Goodbye

This time of year is a bit of a sad time for me. It is a time to say goodbye. Goodbye to all the students that I have known for two or three years. I have gotten to know them, walked with them in these years of growing into their career. I have loved them. And then they leave, but it the normal progress of things. They truly enrich my life. I pray that they have gotten a sense of how to serve God fully in their lives in their profession. I trust that they will make a spiritual difference where ever they go.

I am saying good bye to Yun and Jane his wife. They are headed back to China where he will become a Law professor and she will continue on as a District Attorney.

Here is one of our e mails as we are saying goodbye:

Hi Rich,
Thank you for your encouragement. I really hope to and I will try to do something good for my fellow citizens. I also wish the friendship between our countries will last forever, as our friendship. We can collectively contribute something to the world peace. Let's do it together!
Yan Lin

International Law studentw who came over to have dinner with our family. 

Inner City Chicago

Last weekend, I brought two students to inner city Chicago to visit the Lawndale Medical Clinic in west Chicago inner city. What I found was a group of Christians who had transformed the inner city or part of it. There is several blocks on W. Ogden which fly the Lawndale flag. There is a place called Hope House for those Black males who have hit the bottom. We spent some time there just listening to those men speak of their transformation. There is a computer lab, job training and a host of other things. The inner city health clinic was jammed with people who paid on a slidding scale of $15 to $ 40. Most paid $15. Two of the nursing students shadowed nurses and were really impressed. What was cool was that one was not a believer. They both said that they loved the spirit in the clinic. They said that when they usually work with nurses, there are a few who offer free advice: Get out while you can. They said that no one did that. But acted in the opposite.

That evening, we went to the Hip Hop church was uses Hip Hop to contextualize the gospel. Amazing experience. I want Hannah to go back with me just to see it. The topic was abuse and the truth that was told was sobering. They are serious about transformation.

Then we visited Lawndale church on Sunday morning. The non Christian student had mentioned how much he liked the Hip Hop church and said it was really refreshing and not 'suger coated' as much churches are. Lawndale church was great too. What a vision: Buy another building - convert an old theatre. What visit.

I said to the student - well what did you think. Sugar coated. He said - not at all.

Nurse's Meeting last night

About once a month, the nursing student group that I work with (Nurse's Christian Fellowship - UW chapter) has their evening meeting. We have been inviting in a Christian nurse to talk with us about faith and nursing. Last night, Maureen (Mo) Essenmacher, a nurse of 35 years came and talked with the group.

Mo is a dynamic Christian who looks for opportunities to invite Jesus to come and work in the life of the patient. She shared about the 1o short term mission trips that she has taken and how she practices her faith at work. One thing that I recalled is that when prayer is need either for staff or a patient, they always call on Maureen. Really cool!!!

The bio Ethics Conference

I have asked many of you to pray for our Bio Ethics Conference last week : Slicing the pie - The allocation of healthcare dollars.

It was a good conference but a bit smaller than we had hoped. I asked Dr. Fergusson to come early and speak to the Med school. He chose the topic : A good death - the ultimate healing which was on the one year celebration of the death of Terry Schiavo. We had around 60 students come and her and then interact.
We talked a lot of Healthcare and its goal. And then we talked some about death and had some good student interaction.

The conference was on Saturday with around 50 in attendance. The discussion and break out sessions were great.

We are praying as to whether we try this again next year.

Dr. Fergusson of the Center for Bio Ethics and Human Dignity