God uses pennies

How was copper wire invented?  Well, you see, two Dutchmen were fighting over a penny........

My mom's cousin's husband--kin?-- told this to his fellow South Dakotan doctors at a meeting last week.  This was followed by:  well there's this Dutch girl by the name of Zoutendam who will be applying to our medical school next year...she's related to Dr. Zoutendam... and she told me that joke.

The same distant cousin who happily offered a spare apartment in her house for me, the same doctor who told me that I was on the right track and that I could shadow him...then said "They know your name now, Sarah, they'll be looking out for you."

An aunt said she had a pickup in good condition that I could use for the summer-- if I learn to drive a stick shift.  (I am memorizing all the hilly stop signs, and may not visit you if you live on a hill.)

Oh yes, a cousin who has some car dealerships and will sell to me at cost...

A job is opening up at the Children's Hospital despite my strange background..... in which I can provide care to a disabled child and join in all the therapy sessions  (with a broad spectrum of health providers).

There is a scholarship available to cover a significant portion of my tuition.

My grandparents on all sides are alive and remarkably well. They have all been very supportive of my next move. My mom's parents took me in when I had no idea where I was going and even let me use their vehicle for a few months. My Dad's parents offer a sounding ground, advice, and catch me when I fall.....

Oh yeah, did I mention the doctor who treated a problem in my leg... for free?  And then asked me to shadow him during his weekend on duty (because he wanted to hear more about Ethiopia)?  What about the doctor I shadowed who had been a SOCIAL WORKER for six years before going back to medical school-- and told me how much more a person from the social sciences can add to medicine?  

There is also a small town family doctor who knows one of my Rutgers professors and had me over for a chat. Who would guess that he is part of an advisory team for national health care reform initiatives and medicare payment amounts? Several professors, by the way, have sent recommendations to my various ideas of post- baccalaureates and are supportive of my final choice. They even send recommendations as I job- hunt.

Small things... my apartment is fully furnished-- down to oven, microwave, even dish rags -- better yet, access to a bread maker.... oh yes, and friends of friends with symphony members for free Sioux Falls symphony tickets....

Speaking of music, there's more...a friend has a recording studio that recorded Congolese choirs in the area (that I can go to hear).  More: an Ethiopian friend who wants to show me the local Ethiopian churches.  A contact with the local Sudanese "lost boy" community.

Stop, did I mention the local small group I joined in Aberdeen's parishes with a dear couple in their seventies? We go out for breakfast every Sunday after mass. They were raised on farms, were farmers and we can really share stories and thoughts! What about the parish I am connected with in Sioux Falls? It has a young, active congregation, intent on Christian communities.

I can't forget the wonderful ladies that I meet with in church who share advice on cooking roasts with Coca- Cola and care about who I am and where I'm going.

Oh, I forgot, I will be living near the historic district in an actual neighborhood and in a 3 mile radius of everything I need.

Wait, my first winter in South Dakota was the warmest one... EVER....

I am blessed and I cannot say anything else about it.  God needs a leap of faith, a moment of flying, but He is a good catcher.  Who knew he would take my little pennies and make a fortune?

Down

No sooner had I arrived in the house than I was greeted by a litany of questions. So, you going back to school? Didn't get enough there? How much is it going to cost? Where will you live? Do you have a job? Have you been applying for jobs? Yeah, what kind? In my family, this is how love is sometimes expressed. Brutally exacting, but out of concern. That's part of why I decided to stay here. I have to move to the biggest city in South Dakota, right by the Iowa border, in order to take the courses needed for medical school admissions. I am, however, staying in the sate, and very close to family on all sides. In this new stage of life, establishing a home is too important to put off. So, I put my foot down and decided to stay here. I am also applying for patient care jobs at different hospitals and nursing homes. The interviews are terribly embarrassing "So, you have a masters's degree and you are applying for this job?" "Where are you from?" "So, you're changing directions.....?(raised eyebrow)" Not to mention that contacting someone for references in Uganda doesn't always work well.
This is the hardest thing I will ever do. Choosing to plant roots somewhere, to humbly take my courses as a nontraditional older student, and to bravely take this one day at a time, are all difficult. If you would have told me at 18 that this is where I'd be 8 years later, I wouldn't have believed you---- then I would have cried. Yes, I battle my doubts every day, and I do look at the social work jobs posted every once in a while. In the end, however, if I take what's coming instead of trying to run away, it will turn out. After all, I have a lot of strong, sometimes rigid, support.