Butt Whipin' Body Baggin' Fundraiser.
I knew I wanted to go on The World Race for a while now. When I first saw the $15,500 I was a little freaked out, like everyone. I knew I didn’t really have a church community with being new to the area, having 6 scattered months of bed rest from surgeries ,and then being contracted to work every weekend; I don’t really have much of any community right now with my circumstances. So I knew my fundraising would have to be a little different.
I work as a CNA to gain enough clinical experience to make it into Physician Assistant School or Med school– I’m a butt whipping, diaper changing, body baggin’ , toe taggin’ CNA. My job is to take care of the non-medicine needs of the patients on the Cardiac Progressive Care Unit at the hospital, where most of the people are very sick and/or elderly people, who can’t do much for themselves. I decided that every dollar I make being a CNA would go straight into an account for The World Race – I would not keep any of it.
At first, I thought I was cheating… “You can’t just use your own money, that’s not trusting God to provide for you”. It’s been almost a year that I’ve been working as a CNA , first in a Dementia/Alzheimer’s facility, and then in the Hospital- and the lessons I have learned doing this job while “donating” my whole salary, has been more life-changing then I ever imagined. I have had to trust Him, in so many ways.
My World Race, this journey, actually started with my first day of working – a year ago.
1. I’ve learned humility – by changing exploding diapers that would be full again in a couple minutes, bathing the dirtest people,and doing on the spot gross stuff that I wont even type- to keep the food in your stomach. Also by having to do the stupidest stuff to meet the silliest, most ridiculous needs of some paitients.
2. I’ve learned to honor dignity– like with the 22 year old quadriplegic and the 40 year old man with ALS, who couldn't move and had me, a 20 year old girl, changing their diapers and bathing them.
3. And to respect vulnerability-to the ones can can’t talk, nor move, and lack the cognitive ability to understand and make decisions – they are completely vulnerable and susceptible to the good or bad decisions the people around them decide to make. I learned how to respect their state and protect them in various ways.
I’ve learned patience and how to “be still”:
My Alzheimer’s patients were unable to remember/understand anything. I repeated everything atleast 10 times. I had to be paitient with the sacred, angery and often violent behavior they would express from being confused – like getting smacked in the face. To be understanding. And being paitent with having to do everything for them.. I really mean everything.
I’ve learned to rely on God for strength:
Physical: I am contracted to work every single weekend, night shift 6:30pm-7:15am, and I go to school Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I’m either studying or working or sleeping while trying to transition from a night schedule to day schedule every few days. My tank is low, but never seems to run dry.
Emotional: For the people I’ve seen die, for the lifeless bodies I’ve carefully laid and zipped into bags, for the family members I’ve see cry, for the frustrated, angry, and broken patients who’ve been given unbearably hard and unfair diagnosis. I still have hope.
My fundraising has been different, but nothing to feel guilty of i've learned.
Its been a hard, exhausting honor.
I have hardly seen anything compared to the amazing nurses and people I work with. But I’ve seen enough to learn these lessons, and have seen just enough to be prepared for The World Race.
I’ve not only learned to take care of “the least of these”, but to respect and honor their position. And better yet, be thankful for mine.
-I am a CNA and this is my ministry .
-I have been on my World Race here in the US for a year already, and launch into the world in July.
-With this and the donations of my small but amazing community, I will be fully funded.
-God is Good.
