surreal and foggy to be back into real life. But at the same time, I'm excited to start again and to be better with the things I've learn and the ways I have grown. I love all of you who have written to me and supported me and sent me your love. You have no idea how much it's helped and I'm so happy to be home with you again!!

Love, Amy

i heart cambodia

Cambodia was an amazing experience just itself. The orphanage I helped at was called Happy House and the kids that live there really were just so so happy. I think that's something I love about kids is that lots of times they're oblivious to the not so great things around them and still play and have friends and are happy and going through life. That's one of the reasons I love pediatric nursing is cause even though they have sick days, they're still kids who are always trying to maximize their fun. I became specail friends with one little girl who I spent almost the whole afternoon with. I will now always love and I wish I could do more for her. It's especially hard when individual people become personal and 'real' to you. That you get to know them and what they're about and who they are. I knew I'd have to deal with that but it was harder than I thought. I had a wonderful time repainting there and the group did so much more for their house in the days after too.
We had some very interesting and rare medical cases too. If you wanna know more about that just ask.
Another exciting thing is that I got to go to Angkor Wat. Definitely didn't think I would get to do something so ridiculously fantabulous while I was there. Before I left I knew there would be a chance I wouldn't get any free time on land so that was above anything I'd hoped for. It took 10 hours to get there on a bus but definitely worth it. We got to see 3 separate ruins and they were basically incredible. I love the art and architecture and culture!!!! It blows me away what they could do with the materials and tools they were working with. Ridiculously intricate!
My team that I've been working with who are mostly Navy or Army personel and one Canadian Forces nurse(!). They're wonderful people and I love them all. We became even closer together in this part of the project and we just work so well together.
Cambodia is gorgeous!!! The landscape is lush and basically a jungle. I became friend with one of the helicopter pilots and we got to fly over Cambodia - holy smokes.
Beautiful country and even more beautiful people.

Cam to the Bodia

Yay we're here! It was a short sail over and I was kinda sad cause it's very peaceful when we're steaming. The view is wonderful from the deck and there's the cutest island just off our port side and I'll try and post a picture of it later. I get to go on a service project on shore tomorrow to help paint a school and I'm way excited to get on land and see what it's like. The people here are so friendly but they're all really short - bascially everyone is my size and my navy friends keep telling me I fit right in and maybe this is where I belong - hah. I can't believe I only have like 2 weeks left. Luckily every day is better than the one before.

Qui Nhon, Vietnam

I have had such an amazing time here! I can't believe we're leaving in a couple of days. I have grown to love the Vietnamese people so quickly. They are gracious, friendly, happy and loving kind of people that I want to be more like.

I work in an area call CASREC or casualty receiving. So we see all of the patients who come aboard first and assess them and get everything started for surgery or another service who's going to see them like audiology or something like that. The days are very busy but I like it that way. I have met so many people and it's crazy how quickly you can become friends and share something special together in such a small time. I have definitely loved them as I have just tried to make things work or find the right doctor for their baby. It's beautiful to be able to just serve them and not have any other motives in doing it.

I've been in the OR twice just observing. One of them was a cleft lip repair on a baby boy. The surgeon is from the Navy and asked to come on the project and he took as much care and detail with that little guy as he would have anyone else. Once it was finished to looked great and how huge of a blessing that will be for him and his family. The other favorite patient I had was a 6 year old boy who had burnt his hand and then it hadn't healed properly and 3 of his fingers had healed together and he couldn't fully stretch them out. So they separated them and skin grafted on the exposed sides. His hand looked amazing once it was finished. How blessed we all are to have people with those special gifts and talents to fix our bodies. They're going to have his hand in splints for the next couple months to stretch out those tendons and to make sure the skin graft heals properly.

I've also gotten to go to our off site clinics on the main land. They see from 600-800 people per day. They have physicians, pediatricians, optometry, pharmacy and dental. From those sites only some people are referred to the ship. But those clinics reach so many people and help them with smaller problems but make a huge difference. We are unbelievably blessed to live where we do. I am so humbled by the material things I enjoy and just how much more my comfortable my daily life is.

Vietnam is a cool country, especially cause I've never been to anywhere Asia before. On my day off I got to go to a Buddhist temple and to some ancient Hindu towers and to the market and the fruit market and ate local food. It was such a fun time! The temple was gorgeous and so intricate in the detail on every building. It's a really peaceful place because it's so quiet, even in such a loud city. It was especially great cause our friend Taylor speaks fluent Vietnamese from his mission so he could talk to everyone for us. I have fab pictures but the internet is way too slow so you guys will have to see them when I get home!

I only have just over 3 weeks left! So crazy but I'm excited to be back with all of you but I don't wanna leave at the same time.

Philippines

So we were headed into a huge storm on the way to Vietnam, so we're taking a detour through the Philippines! k and when I say through I mean that you can see the islands on either side of the ship! It's crazy amazing and the water here is a lighter blue and incredible calm- it just looks smooth like a calm lake would. We had an abandon ship drill this afternoon, which is my favorite too.

Last night we went and watched the sun set and the stars come out on the stern (back) of the ship. It was beautiful and we all just hung out and talked. Such a cool night. I'm trying to soak up the semi-relaxed days before it gets crazy on Sunday.

Love you guys and thanks for your comments and letting me know what's going on with you!!!

pictures