We recently found out unpleasantly how much of a blessing having good medical insurance truly is. Before we got on board with the school, I came down with strep while moving into the apartment. We had to unenthusiastically cough up $100 to be seen at Urgent Care, but to my dismay I was prescribed my arch-nemesis in pill form: the Z-pack, which cost me $30 more bucks even in its generic form. To make matters worse, once I took my first dose, I went downhill for the worst. I moved to the couch and spent the night miserably trying to breathe. Allergic reaction, possibly? The Urgent Care clinic finally decided I should discontinue the pack and start Amoxicillin. $25 more bucks. I love health care.
After I finally recovered, David's dad Bill, David and I headed out early the next morning for a two week New England Tour! David and I had to be in Rochester, NY, for Jake Fabry and Cheryl's wedding. Much of Bill's family lives in the New England States, most of which I'd never met, so we decided to make a road trip of it.
First, we zipped through Virginia, passed by the Capitol as we scooted through Maryland. and finally arrived in New Jersey to see Mrs. Barbara Couphos. Barbara is Bill’s great uncle’s wife. Throughout the drive, I daydreamed about what it would be like to teach at Faith, and I realized that perhaps the reason I ended up teaching English in India instead of practicing medicine in the summer of 2008 was to prepare me for teaching at Faith. God is so sovereign. I enjoyed visiting Barbara very much. Her spirit is the quintessence of delightfulness, and she displayed the attributes of Christ in a refreshing way.
We spent the 4th of July driving up to the Woodwards’ place in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. On our way, we encountered a couple hours of sluggish traffic crossing the George Washington Bridge from New Jersey to New York due to a fatal motorcycle accident. David and I decided to walk along to bridge to take some pictures and stretch our legs while Bill sat in traffic. We almost found ourselves in a dilemma when the traffic broke free and began to move up to normal pace.
We found ourselves sprinting to the end of the bridge only to reach the end just in time to jump the railing and dive back into the Buick.We then drove from New York to Connecticut, where we passed signs for Yale University in Stamford. We also stopped in Mystic to see where some of Bill’s relatives once lived on the bay. I basically slept through Rhode Island and woke up in Providence, Massachusetts. We arrived at the Cape shortly after. We thoroughly enjoyed visiting with Pat and Chuck Woodward and had a great time watching fireworks over Cape Cod.
As we journied on, my constant feelings of malaise and head pain did a rather effective job of reminding me of why dedicating my life to the alleviation of people's sufferings is worthwhile. Day after day, I found more and more that I was made for the medical field. God not only called me to it but created me for it, for it is God who assigns each man with his task. My prayer is that God will help me remember the information I gather from multiple sources and that it will be used in time to help others.
After leaving the Woodwards, we traveled through Boston. It’s a beautiful city, with a port covered in expensive boats on sparkling water and many walking parks surrounded by tall buildings. Something about being there made me want to have a tea party.
We soon caught a ferry to Peat’s Island and met up with Bill's sister Robin and her family. I had a developing migraine as we approached the Ferry, but by God’s mercy, it never reached the point of no return, and I was able to thoroughly take in the people I was with. I met Jim, Robin’s honey, and we also met Robin’s children and their families. The island was gorgeous, only a square mile in area. Robin drove us around the perimeter to see all the nice houses and the beach.
It was absolutely stunning. God has worked so much in this family. Robin has such a gentle strength. She is a very smooth stone, but only because she has been molded by some intense rushing waters over the course of her lifetime. But God has made himself known to her and has carried her through. Next, we ventured to Camden State Park and enjoyed a spectacular view of the Atlantic.
The beach was rocky and schooner-covered. We could see so far, all the way to Acadia National Park. We camped out in Camden and woke up to a four hour drive to Moose-country Maine to eat lunch with Mim, Bill's mom. Mim is the best looking woman in their 80s that I’ve ever seen. She was decked out in all blue, which she says is a healing color, and she and Bill share the same soft brown eyes. Mim is a very fun, exciting, informative lady; I enjoyed listening to her and learning about their side of the family and some about her views on health care.
We left Mim to go visit Bill's brother, Carl, and his wife Georgene. Bill unfortunately threw up his seafood on the way, and I have to say I was surprised I hadn’t done the same after eating scallops, haddock, lobster and clams for the first time.
I was totally captivated by the landscape of New Hampshire and Vermont. The mountains and lakes are uniquely beautified by the flora surrounding them— lots of birch, ferns and other tall conifers. Vermont is the “Green Mountain” state. The northern accent is starting to wear on me in a good way. I really liked Maine’s the most.
Carl & Georgene's home couldn't be in a prettier locale. It’s technically in Massachusetts, but it borders Vermont and New York. Carl is a blast. He works for the local college doing film and photography, and he proved to be talented in that area while we were visiting. He always saw the right shot and knew how to capture life in its most videographic moments. The first night, we sat around and conversed. David and I stayed in the “Honeymoon suite” as Carl deemed it, which actually used to be Georgene’s Raefe therapy room. David and I went running in the morning on a route compiled of gorgeous scenery. The area was so green with rolling hills covered with trees and shrubs. We passed a couple red barns on the roadside and a few farms and streams. Later on, we went into Pownal and traveled up to Mount Greylock to look out over the valley. We got to see the view just in time before a storm blew through with lots of hail and rain.
We drove by the house where Bill grew up. We also saw Williamstown and its renowned college. Next, we ventured to Belington, Vermont, just to experience the state. The town was filled with absurd decorated moose. Vermont claims maple sugar as its treat to the world. Then, I had the great treat of visiting the grave and home of American poet Robert Frost before heading back to the house to meet Georgene for a steak dinner.
David and I worked on our budget for the first time. We tried to determine our month’s spending on our soon to be $24,000 income this year. It is going to be tight, but I am encouraged to take on the challenge of learning to live simply and to prioritize giving and ministry over comfort and entertainment.
As I was drifting off to sleep that night, David said, “Jana, I enjoyed watching you interact with people today. It’s always encouraging and challenging.” His words helped me sleep in peace for the first time in a while, just those small words, because they assured me that God could love others through me even when I do not feel well. On my worst days, I just have to strive to focus on others- it is the best medicine I've been able to find.
Finally, after we left Carl's, we headed for Jesse Flint’s house in Rochester, New York, where Ben Whitley is living. We dropped Bill off at the airport, of course not before treating him to Dunkin Donuts! What an beautiful wedding the Fabry's had! We really enjoyed our time in Rochester, getting to see friends. I even got to see Niagara Falls on the Canadian side!
On our way back to NC, we stopped at the Encounter Revival Ministry Camp in Pennsylvania. It was really neat to see where David spent so much of his time the year he traveled with the team. I also got to meet two friends of David's named Matt Geib and Dane Niswander before leaving PA.
By the time we concluded the long drive back to Ramseur, NC, we were exhausted and very ready to get into the work force after being without jobs for the last two months! What an adventurous summer God has graciously allowed!
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