A Visit from My Parents

What a whirlwind this week has been! It has been full of laughter, prayer, long talks, and a few tears. It had been 19 months since I last saw any of my family, which is the longest I have ever gone without seeing them. I should preface all this to say that this is the first time my dad has been outside of the US. Let's just say being in a car on Indonesian roads was an experience for him! My mom had made the trip out by herself in 2005.

So here is their trip in a few pictures...

Arriving at the airport in Pontianak after a very long trip! The Indonesian crowd enjoyed our reunion :) 

In front of my home with my dad after church on Sunday

After church on Sunday with my mom

Meeting the Nursing School staff

Meeting the OB Ward staff (who had only patient that day so were busy planting flowers outside the ward)

Getting to know some of the staff I work with. 

The Pediatric Ward staff

With the staff on our Class III medical/surgical unit 

With one of my friends - Dr. Irene (our radiologist) 

Attending the Children's Program for our Hospital Birthday Celebration 

My dad had no problems making friends, especially with the kids :) 

And with adults too!  

We had a lovely dinner with Wendell (Opa) & Paul Geary after their arrival at Bethesda

We also worked on a few "nesting" projects like putting in shelf liner paper in a couple of cupboards, hanging a mirror, and curtains.  

We finished up our trip with a night in Singapore, so they could see some of the sights and catch their early flight

This weekend we celebrated Chinese New Year. (This area in Singapore was absolutely packed with people watching a performance, shopping, and eating) 

It ended all too soon though and just 8 days after I picked them up they were boarding their flights back to the US. 

As I write this they are just a 5 hours or so outside of Portland. Thanks to the international date line they left Asia on Saturday morning and arrive in Portland on Saturday morning. They will take the next couple of days to rest and I imagine be back at work early next week. It was so lovely to see them and share a bit of my life here with them but it was really hard to say goodbye knowing it will probably be another 18 months before I see them again. Right now I am scheduled for 6+ months of home assignment starting in August of 2016.

After a night of rest in Singapore I am headed to a 2-week medical education conference in Thailand tomorrow. Right now though I am battling a fever and bad cold or flu, so please be praying that ends quickly so I can enjoy this conference, plus the new roommate I will meet tomorrow probably doesn't want a sick roomie :(