Oh dear...(Mykonos, Patmos, Kusadasi/Ephesus)

9.27....I think

As I lay in my cruise ship bed tonight I'm wondering....

"How many kids have peed in this bed? How many drunk adults...?"

I have a thing with beds. They have to be clean, they have to be neat, and they have to be MINE!" I hate sleeping in a foreign bed. Ask my husband. It's an issue on any overnight thing we have. Even in a really nice hotel with a really nice bed. I hear they don't wash the comforters, like, ever.

Ew.

But today was amazing. The beautiful island of Mykonos. We ate some yummy food at Nikos and walked the island. We didn't make it to the side with the huge old windmills, but we did see Petros the famous pelican. He waltzed through Nikos in the patio during our dinner. Really weird actually. Have you ever seen a pelican? In real life? They're gianormous!! He was probably 2 1/2 feet tall, at least. Maybe 3.

Ok, in the spirit of Petros, time for Angry Birds before bedtime.

Wish me luck in my questionable bed with the really questionable mattress.

9.28 (Patmos/Kusadasi, Turkey/Ephesus)

This morning we went to the island of Patmos where John received the Revelation from God. It was way cool....we went through the cave where John supposedly was at the time of his writing. There's a church built over it now (of course) and a monastery along the cliffside.

But the real gem came when we went to Kusadasi, Turkey. Also known as the ancient city of Ephesus. We walked the streets where ruins lay of a once bustling and thriving city.



2 theaters in this city, one holding around 25,000 people. The larger one is most likely where Paul was taken in Acts 19. You'll have to wait for those pictures....

I've started a new project here on our adventures, a notebook of pencil rubbings....see....


Mom thought of it the other day after we left the Acropolis (so far my favorite still).

Tomorrow is the island of Rhodes.....to be continued.....

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Fit as a Fiddle...(Athens)

...and ready for love...(Singing In The Rain) Sorry, haven't used any of my regular broadway song and dance style of blogging in a while....so there you go.

If you didn't know already by previous posts, I was fighting an intense allergy attack the last day of Rome and the first day in Athens. I went through 4 travel packs of tissue in about 7 hours and FINALLY got my hands on some Zyrtec. Funny...I was looking for an antihistamine in the Rome airport without a decongestant and had to translate through some rough Italian on the boxes. No go. Everything has some form of phenyleph....blahbadie blah. So at the airport in Athens I found the pharmacia and went straight for the pharmacist.

"Hello, excuse me, do you speak English?"

Now understand, I'm completely against just sauntering into someone elses country and immediately asking something without giving at least an attempt at speaking the language.....

But we'd been there maybe 3 minutes.....

And Greek is hard....

Like, real hard....

"Hello, yes I do, of course."

Of course she does. And she's adorable. I ask for an antihistamine without the D. She says to me in wonderful English with an endearing accent, "well yes, what do you know of...?mmmm...Zyrtec?"

Praise the Lord. There's Zyrtec in Greece. I almost bought all she had.





Now the thing is, without going into detail, I can't really tell you exactly how much snot we were dealing with here. Think wheelbarrows. Think tsunami. I was worried this morning that the lack of noseblowing while I slept may have lead to a sinus infection, but I think we're good here....fit as a fiddle...

So today we hit the streets. Let me say, Athens ain't no walk in the park lady. It's rough out there. I'm pretty sure our hotel is just a Gaza strip away from Afghanistan. Lots of rough characters out there. All men. Athens isn't in great shape. Spray paint (although immaculate and impressive) is everywhere. No wonder Britain won't give them their own artifacts back. Take care of your crap people.

Ok. So the Acropolis....uh, hello. Wow. Amazing.





Self portraits make me laugh.






Me and dad trying to get it just right....









Here's the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, translation ancient theater holding about 5,000:





On Mars Hill where Acts 17 occurred:





Tomorrow morning we leave for the cruise through the islands!! Heck yes.

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When in Rome...pt 2

Buona sera folks. At least it's nighttime here....

Last day in Rome. Tomorrow it's off to Athens, Greece.

Tonight's blog is all about food. Rightly so. We're in It'ly for cryin out loud! (Ever seen Only You with hunky hunk RDJ in it? The guy that plays Bonnie Hunt's husband - also the guy who plays the bad guy in a movie about the Luigi brothers - says, "It'ly? What's she doin in It'ly?!") Ok....

But before we get to the food...here's one of me at the Pantheon. Frickin amazing. Seriously.


We saw several Bernini's today in little, off-the-beaten-path churches like this one:


And we were promptly kicked out even though we were quiet and respectful. Ain't no hospital church, that's for dang sure.

And we saw Michelangelo's Moses. But I didn't catch that one with the iPhone. Sorry.

Ok, so here is a replay of some of the best food I've ever eaten.

Mom's ravioli from lunch was perfect. The "red" sauce is really light:


My "grilled cheese and ham" simply amazing....


Well the menu didn't lie. It was grilled cheese with ham. Sans bread. The Atkins form of a grilled cheese. Grazie Roma!!

Some AMAZING candy from a sweet little Italian guy:


Mint and chocolate gelatto...yes please:


And for dinner, the piece de resistance....

Authentic lasagna for Davis (again with the perfect "red" sauce):


And tornelli caccia e pepe for me! (Noodles with goat cheese and pepper....served in a pastry...)


With this work of Bernini's as the view:


Ciao Rome! Arrivederci! E Buona sera!

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When In Rome....

The Romans have taught me to wait for the green man light to cross the street (not like NYC), to start eating when your food arrives before the rest of the party (not like the polite south), ciao means goodbye AND hello, and to worship idols (did I say that out loud?!).... Ok so I'm not actually doing that one. Just an observation.

What Rome hasn't taught me because I already knew....eating ice cream - ahem - gellato with every meal is acceptable, wear boots everywhere because they're comfy, and always ALWAYS put cheese on everything or maybe even have it as it's own meal.










Gladiator face....grrr...



Ciao!!!

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And the winner is......

ME!!!!!

Finally!! A notch in my sad excuse of a recent win column. Pediatric Primary Care boards are passed and done with!!! I may now proceed with my life.

What's next? Finishing my acute care hours, interviewing for a job, and taking my acute care boards. (Yes, 2 licenses means 2 boards....3 if you count my already passed RN board exam. It's just an adding on of extra letters at this point....)

On the already pressing calendar for fall of twenty-ten:

Compassion Advocates retreat on October 8-9 in my old stopping grounds of Waco, TX! B B BAY L L LOR BAY LOR Baylor Bears fight!

Then it's off to the Church To Church training event in South Barrington, IL with Compassion International mid-November. Hopefully we'll finally make a trip by the history museum to see the Man Eaters of Tsavo! Fitting since we're going there for Kenya purposes in the first place.

Tuesday night my hubs and I leave with my parents for a graduation celebration (and now a passing of the board exam celebration)! Rome, Athens, Grecian islands, and Venice here we come!!!

Later gators.

Tiffany Morgan, RN, MSN, PNP-BC
(pending online recognition from the Texas Board of Nurse Examiners)

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Things That Make You Go Hmm

As I've been studying for my Primary Care Pediatric boards today, I'm reminded a lot of Haiti. Understand that pediatric healthcare in Haiti is much different than here. However, with the increased MISUNDERSTANDING and blatant DISREGARD by Americans for immunizations and healthcare in general, there is a ever increasing need for pediatric providers to identify and treat diseases that were almost extinct from our continent.

One review question just read:

A 17-year-old student is seen in the school-based clinic for a fever and sore throat of 4 days' duration. The results of the rapid strep screen confirm the diagnosis of streptococcal pharyngitis. The student has had a problem remembering to take other medications, and the PNP wants to ensure compliance with an antibiotic. The PNP decides to give: A. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole orally two times a day for 10 days B. A single IM dose of procaine penicillin G C. A single intramuscular (IM) dose of penicillin G benzathine (Bicillin)

D. A single IM dose of ceftriaxone (Rocephin)

In Haiti, right after the earthquake, I came in contact with probably 500 children. All broken in someway. If not physically then emotionally. Socially. Spiritually. We gave out thousands of prescriptions, vitamins, over-the-counter analgesics. And lots of shots. Rocephin. That's what we had.

Now as a pediatric trauma nurse, we don't do a whole lot of shots. Contrary to popular belief, shots don't cure all. But somehow this idea is multi-cultural. The Haitians see a cure-all in a good old fashioned shot, too.

This summer I was present for probably 200+ immunizations during my clinical time in a pediatric primary care clinic. About 80% of the time we had to wrangle and struggle and LAY on top of kids - OLDER KIDS sometimes to give them their immunizations, only to be kicked, grabbed, spit on, you name it - it happened.

Engrained forever in my visual memory is a young Haitian boy about 7 or 8 (maybe older? they are all skinny and short due to malnourishment...) who walked over the the "pharmacy" in which I was the "pharmacist" for the day and handed me his little piece of torn off paper with a smile. This paper acted as his "prescription" from one of the doctors he just saw.

"Rocephin"

Got it. So I sat him down in a chair, spoke to him in my broken French and pulled up his sleeve. He was there alone. No parent holding his hand. No onegiving him the pep talk, or telling him he could have ice cream when we were done. So I gave him that nurses look deep into his eyes that said, "this will hurt, but only for a second." He nodded at me, took several deep breaths in and out, and with eyes open and not a flinch or a tear, he took that whole IM needle into his skinny little arm and said "merci" when it was over.

And that was it. No drama. No crying. No fighting. And no parent to encourage that behavior. He took his sticker that I gave to all my patients, and went on his way.

So I think of this brave young soul who survived an earthquake, who may have lost family members but most certainly lost friends and shelter. I think of him being brave enough to endure a needle in a malnourished arm with the hopes that western medicine can make him well. Because he knows what it looks like to be ill. He has seen death from flu and diarrhea and pneumonia and other preventable illnesses. He's seen the value in protection and treatment.

I think of him as I read the review question about a 17 year old who can't remember to take his medications but is sick enough to walk into your clinic. And I'm sad it's even worth bringing up on a test for pediatric care licensure in America.

It's Gonna Be Good, Good, Good....

"It's gonna be good, good, good
It's gonna be good, good, g. o. o. d. good
It's gonna be good, uh huh
It's gonna be great, mm hmm"
-Next To Normal

How's that for a little positive thinking in the morning?! Oh - it's afternoon. Well whatever. It's the rain. throwing me off.

There's a lot going on, yes? Last night at the song interpretation workshop I'm taking, we all noticed (quite emotionally) that there's a lot going on. Life change is happening everywhere. Or not - which might be a change for some (ahem, me.)

Today the Compassion Blogger team gathers and leaves for Guatemala in DFW. As we all know, the weather ain't so great for flyin' today....some are having a hard time making it to DFW to begin with. Pray they have a safe arrival and departure. You can follow their blogs during their experience with Compassion at

It will be well worth your reading pleasure. I promise, promise.

Now I'm off to study for my Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner certification. Pfh...I'd rather be singing in the rain...
uh oh...

By the way, I know you're out there cause I can see my page hits. Give me some love and click on "follow" in the top right corner so I can submit to be a Compassion Blogger. (Gotta have the followers, you know?!) No emails or notifications.

It's Official: Kenya here we come!

Lions and tigers and bears, OH MY!!!

Remember that time I told you there was something big coming? Singing In The Rain big? Broadway and 42nd big? Yep. It's here.

Celebration Fellowship meets Kenya in 2011.

We have been chosen by Compassion International to pilot a new ministry program called Church To Church. You may be familiar with Compassion's 1:1 child sponsorship. This is like that. Only for churches.

Very soon we will be matched up with a Compassion church in Kenya (eharmony style) and be able to partner with them in their ministry. This can look like many different things including discipleship (on both sides), encouragement, or financial support.

We have agreed to sponsor a minimum of 50 kids in their church and/or area. And you know what that means....you might get to meet them....face to face.

What a joy it will be for me personally to meet dear Samson who we started sponsoring almost 4 years ago now. Many of you at Celebration sponsor children from Kenya, and Lord willing you join us next fall, you will get to meet your Compassion child face to face as well! (Yes, even if they are not in the church we are matched with...)

The generalized timeline is this:
November: training event in Chicago for key leader and leaders
First of the new year: exposure trip with key leaders of Celebration to Kenya
March/April: Compassion Sunday to sponsor children in Kenya
Fall 2011: mission trip to Kenya with MEMBERS of Celebration Fellowship!!

For all of you who have been looking for a way to expose yourself to missions and the rest of the world, God has answered our prayers. This is going to be huge!! We will have the ability to communicate with them over the internet and email throughout the year as well as be able to meet them in the flesh! There has already been a lot of excitement about this throughout the leadership at Celebration, and we're all very excited to see how God will use us and what He will teach us.

How can you prepare?

1. Begin praying with us now that this relationship will lead to lasting changes in the lives of our people and of our partnered church. That God will use us together in mighty ways to release the Kenya children from poverty in the name of Jesus Christ. That the enemy will be stunned by the work of this church in their community. That there will be fast and seamless communication between our two cultures. That we will be an encouragement and a mentor to the newly sponsored children from this area. That God will show you how to be involved in service as well as financially.

2. You can also prepare by talking to your lifegroup about this, bring it up in ABF, visit the Share Compassion Board in the Place To Say Hey (across from the coffee, closest to the entry) and post your own Compassion stories.

3. Follow the Compassion Bloggers in Guatemala September 7-11 to see how moving it really is to visit a Compassion site and how you might feel if you meet your child face to face.


This fall we will be introducing a program new to our church, however not new to Compassion:

Leadership Development Program.

LDP is the sponsorship of college/university students, and we'll be sponsoring one or more in Kenya. More info on this to come.

Get ready Celebration....here we go!!!

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