Getting Settled.... and staying busy!!

Sorry it has been so long since my last update!! So much has happened in the last week, I'm not sure where to begin!! But first, as promised, I finally have some picture of the beautiful mountains that make me love this place so much:

See? I told you! Absolutely beautiful!! Beautiful days like this make all the rainy days worth it, which is true in a lot of circumstances, actually. In all honesty, the weather has actually been pretty nice since I got here. It has been mostly in the mid-60's and not too rainy. Nothing really to complain about and much preferable to the triple digits back home in Texas. :)

Weather aside, I am finally starting to settle into the neighborhood. I have mastered the public transit system (with only a couple minor mishaps) and am starting to feel more comfortable driving around on the hills. I have established a nice routine during the days and evenings with my grandma. I was a little concerned about this since both of us are used to living alone, but it has actually been really nice having someone to talk to after work and to share meals with. I am looking forward to getting to know her better, since this is the longest visit we have ever had together.

On the internship front, I am definitely staying busy! It is amazing how much work and activity you can fit into just four hours a day. Work at the clinic is definitely never slow. I am part receptionist, part retail worker, and everything in between. I am really enjoying working with the clients, getting to know their stories and helping meet their needs. One of the best parts of my job so far is seeing all the different children who come into our office. It is so rewarding and humbling to know the the little bit that we do, with God's help can make such a difference in their lives. It is also wonderful to hear the women and men who visit share how much our service has impacted their experiences. I am so blessed to have found a place to volunteer that is making such an impact in the community.

As I said earlier, most of the last week has been devoted to preparing for yesterday's annual Auction of the Angels, the organization's biggest fundraiser of the year. I spent quite a bit of time last weekend creating display boards for live and silent auction items. I got to brush up on my cut and paste skills and learn a little bit about fundraising in the process. The auction was, from preliminary results, very successful. It was definitely a challenge trying to navigate an event where everyone knows each other and you don't know anyone, but as the night when on, I started to make a few connections and had several great discussions about the future of the pro-life movement in the area. The most meaningful part for me was seeing how passionate and active the pro-life community is in the area. I was warned by more than one person that the Pacific Northwest would be a very difficult place for a pro-life conservative, but here I saw that even though we are the minority, the movement is strong and that great strides for life are being taken here. It was all very encouraging.

Here are a few snapshots from the evening:

The center director, Nancy, was amazing last night! Here she is working with the caterer and a volunteer.

One of the board members and a couple other volunteers working the Binky Wine Toss.

Mary, our nurse manager, put in long hours organizing all the display boards for the live and silent auction. She definitely kept me busy!

I took a few more pictures for Kathy, our executive director, on her camera and will try to add a few more pictures on my Facebook page.

There is a lot going on this next week, both a work and at home. I will hopefully start assisting in some ultrasounds this week, something I have been very much looking forward to. I am also going to be starting to plan a couple of public viewings of the Unplanned documentary, which should be challenging but a great experience. Also, my lovely friend Jenn will be coming to visit this Thursday and staying for a little over a week. We are planning a trip to Vancouver next weekend and various other excursions, which I will be sure to share with you.

I appreciate all the prayers and words of encouragement! Until next time, Gig 'em and God Bless!

Laura