Top 10 things I love about living here, in this place, at this time

1. It's exactly where I am supposed to be. After confirmation upon confirmation, I know this in the depths of my heart.
2. Being able to get up early enough to avoid being woken up by "the praying lady" -- she prays the rosary and Ave Maria at 7:15 am. Every morning. Over a loudspeaker. She sounds a little like Charlie Brown's teachers.
3. The anticipation of volunteers (and goodies from the States!) coming every week.
4. The privilege to watch God change the lives of our volunteers through one little week out of their year.
5. A team that works well together and does its best to keep everyone un-stressed.
6. Being able to get anywhere in the city on public transportation (and knowing that I don't have to).
7. A car that screams out that it belongs to the Baptist Mission. This one actually makes me laugh every time I talk about it.
8. A culture that I am coming to love and hate and laugh at. Laugh at, mostly.
9. A small group of friends who understand my passion for this particular country and a larger group of friends who understand the urgency of missions.
10. My job. I get to do what I went to school to do, without the pressures of US-style medicine.
11. Learning daily that God is for me, and that He just wants me to be available to waste some time with Him.
12. Not knowing how to count. And not being able to contain the top 10 list to just 10 things.